SUBSCRIBERS ONLY

Get exclusive episodes, early access, and more

£3.99/mo or £39.99/yr after trial

Adventure Diaries: Exploration, Survival & Travel Stories

Chris Watson: Storyteller & Micro-Adventurer

Real adventure isn't just for the pros. The award-winning Adventure Diaries brings you authentic stories of Adventure, exploration and the wonder of the natural world, specifically curated to inspire your next adventure. Hosted by Chris Watson—an award-winning storyteller and Scottish micro-adventurer—this show bridges the gap between extreme feats and accessible everyday adventures. Whether you are a seasoned mountaineer, a weekend adventurer, a solo traveler planning your next trip, or someone seeking the mental health benefits of nature, you have found your tribe.  We go beyond the standard interview to decode the "why" and "how" behind the world's greatest adventures. What Makes This Show Different? Unlike other outdoor podcasts, every episode delivers three distinct promises to help you live a more extraordinary life: Unique Adventure Stories: Immersive storytelling from National Geographic explorers, survivalists, ultra-athletes, and frontline conservationists. From the peaks of the Seven Summits to the depths of the Amazon, experience the thrill of the unknown.Your Call To Adventure: Passive listening ends here. Each guest issues a practical challenge to inspire you to step out your front door and discover the wild places in your own backyard.Pay It Forward: We believe in sustainable travel and stewardship. Every episode highlights a specific charity, wildlife project, or community cause. Join our global community of explorers. Discover hidden gems, learn survival skills, and find the motivation to push your boundaries. Subscribe now and start your next adventure today.  Visit us: AdventureDiaries.com/Go

  1. Para Horse Rider Crosses The Pyrenees: A World First With Stephanie Quintrell

    1 day ago

    Para Horse Rider Crosses The Pyrenees: A World First With Stephanie Quintrell

    🎧 Follow the show here— it really helps Adventure Diaries reach more listeners. Thank you. Para Horse Rider Stephanie Quintrell Crosses The Pyrenees  In A World First Expedition. In 2023, Stephanie Quintrell became the first wheelchair-dependent woman to traverse the Pyrenees on horseback — five days in the saddle, over 130 kilometres from France into Spain, following the World War II Freedom Trails. In this episode, Steph shares how a sudden 48-hour illness in July 2019 changed her life, the bond with her horse Bubba that pulled her through, what it took to ride that mountain pass, and her next world-first attempt: crossing the Andes from Argentina to Chile in February 2027. Chapters 00:00 — Freedom in the Saddle01:01 — Welcome & Episode Intro02:43 — Meet Stephanie Quintrell03:52 — Growing Up with Horses06:46 — Riding Across Scotland08:21 — Meeting John & Becoming a Military Wife10:46 — 48 Hours That Changed Everything12:56 — Diagnosis: Functional Neurological Disorder15:27 — Grief, Identity & Rebuilding19:33 — The Bond That Pulled Her Through22:35 — Back in the Saddle28:15 — Forces Wives Challenge32:51 — Ride to Freedom: Crossing the Pyrenees34:16 — The Mérens Horses37:14 — Adapted Tack & Riding Gear38:15 — Day One on the Trail40:56 — Weather, Teamwork & Trust46:22 — A Day Without the Wheelchair48:35 — Crossing into Spain51:28 — What's Next: Equine Para Adventures54:01 — Ride to Independence: The Andes 202758:10 — Inspiring Others to Adventure1:03:53 — Pay It Forward: Adaptive Grand Slam1:05:18 — Call to Adventure: Get on a Horse1:07:34 — 10 Quickfire Questions1:11:43 — Where to Find Stephanie QuintrellKey Takeaways A sudden onset: Steph went from full-time working mum and competitive rider to losing the ability to walk within 48 hours in July 2019, later diagnosed with Complex Functional Neurological Disorder.Horses as freedom: In the saddle she's independent — able to access mountains and trails her wheelchair can't reach.A world first: Five days, 130+ km, ascents to 2,500 m across the Pyrenees, following WWII Freedom Trails on native Mérens horses.The wheelchair stayed strapped to the pack pony: On the toughest day, she spent nine hours out of her wheelchair entirely.Next up: Ride to Independence — crossing the Andes from Argentina to Chile, up to 4,400 m, February 2027. Equine Para Adventures Forces Wives Challenge Steph on InstagramSend us Fan Mail Support the show Thanks For Listening. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a comment and subscribe for more exciting content. Please visit AdventureDiaries.com/GO  For more authentic stories of Adventure Exploration and the natural world The Adventure Diaries Podcast also covers a broad spectrum OF topics withIN the fields of Adventure, Exploration, Micro-adventure, Survival, Mental Resilience, Conservation, Scotland, Hiking, Solo Travel, Cycling, Nature, Storytelling, Mountaineering

    1hr 13min
  2. The Worst Place to Be a Pilot:  Bush Flying Papua's Deadliest Airstrips | Matt Dearden

    11 Jun

    The Worst Place to Be a Pilot: Bush Flying Papua's Deadliest Airstrips | Matt Dearden

    🎧 Follow the show here— it really helps Adventure Diaries reach more listeners. Thank you. From a desk job in IT to flying one of the world's most dangerous bush pilot routes — Matt Dearden spent seven years flying the Pilatus Porter into 30% gradient mountain airstrips in the remote highlands of Papua, Indonesia. After landing a Susi Air co-pilot job with just 10 days' notice, Matt sold his car, rented out his house, and boarded a one-way flight to a country he'd never visited. In this episode of The Adventure Diaries, Matt shares how crippling anxiety nearly grounded his flying career, what it's like supplying indigenous Papuan villages only reachable by air, and the near-misses, jungle landings, and cultural encounters that turned a two-year plan into a seven-year adventure. Featured in Channel 4's The Worst Place to Be a Pilot and author of Flying from Shangri-La, Matt offers a rare look at frontier aviation, mental health in high-pressure careers, and the power of pushing your comfort zone — in the air and in life. Chapters 00:00 - Bush Pilot in Papua, Indonesia 2:48 — Welcome Matt Dearden to the Adventure Diaries 3:41 — Expat Childhood: Middle East to Boarding School 5:40 — RAF Cadets and the First Taste of Flying 8:37 — From IT Career to Commercial Pilot Training 12:31 — Mental Health, Anxiety, and Finding Clarity in the Cockpit 17:20 — Landing a Pilot Job in Indonesia with 10 Days Notice 20:41 — Arriving in Jakarta: Culture Shock and Susi Air Training 33:30 — Discovering Papua: Bush Flying the Pilatus Porter 50:00 — Extreme Airstrips, 30% Gradients, and Near Misses 1:08:01 — The Worst Place to Be a Pilot: Channel 4 TV Series and Book 1:13:25 — Closing Traditions: Pay It Forward, Call to Adventure & Quickfire Follow Matt https://mattdearden.co.uk/https://www.instagram.com/indopilot/His Book - Flying From Shangri La Topics: bush flying, Pilatus Porter, Susi Air, Papua Indonesia, Cessna Caravan, mountain airstrips, aviation careers, mental health, anxiety, adventure travel, expat life, career change.Send us Fan Mail Support the show Thanks For Listening. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a comment and subscribe for more exciting content. Please visit AdventureDiaries.com/GO  For more authentic stories of Adventure Exploration and the natural world The Adventure Diaries Podcast also covers a broad spectrum OF topics withIN the fields of Adventure, Exploration, Micro-adventure, Survival, Mental Resilience, Conservation, Scotland, Hiking, Solo Travel, Cycling, Nature, Storytelling, Mountaineering

    1hr 23min
  3. Raising Outside Kids in A Digital World - Henry Brydon (We Are Explorers)

    28 May

    Raising Outside Kids in A Digital World - Henry Brydon (We Are Explorers)

    🎧 Follow the show here— it really helps Adventure Diaries reach more listeners. Thank you. Today's guest is Henry Brydon — adventurer, writer, and founder of We Are Explorers (Australia's biggest adventure publication) and Outside Kids (a platform for dads raising adventurous children). In this episode, Henry shares his epic two-year, 38,000km bicycle journey from London to Sydney through 30 countries — including Central Asia in minus 30°C temperatures and the Middle East during the Arab Spring, all on a $5/day budget. He unpacks what the trip taught him, how it shaped his mission to raise adventurous kids, and why "good friction" matters for children growing up in a world full of digital distractions. This is great conversation and even more so for fathers Guest Links Outside Kids: https://outsidekids.co.ukWe Are Explorers: https://www.weareexplorers.coHenry Brydon Instagram Chapters 00:00 —"Let's go to Beijing" 00:56 — Welcome to the Adventure Diaries Podcast 02:31 — Meet Henry Brydon of Outside Kids & We Are Explorers 03:26 — Growing up in Shrewsbury & the road trip that sparked it all 07:22 — From Dubai recruiter to London–Sydney by bike 10:16 — The route: Europe → Balkans → Middle East → Asia 11:28 — Kurdistan in midwinter & the kindness of strangers 12:56 — Arab Spring, Syria, Iraq & shifting world views 16:54 — Iran, Tehran couch-surfing & Indonesia highlights 19:15 — Arriving in Sydney & meeting Susie on day one 22:35 — Lessons from the trip: agency, self-belief, comfort with uncertainty 27:20 — Founding We Are Explorers 39:13 — Why he launched Outside Kids 43:22 — Dads, rough-and-tumble & writing with humor 47:26 — "Good friction": building resilience through discomfort 50:35 — Shared family memories & making the most of time with kids 54:46 — Advice for parents new to the outdoors (start small, geocaching, litter-picking adventures) 1:01:32 — Off-grid cabin trips & digital detox with "Brick" 1:05:11 — Upcoming dads & kids camp-out (June) 1:06:35 — Pay It Forward: Marcus Skeet (The Whole Boy) 1:08:50 — Call to Adventure: Tasmania & the Franklin River 1:10:27 — 10 Fire-Round Questions 1:17:51 — Wrap-up & where to find Henry Send us Fan Mail Support the show Thanks For Listening. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a comment and subscribe for more exciting content. Please visit AdventureDiaries.com/GO  For more authentic stories of Adventure Exploration and the natural world The Adventure Diaries Podcast also covers a broad spectrum OF topics withIN the fields of Adventure, Exploration, Micro-adventure, Survival, Mental Resilience, Conservation, Scotland, Hiking, Solo Travel, Cycling, Nature, Storytelling, Mountaineering

    1hr 20min
  4. Crossing the Darien Gap: Cartels, Jungles & Hostage Training - Daniel Eggington

    14 May

    Crossing the Darien Gap: Cartels, Jungles & Hostage Training - Daniel Eggington

    🎧 Follow the show here— it really helps Adventure Diaries reach more listeners. Thank you. Daniel Eggington is an adventurer from the Black Country in the UK who has spent the last decade pushing himself deeper and deeper into the world's most demanding jungles. At 17, he booked a £500 flight to Sumatra with no plan, no preparation, and no clue — and ended up tracking a wild Sumatran tiger in the rainforest just before his 18th birthday. That trip set the trend for everything that followed. Since then, Daniel has paddled 300km down Guyana's Essequibo River in a handmade dugout canoe with indigenous Wapichan guides, encountered shapeshifters and Kanaima folklore deep in the rainforest, and — on his third attempt — crossed the Darien Gap on foot from Colombia to Panama. That four-year project involved meeting cartel commanders, hiding for ten days in a safehouse, paying the Gulf Clan $1,500 for safe passage, being abandoned by his guide on day two, and walking out alone through some of the most hostile terrain on earth. This episode covers the full story — Sumatra, the Essequibo, the Darien Gap, the hostage training that prepared him for it, and his next ambition: walking the entire length of the Congo River from Zambia to the Atlantic. Chapters: 00:00 Colombian military, the Darien border, and armed traffickers 00:39  Daniel Eggington, jungle expedition adventurer 03:34 Growing up in Birmingham — the seeds of adventure 06:11 First overseas trip — Sumatra at 17 with no plan 08:35 Encountering a wild Sumatran tiger 12:42 Why Guyana? The Essequibo River expedition begins 16:10 Buying a dugout canoe and 12 days down the Essequibo 24:55 The Kanaima — shapeshifters and indigenous belief systems 30:03 Why the Darien Gap? Four years of planning 34:12 Getting cartel permission — and an airstrike kills the contact 37:33 Meeting the Gulf Clan fixer and entering the jungle 41:24 Abandoned by the guide — alone in the Darien 44:41 Hostile environment and kidnap training 47:22 Finding a skeleton and a Venezuelan ID in the jungle 48:51 Crossing into Panama — stripped, interrogated, and finally safe 56:59 Decompression and the lasting effects of the Darien 58:44 Next up — walking the entire Congo River 1:03:19 Pay it forward — sponsoring Victoria, a Brazilian jiu-jitsu champion 1:04:57 Call to adventure and where to find Daniel Daniel Eggington — expedition adventurer, jungle traveler Website: danieleggington.com  Instagram: @Daniel Eggington Pay it forward: Sponsor Victoria, an 18-year-old Brazilian jiu-jitsu athlete ranked #1 in her weight class in Brazil, training her way out of one of Rio's high-risk favelas — details available via Daniel's website. Send us Fan Mail Support the show Thanks For Listening. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a comment and subscribe for more exciting content. Please visit AdventureDiaries.com/GO  For more authentic stories of Adventure Exploration and the natural world The Adventure Diaries Podcast also covers a broad spectrum OF topics withIN the fields of Adventure, Exploration, Micro-adventure, Survival, Mental Resilience, Conservation, Scotland, Hiking, Solo Travel, Cycling, Nature, Storytelling, Mountaineering

    1hr 6min
  5. Kayaking Madagascar's Longest River - The Mangok with Oscar Scafidi

    30 Apr

    Kayaking Madagascar's Longest River - The Mangok with Oscar Scafidi

    🎧 Follow the show here— it really helps Adventure Diaries reach more listeners. Thank you. Oscar Scafidi has spent two decades living and working across 36 countries in Africa — writing travel guides for Bradt, teaching African history, and launching himself down some of the continent's most remote rivers. In 2022, he and a teammate attempted the first descent of Madagascar's Mangoky River: 750km, 28 days, and a 200km portage across a waterless mountain range that nearly broke the expedition before it began. The Mangoky has no agreed source — no GPS coordinates, no signpost. Getting to the start meant heading towards a mountain and asking locals which way the water flowed. Getting to the finish meant nine days on foot through terrain with no water and no settlements, carrying a 40kg Klepper folding kayak in pieces, before finally reaching the river proper. This episode covers the full story — the five years of planning, the crocodiles, the schistosomiasis, the team dynamics, and the entirely unplanned French feast that closed it all out.   Chapters: 00:00 Crocodile Canyon and why hippos are the real danger 01:28  Oscar Scafidi, expedition kayaker and Africa travel writer 03:45 From Italy to Sudan — how an accidental teaching job started everything 07:35 Why Africa? The British Airways flight that set Oscar up for the continent 09:45 Travel writing and Bradt guides — how an accidental career took off 13:25 The Angola Kwanza River expedition — how Oscar became an expedition kayaker 18:10 Why Madagascar? Five years of planning a first descent 20:55 Finding the source of the Mangoky — a river with no agreed starting point 23:35 The 200km portage — when the worst-case scenario gets worse 27:05 The Klepper kayak — a century-old design built for expeditions 31:00 Crocodiles, pirogues, and 50km days on the main Mangoky 47:25 Schistosomiasis, team dynamics, and 28 days of isolation 49:00 Finishing on the Mozambique Channel — a surprise ending and a French feast 55:00 Pay it forward — Our Kids Are Future Madagascar   Oscar Scafidi — travel writer, history teacher, expedition kayaker Website / expedition: kayakthemangoky.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/ScafidiTravels Documentary: https://youtu.be/KlVlWQcZlA8 Book: Kayak the Mangoky  Charity: Our Kids Are Future Madagascar — educational charity supported by 25% of book profits For full show notes and links, visit: adventurediaries.com/podcast Send us Fan Mail Support the show Thanks For Listening. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a comment and subscribe for more exciting content. Please visit AdventureDiaries.com/GO  For more authentic stories of Adventure Exploration and the natural world The Adventure Diaries Podcast also covers a broad spectrum OF topics withIN the fields of Adventure, Exploration, Micro-adventure, Survival, Mental Resilience, Conservation, Scotland, Hiking, Solo Travel, Cycling, Nature, Storytelling, Mountaineering

    1hr 2min
  6. Crossing Australia's DEADLIEST Desert Unsupported— Louis-Philippe Loncke

    23 Apr

    Crossing Australia's DEADLIEST Desert Unsupported— Louis-Philippe Loncke

    🎧 Follow the show here— it really helps Adventure Diaries reach more listeners. Thank you In 2008, Louis-Philippe Loncke became the first person to walk the full length of Australia's Simpson Desert unsupported — 35 days, a 215kg cart, no water cache, no drops, no helicopter rescue within range. Last year, he tried again. He covered 75 kilometres in 13 days and turned back. Climate change, he believes, may have made this crossing permanently impossible.   The Belgian engineer turned explorer nicknamed The Mad Belgian first understood the scale of what he'd done when Jon Muir — who had been to both Poles — wrote that unsupported desert crossings make Mount Everest look like child's play. Louis-Philippe has catalogued 21 near-death experiences and is building a classification system to prove exactly why Everest barely makes a Class 2.   What You'll Learn: • Why Australia has two million wild Afghan camels — and why eating them is an ecological good • The frog that lies dormant in a salt crust for 30 years and revives when floodwater returns • Why Mount Everest rates only Class 2 on the Mad Belgian's expedition scale • How a 10-degree temperature rise may have closed the Simpson Desert to solo crossings forever • What it's like to be chased by 14 wild camels with nowhere to run   LOUIS-PHILIPPE LONCKE | The Mad Belgian www.louis-philippe-loncke.com YouTube: Luffy Tests | Meet Explorers with Lou-Phi Charity: Jane Goodall Institute — tree-planting events across Europe Project: Expedition Database — global index of adventurers and expeditions   ABOUT LOUIS-PHILIPPE LONCKE Belgian adventurer and Explorers Club Fellow known as The Mad Belgian. In 2008 he completed the world's first unsupported north-to-south crossing of the Simpson Desert in 35 days. A former bank IT engineer, he has completed 20-plus expeditions across Tasmania, Australia, Poland, and Azerbaijan, surviving 21 documented near-death experiences. Currently building the Expedition Database, a free global index designed to work like IMDB for the adventure community.   00:00 Louis-Philippe Loncke — who is The Mad Belgian Explorer? 01:49 Growing up in Belgium: from furniture makers to Boy Scouts 06:00 From ING Bank Singapore to hiking 2,000km across Australia 13:19 Why the Simpson Desert? Finding the world's most impossible walk 18:37 The 2008 world first: crossing the Simpson Desert unsupported 26:00 How to survive without resupply in the world's most arid desert 31:00 Wild camels, dingoes and the world's most venomous snake 41:00 Going back: the 2016 backpack attempt and 2024 cart failure 54:00 How to grade an expedition — the Class 1 to 6 adventure scale 1:04:00 The Expedition Database: IMDB for the world's adventurers 1:13:00 21 near-death experiences: barge cables, cliff falls and floods 1:19:00 What's next: Azerbaijan, the Tintin rocket and future films 1:31:00 Pay it forward, call to adventure and quick-fire questions   For full show notes and links, visit: adventurediaries.com/go Send us Fan Mail Support the show Thanks For Listening. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a comment and subscribe for more exciting content. Please visit AdventureDiaries.com/GO  For more authentic stories of Adventure Exploration and the natural world The Adventure Diaries Podcast also covers a broad spectrum OF topics withIN the fields of Adventure, Exploration, Micro-adventure, Survival, Mental Resilience, Conservation, Scotland, Hiking, Solo Travel, Cycling, Nature, Storytelling, Mountaineering

    1hr 58min
  7. Ascent Of The Amazon River - 6.5 Years & 7,000KM - With Pete Casey

    16 Apr

    Ascent Of The Amazon River - 6.5 Years & 7,000KM - With Pete Casey

    🎧 Follow the show here— it really helps Adventure Diaries reach more listeners. Thank you Pete Casey was chest-deep in floodwater, five days without food, in the middle of the Amazon at dusk. His guide said: "This is a beautiful place to die, and the day you die is the best day of your life." No higher ground in sight, no GPS signal, no way out. This is the story of the first ever sea-to-source ascent of the Amazon River. No military training, no wealthy sponsors, no support team. Pete sold his home, scraped together £110,000 in equity, and walked into the Amazon alone. What followed was six and a half years, over 7,000 kilometres, swimming every river crossing against the current, trekking through flooded rainforest, and navigating remote indigenous communities that had never seen a Westerner pass through on foot. From near-death in flood season to coca plantations in the Andes, this is the full arc of one of the most extraordinary human-powered expeditions ever completed. What You'll Learn: • Why Pete ascended the Amazon sea-to-source — and why almost nobody does it that way • The method he built for swimming river crossings with a packraft and local guides • How 23 days in flooded forest without food nearly killed him • What encounters with remote indigenous communities actually look like • The brutal reality of coming home to nothing after six and a half years Pete's presentation at the explorers club in NYC. 🌐 ascentoftheamazon.com 📸 Instagram: @p.c.casey 🌿 Junglekeepers (pay it forward): junglekeepers.com 00:00 Cold open — chest-deep in floodwater 01:18 Who is Pete Casey and what is the Ascent of the Amazon? 03:21 Growing up with no money in Sussex — how adventure didn't come naturally 05:19 First trip to South America — joining Ed Stafford's Amazon walk 07:50 Photography dreams and why building became his career 11:32 How Pete decided to ascend the Amazon sea-to-source 17:23 Selling his home — the point of no return 21:17 Route planning on Google Earth and arriving alone 26:26 Why Pete swam every river crossing — method and fear 29:27 The Pororoca tidal bore and using the Amazon tide to gain ground 34:00 First Una tribe encounters — being surrounded 47:11 23 days in flooded forest, no food, chest-deep in water 51:50 Recovery in Manaus and planning the next leg 55:28 How kit evolved over 6.5 years — Wellington boots vs jungle boots 1:00:40 What Pete ate in the jungle — farinha and sardines 1:05:00 Walking alone through cocaine plantations in the Andes 1:13:40 The Explorers Club, coming home, and the food bank 1:23:34 Pay it forward: Junglekeepers For full show notes and links, visit: adventurediaries.com/podcast Send us Fan Mail Support the show Thanks For Listening. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a comment and subscribe for more exciting content. Please visit AdventureDiaries.com/GO  For more authentic stories of Adventure Exploration and the natural world The Adventure Diaries Podcast also covers a broad spectrum OF topics withIN the fields of Adventure, Exploration, Micro-adventure, Survival, Mental Resilience, Conservation, Scotland, Hiking, Solo Travel, Cycling, Nature, Storytelling, Mountaineering

    1hr 31min

Trailers

5
out of 5
14 Ratings

About

Real adventure isn't just for the pros. The award-winning Adventure Diaries brings you authentic stories of Adventure, exploration and the wonder of the natural world, specifically curated to inspire your next adventure. Hosted by Chris Watson—an award-winning storyteller and Scottish micro-adventurer—this show bridges the gap between extreme feats and accessible everyday adventures. Whether you are a seasoned mountaineer, a weekend adventurer, a solo traveler planning your next trip, or someone seeking the mental health benefits of nature, you have found your tribe.  We go beyond the standard interview to decode the "why" and "how" behind the world's greatest adventures. What Makes This Show Different? Unlike other outdoor podcasts, every episode delivers three distinct promises to help you live a more extraordinary life: Unique Adventure Stories: Immersive storytelling from National Geographic explorers, survivalists, ultra-athletes, and frontline conservationists. From the peaks of the Seven Summits to the depths of the Amazon, experience the thrill of the unknown.Your Call To Adventure: Passive listening ends here. Each guest issues a practical challenge to inspire you to step out your front door and discover the wild places in your own backyard.Pay It Forward: We believe in sustainable travel and stewardship. Every episode highlights a specific charity, wildlife project, or community cause. Join our global community of explorers. Discover hidden gems, learn survival skills, and find the motivation to push your boundaries. Subscribe now and start your next adventure today.  Visit us: AdventureDiaries.com/Go

You Might Also Like