Armchair Explorer

In today’s episode, we’re traveling in style. You probably know the film maker Wes Anderson. He makes those stylized, slightly absurd movies like the Royal Tenenbaums, Grand Hotel Budapest, Life Aquatic and more. His sets transform the real world into peculiar, perfectly symmetrical scenes that look like a cross-between a stage play and an acid trip.

Accidentally Wes Anderson has flipped that idea on its head. They set out into the real world to find places that look like they belong in one of his films, places that are accidentally as bizarre and beautiful as his imagination: the unique, the symmetrical, the atypical, the most interesting, idiosyncratic locations on Earth. Since 2017 they’ve built a community of millions, with best-selling books, exhibitions and an utterly beautiful Instagram page.

In this episode, host Aaron Millar takes you inside one of those images to spend a night in an asylum. Voluntarily. Recorded entirely on location, the episode tells the story of the former Buffalo State Asylum for the Insane, a vast, castle-like 19th-century building that has been partly restored as a hotel. The rest still lies abandoned, untouched since the last patients left in 1974 (creepy wheelchairs and all).

But this isn’t a ghost story. It’s a story about how what we build shapes how we feel.

Join Aaron as he explores both sides of this extraordinary building, climbs a single ladder to the top of a terrifying tower, and tries to make it through one night in the asylum.

Did he sleep with the lights on? Curtains, please.

PLAN YOUR NEXT ADVENTURE:

Discover more of the world’s most interesting, idiosyncratic places, find location guides and submit your own photos at http://accidentallywesanderson.com

Join the AWA Community on Instagram and Facebook @accidentallywesanderson

Find out how to stay at the Richardson Hotel yourself at http://richardsonhotelbuffalo.com

THANK YOU TO TODAY’S GUESTS:

Paris Roselli, President of the Richardson Center Corporation: http://richardson-olmsted.com

Derek Noble, Principal at Shepley Bulfinch: http://shepleybulfinch.com

KNOW SOMEONE WHO NEEDS THIS?

If you enjoyed this episode, send it to one person who’d love it. The friend who photographs every symmetrical doorway. The one who reads hotel histories for fun. Maybe they’ll buy you a cheeky pint.

FOLLOW US:

Instagram: @armchairexplorerpodcast

Facebook: @armchairexplorerpodcast

http://armchair-explorer.com

CONNECT WITH US:

If you enjoy the show, please subscribe on whatever podcast player you’re reading this on right now. Go on, do it! It helps us grow the show, and continue to bring this content to you.

CREDITS:

Written and presented by Aaron Millar

Produced by Wally Koval for Accidentally Wes Anderson and Aaron Millar for Armchair Productions. http://armchair-productions.com

Field recording and audio production by Jason Paton

Check out the new Smart Travel Podcast

This episode is supported by Smart Travel a new podcast from Nerd Wallet. Travel smarter — and spend less — with help from NerdWallet. Follow Smart Travel wherever you get your podcasts.Smart Travel Podcast

Check out all of our other travel podcasts from around

the world

This podcast is part of the Voyascape Network, a collection of some of the world’s best travel podcasts. Explore more at Voyascape Podcast Network For advertising or sponsorship opportunities on this show and across the network, email advertising@voyascape.com or you can find more information at Voyascape Advertising.

In this second episode of our seven-part road trip through Arizona, we head for the Sky Islands: isolated mountain ranges that rise out of the desert like islands from a sea. This is the most biodiverse region in North America, where jaguars and ocelots still roam and more than half of the continent's bird species have been recorded.

We take a nature tour with one of the country's foremost naturalists and survival experts, then head for Mount Lemmon, passing through six ecological zones in just 35 minutes. In terms of natural habitats, that's the equivalent of traveling from Mexico to Canada. At the top, we rope up for a Native American-led rock climb to hear what this remarkable eco-system means to the people who have lived here for thousands of years.

This is Arizona - the Wonder of the Sky.

Episode Highlights:

Islands in a Sea of Desert

You may never have heard of the Sky Islands, but naturalist Vincent Pinto says there's nowhere on the continent more alive. From hummingbirds and hawks to jaguars and golden eagles, life is everywhere in these mountain islands and the sea of grass between them. Take a nature tour with Vincent and discover this ecological wonder for yourself.

The Art of Seeing

Walk the trails of Raven's Nest Nature Sanctuary as Vincent teaches the art of truly seeing nature. Meet a rabbit that eats its own scat, a plant that smells like grandpa's couch, and the smallest butterfly in North America.

Stone Age Survival

Discover how to turn a rock into a knife sharp enough to use as a scalpel, taught by a wilderness survival expert who has consulted for TV shows including Marooned with Ed Stafford.

Navajo Heights

Travel to the top of Mount Lemmon with Diné (Navajo) climbing guide Aaron Mike, and hear why climbing is how he feels most connected to his heritage, and to the stories his people tell about the land.

PLAN YOUR TRIP

Recorded entirely on location over ten extraordinary days, this immersive documentary podcast follows a road trip designed and road-tested by presenter and award-winning travel writer Aaron Millar (The Times, National Geographic Traveller and more) and his team at Armchair Productions.

To find out how you can take this exact road trip yourself, go to wondersofaz.com.

Thank you to our guests:

• Vincent Pinto, Ravens-Way Wild Journeys and Raven's Nest Nature Sanctuary: ravensnatureschool.com
• Aaron Mike, Altitude Mountain Guides: altitudemountainguides.com

FOLLOW VISIT ARIZONA:

Instagram: @visitarizona

Facebook: @visitarizona

CREDITS:

The Wonders of Arizona podcast is written and presented by Aaron Millar. Field recording and audio production by Jason Paton. Pre-production and itinerary by Brian Thacker. Produced by Armchair Productions for Visit Arizona.

Check out the new Smart Travel Podcast

This episode is supported by Smart Travel a new podcast from Nerd Wallet. Travel smarter — and spend less — with help from NerdWallet. Follow Smart Travel wherever you get your podcasts.Smart Travel Podcast

Check out all of our other travel podcasts from around

the world

This podcast is part of the Voyascape Network, a collection of some of the world’s best travel podcasts. Explore more at Voyascape Podcast Network For advertising or sponsorship opportunities on this show and across the network, email advertising@voyascape.com or you can find more information at Voyascape Advertising.

There is a moment in every great adventure when the world shifts beneath your feet. For explorer Charlie Walker, it came in a Siberian supermarket, comparing brands of pasta at minus 38 degrees, when his phone buzzed with a BBC alert: Russia has invaded Ukraine. He was about to begin a 600-mile solo trek through northern Russia, crossing some of the most remote, frozen wilderness on Earth. The official advice was to leave as soon as possible. He chose to stay.

On Thin Ice is the story of what happened next. A journey across a Siberian Zimnik, a frozen winter road through silent forests and tundra, past Gulag towns and disappearing indigenous villages, into the heart of a country at war with itself as much as with its neighbour. It is a story of extraordinary human warmth in the coldest place on Earth, of state surveillance and midnight knocks at the door, of weeks spent in a Russian prison cell, counting days up instead of days down. And it is a story, ultimately, about the nature of truth and a mirror it holds up to all of us.

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS

Stranded in Yakutsk

Hear how Charlie found himself in Yakutsk the morning Russia invaded Ukraine, standing in a supermarket comparing pasta packets when his phone buzzed with the news that changed everything.

Siberia’s Ice Road

Travel with Charlie along the Zimnik, one of Siberia’s frozen winter roads, through total whiteout, wolf tracks, blinding cold, and drunk lorry drivers navigating in the dark without headlights.

The Coldest Place on Earth

Discover the warmth hidden in the coldest place on Earth: Sakha women who dressed Charlie in traditional ceremonial costumes, fed him horse blood sausage, danced with him, and sent him off with a shaman’s blessing the next morning.

Imprisoned in Putin’s Russia

Find out what it feels like to be arrested, tried, and imprisoned in Putin’s Russia, and how Charlie spent nearly four weeks in an Arctic prison cell, counting shuffling footsteps from one wall to the other.

FIND OUT MORE

Charlie Walker’s book On Thin Ice is available in paperback, Kindle, and audiobook. Find it wherever books are sold.

Explore Charlie’s other expeditions and books athttps://www.cwexplore.com

Follow Charlie on Instagram: @cwexplore

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FOLLOW US

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Website: http://armchair-explorer.com

CONNECT WITH US

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe so you don’t miss a thing, and if you have a spare moment, look up - there’s five stars waiting to be clicked! It goes a long way in helping others find the show.

CREDITS

Armchair Explorer is written and presented by Aaron Millar. Audio editing and sound design by Charles Tyrie. Produced by Armchair Productions. Find our other shows at http://armchair-productions.com

Check out the new Smart Travel Podcast

This episode is supported by Smart Travel a new podcast from Nerd Wallet. Travel smarter — and spend less — with help from NerdWallet. Follow Smart Travel wherever you get your podcasts.Smart Travel Podcast

Check out all of our other travel podcasts from around

the world

This podcast is part of the Voyascape Network, a collection of some of the world’s best travel podcasts. Explore more at Voyascape Podcast Network For advertising or sponsorship opportunities on this show and across the network, email advertising@voyascape.com or you can find more information at Voyascape Advertising.

In this first episode of our seven-part road trip through Arizona, we walk among the ancient cactus forests of Saguaro National Park. Then we saddle up at White Stallion Ranch for legendary guns, dusty arenas and a campfire under the stars with a cowboy poet. It's a journey into the heart of one of the most remarkable deserts in the world, and into the mythology of the American West that this landscape helped shape.

This is Arizona - the Wonder of the Desert.

Episode Highlights:

The Desert Miracle

Hear why Ranger Jordan Camp from Saguaro National Park calls the giant saguaro a "miracle of the desert," and discover the extraordinary biology behind one of nature's most remarkable survivors.

The Symbol of the West

Find out how a cactus that grows only in the Sonoran Desert became Hollywood's defining image of the Wild West, and why the real desert is nothing like the movies.

Guns of the Wild West

Step into the armory at White Stallion Ranch as the resident gunslinger and raconteur lays out some of the most legendary weapons in American history, from the Colt revolver made famous by Wyatt Earp to Billy the Kid's fast-draw pistol.

Team Penning

Get into the heart of the action as Aaron, mic'd up and in the saddle for the first time, attempts to herd cattle on horseback at White Stallion Ranch. Spoiler: the cows were not impressed.

The Keeper of the Fire

As the sun drops behind the Tucson Mountains and the saguaros turn to silhouettes on the horizon, gather around a campfire with cowboy poet and musician Buck Helton, and hear a song about memory, tradition and what it means to keep a flame alive.

PLAN YOUR TRIP

This isn’t just a podcast. It’s a road trip you can take. Recorded entirely on location over two extraordinary weeks, Wonders of Arizona follows a new, bookable itinerary designed and road-tested by presenter and award-winning travel writer Aaron Millar (The Times, National Geographic Traveller and more), told through the voices of the people who know these places best. Hear it first, then make the journey your own.

To find out more go to:

USA and Worldwide Listeners: http://wondersofaz.com (https://www.wondersofaz.com)

UK Listeners: search up Wonders of Arizona at http://haystravel.co.uk(https://www.haystravel.co.uk/destinations/americas/rest-of-usa/arizona/wonders-of-arizona/wonders-of-arizona/) ... Or phone: 0800 408 4048.

FOLLOW VISIT ARIZONA:

Instagram: @visit_arizona

Facebook: @arizonatravel

CREDITS:

Thank you to our guests:

• Ranger Jordan Camp, Saguaro National Park
• The whole team at White Stallion Ranch (WhiteStallionRanch.com)
• Cowboy poet and musician Buck Helton(BuckHelton.com)

The Wonders of Arizona podcast is written and presented by Aaron Millar. Field recording and audio production by Jason Paton. Pre-production and itinerary by Brian Thacker. Produced by Armchair Productions

Check out the new Smart Travel Podcast

This episode is supported by Smart Travel a new podcast from Nerd Wallet. Travel smarter — and spend less — with help from NerdWallet. Follow Smart Travel wherever you get your podcasts.Smart Travel Podcast

Check out all of our other travel podcasts from around

the world

This podcast is part of the Voyascape Network, a collection of some of the world’s best travel podcasts. Explore more at Voyascape Podcast Network For advertising or sponsorship opportunities on this show and across the network, email advertising@voyascape.com or you can find more information at Voyascape Advertising.

At the start of every season, host Aaron Millar and producer Jason Paton preview what’s coming

up on Armchair Explorer, play some of their favorite clips, and reveal the stories they’re most

excited to share. A cross between a highlight reel, an interview, and two people telling travel tales down the pub, our Pathways episodes are your guide to choosing your adventures with us.

Season five episodes:

SEVEN WONDERS: Join us On Location for a 2,000-mile road trip in search of the Seven Wonders

of Arizona. Play cowboy at White Stallion Ranch beside Saguaro National Park, stand on the rim

of Meteor Crater, the best-preserved meteorite impact site on Earth, and hike down into the

Grand Canyon to touch rocks 1.8 billion years old.

SIBERIA INVASION: Explorer Charlie Walker sets out to walk the frozen rivers of Arctic Siberia

and meet the people who live in the coldest inhabited places on Earth. Then, just as he lands,

Russia invades Ukraine, and his months-long journey becomes a story nobody saw coming.

ICE AGE TRAIL: We hike the Ice Age Trail, one of America’s least-known long-distance footpaths.

It follows the edge of the last Ice Age across Wisconsin, where a glacier up to a mile thick

carved out kettle lakes and forested hills. Plus, we paddle by canoe into the wild North Woods.

UNWILDED: Aaron hangs out with adventurer Alastair Humphreys in the UK to talk about his

new book, Unwilded, and why adventure is about your mindset, not your geography. It’s also

the reason Aaron climbed a tree.

PLUS: Our first ever game show, Two Travel Truths and One Travel Lie. Can producer Jason spot

the fake fact about Japan, Iceland and Finland?

ALSO COMING UP IN SEASON 5:

Hiking in Slovenia, an igloo festival in Quebec, long-distance trekking in Japan, a tapas safari in

Spain, a night in a former asylum that’s now a hotel, and Providencia, Aaron’s secret Caribbean

island.

***

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Reviewing the show helps other people discover it and helps us continue to produce it. If you

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Following the show on socials will definitely maybe bring you good travel karma!

Facebook: @armchairexplorerpodcast

Instagram: @armchairexplorerpodcast

Armchair Explorer is produced by Armchair Productions. Aaron Millar and Jason Paton

presented the show, Charles Tyrie did the audio editing and sound design.

Check out the new Smart Travel Podcast

This episode is supported by Smart Travel a new podcast from Nerd Wallet. Travel smarter — and spend less — with help from NerdWallet. Follow Smart Travel wherever you get your podcasts.Smart Travel Podcast

Check out all of our other travel podcasts from around

the world

This podcast is part of the Voyascape Network, a collection of some of the world’s best travel podcasts. Explore more at Voyascape Podcast Network For advertising or sponsorship opportunities on this show and across the network, email advertising@voyascape.com or you can find more information at Voyascape Advertising.

Check out the new Smart Travel Podcast

This episode is supported by Smart Travel a new podcast from Nerd Wallet. Travel smarter — and spend less — with help from NerdWallet. Follow Smart Travel wherever you get your podcasts.Smart Travel Podcast

Rising over 1,000 feet straight from the red desert of Australia's Northern Territory, Uluru is one of the great wonders of the world. At sunrise it glows pink, gold, and amber. At dusk, it forms the backdrop to one of the most spectacular sunsets you will ever see. But that's just scratching the surface. What most visitors never discover is that the real wonder of Uluru lives in the stories, and culture, of the people for whom it is not just a wonder - but a part of them.

In this Bucket List episode, Kylene Randall, a traditional custodian of Uluru and member of the local Anangu people, takes us deep into the Aboriginal heart of this extraordinary and sacred place.

We'll discover the ancient creation law of Tjukurpa, hear the story of the Stolen Generation and how Kylene's grandfather found his way home, walk the stories at the base of Uluru, learn hands-on bush skills and traditional culture, and find out what the four pillars of Anangu wellbeing might teach us about how to live our lives too.

This is a journey into the soul of Uluru and the people who have kept watch over it for more than 30,000 years.

Episode Highlights:

• Walk the Stories at the Base of Uluru
• Travel with Kylene on an indigenous-led walk around Uluru, hearing the story of the Mala people, their ceremony, their fight, and the lessons it contains.
• Hear the Story of the Stolen Generation
• Learn how Kylene's grandfather was forcibly removed as a small child, spent his life searching for his mother, and ultimately found his way back to his culture - and how that extraordinary act of resilience changed her life and continues to inspire her work today.
• Experience Culture Hands On
• Discover what it's like to make traditional tools, learn bush medicine from native plants, dig for honey ants, cook kangaroo tail on a fire, and spend a night on country beneath a sky full of stars.
• The Four Pillars of Holistic Wellbeing
• Hear Kylene's grandfather's teaching on the four things that make us complete - family, country, spirit, and law - and why, when we are disconnected from any one of them, we cannot truly thrive.

FIND OUT MORE

This Bucket List episode is the second in our series on Australia's Northern Territory. If you missed the first - Into the Wild: A Road Trip Through Australia's Northern Territory - go back a few episodes in the feed. Together they make an extraordinary two-week itinerary that finishes right here at Uluru.

To experience Uluru with Kylene and her family, visit https://talikatu.com/ or follow on Instagram at @talikatu

PLAN YOUR TRIP

We designed this itinerary with a company called Down Under Endeavours, who specialise in authentic Australian adventures — wide open spaces, real wilderness, and the kind of local characters you'll be telling stories about for years.

Armchair Explorer listeners get $500 off any trip. Head to https://www.downunderendeavours.com/armchair and use the code ARMCHAIR at checkout.

You can literally book this exact trip or design something entirely your own. You can book from anywhere in the world, and even if you're just dreaming right now, the website is worth a visit. The dream is half the fun.

Know Someone Who Needs This?

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FOLLOW US:

Instagram: @armchairexplorerpodcast

Facebook: @armchairexplorerpodcast

Newsletter: armchair-explorer.com

CONNECT WITH US:

If you enjoy the show, please subscribe on whatever podcast player you're reading this on right now. Go on, do it! It helps us grow the show and continue to bring these stories to you.

Armchair Explorer is written and presented by Aaron Millar. Audio editing and sound design by Charles Tyrie. Theme music by Sweet Chap. Produced by Armchair Productions.

Check out all of our other travel podcasts from around

the world

This podcast is part of the Voyascape Network, a collection of some of the world’s best travel podcasts. Explore more at Voyascape Podcast Network For advertising or sponsorship opportunities on this show and across the network, email advertising@voyascape.com or you can find more information at Voyascape Advertising.

Check out the new Smart Travel Podcast

This episode is supported by Smart Travel a new podcast from Nerd Wallet. Travel smarter — and spend less — with help from NerdWallet. Follow Smart Travel wherever you get your podcasts.Smart Travel Podcast

Wayfinding is an ancient Polynesian way of navigating by reading the ocean, stars and wind. No compass, no map, just deep observation, and experience passed down through generations. But because of that, wayfinding is more art than science. It's about trusting your instinct and using all your senses - and it's exactly the kind of travel Daniel Scheffler believes in, and exactly what this conversation is all about.

Daniel Scheffler is one of the world's most successful travel writers, and in today's episode he and host Aaron Millar swap tales like a couple of mates having a laugh down the pub. Expect scorpion bites in Angola, voodoo ceremonies in Benin, Berber festivals in Morocco, and lots more.

But between the wild stories, this episode is about something much deeper too. If you want to be inspired about not just what to see, but how to see - and how to make travel more than just Google reviews and ticking off lists - this is the episode for you.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Hear how Daniel survived a scorpion bite in Angola, three minutes from death, and the tribal leader who saved his life by sucking out the venom.
• Travel with Aaron to a Festival Fantasia in the foothills of Morocco's Atlas Mountains, the biggest culture shock he's ever experienced, and why that discomfort was exactly the point.
• Discover what it's like to sit inside a voodoo ceremony in Benin, a belief system entirely outside Daniel's own, and why he calls it one of the best things he's ever done.

FIND OUT MORE

Daniel Scheffler writes regularly on Substack at Without Maps find more of his writing and adventures there.

And don't miss his own podcast, Wayfinder: Life-Changing Travel - if you enjoy Armchair Explorer, we think you'll love it too.

Listen to Wayfinder: Life-Changing Travel on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, the iHeartRadio app, or wherever you get your podcasts: Wayfinder: Life-Changing Travel on Apple Podcasts

PASS IT ON:

If this episode lit something up in you, do me a favor - send it to just one person. One friend, one family member, one person who needs a little wayfinding inspiration in their life … Or go old school and tell someone about it over a cheeky pint! Every single share genuinely moves the needle. Thank you for whatever you can do.

FOLLOW US:

Instagram: @armchairexplorerpodcast

Facebook: @armchairexplorerpodcast

Newsletter: armchair-explorer.com

CONNECT WITH US:

If you enjoy the show, please subscribe on whatever podcast player you're reading this on right now. Go on, do it! It helps us grow the show, and continue to bring this content to you.

Armchair Explorer is written and presented by Aaron Millar. Audio editing and sound design by Charles Tyrie. Theme music by Sweet Chap. Produced by Armchair Productions.

Check out all of our other travel podcasts from around

the world

This podcast is part of the Voyascape Network, a collection of some of the world’s best travel podcasts. Explore more at Voyascape Podcast Network For advertising or sponsorship opportunities on this show and across the network, email advertising@voyascape.com or you can find more information at Voyascape Advertising.

Check out the new Smart Travel Podcast

This episode is supported by Smart Travel a new podcast from Nerd Wallet. Travel smarter — and spend less — with help from NerdWallet. Follow Smart Travel wherever you get your podcasts.Smart Travel Podcast

There is a state in New England where ancient mountains rise above the treeline into bare Arctic tundra, where sheer granite summits look out over oceans of forests, and where one of the fastest wind speeds ever recorded was once clocked here at 231 miles per hour.

But New Hampshire is also the place where Thoreau came to reflect, Thornton Wilder was inspired to write his seminal play Our Town, and the oldest summer stock company in America stills performs in an 18th century barn.

New Hampshire is art and adventure, natural wonders and quintessential charm. But most of all, like the state’s nickname suggests, it is a place to live free and to the fullest.

In today’s episode we set off on a seven-day road trip through three of the state’s most rugged and fascinating regions - from backpacking in the White Mountains and scrambling up waterfalls to discovering art inspired by nature, and nature infused with an artistic eye.

Get ready for the Live Free Road Trip.

Highlights include:

• Hiking the Presidential Traverse - three days, and four peaks above 5,000 feet, including Mt Washington, the highest (and windiest) summit in New England.
• Discovering the ‘business class of backpacking’ staying in the Apallachain Mountain Club’s backcountry huts - three-course dinners, epic views, and cosy beds.
• Finding out about the MacDowell Institute, a legendary artists' residency founded in 1907, whose past guests include Aaron Copland, Leonard Bernstein, James Baldwin, Thornton Wilder and hundreds of other world-class artists.
• Hiking Mount Monadnock - reputedly the second most climbed mountain in the world after Mount Fuji, with views across New Hampshire, Vermont and Massachusetts. Hear why this was one of Thoreau’s favorite hikes!

FIND OUT MORE

Produced in collaboration with Lonely Planet: http://lonelyplanet.com

Find inspiration, itineraries and everything you need - including how to book this exact road trip - at http://visitnh.gov (Visit New Hampshire) or follow them on social at @VisitNH

Thank you to our guests:

Marielle Fibish, senior outdoor guide at the Appalachian Mountain Club.Find out more at: http://outdoors.org

Ben Cote, Newport local and outdoor fanatic. Connect with him at https://tracylibrary.org/

Michelle Stahl, Executive Director at the Monadnock Center for History and Culture. Find out more at http://monadnockcenter.org

Know Someone Who Needs This?

If this episode lit something up in you, do me a favour — send it to just one person. One friend, one family member, one person who needs a little wonder in their life right now. Or go old school and tell someone about it over a cheeky pint. Every single share genuinely moves the needle.

FOLLOW US:

Instagram: @armchairexplorerpodcast

Facebook: @armchairexplorerpodcast

CONNECT WITH US:

If you enjoy the show, please subscribe on whatever podcast player you're reading this on right now. It helps us grow the show, and continue to bring these stories to you.

Armchair Explorer is written and presented by Aaron Millar. Audio editing and sound design by Charles Tyrie. Produced by Armchair Productions

Check out all of our other travel podcasts from around

the world

This podcast is part of the Voyascape Network, a collection of some of the world’s best travel podcasts. Explore more at Voyascape Podcast Network For advertising or sponsorship opportunities on this show and across the network, email advertising@voyascape.com or you can find more information at Voyascape Advertising.

Check out the new Smart Travel Podcast

This episode is supported by Smart Travel a new podcast from Nerd Wallet. Travel smarter — and spend less — with help from NerdWallet. Follow Smart Travel wherever you get your podcasts.Smart Travel Podcast

There is a place at the top of the world where the land runs out, a sheer thousand-foot cliff rising straight from the Arctic Ocean, and nothing beyond it but open sea all the way to the North Pole. This is the North Cape - the northernmost point of continental Europe and getting there means sailing one of the most spectacular coastlines on Earth.

From Oslo, we travel north through towering fjords and fishing villages so remote the ship is their only connection to the outside world. We pass the Lofoten Islands rising like a mountain range planted in the middle of the ocean, Alta - nicknamed the Northern Lights City - and on into the deep Arctic silence of Finnmark. Norway's coast is not just beautiful. It is staggering.

The Northern Lights wait for us there too. The Sami called them Govsov - the light you can hear, the light that speaks. Science calls them solar particles colliding with the earth's atmosphere. But standing beneath them, none of that matters. What you are seeing is the invisible touch of our sun, raining down in colour all around you - and it is unlike anything you have ever experienced before.

Join host Aaron Millar, and two expert guests, as we set sail on the North Cape Line with the legendary adventure ships of Hurtigruten. This is more than an expedition cruise, it is a journey to the edge of the world along one of the most awe-inspiring coastlines in the world in search of the Aurora at its most breathtaking.

Produced in Armchair Explorer's signature documentary style, this immersive audio adventure is designed not just to let you hear what it's like to chase the Northern Lights along the Norwegian coast - but to feel it.

Highlights include:

• Sailing the Trollfjord - a fjord so narrow it feels like you could reach out and touch the mountains on either side, sheer walls of rock and snow rising straight from the water around you.
• Standing at the North Cape - the northernmost point in Europe where beyond the cliff edge there nothing but the Arctic Ocean, all the way to the North Pole.
• Sitting inside a Sami Lavvu - warm with firelight and wood smoke - hearing stories, sharing food and listening to yoik, the ancient song form where every melody carries the spirit of a specific person, animal or place.
• Husky sledding into the Arctic wilderness - the moment the dogs stop barking, set off, and everything goes utterly silent. Just you, the animals, and the snow.
• The food of Norway's coast - fresh Arctic cod from the world's largest cod fishery in Lofoten, king crab hauled from the icy waters of Finnmark and cooked within the hour, cheese from a family farm whose recipes are 300 years old, and wild herbs foraged from cliff edges above the fjords.
• The Aurora itself - the crowning corona, where the lights rain down in every direction around you - “like taking a dream out of your head and placing it into the sky”

FIND OUT MORE

Produced in collaboration with Lonely Planet: http://lonelyplanet.com

This journey is run by expedition cruise company Hurtigruten, whose ships have sailed this coastline for generations. This is what they promise: If you're on one of their 11-day or longer voyage during the Auroral season and the Lights don't appear, they'll give you another chance on a future sailing at no extra cost.

Find out more at http://hurtigruten.com

Connect with expert Aurora chaser Tom Kerss at http://tomkerss.com or follow him on Instagram at @tomkerss

Thank you also to Andre Pettersen, the man behind Hurtigruten's extraordinary food and community connections along the Norwegian coast.

Know Someone Who Needs This?

If this episode lit something up in you, do me a favour - send it to just one person. One friend, one family member, one person who needs a little wonder in their life right now. Or go old school and tell someone about it over a cheeky pint. Every single share genuinely moves the needle.

Hit the share button in your podcast app - it takes about ten seconds, and helps us continue to bring these stories to you.

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CONNECT WITH US: If you enjoy the show, please subscribe on whatever podcast player you're reading this on right now. Go on, do it! It helps us grow the show, and means you won’t miss an episode (we’ve got some good ones coming up!).

Armchair Explorer is written and presented by Aaron Millar. Audio editing and sound design by Charles Tyrie. Theme music by Sweet Chap. Produced by Armchair Productions. Find our other shows at http://armchair-productions.com

Check out all of our other travel podcasts from around

the world

This podcast is part of the Voyascape Network, a collection of some of the world’s best travel podcasts. Explore more at Voyascape Podcast Network For advertising or sponsorship opportunities on this show and across the network, email advertising@voyascape.com or you can find more information at Voyascape Advertising.

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This episode is supported by Smart Travel a new podcast from Nerd Wallet. Travel smarter — and spend less — with help from NerdWallet. Follow Smart Travel wherever you get your podcasts.Smart Travel Podcast

“You stand at the edge of the boat - and you take a giant stride into the unknown.”

Today we’re chatting with Pier Nirandara, a bestselling author, film producer, SCUBA diver and underwater photographer. She's dedicated her life to sharing the beauty and importance of this marine world about which we still know so little. With her work in photography, writing, and more, she's also helping to shape a new generation of divers and ocean advocates from all corners of the world.

In the episode, you’ll hear about the dive that changed her life and stopped her career path in its tracks; how it feels to share the water with some of the world’s rarest, most ancient sea creatures; and why exploring the ocean and encountering marine wildlife is more important than ever. This episode will inspire and move you to consider all the life that exists beneath the water's surface - and what we owe to it.

FIND PIER

Follow Pier on Instagram (@piersgreatperhaps) and Facebook, or visit her website at https://www.piernirandara.com/ to find her amazing photography, articles, books, TED Talk, and more. She also leads snorkeling and diving expeditions all around the globe, so if you want to experience some of the adventures you heard in the episode firsthand, you can find those on her website too.

SPONSORS

THANK YOU to our amazing sponsor, The North Face, for supporting this episode! When you wear The North Face, it’s more than a jacket…it’s the calling to get out there and explore. Find your next fleece, parka, or winter jacket at https://www.thenorthface.com/.

And thank you to our other sponsor, Juggernaut Wines! Get four bottles of their delicious wines delivered to your home for only 1 cent in shipping costs. Just head over to http://www.juggernautwines.com/ and use code ARMCHAIR21.

SOCIAL

Share the show with your friends! Follow @armchairexplorerpodcast across Instagram and Facebook, and check out Armchair Explorer (http://www.armchair-explorer.com/) for background videos, photos and more on each episode. And please hit that follow button to support the show!

CREDITS

This episode was produced by Armchair Productions. Find our other shows at https://www.armchair-productions.com/. Jenny Allison wrote and produced this episode, along with host and producer Aaron Millar. Charles Tyrie did the audio editing and sound design. Theme music written by the artist Sweet Chap.

Check out all of our other travel podcasts from around

the world

This podcast is part of the Voyascape Network, a collection of some of the world’s best travel podcasts. Explore more at Voyascape Podcast Network For advertising or sponsorship opportunities on this show and across the network, email advertising@voyascape.com or you can find more information at Voyascape Advertising.

Check out the new Smart Travel Podcast

This episode is supported by Smart Travel a new podcast from Nerd Wallet. Travel smarter — and spend less — with help from NerdWallet. Follow Smart Travel wherever you get your podcasts.Smart Travel Podcast

Follow travel author Oscar Scafidi on his world-record paddle down the Kwanza River in

Angola. Stretching 600-miles from its source in the Angolan Highlands, in the center of the

country, to the Atlantic Ocean on the country’s west coast, Oscar and his partner Alfie

Weston kayaked the entire length and hiked an additional two hundred miles to circumvent

rapids, waterfalls and dams.

The going was tough and they were unprepared for the dangers and hardships ahead. But,

that’s also part of what’s so inspiring and unique about this story – Oscar and Alfie aren’t

professional adventurers, explorers or African bush experts. They’re just two young guys

with a crazy idea and a lot of guts.

They faced man-eating crocodiles, angry hippos and even angrier police. But over 33 hard

days, camping beside the banks of the river and in small settlements along the way, they

reached the ocean and in doing so did something no one else had ever achieved before,

which has since been recognised as an official world-record by Guinness World Records

This is a story about that adventure, but it’s also a story about dreaming big, taking risks and

achieving something extraordinary. If two ordinary guys, with very little kayaking

experience, can paddle the entire length of one of the longest rivers in Africa, why can’t you

achieve your travel dreams too?

Highlights:

• Facing 600-miles of man-eating crocodiles, deadly rapids and pods of angry hippos
• Kayaking the entire length of one of the least explored rivers on the planet – an official Guinness World Record
• Discovering Angola, one of Africa’s least visited and most misunderstood countries,still reeling from the aftermath of a brutal civil war.
• But one that’s also filled with incredible wildlife, surfing, hiking and more
• Getting arrested in the middle of the night at gun point by the security forces
• Being inspired to follow your own dreams of adventure and hearing what it takes to get it done

If you want to connect with Oscar directly his Instagram is @oscarscafidi and his twitter is

@scafiditravels. He also has an awesome YouTube channel which charts this trip and his

other adventures http://www.youtube.com/c/ScafidiTravels

The book of this journey is called Kayak the Kwanza: Source to Sea Along Angola’s Longest

River - http://www.amazon.com/Kayak-Kwanza-Oscar-Scafidi/dp/1789650127

Oscar and Alfie were raising money for the HALO Trust who are removing landmines from

Angola and other war-torn countries around the world. Their goal is a landmine-free wolrs

by 2025. Help them get there at http://www.halotrust.org

Follow @armchairexplorer podcast on Instagram and Facebook or head over to

http://www.armchair-explorer.com to find more background information on this episode

Check out all of our other travel podcasts from around

the world

This podcast is part of the Voyascape Network, a collection of some of the world’s best travel podcasts. Explore more at Voyascape Podcast Network For advertising or sponsorship opportunities on this show and across the network, email advertising@voyascape.com or you can find more information at Voyascape Advertising.

Check out the new Smart Travel Podcast

This episode is supported by Smart Travel a new podcast from Nerd Wallet. Travel smarter — and spend less — with help from NerdWallet. Follow Smart Travel wherever you get your podcasts.Smart Travel Podcast

The Sturgis Motorcycle Rally is the biggest two-wheeled party in the world drawing hundreds of thousands of riders each year to the Black HIlls of South Dakota.

Join presenter Brian Thacker on location as he gets right in amongst it - riding Main Street on a Fat Boy Harley-Davidson, taking in the stunts, burnouts and live rock at the legendary Buffalo Chip, meeting a Hall of Famer, a Sturgis veteran and a 100-year-old rider who still hasn't stopped.

Whether you ride a motorcycle or not, this is a wild ride into one of the loudest festivals on the planet.

You'll hear from:

• Rod "Woody" Woodruff, founder of the Sturgis Buffalo Chip, the legendary concert and events venue at the heart of the rally
• Michael Lichter, photographer and chronicler of motorcycle culture for over four decades
• Milton "Mac" McKinney, Sturgis veteran and keeper of the rally's spirit
• Gloria Struck - centenarian rider, still on two wheels at 100 years old
• Cris Sommer-Simmons - Sturgis Hall of Famer and one of the great figures of American motorcycle culture

FIND OUT MORE

Our on-location Immersion documentaries are designed so that you can experience everything we did in this episode.

Visit http://travelsouthdakota.com for inspiration, ideas and everything you need to plan your own South Dakota adventure

SHARE THE RIDE

If this episode fired something up in you - please send it to just one person, one friend, one family member who's ever dreamed of hitting the open road. Hit the share button in your podcast app, it takes about ten seconds, and helps us continue to tell stories like this.

CONNECT WITH US

If you enjoy the show, please subscribe on whatever podcast player you're reading this on right now. Go on, do it. It means you get to choose what episodes you listen to, rather than the algorithm guess (wrongly) and kick us off your feed.

Facebook: @armchairexplorerpodcast

Instagram: @armchairexplorerpodcast

CREDITS

Armchair Explorer is produced by Armchair Productions. Brian Thacker wrote and presented this episode. Jason Paton did the field recording and production. Aaron Millar was executive producer.

Check out all of our other travel podcasts from around

the world

This podcast is part of the Voyascape Network, a collection of some of the world’s best travel podcasts. Explore more at Voyascape Podcast Network For advertising or sponsorship opportunities on this show and across the network, email advertising@voyascape.com or you can find more information at Voyascape Advertising.

Check out the new Smart Travel Podcast

This episode is supported by Smart Travel a new podcast from Nerd Wallet. Travel smarter — and spend less — with help from NerdWallet. Follow Smart Travel wherever you get your podcasts.Smart Travel Podcast

In today’s Discover Destination guide, we’re taking a road trip across the Northern Territory of Australia, from crocodile close-encounters and aboriginal rock art to a wonder of the world that’s been drawing people to it for more than 30,000-years.

The Top End, as it’s known, is ancient, vast, deeply spiritual, and unlike anywhere else on Earth. This is a journey into its heart to discover one of the wildest and most

fascinating places in the country.

Highlights include:

• Exploring Arnhem Land, a 200,000 acre wilderness home to the largest collection of Aboriginal rock art on Earth..
• Sitting by the campfire with Peter ‘Fingers’ Taylor of Finnis River Lodge hearing stories of wildlife close-calls and the greatest animal rescue story you will ever hear (spoiler: it involves giving CPR to a possum).
• Seeing Uluru for the first time: more than 1,000ft tall, and nearly six miles around, this giant stark red sandstone monolith is one of the great wonders of the natural world, and infused throughout with aboriginal history stretching back to the Dreamtime.
• Walking in Kata Tjuta, Uluru’s less-visited but equally sacred neighbour - 36 ancient domes of rock, and a Valley of the Winds hike that might just be one of the most beautiful in Australia.

PLAN YOUR TRIP

We designed this itinerary with a company called Down Under Endeavors, who specialize in authentic Australian adventures: wide open spaces, real wilderness, and the kind of local characters you'll be telling stories about for years.

Armchair Explorer listeners get $500 off any trip. https://www.downunderendeavours.com/armchair and use the code ARMCHAIR at checkout.

You can literally book this exact trip - with these exact guides - or design something entirely your own. You can book from anywhere in the world, and even if you're just dreaming right now, the website is worth a visit, and the dream is half the fun.

GOT 30 SECONDS?

If this episode made you want to book a flight to Australia, do us a favour and send it to just one person who you think might need an escape too. It helps us continue to build this community of travelers who want to protect the outdoors, learn from different cultures, and celebrate the pure joy of exploring this beautiful planet. We think that’s a message that’s worth sharing. If you do too, please leave a review or pass it on.

FOLLOW US

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Facebook: @armchairexplorerpodcast

CREDITS

Armchair Explorer is produced by Armchair Productions, find out other shows at http://armchair-productions.com. Aaron Millar writes and presents the show. Charles Tyrie does the audio editing and sound design. Theme music by the artist Sweet Chap.

Check out all of our other travel podcasts from around

the world

This podcast is part of the Voyascape Network, a collection of some of the world’s best travel podcasts. Explore more at Voyascape Podcast Network For advertising or sponsorship opportunities on this show and across the network, email advertising@voyascape.com or you can find more information at Voyascape Advertising.

Check out the new Smart Travel Podcast

This episode is supported by Smart Travel a new podcast from Nerd Wallet. Travel smarter — and spend less — with help from NerdWallet. Follow Smart Travel wherever you get your podcasts.Smart Travel Podcast

Today host Aaron Millar is sharing a bucket list bit of madness — literal adventure insanity he got up to about 15 years ago in the Scottish Highlands. It's called the Glen Nevis River Race, and it involves hurling yourself down two miles of white-water rapids with nothing but a novelty inflatable for company.

Picture part extreme white-water adventure, part Monty Python's Navy — competitors arrive bearing giant inflatable swans, killer whales, dinosaurs and, for one unfortunate soon-to-be husband, a blow-up doll. It's one of those rare, acutely British moments when only the preposterousness of your situation matches the bravado required to see it through. And Aaron has never, ever laughed so hard in his life.

Highlights include:

• Hearing what it feels like to stand on the edge of a thundering 40ft waterfall, inflatable lilo in hand, with a crowd screaming at you to jump.
• Discovering what it feels like to be swept into a churning cauldron of white-water with nothing but an inflatable air mattress to keep you afloat.
• Finding out about the world's most wonderfully ridiculous outdoor adventures — including World Bog Snorkelling, Gloucestershire Cheese Rolling, and the Frozen Dead Guy Days festival.

FIND OUT MORE

The Glen Nevis River Race is an annual summer event held in Glen Nevis, Scotland, raising money for the Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team. It's free to enter but contestants must raise a minimum of £100 in sponsorship. It's run by No Fuss Events: find out more at http://nofussevents.co.uk

Other adventures mentioned in this episode:

• World Bog Snorkelling Championships: held each summer near Llanwrtyd Wells, Wales: http://green-events.co.uk
• Cooper's Hill Cheese Rolling: annual chaos every last Monday of May in Gloucestershire: http://cheese-rolling.co.uk
• Frozen Dead Guy Days: Estes Park, Colorado. Yes, it's real. Yes, you should go. http://visitestespark.com

SHARE THIS EPISODE

If this story made you laugh — and it will — do Aaron a favour and send it to just one person who needs a little madness in their life right now. Hit the share button in your podcast app, it takes about ten seconds, or leave a review. We’re trying to reach 1,000 new listeners this series, and every single share genuinely moves the needle.

FOLLOW US:

Instagram: @armchairexplorerpodcast

Facebook: @armchairexplorerpodcast

CONNECT WITH US:

If you enjoy the show, please subscribe on whatever podcast player you're reading this on right now. Go on, do it! It helps us grow the show, and continue to bring this content to you.

Armchair Explorer is written and presented by Aaron Millar. Audio editing and sound design by Charles Tyrie. Theme music by Sweet Chap. Produced by Armchair Productions.

Check out all of our other travel podcasts from around

the world

This podcast is part of the Voyascape Network, a collection of some of the world’s best travel podcasts. Explore more at Voyascape Podcast Network For advertising or sponsorship opportunities on this show and across the network, email advertising@voyascape.com or you can find more information at Voyascape Advertising.

Check out the new Smart Travel Podcast

This episode is supported by Smart Travel a new podcast from Nerd Wallet. Travel smarter — and spend less — with help from NerdWallet. Follow Smart Travel wherever you get your podcasts.Smart Travel Podcast

Levison Wood is one of the world’s most well-known explorers, TV presenters and authors. Join him for a 5,000-mile journey through the heart of the Middle East, from the front lines of Iraq and Syria through the Empty Quarter desert to Yemen, the West Bank and beyond. 13 countries in five months, his most complicated and dangerous expedition yet.

Following in the footsteps of great explorers such as Lawrence of Arabia and Wilfred Thesiger, we will pass through some of the most devastated and war-torn areas on the planet, but also some of the most fascinating and historic too. We will peel back our preconceptions and discover a hidden side to the Middle East, beyond the headlines and politics. This is the real Arabia, a mosaic of the best and worst of humanity, a quest to better understand the region and, perhaps, ourselves.

Highlights include:

• Hear how one totally random chance event changed his life and led him to become one of the world’s most famous explorers
• Hitchhiking to Baghdad during the Gulf war – hear the story of Levison’s first and craziest ever adventure as a young university student
• Follow him to the front line, as he embeds with Kurdish fighters in Iraq, liberating ISIS held cities
• Discover the Mesopotamian Marshes, the jewel of southern Iraq, where one of the most ancient cultures in the world is slowly rebuilding their lives
• Cross the Empty Quarter desert on foot, 10-days through one of the harshest environments on the planet
• Sneak into Yemen and cross over into Somalia by fishing boat, through the most pirate infested waters on Earth
• Explore Jerusalem, and the West Bank, joining a demonstration that turns into a riot

“This is a story of my own wanderings set against a backdrop of interesting times. I have tried to challenge the prevailing winds where possible and contest stereotypes, hopefully smashing a few myths along the way.”

• Levison Wood

FIND OUT MORE

Levison Wood is a British explorer, writer and photographer. He's written seven best-selling books, presented and produced some of the best travel and adventure documentaries out there, and done some quite simply incredible expeditions. Find out more at http://www.levisonwood.com

Instagram:@levison.wood / Facebook: @levisonwoodofficial / Twitter: @levisonwood

SHARE THIS EPISODE

If this story lit something up in you, do me a favour - send it to just one person. One friend, one family member, one person you think needs a little adventure in their life right now. Hit the share button in your podcast app, it takes about ten seconds. Or go Old School and tell someone about it over a cheeky pint! I'm trying to reach 1,000 new listeners this series, and every single share genuinely moves the needle.

https://linktr.ee/armchairexplorerpodcast

FOLLOW US: Instagram: @armchairexplorerpodcast

CONNECT WITH US: If you enjoy the show, please subscribe on whatever podcast player you're reading this on right now. Go on, do it! It helps us grow the show, and continue to bring this content to you.

Armchair Explorer is written and presented by Aaron Millar. Theme music by Sweet Chap. Produced by Armchair Productions. http://armchair-productions.com, http://armchair-explorer.com

Check out all of our other travel podcasts from around

the world

This podcast is part of the Voyascape Network, a collection of some of the world’s best travel podcasts. Explore more at Voyascape Podcast Network For advertising or sponsorship opportunities on this show and across the network, email advertising@voyascape.com or you can find more information at Voyascape Advertising.

Check out the new Smart Travel Podcast

This episode is supported by Smart Travel a new podcast from Nerd Wallet. Travel smarter — and spend less — with help from NerdWallet. Follow Smart Travel wherever you get your podcasts.Smart Travel Podcast

Witnessing the Northern Lights is one of the most awe-inspiring experiences on the planet, and in today’s interview episode we’re going to hear what it feels like to stand beneath them - a cascade of color raining down from the sky all around you.

In Norse mythology the Aurora were the armour of the Valkyries. The Inuit saw spirits playing in the sky. The Sami hid indoors in fear. And science has its own story too, because what we are really witnessing is the energy of the sun itself, travelling 93 million miles across space, and exploding into color in our atmosphere. We may now be able to explain them scientifically, but their effect on us is unchanged.

This is a story about the science of solar winds and magnetic fields, the mythology of ancient cultures who saw gods and fire in the sky, and the art of chasing something wild, unpredictable and utterly mesmerizing.

Taking us deeper into that experience is Tom Kerss, one of the world's leading Aurora experts. Tom's passion for the Aurora is infectious, his knowledge extraordinary, and his way of describing what you see in that sky inspiring and poetic.

FIND OUT MORE

Produced in collaboration with Lonely Planet: http://lonelyplanet.com

Tom Kerss is one of the world's leading Aurora experts and the onboard Aurora guide for expedition cruise company Hurtigruten. They run spectacular trips along the Norwegian coast, and if this episode inspires you to go and see the lights for yourself you can travel with Tom on one of their astronomy voyages. Find out more at http://hurtigruten.com.

Connect with Tom and find out more about his work at http://tomkerss.com, or follow him on Instagram at @tomkerss.

Note: a full adventure documentary episode going on a Northern Lights expedition cruise up the Norwegian coast is coming next month. Hit follow so you don't miss it!

SHARE THIS EPISODE

If this story lit something up in you, do me a favour and send it to just one person. One friend, one family member, one person you think needs a little wonder in their life right now. I'm trying to reach 1,000 new listeners this series, and every single share genuinely moves the needle. You'd be helping Tom's story reach someone who really needs to hear it. Leave a review or hit that share button in your podcast app

FOLLOW US:

Instagram: @armchairexplorerpodcast

Facebook: @armchairexplorerpodcast

CREDITS

Armchair Explorer is written and presented by Aaron Millar. Audio editing on this episode was by Jason Paton. Theme music by Sweet Chap. Produced by http://armchair-productions.com

Check out all of our other travel podcasts from around

the world

This podcast is part of the Voyascape Network, a collection of some of the world’s best travel podcasts. Explore more at Voyascape Podcast Network For advertising or sponsorship opportunities on this show and across the network, email advertising@voyascape.com or you can find more information at Voyascape Advertising.

Check out the new Smart Travel Podcast

This episode is supported by Smart Travel a new podcast from Nerd Wallet. Travel smarter — and spend less — with help from NerdWallet. Follow Smart Travel wherever you get your podcasts.Smart Travel Podcast

Today we are going to travel across all seven continents, through steaming craters and frozen summits, into the heart of the world's most active volcanoes. This is a story about chasing fire.

Ricardo Kaljouw is one of only a handful of people on Earth to have completed the Volcanic Seven Summits — climbing the highest volcano on every continent. From his first glimpse of Kilimanjaro rising above the Tanzanian savannah, to standing alone on the roof of Antarctica in minus 49 degree cold, Ricardo's story is one of extraordinary resilience, raw adventure, and the kind of fire that, once lit, simply cannot be put out.

Highlights of The Volcanic Seven Summits:

• Standing on the roof of Africa — and the sunrise that greeted Ricardo on the way down from Kilimanjaro that changed everything.
• Watching the largest lava lake in the world come alive at night on the slopes of Nyiragongo in Rwanda.
• Surviving a lightning storm at altitude on Iran's Mount Damavand.
• Getting lost in the jungle of Papua New Guinea with no food, a missing porter, and a village of locals who may have been hunting him.
• Being stranded alone on the highest volcano on earth, Ojos del Salado in Chile.
• That final, extraordinary moment on Mount Sidley in Antarctica — six years in the making, 17,000 kilometres from home.

FIND OUT MORE

Ricardo Kaljouw's book is called A Million Steps on Lava: Climbing the Highest Volcano on Each Continent. It's a gripping, inspiring read — and what makes it especially unique is that Ricardo started exactly where many of us are: dreaming of high peaks without any real experience of climbing them. It's a story that makes the extraordinary feel possible.

Follow Ricardo's ongoing expeditions on Instagram at@volcanicsevensummits and search up the book wherever books are sold.

SHARE THIS EPISODE

If this story lit something up in you, do me a favour — send it to just one person. One friend, one family member, one person you think needs a little fire in their life right now. Hit the share button in your podcast app, it takes about ten seconds. Or go Old School and tell someone about it over a cheeky pint! I'm trying to reach 1,000 new listeners this series, and every single share genuinely moves the needle. You'd be helping Ricardo's story reach someone who really needs to hear it.

FOLLOW US: Instagram: @armchairexplorerpodcast

CONNECT WITH US: If you enjoy the show, please subscribe on whatever podcast player you're reading this on right now. Go on, do it! It helps us grow the show, and continue to bring this content to you.

Armchair Explorer is written and presented by Aaron Millar. Audio editing and sound design by Charles Tyrie. Theme music by Sweet Chap. Produced by Armchair Productions.

Check out all of our other travel podcasts from around

the world

This podcast is part of the Voyascape Network, a collection of some of the world’s best travel podcasts. Explore more at Voyascape Podcast Network For advertising or sponsorship opportunities on this show and across the network, email advertising@voyascape.com or you can find more information at Voyascape Advertising.

Check out the new Smart Travel Podcast

This episode is supported by Smart Travel a new podcast from Nerd Wallet. Travel smarter — and spend less — with help from NerdWallet. Follow Smart Travel wherever you get your podcasts.Smart Travel Podcast

The Black Hills are home to more than 100 known caves - including the world's third-longest cave system at Jewel Cave National Monument with it's miles of unmapped passageways, and the complex caves systems at Wind Cave National Park, which are not merely a geological wonder they also make up a sacred site for the Lakota people.

We join pioneer explorer Chris Pelczarski for some hands-on spelunking in seriously narrow caves (that are sometimes home to mountain lions). Then we meet indigenous park ranger Sina Bear Eagle and learn about the Lakota emergence story and its deep spiritual meaning.

-Brian Thacker, presenter

Thank you to everyone who featured in this episode:

• Chris Pelczarski and Adam Weaver from the Black Hills Cave and Nature Conservancy
• Sina Bear Eagle from Wind Cave National Park

Recorded on location, this audio adventure is designed to do more than just let you hear what it's like to be there. It's designed to let you feel what it's like for real.

Find out more at Travel South Dakota.com where you'll find lots of inspiration, ideas and everything else you need to know to plan your great South Dakota adventure.

CONNECT WITH US

Instagram:https://instagram.com/armchairexplorerpodcast⁠@armchairexplorerpodcast⁠

Facebook:https://facebook.com/armchairexplorerpodcast⁠@armchairexplorerpodcast⁠

⁠Armchair Explorer⁠ is produced byhttps://www.armchair-productions.com/⁠Armchair Productions⁠. Aaron Millar and Jason Paton presented the show, Charles Tyrie did the audio editing and sound design.

Check out all of our other travel podcasts from around

the world

This podcast is part of the Voyascape Network, a collection of some of the world’s best travel podcasts. Explore more at Voyascape Podcast Network For advertising or sponsorship opportunities on this show and across the network, email advertising@voyascape.com or you can find more information at Voyascape Advertising.

Check out the new Smart Travel Podcast

This episode is supported by Smart Travel a new podcast from Nerd Wallet. Travel smarter — and spend less — with help from NerdWallet. Follow Smart Travel wherever you get your podcasts.Smart Travel Podcast

Sometimes the wrong path is the best path. I was stumbling down the side of a steep mountain slope, pushing through thorny bushes, scratched, thirsty and utterly confused. But I was smiling. While on a week-long hike across the Ligurian hills in northwest Italy – I had become hopelessly lost.

But then something magical happened: I rounded a corner into a mountain meadow filled with dozens of wild horses - muscled stallions with jet black manes, gold skinned mares and tiny foals. Startled at first, they soon found themselves more curious than afraid and gradually came to graze by my side.

It took me half a day to find my way back again, but it was worth every cut and bruise. The best adventures always happen when you least expect it.

• Aaron Millar

In today’s episode, host Aaron Millar shares the story of one of his favorite long-distance hikes of all time.

The Old Salt Road is part of a network of ancient trading paths that crisscross northwest Italy. For over a thousand years mule herders, laden with precious salt from the ports of Liguria, would use this trail to trade with the rich plains of Lombardy, returning with goatskins of wine, salami and cheese.

The hike begins in the fertile wine-growing plains of Oltrepo Pavese - 50 miles north of Genoa – and then heads steadily south, crossing the Apennine Mountains, before dropping down 80 beautiful miles later to the small fishing village of Camogli on the Ligurian coast.

This is a story about a bucket list hike through one of the most beautiful places in Europe. But it’s also the story of how this old road was now nearly forgotten, and the trail that is bringing it back to life.

CONNECT WITH US

Ready to Explore? If you're into real stories of epic places told by the people who’ve lived them, make sure to subscribe so you won’t miss an episode of Series 4 of Armchair Explorer.

If you’re interested to find out more about how to do this hike for yourself drop Aaron a line on Instagram

Instagram:https://instagram.com/armchairexplorerpodcast⁠@armchairexplorerpodcast⁠

Facebook:https://facebook.com/armchairexplorerpodcast⁠@armchairexplorerpodcast⁠

⁠Armchair Explorer⁠ is produced byhttps://www.armchair-productions.com/⁠Armchair Productions⁠. Aaron Millar and Jason Paton presented the show, Charles Tyrie did the audio editing and sound design.

Check out all of our other travel podcasts from around

the world

This podcast is part of the Voyascape Network, a collection of some of the world’s best travel podcasts. Explore more at Voyascape Podcast Network For advertising or sponsorship opportunities on this show and across the network, email advertising@voyascape.com or you can find more information at Voyascape Advertising.

Check out the new Smart Travel Podcast

This episode is supported by Smart Travel a new podcast from Nerd Wallet. Travel smarter — and spend less — with help from NerdWallet. Follow Smart Travel wherever you get your podcasts.Smart Travel Podcast

"Humans are meant to excel. And when you start pushing that and seeing how capable we are, it's phenomenal what you can actually go and do."

-Justin Packshaw

When Justin Packshaw was trekking in Antarctica several years ago, he noticed something disturbing: The ice shelf had visibly melted since his previous visit, just a few decades prior. "In the grand scheme of how old our world is, and its present state, that's a really quite frightening thing," he said. And with that, he had an idea. Not all scientists have the time, resources, or, frankly, the stamina to conduct invaluable in-person research in the heart of Antarctica, which holds the record as the world's coldest, windiest, and driest continent. But Justin did.

He and his adventure partner, Jamie Facer-Childs, proposed a data-gathering mission to several universities: They would cross Antarctica's heart and gather critical scientific data about climate change. But other agencies were interested in the trip as well.

As it turns out, pushing the human body to its limits - physically, psychologically, mentally - is one of the key areas of research for space agencies like NASA and the European Space Agency. Justin and Jamie's expedition would collect critical data on behavior, coping abilities, teamwork, endurance, even eyesight, that would be invaluable for future space missions in which astronauts will live for years in a space no larger than a studio apartment.

This is a good, old-fashioned adventure romp - but it's more than that too. It's also a story about science, psychology, Mars, and climate change. It's about how we cope with the most extreme physical challenges imaginable and ultimately how that defines us as humans.

FIND JUSTIN

Learn more about Justin and his adventures at his website, https://www.justinpackshaw.com/, or follow him on Instagram @JustinPackshaw. Find more details about the Antarctica expedition at https://www.chasingthelight2021.com/.

SOCIAL

Share the show with your friends! Subscribe to the podcast wherever you're listening, follow @armchairexplorerpodcast on Instagram and Facebook, check out Armchair Explorer's website, https://www.armchair-explorer.com

CREDITS

This episode was produced by Armchair Productions. Find our other shows at https://www.armchair-productions.com/. Jenny Allison wrote and produced this episode, along with host and producer Aaron Millar. Charles Tyrie did the audio editing and sound design. Theme music written by the artist Sweet Chap.

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