The Adventure Podcast

Episode 212 of The Adventure Podcast features adventurer, cyclist and skiier, Chris McCaffrey. Chris rowed across an ocean having never rowed before. He cycled around the world with limited bike experience. He nearly lost his life, more than once. What begins as a discussion about extreme adventure unfolds into an exploration of motivation, ego, purpose, and the pursuit of joy. In this episode, Matt and Chris talk openly about failure and identity. Why we chase “epic” experiences, what happens when they stop fulfilling us, and how joy can become more powerful fuel than grit. Chris has a striking amount of self-awareness and isn't afraid to challenge himself and his motivations. This is a conversation about what happens after you’ve ticked some of the 'biggest boxes' of adventure, and what’s left when the applause fades.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.Chapter Breakdown00:00 – 07:30 | Chris recounts contracting typhus, facing mortality, and how he ended up in a hospital bed in Vietnam.07:30 – 17:00 | Matt digs into what drives people to pursue extreme adventures and the psychology of needing to prove oneself.17:00 – 25:00 | Chris reflects on motivation, the pull of ego, and how perspective shifts after failure.25:00 – 33:00 | Chris revisits his attempt to row across an ocean, what went wrong, and how it changed him.33:00 – 47:00 | A raw conversation about coping mechanisms, crisis-seeking, and finding purpose outside of chaos.47:00 – 58:00 | Matt and Chris discuss ambition, validation, how to let go of needing to impress others and stop being 'epic'.58:00 – 01:11:00 | The truth behind the motivation to begin cycling around the world, the reality of the journey, and how it reshaped his outlook.01:11:00 – 01:20:00 | Chris explains why joy, not toughness, now drives him through challenges.01:20:00 – 01:32:00 | Revisiting illness, danger, and how acceptance replaces ambition.01:32:00 – 01:37:30 | The lessons of failure, friendship, and learning to value the process over the outcome.01:37:30 – 01:46:00 | A closing reflection on fear, sensation-seeking, insignificance, and finding beauty in it all.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-adventure-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This dispatch episode was recorded in front of a live audience for an event with Montane and The Turner Twins. Matt sits down with Hugo and Ross Turner, as well as Montane's Materials Manager, Liam Steinbeck. Together they unpack the twins' bold new expedition, Mallory Reimagined: Climbing Back In Time. In early October 2025, the twins will set off to Nepal to climb Mera Peak, with one wearing a replica of Mallory's 1924 Everest outfit, and the other wearing Montane's modern high altitude kit. In this conversation Matt and the guests dive into themes of exploration, risk, science and history - covering how preparation shapes expeditions, the role of technology in survival, and the mindset of pushing into the unknown. Liam also gives unique insight into the materials development process. From replica boots and wool jumpers to wearable sensors tracking cognition, stress, and thermal data. This is adventure at the crossroads of past and future.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.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-adventure-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 211 of The Adventure Podcast features adventurer Ollie Treviso. Ollie recently completed a 14,000km, 20-month walk along the Andes, from Tierra del Fuego to the Caribbean Sea. In this episode, Ollie opens up about how far he's come - from a rugby-playing teenager abusing steroids and working as an insurance broker, to living in a cave in Gran Canaria, working on farms, and eventually discovering the power of slow, human-paced travel. Matt and Ollie explore his first long-distance walk across the UK, complete with an over-packed rucksack, no tent experience, and a rule never to pay for accommodation, and how these early stumbles laid the foundations for his South American journey. They also talk candidly about grief and loss, why walking feels most meaningful, resilience, identity, and the uneasy balance between adventure, ego, and storytelling. This conversation is longer than normal. But its honest, fun, and full of surprising side stories. What emerges is not just the tale of an epic trek, but an honest reflection on what drives someone to keep walking into the unknown.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.Chapter Breakdown 00:00 – 09:00 | Beginnings & Pandemic Shift: Ollie’s early restlessness, failed plans for South America, and how COVID lockdowns unexpectedly pushed him into walking across the UK.09:00 – 14:30 | Discovering Slow Travel: First long walks through Wales, Scotland, and Land’s End to John O’Groats; learning the hard way about kit, endurance, and the joy of stripping life back to basics.14:30 – 20:00 | Tragedy & Turning Points: Family loss and grief collide with his travels, bringing him home but also deepening his sense of purpose and the need to carry on.20:00 – 40:00 | Setting Out for South America: Why Ollie chose to walk the Andes, the decision to commit step by step, and the fears and motivations behind such a huge undertaking.40:00 – 1:05:00 | Hardship & Kindness on the Road: Encounters with strangers’ generosity, moments of danger, and surreal cultural exchanges - from Venezuela to Argentina, including being mugged in Colombia.1:05:00 – 1:20:00 | Companions & Survival: The story of a stray dog that joined him in Chile, brushes with wilderness, and reflections on walking’s unique intensity.1:20:00 – 1:32:00 | Records, Recognition & Resistance: How the “first to walk the Andes” label sat uneasily with him, fundraising realities, and the tension between storytelling and self-promotion.1:32:00 – 1:40:00 | Coming Home & Looking Forward: Post-expedition decompression, finding peace away from the road, and searching for balance between adventure, career, and life at home.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-adventure-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 210 of The Adventure Podcast features polar guide, explorer, and adventurer Sarah McNair-Landry. Growing up in Iqaluit on Baffin Island with parents who pioneered polar guiding, Sarah’s childhood was shaped by dog sledding, camping, and life in the Arctic wilderness. In this episode, Matt and Sarah explore her journey from early expeditions to guiding at the North and South Poles, the unique challenges of dog sledding and kite skiing, and how she and her partner Boomer combine kayaking, climbing, and polar travel into bold multi-sport expeditions. They touch on themes of resilience, heritage, adventure for adventure’s sake, and the delicate balance between tourism, culture, and conservation in the North. Sarah reflects on recreating her parents’ legendary circumnavigation of Baffin Island, how growing up in an Inuit community shaped her, and why, despite the hardships, she continues to push further into remote landscapes. This is a story of family legacy, human endurance, and finding joy in the harshest environments on Earth. It's an episode that will make you want to pack your sled and chase the wind.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.Chapter Breakdown:00:00 – 06:30 | Growing up in Iqaluit: childhood in the Arctic, parents as polar guides, and early exposure to outdoor life.06:30 – 12:30 | Progression into expeditions: dog sledding, kite skiing, and first North and South Pole journeys.12:30 – 18:30 | Dog sledding vs. skiing: the dynamics of working with animals, expedition challenges, and recreating her parents’ 1990 Baffin Island circumnavigation.18:30 – 24:30 | Expedition mishaps and resilience: kite skiing accidents, breaking her back in Greenland, and pushing through setbacks.24:30 – 31:30 | Multi-sport exploration: combining polar travel with kayaking, climbing, and the appeal of first descents.31:30 – 37:30 | Adventure at home: affordability of Arctic expeditions, rediscovering the backyard, and the accessibility of Baffin and Greenland.37:30 – 44:30 | Tourism and community: the opportunities and challenges of opening Nunavut to more visitors.44:30 – 47:00 | Partnerships and teamwork: traveling with Boomer, team dynamics, and the importance of good expedition partners.47:00 – 52:00 | Culture and identity: growing up white in an Inuit community and how it shaped her outlook.52:00 – 57:00 | Life balance: guiding, running a business, time outdoors vs. computer work, and the changing role of tech like Starlink in remote expeditions.57:00 – 01:04:40 | Reflections: the future of polar travel, fear of snakes and heights, learning to climb, and finding hope in people who care about the planet.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-adventure-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 209 of The Adventure Podcast features adventurer, writer, and filmmaker, Tom Allen. In this episode, Tom talks to Matt about the wild and winding path that shaped his life on the road. At just 23, Tom left behind a career in web development to cycle around the world with no real plan - a journey that would transform him in ways he couldn’t have imagined. From naïve beginnings and near-disasters to profound moments of liberation, Tom shares what it really feels like to embrace a life of radical freedom. He recounts moments that forced him to question the true value of endless wandering. Along the way, he opens up about falling in love, and the delicate balance between pursuing boundless adventure and choosing deep connection. The discussion also touches on Tom’s shift from pure adventure to purposeful projects, like building hiking trails in Armenia, and his evolving role as both a storyteller and facilitator of others’ journeys. This is a story of bikes, deserts, love, and finding home in unexpected places.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.Chapter Breakdown:00:00 - IntroductionMatt welcomes Tom and sets up a conversation about adventure, risk, and the unexpected turns of life.02:30 - From Northampton to NowhereTom recalls his ordinary upbringing and the decision to abandon a career in web development for a round-the-world bike ride.10:00 - Early Missteps on the RoadThe chaos of over-packed bikes, failed routes, and falling-out with friends on the first stretch of the journey.18:00 - Going SoloLiberation, loneliness, and the first real lessons of responsibility when Tom finds himself riding alone.20:00 - Meeting TennyThrough couchsurfing in Yerevan, Tom encounters Tenny - sparking the love story that would change the course of his travels.26:00 - Love vs. AdventureThe push and pull between a relationship rooted in Armenian life and the restless call of the open road.32:00 - Cycling into the Middle EastTom pushes south through Syria, Jordan, and Egypt, carrying both the thrill of freedom and the weight of leaving love behind.40:00 - The Yemen Beach EpiphanyStranded and questioning everything, Tom begins to see the diminishing returns of endless solo adventure.43:00 - Choosing ConnectionTom returns to Armenia, and reshapes his understanding of what it means to “go forward” in life.47:00 - From Story to ServiceHow Tom shifted from personal expeditions and films to helping others access adventure, including his work building trails in Armenia.1:12:00 - Lessons in MeaningAdventure, love, identity, and the biggest truths travel has to offer.1:20:00 - Closing ReflectionsTom’s final words on freedom, purpose, and why he never really “went back.”Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-adventure-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 208 of The Adventure Podcast features writer, adventurer and father, Mark Agnew. Mark is a self-confessed failed adventurer, at least he was, until he became one of the first people to kayak the entire Northwest Passage under human power. This is the second time Mark has been on the podcast. The first was not long after he’d come back from this major expedition, and it’s always fascinating to learn what’s changed in someone’s mind after time has gone by and they’ve had time to reflect. Matt and Mark cover some of the same ground in this episode, but it’s clear that Mark is looking at things differently now. In this conversation, Mark opens up with rare honesty about failure, redemption, and the shifting tide of ego. They discuss the year long court case hanging over him and the expedition. He talks about fatherhood, about needing adventure and feeling guilty for needing it. About rethinking what success looks like, and learning to pursue experience, camaraderie, and meaning, rather than just the finish line. This is a conversation about discomfort, doubt, and quietly rebuilding your inner world. It’s about how adventure can hold a mirror to who we are, and how the version of us that emerges on the other side isn’t always who we expected to become.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.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-adventure-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 207 of The Adventure Podcast features runner and author, Elise Downing. Elise is, by her own admission, not your typical adventurer. She didn’t grow up wild swimming or scrambling ridgelines. In fact, she used to hate the outdoors. But in her early twenties, during a time of deep personal disquiet, she made a decision. She laced up a pair of running shoes and pointed herself at the coastline. What followed was a slow, vulnerable, and deeply human odyssey, running 5,000 miles around the coast of Britain with no real experience, very little money, and only the kind of faith that says ‘I’ll figure it out when I get there.' In this conversation, Elise talks with extraordinary honesty about imposter syndrome, crying in graveyards, running through grief, and the strange awkwardness of coming home after something that should have changed everything, but somehow didn’t. She also speaks to what comes next, how she’s slowly built a life that holds adventure in its everyday edges, and how she’s learned that the most powerful journeys often start not with courage, but with not knowing what else to do. This is a conversation about the long way around. About patience. About learning to move slowly, and gently, and with kindness toward yourself. And about the beauty of having no idea what you’re doing, but going anyway.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.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-adventure-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 206 of The Adventure Podcast features adventurer and amputee, Luke Tarrant. In 2024, Luke was travelling from the USA to Antarctica on his motorbike when he crashed in Colombia. He had to have his leg removed after contracting sepsis and was left fighting for his life. Matt got in touch with Luke after seeing his dad's update post on Instagram, and they quickly became friends and started filming together. All while this was happening, Luke blew up on social media and has gathered a massive following that has completely changed his life in lots of ways. In this episode, they go into the full story. Who was Luke before the crash? What happened? What changed? How has he changed? This episode is raw and honest, and it’s a fascinating blend of two different sides of our world. Luke wasn’t interested in fame before his accident (and spoiler alert, he kind of isn’t now). He just wanted to ride his motorbike around the world get into (mis)adventures. But, as Luke puts it, what’s happened has happened, and now he gets recognised walking down the street. What will he do next? Who knows, but it’s bound to be special.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.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-adventure-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 205 of The Adventure Podcast features adventurer, researcher and storyteller, Lise Wortley. Lise has spent the last few years following in the footsteps of forgotten women. She retraces their paths, as faithfully as she can, right down to the scratchy tweeds and antique kit. No Gore-Tex. No modern boots. Just a deep curiosity for how these women moved through the world, and what they had to say about it. In this conversation, Lise talks about how the project began, the strange intimacy of stepping into someone else’s shoes, literally, and the complicated task of honouring legacy without romanticising the past. They explore what it means to adventure on your own terms, to go slowly, and to find strength in stories that were almost lost to time. This isn’t just about history. It’s about reclaiming the narrative. About softness and solitude and wildness, and about how the most powerful journeys aren’t always the noisiest ones. Sometimes they’re the ones that make space. For memory, for change, and for other people to follow.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.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-adventure-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-adventure-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.