Humans of the Trail

Episode 40 of Humans of the Trail with Olie Wicks

In this episode of Humans of the Trail, we sit down with Andrew Terrell, a man who has an incredible story of self-discovery. Andrew walked from the Apennine Mountains in Southern Italy to Arctic Norway, a journey that took him over 7000 miles and two years.

Along the way, Andrew faced many challenges, but he also learned a lot about himself. He learned to be independent, to trust his instincts, and to appreciate the simple things in life. He also made some lifelong friends and memories.

Andrew's story is an inspiration to us all. It is a reminder that we are capable of anything we set our minds to, and that the journey is often more important than the destination.

So sit back, relax, and enjoy Andrew's story. It is a story of adventure, self-discovery, and hope.

Listen to Episode 39 of Humans of the Trail today!

This week on Humans of the Trail I have Ali Pretty on the Podcast. I first learned about Ali through a friend of the Podcast Martyn Howe from Episode 1. Beach of Dreams is a visual art journey, community, storytelling and digital art project inspired by the challenges faced by communities who live on our coastlines.

I was really keen to learn more about Ali and her journey to creating Beach of Dreams and also really excited to get involved in documenting it come August 2023.

I love this Episode as a story of an individual inspired by nature, the outdoors, and art, combining these passions to create something truly magical.

Where do I start...

Barefoot Backpacker unpacks so much in this episode, from his backstory to traveling to the lesser known destinations around the globe, traveling as somebody who identifies as nonbinary and asexual, to of course long distance trails.

This is a fantastic episode with a lot going on which I hope you enjoy listening to as much as I enjoyed the conversation.

Julian is in my opinion an unsung hero of Trails, with his work dedicated to the betterment of our Trail networks.

As the Board Member and Vice Chair of the World Trails Network, Chair of National Trails, and Director of the South West Coast Path Association he is a busy man and a fountain of Trail knowledge. 

Julian humbled me with his clarity and level of knowledge on managing and preserving our trails and had a clear vision of a world made better by having access to trails. 

I thoroughly enjoyed speaking with Julian and came away from the conversation all the wiser on the sheer complexity of challenges faced by Trail organizations and the work they do.

If you believe in the power of trails to shape communities, offer economic benefits, and make you feel great, then you will enjoy this one. 

Join Davina Farrer in her journey of exploration and liberation as she shares stories from her backpacking trip around the world and her empowering hike on the South West Coast Path. Discover how Davina's intentional work choices have led to a life of time freedom and learn how you too can break free from the 9-5 grind and live a life of adventure and fulfillment. 

If you dream of more hiking - less work, believe its possible with this empowering episode of the Distance Hiker Podcast.

In this episode, I had the opportunity to sit down with Steph Wetherell, one of the co-founders of Every Body Outdoors. Steph is a trailblazer in the outdoor community, working to promote representation and accessibility for people of all sizes in the great outdoors.

As we talked, Steph shared her personal journey of falling in love with the outdoors and the challenges she faced along the way, particularly when it came to finding gear that fit and suited her needs. It was these challenges that ultimately inspired Steph and her co-founder to start Every Body Outdoors, a company dedicated to providing plus size outdoor gear and promoting inclusivity in the outdoor industry.

Throughout our conversation, Steph emphasized the importance of making the outdoors accessible to everyone, regardless of their size or shape. She also spoke about the transformative power of nature, and how it has the ability to heal and bring people together.

It was truly an honor to speak with Steph and learn about her passion for the outdoors and her dedication to creating a more inclusive and welcoming environment for people of all sizes. I left our conversation feeling inspired and motivated to do my part in promoting representation and accessibility in the outdoor world.

In Episode 29 of the Distance Hiker Podcast Matthew is joined by Stefan Durkacz and David Lintern, authors of the newly published Cicerone Press guidebook Scottish Wild Country Backpacking.

Stefan and David share a bit of their background and interest in the outdoors before deep diving into the behind the scenes of making the guidebook, and backpacking in Scotland.

In this weeks episode I talk with Kerry, who is a YouTuber and long distance hiker from the channel Drunk On Wanderlust.

We learn Kerrys story from global traveller to long distance hiker, and how she hasn’t looked back since.

Retha Charette is a seasoned long distance hiker, writer, and educator, who, through her work aims to empower women to get outside. 

Retha blogs under the name, the Roaming Nanny, and goes by the trail name of Pikachu. We chat all about her walk on the AT, and some of the differences about hiking in the UK and abroad. We also talk at large about her views on women in the outdoors and how the work she does can help to empower women.

Retha is a passionate, and high-energy individual, who's a joy to listen to, and I hope you enjoy the podcast as much as I enjoyed recording it. 

In today's episode, I've got hiking YouTuber and videographer David McEntee joining me in the studio.

David is by trade a videographer and content creator. He is a Wiz behind the camera and in my opinion, produces some of the best YouTube hiking content out there.

David first came onto my radar back in 2020 when he published some really nice videos on his walks on UK Long Distance Hiking. I knew he had to come onto the show as he started producing more and more content around long distance trails.

We chat about David's story, and growing interest in long distance trails, before chatting about the opportunities that have arisen from growing the channel, such as an all-expenses paid trip to climb mont blanc and a number of other subjects.

David was super enthusiastic and fun to have on the podcast and we had a blast chatting and I think it comes through in the conversation.

So, without further ado. I present to you, episode 20 of the distance Hiker podcast

I feel very honoured to be sharing episode 18 of the Distance Hiker podcast with you, where I speak with Abbie Barnes, filmmaker, adventurer, podcaster, content creator and activist, and entrepreneur of Spend More Time In The Wild.

In this episode abbie opens up about her early experience behind the lense, as a filmmaker, her business, and her walk along the National Trails.

It was the space and freedom of the outdoors that ultimately led to Abbie realising she wasn't following her compass, and also wasn't ok.

However through simply showing up, and taking life step by step, she put things together and built up too where she is today.

I'll leave the rest of Abbie's story for the podcast, but this episode is one to remember, packed full of actionable advice, stories and one to enjoy from start to finish, packed full of

Enjoy the episode.

Charlotte is a Hill and Moorland leader, Access Field Officer, Ordnance Survey champion and advocate for stand up paddleboarding. In this episode, we explore Charlottes story, her views on access, including some questions I have around it, and discuss her first long distance walk on the Hadrians Wall Path. We wrap the up the episode talking about Paddleboarding, and wild swimming.

On this episode, I am so excited to welcome Martyn Howe to the microphone, as we talk about his story of walking all the big trails in England, Scotland and Wales. 

Martyn shares how he fits walking into his life and around his career, and his decision to commit to walking the big trails, fitting them in around family and work commitments. 

As with all of our guests, my talk with Martyn focused on his story, his unique experiences on the trails, and how that rich experience ultimately bleeds into his everyday life. His story will feel familiar, involving loss, regrowth, and of course self-discovery.

Of course, we talk about Martyn's book - Tails from the big trails by vertebrate publishing. The book itself, in Martyn's words, a forty-year quest to walk the iconic long distance trails of England, Scotland and Wales.

You can learn more about Martyn and purchase his book on his website at https://trailplanner.co.uk/

Martyn is also on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/trail_planner/) and of course you can buy his book, direct if possible from Vertibrate Publishing https://www.adventurebooks.com/products/tales_from_the_big_trailsI

Thanks so much for listening to the episode. I would love to know what you think, and if you could spare a moment, why not rate the show on Apple, or Spotify podcasts. Rating helps the show reach a wider audience, which spreads the trail magic!

In Episode 12 of the Distance Hiker Podcast I interview Berengere (Be) Cortade who is a long distance hiker, ultrahiker, and outdoor therapist by trade. I promised to bring you more stories from hikers, and today I have a good one. We explore the Be’s interest in walking, from her first challenge events and ultras through to her Thru Hike of the Camino Frances, Spain.

Be really doesn’t hold back in sharing her experiences, and the hurdles she has faced, and overcome on the way.

If you love feel good storytelling, then this episode is not one to miss.

Enjoy the show!

Matthew is joined by John Beamson from Robustours, an Ultra Event business. John is a hard working and honest bloke, who talks his mind and shares his background, philosophy and and beliefs in regards to pushing yourself, and maintaining a robust mindset.

Ursula Martin walked 5,500 miles across Europe starting in Ukraine and finishing back in the UK in 2021.

Before that Ursula walked 3700 miles across Wales. It's safe to say Ursula has some miles under her belt and many incredible stories from the trail, some of which she kindly shares on this episode of the Distance Hiker Podcast. 

I had a great time sharing some time with Ursula, who unpacked her story and the humble, yet life of adventure, always done on a shoestring.

Ursula's story is worth your time, and will hopefully inspire you to seek out just a little bit more adventure.

Enjoy the episode!

In today's episode, I had the pleasure of talking to Rebecca The Rambler.

When i first started looking for Podcast guests I realized that my first 6 episodes were guys. Not wanting my podcast to be a guy who talks to guys about hiking, I looked for some female guests to talk to. I want a balance, a bit like on our Facebook community.

So, I decided to post asking for suggestions!

And Rebecca replied and what a guest she was!

I had a lovely time talking with Rebecca, honestly, I was grinning like a Cheshire cat after our talk.

Why? Well because she was so interesting. Not only is Rebecca a keen long distance walker, she is also an ultra-marathon walker, AND the Chair of the Ramblers association!

So guess what we spoke about? Yes, that's right, all of the above!

We had a great conversation dissecting the ins and outs of Ultramarathon walking, something which was totally new to me. We then moved on to talking about outdoor gear and how many brands totally under-represent many potential customers, and how Rebecca has overcome this. Finally, we move on to talking about the Ramblers Association, and the role they place in opening up places for us to walk, and all they do.

I hope you enjoy this interesting conversation with Rebecca. I think it's a great episode and have no doubt you will enjoy it.

Episode 6 of the Distance Hiker podcast features Daniel Raven-Ellison, a Guerilla Geographer who through numerous interesting, creative, and often disruptive projects dares us to see the world differently. 

Some examples of his work involve walking across the UK wearing a device that measures his emotions to see how they differ in rural, and urban environments to his latest work with Slow ways. Slow Ways is an incentive to develop interconnected towns, villages, and cities, which can be reached via human-powered transport using permissive rights of way.s

My talk with daniel was thoroughly interesting and really challenged me to look at the world through a different lens. 

If learning about our landscapes and the challenges, and opportunities they present is your thing then you will enjoy this episode. 

Thanks for joining me on Episode 6. I hope you enjoy the show. 

Episode 4 of the Distance Hiker Podcast features David Matthew's who is currently walking all around the UK, visiting each of the 201 Samaritan's branches. David hopes to inspire more people to volunteer with the charity and aims to fundraise £100,000 for his local Doncaster branch.

The Samaritans are a charity that offer a listening ear in time of need. The volunteers are available 24/7 to take calls and simply be present with anyone who is struggling.

This podcast was a delight to record. David comes with his own personal ray of sunshine, and shares an incredible story of why and how he is doing this walk,. We finish with an honest look into what it's like to train as, and become a Samaritan.

I hope you enjoy Episode 4 of the Distance Hiker podcast.

Episode 3 features our latest guest Katy Ellis, who has not long returned from a 300 mile walk along the Essex and Norfolk coastlines.

Katy, 20 who is a student at Exeter University, studying Ecology, walked to raise awareness of conservation and ecological issues, and solutions with young people.

Not only did she walk 300 miles, she also spoke to 300 (and probably more) school children along the route in organised school visits to inspire young people to take an interest in ecology, history and adventure.

It was a delight to speak with Katy, who was full of great stories from her trip, and some wonderful insights into female adventure, and of course ecology.

Thanks for joining me on episode 3 Katy. I look forward to sharing the episode tomorrow evening (Now available on iTunes!)