Mike Raine Nature Of Snowdonia

Ioan is a Bethesda local. He's a first language Welsh sheepfarmer, contractor, climber (up to E8) and Himalayan mountaineer. He's an incredibly energetic worker, climber and family man. He coaches rugby, flies a paraglider, he's a dry stone waller, fencer and shepherd; he climbs hard and plays hard…

Mark Reid is an experienced Mountain Leader, outdoorwriter, and lifelong lover of the outdoors. His company is called TeamWalking, they provide team events, navigation courses and guided walking.With nearly 30 years of professional experience, Mark hasguided over 21,000 people on walks of all ages and abilities, walked more than 32,000 miles of footpaths, and written 17 walking guidebooks.Mark and I have been working together on the Nature ofthe Yorkshire Dales workshops, Mark bring expert input on the geology, archaeology and history of the Dales, together we make a good team.

Colin has authored or co-authored over 60 outdoor books.These include The Dales Way (now in its 11th edition), and walking guides to areas both in the UK and in mainland Europe, as well as poetry, topography, biography, transport history, and two literary anthologies. He worked as a teacher, lecturer, tourism officer and he ran the UK's first green travelagency. Colin is a founder member of the Gritstone Authors Publishing Co-operative.In 1997 Colin received an honorary degree (D.Lit.) from Bradford University in recognition of his literary and environmental work, and in 2007 was awarded the first Dalesman Rural Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2015 he was named the UK Transport Campaigner of the year by the SheilaMcKechnie Trust, and in 2020 was cited as one of the UK's “Walking Heroes” by noted countryside journalist Roly Smith. In 2021 he received the Golden Eagle Lifetime Achievement award from the Outdoor Writers & Photographers Guildfor his outstanding services to the Outdoors.

After a career in education, IT and academic publishing,Jacquetta became interested in long-distance walking and trekking. After completing her first long walk, the West Highland Way, in 1998, she progressed to Mount Kilimanjaro, which she summited four times by four different routes(1999, 2000, 2004 and 2008). She is a member of the Outdoor Writers and Photographers Guild and in 2016 won its Award for Excellence with Trek to Everest.In 2000 she launched the rainproof Rucksack Reader formatwith built-in maps for guidebooks. Now published over 40 guidebooks. Of these, she has either written or co-authored 24, as well as editing them all and creating frequent revised editions of earlier books.We chat about Jacquetta's story of becoming a long distance walker, guidebook writer and publisher. To see the full range of lightweight, rain proof guides andperhaps get some inspiration for your next walk visit https://www.rucsacs.com/

Eileen Jones is a writer and journalist based in the LakeDistrict. She is a contributor to Cumbria magazine and an enthusiastic parkrunner. She is the author of Loughrigg and two books on parkrunning and is currently working on a book about Rydal Mount, the home of William and Dorothy Wordsworth. Eileen has visited the summit cairn of Loughrigg more than 500 times.We chat about Loughrigg, what it's like and what it means toEileen, the environment and people of the hill, and how Eileen came to write a book about it.“It's one of the smallest fells in the Lake District, butLoughrigg is small in height only. This delightfully sprawling mini-mountain is crossed by miles of confusing paths, blessed with many small tarns, grazed by sheep, home to deer and red squirrels, a habitat for wildflowers and birds, and loved by all who climb to its prominent summit. It meets the folk who live on the hill, talks to the athletes who run over it, explores the terrain and the wildlife, and looks at the artists who have painted it and the writers inspired here. This is a love letter to Loughrigg.”Loughrigg is available from Gritstone Publishing.

Jenny has been working with me on the scrambling workshops for a while now and she is taking those over from 2026. She is a fully qualified mountaineering instructor who works in Eryri and on Skye, she also spends a lot of time in the Alps. Jenny is also an active member of the OgwenValley Mountain Rescue Team, a Remote Rescue Medical Technician and a WEMSI Wilderness Medical Technician qualification. She is on the faculty for World Extreme Medicine - teaching on Wilderness and Expedition Medicine and Searchand Rescue Medicine courses.

Emily Coates is a North Wales based Mountain Leader both summer and winter. She also has a Geography degree from Oxford, a Master's in Sustainability from ImperialCollege, and six years' experience as a secondary geography teacher. Emily now works as a freelance leader in North Wales and beyond. She runs her own company, Visit Wild Wales, founded on strong ethical principles, and also works with Leading Edge and the Field Studies Council, while enjoys the odd shift at Joe Brown's outdoor shop.In 2025, Emily had a tense adventure in the Himalaya. What began as a trekking trip to a remote part of the range turned into a full-scale mountaineering expedition as Emily and her team were forced to extricate themselves from a serious situation.The expedition was badly reported in the mainstream media, with Emily and her friends being targeted rather than celebrated. It's a fascinating story.

Ron spent over ten years working for North Yorkshire footpath team. He was recruited for his skills as a historian. We have a great chat about Public Rights of Way, the definitive map and how it all works. Ron is also a former police officer, support member of Swaledale Mountain Rescue team and a volunteer for Mountain Rescue Search Dogs England.

Emma Shipley is an experienced outdoor leader and thefounder of Yorkie Talkies Outdoors. Holding Mountain Leader, Lowland Leader and Paddle Sport Leader qualifications, Emma is passionate about leading people in the outdoors and helping them build confidence, achieve personal goals, andexperience the life-changing benefits of adventure. Her business offers a wide range of accessible outdoor activities, including guided group walks, bespoke hikes, paddleboarding days, navigation courses, challenge events such as the Yorkshire Three Peaks, and corporate and charity events, catering to everyone from beginners to experienced walkers. Yorkie Talkies Outdoors also runs year-round events, including regular walking, trail running and paddleboardingsessions. Alongside this, Emma is the creator and host of The Yorkie Talkies Talk podcast, where she shares conversations about outdoor adventures, wellbeing, walking challenges and community stories.We find out all about how she' bubbles with enthusiasm and her passion for the work she does. I think you'll find her quite inspiring.

Monty is a former geography teacher and mountaineeringinstructor. He taught at several well-known schools, including Gordonstoun. He was a student on Tim Jepson's first Outdoor Education PGCE course at Bangor University, when the course was still run by Barbara Roscoe.Monty has volunteered for the Association of MountaineeringInstructors and Mountaineering Scotland. After finishing his work as a teacher, he spent a few years on the freelance team at Glenmore Lodge. He is now settled near the Lake District and has taken on the role of trustee and secretary forthe BMC's Mountain Heritage Trust.I wanted to find out more about the MHT… 

Mark Reeves is an old friend of mine - a climber, climbingcoach, and author whose passion and enthusiasm always shine through. In this episode, we talk about his time working in Antarctica for the British Antarctic Survey. Mark took the job during a personally difficult period, and while not everyone would choose Antarctica for a more social lifestyle, that's xactly what he did - and it worked.He's perhaps best known as the author of the Rockfax guides to North Wales, covering walking, scrambling, and rock climbing. After chatting about his books, we dive into his current and future projects. I think his enthusiasm and honesty will really resonate with you. 

Simon will, in 2026, become the Restore Nature Manager forthe same area. The National Trust owns large swathes of Eryri, as well as many of the other places where we walk and climb, so it's always interesting and informative to speak with the people who work for them.Simon is incredibly enthusiastic and passionate about thework he does, and he's a great communicator - which makes this a really good podcast for all walkers and climbers, and especially for those leading and instructing others. Hope you enjoy it.

Eben Muse – a Welsh writer and campaigner, he works asCampaigns and Policy Officer for the British Mountaineering Council in Wales. His job is to represent the political interests of hillwalkers, climbers, mountaineers (and ski mountaineers) in Wales. He's also an ambassador for the Campaign for National Parks, and a member of the Ramblers' Cymru steering group.Climbing and mountains have shaped his life since he was ateenager. He grew up in the foothills of Eryri (in Dyffryn Nantlle) but has now been resident in Cardiff for a little more than a decade now.A fascinating, passionate and wide-ranging conversation…

Tim Cain MBE is a veteran Mountain Rescue Search DogHandler and former British Army infantry officer. After a 29-year military career, Tim dedicated himself to mountain rescue, serving with Swaledale MRT for over two decades.A qualified Mountain Rescue Search Dog Handler since 2014,Tim works with Mountain Rescue Search Dogs England alongside his team of border collies - one retired, one active, and one enthusiastic but “strictly a pet.”He's also an outdoor first aid trainer, leadership mentor,and highly experienced responder with qualifications in remote and wilderness medicine, swift-water rescue, and mountain leadership. When he's not trainingsearch dogs, you'll find him outdoors - or occasionally in a canoe or a cinema.Tim lives with his wife, Helen, and their grown sons in thecompany of their three collies.Tim's webiste is https://www.medicrec.com/

Dan Raven-Ellison describes himself as a guerrilla geographer and creative explorer. He is the Founder and CEO of Slow Ways, a groundbreaking initiative to create a national walking network that connects all of Britain's towns, cities, and National Parks. Check out Slow Ways and see how you can contribute: https://beta.slowways.org/. The movement needs support in reviewing mountain routes. Could you incorporate Slow Ways into the routes you plan? Sign up for emails and follow them on social media to stay updated. In this conversation, we also talk about walking with a mind-reading device on your head, City National Parks, and safe roadside walking. It was a fascinating discussion that could have gone on much longer!

Tim Jepson is best known for working the Bangor University Outdoor Education PGCE. In that role he trained over 600 teachers of Outdoor Education and as such he holds a special affection in the outdoor world. He also worked at Plas y Brenin and more recently has been very involved with the BMC. We talk about how Tim got into the outdoors, the career he's had and what he's up to now. We finish with a conversation around sound advice for the developing outdoor leaders and some environmental considerations. This was a lovely, relaxed conversation with a master of the outdoors.

Mehemet Karatay is a Mountaineering and Climbing Instructor, Winter Mountain Leader and Orienteering coach based in the Cairngorms. He is part of the Mountain Weather Information Service (MWIS) team and has a doctorate in Glaciology. Mehmet reveals the origins of his name, how he came to be a walker, climber and instructor in Scotland. We also talk about glaciology and forecasting for MWIS.

What do you really know about upland farming? Given the farming protests going on currently I think it's really important to talk to real farmers about the issues affecting them. Listen to this podcast with Celyn from 2021 then come and meet her in person on the farm in June to find out more... ⁠https://www.mikeraine.co.uk/event-details/up-on-the-farm⁠

I can't believe it's four years since we interviewed Teleri Fielden on the Outdoor Lives Podcast. This episode was recorded in 2020 just after the Corona virus has swept through the nation. You can actually come and meet Teleri this summer on our Down on the Farm Workshop. Come and find out more about the realities of farming, in particular nature friendly farming. Teleri has sheep and beef cattle on the land. She grazes the cattle on the hill in summer and seeing them up there is fabulous. She has been on her own farm for four years and is now married with a baby, so she's busy! Come and see how she's getting on four years on…

Dr Flitcroft is responsible for managing the BMC's relationship with the Government and other countryside and recreational organisations. She is often to be found lobbying hard for the rights of hill walkers, climbers and mountaineers. She leads the BMC on policy and legislation issues affecting the cliff and mountain environment and is responsible for replying to numerous consultation documents in England and Wales. She was once a champion athlete and has, by her own admission, spent far too much time in the wilderness. Her PhD is about peat bogs.

Esther does a lot of rock climbing work from beginners to coaching for progression. She works on Mountain training Courses, she is Director of the Women's Climbing Symposium and, with a Post Graduate Qualification in Environmental Education, she works with the Field Studies Council too.  We talk about but her pathway to success, the Women's Climbing Symposium and some good advice for others progressing through the Mountain Training schemes

A big chat about land management, particularly in the uplands. And what changes to the way we support farmers could mean for the hills.

Lou runs Freedoms Outdoors based her in Eryri National Park. She, with her partner john, also run an accommodation base called Capel Tanrallt. In the podcast we find out how Lou got into the outdoors and the incredible range of pursuits in which she has, and does, take part. Lou has become known as one of the largest providers of ML training and assessment, running courses monthly through most of the year. She recognises how lucky she has been in her career with supportive people around her and time to engage in a whole manner of outdoor activities. She is keen to help those who don't have quite so much time. Lou is particularly supportive of those who might not live near the mountains and have other commitments to manage when gaining their skills and working towards qualifications.

Iago is managing upland peat restoration on the National Trust Ysbyty Ifan estate here in Eryri National Park. He helps to understand why peat and blanket bogs are incredibly important and how they are trying to enhance the status quo.

Gus Routledge is a Scottish ecologist with a particular interest in bryophytes, though he also puts a good case for grasses and sedges. He operates in the uplands, where he has found several very rare plants. In this podcast he discusses with Nathan what he does and the projects in which he is involved. Take a look at his inspiring posts on Instagram @pinkfootedgus

Darren Johnson is a Midlands based Mountain Leader who is currently the Chair of the  BMC Midlands committee. Darren has a lifetime of diverse experience and a passion for bringing people together, he brings more to the outdoors than a love for adventure. Over the years, he's built a multi-faceted career, spanning local government management, social services, and business ownership, which has given him a unique perspective on fostering resilience and connection. Darren runs a mental health charity which offers counselling and psychotherapy. Darren is keen to create spaces—whether in the wild or in conversation—where people feel understood and supported.

Helen Moran of the Martin Moran Foundation talks to Dr. Nathan Chrismas for the Outdoor Lives Podcast The https://www.martinmoranfoundation.co.uk/ aims to inspire people through the power of mountain adventure, climbing and community in wild places. To elevate the lives of young people through purpose, passion and powerful experiences in the mountains and to remove barriers for young people who want to explore the beauty, freedom and value of our natural world. Find how Martin's son and daughter are leading the work of the foundation

Lou, from Devon, is now living and working in the French Alps as a Mountain Guide. She talks through gaining her Mountain Training Qualifications and then becoming a Guide. She tells us what it's like to work as a Guide. She now lives in Chamonix with her Mountain Guide husband and they are expecting their first child, which is always a challenge for self-employed people. We do, of course, touch on the added challenges a female climber has living the life of an instructor and Guide.

Mia and Caroline are Dilyn Nature/Guided by Nature and they run the excellent Practical Mental Health Skills Workshop for Outdoor Leaders. I wanted to find out more about them, what they do and how they do it. We talk about each one of their personal journeys to form Guided by Nature/Dilyn Nature. We discover the range of work they do and more about future CPD plans. We finish with some free top tips! Take a look at their offering at www.guidedbynature.cymru

Hello, this is a short introduction to the forthcoming series with special news of a new development.

This is a special, bonus summer edition of the podcast. I visited the Cymdeithas Eryri/Snowdonia Society weekend in Nant Gwynant to find out more about the Society and the event. A full new series will start in November

Angela heads up the Ramblers in Wales. She leads a team campaign on behalf of footpaths and walkers. We chat about what the Ramblers are doing and how they are going about it. We touch on many topics, such as working with Welsh Government, volunteers and landowners.

Sarah believes passionately in the importantance of walking for all. Her business is based in a lowland area and she thinks the Lowland Leader could be more valued. “There are such a high percentage of the population that, if you have ‘hill', ‘mountain', ‘challenge' or ‘hike' in the title of anything, they won't even consider it.” Sarah Price.

Staff Sergeant Nathan Jones is an Adventurous Training Instructor (ATI) in the Royal Army Physical Training Corps (RAPTC), Nathan is on a mission to transform people's lives through the power of the outdoors by connecting wannabe adventurers with professional guides and instructors through the Discover A Guide platform.

Rhys works for a combination of the National Trust, the Eryri National Park and Natural Resources Wales. He is the warden and public engagement officer for the National Nature Reserve that contains Cwm Idwal.

Rob is the current Chair of the Association of Mountaineering Instructors (AMI). He is a keen climber, freelance mountaineering instructor and technical advisor based in the South Lakes. He offers offer Rock Climbing Instructor (RCI), Climbing Wall Instructor (CWI) and Climbing Wall Development Instructor(CWDI) courses. He can provide guiding, and a range of climbing courses.

David is a conservationist and naturalist, and this book is a story of nature, farming, conservation and reconciliation in the Welsh uplands. It is set on one particualr farm and we get to learn about that farm, the people who work there, their history and the story of their land. It's a great read. In this podcast we discuss some of the issues raised in the book and glance at the interaction between farming and conservation.

Shane is the Chief Executive Officer of Ourea events. Ourea Events are well known as the organisers of challenging running events such as the Dragon's Back Race and the Cape Wrath Trail Run. He is a seasoned elite runner and extreme climber himself; he currently holds the record for the fastest unsupported round of the Lake District Classic Rock Routes. Shane is also a member of the Kendal Mountain Rescue Team and has held senior roles within the team for the last ten years. Our conversation took place the day after he had run across Wales on a weekend off.

Chris Forrest – Chief Instructor Joint Services Mountain Training, former Senior Instructor at Plas y Brenin and Instructor at Glenmore Lodge. UIAGM Guide, Kayak and Canoe Coach, Climber, skier, paddler and family man.

Alec works for the Eryri National Park and is the project manager for the Yr Wyddfa Plastic Free project. The project is about much more than just plastic. Listed to Alec explain what is going on, why it's important, how it's making a difference and how you can help. Can Snowdon become the world's first ‘plastic free' mountain?

Rich is a climber, walker, biker and A&E Consultant. He heads up the medical team for Ourea Events and is an active member of, and doctor with, the busiest mountain rescue team in the country.

The Snowdonia Society is a member-based conservation charity that works with local communities, organisations, businesses and individuals to help look after Snowdonia.  Since 1967 the Snowdonia Society has worked tirelessly to ensure that Snowdonia is well-protected, well-managed and enjoyed by all.

Mountain Leader, Nature Friendly Farmer, former Bannau Brycheiniog Ranger, former Yr Wyddfa Warden, Former Head Warden and Senior Manager at Eryri National Park; Helen Pye chats about her new role at the National Trust the land the Trust own, how it's managed and a few other tangents besides.

Former headteachers Fiona and Rob Nicholson have been running Gwesty Plas Coch in Llanberis since 2019. Their vision was to develop Plas Coch as part of the outdoor community whilst themselves working hard to become part of their new home village community. Their knowledge of the Eryri mountains and lakes have helped them to establish themselves and drove their recent endeavours to become the first ‘Gold Level' business under the Plastic Free Yr Wyddfa scheme.  

Phill has been an active mountaineer for over 40 years. During that time he has completed the Winter Mountain Climbing Instructor (WMCI) qualification and the British Mountain Guides scheme (IFMGA) which qualifies him for all aspects of mountaineering activities world wide. Phill is a qualified teacher and has worked for private and local Education based centres throughout the country on an instructional basis and as a technical expert. Based in Snowdonia, he is now a very popular provider of National Governing Body Awards for Summer Mountain Leader (ML) Rock Climbing Instructor (RCI) and Hill & Moorland (HML)  

Pete Edwards owns and runs his own business, Prowess Climbing Coaching; helping climbers of all abilities and ages to not only improve their climbing grade but also their enjoyment of their climbing by helping improve technical, tactical and psychological skills. Prowess also provides coach education courses, including the BMC FUNdamentals of Climbing workshops and other CPD workshops. Pete speaks intelligently about the relatively new world of climbing coaching.

In a wide ranging conversation with Tom about his role and how he comes to be doing it we touch on all sorts of things, including the fact that it didn't freeze on Clogwyn Ddu (850m) at all last winter!

Mal Creasey has influenced thousands of mountain leaders, instructors and guides in a climbing career spanning over 60 years. He worked as the Technical Officer for Mountain Training England, as a Guide in the Alps and as a member of staff at Plas y Brenin. He was involved in the first two MIA (now MCI) courses, he's an author, writer and is still active walking and climbing every week.

Dewi Davies is the Project Manager for National Trust Cymru focussing on the Uwch Conwy catchment in the east of Eryri National Park. Dewi leads a team of people on the restoration of nature, predominantly peatland at the head of the river basin, but also working on rivers and their catchments to improve habitats by restoring natural processes and increasing tree cover. The project also supports farming tradition and heritage. They are working on access improvements, so that people living and visiting the area can benefit from nature, too. All this helps with mitigating the effects of climate change -fire, drought, floods and species and habitat declines.

Paul Poole runs a range of mountain based training courses in north Wales. He's a very popular provider of the Mountain Leader Courses and the Rock Climbing Instrucotor courses. Paul also runs trips to Scotland, Morocco and Nepal. Listen in to find out more about him and the way he does things.

My guest today is Robbie Blackhall-Miles of Llanberis. He is, amongst other things, a conservation scientist, ethno-ecologist, ecology lecturer at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, writer, horticulturist, and the charity Plantlife's Vascular Plant Officer for the National Heritage Lottery funded Natur am Byth project - a partnership project between Natural Resources Wales and 9 environmental charities.