To Summit Up Podcast Ryan O'Malley: To Summit Up, Hiker, Skier, Outdoor Enthusiast

"Find that comfort zone, take a step out of it

and do that, because that's how you continue your own personal growth. That's

how you continue finding who you are. There are so many things out there in

life to experience. Expose yourself to all of it because how are you supposed

to know what you really like? For me, I never thought in the world hiking would

be anything I'd be interested in and here I am doing it every weekend." -

Brittany Bowman







Welcome to the To Summit Up Podcast! This week's episode is an exciting episode with a hiking power couple who recently just completed the 46 Adirondack High Peaks, Brian Twardy and Brittany Bowman. You may know them from instagram (https://www.instagram.com/brian_hikes_all_day/ and https://www.instagram.com/brittany_hikes_all_day/ ), where they both share their hiking journey with their community. They have embraced the journey of life and have realized that every single moment along each adventure is special. This is a truly inspiring episode







In this episode we

get into:







Brittany and Brian's discovery of the Adirondacks and their dedication to completing the 46 High Peaks.The highs and the lows of completing the 46 High Peaks.Expanding beyond one's comfort zone.Using Social Media to positively affect people's experiences in the outdoors.Living true to yourself.







If you enjoy this episode, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts and subscribe wherever you listen most! Please check out Brian and Brittany's social media to follow along with their journey and reach out to connect :).

"When you've got 400 people climbing mountains all over the country and you're standing on the summit, you feel this overwhelming awe of the power that that holds. Everyone who is at the summit of all of these mountains put through the work to get there for this cause and you're not alone when you're out there." -Kolby Ziemendorf, co-founder of 46Climbs







Welcome to the To Summit Up Podcast! This week's episode is all about a very relevant organization, 46Climbs. 46Climbs (46climbs.com) is an organization rooted in encouraging many individuals across the United States and the world to take on the challenge of conquering suicide through the physical challenge of climbing and hiking. This is done in an effort to end the stigma and promote overall positive mental health. This upcoming week, August 30th through September 8th is the 5th annual 46Climbs event benefiting the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.







This episode is all about the incredible connection between getting outside to the mountains and positive mental health. This episode contains clips from two previous shows that talk about mountains and positive mental health, the 46Climbs event and what it is. On the episode is Kolby Ziemendorf, the co-founder of 46Climbs and Cody Wiktorski, the co-founder of Wik Brothers. Both of these amazing people are climbing this week and, this upcoming Monday, I will be too. I'm taking on Mount Marshall, which will be my 40th Adirondack High Peak.







This is an amazing

episode where you will learn all about how 46Climbs started, the power behind

getting outside to the mountains, and how you can get involved.

"The group in front of us was standing there looking out into the water with binoculars and they were like - 'is that a whale?' We stopped and turned and saw this enormous pool of water and it looked like a giant rock, but the people that were looking at it were like - 'yo, that's a whale.' " - Brandon Agostinelli







Welcome to the To Summit Up Podcast!







This week's episode is the second week in a row with a To Summit Up repeat guest. On the podcast this week is my great friend, Brandon Agostinelli. A year ago, Brandon and I went to Banff National Park in the Canadian Rockies and the outdoor flame was lit within him. Over the past year Brandon has grown and made the outdoors a staple in his life. He recently just took a trip to Acadia National Park and Bar Harbor in Maine. I (Ryan) too have been to Maine and it is an incredible place with a wide variety of activities available for everyone. This is a really great episode where we talk about why you should go to Maine and what you should do there.







In this episode

Brandon and I talk about:







The varieties of activities available in Acadia National Park and Bar Harbor, Maine.Seeing whales in the Atlantic and what that experience was like.Accessible hiking for everyone in Acadia.Exploring new places.The importance of getting outside







If you enjoy this episode, remember that the best way to help the podcast grow is to leave a positive review on itunes, subscribe on whatever platform you listen on, and to tell your friends to listen as well!

"The positive out of it was just being out there. I mean, being out on the trail, seeing a new section on the trail that I hadn't done yet, meeting new people, sharing the experience with them when I was hiking with them during the start, and meeting all of the people at the start. There's no bad day outside - no matter how much it sucks - it beats other things in life.  I am just very grateful to have still had that experience." - Mat Jobin







This week's episode was an amazing conversation with a To Summit Up repeat guest and northeast mountain guide Mat Jobin. Mat owns his own guiding and gear company in Connecticut called Reach Your Summit. Mat was on episode 32 of the podcast earlier this year and one of the trips that he had mentioned he was taking this spring was the Allegheny 100. A few weeks ago, he attempted this 100 mile journey for the second time and I wanted to get him back on the podcast to see how the experience went and what he learned. This is a really great episode where we talk about the Allegheny 100 and so much more. You are definitely going to want to stick around through this whole episode as there are some great outdoor tips and lessons learned.







In this episode Mat

and I talk about:







This year's Allegheny 100 - the full story.Hiking tips and gear to stay as dry as possible in soggy, muddy conditions.How to mentally deal with setbacks.How the outdoors are an opportunity for growth for everyone.







To find out more about Mat and Reach Your Summit, check out reachyoursummit.net or https://www.instagram.com/rys_adventure/

"It's worth every single step. And really take your time. It's not a race and you don't have to beat the clock to get there. You're going to miss a lot of great things if you try to." - Randy Guyer







 This week's episode was a great conversation with an inspiring Adirondacker named Randy Guyer. Randy has lived at the foothills of the Adirondacks for over 20 years but just recently began to explore hiking - and it changed him for the better. Randy has worked in the food industry and combined his love for food and his newfound love for mountains into an inspiring platform and challenge called sandwich and a summit. This is a really amazing conversation where Randy takes us through his whole journey going from zero hiking experience to itching to hike all the time.







In this episode

Randy and I talk about:







Randy's non-hiking years in the food industry.What sparked him to hike after 20 years of living in the Adirondacks and not hiking and how hiking changed him mentally and physically.Keeping it local for hikes and food.The creation of Sandwich and a Summit.Community in the mountains.







Check out sandwichandasummit.com and @sandwichandasummit on Instagram for more!

"Wilderness is not a luxury but necessity of the human spirit.” –Edward Abbey







Spending time in nature has been scientifically proven to benefit mental and physical health. In this episode, I dive into an article by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation that lays out some of the benefits of spending time outside including...







Improved immune health Reduction in stress and anxietyLower blood pressureimproved ability to focus and a reduction in Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder symptoms (ADHD)Quicker recovery from surgery.







If you need more incentive to get outside beyond the adventure and views, this episode will provide you with reasons that may help you improve your overall health.







Citation:







Immerse Yourself in a Forest for Better Health. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.dec.ny.gov/lands/90720.html