Mountain Whispers

Zach is an educator and founder of Agora Academy, guiding young people in cultivating a meaningful life, deeply connected to the natural world. In this conversation we explore the role of "The Underworld" in one's growth and maturation, how we can use dreams and symbols to make sense of our path, and what soul maturation means in the context of these challenges. You can find more of Zach at agoraa...

Matthew Duffy (Duffy) is a myco-poet, writer, musician, and cultural alchemist. From 2018-2023, Duffy was instrumental in making Denver the first city to decriminalize psilocybin mushrooms, and later making Colorado the first state to fully decriminalize psilocybin and other entheogenic plants. We explore the initiation Duffy went through that led to this calling, as well as the trials and tribula...

Meghan Walla Murphy is a wildlife ecologist, educator, and guide who helps people remember their ancestral kinship with the more-than-human world. In this conversation we move between the wisdom of elephant seals and bears and the ecosystems we share with them, experiments in wilderness solitude and animal tracking as a path to remembering. Links mentioned in the conversation: Meghan's fundraiser...

Here I sit down with existential psychologist Dr. Alex Sielaff to explore how our awareness of death subtly shapes everything, from our beliefs and identities to our relationships and search for meaning. We dive into Terror Management Theory, peak states of consciousness, and the ways adventure, discomfort, and integration can help us live more fully in the face of mortality. It’s a conversation a...

Rob Ó Cobhthaigh is a former elite whitewater kayaker turned psychotherapist and psychedelic facilitator. He's run some of the most intense waters in the world and completed exploratory first descents in rivers of Iran and Norway. After retired from whitewater, Rob shifted to the exploration of inner realms, training as a psychotherapist as well as in the Celtic shamanic tradition. He now leads ps...

Peter Chrzanowski is an extreme skiing pioneer and Sea to Sky legend. He has atleast 18 ski-mountaineering first descents to his name, including Wedge, Mount Currie, Atwell, Serratus, and Mount Waddington and has also directed or produced 19 ski, paragliding, or action sport movies since the 80's many of which are credited with bringing big mountain, extreme skiing to the level of popularity it is...

Dom Francks is a modern day renaissance man, having honed his craft at everything from elite golf, to climate tech, to outdoor leadership. The current expression of this craft is Vivify , a transformative journey for adventurous professionals and leaders. It blends 4 months of online leadership coaching with a unique 8-day off-trail backpacking expedition in the High Sierra. In our conversation we...

Lauren Bond is a wilderness guide and founder of The River's Path, offering canoe journeys for deep connection and personal transformation. We explore what is actually means to foster deeper connection to the more than human world and how one can access these subtle states of consciousness. We dive deep into how Lauren facilitates this experience in a group setting, as well as how confronting fear...

In this episode Fletcher joins us again to pick up where we left off in Episode 20. We dive deeper into the practice of cultivating intimacy with the more than world through exploring: Connecting to your local bio-region and seeing it like a "Kin-dom" Ancestor practices - paying homage to those who came before us by understanding how they interacted with flora and fauna The power of animal trackin...

Jon Turk is the quintessential example of someone who has lived a life of adventure and consistently stayed open to let vivid experiences shape him. He's been named a Top Ten Adventurer of the Year by National Geographic for feats including kayaking around Cape Horn and across the North Pacific from Japan to Alaska, to mountain biking across the northern Gobi in Mongolia, as well as numerous first...

Alexander Beiner is the author of the upcoming book The Bigger Picture: How Psychedelics Can Help Us Make Sense of the World and one of the founders of the Youtube channel  Rebel Wisdom . Together we explore the parallels between outdoor and psychedelic modes of adventure, and more importantly, how one can integrate extreme experience in a way that helps us navigate complexity, thrive under p...

Tara Souch is a clinical counsellor, specialising in nature based therapy, and a wilderness guide. We chat about: Connecting to the seasons, what it looks like to use each season as a different method of introspection Tools for cultivating intimacy with the natural world as a means of discovery The role of Vision Fasts, ceremony, and ritual as modalities of transformation Links mentioned in the co...

Kyle Dow is a coach focused on emotional and spiritual health and wellness. A Rock-climber and seeker, Kyle is adept at exploring ones edge, both in the outdoors and in ceremonial settings. We chat about: Pushing limits in the outdoors and how it often leads to us performing at our best Flow states and the similarities between flow states from adventure sports vs plant-medicine ceremonies The nuan...

Mike Spencer Bown has travelled to all 195 sovereign countries in the world, but done so while getting off the beaten path to pursue adventure rather than passport stamps. He also spent 86 straight days in the wilderness of the Valhalla Range of the Kootenays Mountains in BC, hunting and foraging for his sustenance. We chat about many things, including the lessons he's learned from adventure and h...

Kyle Koch is movement coach and nature based facilitator, having studied at The Wilderness Awareness School in Washington, and coaching with organisations such as Evolve Move Play In our conversation we explore what it means to cultivate connection with the more than human world, the practice of giving our attention as a gift, and the way that these practices connect us to a wellspring of meaning,...

Taylor Godber is a mountain athlete, entrepreneur and writer. Balancing her athleticism with a strong stillness & grounding practice, she has a lot of wisdom to share. We chat about: Going Pro, going big, and getting hurt - what it means to be conscious of your competency Managing fear and risk in the backcountry - how one can be prepared for the worst without being psyched out + practices for...

Fletcher Tucker is musician and practitioner of earth-based skills, co-founder of Wildtender , which offers immersive wilderness programs that cultivate intimacy with the natural world, connect with wisdom traditions, and nurture human wholeness. We chat about: What it means to listen to the whispers of nature, of the more than human world The way in which modernity has severed our connection to t...

Ari in the Air makes a return to the pod to tell the story of his experience competing in Expedition Oregon: America's Toughest Race . "At some point, everyone in this event will seriously regret their decision to race" - Lars Bukkehave 2018 ATR winner Ari gives us a debrief on exactly what let a stuntman to test his hand at expedition racing, paints us an oil canvas of a picture on the level of s...

Jenn Segger is an adventure athlete, coach, and guide based in lower British Columbia. We chat about: How she broke into the professional ultramarathon and adventure racing scene The challenges of adventure racing and team dynamics The art of chasing Fast Known Times Why Fastpacking beats backpacking Much, much more Links mentioned in the conversation: Jenn's website (contact info can be found the...

Harley Rustad is the author of the new book Lost in the Valley of Death: A Story of Obsession and Danger in the Himalayas . It tells the story of Justin Alexander Shetler, American adventurer and influencer who disappeared in the foothills of the Himalayas in 2016. While the circumstances surrounding Justin's disappearance grip you like a true crime story, Harley and I explore Justin's spiritual p...

In this episode I chat to mountain athlete, podcaster, and filmmaker Ari in the Air. Ari recently gave a talk at The Stoa on Brinksmanship, the art of finding and learning from your edge. Here we discuss the idea and some of the experiences that formed it. Along with Brinksmanship, we chat about: Flow states in the outdoors, the do's and don't's of building a practice around peak states Developing...

In this episode, I chat to Jeff Wirth the conservation filmmaker, photographer, and certified wildlife tracker. I discovered Jeff through his Instagram @staywildmedia , where I was absolutely captivated by the shots he captures of some of the beautiful mammals living in the Pacific Northwest We chat about: The lost art & science of animal tracking & all the clues these animals leave to let...

In this episode, I chat with Belinda Kirk, the explorer, author & speaker. Belinda's adventures include walking across Nicaragua, searching for camels in China's Desert of Death, discovering ancient rock paintings in Lesotho, pioneering inclusive expeditions for people with disabilities. She has led dozens of youth development expeditions around the world and gained a Guinness World Record for...

In this episode, I chat with Tucker Walsh. Tucker is an Emmy award-winning documentary filmmaker who has spent the last few years exploring transformation experiences and communities, including a Wilderness Quest with Animus Valley Institute, which is the focus of our discussion. We chat about: Tucker's life as a filmmaker and the circumstances that led to his Wilderness Quest Tucker's experience...

In this episode, I chat to Brent Martin, founder of Ryders Eyewear , one of the OG of mountain bike eyewear brands, as well as xcamp.ca which leads transformational backcountry camps designed to stoke souls and awaken spirits. we chat about: The birth of Ryders, the same year that Brent won the first Canadian Mountain Bike Championship in 1986 Legendary figures in the early Vancouver/Whistler moun...