Ep. 1019: Trekking Across the Namibian Desert - Gillian Millar

At 55, Dierdre began long-distance running and has done numerous marathons, half-marathons, and other races. At 59, she began rock climbing, and at 66, she became the oldest woman to climb Yosemite’s iconic El Capitan. This year, she celebrated her 70th birthday by going up El Cap again and camping on the summit.She’s from New York City and has taught five foreign languages on three continents for 44 years. Her writing has appeared in books, in magazines worldwide, and has won awards. Her independent publishing company produced several award-winning and international sellers. A musician all her life, Dierdre founded and conducted the West Sacramento Community Orchestra, and played in many community orchestras on flute, clarinet or piano/keyboard.Oh yeah, she’s also the mother of climbing legend, Alex Honnold. You can find her book, The Sharp End of Life pretty much anywhere. Blog: www.dierdrew.usInstagram: @dierdrewolownick Facebook: Dierdre WolownickSupport The Adventure Sports Podcast monthly by going to Patreon.com/AdventureSportsPodcast or make a one-time donation to the show here. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/adventure-sports-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

28 Helmi 202259min

Tamela Rich began her love affair with the open road as a child, traveling with her family in the Vista Cruiser wagon from Ohio to California every other summer. She re-discovered America in the wake of a personal crisis when she learned how to ride a motorcycle and took her first solo cross-country ride. Tamela learned to ride when she was 48 and three months after getting her motorcycle endorsement, took off on an 18-state 7500-mile solo trip from North Carolina to Oregon and back. Since then she's traveled 47 states and 5 Canadian provinces on her motorcycle, mostly solo. Her award-winning book, "Live Full Throttle: Life Lessons from Friends Who Faced Cancer" was based on two years of cross-country motorcycling for cancer causes. Tamela is also writing her new book "Fear: How to communicate with the Great Messenger of Life". If you have a great story about fear or questions about fear, feel free to contact Tamela through her website.www.tamelarich.comFacebook: facebook.com/tamelarichTwitter: @TamelaRichDo you want to take charge of your health and wellness and have better sleep, more energy, and a healthier immune system? InsideTracker can help you get there through their ultra-personalized performance system that analyzes data from your blood, DNA, and lifestyle. Get 25% off the entire InsideTracker store by going to InsideTracker.com/adventuresportsCheck out Mason’s recent interview on the Backcountry Marketing podcast. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/adventure-sports-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

24 Helmi 20221h 6min

Hey folks! I was not able to upload an episode ahead of my most recent trip. I'm sharing some stories from the trip in this mini-episode and we'll be back on Thursday with a regular episode. I mentioned Frazer Buntin's episode in this chat. Ep. 717: How to Pull off an Epic Yearly Adventure With Your Friends - Frazer BuntinSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/adventure-sports-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

21 Helmi 202210min

Originally aired January 11, 2021After needing a break from her career in film and TV, Sophie took a very fortuitous turn in her life by finding the most random job she could, milking camels. If you didn’t realize camels could be milked, neither did I. To make a long story short, Sophie fell in love with camels and never went back to her old career. Her ongoing 5-year passion for camels has taken her to places like The Flinders Ranges, Lake Eyre and The Tirari Desert, Uluru, Michigan USA, Texas, and Rajasthan India. At some point in the pursuit to learn more about these amazing creatures, Sophie got the idea to cross Australia on foot while being accompanied by 5 wild (or “feral”) camels. This would not only entail catching and taming 5 out of upwards of a million wild camels that roam Australia, but also walking thousands of kilometers across the vast and void Australian Outback. Keep in mind, Australia is the geographic size of the US with 1/10th of the population. A wild idea indeed!Today Sophie joins us from just over the halfway point of the journey in the bizarre little town of Coober Pedy. Check out this past Monday’s episode for an update to this adventure. www.sophiematterson.comInstagram: @sophiemattersonFacebook Coast-to-Coast-to-camel-trekSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/adventure-sports-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

18 Helmi 20221h

We first caught up with Sophie early last year on episode 695 to hear about the first half of this epic adventure. Today we hear the second half.How the adventure started:After needing a break from her career in film and TV, Sophie took a very fortuitous turn in her life by finding the most random job she could, milking camels. If you didn’t realize camels could be milked, neither did I. To make a long story short, Sophie fell in love with camels and never went back to her old career. Her ongoing 5 year passion for camels has taken her to places like The Flinders Ranges, Lake Eyre and The Tirari Desert, Uluru, Michigan USA, Texas and Rajasthan, India. At some point in the pursuit to learn more about these amazing creatures, Sophie got the idea to cross Australia on foot while being accompanied by 5 wild (or “feral”) camels. This would not only entail catching and taming 5 out of upwards of a million wild camels that roam Australia, but also walking thousands of kilometers across the vast and void Australian Outback. Keep in mind, Australia is the geographic size of the US with 1/12th of the population.Today Sophie joins us having just completed the journey in December. Jude, Delilah, Charlie, Clayton, and Mac all made it to the finish line in Byron Bay, NSW. www.sophiematterson.comInstagram: @sophiemattersonFacebook Coast-to-Coast-to-camel-trekSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/adventure-sports-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

14 Helmi 20221h 16min

Originally “aired” May 27, 2019Last summer, Benjamin Jordan realized his lifelong dream of flying his paraglider along the entire length of Canada's southern Rocky Mountains.From Roosville, Montana to Prince George, BC, the 37-year old, Nelson-based filmmaker flew his wind-powered aircraft across some of BC's and Alberta's most rugged wilderness while having to make strategic landings atop mountains to avoid electrical storms or touching down within the forbidden boundaries of Banff National Park.Despite the many challenges he encountered along the way, none compared to the psychological struggle of sitting alone in the alpine for weeks at a time, waiting for poor weather or wildfire smoke to clear so that he could fly on. Able to carry no more than 12-days of food, Jordan would occasionally land in populated areas to refuel before heading back up into the nearest summit to re-launch.Of the entire expedition, Jordan was most nervous, and excited, about soaring over the glaciers and alpine lakes of Jasper National Park, North America's only National Park to allow Paraglider travel. Though its remoteness and mystery have caused pilots to stay away, Jordan dedicated a complete year to studying Jasper's unique topography with the ambitious dream of becoming the first person to fly across her entirety.Despite extended waits between flights, his fortune continued for 50 consecutive days until the unprecedented levels of wildfire smoke of late August left Jordan with no choice but to complete his 1200 km, un-supported journey on foot. During a 4-day (214 km) walk from McBride to Prince George, Jordan had time to reflect on his unique accomplishment while stepping into the record books for the Longest Vol-Biv (Fly-Camp) Expedition in America.A film depicting the entire journey will be released in the Spring of this year at theendlesschain.combenjaminjordan.com@benjaminjordanadventuretheschoolofdreams.org (philanthropic paragliding school in Malawi)Support The Adventure Sports Podcast monthly by going to Patreon.com/AdventureSportsPodcast or make a one-time donation to the show here. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/adventure-sports-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

10 Helmi 20221h 12min

Alan didn’t start his long-distance career until the age of 62! Since discovering his love for adventures he has logged over 20,000 miles in the last decade with accomplishments like hiking the John Muir Trail (twice), the Colorado Trail (twice), the Pacific Crest Trail, the Appalachian Trail, and half of the Continental Divide Trail. He has also bicycled the US Pacific Coast, across the US on the Southern Tier, and Northern Tier Routes. All this has been in his 60’s and 70’s. This continued love for adventure, however, came from the most unexpected of places, a near-death experience on the Pacific Crest Trail. The life-threatening accident completely changed the way he viewed the world and led him to make the healthy choices he’s incorporated into his daily life, which he attributes to his ability to do these adventures at his age. This is a great tale full of wisdom and inspiration that I know you’ll enjoy. To learn more about Alan and his book click the links below. alantcarpenter.comlongdistanceadventures.comDo you want to take charge of your health and wellness and have better sleep, more energy, and a healthier immune system? InsideTracker can help you get there through their ultra-personalized performance system that analyzes data from your blood, DNA, and lifestyle. Get 25% off the entire InsideTracker store by going to InsideTracker.com/adventuresportsSupport The Adventure Sports Podcast monthly by going to Patreon.com/AdventureSportsPodcast or make a one-time donation to the show here. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/adventure-sports-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

7 Helmi 20221h 3min

Originally aired on April 29, 2019.Erik is an experienced peak-bagger, long-distance hiker, author (of seven books), and has immense amounts of knowledge about off-trail travel and wilderness adventuring, especially in the northeast of America. He has climbed over 200 remote peaks in the Adirondacks during winter, with many of them not having a trail to the summit. He’s an expert in toponym research (why things are named what they are) and sustainable trail design.All this knowledge and skill has led him to achieve what many outdoor enthusiasts can only dream of, creating his own thru-hiking route; the Trans Adirondack, a 235-mile backpacking route in the Adirondack mountains that includes off-trail navigation and bushwacking. It’s broken down like this, 182 miles of trails (76%), 50 miles of roads (21%), and 8 miles of trackless woods (3%) to get from one end of the Adirondack Park to the other.His knowledge is vast, his demeanor unassuming, and his attitude superb. I hope you’re as inspired as I am after this conversation with a truly humble legend of trail travel and development.Don’t forget to buy some of his books at the links below!transadk.combeechwoodbks.com@transadkSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/adventure-sports-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

4 Helmi 202250min