Best Alastair Humphreys Podcasts (2025)

1
Greater Than The Sum Of Its Parts 54:57

9h ago54:57

54:57

In the fall of 2015, photographer Pete McBride and writer Kevin Fedarko embarked on a journey to rally support to protect one of our most awe-inspiring national treasures: the Grand Canyon. Their method? A 700+ mile sectional thru-hike of the wilderness that lies between the rim and the river. They knew the trek would challenge them, but they had n…

1
Rob Pope: Superhuman 38:53

7d ago38:53

38:53

In 1994, Forrest Gump took the box-office by storm and became a staple of cable TV reruns in the following decades. Its feel good message about a simple man who lived life heart first struck a chord, but hidden inside a six minute montage was a grueling test of the human limits -- a 15,000 mile ultrarun across the US almost five times. In 2018, Rob…

1
Mr. H's Pivot 44:08

22d ago44:08

44:08

Mild-mannered, elementary school teacher Jason Hardrath may be a superhero. After competing in college as a cross country athlete, he turned to triathlons and then Iron Mans to push the limits of his endurance. Simultaneously, he developed his skills in the mountains and soon sought to combine the two, setting an audacious goal-- the first person t…

1
See You Next Week 43:33

1M ago43:33

43:33

Over the last few years, students at Utah State University built a weekly ritual at their school gym to grow the climbing community on campus. When Utah’s legislature passed a contentious bill last year, that routine was stripped away after. Students rallied to raise awareness, fighting to keep their weekly meet-up alive. Support comes from Kuat Ra…

1
Craig Mod: Adventure, Discipline, and Design. Living Adventurously 66 1:11:17

1M ago1:11:17

1:11:17

In this rich, wide-ranging conversation, Alastair Humphreys chats with Craig Mod about the overlapping worlds of adventure, creativity, and publishing. The two explore their different but kindred approaches to long walks — Craig’s meticulous, high-tech planning versus Alastair’s spontaneous, minimalist style — and how these journeys feed into their…

1
Good Good Bad: Bike To Board 35:45

1M ago35:45

35:45

Shifting paradigms is hard work, but sometimes it can be a whole heap of Type II Fun as well. In 2019, Stratton Matteson sought to find out if he could get away with only human powered mountain access for a whole year. Five years into his quest, he shares what he’s learned. Support comes from Kuat Racks Terns Use code DIRTBAG to save 25% off your f…

1
The Shorts– Arise 41:25

2M ago41:25

41:25

What does it take to run an ultramarathon? Or top out a boulder that makes you stretch what you think you're capable of? Tenacity. From our seat, we see it happen all the time in our community. Today, Coleman Wood and Brian Laidlaw bring us two stories about rising up and meeting the challenge that they laid out for themselves. Support comes from K…

1
Running Past History 47:02

2M ago47:02

47:02

Just 10 years ago, the director of the Barkley Marathons declared that the race was too tough for any woman to complete it. Meanwhile, Jasmin Paris, a mild-mannered veterinarian from Scotland was smashing records in the ultramarathon world. It wasn’t too long before Jasmin set her sights on the Barkley. It’s not everyday you make history. For Jasmi…

1
Back To The Boundary Waters 30:24

2M ago30:24

30:24

Erik Grams has been taking trips to the Boundary Waters in Minnesota for over 30 years. It's his favorite place in the world. But last year, a fatal accident on a fishing trip that Erik was leading changed his life. On this episode from our friends at Points North, we hear Erik's harrowing story and how he has wrestled with his feelings about a pla…

1
Mountain Reinvention 1:01:23

3M ago1:01:23

1:01:23

After his personal life takes a surprise turn, Luis Alonzo dares to reinvent himself by trying something far outside his comfort zone– climbing Mt. Rainier. With a crew of other novice climbers, Luis spends six months prepping for summit day. Will the climb move him closer to being the person he wants to be? Support comes from Kuat Racks Terns Use …

1
The Shorts— Without You 29:42

3M ago29:42

29:42

Loss. Grief. Healing. It’s part of being human. The emotions that almost tear us apart have the power to bring us together. Today, we bring you two powerful stories from Alison Kaplan and Monica Nigon. Support comes from Kuat Racks Terns Use code DIRTBAG to save 25% off your first order Diaries+ Members-- Their support is powering the Diaries- than…

1
Micro adventures and the joy in small things with Alastair Humphreys 52:53

3M ago52:53

52:53

Author, Adventurer and motivational speaker Alastair Humphreys has gone from cycling the world, adventuring across India and rowing the Atlantic, to appreciating the micro-adventures available on our own doorsteps. He's so enthusiastic about finding the adventure in small things, that he's written a book on it entitled Microadventures - along with …

1
Good, Good, Bad: The Never Ender 38:30

3M ago38:30

38:30

It started so harmlessly. Four years ago, professional skier Brody Leven embarked on a simple challenge – exercise outdoors everyday. In a complicated moment in time and life, it was a way to exert some control over his day to day. It was never supposed to last forever. Support comes from Kuat Racks Terns Use code DIRTBAG to save 25% off your first…

1
The Diagnosis 46:45

4M ago46:45

46:45

Matt Martin and his fiancé, Hannah, were just starting out on their shared life, when a breast cancer diagnosis rewrote the script they’d imagined for life. Matt stepped into a new role – caregiver. Life became a blur of treatment, worry and existing with unknown outcomes. After a year of caring for Hannah, Matt received the chance to attend one of…

1
Growing Home 1:22:40

4M ago1:22:40

1:22:40

Raised in the hollers of West Virginia, coal ran deep in Corey Lilly’s family, but it was the local ski hill with 600 feet of vertical that sparked his imagination and started an improbable run into professional skiing. After a head injury permanently impacted his vision and ended his career, Corey returned home to a struggling economy and the dept…

1
Good, Good, Bad: Baja Cape Loop 37:59

4M ago37:59

37:59

Welcome to Good Good Bad, our series kickstarted by our Diaries+ Members. Every adventure has its good parts, even better bits and its difficult moments. These memories create rich experiences, friendships and learning. Today, we tackle the Cape Loop, a rugged, but rewarding bikepacking loop around the southern tip of Baja. Support comes from Kuat …

1
Pico Iyer on Finding Stillness in What Remains 52:49

5M ago52:49

52:49

Pico Iyer is my guest today. In today’s episode, we discuss the need for silence and stillness in our distracted age, the metaphor of fire as both destruction and renewal, and writing as a process of discovery and attention. And we talk about his new book Aflame, which is about his thirty years visiting a Benedictine hermitage in Big Sur, Californi…

1
Local: Alastair Humphreys 39:23

5M ago39:23

39:23

To celebrate a new year and new ideas, we bring you a conversation with Alastair Humphreys, adventurer, writer, and connoisseur of the microadventure. His new book, Local, flips the idea of what it means to explore on its head. Sometimes, you can go bigger by going smaller. Submissions for The Shorts are open through January 19, 2025. Learn more or…

1
The Shorts— In Focus 31:59

5M ago31:59

31:59

As the year comes to a close, two beautiful stories about stepping back, reflecting and moving forward from Phil Herbert and N.S. David. “I had one roll of film for the whole trip, which gave me eight frames. Nine if I was lucky,” begins Phil. “I’ve done my fair share of wishing I was warm in my bed while strapped to the side of a granite monolith …

1
Live From Duluth 1:04:38

6M ago1:04:38

1:04:38

In late October, Fitz headed to Duluth, MN for a live Dirtbag Diaries in front of a packed house. Joined by professional skier and Lakota activist Connor Ryan, indie rock legend and avid runner Alan Sparhawk and adaptive advocate and adventurer Quinn Brett, it was a night to remember with stories about trying hard, healing and growth. Thanks to the…

1
Bridging Oceans 48:28

6M ago48:28

48:28

In 2020, partners Niki Choo and Jared Gentz started dreaming of an epic canoeing adventure. Two years later, they started paddling on the Pacific Ocean, embarking on a thousand-mile journey towards the Arctic that would test their skills, grit, and adaptability. Support comes from Kuat Racks Duer Through Dec 2, 2024, save 50% off your first order a…

1
The Shorts— Holding On By Letting Go 21:10

7M ago21:10

21:10

“I didn’t expect to get to the top, let alone send. I merely wanted to push the limits of what I believed was capable for myself,” writes Shara Zaia. With climbing, Shara found a space to push herself as she strove to climb harder routes and created a community of friends. Yet, even while flourishing, one question continued to arise for Shara– did …

1
A Single Map - the Final Episode 19:53

7M ago19:53

19:53

Thank you for all your support this year! I hope you'll get out and explore your own map too... For more ideas and info: www.alastairhumphreys.com/local I am proud to know these familiar little spots, for they have helped me learn to appreciate where I live and feel more attached to it, despite Thoreau’s insistence that a landscape can ‘never becom…

1
Parakeets 12:59

7M ago12:59

12:59

I cycled to a small town that I knew as a motorway junction and a monstrous snarl of a roundabout. And yet I was riding towards it down pretty lanes fringed with red and yellow leaves that swirled and spun in the wind. It was disorientating not to have thought of this place in this way before. What would I discover on the last of my fifty-two grid …

1
Tales of Terror Vol. 15 36:40

7M ago36:40

36:40

In our annual Tales of Terror, we bring you three terrifying tales. Disembodied voices. Eyes in the alder. An enchanted clearing in the forest. Grab a friend (and maybe their hand) as these tales will have you peering over your shoulder. Happy Halloween! Support comes from Kuat Racks Duer shopduer.com/Diaries to save 20% off your first order Diarie…

1
Sustainability trail-blazer David Starley on The Green Runners, FKTs and why going vegan can save the planet 48:53

7M ago48:53

48:53

David Starley is co-founder of The Green Runners, and was listed in the 2023 Edie 30 under 30 list for young people leading the way in sustainability. He's just achieved the Fastest Known Time for the Smuggler's Way in Cornwall, and continues to raise awareness about climate change through his activism and running. David and I discuss what more can…

1
Endangered Spaces: Cochamó, Chile 57:50

7M ago57:50

57:50

Tucked away in a corner of Chilean Patagonia, Valle Cochamó wasn’t going to stay hidden forever. The soaring unclimbed granite walls instilled dreams of first ascents in climbers. Industrialists eyed its free flowing rivers with their potential for hydroelectric power. Conservationists hoped it could provide a final puzzle piece of an incredible pr…

1
Mushrooms 10:44

8M ago10:44

10:44

I began today’s grid square outside the Duke of Wellington pub, which dated from 1516, two and a half centuries before Old Nosey was born. I thought about all the brawls and laughs it had seen, and the tall tales told by 500 years of drinkers. I pondered also when they’d installed a petanque court in the garden, a game surely more suited to Napoleo…

1
Winter Vacation 38:34

8M ago38:34

38:34

While most people curled up on the couch with a mug of hot cocoa, Emily Ford set out in the frigid winter to thru-hike Wisconsin’s 1200 mile Ice Age Trail. Over the course of their two and a half month winter vacation, Emily and her borrowed sled dog, Diggins, tested their endurance and found solitude, friendship, and beauty to last a lifetime. Kee…

1
Legacy 11:11

8M ago11:11

11:11

It was a morning of fresh sunshine and a chilly breeze, that day defined in The Meaning of Liff as ‘Brithdir – The first day of the winter on which your breath condenses in the air.’ There had been the first faint frost as I pedalled out this morning, pulling on thick gloves and feeling the pinch of cold on my nose. The year was drawing down. The s…

1
Kate Dunbar on reversing arthritis and reclaiming her life with a vegan wholefoods diet 45:47

8M ago45:47

45:47

Twenty year's ago, Kate Dunbar was struggling to move - riddled with joint pain and a diagnosis of psoriatic arthritis, she was on heavy medication and life seemed bleak. But when she started investigating how diet impacted her health, she transformed her condition, becoming not only pain free, but medication free. Cutting out animal products, and …

1
Conkers 11:47

8M ago11:47

11:47

As autumn approached, I was particularly looking forward to find- ing conkers. Horse chestnut trees and their appealing, polished seeds are a surefire declaration of the season. The trees were introduced into Britain from the Balkans in the 16th century. They’re not common in wild woodland, but are staples of towns, parks and villages. Insects gorg…

1
Rewilding the Valley 16:24

8M ago16:24

16:24

An episode on rewilding. Walking always feels very different from the running and cycling I usually do for exercise. I’m generally too impatient to walk somewhere if I could run or ride instead. But the way I think changes depending on my mode of transport. Slow my legs and my mind starts to slow too. When you walk, you can stop at any time to poke…

1
Pattie Gonia: Naturally Iconic 1:05:04

8M ago1:05:04

1:05:04

Wyn Wiley, often better known as Pattie Gonia, went out on a backpacking trip with an inkling of an idea and emerged walking a path. Today, Pattie Gonia’s feed is filled with joy– making music with famed cellist Yo-Yo Ma, raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for charity, headlining pride festivals, gravel biking– and most of the time it looks f…

1
Bees 11:49

8M ago11:49

11:49

A long row of black poplar trees escorted my road towards the low horizon. I passed a row of small industrial units, then a house offering rosy windfall apples and pears in a chipped, white ceramic bowl on the doorstep. Voices carried from an open upstairs window, engrossed in a Zoom call about something or other. A cluster of beehives stood in the…

1
Running Through the Dark - Jen Scotney talks of grief, resilience, and the Pennine Way 52:50

8M ago52:50

52:50

Jen Scotney, author of Running Through the Dark, is host of the Resilience Rising podcast, former Human Rights Lawyer and podiuming ultra runner, writer, coach, speaker, yoga teacher and Mountain Leader. She lives in the Scottish Highlands with husband Marcus and beagle Sherlock. Jen's book is a deeply personal account of her journey through grief …

1
How To Make Your Vote Count 35:12

8M ago35:12

35:12

Graham Zimmerman knows how to make decisions under pressure. As a professional mountain athlete, his life depends on it. Nearly a decade ago, Protect Our Winters saw this and brought him and his skillset into the political sphere to advocate for climate change legislation. In today’s episode he shares some tools from his kit to help you make your o…

1
Slow 14:14

8M ago14:14

14:14

Though the silver birch trees were turning to autumnal gold, sum- mer was back this week with a fury, despite me writing it off, but it was probably too early to speak of an Indian summer. The earliest known use of the phrase comes from a Frenchman called John de Crevecoeur in the eastern United States in 1778. It perhaps referred to a spell of war…

1
Mr Hodges 41:51

9M ago41:51

41:51

Some of the most powerful learning can happen outside the classroom. In the summer of 1975, public school teacher Mr. Hodges took 22 of his students on an unforgettable bike trip that would impact the rest of their lives. Grab your cut-off shorts, a 10-speed bike, and a sense of humor, and you’ll be along for the ride. Submit your story for the 15t…

1
Blackberries 12:23

9M ago12:23

12:23

Today’s grid square was a rare outing to the far side of the river, to the very edge of the map itself. It felt like a new country. Over that next hill lay lands unknown, and maybe even dragons. I cycled up a stony bridleway through a wood, making sure to savour the greenness before the leaves fell for another year, to store away the memories as no…

1
Thistles 9:53

9M ago9:53

9:53

The gate’s clang startled a buzzard who lumbered off the ground and flew into the sanctuary of the trees. I stood still in the field, feeling myself beginning to slow down and unwind. I breathed in the smell of hay, blinked at the sunshine, and reminded myself that things couldn’t be too bad if I got to call this ‘work’. Riding here had been a conf…

1
Access 13:45

9M ago13:45

13:45

A good old chunter about access rights, the right to roam, and Scandinavia's approach to allemansrätten. My hopes were high. It was a perfect sunny day and the grid square looked enticing on paper. It was mostly woodland, with some contour lines, a small lake and the site of a Roman villa thrown in for luck. There was only one building on the whole…

1
Testing The Waters 55:47

9M ago55:47

55:47

Luke, Job, and Jonah have been best friends since childhood, and with the end of high school looming, they set out on their biggest adventure yet. During a month-long quest to canoe from Job’s backyard in Franklin, Tennessee, to the Gulf of Mexico, they encounter storms, venomous spiders, and alligators putting their skills and stoke are put to the…

1
Swimming 11:05

9M ago11:05

11:05

I cycled to today’s grid square with Test Match Special playing in my headphones. Listening to the ebb and flow of a cricket match arcing towards its conclusion is one of my greatest pleasures. I turned it off reluctantly when I arrived so that I could concentrate on what I was exploring. I began outside a working man’s club with a fluttering Union…

1
Daybreak 5:58

10M ago5:58

5:58

It seemed to me, walking and cycling through this year on my map, that the seasons move in two ways: gradually, then suddenly. No change, no change, no change... and then one morning the new season is well on its way, overlapping the previous one in its eagerness to get going. I caught the first embryonic smells of autumn today, along with heavy de…

1
Meet Your Heroes 47:37

10M ago47:37

47:37

Jim Donini has been a climber for over 50 years– since well before Tad McCrea was born. As the two developed an unlikely intergenerational friendship during an epic trip in the mountains of Patagonia, both climbers realize that mentorship isn’t just about showing someone the ropes on your way to the summit. It’s about reflecting on the joys, regret…

1
Streets 13:11

10M ago13:11

13:11

I had waited for the rain showers to pass before heading out today, but I was forced to shelter from a fresh cloudburst beneath a bowed old horse chestnut tree. Sheets of water slid down the road and dampened my enthusiasm. I had, however, spotted the map symbol for a pub on today’s grid square, and I had little to do later. ‘Go for a look around t…

1
Polytunnels 14:14

10M ago14:14

14:14

I filled my bottles with ice before heading out this morning. It was the hottest day of the year, and Britain was parched by an unusually severe drought. As I got ready, I heard on the radio that 20cm of rain had fallen in an hour in Germany, causing floods that killed almost 200 people. The last of the morning dew felt cool on my toes as I cycled …

1
The Shorts— Lookin' For Love 31:52

10M ago31:52

31:52

Love is a journey full of twists and turns. RC Shaw and Scott Johnson each found this out on their romps in the wild. Both barely made it, and their stories warn weary listeners of the dangers that lurk when falling too fast. Support Comes From Diaries+ Subscribers-- Thank you! Want more episodes? Become a member today. Incogni States of Adventure–…

1
Viewpoints 10:56

10M ago10:56

10:56

Includes a polite argument about land access and the right to roam. I sat down on an overgrown, underused bench outside a derelict timber-framed pub to squeeze out my socks. The men in hi-vis jackets from the water board had warned of a deep flood on the road, but I thought, ‘Come on, lads, how deep can it be?’ and pedalled on. ‘Pretty deep,’ was t…

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Alastair Humphreys Podcasts

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