Matt Pycroft on Everyday Adventure, Wadi Rum & The Right To Roam

Adventure Diaries

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In this RECAP EPISOE (listen to the full episode here) , filmmaker and expedition leader Matt Pycroft shares two closing reflections that land like calls to both action and awareness. The first—a Call to Adventure—challenges how we define the word “adventure” itself.

Matt offers a twofold prompt: shift your mindset, and shift your map. You don’t need a plane ticket or a passport to have a meaningful experience in the wild. Start by walking somewhere familiar, but notice it differently—what are five things you’ve never seen before? What does it smell like now, and what might it feel like in six months’ time? That’s adventure, too.

And then, for something a bit bolder: visit Wadi Rum, Jordan’s desert jewel. Sandstone peaks, Bedouin guides, and remote starlit bivvies—this is the backdrop of Lawrence of Arabia and Dune, and it’s accessible, affordable, and unforgettable.

For his Pay It Forward, Matt names two causes close to his heart:

1. 1% for the Planet – A movement built around giving back. Members commit 1% of income to environmental causes, connecting everyday people and businesses to vetted charities. Matt’s own team partners with Moors for the Future, supporting local conservation in the UK.
2. The Right to Roam Campaign – A sharp, necessary conversation about land access in England and Wales. Matt advocates for civil trespass as a political act, inspired by Nick Hayes’ Book of Trespass. In Scotland, the right to roam is enshrined. Elsewhere in the UK, it’s not. If that surprises you, it should.

📍 Topics in this episode:

• Redefining adventure through awareness and mindset
• Wadi Rum travel guide and cultural insight
• Ethical travel, conservation, and supporting local guides
• 1% for the Planet and sustainable giving
• The politics of access and the Right to Roam

🎒 Follow Matt Pycroft:
Instagram: @mattpycroft
Podcast: The Adventure Podcast
Company: Coldhouse Collective

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