The Adventure Podcast

Episode 220: Peter Wright, A Mid-Life Less Ordinary

Episode 220 of The Adventure Podcast features endurance athlete and author, Peter Wright. Peter has undertaken some of the world's most challenging endurance events - completing the Marathon des Sables, the Jungle Ultra, the Western States 100, the Cape Wrath Ultra and rowing the Atlantic. But what's fascinating about Peter is that on the face of it, he's a pretty normal bloke with a full-time career, who made a series of seemingly ordinary decisions. In this episode, Matt speaks with Peter about how a comfortable, “mildly active” life gradually evolved into a decade of endurance challenges. He shares honest stories of failure, imposter syndrome, DNFs, and the mindset shifts that helped him keep going when quitting felt easier. They discuss balancing adventure with family life and a full-time career, the reality of preparing for a two-year project, and the emotional highs and lows of life at sea. At its core, this episode explores motivation, ageing, and fear of regret. And why adventure isn’t necessarily about talent, but about turning up and committing to the long game.For extra insights from the worlds of adventure, exploration and the natural world, you can find The Adventure Podcast+ community on Substack. You can also follow along and join in on Instagram @‌theadventurepodcast.Chapter Breakdown00:00-03:00: Peter describes his early relationship with sport, comfort, and routine - and the quiet feeling that something needed to change.03:00-06:30: Moving to Jersey, being inspired by an active island culture, and setting the goal of running the London Marathon.06:30-10:00: Discovering ultra running through magazines, meeting influential runners, and saying yes to scarier challenges.10:00-14:00: A disastrous London Marathon; twisted ankle, lost gels and an emergency toilet stop.14:00-18:30: Preparing for the Sahara, imposter syndrome, conservative early pacing, and finishing stronger than expected.18:30-23:00: Why DNFs aren’t the end, unfinished business, and returning to races to “wipe them from the record.”23:00-27:30: Juggling endurance challenges with life.27:30-31:30: Why ultrarunning is more inclusive than expected.31:30-34:30: Sunrises, hallucinations, emotional swings, and the mental landscapes of endurance events.34:30-36:30: A gruelling virtual challenge during Covid leads to an unexpected invitation: rowing the Atlantic.36:30-42:00: Family conversations, finances, sponsorship, learning to row, and two years of preparation.42:00-45:30: Departure day emotions, family goodbyes, and the relief of finally being at sea.45:30-52:30: Peter explains life at sea.52:30-55:30: Reaching Antigua.55:30-59:30: Writing a book, recent multi-day Iron-distance challenges, and redefining what’s possible later in life.59:30-End: Peter reflects on motivation, fear of regret, and why showing up with a good attitude matters more than anything else.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-adventure-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dispatch: Waldo Etherington, Trees

Dispatches are our shorter form episodes, usually around a single question, subject or story. In this episode, Waldo Etherington talks to us about all things trees. Waldo has been on the podcast before, and is also a regular diarist in our sister series, Field Diaries. He's a rope access specialist whose spent months high in rainforest canopies and on expeditions all over the world. His passion for the lungs of the earth is unparalleled and completely infectious. He explains how exactly he sees trees, from their body language to 'visual tree assessments', and drops mind-boggling facts throughout. Hopefully you'll listen to this episode and walk away with a new sense of wonder and appreciation for these magnificent living beings.For extra insights from the worlds of adventure, exploration and the natural world, you can find The Adventure Podcast+ community on Substack. You can also follow along and join in on Instagram @‌theadventurepodcast.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-adventure-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 219: Ash Routen, The State of Exploration

Episode 219 of The Adventure Podcast features adventure journalist and research scientist, Ash Routen. Ash has written for Explorers Web, Nat Geo, Outside, The Guardian, Sidetracked, Red Bull, and UKC, among many others. This episode is a thoughtful and refreshingly critical debate of sorts. Matt and Ash dive into the evolving world of adventure to ask difficult questions about the expeditions of today. What still counts as pioneering? What has become routine? How should adventure be reported and celebrated in an era where almost anyone can step into the outdoors? They explore the complexity of modern expedition culture, from Everest tourism to ocean rowing, from ethnicity and gender representation to the role of guiding and commercialisation. They tackle the tension between personal achievement and genuine exploration, reflect on how the public engages with stories of risk, endurance and “firsts", and most importantly, discuss why critical voices are needed in adventure journalism. They also shine a light on some lesser known adventures and adventurers. Its a deep dive into ethics, meaning, media, and what progress looks like.For extra insights from the worlds of adventure, exploration and the natural world, you can find The Adventure Podcast+ community on Substack. You can also follow along and join in on Instagram @‌theadventurepodcast.Chapter Breakdown:Matt sets the scene inside the Expedition Reports Room and explains why he has wanted to interview Ash for years.Ash outlines why adventure is flourishing publicly, yet diluted at the cutting edge.They discuss why criticism isn’t about tearing people down, but about clarity around what moves adventure forward.Ash argues that adventure lacks critical analysis compared to politics and sport, and explains why objectivity is essential.A deep look at decolonising adventure: class, ethnicity, gender, and why equal reporting isn’t always the same as equal achievement.Matt and Ash explore why some achievements gain headlines while more technical, groundbreaking climbs go unnoticed.Ash describes his criteria for covering expeditions: difficulty, remoteness, logistics, and why lesser-known stories matter.Why feats like Everest climbs or Atlantic rows no longer awe the way they once did.Matt questions the value of guided “fast-track” climbing and why apprenticeship and experience still matter.Ash reflects on climbing heroes, style, and the emotional contrast between historic firsts and today’s model of adventure.A discussion on media digestion- why technical nuance gets lost and why bold headlines win.Ash and Matt unpack how accidents and viral stories distort public understanding of adventure culture.They discuss responsibility, storytelling, and how the community can protect authenticity moving forward.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-adventure-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 218: Adam Weymouth, Lone Wolf

Episode 218 of The Adventure Podcast features writer, journalist, and adventurer, Adam Weymouth. Over a decade ago, Adam undertook a year-long journey, walking from England to Istanbul. What grew out of burnout from frontline climate activism became a personal experiment in pilgrimage, slowness, and meaning. Adam talks about canoeing the length of the Yukon River while following the salmon run, and walking across the Alps in the footsteps of a lone wolf whose thousand-mile journey helped repopulate parts of Europe. Together with Matt, he explores his earlier years as an environmental activist, including arrests, a high-profile trial, and the emotional toll of sustained direct action. And how it pushed Adam to search for new ways of communicating environmental stories. This is a conversation about walking away from the noise. Slow travel, pilgrimage, storytelling, and how adventure can create empathy rather than spectacle.For extra insights from the worlds of adventure, exploration and the natural world, you can find The Adventure Podcast+ community on Substack. You can also follow along and join in on Instagram @‌theadventurepodcast.Photo credit: Ulli MattssonChapter Breakdown00:00 - 01:00: Adam reflects on freedom, curiosity, and the privilege of pursuing big questions through journeys.01:00 - 03:00: Adam’s childhood love of writing, environmental awareness, and early pull towards activism.03:00 - 07:30: Protests, arrests, climate camps, and the long legal battle.07:30 -10:30: Why direct action stopped feeling sustainable, and the realisation that storytelling might reach people in a different way.10:30 - 17:00: The origins of Adam’s year-long walk from England to Istanbul.17:00 - 24:00: What pilgrimage offers that ordinary travel doesn’t.24:00 - 27:30: Why fast travel is the historical anomaly, and what is lost when movement becomes frictionless.27:30 - 30:30: Canoeing the Yukon to explore ecological collapse through human stories and lived experience.30:30 - 33:30: Adam explains his fascination with wolves and how one animal’s journey opened wider conversations about fear, politics, and coexistence.33:30 - 37:30: The remarkable thousand-mile journey of a wolf that helped re-establish packs across Europe.37:30 - 41:30: Why rewilding is deeply contested, how it’s been poorly communicated, and why nuance matters.41:30 - 45:30: How arriving on foot changes conversations, builds trust, and creates space for hospitality and honesty.45:30 - 49:30: Why Adam chooses to include himself in his writing.49:30 - End: Reflections on openness, chance encounters, and why adventure is often about how we move through the world, not how far.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-adventure-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 217: Ben Tibbetts, Long Projects in Quiet Places

Episode 217 of The Adventure Podcast features photographer, IFMGA guide, writer and artist, Ben Tibbetts. In this episode, Matt sits down with Ben to explore a life shaped by isolation, long-term creative projects, and a deep need for structure in the wild. The conversation begins with Ben’s 18 months living and working in Antarctica, which quietly rewired how he thinks about solitude, landscape, and meaning. That experience sparked an enduring obsession with small huts in remote places, and ultimately led to years-long projects photographing bivouac huts and high mountain environments across the Alps. Ben also explains why he needs projects, the discipline behind producing large-format books, the thousands of hours of unseen work, and why these projects make little financial sense but enormous personal sense.They touch on modern creativity, the 'junk food' nature of clickbait content, changing industry, and the quiet rebellion of stepping away to make work that lasts. Depth over noise. A meaningful life one long project at a time.For extra insights from the worlds of adventure, exploration and the natural world, you can find The Adventure Podcast+ community on Substack. You can also follow along and join in on Instagram @‌theadventurepodcast.Chapter Breakdown00:00 - 01:30: Ben reflects on spending 18 months in Antarctica, the psychological effects of extreme isolation, and how that experience planted the seed for his fascination with tiny huts in wild places.01:30 - 09:00: Back to his beginnings - exploring whether creativity or mountains came first, and how a fine art background shaped his photographic eye.09:00 - 26:30: A deep dive into Ben’s approach to photography, mastery of light and colour, and how understanding his artistic roots reframes his mountain work.26:30 - 34:00: Why huts are not destinations but “scaffolding for journeys.”34:00 - 40:30: Ben opens up about using long-term projects to maintain mental health, purpose, and motivation - and why structure is essential for him to function creatively.40:30 - 45:30: They discuss why Ben prioritises books over guiding or brand work, despite the financial reality.45:30 - 52:30: A candid conversation about social media addiction and clickbait culture.52:30 - 59:30: They explore the challenges facing photographers and filmmakers today.59:30 - 01:06:30: A broader reflection on reinvention, relevance, and why diversification is now essential for survival in creative careers.01:06:30 - 01:12:00: The episode closes with reflections on passion, privilege, persistence, and why doing work for the right reasons, even selfish ones, often leads somewhere meaningful.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-adventure-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.