Adventure Diaries: Exploration, Survival & Travel Stories

Behind the Lens: Volcanoes, Ice Caps & Wild First Ascents with Toby Roney

🎧 Follow the show here— it really helps Adventure Diaries reach more listeners. Thank you.Award-winning adventure photographer and filmmaker Toby Roney joins Chris Watson to talk about a life spent documenting expeditions in the world's most extreme environments — from minus-27°C storms on Iceland's Vatnajökull ice cap to a world-first ascent in Kyrgyzstan. We dig into the "say yes first, work out the details later" philosophy that's shaped his career, the reality of solo-shooting for 22 hours on the Matterhorn and the mental-health honesty that underpins it allChapters0:00 Saying yes to the Matterhorn1:26  Intro & welcome4:29 Young Toby: growing up & early curiosity5:31 Cycling Britain in his underwear8:52  The piano, the widow & why positivity spreads16:46 First expeditions: the Isle of Skye19:09  The camper van & early entrepreneurship22:55  Jack of all trades: the philosophy of failing25:14  Building the skill set & the four kinds of luck32:04  Storytelling & the filmmaking process35:13  The Matterhorn: fear, risk & a fatal fall45:16  Kyrgyzstan: a world-first ascent & the power of community52:38  Anxiety, journaling & mental health63:09  Pay it forward, call to adventure & quick-fire questionsKey Sources & LinksInstagram — @tobyroneyWebsite — tobyroney.comPeak 4122 Media — peak4122.comSeven Days Out — Garmin docuseries (Nepal), on YouTubeMillimetres To MountainsKey TakeawaysSay yes first, figure it out later. Toby's whole career traces back to saying yes before his rational brain could talk him out of it — from cycling Britain in his underwear to climbing the Matterhorn. Small yeses (a coffee, a course) open doors you can't predict.Failure is the real teacher. He's failed at countless ventures — an underwear company, color grading, businesses — but treating each one as a lesson (not a verdict) is what built his adaptability.Don't stick to one lane. Like the old Greek philosophers who worked many jobs before calling themselves philosophers, having "fingers in many pies" keeps different parts of your brain alive and makes you more interesting and capable.Engineer your own luck. Toby breaks luck into four types — blind luck, luck from "kicking up dust" (visibly doing the work), luck from preparation, and luck from reputation — and deliberately actions all four.Put your ego aside to stay safe. On the Matterhorn and in Nepal, admitting "I need a guide / I'm not well, I need help" wasn't weakness — it mitigated real risk and earned deeper trust from collaborators.Fear never disappears — you get better at operating through it. Preparation, breaking challenges into sections, and clarity over panic are how he manages exposure and risk.Community beats conquering. The Kyrgyzstan first ascent mattered less for the summit than for the people — belonging, purpose and authenticity (echoing Sebastian Junger's Tribe) are what make it meaningful.Do the inner work openly. Journaling, counseling and talking about mental health — especially as men — shouldn't be taboo. Understanding your own brain translates directly to performing in the outdoors.Stand on the shoulders of giants. You don't need to reinvent the wheel — experts are often happy to share over a coffee. Never tell yourself no.Send us Fan MailSupport the showThanks For Listening.If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a comment and subscribe for more exciting content.Please visit AdventureDiaries.com/GO  For more authentic stories of Adventure Exploration and the natural worldThe Adventure Diaries Podcast also covers a broad spectrum OF topics withIN the fields of Adventure, Exploration, Micro-adventure, Survival, Mental Resilience, Conservation, Scotland, Hiking, Solo Travel, Cycling, Nature, Storytelling, Mountaineering

Lone Wolf: Walking 1,000 Miles in a Wolf's Footsteps with Adam Weymouth

🎧 Follow the show here— it really helps Adventure Diaries reach more listeners. Thank you.Award-winning travel writer Adam Weymouth joins Chris to talk about Lone Wolf, his account of retracing the epic 1,000-mile journey of Slavc — a gray wolf who walked from Slovenia, across the Alps, into Italy in 2011. It's a story about rewilding, politics, folklore, and an unlikely wolf love story.Key TakeawaysEurope's carnivores are quietly returning. There are now more wolves in Europe than in the continental US, and more bears in Europe than lions in Africa. Every mainland European country has wolves — and they came back on their own, not through reintroduction.Slavc's journey was remarkable for its success, not just its distance. He walked ~1,000 miles (possibly 3,000 with detours), then against staggering odds met a lone female wolf, "Juliet." Their descendants — 42 pups, 17 packs — repopulated the Eastern Italian Alps.Wolves are extraordinarily hard to track. Researcher Hubert Potočnik boils his equipment, buries it over winter, and works in two pairs of gloves — because if one wolf sees a packmate trapped, the whole pack becomes uncatchable.The wolf is one of the world's longest-running culture wars. Weymouth met farmers whose livelihoods are genuinely threatened; far-right parties have weaponized the issue. After a wolf ate EU Commission President von der Leyen's pony, the wolf's protected status was downgraded.Werewolf trials were real. A lesser-known twin to the witch trials, mostly targeting men — scapegoating outsiders and vagrants, often under torture.We embraced the dog but never forgave the wolf — despite them being nearly the same animal, separated only ~20,000 years ago. Far more people are killed by domestic dogs than wolves.Slow travel builds genuine human connection. Walking and canoeing let Weymouth meet people on equal terms and represent even opposing views fairly — the real purpose of travel writing.The book is really about change and fear of it — climate, migration, dying industries — and the wolf as a model of meeting crisis with movement and resilience.Chapters00:00 A Chance Meeting of Wolves00:43 Intro & Welcome03:27 Meet Adam Weymouth08:18 Walking to Istanbul17:05 The Yukon, Salmon & Indigenous Alaska28:42 Tracking Slavc: Why Wolves Are So Hard to Catch30:38 Retracing the Lone Wolf Walk Across Europe36:27 Farmers, Politics & the Wolf Culture War42:19 Werewolf Trials & Folklore49:57 Slavc & Juliet: A Wolf Love Story1:05  Change, Climate & the Wolf's Return1:07  Quickfire Questions & Closing TraditionsLinks & MentionsBook: Lone Wolf by Adam Weymouth (also available on audiobook)Website: adamweymouth.com — articles and links to buy the booksCharity shoutout: Io Non Ho Paura del Lupo ("I'm not scared of the wolf") — working with Italian farmers to shift cultural perceptions of the wolfCall to adventure: Donkey trekking in the Pyrenees for familiesSend us Fan MailSupport the showThanks For Listening.If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a comment and subscribe for more exciting content.Please visit AdventureDiaries.com/GO  For more authentic stories of Adventure Exploration and the natural worldThe Adventure Diaries Podcast also covers a broad spectrum OF topics withIN the fields of Adventure, Exploration, Micro-adventure, Survival, Mental Resilience, Conservation, Scotland, Hiking, Solo Travel, Cycling, Nature, Storytelling, Mountaineering

Para Horse Rider Crosses The Pyrenees: A World First With Stephanie Quintrell

🎧 Follow the show here— it really helps Adventure Diaries reach more listeners. Thank you.Para Horse Rider Stephanie Quintrell Crosses The Pyrenees  In A World First Expedition.In 2023, Stephanie Quintrell became the first wheelchair-dependent woman to traverse the Pyrenees on horseback — five days in the saddle, over 130 kilometres from France into Spain, following the World War II Freedom Trails. In this episode, Steph shares how a sudden 48-hour illness in July 2019 changed her life, the bond with her horse Bubba that pulled her through, what it took to ride that mountain pass, and her next world-first attempt: crossing the Andes from Argentina to Chile in February 2027.Chapters00:00 — Freedom in the Saddle01:01 — Welcome & Episode Intro02:43 — Meet Stephanie Quintrell03:52 — Growing Up with Horses06:46 — Riding Across Scotland08:21 — Meeting John & Becoming a Military Wife10:46 — 48 Hours That Changed Everything12:56 — Diagnosis: Functional Neurological Disorder15:27 — Grief, Identity & Rebuilding19:33 — The Bond That Pulled Her Through22:35 — Back in the Saddle28:15 — Forces Wives Challenge32:51 — Ride to Freedom: Crossing the Pyrenees34:16 — The Mérens Horses37:14 — Adapted Tack & Riding Gear38:15 — Day One on the Trail40:56 — Weather, Teamwork & Trust46:22 — A Day Without the Wheelchair48:35 — Crossing into Spain51:28 — What's Next: Equine Para Adventures54:01 — Ride to Independence: The Andes 202758:10 — Inspiring Others to Adventure1:03:53 — Pay It Forward: Adaptive Grand Slam1:05:18 — Call to Adventure: Get on a Horse1:07:34 — 10 Quickfire Questions1:11:43 — Where to Find Stephanie QuintrellKey TakeawaysA sudden onset: Steph went from full-time working mum and competitive rider to losing the ability to walk within 48 hours in July 2019, later diagnosed with Complex Functional Neurological Disorder.Horses as freedom: In the saddle she's independent — able to access mountains and trails her wheelchair can't reach.A world first: Five days, 130+ km, ascents to 2,500 m across the Pyrenees, following WWII Freedom Trails on native Mérens horses.The wheelchair stayed strapped to the pack pony: On the toughest day, she spent nine hours out of her wheelchair entirely.Next up: Ride to Independence — crossing the Andes from Argentina to Chile, up to 4,400 m, February 2027.Equine Para Adventures Forces Wives Challenge Steph on InstagramSend us Fan MailSupport the showThanks For Listening.If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a comment and subscribe for more exciting content.Please visit AdventureDiaries.com/GO  For more authentic stories of Adventure Exploration and the natural worldThe Adventure Diaries Podcast also covers a broad spectrum OF topics withIN the fields of Adventure, Exploration, Micro-adventure, Survival, Mental Resilience, Conservation, Scotland, Hiking, Solo Travel, Cycling, Nature, Storytelling, Mountaineering

Q&A with Adventurer & Explorer Jude Kriwald

In this quickfire "10 Questions" segment, Chris chats with adventurer Jude Kriwald behind the scenes about everything from philosophy to survival.Listen to the FULL Episode hereSend us Fan MailSupport the showThanks For Listening.If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a comment and subscribe for more exciting content.Please visit AdventureDiaries.com/GO  For more authentic stories of Adventure Exploration and the natural worldThe Adventure Diaries Podcast also covers a broad spectrum OF topics withIN the fields of Adventure, Exploration, Micro-adventure, Survival, Mental Resilience, Conservation, Scotland, Hiking, Solo Travel, Cycling, Nature, Storytelling, Mountaineering

The Worst Place to Be a Pilot: Bush Flying Papua's Deadliest Airstrips | Matt Dearden

🎧 Follow the show here— it really helps Adventure Diaries reach more listeners. Thank you.From a desk job in IT to flying one of the world's most dangerous bush pilot routes — Matt Dearden spent seven years flying the Pilatus Porter into 30% gradient mountain airstrips in the remote highlands of Papua, Indonesia. After landing a Susi Air co-pilot job with just 10 days' notice, Matt sold his car, rented out his house, and boarded a one-way flight to a country he'd never visited.In this episode of The Adventure Diaries, Matt shares how crippling anxiety nearly grounded his flying career, what it's like supplying indigenous Papuan villages only reachable by air, and the near-misses, jungle landings, and cultural encounters that turned a two-year plan into a seven-year adventure. Featured in Channel 4's The Worst Place to Be a Pilot and author of Flying from Shangri-La, Matt offers a rare look at frontier aviation, mental health in high-pressure careers, and the power of pushing your comfort zone — in the air and in life.Chapters00:00 - Bush Pilot in Papua, Indonesia2:48 — Welcome Matt Dearden to the Adventure Diaries3:41 — Expat Childhood: Middle East to Boarding School5:40 — RAF Cadets and the First Taste of Flying8:37 — From IT Career to Commercial Pilot Training12:31 — Mental Health, Anxiety, and Finding Clarity in the Cockpit17:20 — Landing a Pilot Job in Indonesia with 10 Days Notice20:41 — Arriving in Jakarta: Culture Shock and Susi Air Training33:30 — Discovering Papua: Bush Flying the Pilatus Porter50:00 — Extreme Airstrips, 30% Gradients, and Near Misses1:08:01 — The Worst Place to Be a Pilot: Channel 4 TV Series and Book1:13:25 — Closing Traditions: Pay It Forward, Call to Adventure & QuickfireFollow Matthttps://mattdearden.co.uk/https://www.instagram.com/indopilot/His Book - Flying From Shangri LaTopics: bush flying, Pilatus Porter, Susi Air, Papua Indonesia, Cessna Caravan, mountain airstrips, aviation careers, mental health, anxiety, adventure travel, expat life, career change.Send us Fan Mail Support the showThanks For Listening.If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a comment and subscribe for more exciting content.Please visit AdventureDiaries.com/GO  For more authentic stories of Adventure Exploration and the natural worldThe Adventure Diaries Podcast also covers a broad spectrum OF topics withIN the fields of Adventure, Exploration, Micro-adventure, Survival, Mental Resilience, Conservation, Scotland, Hiking, Solo Travel, Cycling, Nature, Storytelling, Mountaineering