Mountain Whispers

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 how travel equips you for life better than formal education.On his experience in the wilderness, we chat about:The transformation of consciousness that happens after a certain amount of timeThe way the narrative self quiets down to a deep state of presenceThe warping of time and blending of waking and dream statesThe richness of the heightened state of awareness and the intuition that takes overLinks mentioned in this episode include:Mike's book The World's Most Travelled Man: A Twenty-Three-Year Odyssey to and through Every Country on the PlanetMike's website https://mikespencerbown.comMike's essay on the world's religions Jinn and Adam's RibYou can support this podcast by leaving a review on the podcast platform you use, or connect with Tim on Instagram @timstewnz.

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 PlayIn 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, a sensation that can can feel scarce as we navigate the modern world. We also dig into the Evolve Move Play's method and how cultivating a state of play is intertwined with flow, the way that fear and risk is held in a container, and a bunch more.You can find Kyle on Instagram @trottingsparrow.Links from the show:John Vervaeke's Awakening From the Meaning Crisis SeriesBreaking the Jump: The Secret Story of Parkour's High-Flying Rebellion by Julie AngelYou can support this podcast by leaving a review on the podcast platform you use, or connect with Tim on Instagram @timstewnz.

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 competencyManaging fear and risk in the backcountry - how one can be prepared for the worst without being psyched out + practices for regulating your nervous systemThe Art of the Send - what it means to cultivate an intention practice it sending it it past fear and doubt in all aspects of lifeThe power of community retreats for facilitating transformationLinks mentioned in the conversation:Our Breath Collective - online breath-work communityJames Nestor's book Breath: The New Science of a Lost ArtRetreat that Taylor co-foundered: thedrawout.comYou can find more of Taylor at:Instagram: @taylorgodberTaylor's website: createtravelinspire.comYou can support this podcast by leaving a review on the podcast platform you use, or connect with Tim on Instagram @timstewnz.

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 worldThe way in which modernity has severed our connection to this worldPractices to participate and cultivate intimacy with the more than human world like reciprocity, foraging, and creating ritual spaceHow natural history is the best way to form this connection for those with a low "woo-woo threshold"The way poetry is "the liberating form of language" that allows us to best describe these spacesYou can find more of Fletcher at Wildtender and Gnome Life RecordsLinks mentioned in the conversation:The Gary Snyder quote comes from The Etiquette of Freedom essay, found in The Practice of the WildRobin Wall Kimmerer, Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of PlantsThe Dharmanaut Circle community w Erik DavisYou can support this podcast by leaving a review on the podcast platform you use, or connect with Tim on Instagram @timstewnz.

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 winnerAri 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 suffering he inflicted on himself, and provides a glimmer of wisdom he was able to take back from the initiation.You can find more of Ari at:ariintheair.comAri in the Air Podcast@ariintheair on InstagramYou can support this podcast by leaving a review on the podcast platform you use, or connect with Tim on Instagram @timstewnz.

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 sceneThe challenges of adventure racing and team dynamicsThe art of chasing Fast Known TimesWhy Fastpacking beats backpacking Much, much moreLinks mentioned in the conversation:Jenn's website (contact info can be found there)Hardrock 100 raceYou can support this podcast by leaving a review on the podcast platform you use, or connect with Tim on Instagram @timstewnz.

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 pursuit of adventure, and the forces that drove him to take increasing risks in pursuit of spiritual breakthrough and enlightenment. This includes:Justin's unique upbringing and how it shaped how he sought adventure and meaningThe mysterious circumstances surrounding his disappearanceHow sharing adventures with the world on social media can warp intentions and risk-profileThe magnetism of the spiritual mountain top and how it can draw you into taking increased risksLinks mentioned in the conversation:Justin's Instagram, Facebook, and Youtube channels that are still liveHarley's article on Justin in Outside Magazine that inspired the bookMike Spencer Bown, the world's most travelled man, who Justin consulted about long-term wilderness survival right before his final adventureThe contemplative practice of Sit Spotting that is taught at Washington's Wilderness Awareness SchoolYou can find more of Harley at his website, on twitter, or on InstragramYou can support this podcast by leaving a review on the podcast platform you use, or connect with Tim on Instagram @timstewnz.

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 statesDeveloping a sensitivity for where your passion lies, for the information that fear conveysHow endurance sports can change the way we understand the mind-body connectionA bunch of other stuff in betweenYou can find more of Ari at https://ariintheair.com/ or on Instagram @ariintheairLinks mentioned:The book Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth GilbertThe Stoa course Beyond Self Discipline. See here for a post with some more infoBonnitta Roy, who Ari references when describing the difference between the role self and the individuated selfYou can support this podcast by leaving a review on the podcast platform you use, or connect with Tim on Instagram @timstewnz.

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 NorthwestWe chat about:The lost art & science of animal tracking & all the clues these animals leave to let us know they were hereLessons Jeff has learned from his filmmaking & activism work, including filming on Greenpeace's Sea SheppardOther nuggets of wisdom and awesome facts about grizzlies, cougars, lynx's and caribouYou can catch Jeff on instagram, @staywildmedia, or view Jeff's film work and buy awesome animal prints at https://staywildmedia.comLinks mentioned in the conversation:https://echoconservation.org/The trailer to the Sea Sheppard Doco Jeff worked on Chasing the Thunder You can support this podcast by leaving a review on the podcast platform you use, or connect with Tim on Instagram @timstewnz

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 rowing unsupported around Britain.Her book Adventure Revolution: The life-changing power of choosing challenge explores all the ways that adventure has the power to transform.We chat about:Her experience leading adventures with youth, the mental health crisis, and the power of getting outdoorsThe chronic stressors of modern society and the science behind spending time outdoors to "reset" our nervous systemBelinda's most epic adventures, her relationship with fear, and how that has changed with timemuch, much moreYou can find more of Belinda at:https://www.belindakirk.comYou can sign up for the Explorers Connect newsletter hereYou can support this podcast by leaving a review on the podcast platform you use, or connect with Tim on Instagram @timstewnz.