Outdoor Lives by Mike Raine

Mike Raine

A podcast for hillwalkers and climbers about the people we share the hills with. Get to know some of the other users, managers, and owners of our uplands. Meet characters and personalities who live Outdoor Lives. This podcast will be of particular interest to mountain leaders, hill and moorland leaders and mountaineering instructors, but it's hoped anyone who climbs or walks in the hills of the UK and Ireland might be interested too. Listed in the top 20 UK Nature and Wildlife Podcasts by https://www.feedspot.com

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20 episodes
Updated April 28

Episodes20

Newest first

April 28 · 23 min
Ramblings on Penyghent
Just some thoughts, observations and comments from a Penyghent walk. Just me, wandering and chatty.
March 17 · 11 min
Outdoor Lives - the final episode?
Listen in and find out why this may be the last one.
March 10 · 48 min
Martin Chester – UIAGM guide, Level 5 Kayak Coach and Chief Instructor at Joint Services Mountain Training.
Martin Chester has built a reputation as one of the mostrespected figures in the outdoor world. A former Chief Instructor at the National Outdoor Centre, Plas y Brenin, before going on to help shape Mountain Training’s coaching programme. Along the way, he’s worked in television, becomea sought-after conference speaker and consultant. He continues to work in the role of Guide and Coach. Despite this we talk about imposter syndrome! A ski tourer at heart, Martin recently stepped into the roleof Chief Instructor for the MOD’s Joint Services Mountain Training - an organisation operating across Wales, Scotland, Norway and Germany. Martin is now the only person to have led both Plas y Breninand Joint Services Mountain Training - and alongside all of that, he’s a dedicated family man and a cancer survivor. Martin talks movingly about how tough the canccer challenge has been and still is.
March 3 · 51 min
Ioan Doyle – Climber and Farmer
Ioan is a Bethesda local. He’s a first language Welsh sheepfarmer, contractor, climber (up to E8) and Himalayan mountaineer. He’s an incredibly energetic worker, climber and family man. He coaches rugby, flies a paraglider, he’s a dry stone waller, fencer and shepherd; he climbs hard and plays hard…
February 24 · 34 min
Mark Reid of TeamWalking
Mark Reid is an experienced Mountain Leader, outdoorwriter, and lifelong lover of the outdoors. His company is called TeamWalking, they provide team events, navigation courses and guided walking. With nearly 30 years of professional experience, Mark hasguided over 21,000 people on walks of all ages and abilities, walked more than 32,000 miles of footpaths, and written 17 walking guidebooks. Mark and I have been working together on the Nature ofthe Yorkshire Dales workshops, Mark bring expert input on the geology, archaeology and history of the Dales, together we make a good team.
February 17 · 46 min
Colin Speakman - walker, author and environmental campaigner
Colin has authored or co-authored over 60 outdoor books.These include The Dales Way (now in its 11th edition), and walking guides to areas both in the UK and in mainland Europe, as well as poetry, topography, biography, transport history, and two literary anthologies. He worked as a teacher, lecturer, tourism officer and he ran the UK’s first green travelagency. Colin is a founder member of the Gritstone Authors Publishing Co-operative. In 1997 Colin received an honorary degree (D.Lit.) from Bradford University in recognition of his literary and environmental work, and in 2007 was awarded the first Dalesman Rural Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2015 he was named the UK Transport Campaigner of the year by the SheilaMcKechnie Trust, and in 2020 was cited as one of the UK’s “Walking Heroes” by noted countryside journalist Roly Smith. In 2021 he received the Golden Eagle Lifetime Achievement award from the Outdoor Writers & Photographers Guildfor his outstanding services to the Outdoors.
February 10 · 44 min
Jacquetta Megarry – Rucksack Readers Publishing
After a career in education, IT and academic publishing,Jacquetta became interested in long-distance walking and trekking. After completing her first long walk, the West Highland Way, in 1998, she progressed to Mount Kilimanjaro, which she summited four times by four different routes(1999, 2000, 2004 and 2008). She is a member of the Outdoor Writers and Photographers Guild and in 2016 won its Award for Excellence with Trek to Everest. In 2000 she launched the rainproof Rucksack Reader formatwith built-in maps for guidebooks. Now published over 40 guidebooks. Of these, she has either written or co-authored 24, as well as editing them all and creating frequent revised editions of earlier books. We chat about Jacquetta’s story of becoming a long distance walker, guidebook writer and publisher. To see the full range of lightweight, rain proof guides andperhaps get some inspiration for your next walk visit https://www.rucsacs.com/
February 3 · 44 min
Eileen Jones - Author of Loughrigg
Eileen Jones is a writer and journalist based in the LakeDistrict. She is a contributor to Cumbria magazine and an enthusiastic parkrunner. She is the author of Loughrigg and two books on parkrunning and is currently working on a book about Rydal Mount, the home of William and Dorothy Wordsworth. Eileen has visited the summit cairn of Loughrigg more than 500 times. We chat about Loughrigg, what it’s like and what it means toEileen, the environment and people of the hill, and how Eileen came to write a book about it. “It’s one of the smallest fells in the Lake District, butLoughrigg is small in height only. This delightfully sprawling mini-mountain is crossed by miles of confusing paths, blessed with many small tarns, grazed by sheep, home to deer and red squirrels, a habitat for wildflowers and birds, and loved by all who climb to its prominent summit. It meets the folk who live on the hill, talks to the athletes who run over it, explores the terrain and the wildlife, and looks at the artists who have painted it and the writers inspired here. This is a love letter to Loughrigg.” Loughrigg is available from Gritstone Publishing.
January 27 · 42 min
Jenny Dart – Mountaineering Instructor and Ogwen Valley Mountain Rescue Team Member
Jenny has been working with me on the scrambling workshops for a while now and she is taking those over from 2026. She is a fully qualified mountaineering instructor who works in Eryri and on Skye, she also spends a lot of time in the Alps. Jenny is also an active member of the OgwenValley Mountain Rescue Team, a Remote Rescue Medical Technician and a WEMSI Wilderness Medical Technician qualification. She is on the faculty for World Extreme Medicine - teaching on Wilderness and Expedition Medicine and Searchand Rescue Medicine courses.
January 20 · 41 min
Emily Coates – Mountain Leader. Setting the record straight on a Himalayan (mis)adventure
Emily Coates is a North Wales based Mountain Leader both summer and winter. She also has a Geography degree from Oxford, a Master’s in Sustainability from ImperialCollege, and six years’ experience as a secondary geography teacher. Emily now works as a freelance leader in North Wales and beyond. She runs her own company, Visit Wild Wales, founded on strong ethical principles, and also works with Leading Edge and the Field Studies Council, while enjoys the odd shift at Joe Brown’s outdoor shop. In 2025, Emily had a tense adventure in the Himalaya. What began as a trekking trip to a remote part of the range turned into a full-scale mountaineering expedition as Emily and her team were forced to extricate themselves from a serious situation. The expedition was badly reported in the mainstream media, with Emily and her friends being targeted rather than celebrated. It’s a fascinating story.
January 13 · 41 min
Ron Allan - Retired Principal Definitive Map Officer for North Yorkshire County Council
Ron spent over ten years working for North Yorkshire footpath team. He was recruited for his skills as a historian. We have a great chat about Public Rights of Way, the definitive map and how it all works. Ron is also a former police officer, support member of Swaledale Mountain Rescue team and a volunteer for Mountain Rescue Search Dogs England.
January 6 · 40 min
Emma Shipley – Yorkie Talkies Outdoors
Emma Shipley is an experienced outdoor leader and thefounder of Yorkie Talkies Outdoors. Holding Mountain Leader, Lowland Leader and Paddle Sport Leader qualifications, Emma is passionate about leading people in the outdoors and helping them build confidence, achieve personal goals, andexperience the life-changing benefits of adventure. Her business offers a wide range of accessible outdoor activities, including guided group walks, bespoke hikes, paddleboarding days, navigation courses, challenge events such as the Yorkshire Three Peaks, and corporate and charity events, catering to everyone from beginners to experienced walkers. Yorkie Talkies Outdoors also runs year-round events, including regular walking, trail running and paddleboardingsessions. Alongside this, Emma is the creator and host of The Yorkie Talkies Talk podcast, where she shares conversations about outdoor adventures, wellbeing, walking challenges and community stories. We find out all about how she’ bubbles with enthusiasm and her passion for the work she does. I think you’ll find her quite inspiring.
Dec 30, 2025 · 42 min
Dave Monteith (Monty)- Mountain Heritage Trust
Monty is a former geography teacher and mountaineeringinstructor. He taught at several well-known schools, including Gordonstoun. He was a student on Tim Jepson’s first Outdoor Education PGCE course at Bangor University, when the course was still run by Barbara Roscoe. Monty has volunteered for the Association of MountaineeringInstructors and Mountaineering Scotland. After finishing his work as a teacher, he spent a few years on the freelance team at Glenmore Lodge. He is now settled near the Lake District and has taken on the role of trustee and secretary forthe BMC’s Mountain Heritage Trust. I wanted to find out more about the MHT…
Dec 23, 2025 · 54 min
Mark Reeves – Author, Climber, Coach, and Former British Antarctic Survey Team Member.
Mark Reeves is an old friend of mine - a climber, climbingcoach, and author whose passion and enthusiasm always shine through. In this episode, we talk about his time working in Antarctica for the British Antarctic Survey. Mark took the job during a personally difficult period, and while not everyone would choose Antarctica for a more social lifestyle, that’s xactly what he did - and it worked. He’s perhaps best known as the author of the Rockfax guides to North Wales, covering walking, scrambling, and rock climbing. After chatting about his books, we dive into his current and future projects. I think his enthusiasm and honesty will really resonate with you.
Dec 20, 2025 · 43 min
Simon Rogers – National Trust Countryside Area Manager for Eryri
Simon will, in 2026, become the Restore Nature Manager forthe same area. The National Trust owns large swathes of Eryri, as well as many of the other places where we walk and climb, so it’s always interesting and informative to speak with the people who work for them. Simon is incredibly enthusiastic and passionate about thework he does, and he’s a great communicator - which makes this a really good podcast for all walkers and climbers, and especially for those leading and instructing others. Hope you enjoy it.
Dec 16, 2025 · 59 min
Eben Muse – BMC Campaigns and Policy Officer for Wales
Eben Muse – a Welsh writer and campaigner, he works asCampaigns and Policy Officer for the British Mountaineering Council in Wales. His job is to represent the political interests of hillwalkers, climbers, mountaineers (and ski mountaineers) in Wales. He’s also an ambassador for the Campaign for National Parks, and a member of the Ramblers’ Cymru steering group. Climbing and mountains have shaped his life since he was ateenager. He grew up in the foothills of Eryri (in Dyffryn Nantlle) but has now been resident in Cardiff for a little more than a decade now.A fascinating, passionate and wide-ranging conversation…
Dec 9, 2025 · 38 min
Tim Cain MBE - Mountain Rescue Search Dog Handler, Outdoor First Aid trainer and former British Army infantry officer.
Tim Cain MBE is a veteran Mountain Rescue Search DogHandler and former British Army infantry officer. After a 29-year military career, Tim dedicated himself to mountain rescue, serving with Swaledale MRT for over two decades. A qualified Mountain Rescue Search Dog Handler since 2014,Tim works with Mountain Rescue Search Dogs England alongside his team of border collies - one retired, one active, and one enthusiastic but “strictly a pet.” He’s also an outdoor first aid trainer, leadership mentor,and highly experienced responder with qualifications in remote and wilderness medicine, swift-water rescue, and mountain leadership. When he’s not trainingsearch dogs, you’ll find him outdoors - or occasionally in a canoe or a cinema. Tim lives with his wife, Helen, and their grown sons in thecompany of their three collies. Tim's webiste is https://www.medicrec.com/
Jan 24, 2025 · 47 min
Dan Raven-Ellison – Founder and CEO of Slow Ways
Dan Raven-Ellison describes himself as a guerrilla geographer and creative explorer. He is the Founder and CEO of Slow Ways, a groundbreaking initiative to create a national walking network that connects all of Britain’s towns, cities, and National Parks. Check out Slow Ways and see how you can contribute: https://beta.slowways.org/. The movement needs support in reviewing mountain routes. Could you incorporate Slow Ways into the routes you plan? Sign up for emails and follow them on social media to stay updated. In this conversation, we also talk about walking with a mind-reading device on your head, City National Parks, and safe roadside walking. It was a fascinating discussion that could have gone on much longer!
Jan 17, 2025 · 42 min
Tim Jepson – Climber, walker, paddler, BMC Cymru Gogledd/North Wales Chair.
Tim Jepson is best known for working the Bangor University Outdoor Education PGCE. In that role he trained over 600 teachers of Outdoor Education and as such he holds a special affection in the outdoor world. He also worked at Plas y Brenin and more recently has been very involved with the BMC. We talk about how Tim got into the outdoors, the career he’s had and what he’s up to now. We finish with a conversation around sound advice for the developing outdoor leaders and some environmental considerations. This was a lovely, relaxed conversation with a master of the outdoors.
Jan 10, 2025 · 58 min
Mehmet Karatay - Mountaineering Instructor and MWIS weather forecaster
Mehemet Karatay is a Mountaineering and Climbing Instructor, Winter Mountain Leader and Orienteering coach based in the Cairngorms. He is part of the Mountain Weather Information Service (MWIS) team and has a doctorate in Glaciology. Mehmet reveals the origins of his name, how he came to be a walker, climber and instructor in Scotland. We also talk about glaciology and forecasting for MWIS.