The 10Adventures Podcast

Long distance hiking routes like the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) or the Continental Divide Trail (CDT) are a once in a lifetime experience for many outdoor enthusiasts, but what about tackling three of these imposing treks within three years? Join this week’s episode of the 10Adventures Podcast as host Richard Campbell chats with Josh Durum about his experience completing the CDT and the PCT twice between 2020-2022.

Josh will be the first to tell you that, while similar in their scope, the Pacific Crest Trail and Continental Divide Trail are completely different beasts that require a good deal of determination, mental fortitude, and planning to overcome - just don’t plan too much! Plenty of experience thru-hiking across 8,000 miles of North America has left him with some insightful knowledge, perhaps none more important than to simply go with the flow and take the time to experience the journey in your own way; a practice that teaches both patience and self-discovery.

To learn more about thru-hiking adventures or to gain some inspiration for your own long distance treks, be sure to check Josh’s Instagram.

Clips:

2:41 - Thru hiking as an easier/stress-free activity

4:01 - Overview of the PCT

11:42 - Overview of the CDT

17:48 - Evolution of gear/packing

28:30 - Go with the flow

“You need a reason to stay at your job, not a reason to leave.” In this week’s 10Adventures podcast, host Richard Campbell is joined by the founder of GrubHub Mike Evans who, upon realizing his reasons for staying at the company changed, left behind his successful startup to travel across the United States on the Trans America Trail.

This amazing adventure, which is described in his new book Hangry: A Startup Journey, took Evans through rural America on a recumbent bicycle, allowing him to slow down and appreciate the scenery while disconnecting from the everyday of running a startup. Society will often try to dictate what success looks like, but as Mike Evans and his story show, you need to create your own definition of success to attain your goals. 

If you can’t get enough of Mike Evans and his fascinating post-Grubhub travels, make sure to check out his Youtube channel and website, both of which feature some amazing adventure content.

Saddling up on your bike and just taking off for an extended trip is an incredible experience unlike no other, offering plenty of solitude and opportunities to meet other travellers along the way. Listen in to this week’s episode as host Richard Campbell is joined by Louis Levine, who travelled across 6,000 miles and 20 countries on an incredible European cycling adventure.

Armed with a road bike and a fairly minimalist setup, Louis initially set out on a one-way cycling trip from London to Scotland, but decided to make the return trip due to high transit costs. From there the travel bug took over, leading him on a pilgrimage down to the Alps to witness the Tour de France, before continuing on a grand European tour.

To keep up to date on Louis’ incredible cycling adventures, be sure to head over to his YouTube channel, where you will find plenty of amazing content that just might inspire your own future experiences!

Names like Samarkand and Bukhara invoke images of ancient Silk Road travellers and beautiful Islamic architecture, which are only a few of the amazing reasons to travel to Central Asia. On this week’s episode of the 10Adventures Podcast, Richard is joined once again by Karin, who just recently returned from an epic tour of Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakhstan.

One of the reasons why people often look back on their travels with fond memories is that they find a certain place over-delivers on their expectations. With a rich atmosphere, storied history, and beautiful landscapes, Karin found that these three Central Asian countries not only delivered an amazing experience along the ancient Silk Road, but that they were friendly, easy, and safe to explore!

Utilizing a variety of transportation methods can really open up your travel experience, exposing you to new opportunities or different paths in life that you wouldn’t have otherwise dreamed of taking. Tune in to this week’s episode of the 10Adventures Podcast as host Karin is joined by Maren Souders, who left behind her job to travel around the United States in a counterclockwise loop using a Brompton foldable bike and plenty of train tickets.

Throughout her journey, Maren focused on the ideas of ‘leaning into the magic’ and trusting the universe to ensure everything went smoothly, but it wasn’t just the universe that helped her along the way. A strong network of friends, as well as hosting services like Warm Showers and Servas, all came together to facilitate a successful and unforgettable experience. If you would like to learn more about Maren and her multimodal adventures, be sure to check out her website www.dreamintochange.com.

Most people have felt the need for a change in their life at some point or another, and nothing can provide a spark quite like adventure can. Just ask Grace Bovis, the guest of this week's 10Adventures Podcast episode, who left behind her career in the fashion industry to make a meaningful change in her life while exploring a 300 mile stretch of the Pacific Crest Trail.

Join the conversation as host Richard Campbell and Grace discuss a variety of topics such as how adventure can change your life, what can keep you going when things get tough on the trail, and how to finance trips through unorthodox methods like selling off designer clothes. For anyone wanting to look further into Grace’s experience shifting to a more adventure focussed lifestyle, be sure to check out her book Take a Hike on gracebovis.com, or follow her on Instagram to see what new adventures she has around the corner.

Years of turmoil and inaccessibility for foreign travellers has left Iraq shrouded in somewhat of a veil of mystery; however, this country situated along the Persian Gulf has recently seen an uptick in international travel, leaving many to wonder if it is the right time to return and explore this beautiful place that is steeped in rich history.

Listen in as host Karin is joined by Erin Skinnider for a fascinating discussion on her recent trip to Iraq this past June. If you have ever been curious about what the accommodations, food, and transportation are like while travelling through Iraq, or want to hear firsthand accounts of the culture and interactions with locals, then this is the perfect place to learn about the finer points of travelling to this little talked about destination.

Solo travel is a transformative experience no matter how big or small the adventure may be, and sometimes it is exactly what you need to check in with reality, yourself, and the wider world around you. This week’s 10Adventures podcast welcomes outdoor enthusiast and writer Brenda Missen, author of Tumblehome: One Woman’s Canoeing Adventures in the Divine Near Wilderness. 

Styled as “part spiritual memoir, part travel adventure, and great part ode to the Earth”, Tumblehome is a contemplative chronicle of Brenda’s time spent solo canoeing through the 7,600km² expanse of Ontario’s Algonquin Provincial Park. Listen in as we discuss the wide range of experiences spread across her decades of paddling in the wild, and how it has helped transform her life.

For more information on Brenda’s incredible journeys or to grab a print/digital copy of Tumblehome for yourself, visit brendamissen.com or amazon.

Long-distance traveling is a dream for many, but what does it actually take to turn that dream into a reality? Tune into this week’s edition of the 10Adventures Podcast, as Richard is joined by Sam Minett-Smith to discuss his incredible solo cycling journey from England to Germany.

Harnessing a lust for adventure and striving for a personal challenge, Sam saddled up his road bike and set out on an expedition from London to Heidelberg, utilizing a mixture of hotels, campsites, and couchsurfing along the 12-day, 1000km journey. A self-styled meticulous planner, Sam mapped out his route and left enough room for some improvisation, ultimately ending up with a life-changing adventure filled with plenty of little wins and big highlights along the way. You can check out Sam's photos on his Instagram, at https://www.instagram.com/sam_ms/

This is a short podcast this week as it's the middle of summer, so we wanted to share two fun new things at 10Adventures.

First of all, we are partway through our summer challenge, where you commit to 10 Adventures over 10 weeks during the summer.  The summer isn't over, so why not join in and plan some adventures for the last 6 weeks of summer!

In addition, we've launched a mobile app to help you find new trails, download maps to help you stay safe offline, and record your routes and give you the stats you need.  Why not check it out on the App Store.

More links to the summer challenge and our apps are here: https://linkin.bio/10adventures