The Ultimate Adventure Travel Podcast

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  K2: The Savage Mountain | Why It’s Harder Than Everest 13.10.2026 28Min.

  Everest is higher, but what makes K2 such a formidable climb? In this episode, Jake explores the world’s second-highest mountain, from the remote trek to base camp to the technical skills and judgement needed above it. Discover the stories behind the 1953 rescue attempt, the first successful ascent in 1954 and the devastating 2008 disaster. Jake also shares his thoughts on Apple TV’s The Last First: Winter K2, which follows the historic 2021 winter season. Along the way, we explore teamwork, ...
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  Do You Need Expensive Hiking Gear? What to Buy, Borrow or Hire 06.10.2026 44Min.

  Replacing my worn-out trail shoes got me thinking about how much I spent on kit when I first started guiding, and what I’d do differently now. In this episode, I share where I’d invest, where I’d save and which items I’d hire for a first expedition. We cover: Hiking boots versus trail shoes, and why fit matters.What you get from a more expensive waterproof.Building a layering system using clothing you already own.Choosing sleeping bags and rucksacks without overspending.When premium upgrades ...
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  What’s in My Adventure Travel First Aid Kit? | Altitude, Blisters, Hydration & More 29.09.2026 41Min.

  What should actually be in your first aid kit for an adventure trek? And what happens if you get ill halfway up a mountain? This week, I’m breaking down the health and medical side of adventure travel, based on what I’ve learnt from years of leading expeditions. We cover: • What to pack in your personal first aid kit • Blisters and foot care • Hydration and electrolytes • Stomach problems • Sun protection at altitude • Travel insurance and vaccinations • Fitness and acclimatisation • Why fit ...
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  My Top Adventure Travel Tips After 8 Years Leading Expeditions 22.09.2026 37Min.

  What actually makes an expedition easier? Often, it’s the little things you sort out before you leave. In this episode, I’m bringing together the tips I’ve picked up over eight years of leading trips around the world. Some are practical lessons I learned the hard way, including what happened when my water froze on a Kilimanjaro summit night. Others are things I see travellers overlook again and again. We’ll cover how to choose a trip you’ll enjoy beyond the finish line, train for what you’ll ...
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  Bear Grylls’ Sahara to Summit: A Brand-New Survival Expedition 15.09.2026 37Min.

  What if you could trek through the Sahara Desert, learn genuine survival skills and then finish the expedition on the summit of North Africa’s highest mountain? In this episode, Jake announces a brand-new eight-day expedition created by Ultimate Adventure Travel in partnership with the Bear Grylls Survival Academy. Departing on 3 May 2027, Sahara to Summit will take a limited group into two dramatically different environments. You will begin among the dunes of the Sahara, learning practical s...
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  Lewis and Clark Part Two: Across the Rockies to the Pacific 08.09.2026 36Min.

  Lewis has reached the Continental Divide, expecting to find a river that will carry the expedition towards the Pacific. Instead, he looks out across mountain range after mountain range. The route they were sent to find does not exist. In the second half of the Lewis and Clark story, the Corps of Discovery must find horses, cross the Rocky Mountains before winter and somehow survive as its food begins to disappear. With help from the Shoshone, Sacagawea is unexpectedly reunited with her brothe...
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  Lewis and Clark Part One: 8,000 Miles Into the Unknown 01.09.2026 33Min.

  In 1804, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark set off across an America that remained largely unknown to the government sending them. Their mission was to follow the Missouri River, find a practical route to the Pacific Ocean and return with maps, scientific discoveries and information about the lands and people they encountered. The problem was that nobody knew whether the route they were searching for actually existed. In the first half of this incredible expedition story, we meet the people ...
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  The Icefall Doctors: The Team Who Build the Route Up Everest 25.08.2026 25Min.

  Before hundreds of climbers can begin their attempt on Everest, somebody has to find a way through the Khumbu Icefall. That responsibility belongs to the Icefall Doctors, a specialist team of highly experienced Sherpa climbers who establish and maintain the route between Everest Base Camp and Camp One. They carry ladders into the icefall, bridge enormous crevasses, install fixed ropes and repair sections of the route as the glacier moves beneath them. It is highly skilled work in one of the m...
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  Green Boots: Everest's Most Famous Body Could Finally Be Coming Home 18.08.2026 17Min.

  For almost 30 years, a climber wearing a distinctive pair of green mountaineering boots has been one of the most infamous landmarks on Mount Everest. Known simply as Green Boots, his body has remained high on Everest's Northeast Ridge since the disastrous 1996 climbing season. Thousands of climbers have passed the spot, the rocky shelter became known as "Green Boots Cave", and his story has become part of Everest folklore. But now, that story could be about to change. Indian authorities are l...
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  The Untold Story of Mount Kilimanjaro 11.08.2026 57Min.

  Kilimanjaro is usually discussed as a physical challenge. How fit do you need to be? Which route should you take? What does altitude feel like? And just how difficult is summit night? But Africa’s highest mountain has a story stretching back millions of years. In this episode, Jake explores the complete history of Kilimanjaro, beginning with the volcanic forces that created Shira, Mawenzi and Kibo before following the people, expeditions, empires and conflicts that transformed the mountain in...
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  Everything Nobody Tells You About India’s Golden Triangle 04.08.2026 58Min.

  India does not gently introduce itself. The traffic, the noise, the food, the colours and the crowds all arrive at once. But beneath the apparent chaos is one of the most fascinating and rewarding journeys you can experience. In this episode, I take you through India’s famous Golden Triangle, connecting Delhi, Agra and Jaipur. Drawing on my experience of leading a group through India earlier this year, I share the practical realities, unexpected moments and important details that ordinary tra...
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  Sir Ranulph Fiennes: The Ultimate Adventurer? 28.07.2026 47Min.

  What makes someone the greatest explorer of all time? Is it standing on the summit of Everest? Reaching the North Pole? Surviving against impossible odds? In this episode of The Ultimate Adventure Travel Podcast, we're diving into the remarkable life of Sir Ranulph Fiennes, a man widely regarded as the world's greatest living explorer. From losing his father before he was born to becoming the first person to circumnavigate the globe via both poles using only surface transport, Fiennes has bui...
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  Everything Nobody Tells You About Machu Picchu 21.07.2026 33Min.

  Think you know what to expect from Machu Picchu? Think again. In this episode, I share everything I wish more people knew before visiting one of the world's most iconic destinations. From altitude and weather to permits, crowds and the reality of hiking the Inca Trail, these are the things that rarely make it into guidebooks but can completely change your experience. Having led multiple trips to Peru and spoken with countless local guides and trekkers, I'm sharing the practical advice, inside...
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  The Ultimate Sahara Desert Adventure 14.07.2026 29Min.

  What is it really like to spend four days trekking through the Sahara Desert? In this episode of the Ultimate Adventure Travel Podcast, I take you behind the scenes of one of the world's most iconic landscapes and explain why the Sahara is so much more than endless sand dunes. From sleeping beneath some of the darkest skies on Earth to sharing tea with local Berber guides, this isn't about ticking off another destination. It's about slowing down, switching off and experiencing one of the most...
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  The Seven Summits: The Ultimate Mountaineering Challenge Explained 07.07.2026 1Std. 19Min.

  What does it really take to climb the highest mountain on every continent? In this episode of The Ultimate Adventure Travel Podcast, we're exploring one of the most famous challenges in adventure travel: The Seven Summits. From the frozen wilderness of Antarctica to the rainforests of Papua, we travel across all seven continents to discover the mountains that have inspired explorers for decades. We look at what makes each peak unique, why the Seven Summits remain one of the world's greatest a...
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  Everything Nobody Tells You About Everest Base Camp 30.06.2026 38Min.

  Most people researching Everest Base Camp hear the same things. "It's tough." "The views are incredible." "Watch out for altitude." But what is it actually like to spend two weeks trekking through the Himalayas? After leading multiple expeditions to Everest Base Camp, I'm sharing the things that rarely make it into the brochures, YouTube videos, or social media posts. From the reality of the Lukla flight and the surprising effects of altitude, to tea house life, yaks, toilets, mountain cafés,...
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  Ernest Shackleton and the Endurance: The Ultimate Survival Story 23.06.2026 27Min.

  Shackleton: The Greatest Survival Story Ever Told What would you do if your ship became trapped in Antarctic ice, hundreds of miles from land, with no rescue coming? This week on The Ultimate Adventure Travel Podcast, we're diving into one of the most remarkable survival stories in human history. The story of Sir Ernest Shackleton and the doomed Endurance Expedition wasn't supposed to be a tale of survival. It was supposed to be a groundbreaking attempt to cross Antarctica from coast to coast...
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  Touching the Void: The Survival Story That Shouldn't Be Possible 16.06.2026 33Min.

  What would you do if your climbing partner's survival meant risking your own life? In this episode of the Ultimate Adventure Travel Podcast, we dive into one of the most extraordinary survival stories ever told. The story of Joe Simpson and Simon Yates has become legendary in mountaineering circles and inspired the bestselling book and award-winning film Touching the Void. After successfully completing the first ascent of the West Face of Siula Grande in the Peruvian Andes, disaster strikes d...
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  The Ultimate Kilimanjaro Prep Call: Training, Gear, Altitude & Summit Night 09.06.2026 1Std. 8Min.

  This week on the Ultimate Adventure Travel Podcast, we're doing something a little different. Rather than interviewing an expedition leader after the event, you're joining a real Kilimanjaro preparation call with James, who is just a few months away from attempting Africa's highest mountain. We discuss the questions that almost every future Kilimanjaro climber asks: How fit do you really need to be? How do you train around work and family life? What gear is actuall...
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  One Year of Podcasting: What I've Learnt, My Favourite Moments & What's Next 02.06.2026 42Min.

  One year ago, I sat down and recorded the very first episode of the Ultimate Adventure Travel Podcast. At the time, I had no idea whether anyone would listen. I didn't know if I would enjoy podcasting, whether I could stay consistent, or whether I would still be recording episodes 12 months later. Fast forward a year, and we're celebrating 55 episodes, countless hours of conversations, incredible guests, fascinating adventure stories, and a growing community of people who share a passion for ...