Living Adventurously

Simon Jackson launched the superb Moors One Hundred bikepacking event in North Yorkshire. He guided me around some of his favourite trails on a glorious day of summer heatwave. Simon has a normal job and the usual commitments of raising a family. So he has to work hard to squeeze in bursts of adventure and spending time in the wild places that he loves. I loved the story he told me about setting himself the Strava challenge of cycling every single street in his hometown.Simon is an evangelist for the North Yorkshire Moors and I could see why. We cycled over open moorland, through forests, and sweeping singletrack. It was a hell of a ride. Best of all, given that it was blazing hot, was that Simon planned our ride via a pub lunch and a return ticket on the famous Goathland steam train.Please Subscribe to the Living Adventurously Podcast(It's completely free, zero hassle to do (click here), but really helpful for me trying to get a new podcast off the ground. If you're feeling extra kind, please leave a review on the app - that really helps.)Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, TuneIn ("Alexa, please play the Living Adventurously podcast") or on your favourite podcast platform such as Overcast, Google Podcasts, Pocket Casts, Breaker, Soundcloud, Castbox, Castro.www.alastairhumphreys.com/podcastThis podcast is brought to you by KomootYour very own outdoor experiences are waiting for you. Go explore more with komoot. Use the voucher code ADVENTUROUS to claim your free region maps bundle.The personalised planning and navigation tools ensure you plan the adventure that’s perfect for you. Komoot is Europe’s number 1 outdoor app, with route planning and navigation functionality, and strong community-driven inspirational features in the form of recommended Highlights and inspirational route Collections. It is used by nearly 10 million adventurers worldwide. Komoot is becoming the app of choice for cyclists and hikers the world over, with rapid community growth in the UK, the US and other parts of Europe. You can see my ride’s route on komoot here.Show NotesIf you enjoy listening to this episode over a cup of coffee and think it might be worth the price, you can buy me a coffee here: www. ko-fi.com/al_humphreysKeep up to date with future episodes (and my other adventures, projects and books) with my free monthly newsletter: alastairhumphreys.com/more/subscribeSay hello on Twitter and Instagram: @al_humphreysA weekend introduction to the joys of bike packing on the glorious North York Moors: the Moors One Hundred.Goathland steam train (as seen in Harry Potter).Living adventurously is about trying to not be at work.Pressure to do interesting stuff when short of time due to work and family.If you ponder it too much you're never going to do it.Tug between wanting to go on adventures and wanting to be at home with his kids.Finding pleasure and beauty and interest close to home: count your blessings.Challenge of trying to cycle every street in his own town. Is that not adventure?TranscriptBelow is the transcription of our conversation. It's done by AI so is perhaps a wee bit ropey here and there. If these transcripts prove sufficiently useful then I will make the effort to clean then up and make them better. Do let me know if you think it's worth my time to do that. (Or, better still, do it for me...!). If you'd like to listen as you read along you can do that here:https://otter.ai/s/F-QH9VhxTKSRqpReaFTZkwAlastair HumphreysRight. I'm sitting in a camper van. Very, very sweaty with Simon. Hello, Simon. Hello. Welcome to the podcast. Nice to be here. Are you in? Are you a veteran of lots of podcast?SimonNo, this is my first podcast experience. Excellent.Alastair HumphreysThat's how we like it. And what's your day job?SimonI have a small garage. Nothing terribly interesting.Alastair HumphreysWhat do you do then to try and fit adventure into yourSimonnormal life, try not to be at work. And that's, that's the key. Especially midweek because they're the best adventures made week. Yeah, they're the best ones they feel and feel a lot more special. Because you should be at work. You know, you shouldn't be sat behind your desk, you shouldn't be doing something tedious and mundane. You know, and other people are, and it feels great not to be doing that.Alastair HumphreysOkay, so what then is the secret of not being at work in the middle of the week?SimonAnd having good people around you you can rely on a very understanding wife that complains but doesn't really mind in a heart that you are taking a day off to kind of blow off steam?Alastair Humphreyshow'd you go get your adventure kicks? Would you like doingSimonanything you know, it can be something you've seen on TV, something you've read about something you fancy doing something you read in a in a book, something that fits in with that available time that you've got something that's going to be worthwhile when you don't have a lot of spare time when you're working when you've got a family has to be quality notes. You can we just Well, that was all right. Yeah, there's a pressure there to do something. Interesting. You just gotta try and make the most of it. And if you ponder it too much, never gonna do it.Alastair HumphreysYeah, that's very true. So we've just been out for a day out on a few hours out backpacking around North York tomorrow is that's how we got in touch originally, you run the most 100 isSimonthat we call it last 100. Yeah,Alastair Humphreysyeah. Which is a bike packingSimonas a bike talking event that runs on the most hundred miles, hence the name over two days. Pretty much doable for anybody of any level on any bike, very sociable. It's great fun, I really enjoy organise it and everybody's who's done it say the vast majority or whether whether you really did or not, but there seems to be a lot of happy faces.Alastair HumphreysSo I you you've been showing me around some trails day and I really enjoyed this beat North York was a beautiful place to this is beautiful. It really is. And you're clearly a...

Mike Bagshaw is a Lancastrian by birth and a zoologist by training. He spent his working career in education, initially indoors, but then for 30 years he worked in outdoor education centres, introducing children and adults to the delights of watersports, mountaineering, forest education and how to understand and appreciate the natural world.I met Mike for lunch at the picturesque Runswick Bay, at the foot of one of the steepest hills of the summer. The pub has a strong claim to the best sea view in the country, I reckon. Over a lunch of laughter and cheesy chips, I found myself hoping that I can be like Mike when I grow up.Now retired, Mike is still extremely active, adventurous, and determined to keep behaving like a 20-year-old! He continues to explore many wild areas of the world on foot, underwater with scuba gear and afloat in canoes and kayaks. He is the author of two Slow Travel guidebooks to Yorkshire.Mike lives near Whitby with his wife and two dogs and spends his non-travelling time managing the small birch woodland they own, volunteering for the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust and writing regular nature columns for local newspapers and magazines.Please Subscribe to the Living Adventurously Podcast(It's completely free, zero hassle to do, but really helpful for me trying to get a new podcast off the ground. If you're feeling extra kind, please leave a review on the app - that really helps.)Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, TuneIn ("Alexa, please play the Living Adventurously podcast") or on your favourite podcast platform such as Overcast, Google Podcasts, Pocket Casts, Breaker, Soundcloud, Castbox, Castro.www.alastairhumphreys.com/podcastThis podcast is brought to you by KomootYour very own outdoor experiences are waiting for you. Go explore more with komoot. Use the voucher code ADVENTUROUS to claim your free region maps bundle.The personalised planning and navigation tools ensure you plan the adventure that’s perfect for you. Komoot is Europe’s number 1 outdoor app, with route planning and navigation functionality, and strong community-driven inspirational features in the form of recommended Highlights and inspirational route Collections. It is used by nearly 10 million adventurers worldwide. Komoot is becoming the app of choice for cyclists and hikers the world over, with rapid community growth in the UK, the US and other parts of Europe. You can see my ride’s route on komoot here.Show NotesIf you enjoy listening to this episode over a cup of coffee and think it might be worth the price, you can buy me a coffee here: www. ko-fi.com/al_humphreysKeep up to date with future episodes (and my other adventures, projects and books) with my free monthly newsletter: alastairhumphreys.com/more/subscribeSay hello on Twitter and Instagram: @al_humphreysA love of wild camping, wild places, natural history.Retirement: the benefits of having time, and being aware of mortality.Mike's Magic Moment: lie down and just listen for a minute: what can you identify?Recommended book: Waterlog - Roger DeakinSlow Travel guidebooksYorkshire Wildlife TrustTranscriptBelow is the transcription of our conversation. It's done by AI so is perhaps a wee bit ropey here and there. If these transcripts prove sufficiently useful then I will make the effort to clean then up and make them better. Do let me know if you think it's worth my time to do that. (Or, better still, do it for me...!). If you'd like to listen as you read along you can do that here:https://otter.ai/s/dFozsyt8QeuS3_GAWOiyVAAlastair HumphreysCould you tell me what you had for lunch?Mike BagshawI had cheesy chips? not the healthiest meal in the world, but nice.Alastair HumphreysHave you been on a podcast before?Mike BagshawI've never been on a podcast before.Alastair HumphreysYour son that was surprised that you can be on a podcast. There was? Why?Mike BagshawWell, he thinks he just thinks I'm slightly odd for doing lots of young men things when I'm an old git. It doesn't think a 60 year old should be doing some of the things I do.Alastair HumphreysSo on a scale of one to 10 How weird are you?Mike BagshawI think I'm three, but I think the rest of the world the rest of the world thinks I'm 9.5Alastair HumphreysI love this specific use of your threewhy did why does the world think you're weird?Mike BagshawI do lots of things outdoors.I love camping. I have a mug which says I love camping but on the other side it says but I hate campsites so I love wild camping. I love wild everything. I love wild camping. I love wild swimming. I love wild places. And I'm a passionate natural historian.Alastair HumphreysSo none of that sounds weird to me. Now the people your normal friends, what are the things weird about you? What should you be doing at your age?Mike BagshawI should be playing bowls perhaps put my feet up watching a lot more Telly and staying in bed and breakfast rather than rather than camping.Alastair HumphreysVery good. So, what does living adventurously that phrase? What does living adventurously mean to you?Mike Bagshawit means trying new things, going to new new parts of the world parts the world of I've heard about but when I was working never had the time to be able to go to now suddenly I've got the time to go places. Now, and I'm aware of my mortality, I know I've not got that many years left. And it's so so much so much world and so little time to do it. So I just want to go out and do as much as I can. While my body still works. And and have you always had that sense of urgency to get stuff done. It's not so much. Well, a lot of our friends will will laugh if I would say Oh yes, I'm always getting things done because because I'm quite slack on actually finishing jobs. But I've always had the urgency to explore.Alastair HumphreysOkay, and you're so imagine yourself, say when you say 20 or 30? or pick a number that seems relevant to you? What what would living adventurous live looks too long time. Yeah, has it changed your view?Mike BagshawIt's pretty much the same thing. I think that's the essence of it is I'm still 20 in my head. So.So it really takes me by surprise when...

Kay Willis is the director at Beyond Boundaries, an organisation that provides opportunities for people with learning disabilities in the beautiful setting of Commondale, North Yorkshire. My ride to the farm took me (after a terrible night's sleep in a gale in a wood) up and over impressive, empty moorland and the first massive hills of my trip. It was a stunning location and extremely peaceful. The farm exuded an atmosphere of warm, welcoming kindness. I was invited in for a cup of tea amidst the busy bustle of getting ready for the day; choosing activities to get stuck into and preparing to feed all the farm animals.Kay described the work of Beyond Boundaries, which she runs along with her husband Anthony. "Our service users range in age from 14 to over 65. We also provide a service for people of school age who are perhaps finding school very difficult and need a day or two of practical work.We offer a wide range of activities and like to be outside as much as possible, either looking after our animals or perhaps activities in the private woods on the farm. One popular activity is cycling and we have a range of inclusive bikes so that everyone can have a go. Some service users enjoy working with tools and we have a well equipped workshop for those activities.We have donkeys, pigs, sheep, chickens, ducks, pygmy goats and llamas which our service users help to look after, there are also cows on the farm."Kay and Anthony were made redundant after 20 years of teaching. This difficult event has eventually led to a new life for Kay, of uncertainty and fun. She no longer wants to take time off, loves coming to work, and is enjoying this new chapter of her life now that her own kids are leaving home.Morning at Beyond Boundaries was fun, informative and thought-provoking. I am sorry to say that I do not know very much about the world of profound mental and physical disabilities. Kay gave me some fascinating perspectives on adventure, challenge and achievement for the disabled people she works with. I loved how much Kay had learned from working with such a variety of characters, and the lively cheerful banter of the farm. It was a happy, kind and inspiring spot, nestled into a beautiful Yorkshire hamlet.Please Subscribe to the Living Adventurously Podcast(It's completely free, zero hassle to do, but really helpful for me trying to get a new podcast off the ground. If you're feeling extra kind, please leave a review on the app - that really helps.)Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, TuneIn ("Alexa, please play the Living Adventurously podcast") or on your favourite podcast platform such as Overcast, Google Podcasts, Pocket Casts, Breaker, Soundcloud, Castbox, Castro.www.alastairhumphreys.com/podcastThis podcast is brought to you by KomootYour very own outdoor experiences are waiting for you. Go explore more with komoot. Use the voucher code ADVENTUROUS to claim your free region maps bundle.The personalised planning and navigation tools ensure you plan the adventure that’s perfect for you. Komoot is Europe’s number 1 outdoor app, with route planning and navigation functionality, and strong community-driven inspirational features in the form of recommended Highlights and inspirational route Collections. It is used by nearly 10 million adventurers worldwide. Komoot is becoming the app of choice for cyclists and hikers the world over, with rapid community growth in the UK, the US and other parts of Europe. You can see my ride’s route on komoot here.Show NotesIf you enjoy listening to this episode over a cup of coffee and think it might be worth the price, you can buy me a coffee here: www. ko-fi.com/al_humphreysKeep up to date with future episodes (and my other adventures, projects and books) with my free monthly newsletter: alastairhumphreys.com/more/subscribeSay hello on Twitter and Instagram: @al_humphreysBeyond Boundaries offers fully inclusive training, activities, sports and courses for people with a range of disabilities in the beautiful countryside and coast of North Yorkshire.Find out more about Beyond Boundaries on their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/beyondboundariesNYorks/The main difference from working in mainstream education is the never-ending stream of questions."I've never really noticed things [slow worms] before, because I haven't looked"."They've not learned to hide their curiosity because they don't want to look foolish"."They are more spontaneous" than we are.TranscriptBelow is the transcription of our conversation. It's done by AI so is perhaps a wee bit ropey here and there. If these transcripts prove sufficiently useful then I will make the effort to clean then up and make them better. Do let me know if you think it's worth my time to do that. (Or, better still, do it for me...!). If you'd like to listen as you read along you can do that here:https://otter.ai/s/r6ZEdxD-SWm8WhbxuJf6swAlastair HumphreysWell, hello, hello. Introduce yourself.KayOkay. I'm Kay. I run a small business called Beyond Boundaries, where we look after people with learning disabilities and physical disabilities.Alastair HumphreysBut you haven't always done that. So can you tell me about your life? In the olden days? What was your life?KayI was a teacher in mainstream education, and I taught business and economics for 21-22 years, something like that. And until my daughters were grown up, when I felt I needed a change.Alastair HumphreysAnd and what was that change?KayWell, when I first left, I took a redundancy payment and spent a year doing not very much really trying to work out what I wanted to do, I met up with a lovely lady called Lucy, who ran a business very similar to the one that we run now, at the same place that we run it, who needs somebody to help her out and we getAlastair Humphreysto go back. So you went from being a teacher in a normal school, being a mom as well, for 20 years pretty normal routine kind of life with it's the excitement's and dramas of being a teacher. Today, and I only just met you this morning. And I arrived Monday, early Monday morning into what I think I described as a very happy chaos. It's a there's people all over the place doing stuff. And this is running around. There's a lot of energy here, but but it feels to me, like a totally different world to life as a teacher in normal school.KayAbsolutely. I think you've probably summed it up better than anybody else yet. Chaos, but happy chaos. And I never thought I'd have a job where I actually don'...

Claire Fuller is training to be an occupational therapist. She loves wild swimming and getting out onto the North Yorkshire moors for overnight camps. Finding the balance between being a busy working woman and a carefree adventurous soul can be difficult.I spent a month cycling around Yorkshire, interviewing people along the way about their perspectives on trying to live more adventurously. I'd never interviewed anyone for a podcast before; Claire had never been interviewed.But she did bake me flapjack and take me on a walk to the birthplace of Captain Cook. So I deemed this opening foray into the world of podcasting to be a success!I was interested to talk to Claire about learning to commit, about adapting to a new career after many years roaming and dabbling, and the ups and downs of being a busy 27-year-old woman who loves the outdoors and adventure.Please Subscribe to the Living Adventurously Podcast(It's completely free, zero hassle to do, but really helpful for me trying to get a new podcast off the ground. If you're feeling extra kind, please leave a review on the app - that really helps.)Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, TuneIn ("Alexa, play the Living Adventurously podcast") or on your favourite podcast platform such as Overcast, Google Podcasts, Pocket Casts, Breaker, Soundcloud, Castbox, Castro.www.alastairhumphreys.com/podcastThis podcast is brought to you by Komoot.Your very own outdoor experiences are waiting for you. Go explore more with komoot. Use the voucher code ADVENTUROUS to claim your free region maps bundle.The personalised planning and navigation tools ensure you plan the adventure that’s perfect for you. Komoot is Europe’s number 1 outdoor app, with route planning and navigation functionality, and strong community-driven inspirational features in the form of recommended Highlights and inspirational route Collections. It is used by nearly 10 million adventurers worldwide. Komoot is becoming the app of choice for cyclists and hikers the world over, with rapid community growth in the UK, the US and other parts of Europe. You can see my ride’s route on komoot here.Show NotesIf you enjoy listening to this episode over a cup of coffee and think it might be worth the price, you can buy me a coffee here: www. ko-fi.com/al_humphreysKeep up to date with future episodes (and my other adventures, projects and books) with my free monthly newsletter: alastairhumphreys.com/more/subscribeSay hello on Twitter and Instagram: @al_humphreysFollow Claire on Instagram: soon to be occupational therapist making the most of the UK & Ireland’s natural wonders, wild dipping along the way...Learning to slow down and choose prioritiesTravelling the world made her realise that to be a true traveller she needed to know what was on her doorstepHitch-hiking round Ireland as a student pushed her boundaries but showed her so many amazing placesTranscriptBelow is the transcription of our conversation. It's done by AI so is perhaps a wee bit ropey here and there. If these transcripts prove sufficiently useful then I will make the effort to clean then up and make them better. Do let me know if you think it's worth my time to do that. (Or, better still, do it for me...!). If you'd like to listen as you read along you can do that here:https://otter.ai/s/aBVxKYX0RYqonZTQQMFkuwAlastair HumphreysHello. This is the first time I've ever recorded a podcast.Literally just take it out of the box and press go. And of course I want to start my podcast with a major hard hitting celebrity interview.So, would you like to introduce yourself?Claire FullerAnd yeah, my name is Claire. I live in Middlesbrough. And I thought that it would be great to meet Alastair to talk about living adventurously.Alastair HumphreysThe reason I wanted to meet you is because you're NOT a hard hitting celebrity, which is exactly what I wanted. I want to try and find normal people living interesting lives. And you live two minutes away from where Captain Cook was born. A Great Yorkshire adventurer. And that seemed like a good, good place to start. So what is your what's your day job?Claire FullerMy day job is I'm a student, I'm training to be an occupational therapist.Alastair HumphreysAnd you like it?Claire FullerI do. I love it. I love working with people and I love the flexibility and variety that we have for like peaceful therapists, the kind of people we work with.Alastair HumphreysOkay, but when when you first got in touch with me, one of the things she said was that you sometimes find it hard to be stuck indoors. So what have you done about being stuck indoors?Claire FullerYeah, so being a student means lots of time in the library or working in a hospital. And so basically every bit of free time I gotta try and get outdoors. Thanks to the concept of micro adventures I get I try and do the overnight camps when I can find a hill somewhere and company. I love wild swimming so I swim down in the river Tees just down the road whenever possible, not in the bit where there's loads of pollution and industry but some nice bits further down. And in the sea when I can.Alastair HumphreysAnd you were out last night.Claire FullerI was out last night. Yeah, yeah, I camped up by Roseberry Topping with beautiful views between there and Captain Kirk Cook's monument. And the stars. I saw shooting stars. And it was a gorgeous night.Alastair Humphreyspractising what you preach. So you also told me that you struggle a bit with trying to do too much in life, because life is so amazing. And you want to go here and there and do this and see this and do that. So how do you go about trying to find some sort of balance between work and play, earning money, being with your friends, balance,Claire FullerI find the balance really hard. It's something I'm really working on. But I'm a bit too excited and enthusiastic about life. Lots of my friends and family will tell you that. And yeah, I have a part time job to see me through my studies, I have money. I study a lot of my time. I volunteer. I've obviously got friends I want to see a lot. I've got a boyfriend and my family live far away. And I'm all about adventure. And so basically, there's not enough hours in the day to do what I want to do. And I have to prioritise, which is unfortunate as studying is my priority. But whenever I've got their free time I do try and get out as much as possible and make sure that I go for a swim once a week and that keeps me keeps my head straightAlastair HumphreysSo how do...

I spent a glorious summer month cycling around Yorkshire, the county where I grew up.I wanted to feel how exploring locally compared to exploring distant continents. And I was interested in the idea of ‘home’ - and whether it is possible to have a proper adventure — make a REAL journey — close to home.It turned out to be such a fantastic experience — riding through mile after mile of beautiful landscapes, discovering so many places I had never seen in all my life, and sleeping out under the stars for weeks on end. It was genuinely one of the adventuring highlights of my life. But the best part of this journey — by a long way, was the privileged opportunity of learning from so many ordinary people who have chosen to live extra-ordinary lives. This then is not a podcast about adventure or cycling or camping. I met students and parents and pensioners. Poets, artists, athletes, teachers. An IT expert and someone who earns a living from making fancy sandcastles. A man who lived out of a van; another whose castle had been in the family for 800 years. I met a self-confessed lazy chef, and a woman midway through running 100 barefoot marathons. I interviewed a gold medal Paralympian cyclist, a couple who had cycled round the world together, and a retired lady who takes old, homebound, lonely folk out on a modified electric bicycle for a taste of freedom, adventure and feeling the wind in their hair once again. In each episode you’ll hear an un-edited conversation about the guest’s slant on living a curious, adventurous, fulfilled life. I also had a deck of blank playing cards on which I’d written some of the big questions from life — about finding a balance between work and play, the barriers that stop us doing what we dream of, overcoming fears, and where you sit on a scale of weirdness from 1 to 10. Asking very different people an assortment of similar questions created some fascinating answers.The interviews will all be released in the order that I recorded them, mirroring my own journey on the bike and the lessons I learned from each guest along the way. Every character I spoke to was good company and a thoughtful guest. But inevitably you’ll find one person more interesting than another. If someone doesn’t float your boat just skip on to the next episode: there are over 40 interviews in this series. Life’s too short to listen to a chat you’re not that keen on!I had never recorded interviews like this, never done a podcast before. For Many of the people I chatted to it was their first time being interviewed. I liked that very much. Ordinary people pursuing their own version of out-of-the-ordinary. I really wanted to speak to normal people, not famous people.  It made the experience fresh and surprising and honest. I hope that you agree.The podcast world is a crowded one — there’s so much good stuff out there clamouring for your ears. So if you do like the sound of this Living Adventurously podcast, could I ask you to help me by subscribing to the podcast (it’s free of course) on the podcast provider of your choice. If you can be bothered it would also be a great help if you left a review, or mentioned Living Adventurously on your own social media channels.Thank you, and welcome to Living Adventurously — I really, really hope that these conversations give you some ideas of your own towards living more adventurously every day. SPONSOR:Your very own outdoor experiences are waiting for you. Go explore more with komoot. Use the voucher code ADVENTUROUS to claim your free region maps bundle.The personalised planning and navigation tools ensure you plan the adventure that’s perfect for you. Komoot is Europe’s number 1 outdoor app, with route planning and navigation functionality, and strong community-driven inspirational features in the form of recommended Highlights and inspirational route Collections. It is used by nearly 10 million adventurers worldwide. Komoot is becoming the app of choice for cyclists and hikers the world over, with rapid community growth in the UK, the US and other parts of Europe. You can see my ride’s route on komoot here. ★ Support this podcast ★