One year of Mountain Air
Hello listener! If you’re reading this, then it’s possible you’ve heard an episode or two of this podcast. And if you haven’t, then please do click the “Episodes” link in the menu above and treat yourself to some insightful and inspiring words from some tremendous guests as soon as possible. Sorted? Good.
As the title of this post suggests, it has been (almost) a year since this project was launched. There have also been 10 episodes of the podcast lovingly made so far. These being two extremely straightforward numbers, it seems the perfect time to pause, reflect and to celebrate what a fantastic experience it has been - for me, at the very least. But first, let’s have a brief bit of background as to why this podcast exists.
I joined the outdoor press in 2011 when I landed a job on Trail magazine. Four years of thrilling adventures all across the UK’s mountains and beyond followed, as well as a helluvalotta writing and learning about magazine craft, mountain skills, the proper functioning of outdoor gear, and how to survive a mountain-focused life whilst, ironically, working for a publishing behemoth based in the east of England. In 2015 I jumped ship and went freelance, a decision that led to the most liberating two years of my life and brought me into closer contact with an industry of passionate, kind, generous and almost exclusively skint people that made me feel like I belonged at every turn. Come 2017 and the mysterious forces of love, marriage and the desire to house my children in something more spacious than a one-bedroom flat conspired to push me towards a “proper job” (here, if you’re interested). Soon realising that working a full 9-5 plus raising a growing cast of young children plus trying to keep all of my journalistic obligations spinning at the same time was a surefire way to spark a breakdown akin to the bit in Total Recall when Quaid’s elaborate head disguise starts malfunctioning and repeating the phrase “two weeks” until it splits apart at the seams… I made a tough decision. The freelance work would have to be cut back.
Cut to August 2020 and three years of joyful(ly exhausting) parenting and less spare time, money and energy than mountain trips demand had made the perfect conditions for inspiration to strike. Waking up above Snowdonia’s Crimpau at grid ref. SH7298961013 (more or less) on a trip with long-term mountain buddy Maciej Raslawski, the thought of creating an outdoor podcast was in my mind. I’d walked well, slept well and the firmament overhead was an azure dome of possibility. Over a sachet of coffee, stood atop some nearby pinnacles, I expressed these thoughts. Maciej’s uncharacteristic flurry of loquaciousness took me quite by surprise: “You should do it”, he growled.
So I did it. Learning to edit with Audacity, getting hold of suitable mics, lining up disparate audio tracks, demystifying RSS feeds, exporting files into strange new formats, and all the other unfamiliar tasks that Mountain Air has involved have all been breathlessly exciting and I’ve loved every minute of it. But (and I hope this goes without saying) it’s interacting with the guests that has given me the biggest joy by far.
I want to take this moment to thank the 10 guests that have helped me make this podcast. Rob Johnson for being possibly the most switched on and motivated person I’ve ever met, and a paragon of the kind of unfailing integrity peculiar to outdoor guides. Nick Livesey for his searing honesty, his quick humour and his utter reverence for the landscapes he calls home. Nina Schlesener for her love of Berchtesgaden’s beauty, and the generosity of spirit that means she can’t help but share it with the world in every way that she can. Kate and Ross Worthington for sharing their fascinating life journeys and showing that choosing to embrace the mountains is a life step that can lead to abiding joys. Alan Hinkes for being Alan Hinkes, and telling monumental tales of high mountain adventure in a way that blends Yorkshire humour and good-old-fashioned terror so effortlessly. Malachy Tallack for his thoughtfulness and the clarity of insight that he brings to every subject that captures his fascination. Hannah Lock for her brightness of spirit, her ambition and for the bottomless enthusiasm she has for healing the ills of others. Shane Ohly for his confidence, his energy, and the way that he imbues you with both when you hear him speak. And finally, Dan Bailey for showing that quiet brilliance does win out occasionally in the world of the media, and that a life dedicated entirely to a subject you love is one you’ll not regret a moment of living.
Phew. That got emotional. The big question is, what does the future hold for Mountain Air? Well, I’m going to retroactively “rebrand” these 10 episodes as “Series 1” and then I’m going to start work on the next 10 episodes of “Series 2”. There will be some new theme music to mark the change (about which I’m very excited), and some potential collaborations on the horizon (about which I’m absurdly excited), but still more of the same brilliant people sharing their brilliant thoughts roughly every month.
Finally, thanks so much to you for listening. I’d be making this podcast even if nobody did. But you do. And that makes me happier than you could imagine. Feel free to get in touch with any thoughts, feedback or other input. I’m always on the end of an email. Or up a mountain. Usually up a mountain. See you up there.