Episode 233 of The Adventure Podcast features expedition medic and NHS GP, Will Duffin. Will has spent 16 years as an expedition and reality TV doctor, including four seasons as lead on-screen medic for Survivor. He talks to Matt about his winding journey to becoming a medic, and how his work became expedition-focused. He also tells the story of his first on-camera emergency, and how to handle life-threatening situations with cameras in your face and a safety team in your ears. They cover six months running a neonatal unit in Myanmar with his paediatrician wife, nature as medicine and who gets access to it, balancing family with a freelance career, and why his side hustle keeps him energised in a job where colleagues are burning out.

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

00:00-11:58: Will’s first on-camera emergency, then his path from a Devon farm and a secret rainforest to breakdancing in Bristol during med school.

11:58-30:26: A last-minute Kilimanjaro break, the economics of expedition medicine, balancing trips with family, and the ethics and reality of charity trekking.

30:26-46:27: Six months in Myanmar, losing a crew member, meditation, and why access to nature matters for health.

46:27-57:25: “Hard play” on Dartmoor, wild swimming, and letting children take manageable risks.

57:25-1:04:20: Why adventure is about solving the right problems, and how a side career alongside the day job has kept him energised.

1:04:20-1:10:47: Staying open to opportunity, the polar trips he never made, a luxury Trans-Siberian train, and the final questions.

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-adventure-podcast.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 232 of The Adventure Podcast features legendary alpinist, Mick Fowler. Mick is 70 and still climbing in the Himalaya. He can't remember how many first ascents he has there, but spoiler alert, it's a lot. In this episode, Mick talks to Matt about balancing his seemingly ordinary tax career with an extraordinary alpine one. He explains his approach to alpine-style climbing, what makes a good multi-decade climbing partner, near misses, and the mindset needed to know when to push on vs when to turn back. Mick also talks candidly about being diagnosed with cancer and the colostomy bag he's lived with since. Together they also reflect on ageing and moderating objectives without losing satisfaction. Mick is one of the greats but is exceptionally humble, and this is an honest, no fluff conversation about the 'simple' life that got him the accolades.

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 - Paul Ramsden

Chapter Breakdown

00:00-09:58: Mick on life after retirement, balancing 39 years at the tax office with family and climbing, and why he never planned to stop.

09:58-20:33: The difference between fixed-rope commercial expeditions and his own minimalist, uncertainty-driven approach - and how his climbing evolved over the decades.

21:02-31:14: What makes a good Himalayan climbing partner, and the criteria behind choosing an unclimbed, remote, culturally interesting mountain.

32:27-39:55: A dangerous descent in China, followed by his cancer diagnosis, surgery, and life afterwards with a colostomy bag.

39:55-53:28: Staying fit through fell racing, moderating ambitions with age, and preparing for an upcoming expedition to Nepal.

54:57-1:02:51: Views on style and bolts in modern mountaineering, and writing his latest book during recovery from injury.

1:02:51-1:05:08: What scares Mick, what gives him hope, and a close.

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-adventure-podcast.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 231 of The Adventure Podcast features explorer and polar activist, Matthieu Tordeur. Starting with a solo trip to Antarctica at 26, Matthieu talks through his shift from solo self-funded expeditions to purpose-driven exploration. He explains what drew him to polar landscapes specifically, and they talk in detail about a kite-skiing research-driven traverse he recently did with glaciologist Heidi Sevestre. They discuss what that expedition actually involved logistically - data collection, kites, navigation, no hierarchy. And they get into some of the harder questions facing modern expedition life. The conversation also touches on glaciers, hope, hypocrisy, and whether there's still time to act.

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

00:00-06:07: Matthieu's relationship with solitude and what led to a self-funded solo expedition at 26.

06:07-8:32: The specific pull of polar landscapes over other extreme environments.

08:32-13:54: Returning to Antarctica years later, this time for a different purpose.

13:54-23:23: The shift from expeditions as personal journeys to expeditions with scientific intent, and the tension of travelling extensively while advocating on climate.

23:23-26:22: Reconciling personal freedom, fatherhood, and environmental responsibility without easy answers.

26:22-37:37: How the kite expedition with glaciologist Heidi Sevestre was built around research from the outset.

37:37-46:35: The physical and logistical demands of the trip, and whether it was enjoyable or simply hard.

46:35-49:33: Decision-making and conflict within a two-person team with no fixed hierarchy.

49:33-54:59: Weighing privilege and personal travel against a backdrop of wildfires and climate change.

54:59-58:04: Rediscovering everyday adventure through his young son.

58:04-1:02:39: Whether it's too late for the world's glaciers, and choosing to act regardless.

1:02:39-1:06:42: What scares Matthieu, what gives him hope, and a close.

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-adventure-podcast.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.