Mountain Air

> Find galleries, blog posts and many more episodes at www.mountainairpodcast.uk“You've got to acknowledge that you're just a fragment in time.”Episode 2#9 settles down with Doug Bartholomew, a man who has the dream job of managing one of Scotland's great landscapes. Seek him on a weekday, Saturday or Sunday and you'll find him and his team of fellow NatureScot employees on Beinn Eighe and Loch Maree Islands National Nature Reserve in Wester Ross. This 48 square kilometres of magnificent highland wilderness requires hard work to keep it running sustainably, and constant attention is required to replenish the native Caledonia pinewoods that still grow in these soils. As a consequence, Doug finds himself stalking deer, nurturing and planting up to 20,000 pine seedlings, and enduring vicious swarms of midges throughout his working year. Told you it was a dream job.Doug reveals how he came to be in this “dead man's shoes” kind of role, why volunteers on the reserve are absolutely essential to its continued success, and how much joy can be found running and climbing in this exceptional landscape when you wake and work between its peaks.> Want to volunteer at Beinn Eighe and Loch Maree Islands NNR yourself? Walk this way.Listen, enjoy, tell your friends, subscribe to the podcast if you get and chance, and thank UKHillwalking.com for their kind support of this series![episode recorded on 30/08/22]00:00 - Introduction01:56 - Welcome, living on Beinn Eighe Nature Reserve (“it's a short commute to work”) amongst the “largest remnant” of ancient Caledonian pinewood06:06 - A run-down of a Reserve Manager's job, stalking deer and growing trees from seed09:06 - A small team for a 5,000 hectare area11:24 - Growing 20,000 trees per year, repairing deforestation by humans and herbivores16:06 - “As a manager, you want to see things happen in your time… but especially with woodland restoration like this you've got to acknowledge that you're just a fragment in time when you think of the hundreds of years it'll need to restore these landscapes.”17:11 - More about deer management, “aiming for a about 1-2 deer per kilometre squared”, the absence of apex predators (“we don't have an intact natural process”)20:06 - A “‘dead man's shoes” kind of job20:36 - Doug's journey to becoming a Reserve Manager, the challenges of conservation, feeling a connection to the environment29:36 - Getting out in the evenings and getting up high - “if you can run, you can pack a lot into a short time… to get up on the Beinn Eighe ridge while the light's flooding in from the west”, the scrambly mountain running in the area32:46 - Multi-pitch trad climbing on Beinn Eighe, and the appeals of winter when ice climbing is in. Being one step ahead of UKClimbing's forums36:26 - Welcoming the general public, the first waymarked route in Britain which rises to 500m with views of Loch Maree38:16 - The hardest days on the job, being uplifted by the “vibrance and enthusiasm” of volunteers on the Reserve, enjoying their varied backgrounds41:40 - Midge chat: “the weather's not always hot and sunny… and my house must be one of the midge-iest spots in Scotland. They never lose their bite”... don't end up with a “lather of dead midges all over you”... “grimace”45:36 - Greatest mountain memory… a winter traverse of the Cuillin in perfect weather and perfect snow conditions; a winter climb of the Fiddler's Nose (“I'm still buzzing”)48:16 - All the time, money, freedom… what would you do? Climbing in Alaska and the Himalayas, but “I love my job and I'm pretty content, so I wouldn't ask for much more”

> Find galleries, blog posts and many more episodes at www.mountainairpodcast.ukEpisode 2#08 sits down with the charming and disarming J.R. Harris. Since 1966, J. Robert Harris has undertaken more than 50 multi-week trips into the world's wild places: “all unsupported and most of them alone”. He's driven to where the US road systems end (or did in the late 60s), 120 miles north of Fairbanks, Alaska, and he's since been above the Arctic Circle 15 times (“there's a lot I want to see up there”, he says). He's tracked down caribou migrations in the Yukon, lived amongst Inuit people, and walked some of the finest hiking trails in the Dolomites, on New Zealand's South Island, in Chilean Patagonia and in the North American Rockies. And, after a lifetime of making dramatic journeys an annual habit, in 2017 he published his first memoir: Way Out There: Adventures of a Wilderness Trekker.Perhaps most impressively of all though is this: he's just a regular guy from New York. Well, perhaps not so regular. He grew up poor in one of the city's many low-income housing projects with a lot of family love and support, but no money to make his ambitions happen… and the outdoors wasn't even a part of his thinking until the Boy Scouts introduced him to landscapes without pigeons, concrete and cockroaches. He got a job, earned himself a scholarship and put himself through university at Queen's College. After graduation, he founded his own marketing company and settled into a life of work, family, and meticulous planning of audacious adventures all across the planet.Since 1993 he's been a member of the prestigious Explorer's Club, and in recent years he's dedicated himself to giving motivational talks to schools, clubs and social organisations. J.R.'s message is simple: if he can do it, then you can do it.> Find out all about J.R. at https://www.jrinthewilderness.com/Listen, enjoy, tell your friends, subscribe to the podcast if you get and chance, and thank UKHillwalking.com for their kind support of this series![episode recorded on 09/06/22]00:00 - Introduction02:35 - Welcome, a native New Yorker with a 50 or 60 Grateful Dead t-shirts05:45 - Growing up in the projects, “life was tough, but you get a certain knowledge that doesn't come through books or school”07:40 - A “kicking and screaming” sign up for the Boy Scouts, “it was not compatible with growing up in the city”. 09:00 - “The first time I ever saw grass I tried to smoke it”12:20 - Requisitioning food and heading out into the wild to be alone with nature: “I would spend most of my time in the summer off by myself”14:00 - “There were very few black kids there. It was probably a combination of parents who couldn't afford it, and a crazy notion that Boy Scouts wasn't really the kind of thing that a black kid from the street in New York city would want to be in. That was the mindset back then”.15:05 - “I was a different guy when I came back… and I got a lot of respect somehow”.16:45 - “My folks told me when I was young that they would give me everything they could that I would need to be successful. But they also told me that everything they gave me would not be enough, and that if I wanted to fulfil my dreams - whatever they may be - I was pretty much going to have to make that happen”, working, being awarded a scholarship and attending Queen's College to study Psychology.20:40 - First travels: “a piece of crap Volkswagen Beetle” and a 9,000 mile road trip as far north as roads go, 120 miles north of Fairbanks, Alaska (“there would be no vehicles between me and the North Pole”).23:50 - “I want to know what's behind those mountains. I want to know what rivers, valleys and wildlife… and what it's like to be back there.”26:00 - “... sitting on the back of my car holding two coins: a quarter and a dime. And that 35 cents was the last money I had.”30:20 - A career in market research, starting a business “Don't convince yourself that it's impossible. If you want to do it, just figure out how to do it and go do it”. JRH Marketing Services is now “the oldest African-American-owned marketing consulting firm in the United States”.33:40 - Mixing multi-week global trips with an adult life (“it's funny how they add up to 50 so quickly”)36:30 - What makes it special to travel alone? (“I've never been lonely out there, and I've never come back early from a trip”)40:20 - “I'm a curious guy with a valid credit card”44:00 - “The smartest thing I ever did in all these trips was to keep a journal… now I'm pushing 80 I'm still doing trips, I'm still writing journals”46:18 - Contrasting the different environments around the world.49:00 - “I plan very intricately, and I take the time to send away for topo maps”, researching long-distance trips in the pre-internet age.51:10 - Gear chat, testing outdoor kit for Backpacker magazine (“nobody can tell me my pack is too heavy, because nobody's carrying it but me”)54:50 - “I'm using the same Thermarest mattress that I was using in 1980”55:45 - Hand-rolled cigars and a pint of Cognac (“it's going to last you 18 days”)59:30 - Is there anyone that's inspired you? “To be totally honest: no. And the reason is: there was nobody. I always wanted to be an explorer, but there was never any explorer I could look up to. I knew somebody like Matthew Henson who went to the North Pole in 1909 was a black man. But they never taught us about that in school. I heard about (Robert) Peary, but I never knew there was a guy with him that looked like me… I had to find my own motivation, I had to find my own inspiration”61:30 - Motivational talks to New York schools: “If I can do it, you can do it”66:45 - Greatest mountain memory… 10 March 1992, losing the trail, a backpack, a lot of body heat, and nearly everything in the mountains of south-west Tasmania (“the hardest trip I ever did, by the way”). 71:15 - All the time, money, freedom… what would you do? Five places: the top of Everest, the bottom of the Mariana Trench, the North Pole, the South Pole, the moon.

> Find galleries, blog posts and many more episodes at www.mountainairpodcast.ukEpisode 2#07 gets to know none other than multi-talented photojournalist David Lintern. Based in Kingussie in the Cairngorms National Park, David is an outdoor writer and photographer of high reputation. You've likely seen his images and read his words across many different magazines and websites that focus on Britain's hills, mountains and rivers. So, who better to spend an hour with discussing the challenges and rewards of this environment we all love so much?Having just released his latest book, “Thunder Road: Voices from the Cape Wrath Trail”, David's keen to describe the landscapes and people discovered along the most famous hiking route in Scotland's epic north-west, as well as to discuss what he's trying to achieve in documenting these unique subjects. He also shares the fascinating story of how a person ends up living the life of an environmental journalist in the Scottish Highlands - a dream job, perhaps, but one which brings plenty of insecurity with its limitless freedoms. From London-based cinema projectionist, to “scruffy musician”, to founder of a children's charity, David's journey has taken him from a deeply urban life to one spent amongst the wildest of places. There's even time to discuss a fateful two-month hike of the Pyrenees and a formative winter mountaineering trip across the Ben Alder range with some deeply eerie details…Visit www.davidlintern.com to find out more about David's work, and make sure to catch up with him on Instagram too: @davidjlinternListen, enjoy, tell your friends, subscribe to the podcast if you get and chance, and thank UKHillwalking.com for their kind support of this series![episode recorded on 26/05/22]00:00 - Introduction03:23 - Welcome, “a photographer and writer focusing on human-powered travel, landscape and the environment”, discussing the book “Thunder Road: Voices from the Cape Wrath Trail”06:53 - Most definitely not “striding forth under self-imposed adversity”, more details of the Cape Wrath experience13:28 - War games off the Scottish coast17:33 - “Vanishing Point” photography project, the struggles of being a freelancer during the COVID pandemic, “lots of freedom, but lots of insecurity”20:13 - Enjoying “the wrestle” of writing, details of an outdoor media career, “esoteric ramblings”27:38 - “We were all feeling pretty experimental in COVID, weren't we?”28:33 - Coming to the outdoors relatively late, discovering the mountains as an adult. A former life as a London-based cinema projectionist, youth music worker, sound engineer, and university lecturer… seeing “literally thousands of films at the National Film Theatre”33:23 - Becoming a community music leader, setting up the Soundmix charity (http://www.soundmix.org.uk/who-we-are/), working with the refugee council and “unaccompanied minors”, “what can a scruffy musician do?”35:23 - An “early mid-life crisis” expressed by walking across the Pyrenees in a two-month charity trip, starting to work with the John Muir Trust38:10 - A passion for cinema, music and soundtracks, performing background music for TV programmes, an interest in analogue machinery 40:13 - Creating electronic music and dub via Projector Records: “to call it a record label would suggest that it actually functioned… it was basically a group of friends that lived in a house in the mid-90s”42:51 - Some heartfelt words about a love of the outdoors and life in Kingussie, “when you live here you realise that they're called the grey hills and the red hills for a reason… it's a special place”49:39 - “The bit that's important to me is allowing other people to speak… really I'm the least interesting bit of the equation”. 53:03 - Enriching your life through experiences in the “heavens”. How can we bring those transformative experiences back down to our everyday lives.54:23 - Greatest mountain memory… a long winter mountaineering weekend in the Ben Alder range, the Lancet Edge, eerie sounds, unsettling footsteps, a golden eagle.59:23 - All the time, money, freedom… what would you do? A simple answer… and a more complicated one: fixing the gap between recreational hill people, and those that live and work on the land, conservation and shooting estates (“we have big environmental decisions to make as a society… and we're not able to have those conversations”)

> Find galleries, blog posts and many more episodes at www.mountainairpodcast.ukEpisode 2#06 welcomes a man that may be the most prolific hillwalker in history. That's because Rob Woodall has spent the past 40 years systematically completing every list of peaks, tops, prominences and trig points in existence. Putting to one side the popular lifetime achievements of the Munros, the Corbetts, the Wainwrights and such; he's summited all 1,556 “Marilyns” (UK peaks with a relative prominence of 150m), touched at least 6,190 trig points, and even stood atop all 2,271 “TuMPs” on the Welsh mainland (a deeply esoteric list of raised ground with Thirty and Upward Metre Prominences). Since recently semi-retiring his ambitions have even turned to the list of global “Ultra” peaks, which are those with a topographic prominence of 1,500m. There are 119 in Europe (not including the Matterhorn or the Eiger whose high cols preclude them), none in Britain (poor Ben Nevis), and so far at least 1,515 have been identified across the world. Nobody has come close to completing this list, and Rob doesn't believe they are “realistically completable by anybody”. But he's still quietly ticking them off.His achievements haven't gone unnoticed, and it's likely that you will have read about him in the outdoor press… but so many questions remain: How has he achieved such incredible hillbagging feats whilst being based in the lowland city of Peterborough? Has his lifelong career in civil engineering given him the map-savvy skills to achieve his goals? How does he endure so much driving? What kit does he wear when he's out in the hills? Is there any moment of his spare time that isn't spent hunting down summits? How do you access a sea stack? Can microspikes keep you from slipping on guano? Is he aware of quite how bonkers the whole thing seems to those outside the hobby?Listen, enjoy, tell your friends, subscribe to the podcast if you get and chance, and thank UKHillwalking.com for their kind support of this series![episode recorded on 18/11/21]Note: as there were a number of months in-between recording and publication, the ever-thorough Rob would like to point out that…The newly created North Northants unitary authority's top is a new hill! See Mill HillThere's not even a Hump in East Anglia (there are none east of Northampton's Arbury Hill)He is now 62Elbrus, for obvious reasons, is no longer in his current climbing plansThe Africa trip mentioned near the end of the interview was not feasible due to COVID restrictionsTime stamps…00:00 - Introduction02:02 - Welcome, “mind-bending achievements”03:57 - Defining the hill-bagging lists (Rob's done them all)09:22 - “Anything which sticks out of the ground in Britain… you've stood on top of?”10:17 - *202114:17 - Starting a hill-bagging career in his early 20s, opening up further ticklists (birds, botany)18:02 - A friendly rivalry with Ken Whyte (who sadly passed away after this interview was recorded, see his obituary here: https://www.peakbagger.com/climber/climber.aspx?cid=7239), the camaraderie of chartering boats with fellow baggers to reach isolated island peaks, cake, whiskey and parties on the tops20:12 - “It's not the sort of number that you can get to accidentally”22:32 - The practicalities of bagging: sleeping in the car, keeping up fitness, mountain running the “Big Three” rounds27:37 - Bagging the 6,200+ Trig Pillars (“they keep disappearing, a few get re-found which is always exciting”)32:02 - … nuclear sub base… critical assets that are “rather well defended… 20 years ago the fences were very different”34:02 - Coping with mammoth amounts of driving: “I'm a big fan of Radio 4”36:32 - Favourite parts of the UK hills and “spectacularly wet days”40:22 - Sea stacks, gannet colonies, the October “sweet spot” and microspikes47:32 - “I'm pretty obsessive, yeah…”48:32 - Praising the Buffalo Teclite and various phone apps51:42 - The global “ultras” (1,500m prominence)... which aren't “realistically completable by anybody”56:17 - Using local guides60:32 - “Taking on something when you don't know if it's possible or not… you get a real buzz when it's complete.”62:02 - Greatest mountain memory… Mount Odin in British Columbia “you can't really see it from anywhere… it's grizzly bear country”64:32 - All the time, money, freedom… what do you do? Disappear into the Andes for a number of months

Episode 2#05 cosies up with the irrepressible Sarah Jane Douglas. In 2019 Sarah published her first book: Just Another Mountain, an autobiographical story of loss and grief, but ultimately joy, love and empowerment found in the wild beauty of the Scottish Highlands. It was a huge success. So much so that it saw her lauded across the national press and invited onto ITV's flagship breakfast show for a friendly “baptism of fire” (Sarah's words) with Lorraine Kelly.You may also recognise her from across the outdoor press (including this episode's sponsor UKHillwalking.com), where she contributes everything from gear reviews to in-depth walking features. What you may not know is that she's also: a long-term member of the security team at Inverness Airport, a prolific artist and painter, a mother of two, a cancer survivor, a fanatical Corbett wildcamper, Munroist #5764 (“compleated” in 2015), a habitual destroyer of electronics, a hardened instigator (and resolver) of hillwalking disasters, a shameless follower of many soaps, very much a native Highlander, and one of the most passionate, dedicated and candid mountaineers you're likely to hear on this podcast or any other. She also has an axe.> Read more about Sarah here: www.jennybrownassociates.com/sarah-jane-douglas.htm> … and here: smashingcancerintheface.wordpress.com/aboutListen, enjoy, tell your friends, subscribe to the podcast if you get and chance, and thank UKHillwalking.com for their kind support of this series![episode recorded on 09/12/21]> Find galleries, blog posts and many more episodes at www.mountainairpodcast.uk00:00 - Introduction02:00 - Welcome, airport shifts and winter escapes to the hills, why Inverness is “the absolute best place in the whole of Scotland to live”06:50 - It's not about the bagging07:50 - “Being up on the mountains soothed me, and made my troubles seem to melt temporarily”09:07 - Writing “Just Another Mountain”: “Obviously I'm going to have to burn them before I die, because there's no way I could have anyone reading some of the content that's in there, let me tell you…”11:58 - A “baptism of fire” with Lorraine Kelly.13:00 - What do people find in the book? “They see a lot of themselves in the words that I've written… there is always hope as well, no matter how dark and grim life can become, there is a way forward through those troubles and difficulties”14:40 - A family history, loss, tragedy and childhood climbing (“thears a bairn on tha' ruf!”)22:00 - Artwork: “I was always scribbling on my granny's walls. She would go mental”. A broken ankle and an opportunity to paint again.29:10 - Celebrating disaster with “gonzo” outdoor writing, lost tents, drenched electronics, milk-clogged Jetboils, crisps for breakfast, weeing all over yourself… “I can't have nice things, they just get trashed”42:51 - “The important thing to me is that I am well and that I am restored by the activities I love to do, and I do love the mountains”45:10 - Being alone in the outdoors, “hill hysteria”, people being “subjected to my singing”, the nightmare of the hillwalking earworm.50:00 - Foreign trips to the hills, “I always have this yearning to be on the highest spot that's possible for my own ability”. A meaningful trip to Nepal.58:00 - Greatest Mountain Memory: searching for a memorial cairn in remote Nepal60:30 - All the time, money, freedom… what do you do? “I would just go away to the mountains and never come back”, food drops from helicopter pilots, building bothies, “spend the rest of my days just wandering from mountain to mountain… I'd be very happy doing that”62:45 - An Eastenders-based revelation65:30 - Household chores… with an axe(“CHOP CHOP CHOP”)

Episode 2#04 is thrilled to sit down with Colorado-based Renan Ozturk to discuss his latest film “The Sanctity of Space”. A climbing film at heart, it not only celebrates the stunning landscapes of Denali National Park, the Alaska Range and the film-makers' carving of a new skyline route across the “Moose's Tooth” peak (3,150m)… but also pays heartfelt tribute to Brad Washburn, the legendary aerial photographer whose life's work provided inspiration for the entire project.And there's time for more than that too. Renan - a sponsored expedition climber, landscape artist, and previous “National Geographic Adventurer of the Year” - has had a busy career so far. You may recognise him from his previous film projects “Meru” and “Sherpa” (both 2015), or perhaps from his back catalogue of arresting mountaineering photography. Possibly you're one of his million-strong Instagram followers, or you met “dumpster diving” at Trader Joe's in southern California, or he offered you a lift in the “technobago” whilst you were both enjoying your dirtbag climber phase. But don't worry if not, this interview will provide the perfect introduction either way.> Read more about Renan here: renanozturk.com, and find him on the ‘gram here: @renan_ozturk> Find screenings and streaming links for “The Sanctity of Space” here: thesanctityofspace.comListen, enjoy, tell your friends, subscribe to the podcast if you get and chance, and thank UKHillwalking.com for their kind support of this series![episode recorded on 10/03/22]> Find galleries, blog posts and many more episodes at www.mountainairpodcast.uk00:00 - Introduction03:05 - Welcome04:14 - “The Sanctity of Space” - Brad Washburn, the sharing of exploration, finding an antique plane, “feeling the magic” in Washburn's camera 11:20 - “I think what he created still stands up against the highest resolution digital cameras”11:59 - Gyro-stabilised gimbals15:33 - The Moose's Tooth: “… it's going to be hard to top that experience of drawing a line with our bodies across that beautiful skyline.”18:40 - “The factors are always stacked against you in the mountains” 19:11 - Top backcountry tip: “...just as long as you always save half your dinner, you're never going to run out of food”20:30 - The allure of Denali National Park: “there aren't many places in the world that are as alive as the Alaska Range”26:13 - The challenges of film-making: needing “the same optimism you have when you're doing a climb”26:58 - “It's impossible to answer the question of why you climb, and why you suffer, and why you put yourself in these crazy situations… as artists we always want to package it in different ways where the art itself answers the question, these images give people heart-palpitations or goosebumps in a way that you can never do in a conversation at the bar.”28:48 - Growing up in Rhode Island, discovering mountaineering at College, “I wasn't one of these kids that grew up with ​​Yvon Chouinard as an uncle”32:30 - The “technobago”, a duffel bag, a backpack, an “endless summer” of climbing for seven or eight years34:00 - Painting, not “struggling with technology”, dragging a 10ft long canvas around the landscape of Nepal39:15 - “Dumpster diving” in Trader Joe's in southern California, career thoughts44:07 - Greatest mountain memory: the end of the Mooth's Tooth traverse “moving for some 30-odd hours… hallucinating without drugs… the summertime in Alaska where it doesn't really get dark”46:00 - All the time, money, freedom… what do you do? “I'd still be doing what I'm doing now. It's such a random storm of luck and opportunity that's led me here”

A very quick update about the next episode in the series… > visit thesanctityofspace.com

Episode 2#03 hears all about a big decision. Exhausted by commuting, frustrated by inflexible work and desperate to spend more time pursuing her love of the outdoors, Keri Wallace stepped away from a 10-year career in science communication and moved with her husband and two young daughters to Glen Coe. She's never regretted it for a second.The result of this sizeable life-shift was the founding, in 2018, of “Girls on Hills: the UK's only guided trail, fell and skyrunning running company, designed specifically for women”. Over the past four years, Girls on Hills has expanded from an idea shared between friends, to a multi-faceted guiding company where women can pursue a love of mountain running aided by some of Britain's most dedicated female runners. It's not just a business to Keri, but has become a positive force for empowering women in the outdoors and giving female runners the space to connect with nature, with each other, and to excel.But that's not to say that Keri herself isn't a pretty inspiring figure (far from it). Keri's outdoor CV includes a 10-day solo traverse of the “Big Three” hillwalking rounds of the Bob Graham, Paddy Buckley and Charlie Ramsay (she was recovering from a running injury at the time); posting a competitive time on the mammoth Gore-Tex Transalpine Run; and - perhaps most impressively of all - managing to take her two young daughters wild camping atop Glen Coe…> Read more about Keri Wallace and Girls on Hills here: girlsonhills.com, and find them on Instagram here: @girlsonhillsukListen, enjoy, tell your friends, subscribe to the podcast if you get and chance, and thank UKHillwalking.com for their kind support of this series!> www.mountainairpodcast.uk[episode recorded on 17/11/21]00:00 - Introduction02:15 -“Kids' shenanigans” 05:10 - All about Girls on Hills, transitioning from science communicator to business owner: “a bit of a leap, and a massive financial step backwards… but suddenly life got much simpler”07:50 - “We saw that lots of women wanted to run”, opening up to each other in the outdoors10:00 - “The things that you learn in the mountains, in terms of self-sufficiency and confidence, can be applied in your wider life”, running as an accessible, “low skill” sport, the appeal of a “women-specific” running experience14:15 - Banter, the strengthening of mixed groups, bothies and camping, concerns about physical safety22:40 - Leading runners in the Glen Coe environment, “… it just looks impenetrable!”29:35 - A quick look at Keri's running CV… “I think I'll do a mountain marathon… how hard can it be?” … it turns out “really, really hard”.37:02 - A solo, 10-day hillwalking trio of the Bob Graham Round, the Paddy Buckley Round and the Charlie Ramsay Round, raising money for the John Muir Trust and Water Aid (“it made me scared to do these things by myself, and that made me think that I ought to go and do it”)40:46 - FACT CHECK: Keri is (of course) absolutely correct and the Bob Graham Round comprises the summits of 42 fells. 44:00 - Reaching personal limits on the Gore-Tex Transalpine Run … “when you find it you always think it's not your limit, and there's some reason it's not your limit” 48:55 - Parenting tips: taking kids wild camping (build up to it, be prepared to carry them out, take sweets and give them one on each zig-zag, “we try really hard not to bribe them constantly”)53:03 - Greatest Mountain Memory: a formative tragedy on “my first ever mountain, which was Ben Nevis”55:25 - All the time, money, freedom… where do you go? “To apply myself to something, whether it be a race or a challenge… to throw myself into something and give it my best efforts”58:08 - A final thought on safety in the outdoors. What can the world - and men in particular - do to help others feel safe?

Episode 2#02 is in awe of Zac Poulton. Zac is one of the Lake District's three “Fell Top Assessors”, which means that today, yesterday, tomorrow and every day of the winter season, there's a 33 per cent chance that he's walking to the summit of one of England's highest peaks. The resulting pictures and written reports provide an invaluable resource for hillwalkers, climbers and anyone else venturing out onto the wintery fells. Winning this kind of role means you're about as dependable on the hill as human beings get.But that's only a fraction of the story. Because the more you ask Zac about his career in the outdoors, the more amazing the tales become. He spent a month in Greenland helping to film base jumping barnacle geese chicks. He's dangled down Alum Pot testing 5G broadcast equipment, he's lived in vans in Scotland, ditches in the Alps, safety managed Kilian Jornet in Glen Coe, solo climbed Ama Dablam, guided tens of people to the summit of Everest, explored parts of Antarctica, lectured University students, and hallucinated on Wainwright's Coast-to-Coast.… and all of this whilst overcoming a fear of heights. If you've ever considered a career in the outdoors and are wondering where such a move could take you, Zac's story could be exactly what you need to hear.> Read more about Zac Poulton here: www.mtnsafety.co.uk, and follow him on Twitter here: @MTN_SafetyListen, enjoy, tell your friends, subscribe to the podcast if you get and chance, and thank the excellent UKHillwalking.com for their kind support of this series!www.mountainairpodcast.uk[episode recorded on 25/11/21]00:00 – Introduction02:58 – Welcome, fell top assessing, safety work, high altitude guiding04:52 – Recent activities: film safety, 5G testing and live broadcasts, Alum Pot10:47 – Base jumping barnacle geese chicks in Greenland16:20 – “… they get focused on what's going on through the camera and forget about the polar bear that's stalking them from behind…”18:26 – The last 10 years: commercial guiding on big peaks, Scotland, life in a van, lecturing, training film crews22:46 – “Keep saying yes, and keep doing a good job, and the doors will keep opening”24:24 - Alpine memories: “living in a ditch in a field until the money ran out then hitching home again”, inspired by a being a Scout and reading mountaineering literature “even before I could read”27:38 – Overcoming a fear of heights, and why it's key to being an effective guide36:50 – The pressure of expedition guiding, and learning to decompress afterwards, “I like to think that if they're complaining about the food, then things are going well”40:00 – Safety for mountain running events, Glen Coe Skyline with Kilian Jornet, personal running experience45:40 – “I maybe slept for four hours or so… the hallucinations were quite good”47:12 – Guiding on Everest, “It's hurting, but I've got a job to do, and these people are probably hurting more. I need to support them”, 45-minutes alone on the summit “not a soul in sight, and looking at the view”56:20 – Life as a Fell Top Assessor… and “informal, 20-minute crampon sessions”62:00 – “Parenthood is another of those amazing experiences, so so ‘yes' to that as well!”63:00 – Greatest Mountain Memory: solo climb of Ama Dablam “so much of my work is with clients, which I love, but just to be out there by myself, able to move at my own pace and enjoy that environment…”67:20 – All the time, money, freedom, where do you go? The Antarctic coastline, or explorations of Baffin Island and the Arctic territories

Hello! And welcome to series two of Mountain Air! It's an absolute pleasure for this episode to be supported by UKHillwalking.com, and an equal pleasure to be bringing you 87-minutes of conversation with Sibusiso Vilane - an inspirational man with an inspirational story to tell.In 2003, Sibusiso he became the first black African to summit Mt Everest, a phenomenal achievement given his impoverished roots and lack of mountaineering background, and one that earned him the attention and praise of Nelson Mandela and the wider world. But his story runs far deeper than that. His childhood was one of extreme poverty in apartheid Johannesburg, and later in Swaziland (now Eswatini). Hard work, dedication and the privilege of being able to attend school from age 10 eventually brought him a job as a tourist officer in a nature reserve, a position which made possible a chance meeting that would change the path of his life forever.Consumed by a passion for mountains and physical challenges, his life story is one that involves continental summits, ultra running, humility, the responsibilities of being a role model, laughter, charity work, motivational speaking, multiple summits of Everest and historical partnerships with... Sir Ranulph Fiennes.> Read more about Sibusiso Vilane at www.sibusisovilane.co.za > Visit the podcast at www.mountainairpodcast.ukListen, enjoy, tell your friends, subscribe to the podcast if you get and chance, and thank UKHillwalking for their kind support![episode recorded on 11/11/21]00:00 – Introduction02:16 – Welcome, responding to the pandemic by running (“I ran a full marathon last weekend… it was just dreadful!”08:30 – The rarest of all mountaineering backgrounds: growing up poor and black in apartheid Johannesburg, then Swaziland (“we never had clothes or three square meals a day”)12:50 – Life as a “Headboy” in rural Swaziland (“I was 10 years old when I started school”), a multilingual upbringing19:05 – First steps into the world of work: manual labour, writing letters, a nature reserve, natural knowledge, life as a tourist officer, and a fateful meeting23:00 – Discovering the Drakensberg (“a vast mountain range, and a beautiful mountain grassland”), John Doble, waterfall scrambling, the start of mountaineering plans, why can't black Africans do the same?30:40 - “It will not make sense to my grandmother or my mother who are trying to fend through hardship to bring food on the table… why would I want to go overseas to climb a mountain?”32:20 – Kilimanjaro: “I got as sick as a dog on day two, all the high altitude symptoms that you can get, I got all of them! But I summited on the most beautiful day, and I looked at that and thought that one day I would want to see the sunrise from the summit of Mt Everest”.36:50 – “I want to do it for Africa. I want to show the world and Africans themselves that they can do these things.”40:54 – Climbing Everest (“I can never deceive people that it was easy. It was physically tough. Mentally tough… it can never be explained in words how physically tough it is.”)50:34 – Reaching the summit (“You are about to be proof that it can be done… you become overcome by your emotions and you don't believe what is happening.”)56:30 - “It took me a long time to realise how relevant it was going to be to any other young kid who grows up in Africa without a home”, meeting Nelson Mandela58:50 – The first black African to climb the Seven Summits (“when you set a standard, how do you keep it as consistent? There's no way I could be consistent as a role model by climbing just one mountain. I will keep on climbing as long as I live to be looked upon as an example.”)68:50 – Being changed by mountain experiences (“I still regard mountains as the best ‘university' I've ever attended.”), summiting Everest for a second time… with Ranulph Fiennes.75:20 – Sitting in a tent with Ranulph Fiennes: “Well if there's anything else you want to do it's one of the polar walks” (“When I looked at his hands, which were frostbitten, I thought ‘well, not a good idea…'”)76:38 - Greatest Mountain Memory: “I looked at this mountain and I just fell in love with it. I was disappointed to learn that it wasn't Everest, it was Ama Dablam. This is the mountain that calls me to go back to mountains.”, similar experiences with the Matterhorn.79:32 - *HONK HONK*80:20 - All the time, money, freedom, where do you go?: “It depends on the season… on the slopes of an 8,000m mountain waiting to summit… sweating profusely running a desert marathon… on a safari in the bush with the family…”

Series 2 is here! And it requires a small amount of introduction. All of which you'll find in the audio file you're currently browsing. However, for those of us that prefer the written word, here's a précis:- there will be another 10 fantastic interviewees to look forward to.- it's proudly sponsored by www.ukhillwalking.com (“the fastest growing hillwalking website in the world”).- the first episode is available via your browser on UKH right now, so you can listen to it straight away if you so desire.- it will then be released on mountainairpodcast.uk and this podcast feed in two weeks' time, on Wednesday 15 December.- the same two week arrangement will be true for future episodes- episode 1 features the truly inspirational Sibusiso Vilane!That's it. What are you waiting for? Get your sweet self over to www.ukhillwalking.com pronto.

Episode #10 stars guidebook writer, website editor, mountaineering journalist and all round outdoor adept Dan Bailey. When not researching and writing up gleaming new guidebooks to his adopted homeland of Scotland, London-born Dan lives the life of a professional outdoor scribe, managing a popular hillwalking website, publishing intricate route descriptions of the UK's most inspiring mountain adventures, and tirelessly reviewing reams of expensive kit so that you don't have to. It's a tough life, I tells ya.Beyond this insight into one of planet Earth's true “dream jobs”, Dan has enjoyed mountaineering epics from the Pyrenees to the Rwenzori (though he seems to enjoy an ice-clad Scotland best) and was once struck by lightning on the Cobbler. It's every bit the anecdote that you would hope it to be. You can see Dan's Cicerone author page here: cicerone.co.uk/authors/dan-bailey and make sure to visit UKHillwalking.com to see the fruits of his daily labours too.[episode recorded on 02/09/21]00:00 - Introduction01:44 - Welcome, guidebook writing11:22 - Precious feedback, and being recognised on the hill15:06 - “Over 10-15 years each book may have earned me a reasonable year's salary”16:50 - Struck by lightning on the Cobbler: (holes in boots, exploding mugs and “my whole body was buzzing, like when you bang your funny bone and you get that nerve tingle. I had that from head to toe”). Eventually being poked and prodded by doctors26:43 - Outdoor journalism, editing ukhillwalking.com, “I've always understood how lucky I am to do that and call it work.”35:42 - Exploring every part of the UK mountains, “there are hills and even whole ranges that I haven't even visited yet, so there's always more to do”39:58 - Living remotely, “nine miles down a single track road from Gairloch… so a good 140 mile round trip on mountain roads in the winter to get the groceries in. We were menu planning quite closely.”43:30 - Reviewing outdoor gear for a living “It's a real perk to have all this free gear showered on us, but it's a real job as well.”47:06 - Calling all EU47 / UK12 boot-wearing hillwalkers48:35 - A “power imbalance” between outdoor brands and outdoor media?51:38 - An epic tale… climbing the three highest peaks in Africa, connected by public transport, “three weeks of manic bus travel”57:00 - (from https://www.britannica.com/place/Margherita-Peak... “It was first climbed in 1906 by an expedition led by Luigi Amedeo Abruzzi and was named for Queen Margherita of Italy”)61:00 - “We got into a little bivvy hut which is sort of like a metal coffin…”63:53 - Greatest Mountain Memory - a youthful awakening in the Pyrenees “The feeling of freedom and limitless possibility that you get when this mountain world opens to you for the first time, and you're there under your own steam with no particular agenda… this is it. This is the most in touch with the world, and peaceful and enthused I've felt. Ever. I suppose I'm always trying to recreate that youthful, wide-eyed experience of the mountains.”68:48 - All the time, money, freedom, where do you go? “I like Scotland a lot, but I've never been to Scotland's big sister, which is Norway… I'm going to drive from south to north over four months picking off mountaineering routes.”

Episode #9 welcomes a man who's not only a living legend in the worlds of climbing and mountain running, but also the organisational driving force behind the Dragon's Back Race, the Cape Wrath Ultra, Skyline Scotland, and the Great Lakeland 3Dday. That means that we could only be talking about one person: Shane Ohly.Shane first entered the scene in his teens/20s as a sponsored climber found energetically attacking everything from Cornish crags to the Eiffel Tower, with a brutal 2003 “502 routes in 18hrs” epic thrown in for good measure. Since then he's turned to running for his kicks and - amongst many other mind-boggling achievements - has finished first in the 53-year-old epic OMM Elite three times (!).The real questions are: does he feel fear while free climbing? Would he get on with his “brash, careless” 18-year-old self? And does he ever just sit on the couch eating crisps…?You can find out more about Shane via shaneohly.com and follow him on Twitter and Instagram. While you're at it check out his company Ourea Events too.[episode recorded on 28/04/21]- See mountainairpodcast.uk for full description, pictures and more episodes!

Episode #8... is delighted to meet Dr Hannah Lock! Currently a General Practice Speciality Registrar (i.e. a junior doctor) based at the mountaineer's choice of hospital in Bangor, she's also an expedition medic whose adventures have taken her to destinations as dramatic as Ecuador and Nepal, and peaks as coveted as Kilimanjaro and Stok Kangri. Hannah shares some excellent insights into the most common form of ailments she's treated during expedition life (clue: they're decidedly not glamorous), has some valuable advice to share about adjusting to altitude (which often is glamorous), and describes to go about becoming an expedition medic your very self. Visit drhannahlock.co.uk to learn more about Hannah's work and adventures, and you can even follow her on Instagram too. [episode recorded on 04/05/21] 00:00 - Introduction 01:41 - Welcome 03:24 - NHS training: from psychiatry to paediatrics 06:00 - Snowdonia is “absolute paradise”… “most people like cities, don't they? Which baffles me!” 08:08 - Bangor, the mountaineer's choice of hospital 09:50 - Drawn to people, drawn to medicine 13:43 - How does mountain medicine differ? Let's begin with the Diploma in Mountain Medicine 19:29 - “You're not a walking hospital. There's only so much you can do at 6,000m with just your backpack and your hands. But having the knowledge is really important.” 22:29 - “It was expedition leaders, their level of skills and competency that I wanted to emulate.” 24:20 - The most common expedition ailment? “It's not glamorous…”  27:18 - How can you prepare for altitude? “Take it slow” 32:35 - Medical trips to Ecuador, Nepal, Kilimanjaro, Stok Kangri… 38:37 - How to become an expedition medic: “personal experience is key”, and “don't take ‘no' for an answer”. 43:44 - Greatest Mountain Memory(/ies): “10 years old on Crib Goch with my Dad”, and learning "when to turn back” on Mont Blanc. 49:10 - Time, money, freedom… where do you go? “Probably Patagonia for me. A big cycle tour combined with some climbing and walking ”

Episode #7 welcomes a guest who's not just a travel writer, an author of fiction, a chronicler of histories, an editor, and a passionate student of people and landscape… but an accomplished singer-songwriter too. So perhaps “wordsmith” doesn't quite encompass everything that makes Malachy Tallack tick (any more concise single-word summaries gratefully received). That aside, Malachy tells the podcast about his travels along the 60th parallel, time spent researching the much-celebrated 60 Degrees North (2015), the wonder and fascination of islands that have been un-discovered (as opposed to “undiscovered”), and even finds time for fresh fiction, a music career, fly-fishing and some inspiring words about Assynt, Shetland and the Lofoten Islands. Enjoy! Visit malachytallack.com for all your Malachy Tallack needs, unless it's his music you're looking for in which case it's malachymusic.com.

Episode #6 manages to make mention of both Nanga Parbat (8,126m, home to the towering four-and-a-half-kilometre tall Rupal Face), and the exquisite Roseberry Topping (320m, 16th highest point in the North York Moors). That's because the man doing most of the talking is Alan Hinkes: acclaimed climber, photographer, author, motivational speaker, environmentalist, mountain guide, Yorkshireman, and summiteer of all 14 of the world's 8,000m mountains. This last feat being one of tremendous objective danger, Alan is one of fewer than 50 climbers who have stood atop Shishapangma, Gasherbrum II, Broad Peak, Gasherbrum I, Annapurna, Nanga Parbat, Manaslu, Dhaulagiri, Cho Oyu, Makalu, Lhotse, Kangchenjunga, K2, and (of course) Everest, without being claimed by avalanche, rockfall, edema or human error. What drives a person to attempt such a thing? Is 10 per cent risk of death ever acceptable? Does it rain more in Cumbria or Yorkshire? Let's find out together. 00:00 - Introduction 02:34 - Welcome (Yorkshireman of the Year) 04:04 - “More and more I think kindness is the way forward” 05:05 - Life across the mountainous swathe of northern England 06:20 - Introduction to the 8,000ers (“Buy my book! It's brilliaaaaaaaant!”) 13:35 - Kukuczka, Messner and more 19:45 - A big digression leading to Cust's Gully and some pretty sobering avalanche chat. 24:35 - “No mountain is worth a life, coming back is a success, and the summit is a bonus.” 26:09 - Growing up near North Allerton 31:02 - Lockdown in the Lakes, a tough time for instructors 37:30 - The considerable risks of extreme altitude mountains 42:50 - “K2 had had roughly 300 ascents and around 80 or 90 deaths” 49:16 - “I feel like I've done what I want to do in life, and everything else is a bonus” 50:18 - Why all climbing on 8000ers is “exploratory climbing” 53:30 - Greatest Mountain Memory: a reverie atop K2 56:25 - Time, money, freedom… where do you go? “I'd still be happy in this band across northern England… but maybe the Seven Summits?”

If episode #5 is going to teach us anything, it's what Ross Worthington has “triple bagged and buried” in his back garden. But don't just stay for that tantalising snippet, because Ross, along with Kate “off-of-episode-4” Worthington, is a co-founder of RAW Adventures. That means there's much to be said about living below and working on Planet Earth's “busiest mountain” (prove me wrong), and the joy that comes from helping others discover the challenges and beauties of its slopes. Perhaps most fascinating of all is Ross' journey to this exciting point in life, which has seen him skive college for the love of motorbikes, work undercover as a police officer, and enjoy life-affirming experiences on peaks from Malaysia's Mt Kinabalu to Patagonia's Cerro San Lorenzo. 00:00 - Introduction 02:00 - Welcome (pub chat) 05:33 - The World's Busiest Mountain, sez Dan 07:30 - “The notoriously mountainous county of Kent” 15:43 - Motorbikes, pubs and planes  18:25 - Joining the police: “it's a genetic disorder for our family” 19:13 - The Wire, Poirot or The Bill? 21:40 - … ah, so it's a bit like The Bill 22:20 - … oh no, wait, it's definitely The Wire 24:40 - “My homeless person kit is still triple-bagged and buried in my back garden… and I don't even know where in the garden it is” 27:30 - Mountain escapes from a working life 30:30 - Mt Kinabalu's “… a sea of green… and satanic horns flying out of the canopy” 32:35 - Mountains take over. Kate enters the scene 35:25 - The C.H.A.O.S. Club 37:05 - Running RAW Adventures, 10 years in 39:40 - Nonny gets in on the action 41:47 - Balmoral, Loch Muick and bothies 44:05 - “Snowdon's a really achievable goal for a lot of people, but that doesn't detract from the fact that it's a substantial UK mountain” 46:00 - “You can absolutely do this. Let's do this together” 49:10 - The Three Peaks Challenge the “right” way 53:55 - Snowdon, Everest and the Snowdonia Ambassador scheme 56:24 - Greatest Mountain Memory: honeymooning on snowy peaks in Chilean Patagonia 61:15 - All the time, money, freedom… where do you go? Antarctica (the “Ross Ice Shelf”, of course)

Episode #4 says hello to Kate Worthington. In 2008 Kate and her husband Ross* founded the outdoor activities company RAW Adventures. Based beneath the shadow of Snowdon/Yr Wyddfa they've spent the past decade-plus helping people discover the challenges, beauty, and excitement of the North Walian hills. When not leading clients up Britain's busiest mountain, orchestrating festival-sized events, or helping people achieve ambitions ranging from the Duke of Edinburgh Award to Winter Mountain Skills courses… Kate likes to relax by running marathon distance races across peaks and through heather and bog. And work on her wilderness medical skills. And raise her daughter. And appear on this podcast. How did she find the time…? *(subtle hint for “part 2”) To learn all about RAW Adventures point your browser here… raw-adventures.co.uk [episode recorded on 24/11/20] 00:00 - Introduction 03:12 - Welcome 06:28 - All about RAW Adventures 12:10 - Outdoor qualifications and all the mountain leaderships 14:30 - A year working for Mountain Training 17:50 - “Wilderness Emergency Medical Technician”… as dramatic as it sounds? 18:28 - An interlude for Nonny the Dog 22:22 - “Lightning strikes… penetrating wounds… chainsaws… car collisions…” 25:00 - “Can you just give her some morphine to shut her up…?” 31:00 - Love blossoms at Plas y Brenin 37:08 - Mountain running, fell running, night races… and the Dragon's Back 41:14 - “… all in the dark, all waist-high heather and bog… but just a great adventure!” 45:15 - “… a big homogenous lump of experience in my belly” 47:32 - Running off the Ballachulish Horseshoe in B3 winter boots 51:30 - Mountains vs. parenting 57:30 - Greatest Mountain Memory: walking in Wasdale with Dad 59:20 - Time, money, freedom… where do you go? A whole summer and winter exploring Scotland

Episode #3 welcomes Nina Schlesener to the podcast. Born and raised in the Berchtesgaden Alps of Bavaria, Nina was until recently the youngest female Mountain Guide in the whole of Germany. She's written the only summer guidebook to her home region which has been translated into English, can climb The Nose on El Capitan in one go, is used to heading up and down Mont Blanc three days in a row, and even finds time to work as a Rope Access Worker in urban landscapes too. But just in case you feel intimidated, rest assured that she's also one of the most humble and encouraging people you'll ever hear on record. Enjoy! Check out Nina's homepage at http://www.nina-schlesener.de/ [episode recorded on 23/11/20] 00:00 - Introduction 01:45 - Welcome 02:34 - Adventures on the Watzmann: “I have to say, you saved my life!” 03:48 - Female Mountain Guides: “We are equal, and they can't say anything about us” 08:05 - Growing up in Berchtesgaden: “I have it in my blood… Lakes like fjords, mountains like Alps… As a mountain girl you have everything you need” 14:00 - What would you have done if you hadn't been a mountain guide? 17:15 - “The day after I was so full of adrenaline… I conquered my fears” 21:15 - Steep wall climbing around the world: Yosemite's “Nose” in a day (*normally 3-5 days). 25:30 - Virus chat - “The summer was a blast… now work as a Mountain Guide doesn't exist” 27:50 - Rope Access Working in the city: “this is so different to being in the mountains! Sitting in a cafe and reading the newspapers… to breathe the air of the big world” 31:15 - Is it easy doing what you love? 32:45 - Guidebooks: “I was so glad to sit in my office for weeks and just write! … and it's so cool to create something that afterwards you can hold in your hands” 39:03 - “At this moment I feel alive” 41:13 - Greatest Mountain Memory: 01:00 start on The Nose, no backpack, one litre of water, three Clif bars, “such a climbing flow” 43:55 - … and climbing Mont Blanc three days in a row 46:20 - Time, money, freedom… where do you go? Spiritual experiences in the American deserts 48:40 - “Do what you love, it's really important that you follow your path… you don't have to have success the whole time, this doesn't bring you further, the failures bring you further”

Episode #2 is here, and it's all about photographer, writer and Mountain Leader Nick Livesey. Nick grew up in the city of Peterborough, a place he has little love for and where - despite carving out a career for himself as a musician - he was "going nowhere, fast". Rather than live a life of "self-medication" and frustration, he escaped to the mountains and now lives a life full of fascination and inspiration in the heart of North Wales. He talks to Dan about embarking on a "deep, meaningful relationship" with a landscape, frosty vigils, learning to speak Welsh, goats, and much more. You can find out about all things Nick Livesey at https://www.nickliveseymountainimages.com [episode recorded on 17/11/20] 00:00 - Introduction 06:11 - The book: “Photographing the Snowdonia Mountains” 09:15 - Life before Snowdonia: music, “self-medication”, escaping Peterborough 17:15 - Photography as a route to writing, “an egalitarian art form” 21:20 - Moving to Snowdonia, being rude to customers 25:11 - Lockdown 1.0, watching spring from start to finish, “the most idyllic, wonderful time” 27:15 - Nick vs goats 30:28 - Frosty vigils 31:20 - Avoiding “photographic tourism” with a “deep, meaningful relationship” 34:35 - Life as a local in rural Wales 36:35 - Speaking Welsh 40:35 - “Lockdown in Snowdonia” YouTube series 42:15 - Mixing musical genres 44:00 - A Spinal-Tap-inspired swear word 47:53 - “Greatest Mountain Memory”: amphetamines on Harrison Stickle 51:00 - Time, money, freedom… where do you go? 54:38 - “I'm trying to stay sane and enjoy my life in these strange times”

Episode #1 kicks off the podcast with Mountaineering Instructor Rob Johnson. Based in Snowdonia, he's spent the past 20 years guiding clients across the mountains of Britain, amongst the European Alps, and onto the peaks of Norway, Nepal and Peru. He's taught outdoor skills and Mountain Leader courses to many hundreds of clients (including your host Dan), and has recently added outdoor drone filming to his skillset. You can find out (even) more about him at www.expeditionguide.com. [episode recorded on 13/10/20] 00:00 - Introduction 01:55 - A 21st century outdoor guide 08:50 - Crafting a career: “What am I passionate about and how can I make it happen?” 14:30 - Pandemic chat (and forbidden summits) 20:50 - Environmental impact and major life changes 25:40 - Hard work, injuries and Mountain Rescue 32:30 - Pressure, danger and circular walks on the Glyderau 37:30 - Family life, mountain life and balance 41:10 - The many paths to guiding in the mountains 49:00 -“Greatest Mountain Memory”: Skye high 51:30 - Time, money, freedom… where do you go? 54:40 - “What lies ahead? For the first time in 22 years, I don't know”