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!

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.

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.

What do you really know about upland farming? Given the farming protests going on currently I think it's really important to talk to real farmers about the issues affecting them. Listen to this podcast with Celyn from 2021 then come and meet her in person on the farm in June to find out more... ⁠https://www.mikeraine.co.uk/event-details/up-on-the-farm⁠

I can’t believe it’s four years since we interviewed Teleri Fielden on the Outdoor Lives Podcast. This episode was recorded in 2020 just after the Corona virus has swept through the nation. You can actually come and meet Teleri this summer on our Down on the Farm Workshop. Come and find out more about the realities of farming, in particular nature friendly farming. Teleri has sheep and beef cattle on the land. She grazes the cattle on the hill in summer and seeing them up there is fabulous. She has been on her own farm for four years and is now married with a baby, so she’s busy! Come and see how she’s getting on four years on…

Dr Flitcroft is responsible for managing the BMC's relationship with the Government and other countryside and recreational organisations. She is often to be found lobbying hard for the rights of hill walkers, climbers and mountaineers. She leads the BMC on policy and legislation issues affecting the cliff and mountain environment and is responsible for replying to numerous consultation documents in England and Wales. She was once a champion athlete and has, by her own admission, spent far too much time in the wilderness. Her PhD is about peat bogs.

Esther does a lot of rock climbing work from beginners to coaching for progression. She works on Mountain training Courses, she is Director of the Women’s Climbing Symposium and, with a Post Graduate Qualification in Environmental Education, she works with the Field Studies Council too. We talk about but her pathway to success, the Women’s Climbing Symposium and some good advice for others progressing through the Mountain Training schemes

A big chat about land management, particularly in the uplands. And what changes to the way we support farmers could mean for the hills.