The Outdoors Station

Here it is the first podcast of 2021 where we go through the diverse range of guests we are speaking with over the next few weeks. This year I’m looking to widen my horizons and talk with people associated with the outdoors who have influence on the direction outdoor life and education is taking. There comes a time when repeatedly talking with adventurers starts to wain a little and when you step...

This is it. We are finally at the end of 2020 and we all know what a terrible year it has been on every level. This podcast covers some of what has happened this year here and what I hope to put into place for 2021. Everything is still very fluid until we are all vaccinated and ‘normal’, whatever that may be. I can’t wait be free again to choose where I can go, who with and what I can do. The limi...

On the 15th September this year photographer Quintin Lake strode up the steps of St Paul’s Cathedral and quietly finished his 5 year photography project of walking 11,000kms around the perimeter of the England, Wales and Scotland taking photographs virtually every step of the way.  I spoke with him in 2016 on Podcast No 410 (well worth listening to again) when he was 25% of the way round. So much...

Although this podcast goes into the background detail of what is involved in compiling a compendium like this which contains some of the best hikes in Europe, there is much else we discuss. Including the Cape Wrath Trail and the story of meeting Skye MacGregor, the 16-year-old lad hiking LEJOG via the CWT in winter through February. The Tour of Monte Rosa: benighted on the Europaweg. Hear how this...

This is a part two of a two part interview with the author of Grandma Gatewood’s Walk. The book is a New York Times best seller and writer Ben Montgomery was a Pulitzer Prize finalist in 2010. Part one covers her younger history, the life and times she lived through in the early 1950’s, the abuse she suffered for 30 years and her discovery of the Appalachian Trail, before setting foot in it initia...

This is a part one of a two part interview with the author of Grandma Gatewood’s Walk. The book is a New York Times best seller and writer Ben Montgomery was a Pulitzer Prize finalist in 2010. We all know the basic story, that in 1955 67 year old Grandma Gatewood set off on a remarkable journey, to accidentally become the first woman to walk the entire 2050 miles in 145 days of the Appalachian Tra...

Join us as we welcome back forager Lisa Cutcliffe from Edulis Wild Food to delve into all things autumn, discussing edible delights from gluts of berries in the hedgerows to fantastic fungi on the forest floor, as well as touching on how getting outdoors can positively affect our mental health & that having meditative activities such as foraging to enjoy as we wander can be even more beneficial to...

Kevin Augello is a documentary film maker who in October 2020 has just set off with a group of relative strangers to make a film of the Cape Wrath Trail. He has made films for BBC, National Geographic and the Discovery Channel to name but a few and this project, which was supposed to start in March 2020, has been delayed and now possibly enhanced by the Covid outbreak. The film is predominantly ab...

This is the concluding conversation with Lauren (Neon) Reed and Bethany (Fidget) Hughes from Her Odyssey regarding their current expedition to travel by self powered means from the southern tip of the Americas to the most northern point. Currently they are 8000 miles into the 20,000 mile total and so I was seeking to know about how they cope with family pressures and expectations, the financial ti...

Traversing the length of the Americas by non-motorized means, connecting stories of the land and its inhabitants. Part one of a fascinating interview with Bethany ‘Fidgit’ Hughes and Lauren ‘Neon’ Reed who are traveling the length of the Americas by non-motorized means, gathering stories of people along the way, inspiring others to pursue their own audacious dreams. An epic journey which began at...

Cicerone Press have just released the book The Big Rounds by David Lintern. A guide to Britain’s three most challenging long distance mountain rounds in the Lake District, Snowdonia and Lochaber. Not just for the fell runner, but the day walker and backpacker too. The Bob Graham Round, the Paddy Buckley Round and the Charlie Ramsay Round. Designed to inform and inspire, this book is for both runne...

In 2016 Sophie Rooney  set off with the bold intention of becoming the first woman to run the length of Scandinavia. From Nordkapp (the northernmost point of mainland Europe) to the German border with Denmark (3000 km south) carrying everything she needed on her back. Initially accompanied by a fellow trail runner, Sophie finds herself thrown into a solo adventure running through some of the most...

This is the audio only from my recent Live Stream interview with Lisa Cutcliffe from Edulis Wild Foods. As Spring bursts forth in abundance around us in the countryside we witness new life in the form of fresh shoots, leaves and herbs. We pass them by often wondering if they are edible, or safe to eat, what they taste like or how to use them to experience natures splendour. Lisa Cutcliffe from Edu...

This is part two of my fascinating conversation with Philip Carcia who completed the Single Year Grid last year in New Hampshire. Do have a listen to part one if you haven’t made the time to put this into perspective. In this episode we cover lots of topics, including the changes he noticed in himself, attitude of other hikers, his gear choices and why, plus the many sacrifices he had to commit to...

This interviewee was suggested by long term listener Keith Foskett who met Philip on a mountain one day while hiking in the states. His story and the target he set himself is pretty incredible and shows a massive amount of dedication, sacrifice and commitment to achieve it. Philip J. Carcia is a hiker, runner, and media creator who has logged over 15,000 miles on some of the most iconic trail netw...

Before all the Covid-19 hit the news and somewhere after the fire in Australia I had the pleasure to speak with Emily Penn about a topic that was in the news at the time, the impact single use plastics were having in our lives and more importantly how plastic was now in our food chain and no doubt, within us too. As you’ll hear she was lovely to talk to and her knowledge and the factual evidence s...

I’ve spoken with Dermot and Katie in previous Podcasts about crossing Iceland in the better weather. However Ben James along with Neil Cox Having completed a summer crossing in 2017 unsupported, set themselves the ultimate goal to complete this in winter unsupported.  Many attempted crossings in Winter have failed due to the extreme conditions, the -20 temperatures mixed with 100 mph winds and dri...

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Finally the electrician showed up to wire up and connect the new building, the office and more importantly the studio. Don’t you just love it when ‘yeah tomorrow or day after’ turns into 2 weeks? But we are in and these last few days have been one of humping and shifting stuff in the pouring rain and wind, in and out of containers, lofts and garages to install into the place and make it look effic...

It has been a while since we spoke with a guest regarding either starting or finishing the PCT. To delve into their preparation or their conclusions. So it is good timing that my guest today Camile Mateos willingly discusses her thorough preparation in all aspects related to the PCT which she will be starting this Spring. The most important being the financial and time challenge most of us would f...

This is the concluding part of my conversation with two British adventurers who in 2019 followed a route which consisted of a 900 mile paddle and 400 miles walk in the footsteps of a piece of shameful American history now known as The Trail Of Tears. Although it is a story and a piece of history we in Europe know nothing about, it has similarities to some of our own shameful activities which also...

This is part one of a fascinating story about two British adventurers who in 2019 followed a route which consisted of a 900 mile paddle and 400 miles walk in the footsteps of a piece of shameful American history. Although it is a story and a piece of history we in Europe know nothing about, it has similarities to some of our own shameful activities which also took place in the 1830's. Ian Finch an...

This is the second part of my interview with Nikki Ray regarding her solo cycle trip to Ghana on a bike she built herself. In it we touch on the the different kind of travellers you meet on the road, how it feels to knock on a strangers door and seek shelter and how much it cost to build her own bike for the trip. She wanted to arrive in Ghana before her 30th birthday using her own leg power…and s...

Let me introduce you to Nikki Ray who between August 2018 and May 2019 cycled solo, carrying all her belongings (including a ukulele), from Santander in Spain to Accra in Ghana covering 10,000km in total. She wanted to arrive in Ghana before her 30th birthday using her own leg power…and she did! The last few years before starting this trip she had been working as a cycling instructor in London. Sh...

The bushfires in Australia are now reaching biblical proportions and even though the news media has already moved on to the Corona Virus, the fires are still increasing. Lives are being lost, homes reduced to dust and the environmental bill becomes incalculable. Today’s news (28/1/20) is that southern Canberra is under attack after the spotlight from a rescue helicopter accidentally started a fire...