Episode 204 of The Adventure Podcast features former Royal Marine, adventurer and mental health advocate, Paul Harris. Paul is more commonly known as 'The Warrior Walker' and uses huge walking challenges, covering thousands of miles, to raise awareness for veterans and others battling issues like PTSD. In this episode, Matt talks to Paul about his decision to walk around the UK and how it came from a place of fairly serious trauma. He looks at his life before the walk, as a Royal Marine, a barman and a private soldier. They also talk about why, at the end of his entire circumnavigation of the UK he decided to put his backpack on and do it all again, probably making him the only person to have walked all the way around the UK twice.

For extra insights from the worlds of adventure, exploration and the natural world, you can find The Adventure Podcast+ community on Substack. You can also follow along and join in on Instagram @‌theadventurepodcast.

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Episode 203 of The Adventure Podcast features writer, photographer, and documentary filmmaker, Kim Frank. Kim has spent the past seven years immersed in an incredibly complex and emotionally charged story centred around human/wildlife conflict. Her project follows the lives of people and elephants in North Bengal, India—where deforestation, migration, and survival all collide. In this episode, Kim talks to Matt about creative risk, the emotional weight of telling other people’s stories, personal transformation, and the quiet power of persistence. They also discuss the importance and rarity of following through on a wild idea that won’t let you go.

For extra insights from the worlds of adventure, exploration and the natural world, you can find The Adventure Podcast+ community on Substack. You can also follow along and join in on Instagram @‌theadventurepodcast.

Photo credit: Jeremy LaZelle

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Episode 202 of The Adventure Podcast features, long distance runner and construction worker, Jack Scott. Over the past few years Jack has grabbed the attention of the British ultra running scene for some stellar achievements that most people in the know thought were literally impossible. In 2024 Jack won the infamous Spine Race, a 268-mile ultramarathon along the Pennine Way, shattering the previous course record by over 10 hours. This isn't a conversation discussing trail shoes or favourite energy gels, instead this episode gives an insight into Jack's mind, attitude and where he finds his motivation. He talks to Matt about his previous gambling addiction and the 'dark and dangerous' place he has learnt to use, his Spine Race losses and win, his training mentality, and the importance of giving yourself time to grow.

For extra insights from the worlds of adventure, exploration and the natural world, you can find The Adventure Podcast+ community on Substack. You can also follow along and join in on Instagram @‌theadventurepodcast.

Photo credit: Wild Aperture Photography

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Episode 201 of The Adventure Podcast features cave scientist, climate researcher, and expedition leader, Dr Gina Moseley. Gina's paleoclimatology work has taken her to some of the most remote and extreme parts of the planet. In this episode, Gina talks to Matt about how she started caving as a kid in the Midlands, saving up her pocket money to go underground in the school holidays, and how this turned into a career in science along the way. They cover her groundbreaking expeditions to caves in Greenland, sailing through sea ice, getting stuck in storms, and chasing fragments of climate history hidden in stalagmites and flowstone. Or as they call it, ultimate treasure hunting.

For extra insights from the worlds of adventure, exploration and the natural world, you can find The Adventure Podcast+ community on Substack. You can also follow along and join in on Instagram @‌theadventurepodcast.

Photo credit: Robbie Shone

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Episode three of The Far Reaches features journalist, podcaster, and founder of the Looking Sideways podcast, Matt Barr. In this conversation, we unpack Matt's latest project: a multi-episode documentary podcast called 'The Announcement', which explores the fallout of Patagonia’s now-famous announcement that "Earth is our only shareholder." On the surface, it looked like a bold, revolutionary move. But dig deeper, and you're into thornier territory—philanthropic capitalism, tax implications, the role of billionaires in shaping our futures, and whether good intentions can ever truly escape the systems they’re trying to fix. This is a conversation about nuance, values, and why asking better questions might matter more than finding neat answers.

For extra insights from the worlds of adventure, exploration and the natural world, you can find The Adventure Podcast+ community on Substack. You can also follow along and join in on Instagram @‌theadventurepodcast.

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Episode 200 of The Adventure Podcast features adventurer, firefighter, martial artist and author, Stephan Kesting. In 2015, Stephan was dying from polycystic kidney disease. He underwent a transplant that saved his life, and in the fog of pre-surgery uncertainty, he made a promise: if he survived, he’d complete a journey he’d dreamed of for decades. Four years later, he set off on a solo canoe expedition across 1000 miles of the Canadian Arctic. Stephan talks to Matt about that journey, but also about trauma, grief, parenthood and risk. This is a story about survival, transformation, and what the wilderness can teach us not just about the world, but about ourselves.

For extra insights from the worlds of adventure, exploration and the natural world, you can find The Adventure Podcast+ community on Substack. You can also follow along and join in on Instagram @‌theadventurepodcast.

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Episode 199 of The Adventure Podcast features one of the most successful British climbers of all time, Shauna Coxsey. Shauna is a World Cup champion, an Olympian, and a true pioneer in the sport. But this conversation isn’t just about climbing, it’s about what it takes to build a professional athletic career from the ground up when the path doesn’t even exist yet. Shauna talks to Matt about her journey to become a world-class athlete; challenging what it meant to be a professional climber, fighting injury after injury, and helping to reshape the sport. They also discuss her competition retirement, becoming a mother, and how she's still pushing herself as a professional rock climber. This episode is full of honesty, insight, and that rare ability to reflect on ambition, success, and what comes after.

For extra insights from the worlds of adventure, exploration and the natural world, you can find The Adventure Podcast+ community on Substack. You can also follow along and join in on Instagram @‌theadventurepodcast.

Photo: Maja Hitij

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Episode 198 of The Adventure Podcast features hillwalker, mountain rescue volunteer, and author, Paul Besley. Paul has written several acclaimed guidebooks but his memoir, The Search: The Life of a Mountain Rescue Search Dog Team, chronicles his transformation from a Yorkshire steel town upbringing to training his Border Collie, Scout, as a search dog. In this episode, Paul tells Matt his life story, and recounts many amusing tales of his escapades in the hills. The story has a twist though, as Paul learned recently he’s terminally ill. The conversation ends with a message of hope - how many people get to pass from this world in a place of complete contentment?

For extra insights from the worlds of adventure, exploration and the natural world, you can find The Adventure Podcast+ community on Substack. You can also follow along and join in on Instagram @‌theadventurepodcast.

Link to Paul's new book: https://bit.ly/3PoxsiG

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Episode 197 of The Adventure Podcast features Scottish climber, Dave Macleod. Dave is celebrated for being one of the finest climbing all rounders in the world, from trad and sport climbing to winter mountaineering. He’s best known for his bold and groundbreaking climbs, including Rhapsody at Dumbarton Rock, the first-ever E11 trad route. Dave isn’t just about physical feats, he’s also deeply interested in the mental side of climbing and loves sharing what he’s learned through his writing, films, and coaching. With his mix of humility, passion, and a knack for tackling the impossible, Dave is one of the leading experts when it comes to understanding how to climb at an elite level. Dave previously came on the podcast (episode 091), but Matt asked him back on after hearing about the release of his new book ‘Moving The Needle’ to give us some top level insights and to understand his own journey from very average, to one of the best climbers in the world.

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Episode 196 of The Adventure Podcast was recorded online with a live audience, and features Leo Houlding. Leo is, in the simplest of terms, a climber. But really there’s so much more to him than that. He’s a big wall specialist, an expedition specialist and an alpinist, and he’s led a multitude of world class climbing expeditions all over the world from Antarctica to Baffin Island and Greenland to Guyana. Matt and Leo have worked together on a few of those expeditions, and really it was Leo who gave Matt his first chance at getting up close and personal with far flung climbing expeditions. In this episode, they cover a pretty broad range of topics, from Leo’s backstory and life growing up in a leaky barn in Cumbria to travelling overseas, embarking on major expeditions and then surprising himself by settling down and becoming a dad. They go on to talk about one of his biggest missions yet, and it’s not what you'd expect...

This episode was our first ever live online show - thanks so much to everyone who tuned in! Keep an eye on our Instagram @theadventurepodcast or The Adventure Podcast+ community on Substack for future live recordings and Q&A's.

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