She’s trekked across the wilderness of Arctic Sweden, walked 1,600 km along ancient pilgrimage routes in France and Spain, summitted Mt. Toubkal, the highest peak in North Africa, paddled a tandem kayak 4,000 km from London to the Black Sea coast in Romania , and most recently completed an adventure she calls The Green Ribbon, a 1,000 km solo trek along the length of the mountains between Norway and Sweden. You can learn more at her website annablackwell.co.uk . Anna Blackwell, welcome to The Pu...
Nov 17, 2019•50 min•Season 1Ep. 186
He lived in western New York and Hawaii before moving to Cambodia in 2015 where he explored the country by motorbike. During his time in Cambodia he suffered a stroke and luckily fully recovered from it. But the experience made him think he needed to go on a long adventure. His first big cycle tour was in 1990 across the United States. Now, he’s on an even longer cycle trip he calls Strokes to Spokes. Starting in Cambodia his travels have taken him through SE Asia, India, Nepal, and currently Au...
Nov 03, 2019•1 hr 19 min•Season 1Ep. 185
She had an ordinary life as a geography teacher before setting out to live a life of adventure. She is passionate about traveling and human powered exploration and spent 13 months cycling the length of Australia and New Zealand and then from Indonesia to Nepal. The journey opened her eyes to the kindness of strangers, but also to the harmful effects humans have on the environment. She also spent a month paddling the rivers of rural Bangladesh and recently returned home from walking the length of...
Oct 20, 2019•1 hr 8 min•Season 1Ep. 184
He is an Eagle Scout, a former military aviator, and an avid traveler who has explored over 35 countries. He rode a recumbent bicycle across the US using the Race Across America route and in July 2018 began rowing from Neah Bay, Washington to Australia, making landfall 11 months later at Trinity Beach, Queensland – a journey of over 7,000 statute miles in a custom-made rowboat and the longest solo, non-stop row from North America in the history of modern ocean rowing. He is also raising funds fo...
Oct 06, 2019•1 hr 22 min•Season 1Ep. 183
With his dog Saku, he explores the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. In 2017 they crossed Newfoundland - 700 km by foot, snowshoe, and packraft. In 2018 with the support from the Royal Canadian Geographical Society and Mountain Equipment Coop , they began a crossing over the Labrador Peninsula on foot and by canoe. It was a 1,700 km dream project and a way to share some of these last undeveloped wilderness areas. In the end, their goal of reaching the shores of Hudson Bay fell shor...
Sep 01, 2019•1 hr 4 min•Season 1Ep. 182
The cycling books he read fueled his passion for travel and adventure. The mountains of South America, the deserts of Africa, the freezing tundra of Siberia became the backdrop of his daydreams. In 2018, after 12 years in the British Army, he left that life behind to begin cycling to these far way places. Since then, his desire to tell his story through video has grown and he’s steadily improving his filmmaking craft as he cycles his way around the world. You can learn more at his website adamhu...
Aug 25, 2019•1 hr 18 min•Season 1Ep. 181
In the summer of 2018, Chris Haag and Sophie George began cycling south from Homer Alaska toward their goal of reaching Ushuaia Argentina. With North America behind them they are currently in Colombia. You can follow the adventure at their website theplacesipee.com . Chris and Sophie, welcome to The Pursuit Zone.
Aug 18, 2019•1 hr 10 min•Season 1Ep. 180
Ian and Jamie. Photo credit to Will Saunders After the Indian Removal Act was signed into law by President Andrew Jackson in 1830, the US government began a series of relocations of Native Americans from their ancestral lands in the southeast to areas west of the Mississippi River. The 5 civilized tribes consisting of Cherokee, Creek, Seminole, Chickasaw and Choctaw were all part of the forced removals. In 1838 the Cherokee people were removed, via a series of land and water routes, from their a...
Aug 11, 2019•1 hr 1 min•Season 1Ep. 179
For Tim and Linda, it’s been over 400 days on the road so far since cycling away from Europe in the spring of 2018. Some of the highlights include a month through Turkey, riding through the Pamir mountains in Tajikistan, and cycling for 3 months in China. You can learn more about their adventure at pedallingtheplanet.wordpress.com . Tim and Linda, welcome to The Pursuit Zone. The Adventure Cycle Touring handbook Why Don't You Fly? Backdoor to Beijing by Bicycle...
Jul 21, 2019•56 min•Season 1Ep. 178
After working and hitchhiking around Australia for 2 years, he bought a bike and spent 3 months cycling around New Zealand. He then cycled back to his home in England starting in Papua New Guinea where he came down with Dengue fever and was chased by men wielding machetes. After working 16 months in England, the cycling adventure continued through Northern Europe before riding south into the Balkans. In December 2018 he rode into the Middle East and onward into North Africa. Currently in Tanzani...
Jul 14, 2019•1 hr•Season 1Ep. 177
In late October 2018 she traveled to New Zealand to begin a 4-month southbound thru-hike of Te Araroa , a 3,000 km walking track across the north and south islands. It’s a challenging hike that took her across various landscapes including beaches, cities, forests, and volcanoes. You can read more about Te Araroa and her other adventures at her website blissfulhiker.com . Alison Young, welcome back to the show....
Jul 07, 2019•1 hr 2 min•Season 1Ep. 176
She cycled away from her hometown of Sundsvall Sweden in the early spring of 2015 with the goal to cycle around the world and to experience foreign lands and cultures. She wanted to overcome the personal challenges of riding into the ruthless headwinds, the freezing cold, the tormenting heat and be able to say in the end, “Girl. You actually did it.” But this bike ramble was also something bigger – a fundraiser in support of ActionAid , an organization defending the human rights of the world’s m...
Jun 30, 2019•56 min•Season 1Ep. 175
Trekking to Everest base camp at 5,380 meters is not an easy adventure, but the reward is spending time in the incredible mountain landscapes of the Himalayas. Russ Hepton began his 2-week trek starting in Kathmandu Nepal. After an exhilarating 45-minute helicopter flight to Lukla he set out with his guide toward Namche Bazaar at 3,340 meters and spent a day acclimating. The trek continued toward Dingboche at 4,410 meters and another rest day. After reaching Everest base camp he attempted a chal...
Jun 23, 2019•1 hr 9 min•Season 1Ep. 174
Death Valley National Park on the California Nevada border is the hottest, driest and lowest of all the US national parks. It is also the largest National Park in the lower 48 with a diverse environment of sand dunes, salt flats, mountains and valleys. For three years beginning in 2015, Roland Banas tried and failed 4 times to cross the park solo and unsupported. In December 2018 he began his 5th attempt. Starting out with a 85-pound pack of food, water and gear, Roland finally completed the tre...
Jun 16, 2019•36 min•Season 1Ep. 173
From his home in Reading England to the finish line in Reading, PA it was a journey of 46,500 km spanning over 3 years. On a bicycle he built for less than 500 pounds he cycled through 39 countries experiencing the stunning vistas of Kyrgyzstan and the soul-crushing roads of the Atacama Desert. In El Salvador he was hit by a car and hospitalized, but continued on with a new bike. As part of the adventure he is raising funds for The Royal Berks Charity and SOS Children's Villages and you can lear...
Jun 09, 2019•1 hr 10 min•Season 1Ep. 172
In June 2016, Oscar Scafidi and teammate Alfy Weston assembled the 1960s era Klepper Aerius II foldable kayak and set out on the Kwanza River in Angola – which flows 600 miles from its source on the Bié Plateau to the Atlantic Ocean. During their roughly 4-week journey they experienced many unexpected delays from dangerous hippos and fishing dams that nearly capsized their boat to government authorities that attempted to deport them. Part of their adventure was to raise funds for The Halo Trust ...
Jun 02, 2019•55 min•Season 1Ep. 171
Joel is the pilot and Keegan is the copilot. They are the first team in the world to drive a solar powered, 100% electric camper van from Alaska to Argentina. The adventure is called Route del Sol and the goal is to make it to the bottom of South America by the summer of 2020. The first part of Route Del Sol has taken them through the landscapes of Alaska, the Yukon Territory and British Columbia. Now they’re in part two and making their way down the west coast of the United States. You can lear...
May 26, 2019•51 min•Season 1Ep. 170
Located between India and Myanmar, Bangladesh is a country about the size of England and Wales, but with three times the population. From January through March 2019, Ian Packham was on a self-supported trek across Bangladesh. It was 665.8 miles on foot starting in Saint Martins island in the south and ending in the country’s northernmost point. His plan is to uncover the stories of one of the world’s hidden destinations. You can learn more about Ian and his adventures at his website encircleafri...
May 12, 2019•42 min•Season 1Ep. 169
A lifelong love of sailing and adventure has taken Katherine Knight all over the world, from Iceland to Canada, the arctic and Cape Horn. Her home, with her partner Eric, is a 50ft expedition yacht called Narwhal. This past year they set sail on an amazing journey from Scotland across the arctic circle to Norway. Their expeditions also devote time to Clean Up the Arctic, removing large amounts of trash from the beautiful arctic waters. Katherine is also passionate about empowering people to get ...
May 05, 2019•49 min•Season 1Ep. 168
In January 2019, Chaz Powell and Tim Roberts set off on a 1,120 km trek of the Gambia River from its source in the Fouta Djallon highlands of central Guinea to the coastal city of Banjul in The Gambia. It was a challenging 46 days through extreme temperatures and harsh landscapes, with constant hunger and dehydration as a companion along with the wildest of animals. With unending hospitality and kindness from the locals they were able to reach the Atlantic ocean, becoming the first people to doc...
Apr 28, 2019•50 min•Season 1Ep. 167
William Shears on left Having never ridden a motorcycle, William Shears traveled to Vietnam to begin a roughly 1,200-mile motorbike adventure from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh. He bought a second hand 110cc Honda he called Black Rose and set off on the Ho Chi Minh Highway with a camera to capture the journey. You’ll find it on YouTube in a video titled How to Motorbike Vietnam and you can learn more about William at his website williamshears.co.uk . William Shears, welcome to The Pursuit Zone....
Oct 07, 2018•39 min•Season 1Ep. 166
Out of almost 200 applicants, Hollie Woodhouse along with 3 other young explorers were selected to take on the 2018 Antarctic Heritage Trust Inspiring Explorers’ Expedition – a 560-kilometer crossing of the Greenland ice cap on skis in tribute to Fridtjof Nansen , the renowned polar explorer and humanitarian, who completed the first crossing of Greenland 130 years prior. Their team battled hurricane conditions, heavy snowfalls and illness, but after starting on the west coast on May 4th they arr...
Sep 23, 2018•44 min•Season 1Ep. 165
The Volvo Ocean Race is an around the world sailing race over nine months and 45,0000 nautical miles. Within each race team is an embedded multimedia journalist whose job is to give the fans on shore a taste of what the race is really like. It’s one of the toughest jobs in sports media and Jen Edney was one of the ten journalists embedded this year. Jen is a traveler and adventure storyteller using photography and video and you can learn more about her at www.edneyap.com . Jen Edney, welcome to ...
Sep 09, 2018•37 min•Season 1Ep. 164
Adam Sultan first appeared in episode 117 where he talked about his project called #LifeYears aimed at making every single year of his life memorable and unique. Two years ago, Adam began a multi-year cycling adventure called #RideTheWorld and he’s here to talk about how the adventure has unfolded so far. You can learn more about Adam at his website adamtsultan.com . Adam Sultan, welcome back to the show....
Aug 26, 2018•54 min•Season 1Ep. 163
In 2011 Kate Harris and her friend Mel set off from Istanbul to begin a journey on the fabled silk road trading route. It was an adventure that lasted 10 months and covered nearly 10,000 km as they cycled in 10 different countries as well as the forbidden Tibetan plateau where they skirted checkpoints and did their best to avoid Chinese authorities ultimately completing their journey in the city of Leh in the Indian Himalayas. You can read about this self-supported adventure in Kate’s new book L...
Aug 12, 2018•1 hr 5 min•Season 1Ep. 162
Jeff Commissaris goes on hitchhiking and cycling adventures. He’s cycled from San Francisco to Seattle and from Colorado to Nashville. He’s hitchhiked around America and from Colorado to Argentina and most recently hitchhiked Europe then cycled from Tanzania to South Africa. You can learn more about his adventures at his Facebook page named hitchhiking the world with a guitar . Jeff Commissaris, welcome to The Pursuit Zone....
Jul 29, 2018•1 hr 7 min•Season 1Ep. 161
Every year since 2014 George Maurer has gone on an epic bike ride to raise funds for cancer research in memory of his friend Carolyn Held who died from cancer in 2012. In that time he has raised 45,000 dollars for research at the Mayo Clinic Cancer Center. George names his cycling adventures using his age and the destination so in 2016 it was 50 across Iceland and in 2017 it was 51 across Sri Lanka. This year it will be 52 across Canada. You can learn more about his adventures at georgemaurer.co...
Jul 15, 2018•57 min•Season 1Ep. 160
In the middle of the Karakorum range in Pakistan is a place called Concordia. It’s where the Baltoro glacier meets the Godwin-Austen glacier. It’s a place known as the throne room of the mountain gods because it’s surrounded by four 8,000-meter peaks, one of those being K2 the second highest peak in the world. In 1994 Alison Young found herself in Islamabad visiting her father who was stationed at the US embassy. Wanting to trek to Concordia, she was able to tag along on an overland journey with...
Jul 01, 2018•59 min•Season 1Ep. 159
Tim Moss has a new book titled With the Sun on Our Right. It chronicles the 16-month ‘round-the-world cycle tour he and his wife Laura began in 2013 cycling over 13,000 miles in 26 countries and 4 continents. Before this, Tim spent 5 years working in the expedition industry supporting expeditions on all 7 continents. His own expeditions have included scaling unclimbed mountains in Kyrgyzstan, Bolivia and Russia and traveling around the world using eighty different methods of transport as well as...
Jun 17, 2018•1 hr 3 min•Season 1Ep. 158
The Great Plains Trail is a recently established long distance hiking trail in the US. It stretches for 2,200 miles from the desert of west Texas to the Montana Canadian border. It crosses 3 National Parks, 3 National Monuments, 10 National Forests and Grasslands, 5 State High Points, and 15 State Parks. Luke Jordan spent 85 days on the trail in 2016, becoming the first person to thru-hike it. You can learn more about the trail at greatplainstrail.org and more about Luke at stridernct.com. Luke ...
Jun 03, 2018•59 min•Season 1Ep. 157
