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On Episode 206 of the Enormocast, I sit down at Banff Mountain Film with alpinist and guide, Sarah Hueniken. Sarah was an outdoor educator before she was a climber, and though she is known for ice climbing and dry tooling, she was a rock climber first. She even found Canmore, Alberta a little bleak and … Continue reading "Enormocast 306: Sarah Hueniken – The Aftermath"
Join Keltie and Maria Coffey, author of the memoir 'Instead,' as they discuss Maria's decision to live a childfree life and Maria's unique story of adventure, love, and self-discovery. You'll hear about: The possibilities and fulfillment that can be found in a life without children The impact Maria's decision has had on her relationships and sense of self Some of the challenges Maria faced in navigating societal expectations and family pressures How despite its struggles, a childfree life has offered Maria great freedom and lightness The roles meaning and legacy have played in Maria's life ...alongside Maria sharing beautiful, poignant, and pivotal moments on her childfree journey. As mentioned in the show: Find Maria's memoir, Instead, here: https://a.co/d/35RmSaV Learn about Maria and Dag's travel company, Hidden Places, and its conservation branch, Adventures for a Cause: www.hiddenplaces.net Find Maria on: Instagram: instagram.com/bookscoffey/ X: twitter.com/BooksCoffey Facebook: facebook.com/maria.coffey.370 About Maria Coffey: Maria Coffey is an internationally published and award winning author of thirteen books. Fragile Edge: Loss on Everest, won two prizes in Italy including the 2002 ITAS Prize for Mountain Literature; Where the Mountain Casts its Shadow won the Banff Mountain Film Festival Literature Prize in 2003 and a National Book Award in 2004. For these titles, along with Explorers of the Infinite Maria was awarded the 2009 American Alpine Club H. Adams Carter Literary Award. Her most recent book, Instead: Navigating the Adventures of a Childfree Life won the Adventure Travel Prize at the 2023 Banff Mountain Film and Book Festival. Maria has also written extensively about her worldwide travels and expeditions with her husband Dag Goering, who is a veterinarian and photographer. They founded a boutique adventure travel company, Hidden Places, and its conservation branch Adventures for a Cause, raising funds and awareness for endangered species. Maria and Dag are based in British Columbia and in Catalonia. __ Join an upcoming Kids or Childfree Workshop: www.kidsorchildfree.com/workshop And don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review The Kids or Childfree Podcast if you love what you're hearing! Find us online at www.kidsorchildfree.com. Instagram: www.instagram.com/kidsorchildfree TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@kidsorchildfree
Margo Talbot is an author, speaker and coach based in Canmore, Alberta. She works with organizations and associations looking to enhance their wellbeing through a focus on vitality in the workplace and runs experiential learning programs for youth-at-risk battling addiction.A sponsored ice climber, she has taught clinics all over North America. Her work has taken her from the High Arctic to Antarctica, guiding clients on expeditions to the South Pole and Antarctica's tallest peak, Mt. Vinson.Her book, All That Glitters: A Climber's Journey Through Addiction and Depression, was a finalist at the 2011 Banff Mountain Film and Book Festival. She is the creator of “The Vitality Spectrum”, a process for both recovery and optimal mental health as outlined in her 2013 TEDx talk. Her mission is to help you Maximize your Mental Fitness by building your resilience, enhancing your vitality, and reclaiming your mental mojo.www.margotalbot.comwww.ClaudiuMurgan.comclaudiu@claudiumurgan.comyoutube.com/channel/UC6RlLkzUK_LdyRSV7DE6obQ
The Banff Mountain Film and Book Festival is back for 2020 and as some may know, the festival celebrates mountain literature, film, and photography. It usually brings together filmmakers, writers, publishers, editors, photographers, athletes, adventurers, and - of course - readers, but of course, this year has been different. The events and discussions are all happening online until 11:59pm on Sunday, November 8 and people can logon from anywhere at banffcentre.ca to watch all the events from home. To find out a bit more about the festival, author and books reviewer, Angie Abdou joined Russell via FaceTime.
In 2011 alpinist and speaker Margo Talbot published her memoir, "All that Glitters: A Climber's Journey through Addiction and Depression." In her book, she reflects candidly on her struggles with addiction and depression, as well as how ice climbing played a role in her recovery. Toward the end of "All that Glitters," Talbot writes, “In my years of searching, I had arrived at my own philosophy of life, the essence of which was that existence is a precious gift, and that every moment, whether in the throes of joy or the pit of despair, is equally to be treasured.” Deputy editor Paula Wright conducted this interview with Talbot at the Banff Mountain Film and Book Festival in November 2019. [Photo] Alain Denis
Corey Rich is a climber and photographer, a director, a gifted speaker and storyteller, which likely stems from being a teacher and educator at heart. He has shot some of the most iconic photographs in the field of climbing, many of these are the topic of his recent book titled, "Stories Behind the Images". He is part-owner of Novus Select, a production company with an enviable list of clients, and its feet firmly planted in the world of adventure. Prior to recording the podcast Mark and Corey reconnected at the Banff Mountain Film and Book Festival for the first time in 20 years or more — neither can recall the exact date of the last adventure — and seeing each other "all grown up" was profound enough to schedule a deeper conversation.
Rebecca Ferri aka BEXX is an artist and adventurer who has called Canmore, Alberta home for almost a decade after moving, first, west (from Ontario) and then back east (from Squamish, BC). Out west she discovered the downhill mountain biking for which the Coast is well-known, which distracted her from climbing — but only for a while. Mark met her at the Banff Mountain Film and Book Festival where her exhibition titled "Strong Back, Soft Front" featured portraits of, "the strong and courageous women climbers in the Bow Valley". Check it out @strong_back.soft_front and her personal feed @this_is_bexx She is a badass.
In this Chaitime, we talk to award-winning filmmaker Stanzin Dorjai Gya (https://www.stanzindorjaigya.com) about his life, his journey and his film - Shepherdess of the Glaciers. Shot at an altitude of 16,400 ft, Shepherdess of the Glaciers is an award-winning film by Stanzin Dorjai Gya and Christiane Mordelet. In this movie, Stanzin tells the story of her sister who is a shepherdess in the rock-strewn mountain in the Himalayan region of Ladakh. And through her story, Stanzin captures an intimate portrait of a disappearing way of life – one marked by challenges and isolation, but also beauty and spiritual grace. Stanzin Dorjai has dedicated his career to sharing stories that open the viewers’ eyes and minds to the unique challenges of life in the High Himalayas. His work is as compelling as the landscape of Ladakh itself, and his message is as profound as the surrounding Himalayas. He is joined in the studio by Linda Cortright and Mary Dautricourt. Stanzin is an internationally-acclaimed filmmaker who has directed and produced notable feature films and documentaries on regional, national and international issues. “Jungwa: The Broken Balance,” a documentary based on the 2010 flash floods that devastated Leh, was selected for screening at the United Nations’ COP21 Paris Conference in 2015. “The Shepherdess of the Glaciers,” an homage to his sister’s life, has won 20 awards, including the Grand Prize at the Banff Mountain Film and Book Festival in 2016. Stanzin is alumnus of SECMOL(https://secmol.org) and founder of the Himalayan Film House. HFH seeks to promote and capture stories unique to this region as people face increasing socio-economic conflict and environmental degradation. Linda Cortright is founder and publisher of Wild Fibers Magazine (https://www.wildfibersmagazine.com), a U.S. quarterly and Pangong Craft Center in Phobrang village, Ladakh. Pangong Craft Center provides a warm, well-lit space for nearly 60 semi-nomadic women to spin and weave cashmere from the goats they lovingly raise. Mary Dautricourt is the coordinator for Stanzin’s trip to the San Francisco Bay area and his appearances.
Join Me at Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/bePatron?u=5262583J.R. Harris grew up in New York City where he lived with his parents in a housing project. As a teenager his parents got him out of the city by signing him up for the Boy Scouts in the Catskill Mountains. Harris learned compass and other outdoor skills, quickly surpassing his family and friends’ hiking skills.Way Out There: Adventures of a Wilderness Trekker, takes readers along with J.R. on many adventures from Alaska and the reaches of Canada to Peru, Australia and Tasmania.We talk for quite a long time about his trip on the Canol Heritage Trail in 1997. He found a Backpacker Magazine on a subway at 3AM where he found a story of the trail. J.R. not only hiked the majority of this 255 mile trail, but he also deeply researched the history of the area.He met a surviving member of an all African American battalion which was stationed in this far north Canadian territory during World War II building what would shortly become a failed pipeline. It was feared that Japan would try to destroy the United States fuel coming from Alaska. These men endured hard times.We talk about his preparation for these many adventures. Sometimes he is the first Black person people in the area has ever seen. J.R. makes a point to learn the history and culture of these areas in order to hold true conversations with locals.Over the years, gear has changed. I the book Harris says,“If I want it, I will Carry it.” Though this concept would make you believe he over packs, he has lightened his load over the years. He talks about company’s technological advances since the 60’s and how that alone makes the gear lighter. He always saves room for a flask of aged cognac and a few hand rolled cigars.When he is home, J.R. might watch a show on tv showing something amazing. He describes how most people accept these programs as enough. “Dude, you need to go there,” is the inner dialogue which drives these trips. How does it smell? How does it feel? Going ‘Way Out There’ is the only way to truly experience some places.Our conversation turns to the Grateful Dead. Way Out There has numerous references throughout that possibly only true Dead Heads would notice. In true Dead Head form, I bring up my sister’s connection to the band and J.R. tells his story of meeting the whole band in a lucky way while attending their concert at Watkins Glen.The book- https://www.amazon.com/Way-Out-There-Adventures-Wilderness/dp/1680511203See J.R. in person-This Wednesday, October 10th at 7:30PM Location- Genesee Valley Chapter of the Adirondack Mountain ClubHe is also giving a talk at the Banff Mountain Film & Book Festival later this month. It's called "Trail Talk from an Old Dirt Kicker."Website- https://www.jrinthewilderness.comWaymark Gear CompanyHeavy duty ultralight backpackshttps://www.waymarkgearco.comSix Moons DesignTents and morehttps://www.sixmoondesigns.com
In 2003 Nick Bullock quit his steady job as an instructor in the Prison Service to climb and write full-time. His 2016 ascent of Nyainqentanglha Southeast (7046m) in Tibet with Paul Ramsden won the climbers a Piolet d’Or the following year. In this episode, Bullock discusses his path to climbing and the Alpinist article he wrote about the Nyainqentanglha climb, which won an award from the Banff Mountain Film and Book Festival in 2017.
On Tuesday March 14, 2017 climbing pioneer Royal Robbins died of natural causes at his home in Modesto California. He was 82 years old. A leader in the world of mountaineering he completed the first class VI climb in America on the Northwest Face of Yosemite's Half Dome and in 1961 he completed an ascent of the Salathé Wall on El Capitan. In a long career that included the founding of a global sports apparel brand that bears his name Royal Robbins was a leader in the outdoor industry and a philanthropic supporter of many organizations that encouraged environmental conservation and getting youth outside. In 2009 at the Banff Mountain Film and Book Festival in Alberta, Canada I had the pleasure of meeting Robbins for the first time. He very graciously agreed to an interview on his book To Be Brave, the first in a series of memoirs that recounted his remarkable life of adventure. In this flashback edition of the podcast I am proud to share for the first time this archived conversation with Royal Robbins. Music in this edition of the Joy Trip Project by the Ahn Trio
On Tuesday March 14, 2017 climbing pioneer Royal Robbins died of natural causes at his home in Modesto California. He was 82 years old. A leader in the world of mountaineering he completed the first class VI climb in America on the Northwest Face of Yosemite's Half Dome and in 1961 he completed an ascent of the Salathé Wall on El Capitan. In a long career that included the founding of a global sports apparel brand that bears his name Royal Robbins was a leader in the outdoor industry and a philanthropic supporter of many organizations that encouraged environmental conservation and getting youth outside. In 2009 at the Banff Mountain Film and Book Festival in Alberta, Canada I had the pleasure of meeting Robbins for the first time. He very graciously agreed to an interview on his book To Be Brave, the first in a series of memoirs that recounted his remarkable life of adventure. In this flashback edition of the podcast I am proud to share for the first time this archived conversation with Royal Robbins. Music in this edition of the Joy Trip Project by the Ahn Trio
Courtesy Sweetgrass Productions From the opening frames of the latest film by Sweetgrass Productions the monumental scale of the subject fills the screen. In concert with vocals and orchestra the images swell with the music in pace with the magnitude of a very controversial issue and the mountain wilderness which surrounds it. Never one to shy from the dramatic filmmaker Nick Waggoner sets the stage with meticulous care, like the conductor of a great opera. At the heart of this wonderful documentary is the age-old question: Do we develop the natural world for our own purposes, for commerce and recreation or do we keep it wild? This debate which rages in the halls of the Canadian parliament pits the interests of ski resort developers against the opposition of environmental activists and in the balance lies the fate of an ancient alpine ecosystem called Jumbo Mountain. Filmmaker Nick Waggoner A significant departure from his usual role as a maker of big mountain ski films Waggoner is plying his cinematic skills to tell a different kind of story. Unlike the "ski porn" movies that feature gratutitous action sequences of steep downhill descents through deep powder snow, Jumbo Wild is a film with a mission. Hoping to raise the consciousness of viewers to recognize the importance of conserving the habitat of grizzly bear and the protecting of scared land of native people Waggoner uses own passion for backcountry skiing to illustrate the intricate details of a political fight that has endured through much of his lifetime. Jumbo Wild offers up a candid view into the controversy that has divided this mountain community in the Canadian Rockies for more than two decades. After a screening at the 2015 Banff Mountain Film in Alberta Waggoner sat down with me at the MacLab Bistro at the famous Banff Centre to share a bit of the story behind this beautifully crafted documentary. The film Jumbo Wild from Sweetgrass Productions is now available on iTunes and Vimeo on Demand. You can learn more about Jumbo Mountain and this continuing controversy online at sweetgrass-productions.com/jumbo-wild Our theme music is by Jake Shimabukuro. The Joy Trip Project is made possible thanks to fans like you on Patreon. For as little as a dollar month you can support this podcast and many adventure media initiatives covered here. For details visit patreon.com/joytripproject. Thanks for listening, but as always I want to hear from you. So please write to me with your questions comments and criticisms to info@joytriproproject.com
Courtesy Sweetgrass Productions From the opening frames of the latest film by Sweetgrass Productions the monumental scale of the subject fills the screen. In concert with vocals and orchestra the images swell with the music in pace with the magnitude of a very controversial issue and the mountain wilderness which surrounds it. Never one to shy from the dramatic filmmaker Nick Waggoner sets the stage with meticulous care, like the conductor of a great opera. At the heart of this wonderful documentary is the age-old question: Do we develop the natural world for our own purposes, for commerce and recreation or do we keep it wild? This debate which rages in the halls of the Canadian parliament pits the interests of ski resort developers against the opposition of environmental activists and in the balance lies the fate of an ancient alpine ecosystem called Jumbo Mountain. Filmmaker Nick Waggoner A significant departure from his usual role as a maker of big mountain ski films Waggoner is plying his cinematic skills to tell a different kind of story. Unlike the "ski porn" movies that feature gratutitous action sequences of steep downhill descents through deep powder snow, Jumbo Wild is a film with a mission. Hoping to raise the consciousness of viewers to recognize the importance of conserving the habitat of grizzly bear and the protecting of scared land of native people Waggoner uses own passion for backcountry skiing to illustrate the intricate details of a political fight that has endured through much of his lifetime. Jumbo Wild offers up a candid view into the controversy that has divided this mountain community in the Canadian Rockies for more than two decades. After a screening at the 2015 Banff Mountain Film in Alberta Waggoner sat down with me at the MacLab Bistro at the famous Banff Centre to share a bit of the story behind this beautifully crafted documentary. The film Jumbo Wild from Sweetgrass Productions is now available on iTunes and Vimeo on Demand. You can learn more about Jumbo Mountain and this continuing controversy online at sweetgrass-productions.com/jumbo-wild Our theme music is by Jake Shimabukuro. The Joy Trip Project is made possible thanks to fans like you on Patreon. For as little as a dollar month you can support this podcast and many adventure media initiatives covered here. For details visit patreon.com/joytripproject. Thanks for listening, but as always I want to hear from you. So please write to me with your questions comments and criticisms to info@joytriproproject.com
In 2009 professional sport climber David Lama declared that he would summit the great mountain in Patagonia called Cerro Torre. Known around the world as one of the most difficult alpine ascents Lama proposed to make the climb up the 3128 meter spire via the infamous and highly controversial Compressor Route. But unlike those who had successfully reached the top this young athlete then only 19 years old planed to climb using just the rock's natural features and aided by bolts and ropes only for protection in case of a fall, a technique known as free climbing. But veteran Patagonia climbers like Jim Bridwell believed that free climbing Cerro Torre was impossible. But undeterred by skeptics Lama would spend the next three years in pursuit of his goal. Having achieved a free climb ascent of the summit in 2012 his story is now the subject of a new film that premiered at the 2014 Banff Mountain Film Festival called Cerro Torre: A Snowball's Chance in Hell. Theme music by Jake Shimabukuro This edition the Joy Trip Project was made possible thanks to the support of the Banff Mountain Film & Book Festival at the Banff Centre, inspiring creativity . You can support future episodes of this podcast through our crowd sourcing website at patreon.com For as little as a dollar a month, just 12 bucks a year you can keep the Joy Trip Project on the road. To find out how just visit patreon.com/joytripproject
In 2009 professional sport climber David Lama declared that he would summit the great mountain in Patagonia called Cerro Torre. Known around the world as one of the most difficult alpine ascents Lama proposed to make the climb up the 3128 meter spire via the infamous and highly controversial Compressor Route. But unlike those who had successfully reached the top this young athlete then only 19 years old planed to climb using just the rock's natural features and aided by bolts and ropes only for protection in case of a fall, a technique known as free climbing. But veteran Patagonia climbers like Jim Bridwell believed that free climbing Cerro Torre was impossible. But undeterred by skeptics Lama would spend the next three years in pursuit of his goal. Having achieved a free climb ascent of the summit in 2012 his story is now the subject of a new film that premiered at the 2014 Banff Mountain Film Festival called Cerro Torre: A Snowball's Chance in Hell. Theme music by Jake Shimabukuro This edition the Joy Trip Project was made possible thanks to the support of the Banff Mountain Film & Book Festival at the Banff Centre, inspiring creativity . You can support future episodes of this podcast through our crowd sourcing website at patreon.com For as little as a dollar a month, just 12 bucks a year you can keep the Joy Trip Project on the road. To find out how just visit patreon.com/joytripproject
When it comes to adventure writing the sharpest literary minds draw on the subject matter they know best. Author Angie Abdou brings to her latest book themes from an ancient English text first made popular in the middle ages. "I was a medievalist in a past life, which is a weird thing to be," Angie said at the Banff Mountain Film and Book Festival. "But before I took up fiction writing I taught medieval studies." You may remember from courses in English lit the classic travel stories known collectively as the Canterbury Tales. Written by Geoffrey Chaucer in the 14th century it's a dark ages joy trip that follows the path of Christian pilgrims on their way from London to the shrine of Saint Thomas Becket at Canterbury Cathedral in Kent. "And I think for people who haven't read Chaucer they think it's a classic text and that it must be serious and religious," Angie said. "But Chaucer is a raunchy, bawdy, wild, wild text. And I always like the idea of how it might manifest, or turn into a contemporary novel, because he's writing social satire of the whole breath of medieval society. And he uses the devise of a pilgrimage to bring together diverse groups that wouldn't otherwise spend time together. So he has the fighters and prayers and workers and women and men and upper and lower, people who would normally never interact, but they're together for the space of this pilgrimage. And so he's able to satire the whole group. And so I thought where I live, what's a pilgrimage? And it's the back country ski-touring trek." Set in the fictional town of Coalton, somewhere in the Canadian Rockies Abdou tells in her book the many stories of mountain people. Drawn to a remote ski lodge by the last big snow dump of the year, these stereotypical nature lovers gather to offer up a bit of social satire on those who lead an active lifestyle. "So you have the redneck snowmobiles and the pothead ski-bums and the snowshoeing hippies and they're all…this developer guy who wants to cess out the territory and all the different groups from my town are headed back to the backcountry," Angie said. "So I get to get them together and I put them in the same hut in the back country and see what happens!" The tales are every bit as raunchy, bawdy and wild as anything Chaucer ever wrote. And in the classic style of the medieval poet Angie Abdou shares a comical story our own lives in adventure she calls The Canterbury Trail. Music this week by Jake Shimabukuro The Joy Trip Project is made possible with the support of our sponsor Patagonia. Discover their conservation and new media initiatives on their blog the Cleanestline.com. And special thanks to the Walton Works whose support underwrote travel expenses to Banff so I could bring back this and other great stories. Visit the Walton Works.com Thanks for listening., But you know I want to hear from you. So please drop me a note with your questions, comments and criticisms to info@joytripproject.com.
When it comes to adventure writing the sharpest literary minds draw on the subject matter they know best. Author Angie Abdou brings to her latest book themes from an ancient English text first made popular in the middle ages. "I was a medievalist in a past life, which is a weird thing to be," Angie said at the Banff Mountain Film and Book Festival. "But before I took up fiction writing I taught medieval studies." You may remember from courses in English lit the classic travel stories known collectively as the Canterbury Tales. Written by Geoffrey Chaucer in the 14th century it's a dark ages joy trip that follows the path of Christian pilgrims on their way from London to the shrine of Saint Thomas Becket at Canterbury Cathedral in Kent. "And I think for people who haven't read Chaucer they think it's a classic text and that it must be serious and religious," Angie said. "But Chaucer is a raunchy, bawdy, wild, wild text. And I always like the idea of how it might manifest, or turn into a contemporary novel, because he's writing social satire of the whole breath of medieval society. And he uses the devise of a pilgrimage to bring together diverse groups that wouldn't otherwise spend time together. So he has the fighters and prayers and workers and women and men and upper and lower, people who would normally never interact, but they're together for the space of this pilgrimage. And so he's able to satire the whole group. And so I thought where I live, what's a pilgrimage? And it's the back country ski-touring trek." Set in the fictional town of Coalton, somewhere in the Canadian Rockies Abdou tells in her book the many stories of mountain people. Drawn to a remote ski lodge by the last big snow dump of the year, these stereotypical nature lovers gather to offer up a bit of social satire on those who lead an active lifestyle. "So you have the redneck snowmobiles and the pothead ski-bums and the snowshoeing hippies and they're all…this developer guy who wants to cess out the territory and all the different groups from my town are headed back to the backcountry," Angie said. "So I get to get them together and I put them in the same hut in the back country and see what happens!" The tales are every bit as raunchy, bawdy and wild as anything Chaucer ever wrote. And in the classic style of the medieval poet Angie Abdou shares a comical story our own lives in adventure she calls The Canterbury Trail. Music this week by Jake Shimabukuro The Joy Trip Project is made possible with the support of our sponsor Patagonia. Discover their conservation and new media initiatives on their blog the Cleanestline.com. And special thanks to the Walton Works whose support underwrote travel expenses to Banff so I could bring back this and other great stories. Visit the Walton Works.com Thanks for listening., But you know I want to hear from you. So please drop me a note with your questions, comments and criticisms to info@joytripproject.com.