The world's greatest adventurers tell their best story from the road. Each episode is cut documentary style and set to music and cinematic effects to create an immersive storytelling experience. 'Best travel podcasts 2020'- The Guardian, 'Thrilling Stuff'-Sunday Times, 'Ear Candy for Listeners' - Washington Post
Riding with the Herd on Location at the Buffalo Round Up South Dakota
“You’re experiencing what you see on TV and the old western movies, the buffalo roaming across the prairie like that. It's that old west tradition that you don't see anywhere else in the world.” – Matt Snyder, Superintendent of Custer State Park Feel the ground rumble and the dust fly as sixty cowboys and cowgirls saddle up to bring in a thundering herd of 1,300 buffalo at the 57th Annual Custer State Park Buffalo Roundup. But we’re not just watching it, we are in the thick of it as we get thrown around on the back of a truck chasing the herd across the wide-open plains. Listen to one of the riders Molly as she cracks her whip and corals the galloping beasts. We also meet Lakota rider and manager of Bear Butte State Park, Jim Jandreau, who tells us what the buffalo means to the Lakota people, and Molly’s 87-year-old dad, who had just taken part in his 53rd roundup. Along the way we discover that although the roundup harks back to a different time, the adventurous spirit of South Dakotans that has been a way of life for centuries still lives on. And that spirit is infectious. Recorded on-location, this audio adventure is designed to do more than just let you hear what it’s like to be there; it’s designed to let you feel what it’s like for real. Find out more at www.travelsouthdakota.com where you'll find lots of inspiration, ideas and everything else you need to know to plan your great South Dakota adventure. Thank you to everyone who featured on this show: - Jim Jandreau, Bear Butte State Park - Molly Olivia, Custer State Park Buffalo Roundup - Bob Lantis, Custer State Park Buffalo Roundup - Matt Snyder, Custer State Park - Kobee Stalder, Custer State Park - Lydia Austin, Custer State Park Produced by Armchair Productions, the audio experts for the travel industry www.armchair-productions.com. Written and presented by Brian Thacker. Field recording and audio production by Jason Paton. Executive Producer Aaron Millar. Theme music by the artist Sweet Chap Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Expedition Deep Ocean: Diving to the Deepest Part of the World's Oceans with Victor Vescovo
"Half of planet Earth is still completely unexplored...and nobody seems to be paying attention." When Victor Vescovo learned in 2016 that nobody had been to the deepest point of four of the five's oceans, he was flabbergasted...and he was up for the challenge. Victor had earned his pilot's license at only nineteen, and he had spent much of his life pursuing adventure. He was one of the only people in the world to complete the Explorer's Grand Slam, during which he climbed to the highest peak on every continent and skied to both Poles. But he had never been far below the surface - and he quickly became obsessed with the idea. He assembled a world class crew and tasked them with an extremely ambitious mission: Build a deep-sea submersible more durable, safe, and sturdy than anything in existence. Previously, subs had been built to survive one deep-sea dive. But Victor's team needed to figure out a way to replicate it - for at least five dives - if they wanted a shot at breaking this record. And the mission wasn't purely adventure for adventure's sake. The ocean's depths are quickly becoming more and more critical for climate change science, species conservation, and more, and Victor knew that the science to be found under the surface was something that could be life-changing for the entire globe. Riveting, inspiring, and terrifying all at once, Victor's story will take you deeper into the truth about our planet than anybody has ever been. FIND VICTOR Get a copy of Victor's book Expedition Deep Ocean, written by Josh Young, online or from your local bookstore. You can also catch the docu-series of the same title on Amazon Prime. Learn more about the Five Deeps Expedition at FiveDeeps.com, learn more about Victor's aquatic pursuits at his Caladan Oceanic website. SOCIAL Share the show with your friends! Subscribe to the podcast wherever you're listening, follow @armchairexplorerpodcast on Instagram and Facebook, check out Armchair Explorer's website, and learn more about APT Podcast Studios on their website. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On Location: Exploring San Francisco by Cable Car
For today's 'On Location' episode, we're exploring San Francisco in the most iconic way possible. San Francisco’s cable cars are not only the first in the world – invented here in 1873 – they are also the last. And though they travel at a mere 9.5mph, with the wind in your hair, the bells ringing and track rattling, it feels more like a roller coaster tour of the city than anything else on the road. Join us for a whirlwind journey, recorded on location, celebrating 150 years and counting of San Francisco’s cable cars. As we travel, we’re going to stop off at the highlights along the line, revealing the story of the city from its Gold Rush roots to the creativity and diversity that defines it to this day. We’ll meet Val Lupiz, a legendary ‘gripman’, or cable car operator, for a lesson on what it takes to drive an actual 150-year-old antique. We’ll find a hidden music studio above a gift shop in Chinatown, and listen to a performance of a GuZheng, a more than 2,000-year-old traditional Chinese instrument. We’ll eat fresh seafood in one of the oldest restaurants in Fisherman’s Wharf, drink Mai Tai’s during an indoor monsoon at the Tonga Room, listen to an impromptu poetry recital about cable cars, on the cable car itself, and lots more. Recorded on-location, this audio adventure is designed to do more than just let you hear what it’s like to be there; it’s designed to let you feel what it’s like for real. For more information on how you can explore San Francisco for yourself, visit sftravel.com. Thank you to everyone who featured on this show: - Val Lupiz, Cable Car Museum - Gimmy Park Li, Wok Wiz Walking Tours - Fang-Li (and students Katie and Catherine), Shangri-La Gifts - Josh and Michelle, Fairmont Hotel and Tonga Room - Tom Creedon, Scomas Restaurant - James Morehead, Viewless Wings, Viewless Wings Poetry Podcast This show was produced by Armchair Productions, the audio experts for the travel industry. Find out about all our shows at armchair-productions.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Kayaking the Entire Amazon From Source to Sea with Darcy Gaechter
What constitutes a life well lived? When Darcy Gaechter turned 35, her life was everything she had hoped it would be. She had a loving partner, a rewarding job as a kayak expedition guide, and hard-won fame within the competitive world of whitewater kayaking. By her own measures, she was living the dream. And yet, many of her friends and family looked at her life and saw only what she did not have - a husband, children, a traditional high-paying office job. Listening to them, doubts began to take root in Darcy's mind. Maybe, she decided, it was finally time to surrender her wild lifestyle and join the more stable - if not more boring - upper crusts of well-behaved society. But before she could do that...she had one final adventure to take. It was an adventure so ambitious, so wild and deadly and unprecedented, that she believed it could cure her of her seemingly bottomless desire to tackle these quests, to chase the next horizon. And thus, mere months after her birthday, she found herself dipping her paddle into the frigid source waters of the Amazon, ready to kayak through its innumerable dangers - natural and manmade - in the following months. Whether you're interested in kayaking, Amazonian culture and indigenous history, the interpersonal dynamics of expeditions, or all of the above, this episode is sure to engross you - from beginning to end. FIND DARCY Follow Darcy on Instagram @darcygaechter, and hear about her latest projects, events, and more on her website. The book she wrote about her Amazonian adventure is called Amazon Woman: Facing Fears, Chasing Dreams, and a Quest to Kayak the Longest River From Source to Sea. Get your copy today online or at your favorite bookstore (we especially love local bookstores)! Want to kayak with Darcy? Book a trip with her adventure company, Small World Adventures, and enjoy some of the best paddling Ecuador has to offer. SOCIAL Share the show with your friends! Subscribe to the podcast wherever you're listening, follow @armchairexplorerpodcast on Instagram and Facebook, check out Armchair Explorer's website, and learn more about APT Podcast Studios on their website. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On Location: The Call of the Wild in Estes Park, Colorado
For this ‘On Location’ episode, we are going to get our boots on and do some hiking. There are 124 named peaks in Rocky Mountain National Park, with most of them over 10,000-feet. When you stand on the summit of one, a sea of peaks surrounds you on all sides. There are few things more exhilarating in life. And for many of us, it’s why we come here. But it hasn’t always been that way. For thousands of years, mountains were the abode of Gods and monsters, places to be feared and avoided. They became challenges, a piece of indomitable nature that only the bravest of us would dare to tame. Now, perhaps, they are transforming again, from something to subdue to somewhere to escape from the confines of our modern world. Today, we’re going to climb a mountain that very few visitors ever do. It’s called Estes Cone. It’s 11,006 feet tall. But this story is about more than just getting our boots in the dirt. It’s about learning to see these Rocky summits with fresh eyes, whether you’re climbing to the top or enjoying the view from afar. John Muir famously said, "The mountains are calling, and I must go.” We’re going to heed those words, reach for that summit, and listen for the Call of the Mountains. -- Our ‘On Location’ episodes are funded by destination partnerships. Thank you to Visit Estes Park for making this one happen. They help with production costs, but the storytelling is all ours, and we only ever showcase content we love and think you will too. For more information on how you can experience everything that we did in this episode go to visitestespark.com This episode was produced by Armchair Productions’ producers Aaron Millar and Jason Paton in conjunction with the creative team at House of Pod. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Crossing the Oregon Trail in an Authentic Covered Wagon with Author Rinker Buck
Armchair Explorer is back! We're so excited to launch our new season as part of APT Podcast Studios, the newly launched podcast network of American Public Television. As part of our new season, we'll be releasing episodes every week. That's right - Armchair Explorer is now a weekly show! Between signature episodes, keep your eyes peeled for our brand new 'On Location' episodes, airing every other week. Each of these documentary-style episodes was recorded on location - from the peaks of the Rocky Mountains to the deserts of California - in order to capture the sounds and stories of each place. You won't want to miss out, so make sure to subscribe! TODAY'S EPISODE When Rinker Buck decided to cross the Oregon Trail in an authentic 1883 wagon, he had no idea what to expect. "I knew that naïveté was the mother of adventure," he wrote, "I just didn't know how much of it I really had." For somebody like Rinker, who was interested in the history of the Oregon Trail, there were several easier, faster, and safer ways to explore it. But Rinker wasn't interested in them. He wanted, as he calls it, "the sensual feast of traveling in the open air;" the chance not just to learn about history, but to actually experience it. And so Rinker, his brother Nick, and their pack of three mules - Beck, Jake, and Bute - set off on a months-long journey that sent them through fields of blooming wildflowers, across turbulent rivers, beneath starry skies, and nearly over the sides of cliffs. And through it all, they came to see America's history - and the history of the West - not as it had been taught in school, but as it really was. Whether you're an Oregon Trail buff or you've never even played the video game, this episode is sure to surprise, delight, and thoroughly entertain. FIND RINKER Follow Rinker's work through his publisher, Simon & Schuster, where you can also find the link to his book, The Oregon Trail: A New American Journey. And don't forget to check out his latest book, Life on the Mississippi: An Epic American Adventure, which you can find online or at your favorite bookstore (we especially love local bookstores)! SOCIAL Share the show with your friends! Subscribe to the podcast wherever you're listening, follow @armchairexplorerpodcast on Instagram and Facebook, check out Armchair Explorer's website, and learn more about APT Podcast Studios on their website.
TRAILER: This is Armchair Explorer, an APT Podcast Studios Production
Welcome to Armchair Explorer, where the world's greatest adventurers tell their best stories from the road! Hailed as "inspiring storytelling" from the New York Times, each documentary-style episode drops you into the heart of the action - from the heart-pounding to the inspiring, the unusual, the deadly, the hilarious, and the downright jaw-dropping. Armchair Explorer is now proud to be part of APT Podcast Studios, the podcast arm of American Public Television! Our upcoming season will feature stories from some of the most remote corners of the planet, from diving to the bottom of the Mariana trench to tracking the elusive snow leopard, completing the first kayak descent of the entire Amazon river, and more. And, every other week, we'll be dropping a brand new "On Location" episode. These award-winning special episodes were recorded in surround sound and captured on location in order to share the stories and voices of destinations around the globe. Join us as we trace the origins of jazz in Tennessee, sail to remote islands in the Florida Keys, go horseback riding with real cowboys in Wyoming, and more! Learn more about Armchair Explorer at armchair-explorer.com and find APT Podcast Studios at aptpodcaststudios.com.
BONUS EPISODE: The Coastal Adventure Trail of Oregon
This week, listen to an episode from Armchair Productions' newest series, The Hidden Trails of Oregon! Join us on the Coastal Adventure Trail for a documentary road trip, following award-winning travel writer Aaron Millar from Florence to Port Orford and beyond. We begin at the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area, in Florence, for a sand-boarding lesson from world champion rider Gabe Cruz. Then, we head south down the coast, stopping at the sleepy seaside town of Port Orford for wild beaches, windswept headlands, ocean swells and one of the greatest wildlife experiences on Earth. Continuing along the coast, we explore the secret coves of the Samuel H. Boardman State Scenic Corridor – perhaps the most spectacular stretch of road in the entire Pacific Northwest – and finish in a forest of giants, fit for a fantasy book. Through it all, we’re going to discover why adventure is about more than laughs and gasps - it’s about fostering a deep connection to the natural world, and in doing so, perhaps, a deeper connection to yourself too.Want to visit Oregon and explore the Coastal Adventure Trail yourself? Find itineraries and more at www.traveloregon.com.Produced by Armchair Productions, the audio experts for the travel industry www.armchair-productions.com.
The Herd at the End of the World: Traversing Siberia with the Nenet Reindeer Herders
“This style of reindeer herding is truly the last of its kind…and I wanted us to be the first group to experience it.”The Nenets of Siberia’s Yamal Peninsula are among the world’s oldest existing true nomads, making a living by herding reindeer in a place that literally translates to ‘the end of the world.’ And when Christine Amour-Levar learned that she had a third-degree connection to the tribe, she set about arranging an unprecedented trek to accompany them during their southward migration. Five months later, she was leading the largest - and only all-female - group that the Nenets had ever hosted, as they prepared to live, migrate, and journey alongside the tribe for a week.Cozy up and get ready for an episode where the temperatures reach -100ºF, the Northern Lights guide the way, and the only way to survive is to stick together - and occasionally consume fresh reindeer blood.FIND CHRISTINE Follow Christine Amour-Levar on Instagram (@christineamourlevar) or visit her website at christineamourlevar.com for more incredible stories, photos of her expeditions, and more. You can also find her book, Wild Wisdom: Life Lessons From Leading Teams to Some of the Most Inhospitable Places in the World, online or at your local bookstore. Finally, we encourage you to learn more about her two nonprofit organizations, Women on a Mission and HER Planet Earth, where you can volunteer, donate - or even sign up for an upcoming expedition yourself!SPONSORS Thank you to our amazing sponsor, The North Face, for supporting this episode! When you wear The North Face, it’s more than a jacket…it’s the calling to get out there and explore. Find your next fleece, parka, or winter jacket at thenorthface.com.Also, check out our new show, Hidden Trails of Oregon, which is out now! It's an immersive first-person journey - recorded on location with surround sound audio - across this weird, wild, and wonderful state. You'll hear Aaron go beyond the guidebook to discover the secrets only locals know! Find it on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you find podcasts.SOCIAL Share the show with your friends! Follow @armchairexplorerpodcast across Instagram and Facebook, and check out Armchair Explorer (www.armchair-explorer.com) for background videos, photos and more on each episode. And please hit that follow button to support the show!
Seeking Bluer Skies: Three Months in a Remote Buddhist Monastery
"Did you even hear a single word I just said?"This question, asked of writer Bruce Kirkby one morning by his ten year old son, catalyzed a life-changing journey. Bruce and his wife, Christine, decided to break the cycle of 21st-century distraction by relocating their family - complete with two young boys - to a remote Buddhist monastery in Ladakh, India for three months. But before they would reach the monastery, they would travel for nearly 100 days - via container ship, fishing boats, horseback, and even by foot - to reach this remote valley. This episode will whisk you away to a rugged, captivating place filled with even more fascinating people - and it will delight, frighten, inspire, and surprise you at every turn.FIND BRUCE Follow Bruce on Instagram (@brucekirkby) or visit his website at brucekirkby.com to find his photography, previous expeditions, books, and more. You can find Blue Sky Kingdom, his book describing his family's entire journey, at your local bookstore or online!SPONSORS Thank you to our amazing sponsor, The North Face, for supporting this episode! When you wear The North Face, it’s more than a jacket…it’s the calling to get out there and explore. Find your next fleece, parka, or winter jacket at thenorthface.com.Also, check out our new show, Hidden Trails of Oregon, which is out now! It's an immersive first-person journey - recorded on location with surround sound audio - across this weird, wild, and wonderful state. You'll hear Aaron go beyond the guidebook to discover the secrets only locals know! Find it on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you find podcasts.SOCIAL Share the show with your friends! Follow @armchairexplorerpodcast across Instagram and Facebook, and check out Armchair Explorer (www.armchair-explorer.com) for background videos, photos and more on each episode. And please hit that follow button to support the show!
Life in the Deep Blue: Diving the World’s Oceans with Author and Photographer Pier Nirandara
“You stand at the edge of the boat - and you take a giant stride into the unknown.” Today we’re chatting with Pier Nirandara, a bestselling author, film producer, SCUBA diver and underwater photographer. She's dedicated her life to sharing the beauty and importance of this marine world about which we still know so little. With her work in photography, writing, and more, she's also helping to shape a new generation of divers and ocean advocates from all corners of the world. In the episode, you’ll hear about the dive that changed her life and stopped her career path in its tracks; how it feels to share the water with some of the world’s rarest, most ancient sea creatures; and why exploring the ocean and encountering marine wildlife is more important than ever. This episode will inspire and move you to consider all the life that exists beneath the water's surface - and what we owe to it. FIND PIER Follow Pier on Instagram (@piersgreatperhaps) and Facebook, or visit her website at piernirandara.com to find her amazing photography, articles, books, TED Talk, and more. She also leads snorkeling and diving expeditions all around the globe, so if you want to experience some of the adventures you heard in the episode firsthand, you can find those on her website too. SPONSORS THANK YOU to our amazing sponsor, The North Face, for supporting this episode! When you wear The North Face, it’s more than a jacket…it’s the calling to get out there and explore. Find your next fleece, parka, or winter jacket at thenorthface.com.And thank you to our other sponsor, Juggernaut Wines! Get four bottles of their delicious wines delivered to your home for only 1 cent in shipping costs. Just head over to juggernautwines.com and use code ARMCHAIR21.SOCIAL Share the show with your friends! Follow @armchairexplorerpodcast across Instagram and Facebook, and check out Armchair Explorer (www.armchair-explorer.com) for background videos, photos and more on each episode. And please hit that follow button to support the show!
The Vagabond's Way: Lessons from Decades of Travel with Rolf Potts
“The best way to travel? Dare to be lonely, lost, and bored.”Today we’re joined by travel-writing legend Rolf Potts, best-selling author and pioneer of indie travel. Long before the era of contemporary van life and digital nomadism, Rolf’s first book, Vagabonding, inspired countless travelers to forgo expensive, overly planned travel in favor of affordable, spontaneous exploration. And with his new book, The Vagabond’s Way, he’s sharing some of his best stories and pearls of wisdom from a lifetime spent traveling the world - including why you should never trust reviews, how inconvenience can lead to extraordinary discoveries, and why boredom while traveling is a gift. Whether or not you’ve already familiar with Rolf, this episode will surprise, delight, and teach you about why we travel - and how we can bring our travels home with us. FIND ROLF Follow Rolf on Instagram @rolfpotts, or visit his website at rolfpotts.com to find his books, articles, blog, videos, writing courses, and more. You can also find his newest book, The Vagabond’s Way: 366 Meditations on Wanderlust, Discover, and the Art of Travel at your local bookstore or online. There are several stories and reflections in there that we didn’t have time to cover, so we highly recommend you pick up a copy for yourself! SPONSORS THANK YOU to our amazing sponsor, The North Face, for supporting this episode! When you wear The North Face, it’s more than a jacket…it’s the calling to get out there and explore. Find your next fleece, parka, or winter jacket at thenorthface.com. And thank you to our other sponsor, Juggernaut Wines! Get four bottles of their delicious wines delivered to your home for only 1 cent in shipping costs. Just head over to juggernautwines.com and use code ARMCHAIR21. SOCIAL Share the show with your friends! Follow @armchairexplorerpodcast across Instagram and Facebook, and check out Armchair Explorer (www.armchair-explorer.com) for background videos, photos and more on each episode. And please hit that follow button to support the show!
Stories from the Edge with Legendary BASE Jumper Jeb Corliss
“I jump off buildings and cliffs for fun. And I don’t recommend it to anyone.”Dive into heart-pounding adventures with Jeb Corliss, one of the world’s most revered BASE jumpers and wingsuit pilots. In this episode, you’ll hear Jeb recount some of his most impactful stories, from the very first time he attempted BASE jumping to the incident that nearly put him off the sport for good. His energy and his vivid storytelling puts you right in the middle of the action - whether you’re plummeting off a 300-foot antenna in the middle of the night or soaring dangerously close to rocky cliffs. So buckle up - you’ll be on the edge of your seat from start to finish.FIND JEBFollow Jeb’s adventures on YouTube, Instagram and Facebook @jebcorliss, or visit his website at jebcorliss.net to see his photos, videos, documentaries, and more. You can also find his book, Memoirs From the Edge: Exploring the Line Between Life and Death at select bookstores or on Amazon. There are tons of heart-pounding stories in there that we didn’t have time to cover, so we highly recommend you pick up a copy for yourself!SPONSORSTHANK YOU to our new sponsor, The North Face, for supporting this episode! When you wear The North Face, it’s more than a jacket…it’s the calling to get out there and explore. Find your next fleece, parka, or winter jacket at thenorthface.com.And thank you to our other amazing sponsor, Juggernaut Wines! Get four bottles of their delicious wines delivered to your home for only 1 cent in shipping costs. Just head over to juggernautwines.com and use code ARMCHAIR21.SOCIALShare the show with your friends! Follow @armchairexplorerpodcast across Instagram and Facebook, and check out Armchair Explorer (www.armchair-explorer.com) for background videos, photos and more on each episode. And please hit that follow button to support the show!
Land of Wonder: Four Weeks on Colombia's Magdalena River with Jordan Salama
What does it take to really know a place? When Jordan Salama arrived in Colombia for the first time, he realized immediately that it was a country that was deeply misunderstood. For a place so often associated with violence, Jordan found himself in a country teeming with rugged beauty, welcoming communities, vibrant music, and astonishing art. Jordan wanted to dive deeper. To do so, he heeded the advice of locals, who told him that to really know Colombia, he needed to sail along the Magdalena River. The Magdalena is the beating heart of Colombia’s countryside, flowing all the way from soaring southern peaks to windswept northern shores. And while Jordan suspected that he would gain a deeper understanding of Colombia, he had no idea how profoundly it would change his life. Along the way, he befriended people whose passions had carried them both hundreds of miles into the countryside and no farther than their front porch; he slogged through mud and paddled in canoes; he held tightly to wind-whipped kites and spun to music, dancing the lines between fable and reality. Whether you already know Colombia or you’re curious to learn more, Jordan's story will open your eyes and touch your heart in unexpected ways. HIGHLIGHTS - Trek into the far reaches of Colombia’s rugged jungles, traveling to archaeological sites that are only reachable on foot or on horseback - Meet the world-famous Biblioburro, Colombia’s one-man (and two-donkey) roaming library - Ride the unusual motobalinera, an improvised mode of transport you’ll have to hear to believe - Come face to face with nature in a hair-raising encounter with Pablo Escobar’s wild hippos - Journey to dreamlike town of Mompox, the fabled inspiration behind Gabriel García Marquez’s Macondo - Experience the joys, sorrows, and wonders of Colombia, perhaps the most misunderstood country in the world FIND JORDAN Follow Jordan’s work at jordansalama.com, where you’ll find links to his articles in National Geographic, The New York Times, and more. You can also find him on Instagram and TikTok @jordansalama19. As you’ll hear in this episode, Jordan is a beautiful writer and his book, Every Day the River Changes, is an incredible read. There are some great stories in there that didn’t make it into the episode, so grab your copy at your local bookstore or online at Barnes & Noble and Amazon! SPONSORS A HUGE thank you to our new and incredible sponsor, The North Face, for supporting this episode! When you wear The North Face, it’s more than a jacket…it’s the calling to get out there and explore. Find your next fleece, parka, or winter jacket at thenorthface.com. And thank you to our other amazing sponsor, Juggernaut Wines! Get four bottles of their delicious wines delivered to your home for only 1 cent in shipping costs. Just head over to juggernautwines.com and type in the code ARMCHAIR21. SOCIAL Share the show with your friends! Follow @armchairexplorerpodcast across Instagram and Facebook, and check out Armchair Explorer's website for background videos, photos and more on each episode. And please hit that follow button to support the show!
If I Live Until Morning: Cheating Death on the John Muir Trail with Jean Muenchrath
What happens when adventuring goes suddenly, horribly wrong? For Jean Muenchrath, what began as a pleasant cross-country ski trip up the John Muir trail quickly spiralled into disaster - and what happened changed her life forever. Journey back in time with us to hear one of the most gripping survival stories that occurred over three decades ago in the heart of the Sierra Nevada mountains. Jean’s story stands as a testament to the power of the mind, the importance of dreams, and the sheer force of will.Jean and her skiing partner, Ken, spent weeks on the John Muir trail in the middle of winter immersing themselves with nature. They trekked through snow-laden meadows and climbed up towering granite cliffs slicked with ice, enjoying the labour and the peace of nature’s rhythm. But as they neared the end of their journey and prepared to ascend Mount Whitney - the tallest mountain in the contiguous United States - Jean began to fear, intuitively, that something was about to go horribly wrong. And, as we’ll find out, she should have listened to that voice.This is a story of survival against the odds. But it’s also a story about the power of the mind to overcome even the most difficult and desperate situations that life can throw at us. Jean used her accident as fuel to transform her life in positive ways, and her story will inspire you to face life’s hardships with courage, grace and determination too. Get ready for a near-death encounter at the top of the world.Highlights:- Follow the nail-biting story of Jean Muenchrath’s near-death encounter at Mount Whitney- Ski the 211-mile long John Muir Trail in winter, from its start in Yosemite Valley to its conclusion at the top of Mount Whitney, the tallest point in the Lower 48 states- Hear what it’s like to survive one of the worst accidents in Mount Whitney’s history- Hike the Himalayas and watch the sunset over Everest- Learn what Jean found in the snow when she returned to the scene of her accident, 31 years after it happened- Be inspired to use the power of your mind, just like Jean did, to follow your dreams and transform your life in positive waysIf you find this story meaningful, please connect with Jean – she’s passionate about getting in touch with her audience and sharing her story. www.jeanmuenchrath.com | Email: bluevajrasky@gmail.com. Her book is called If I Live Until Morning: A True Story of Adventure, Tragedy, and Transformation and you can find it on Amazon here ... You’ll get to hear details of her story that we didn’t have time for in this podcast, so we highly recommend grabbing a copy.THANK YOU to Juggernaut Wines for sponsoring this episode! We’ve got a special deal forlisteners of this show. You can get four bottles – two Cabernet Sauvignons and two Pinot Noirs – delivered to your home for only 1 cent in shipping costs. One cent! Just head over tojuggernautwines.com and type in the code ARMCHAIR21. Their wine is absolutely delicious and it’s a great way to support the show…that’s what we call a win win!Follow @armchairexplorerpodcast across Instagram and Facebook, and check out Armchair Explorer (www.armchair-explorer.com) for background videos, photos and more on each episode. And please hit that follow button to support the show!