In this episode, Daniel speaks to Bee Leask, an inspirational person whose enthusiasm for exploring the Scottish landscapes is infectious. Bee was born on Shetland and from an early age lived a life outdoors. Today, she’s getting close to climbing all the 282 Scottish Munros, often running them, as well as any other activity you can manage outdoors from winter mountaineering to cycling.
They talk about her favourite Scottish adventures, how what she takes on the mountains has changed over the years, and inspiring other people to get outdoors. Bee is a passionate advocate for adventure and Scotland. Find her on Instagram at @bumblebambi.
Looking for more Scottish inspiration? Hear from fellow Scot, trail runner Ross Branigan who shares his love for running these inspiring landscapes. You can also get inspired for your own hiking adventures with these recommended UK hikes from #TeamMontane, including a couple based north of the border!
In this episode Daniel speaks to Ed Salisbury, Will Tucker and Jon Moy, three freeskiers and mountaineers, who have embarked on a remarkable journey to become the first people to climb and ski the tallest mountain on each of the seven continents: Kilimanjaro in Africa, Denali in Alaska, Antarctica to Indonesia, and finishing on a winter expedition on Everest.
But as the trio began their adventure, the true toll of climate change became apparent and it dawned on them that they could be the last people to ski the fragile glaciers on these mountains – one of them is due to disappear next year. The focus of the project changed. In this episode, they talk about the power of realisation, how it changed how they live and the real, tangible differences that anyone can make to help. It’s a story of adventure, of realisation and ultimately of hope.
You can find them @thelastrideproject on Instagram and see some frankly astonishing footage at thelastrideproject.com.
In this episode, we speak to Ross Brannigan, a Scottish-born writer and environmentalist who has a passion for mountains, especially running up them quickly. In May, he published his first book, Running Adventures Scotland. We spoke about his career in the outdoors, the dangers of becoming too obsessed with running and some of the best trail running routes in Scotland and the Lake District (where he is now based).
Not only that but alongside his passion for running, Ross is also a keen fastpacker and cyclist - having just recently bikepacked in the Outer Hebrides and been involved in the Transcontinental Race. He’s a lovely guy with loads of interesting adventure stories, that we’re sure will inspire you whether you’re a runner, or not.
In this episode of the Further. Faster. Podcast we chat to Jordan Wylie. This is Jordan's second appearance. Last time we spoke to Jordan, it was the height of lockdown and he'd just abandoned a paddle boarding challenge around Great Britain after making it halfway.
You may also recognize him as one of the hunters on the TV show "Hunted." In the background he's also building a school in Dijouti, running very cold marathons and campaigning on mental health issues - in particular social media addiction and abuse.
So as we look ahead to World Mental Health Day on October 10th, we spoke to him about his own journey, how we can help our children, and how we can help ourselves. It's an essential, yet as always with Jordan, entertaining episode.
The Montane Dragon's Back Race is the world's toughest mountain race - an event that pushes ultra runners to their absolute limits as they traverse north to south across Wales's rugged peaks.
One runner who knows the race better than most is Helene Whitaker- the winner of the inaugural race way back in 1992, alongside her racing partner Martin Stone. After a lengthy hiatus (discover more about the race's history in this dedicated story behind) Helene joined the start line once again, when the race finally returned 20 years later. She went on to finish first woman and 4th overall.
We catch up with this legendary dragon slayer to find what first inspired her to take on the Dragon's Back Race, her love of fell running, and the enduring lure of this gruelling multi-stage route. Like what you hear? Don't miss your chance to hear from fellow dragon slayer and #TeamMontane runner Simon Roberts, who share's his top tips to slay the dragon.
Welcome to an extra special podcast episode recorded live at the epic Montane Lakeland 50 & 100, one of the UK’s premier ultras. Based in the Lake District National Park, racers take part in either a 50-mile route, or qualify to take on a lengthier 100-mile route, navigating some of the region’s lesser known peaks.
Both routes are an incredible feat of physical and mental endurance and attract hundreds of racers each year to take on the now notorious challenge. Amongst them are countless inspiring tales, from people running for an extraordinary cause, to those returning to brave the route once again. Our podcast hosts Graham Oakes and Charlie Bryant chat to a just a few of them, including members of #TeamMontane who took part and the mastermind behind the race himself, Marc Laithwaite.
So sit back, grab a cuppa and prepare to absorb the incredible atmosphere of this unique ultra event in the Lake District. Who knows, maybe you’ll be eager to join the ballot for the 2023 event by the time it’s finished? For those still eager for more Lakeland action, don’t miss our official event debrief, as well as the story behind the event which provides insight into the origins of the Lakeland 50 & 100.
In this week’s episode, we chat to Montane athlete Rebecca "Becks" Ferry from Tiblisi, Georgia. Rebecca is one of those people who seizes opportunities and in doing so she has accomplished some amazing things. She has recently climbed six 8000m peaks, including K2, making her the first British woman to successfully reach the summit.
On top of her climbing exploits, she has raced ultra-distances in Menorca, Arizona and the Himalayas. This September she’ll also be tackling the Montane Dragon’s Back, one of the toughest mountain races in the world. Plus, Becks is about to qualify as a helicopter pilot.
As always, thanks for listening and we'd love it if you could leave a review/rating wherever you get your podcasts.
In this weeks episode, host Daniel Neilson, chats with adventurer Alice Morrison. Alice is one of those people who you would say ‘lives life’, describing herself as Indiana Jones for girls - crossing Jordan, running the Marathon de Sables, and cycling 8,000 miles from Cairo to Cape Town in the Tour D'Afrique. She has also written four books and made a BBC2 series about her adventures.
We speak to Alice from her home in Morocco, where she describes the story of her latest book 'Walking With Nomads', giving up the corporate world for a life of adventure, and a glimpse at the alarming sex life of camels.
Her latest book, Walking With Nomads, is out now. You can find more details at alicemorrison.co.uk. As always, thanks for listening and we'd love it if you could leave a review wherever you get your podcasts.
In this episode, host Daniel Neilson speaks to ultra-athlete, Ed Harris. Ed is one of those people who like to run ludicrous distances, pretty quickly. Ahead of the Montane Summer Spine, the fair-weather version of the 268-mile endurance race from Edale in the Peak District to the Scottish Borders. For those unfamiliar, this is regarded as one of the toughest races on earth - you can learn more about it in this official story behind it.
Although Ed won't be on the line on June 18th, he previously competed in the inaugural Summer edition in 2021, finishing 4th place by running a total of 94 hours and 33 minutes. Daniel and Ed discuss how to keep going when things seem very far away, how his training has shifted to focus on his wellbeing, and why the scenery of the Spine race is one of the biggest motivations.
In this episode, host Daniel Neilson speaks with Emily Law and Ben Roberts who are both climbers, and instruct on the Mountains in Wales.
The trajectory of climbing skills isn’t always straightforward. In fact, there’s one big elephant in the room, one which Emily confronts head-on in her short film Free to Fall. Falling is a real fear at most levels of climbing, and one we all need to address, whether you're just starting out or hitting the lofty grades that Ben Roberts is tackling at the moment.
Emily discusses how she overcame these fears, the methods she used to combat that, and how these skills can be used in other parts of everyday life.
In this week’s episode, host Daniel Neilson speaks to runner and author Rachel Ann Cullen. She took an extraordinary running experience – one that became loaded with negativity – and turned it into an inspiring book about running and positive mental health in her first book Running For My Life.
In her latest book, Running For Our Lives, the subtitle tells it all: Stories of everyday runners overcoming extraordinary adversity. It's a voice for runners of all types who have found running can help deal with mental health struggles, grief and other serious traumas. In this conversation, we cover her own story of running, unpack how running can sometimes reinforce negative issues, and in turn offer practical ways to help everyone achieve a positive experience when they run.
Hello and welcome to Further Faster brought to you by Montane. Host Daniel Neilson talks to ultra athletes, explorers, filmmakers, climbers and those involved in the outdoor world who are at the top of their game, to find out why they do what they do and how they do what they do.
In this episode, we touch on a subject we’ve not really covered before...the topic of bikepacking! To help guide us through it is a gravel riding enthusiast Katherine Moore, who is also the senior editor at Komoot, a popular route planning tool for cyclists. Tune in for a delightful chat understanding how she got into bikepacking, and how you can get into it too. We also talk about the things you can see on the trails – about birds, about wildlife, talking about the change in the seasons… basically a reminder that cycling doesn’t have to be about chasing Strava times.
Feeling inspired? Take a look at Montane's bikepacking kit on the website for your chance to get geared up for a cycling adventure.
In this podcast, host Daniel Neilson speaks with Dr Catherine Flitcroft, Access and Conservation Officer at the British Mountaineering Council. The BMC is an organisation that represents the needs of climbers, hillwalkers and mountaineers, all the while helping protect the landscape that allows us to fulfil our passions.
Montane has supported the BMC’s Climate Project, raising more than £25,000 from sales of the Montane x BMC clothing collaboration. That money has translated into planting more than 1,000 square metres of sphagnum moss. In the following conversation, Dr Catherine Flitcroft talks about her work at a policy level, about how we can help preserve our landscapes and why sphagnum moss is a miracle plant that can help combat climate change. It’s fascinating. Learn about Montane’s partnership with the BMC at montane.com/bmc.
In this episode, host Daniel Neilson talks to Andrew Arell, who is the Race Director of The Grand Traverse. For the first time in 2022, Montane is headline sponsoring this prestigious, 40-mile, point-to-point ski race.
Starting in Crested Butte, Colorado, racers tackle the Elk Mountain Range, climbing 6,500 feet (2088m) to finish in Aspen. This years race is taking place on April 2nd to 3rd. In recent years the race has also added 2 additional summer experiences. Held in September, racers can tackle the route on foot or on mountain bikes.
Andrew gives us his point of view as the director and delves into the complexities of organising a race that heads deep into the backcountry, with the risks of extreme weather and avalanche terrain. Most importantly he wants everyone to be safe and have a great experience.
Thanks for listening! Please leave us a rating or review and we’ll be back in a couple of weeks.
In part two of our International Women’s Day special, guest host Jenny Tough catches up with Montane athlete Katy Parrott the night before she flies to Northern Sweden to take part in the Lapland Arctic Ultra.
In this far-reaching interview, the two delve into Katy’s preparation for the race and her impressive career. She also tells us about how her Mum was her source of inspiration growing up and pushed her to go outside her comfort zone. Jenny and Katy also discuss their shared love of painting as a way of decompressing and how everyone appreciates art in their own way. It’s an amazing, inspirational conversation.
If you’re enjoying these podcasts as much as we enjoy making them, please leave a rating or review wherever you listen to your podcasts.
Listen to Part 1 of this special International Women's Day podcast here: Jessie Leong IWD22 (Part 1/2)
Welcome to Further Faster, brought to you by Montane. This is first of a couple of podcasts with guest host Jenny Tough, an adventurer and author, who, having run across a mountain range on every continent is now cycling across a mountain range in every continent… in 12 months.
In this episode, Jenny speaks to fellow Montane athlete Jessie Leong, who is a mountaineer, adventure photographer and storyteller. They discuss mountaineering, learning new skills, as well as the inspiring Victorian Alpine climber Lucy Walker.
If you’re enjoying these podcasts as much as we enjoy making them, please leave a review wherever you find these podcasts.
In this episode, Daniel chats with Ellie and Matt Green of Summit Fever Media , an adventure film and content creation production company.
They tell us about their careers and how they first got into the filmmaking industry, as well as their latest film “The Longest Line.” The film followed Jenny Graham and Calum Maclean on the longest straight-line between two roads in the UK and has gone on to win various awards at prestigious film festivals. Their film is now available to watch on YouTube and you can follow Matt and Ellie on Instagram.
Please don’t forget to leave us a rating or review wherever you listen to your podcasts.
*Warning: Contains some explicit language.
In this episode, host Daniel Neilson talks to alpinist, filmmaker, and climate change advocate Graham Zimmerman. Graham has taken on some of the biggest mountains in the world, such as K2 and Link Sar, and uses his stories to help make the world a better place.
He offers thought-provoking insights into his exceptional climbing career, much of it in the Greater Ranges, and his work with Protect Our Winters. POW is a climate action charity that brings together pro athletes and passionate outdoor enthusiasts to raise awareness and bring about systemic climate change solutions.
If you’re enjoying these podcasts as much as we enjoy making them, please leave us a rating and review so we can continue to bring you stories from inspiring people from around the world.
*Warning: Contains some explicit language.
In this episode, host Daniel Neilson talks to ultra-runner Kevin Leahy and filmmaker Adrian McCarthy.
While backpacking in Canada’s Yukon Territory, Kevin discovered the Montane Yukon Arctic Ultra. Feeling inspired, he went back a year later to tackle the 100 Mile race and won! On February 3rd 2022, he’s heading back to take on the 300-mile race. Then a few weeks later, he’s flying to Sweden for the Montane Lapland Arctic Ultra.
Filmmaker Adrian McCarthy has been following Kevin over the last two years, documenting his journey through training around Killarney, lockdowns, and cancellations as part of their documentary “1000km of Chaos.” Kevin and Adrian give us an amazing insight into preparing, training, and developing the mindset to take on hundreds of miles in extremely cold conditions.
To follow Kevin’s progress in the Montane Yukon Arctic Ultra from February 3rd visit montane.com/yukonarcticultra. You can also track Kevin from March 6th during Lapland Arctic Ultra via the Montane website. If you would like to know more about their film project visit 1000kmofchaos.com.
To kick off the new year, we're taking a look at the Montane Spine Race, a 268 mile, 7 day, winter ultra. Starting in Edale the race follows the Pennine Way through the Peak District, Yorkshire Dales, and into the Northumberland National Park over the Cheviots, finishing in Kirk Yetholm on the Scottish Border.
To start, we hear from Montane athlete Debbie Martin-Consani, who came first in the women's field, moments after she crossed the finish line. Host, Daniel Nielson chats with Montane ambassador and running coach Howard Dracup, who this year took part in the Spine Challenger North Race and took an impressive third overall. Howard tells us about the nitty-gritty of the race and how he tackled his training. And finally, we caught up with Eoin Keith, the overall winner, at the finish line.
In this episode, we speak to Jenny Graham and Calum Maclean about their challenge, which wasn't the furthest, nor the fastest, but the straightest.
A few years ago, Ordnance Survey found the longest straight line in Britain that didn't cross any paved roads. The line crosses the Cairngorms, and over four days Jenny and Calum walked that line, crossing whatever they came up against.
On hand were Matt and Ellie Green from Summit Fever Media to record the trip. The result is The Longest Line, a short film about their exploits.
The film will be available to watch as a live premiere on December 28th at 7 p.m. via our Facebook channel and will also be available on YouTube until midnight, December 29th.
In this episode, we talk to the rising star of ultra races, Simon Roberts. This guy just keeps winning! Not least of all the recent Montane Dragon's Back Race, a mountainous 380km ultra run across Wales.
Daniel speaks to Simon about how a mindset change changed everything, some unorthodox self-motivation techniques, and his hopes for the forthcoming winter ultra, the Montane Cheviot Goat in Northumberland this weekend.
The Cheviot Goat is a 55 mile (11,500 feet of ascent) winter ultra run through Northumberland National Park. The Cheviots are a sprawling range of rolling hills straddling the Anglo-Scottish border with one of the lowest population densities anywhere in the UK, and is widely considered one of the last wild places in England.
Joanne Backshall and Steve Tonkin are the programme manager and digital lead for Fix the Fells. For 20 years, this organisation has made an astonishing impact helping to offset visitors’ impact on the Lake District fells. Just have a glance at the before and after photos on fixthefells.co.uk for the frankly jaw-dropping changes that have been made by this inspiring team.
Over the years, more than £10 million worth of donations have been made to help support this cause. This year, Montane are also donating money to Fix The Fells on Black Friday – instead embracing Green Friday. In addition to this, we also are matching funding people who raise funds for Fix The Fells when running the George Fisher Tea Round. If you’ve not heard of the tea round, google it - you'll want to give it a try!
In this podcast they share the history of Fix the Fells, where it all began and what it’s all about. But most importantly they discuss what we can all do to help stop erosion, so we can maintain the biodiversity of the Lake District’s landscapes for future generations. Listen in.
Welcome to Further Faster in association with Montane. In this episode, recorded on the day COP26 opened, host Daniel Neilson spoke to two guys who have just made a film – 14 Days South: Over Sea & Land – highlighting the good news stories of climate solutions across the UK.
Pedal4Parks is a group of five friends who, over 14 days, cycled from the Orkney to the Isles of Scilly through six national parks and speaking to a staggering 26 organisations involved in wildly differing solutions to climate change.
Issac Kenyon, one of the five eco-adventurers explains why they embarked on this huge project. Also joining him is filmmaker Kev Merrey from SkyRise Productions who talks about the challenges of filming both the adventure and the interviews of so many people.
They start with news, the film is being shown at COP26! Eager to find out more? Listen to our podcast to find out more about their incredible journey across the British Isles by bike.
Follow Pedal4Parks on Instagram.
Welcome to the Further. Faster. Podcast in association with Montane. The host Daniel Neilson speaks to ultra-athletes, mountaineers, climbers and explorers to talk about how they do what they do and why they do it.
This episode's guest is a climber, an exceptional climber, but one who has been described as 'controversial' and 'notorious'. Notorious for the new routes he's achieved, and notorious for the risks he takes – sometimes leading to unimaginably huge falls. Perhaps it was this notoriety that led filmmaker Al Lee to focus his lens on Franco Cookson for his forthcoming film "Fall Theory." In a thoroughly entertaining interview, they discuss why he takes such great risks, the mindset it takes to make a fall, and why the North York Moors is the centre of the universe. It's a fun one... Listen in!
Hello and welcome to Further Faster, in association with Montane. I’m Daniel Neilson and it’s my job to talk to ultra athletes, explorers, climbers and mountaineers who are at the top of their game, to find out why they do what they do and how they do what they do.
So, we could call this episode a Dragon’s Back Race special. A little ode to a big race - a race big enough to be described as the toughest mountain race in the world.
The 2021 edition of the race - setting off in September - covers 380km of the most beautiful Welsh landscape in 6 days, a height gain of 17,400 metres.
And in some ways, the next 40 minutes with Lowri Morgan and Chris Baynham-Hughes is that – these are two people passionate about the Dragon’s Back Race, but really what this three-way chat became was an insight into the power of races like this to foster friendships, to push boundaries that in turn benefit all elements of life, and why participating in events like this is a privilege, an adventure and, most importantly, a joy.
Hello and welcome to Further Faster in association with Montane. For season 2, we've been loosely theming our podcasts and this one has a clear thread. Yes, our two guests are both involved with bouldering what we really wanted to speak about was community, how it's built up and what other disciplines can learn from bouldering.
Annie Martin is part of one of the UK's most popular bouldering YouTube channels Bouldering Dabrats', a filmmaker, and jointly runs Beta Magazine, online climbing and outdoors magazine aimed at women. Through the magazine and YouTube channel, she's one of the figures who addresses the scene from a completely different angle. We delve into where bouldering sits in the climbing scene as a whole, and the large and supportive community that has developed around the Bouldering Dabrats channel.
But their inspiration was Bouldering Bobat, a YouTube channel with more than 25 million views. We have a refreshingly honest conversation with founder member Omar Bobat about the foundations of the channel, the larger community and how he found himself, perhaps unwittingly, at the vanguard of a new generation of climbers and boulderers. And be warned: No matter if your a runner, climber, mountaineer, you will be considering your own YouTube channel by the end... listen in.
Hello and welcome to Further Faster, in association with Montane. In each episode, host Daniel Neilson talks to two guests who push the boundaries. They could be explorers, mountaineers, or in the case of this episode, ultra runners or endurance athletes.
This episode is about fear, or, rather, overcoming fear. Fear of failure, fear of the unknown, or simply, oh-my-god-what's-that-coming-out-of-the-dark-right-at-me type of fear. How do you mitigate fear? How to you overcome fear? How do you harness fear? We speak to Debbie Martin Consani, a runner and friend of the podcast. She is a brilliant runner. In her first Spine Race, one of the most gruelling races on the planet, she came second. We talk about training, preparing from the unknown, and why you should do something every year very much out of your comfort zone.
But first Daniel spoke to Jordan Wylie, a former soldier, a hunter in the TV programme Hunted and maritime security expert. He's rowed solo across the Horn of Africa, ran through Afghanistan, Iraq and Somalia and, most recently, paddleboarded more than 2000km around the coast of Britain. But in a candid interview, Jordan is probably facing his biggest challenge of all: dealing with mental health issues during the pandemic. And if you're affected by any of these issues, remember there's always help available. Listen in to Jordan and Debbie's inspiring stories of bravery and adversity and ultimately, success.
Welcome to Further, Faster in association with Montane. Today Daniel Neilson is talking distance and time. Long distances and a long time in the wilderness. With two hugely experienced guests, we’re discussing how you prepare for long expeditions, how you transition into them and, seemingly more difficult, transitioning back into a busy world.
Joining us is Montane athlete Jenny Tough who is one expedition away from completing her challenge to run solo and unsupported across a mountain range in every continent. We speak to her from her home in British Colombia having just navigated the Rockies.
We also speak to Robert Mads Anderson, one of the world’s leading high altitude climbers. He's led new routes on Everest’s Kangshung face and climbed the seven summits solo. His latest book, Expeditions to Everest, tells of his nine trips to the world’s highest mountain, leading groups, and how different personalities react on the mountain. Listen in.
Welcome to Series 2 of Further. Faster. in association with Montane. Yep, we're back to our monthly schedule after a break and host Daniel Neilson is starting off with two fascinating guests:
First, we speak to Hamish Frost, a photographer who specializes in taking pictures in rubbish Scottish mountain weather... that's to say, the best mountain weather! We learn about he became a professional outdoor photographer and his inspirations.
Continuing the theme of professional development, our main interview is with the remarkable Becky Coles. Becky is an expedition leader with a PhD in Glacial Geomorphology. We follow her route from keen walker to climbing some of the most remote peaks in the world, in places including Afghanistan and Central Asia.
Wrap up warm... this episode contains wind, snow, adventure and mishap.
Hello and welcome to Further, Faster in association with Montane. My name is Daniel Neilson and in these podcasts, I speak to athletes, explorers, mountaineers and climbers and ask why they do what they do, why they put themselves through such strain.
In this special episode, I spoke to John Kelly. You may have heard of him recently, as he's just won the Montane Spine Race, a non-stop 268-slog across the country, and generally regarded as one of the hardest endurance races in the world. And then you learn that John also finished the infamous Barkley Marathon – watch the Netflix documentary if you haven't heard of it. He is only the 15th person in its history to do so.
So, how does he do it? And why? If there's something we've learnt over the last couple of years making the Further. Faster. Podcast, is that everyone has a very different approach.
Listen in.
Hello, and welcome to Further, Faster in association with Montane. My name is Daniel Neilson and in these podcasts, I speak to athletes, climbers and explorers in an attempt to understand why they do what they do, what makes them so tenacious and successful.
My guest this month perhaps understands this better than most. After all, he's dedicated his life to documenting remarkable journeys; whether that's first ascents on Baffin Island or following my recent guest Jesse Dufton lead up the Old Man of Hoy, a remarkable feat for someone almost entirely blind. Al Lee's resulting film Climbing Blind has so far won the Grand Prize at the Kendal Mountain Festival and the Best Climbing Film at the Torello Mountain Film Festival. Inevitably there are plenty more gongs on its way.
Why? Well, Al makes his films with such humanity, such a strong narrative hook, and avoids all the cliches. Let him tell you how he does it.
Welcome to Further Faster in association with Montane. My name is Daniel Neilson and in this series of podcasts I speak to ultra athletes, climbers, explorers and mountaineers to understand how they do what they do and why they do what they do. In this month's podcast, I speak to someone who perhaps has delved deeper than most into these questions.
If you're a climber you'll know Jerry Moffatt, he's one of the best, of all time. We speak primarily about the theories behind Mastermind, a manual of sorts for better climbing. Not the physical, not the route choice, but the psychological. It's at once alarming and affirming, insightful and exciting. I'm not a climber, but I left this conversation learning so much about what we can do to achieve our goals. This is a conversation about life, not climbing. Listen in.
Hello and welcome to Further, Faster with Daniel Neilson and in association with Montane. In Further, Faster we have an in-depth conversation with explorers, mountaineers and athletes to understand exactly why, and how, they do what they do. What is it that pushes them to the limit of human endurance and why do they feel the need to do it.
This time we’re speaking to Jesse Dufton. So who is Jesse? Well, he’s a climber. A good one. His dad first took him climbing at the 2. At the age of 11, he led his first route. His climbing life continued through his uni years, and then recently he led a climb on the Old Man of Hoy. So far, so impressive, but what you may not know about Jesse is that he is almost completely blind. His story, told in the film Climbing Blind, is touring now. Catch it at the Kendal Mountain Festival or on the BritRock tour. But first, listen in to his remarkable story.
Hello and welcome to Further, Faster in association with Montane. In Further, Faster Daniel Neilson meets explorers, mountaineers and athletes to understand exactly why, and how, they do what they do. What is it that pushes them to the limit of human endurance and why do they feel the need to do it.
Daniel posed this question to Galen Reynolds, an ultra runner from Canada, now living in the UK. A few years ago, Galen felt the need to get fit; he could barely run 5km. But this running thing soon turned into a passion. He has since ran some of the most iconic ultras in the world, including the UTMB and Montane Tor des Géants coming second on the podium in 2018. In 2019, he won the Berghaus Dragon’s Back Race, one of the world’s toughest multi-stage races. It’s a remarkable story… listen in .
Hello and welcome to Further, Faster in association with Montane. We started this podcast to delve into why mountaineers, explorers and endurance athletes do what they do. Why they push themselves, why they feel the need to put another foot forward or crank out another turn of the pedal.
In this episode, we spoke to Jenny Graham, a Scottish endurance athlete. The resulting interview fulfilled everything we set out to do. In this searingly honest conversation, we learn about her record-breaking round the world cycle, how she got into riding and running very, very long distances, and how she balances it with her work and family life. We also discuss why, through her work with The Adventure Syndicate that she co-directs, inspiring children is one of her most important aims. Jenny is a superb interviewee, we're sure you'll enjoy it. Listen in.
Welcome to Further, Faster, in association with Montane and hosted by Daniel Neilson. In this episode, we speak to Jon Gupta. He is a mountaineer. A very, very good mountaineer, one who specialises in very very big mountains. But he's also an expedition guide, notably working with a previous interviewee Steve Plain for his 7 Summits project. He's a penchant for more remote, lesser-known mountains. But over the last couple of years, he's also run the Bob Graham round, and the the 430-Yukon Arctic Ultra.. on his second attempt.
We chat as Jon was on his way to Chamonix, in his van, to climb, just for himself. At the age of 32, Jon is also going through something that nearly everyone listening to this will recognise - the search for balance. In this podcast, we delve into the choices he makes. The choices of risk and the choices of training, the choices of summits and the choices of life balance. It's a fascinating listen, disarmingly honest, plus he's a lovely fella. Listen in.
In this episode, we meet a remarkable character. He has completed some of the most difficult races in the world, including only recently the Montane Yukon Arctic Ultra, the 430-mile course, and the Montane Spine Race. So far, so impressive, until you learn that he often ‘doubles’ the race. Having completed the Spine Race he simply had a break, turned around and did it all again. Incredible!
Yet speaking to Javed Bhatti, his attitude isn’t as crazy as it first seems. There’s a logic to the ‘doubling’, there’s a logic to his preparation, there’s an exploration of the body and mind, and from that and there are deep learnings for him and for us. He’s a buoyant chap, an entertaining and insightful conversationalist, and full of information and inspiration. The rules of the game are ever so slightly different for Javed, and from that, we can all learn.
There is so much more we could have chatted about, and in time we probably will, but in the meantime, pop on your running shoes or kick back and listen to the enlightening story of Javed Bhatti. Listen in.
Dr Melanie Windridge describes herself as a speaker and writer… with a taste for adventure. She's also a plasma physicist working in fusion energy. She's also a healthy obsession with the Northern Lights, leading to her to write the groundbreaking book, Aurora: In Search of the Northern Lights. Melanie also has a blog called Science at Extremes which led from her successful Everest expedition where she took a distinctly scientific look at climbing the mountain.
In this wide-reaching conversation, we spend time discussing the importance of science on expeditions to high altitude and in turn, what we can learn from exploring these zones. Dr. Melanie Windridge is a fascinating, inspiring and eloquent interviewee. Listen in.
Welcome to Further Faster, in association with Montane. In these podcasts, presenter Daniel Neilson talks to ultra-athletes, explorers and mountaineers to discover how they do what they do and, most importantly, why.
In this episode, Daniel chats to Damian Hall. You may have come across him before. He’s a journalist and ultra runner. He’s positioned highly in the Montane Spine Race and the Ultra Tour du Mont Blanc, about which a film called Underdog was made. Most recently, with his teammate Beth Pascall, they achieved the fastest known time of the 230 mile Cape Wrath Trail. In this podcast we talk about his training, team dynamics and running 26 miles dressed as a toilet. There’s some serious stuff too. Listen in.
Welcome to Further. Faster. in association with Montane. This is the podcast that delves into why, and how, ultra athletes, mountaineers and explorers do what they do.
This is a very special edition of the podcast as we speak to ultra runner Jasmin Paris. A few days before this podcast was recorded Jasmin smashed the previous overall course record for the Montane Spine Race by an incredible 12 hours. The Montane Spine Race stretches 268 miles across the Pennine Way, and over some of the most uncompromising landscape in Britain, and of course, it's run in winter, and earns it's billing as "Britain's Most Brutal Race". Jasmin set the fastest race time ever, running through the finish line in 83 hours, 12 minutes and 23 seconds.
In this podcast we chat about the worldwide exposure she's received, the fact she was still expressing milk at the checkpoints, the training, and the strategy, she employed to win, plus what comes next. Listen in to this inspiring conversation with Jasmin.
Welcome to Further, Faster, in association with Montane. Presented by Daniel Neilson. In this episode, we talk to the legend that is Martin Hartley.
Martin could be described as a professional extreme photographer. But that doesn’t do him justice. He could be described as a polar explorer, but again, that doesn’t really cover what he does. His photos have appeared in The New York Times and Outside magazine, he’s had exhibitions at Christie’s, Royal Geographic Society and the Scott Polar Research Institute, and he is the Director of Photography for the iconic Sidetracked Magazine. He is a veteran of 20 polar expeditions, including trips working with the European Space Agency and NASA. And in 2009, he was named as one of Time magazine's most prestigious Heroes of the Environment. But he describes his proudest moment when his polar images were exhibited at the United Nations’ climate change conference in Copenhagen. Here his photography helped to influence the future of our planet on the most important stage of all. And that’s perhaps the key defining message throughout his work. More than most people on this planet, he’s seen how climate change is affecting the polar regions. He also once took the FA Cup to the South Pole, but that’s a story for another day.
In this podcast, we talk about his enduring love of the Arctic Ocean, how he keeps trudging on after months on the ice, and the terrible effects of climate change he’s observed in the 16 years he’s been visiting the Arctic, as well as hearing about cutting-edge technology that could help the effects.
So how to describe Martin? Well, listen in to this incredible, fun and insightful conversation we had with him and you’ll be a little nearer the mark.
You can follow Martin on Instagram: @MartinRHartley or check out his website: www.martinhartley.com
Welcome to episode 8 of Further Faster, in association with Montane. This is the podcast that invites ultra athletes, mountaineers and explorers to understand how, and why, they do what they do.
In this episode, presenter Daniel Neilson talks to the remarkable expedition runner and fastpacking athlete Jenny Tough (yes that's her real name!) We say expedition runner, but it’s hard to really know how to define 30-year-old Canadian, now living in Scotland. She’s a runner, of course, but these days not racing so much. It is perhaps best to define her through her remarkable feats of endurance. Fastpacking across the mountains of Kyrgyzstan for three weeks, solo and unsupported. And most recently across the Bolivian Andes.
Jenny talks about how she overcomes the physical and psychological strains of running for so long on her own. We talk about her training, and recovery, and also about the people she meets who make the mountains their home. There’s also some knitting chat. Jenny is great company. Listen in.
Welcome to the Further. Faster. Podcast, in association with Montane, the FREE podcast that asks ultra athletes, mountaineers and adventurers the why and the how of what they do.
This month we talk to Katy Parrott. Participation in the BBC programme Special Forces: Ultimate Hell Week changed Katy’s life for the better, and has since been described as ‘Tinkerbell crossed with the Terminator’. Her immense, well-rounded fitness marries seamlessly with a nose for adventure and an iron will, enabling her to cross disciplines such as mountaineering and ultra-endurance. We learn about how she deals with low moments anything from ultra marathons to a friends suicide and how teamwork can help push through the most adverse conditions.
Katy is a remarkable force with some amazing plans. Listen in for an inspiring chat with someone hell-bent on pushing their limits.
Welcome to episode 6 of the Further. Faster. Podcast, in association with Montane. This is the podcast that takes a deeper look into why, and how, ultra athletes, explorers and mountaineers do what they do. In this edition, host Daniel Neilson speaks to Montane athlete and climber Tom Ballard. Tom Ballard is one of Britain's most consummate climbers and has mastered all manner of techniques. Climbing is all he's ever wanted to do - perhaps no surprise given his mother climbed the Eiger while 6 months pregnant with him. He lives largely out of a van and spends his days climbing, and moving on, climbing some more. In this podcast speaking from the Dolomites, Tom opens up about being the first person to climb the six great North Faces of the Alps in a single winter season, a feat his mother Alison Hargreaves completed in summer when Tom was a little boy. He also talks about risk and his preparation for major climbs, as well as his passion for dry tooling. It's an enlightening interview with an extraordinary talent. We hope you enjoy… Listen in.
Welcome to Episode 5 of Further, Faster, a monthly podcast in association with Montane. This is the podcast that takes a deeper look into why, and how, ultra athletes, explorers and mountaineers do what they do. This month, host Daniel Neilson speaks to Montane ambassador and ultra runner Jen Scotney. Jen is a remarkable person. She’s a human rights lawyer by day (and sometimes night), and is also an exceptional ultra runner, placing high in the Montane Spine Challenger and the gruelling 190-mile Northern Traverse. The most remarkable is that she’s fairly new to the sport, and what makes talking to her so interesting is that all that learning, all those formative experiences are happening right now. We learn about new training routines and diet, about how wellbeing affects her running and how it interacts with her very busy work life. And how recent changes are making huge improvements to her running. Jen herself is fun to talk to and has some hilarious anecdotes. A great insight into the life of one of our best runners. We hope you enjoy… Listen in.
Welcome to episode 4 of Further, Faster, in association with Montane. This is the podcast that asks why ultra athletes, explorers and mountaineers why they do what they do. In this episode, we speak to Steve Plain who, supported by Jon Gupta, has just summited the seven highest mountains on each continent in just four months (Project 7in4) , setting a new record. Yet the journey of how he came to start the challenge, is even more interesting than the challenge itself. Listen in.
Debbie is an inspirational ultra-runner, Mum and fulltime marketing professional. Debbie became a part of the Montane athlete team in 2011 and has represented Scotland and Great Britain in 100K and 24-hour races. In 2014 Debbie Won the 2014 Montane Lakeland 100 and in 2015 placed 2nd in the shorter, and perhaps harder, Lakeland 50. Her 10-year journey with over 40 ultra-races includes classics such as the West Highland Way Race, GUCR, Transgrancanaria and Spartathlon. Following these successes, she finished the Montane Tour Des Géants in 2017, saying; “I doubt I will do many things in life that could possibly compare to TDG. I unearthed layers of myself I didn't know I had. There were moments I felt I was just torturing myself, but I never wanted to stop. The drive to finish overpowered everything” A massive leap into the unknown, she finished in 127 hours; an outstanding achievement considering the TDG is classed as one of the 5 “hardest runs” in the world. Containing 24,000m / 78,700ft of ascent (the equivalent of climbing Everest nearly three times) within its 205 miles / 330km, competitors need to be at the peak of their physical ability and mentally agile enough to cope with up to seven days of unpredictable and changeable mountain weather across an entire region of the Italian Alps. Add to this sleep deprivation, altitude acclimatisation and a cut-off time of only 150 hours. Little wonder only 50% of competitors complete the race. Debbie’s previous performance – and goals – are indicative of an athlete with the highest levels of physical and mental strength and will inspire you to get out in the mountains.
Welcome to the Further. Faster. Podcast, in association with Montane, the podcast that asks ultra athletes, mountaineers and adventurers the why and the how. In this second episode, presenter Daniel Neilson talks to British Alpinist Malcolm Bass. Malcolm discusses how he started his climbing career, his caving roots in North Yorkshire, how he manages to combine his passion with his full-time job as a Clinical Psychologist as well as how that helps him choose the ideal climbing partner, with Malcolm discussing his next Himalayan project and why he’s got the perfect personality to take on these dangerous peaks. Listen in and get inspired.
Welcome to the Further. Faster. Podcast, in association with Montane, the podcast that asks ultra athletes, mountaineers and adventurers the why and the how. In the first episode, presenter Daniel Neilson talks to ultra runner Marcus Scotney about his training, a recent race in Costa Rica (which didn't fully go to plan) and his other career as an actor. He also offers up some valuable running tips. We also speak to Robert Pollhammer, the Race Director of the Coldest Race on Earth; Montane Yukon Arctic Ultra, about the most recent race edition and what it takes to finish this epic race. Listen in and get inspired.
