Adventure Diaries: Exploration, Survival & Travel Stories
Real adventure isn't just for the pros. The award-winning Adventure Diaries brings you authentic stories of Adventure, exploration and the wonder of the natural world, specifically curated to inspire your next adventure.Hosted by Chris Watson—an award-winning storyteller and Scottish micro-adventurer—this show bridges the gap between extreme feats and accessible everyday adventures.Whether you are a seasoned mountaineer, a weekend adventurer, a solo traveler planning your next trip, or someone seeking the mental health benefits of nature, you have found your tribe. We go beyond the standard interview to decode the "why" and "how" behind the world's greatest adven...
Moments: 9 Hours Out Her Wheelchair In The Pyrenees
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On a horse expedition through the Pyrenees, Stephanie Quintrell had to manage heat, cold and wet conditions while her team raced an approaching storm. She recalls the teamwork that emerged without words and the day she realised she had spent nine hours out of her wheelchair.
Chapters
00:00 Weather and disability on the trail
01:27 A long climb as the storm approaches
02:42 The team finds its rhythm
03:42 The expedition and its wider impact
04:51 A waterfall stop changes the routine
06:01 Nine hours...
Moments: Lost in the Cerrado Jungle
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A routine camera-trap check went wrong when Leticia Benavalli took the wrong path in the Cerrado. With little food or water and her GPS battery running down, she describes the moment she stopped trying to force her way back, what happened overnight, and the field habits she changed afterward.
Chapters
00:00 The routine camera-trap check
01:11 A wrong turn
01:39 The GPS battery runs low
02:18 Trying to find the way back
02:58 Deciding where to spend the night
04:13 The search for Leticia
05:54...
Moments: He Was Scared to Host His Adventure Show
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Jeff Jenkins tells Chris how Never Say Never came together, then opens up about the physical challenges and his nerves before hosting the first shoot. The two excerpts show a side of the adventure that the finished TV programme could not: uncertainty, support and learning in public.
Chapters
00:00 How the show began
01:38 The challenges behind the camera
02:35 Rock climbing and heights
04:32 Fear before the first shoot
05:44 Season 6 preview
If you enjoyed this moment, please listen to the full...
Moments: Following a Wolf for 1,000 Miles
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Adam Weymouth retraced the route of a wolf tracked by researchers across Europe. He talks about following GPS points on foot, the landscape he crossed, and what the animal’s journey reveals about the way wolves move through places shaped by people.
Chapters
00:00 Retracing the wolf’s route
00:55 Following GPS data on foot
01:45 The journey becomes real
02:37 The landscape along the route
04:16 What tracking changed about wolf research
05:05 What the journey revealed
05:50 Season 6 preview
If you enjo...
Moments: The Bees With Legal Rights In Peru
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Dr Rosa Vasquez Espinoza explains the work behind legal recognition for stingless bees in parts of Peru. She describes what rights of nature mean in practice, why science and community knowledge both mattered, and what still has to happen before wider protection is possible.
Chapters
00:00 The stingless bee protection effort
00:50 What legal rights mean here
01:42 The work behind recognition
02:15 Protection and implementation
03:36 Regional rights and national ambitions
05:45 Season 6 preview
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Moments: His GPS Broke Deep In the Zambezi
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Chaz Powell was walking the Zambezi with a road map and a GPS. When the GPS broke and smaller villages were missing from the map, he began asking people along the river for directions. He describes arriving as a stranger, asking permission, and the hospitality he found.
Chapters
00:00 Planning the Zambezi route
00:57 The GPS breaks
01:56 Villages missing from the map
02:35 Arriving as a stranger
04:18 Asking the chief for permission
04:44 Hospitality along the river
05:28 Season 6 preview
If...
Moments: Unplanned 250 km Detour in Madagascar
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Oscar Scafidi explains how his Madagascar river expedition relied on people who knew the ground. The satellite images could not settle the route, local guides helped them assess the mountains, and the portage grew far beyond what the team had planned.
Chapters
00:00 Finding support on the ground
01:15 A five-year conversation with the guide team
01:50 Max and the local guides
02:38 Why people declined the mountain route
03:12 The limits of satellite images
04:14 The portage grows
05:05 The problem of water
05:39...
Moments: Start Small to Get Kids Outdoors
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A family adventure does not have to begin with a long expedition. Henry Brydon talks about why the outdoors can feel intimidating to parents, how he starts close to home with his children, and the simple treasure-hunt idea he recommends.
Chapters
00:00 The first step for parents
00:55 Why getting outside can feel daunting
01:53 Start small and stay local
02:46 Build up to bigger trips
03:10 Turn a walk into a treasure hunt
05:07 More ways to make a short outing count
06:30 Season 6...
Moments: Learning From the Amazonian Wai Wai Tribe
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Ness Knight and her team chose to work with the Wai Wai community on a remote river expedition. She recalls arriving without having met them, learning to respect different traditions, and gradually earning a place alongside the local guides.
Chapters
00:00 Why collaboration was a choice
00:39 Making contact with the Wai Wai
01:28 Arriving in the community
02:36 A different way of learning
04:12 Earning the guides’ trust
04:47 A name she did not expect
05:17 Season 6 preview
If you enjoyed this mo...
The Spirit of the Rainforest: Science Meets Indigenous Wisdom with Dr Rosa Vasquez Espinoza
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In this episode of The Adventure Diaries, Chris sits down with Dr. Rosa Vasquez Espinoza, the first scientist in her family, who grew up between the streets of Lima, the high Andes, and the Amazon River. Rosa has since done something no one in history has ever done — securing legal rights for an insect, the Amazonian Stingless Bee.
We explore how her grandmother's medicinal garden shaped a mission to unite modern science with indigenous knowledge, unpack the chemistry hidden inside s...
Behind the Lens: Volcanoes, Ice Caps & Wild First Ascents with Toby Roney
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Award-winning adventure photographer and filmmaker Toby Roney joins Chris Watson to talk about a life spent documenting expeditions in the world's most extreme environments — from minus-27°C storms on Iceland's Vatnajökull ice cap to a world-first ascent in Kyrgyzstan. We dig into the "say yes first, work out the details later" philosophy that's shaped his career, the reality of solo-shooting for 22 hours on the Matterhorn and the mental-health honesty that underpins it all
Chapters
0:00 Saying yes to th...Lone Wolf: Walking 1,000 Miles in a Wolf's Footsteps with Adam Weymouth
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Award-winning travel writer Adam Weymouth joins Chris to talk about Lone Wolf, his account of retracing the epic 1,000-mile journey of Slavc — a gray wolf who walked from Slovenia, across the Alps, into Italy in 2011. It's a story about rewilding, politics, folklore, and an unlikely wolf love story.
Key Takeaways
Europe's carnivores are quietly returning. There are now more wolves in Europe than in the continental US, and more bears in Europe than lions in Afri...Para Horse Rider Crosses The Pyrenees: A World First With Stephanie Quintrell
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Para Horse Rider Stephanie Quintrell Crosses The Pyrenees In A World First Expedition.
In 2023, Stephanie Quintrell became the first wheelchair-dependent woman to traverse the Pyrenees on horseback — five days in the saddle, over 130 kilometres from France into Spain, following the World War II Freedom Trails. In this episode, Steph shares how a sudden 48-hour illness in July 2019 changed her life, the bond with her horse Bubba that pulled her through, what it took to ride that mountain pass, and her next...
Q&A with Adventurer & Explorer Jude Kriwald
In this quickfire "10 Questions" segment, Chris chats with adventurer Jude Kriwald behind the scenes about everything from philosophy to survival.
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The Worst Place to Be a Pilot: Bush Flying Papua's Deadliest Airstrips | Matt Dearden
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From a desk job in IT to flying one of the world's most dangerous bush pilot routes — Matt Dearden spent seven years flying the Pilatus Porter into 30% gradient mountain airstrips in the remote highlands of Papua, Indonesia. After landing a Susi Air co-pilot job with just 10 days' notice, Matt sold his car, rented out his house, and boarded a one-way flight to a country he'd never visited.
In this episode of The Adventure Diaries, Matt shares how crippling anxiety nearly...
Raising Outside Kids in A Digital World - Henry Brydon (We Are Explorers)
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Today's guest is Henry Brydon — adventurer, writer, and founder of We Are Explorers (Australia's biggest adventure publication) and Outside Kids (a platform for dads raising adventurous children).
In this episode, Henry shares his epic two-year, 38,000km bicycle journey from London to Sydney through 30 countries — including Central Asia in minus 30°C temperatures and the Middle East during the Arab Spring, all on a $5/day budget. He unpacks what the trip taught him, how it shaped his mission to raise adventurous kids, and...
400+ Guides, 50+ Years: Why Cicerone Belongs in Your Pack
Summer is just around the corner — is your next adventure planned? In this short feature we spotlight Cicerone Press, the UK-based publisher that's been getting people outdoors for over 50 years. From a weekend on the Southwest Coast Path to multi-week epics like the Tour du Mont Blanc and the Camino de Santiago, Cicerone has over 400 expert-written guidebooks covering walking, cycling, climbing, and trekking across the UK and beyond. Every guide is packed with detailed route descriptions, maps, and practical advice so you can explore with confidence.
Get the offer: head to adventurediaries.com/of...
Crossing the Darien Gap: Cartels, Jungles & Hostage Training - Daniel Eggington
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Daniel Eggington is an adventurer from the Black Country in the UK who has spent the last decade pushing himself deeper and deeper into the world's most demanding jungles. At 17, he booked a £500 flight to Sumatra with no plan, no preparation, and no clue — and ended up tracking a wild Sumatran tiger in the rainforest just before his 18th birthday. That trip set the trend for everything that followed.
Since then, Daniel has paddled 300km down Guyana's Essequibo River in a han...
Get READY for Summer Adventures With Cicerone
Head Over to AdventureDiaries.com/Offer
For over 50 years, Cicerone has been publishing guidebooks that get people outdoors — from weekend walks on the UK's Southwest Coast Path to multi-week treks on the Tour du Mont Blanc and Camino de Santiago.
What Cicerone Offers:
Over 400 titles covering walking, cycling, climbing, and trekking across the UK and beyondEvery guide written by an expert author who knows the area inside outDetailed route descriptions, maps, and practical advice to explore with confidenceLimited-Time Sale (May 8–24):
20% off all printed guides and eBoo...Kayaking Madagascar's Longest River - The Mangok with Oscar Scafidi
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Oscar Scafidi has spent two decades living and working across 36 countries in Africa — writing travel guides for Bradt, teaching African history, and launching himself down some of the continent's most remote rivers. In 2022, he and a teammate attempted the first descent of Madagascar's Mangoky River: 750km, 28 days, and a 200km portage across a waterless mountain range that nearly broke the expedition before it began.
The Mangoky has no agreed source — no GPS coordinates, no signpost. Getting to the start meant hea...
Crossing Australia's DEADLIEST Desert Unsupported— Louis-Philippe Loncke
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In 2008, Louis-Philippe Loncke became the first person to walk the full length of Australia's Simpson Desert unsupported — 35 days, a 215kg cart, no water cache, no drops, no helicopter rescue within range. Last year, he tried again. He covered 75 kilometres in 13 days and turned back. Climate change, he believes, may have made this crossing permanently impossible.
The Belgian engineer turned explorer nicknamed The Mad Belgian first understood the scale of what he'd done when Jon Muir — who had been to both Poles...
Ascent Of The Amazon River - 6.5 Years & 7,000KM - With Pete Casey
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Pete Casey was chest-deep in floodwater, five days without food, in the middle of the Amazon at dusk. His guide said: "This is a beautiful place to die, and the day you die is the best day of your life." No higher ground in sight, no GPS signal, no way out. This is the story of the first ever sea-to-source ascent of the Amazon River.
No military training, no wealthy sponsors, no support team. Pete sold his home, scraped toget...
Pack Rafting Gabon's Uncharted Jungle Rivers with Beki Henderson
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Beki Henderson is a BAFTA-nominated adventure filmmaker and expedition safety specialist with years of experience leading camera teams into some of the world's most remote and demanding environments. She's worked alongside Steve Backshall, Ben Fogle, Levison Wood, Aldo Kane, and most recently Will Smith on the landmark Pole to Pole series — premiering at the Natural History Museum in London.
In this episode, Chris sits down with Beki to dig into the Green Abyss — her personal expedition into Gabo...
Guyana Jungle Discovery: Petroglyphs & a Lost Cave — Joe Trevorrow
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What happens when you walk for days through some of the most remote jungle on Earth — and stumble across a cave covered floor to ceiling in ancient drawings that no outsider has ever documented? In this Season 5 episode, Chris sits down with Joe Trevorrow, former Royal Navy sailor turned expedition guide with The Wild Tales — an indigenous-led adventure company operating deep in Guyana's interior — to unpack three extraordinary expeditions into barely explored territory.
Alongside the on-the-ground stories (rapids, san...
Saving Brazil's Jaguars — with Letícia Benavalli
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Chris sits down with Brazilian conservation biologist Letícia Benavalli to talk about her work protecting jaguars in the Cerrado — one of the world's most biodiverse yet overlooked biomes. From growing up in São Paulo to founding the Pro Onça Institute, Letícia shares how a childhood fascination with nature led her to track some of the rarest cats on the planet, including melanistic (black) jaguars. She also opens up about the importance of community-led conservation, empowering women and young peopl...
Climbing The Volcanic 7 Summits with Ricardo Kaljouw
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Ricardo Kaljouw is a Dutch adventurer and mountaineer from Flushing (Vlissingen) in Zeeland, Netherlands — a province that sits below sea level, making his obsession with the world's highest volcanoes all the more fitting. By day he works in military shipbuilding, constructing frigates for governments around the world. By adventure, he has just become the first person from the Benelux to complete the Volcanic 7 Summits — a challenge so rare that only around 68 people in the world have ever achieved it.
C...
Solo Cycle Through West Africa’s Rainforest - With Jude Kriwald
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What does it actually feel like to sleep alone in a West African rainforest — the noise, the insects, the pitch-dark uncertainty? In this Season 5 opener, Chris sits down with Jude Kriwald, adventure filmmaker and cyclist, to unpack Alone Across Gola — Jude’s solo ride across West Africa, including a remote jungle crossing in Liberia/Sierra Leone’s Gola region.
Connect with Jude
Book Jude For Your Next Event: https://JudeKriwald.com/Speaking Follow On Insta...True North: The Story Of Matthew Henson (Trailer)
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Reaching the North Pole wasn’t just about distance—it was about whose work could survive the ice. For over 20 years, Matthew Henson led expeditions where others failed, mastering indigenous travel and keeping teams alive through the harshest conditions on Earth. Yet when history was written, his role was reduced to the margins.
This is the story of how polar exploration actually functioned, and why recognition followed authority rather than effort.
Listen to the full immersive story of Matthew Henson in our premiere episode of the Adven...
Hitchhiking The Arctic - With Katharina Kneip
Support the Show: Join the new Patreon for exclusive after-shows, extended newsrooms, immersive short stories and meetups at adventurediaries.com/go
In this highlight reel from the Adventure Diaries Podcast, Chris W. revisits his conversation with explorer Katharina Kneip. Katharina shares the harrowing story of hitchhiking on a French sailboat to cross from Iceland to Newfoundland, battling 50-knot winds and ice in one of the most remote regions on Earth. She also discusses life under the eternal sun of Svalbard, camping near existing settlements to stay safe from polar bears, and offers a...
Let’s Make Birdwatching Cool - With Georgia Barker
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In this highlights episode, we revisit an inspiring conversation with Georgia Barker, who is on a mission to make birdwatching cool again. Georgia takes us back to her unconventional childhood growing up on a goat farm in Essex, complete with goat funerals and walking them on leads. She shares the pivotal moment she realized a standard office job wasn't for her—fearing that a two-week annual holiday was the only thing to lo...
Walking from Patagonia To Venezuela With Ollie Treviso
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In this highlight episode of the Adventure Diaries Podcast, we revisit the incredible journey of Ollie Treviso, who walked the entire length of the Andes—from Patagonia to Venezuela.
FULL EPISODE with Ollie
Ollie shares unforgettable moments from his expedition, including sailing across the Atlantic in a dilapidated boat, surviving a terrifying fall into a gorge, and experiencing the vast solitude of the sa...
Join Us in Uganda: The Ultimate 11-Day Adventure!
Click Here > Join the Adventure in Uganda
Join us for the adventure of a lifetime! We are opening up limited spaces for listeners to come along on our upcoming 11-day, 250km human-powered expedition across Uganda this October. This trip involves hiking, cycling, and pack rafting across three national parks, including summiting volcanoes, exploring local lakes, and trekking through the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest with a chance to spot mountain gorillas.
Timestamped Chapters
0:00 Announcement: 11-Day Uganda Adventure0:22 Open Invitation for Listeners0:45 What to Expect: Volcanoes, Lakes & Rai...Pan-American Highway Adventures in a School Bus - With The Global Convoy Team
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In this highlights reel from the Adventure Diaries Podcast, we revisit the incredible journey of the Global Convoy team. From their humble beginnings rallying £75 scrap cars across the globe to converting a massive US school bus for a Pan-American expedition, Max, Joel, and Becca share stories of mechanical mayhem, unexpected local hospitality, and the sheer joy of the open road.
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...From North Atlantic Storms to Cycling The Silk Road | Chris McCaffrey
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In preparation for the Season 5 launch of the Adventure Diaries Podcast, we’re revisiting the most intense and inspiring moments from Chris McCaffery’s global cycling odyssey. From surviving a violent capsize in the North Atlantic to battling life-threatening illness in Vietnam, Chris’s journey is a testament to resilience. This highlights reel also covers the surreal beauty of the Silk Road, unexpected encounters with Eagle Hunters, and a heartwarming display of hospitality in Tajikistan.
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Key T...
The Personal Side of Adventure Diaries...
Chris Watson announces the launch of his personal YouTube channel, a companion to the Adventure Diaries podcast and its called Watson & Wild.
This new channel will feature his own adventures and personal content, fulfilling the "call to adventure" theme of the podcast. It’s a space for authentic, non-performative storytelling that allows him to scratch his creative itch in environments he loves.
Links & Resources
Chris Watson’s YouTube Channel: AdventureDiaries.com/WatsonChapters
00:00 – Introduction to the new personal YouTube channel00:19 – The "why" behind th...Big Cats, Himalayas & Conservation With Johnny Hanson
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In this highlights episode of the Adventure Diaries Podcast, we revisit the most powerful moments from our conversation with wildlife conservationist and author Jonny Hanson.
Full Episode Here
From terrifying encounters with snow leopards and working with dangerous animals in "Tiger King-style" facilities to climbing 20,000-foot peaks in the Himalayas without a guide, Jonny shares incredible stories of survival and exploration. But the true heart of this episode lies in his philosophy of coexistence—bridging the gap between wild carnivores and li...
How Walking the World Changed Everything - With Tom Turcich
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In this Highlights Episode, we revisit key moments from Chris's conversation with Tom Turcich, who spent seven years walking around the world with his dog, Savannah.
FULL EPISODE
Tom shares profound insights on facing the inevitability of death, the freedom it brings, and the life-changing bond he formed with Savannah. From surviving near-death experiences in the desert to finding peace in the realization that "one rich, beautiful life" is enough, this episode captures the essence of his incredible journey.
Chapters
00:00 F...
Arctic Survival Training & Expeditions in Finland with Albert Weckman
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Join us as we revisit the most thrilling moments from Season 4 of the Adventure Diaries Podcast! In this highlights reel, Albert Weckman takes us through his incredible solo expedition across the Arctic wilderness of Finland. From surviving in -20 degree temperatures with minimal gear to capsizing in freezing rapids, this episode is packed with lessons on resilience and the raw beauty of nature.
Full Episode With Albert Weckman
Chapters:
0:00 - Introduction0:27 - Survival Training - Minus 20 Degrees2:29 - Capsizing in the Rapids4:22 - L...Adventure Travel in Lebanon: Skiing, Hiking & Hidden Gems | With Gilbert Moukheiber
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In this highlights reel, we revisit Gilbert Moukheiber’s incredible adventures across Lebanon. From the unique ability to ski and swim in the same day to joining shepherds on their transhumance journey, Gilbert showcases a side of the Middle East few get to see. Discover the "Switzerland of the Middle East," explore Roman temples on Mount Hermon, and learn about the deep human connection found in slow tourism.
Link to FULL Episode
Chapter Markers
00:00 Beyond Tourism - Human Connection
Survival, Kidnapping & Wild Rivers With Chaz Powell
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In this adrenaline-packed highlight reel, we revisit the most heart-stopping moments from our conversation with expedition leader Chaz Powell.
FULL Interview Here:
From trekking the length of the Zambezi River to dodging bandits in Madagascar's lawless zones, Chaz shares the raw reality of walking the wildest rivers in Africa.
Featured Highlights:
(00:28) Zambezi Survival: Battling 50°C heat, dehydration, and getting trapped in a gorge alone.(01:58) Mozambique Kidnapping: A terrifying account of being detained during a...