Two (and a bit) years of Mountain Air
Hello! And welcome to a very late recap of the second series of Mountain Air - as well as an excited look ahead to the forthcoming third series.
But first, some explanation is required as to why this post has come so late. The tenth and final episode of S2 was released on 22 December 2022, which at the time of writing is three months ago. Since then I’ve released no new episodes or posted anything on this website or on the podcast’s social media feeds. Why is that?
The answer is a little long, but it feels important to share. If you’ve taken the time to listen to one, two or all of the episodes then you deserve an insight into what’s going on behind the scenes. You’ll also be aware that I rarely speak about myself or my life, preferring the podcast to focus very much on each guest and their story. As a consequence, it feels unusual for me to write in this style, and I hope it brings the kind of value that I’m aiming for.
The headline: in June 2022 my wife Ruth was diagnosed with breast cancer. Since then she’s been undergoing chemotherapy, major surgery and lately radiotherapy. I’m overjoyed to share that she has had a “complete response” to the treatment, meaning that there is no detectable trace of cancer left. You would think that this news would bring with it an immediate sense of relief and a new release of energy and optimism, but apparently that is not the way the mind works. In fact, receiving this news in the past two months seems instead to have released much of the stress, anxiety and tension that we have been living under for much of the past year. Consequently, the journey back to a place of ease and creativity has been slower than hoped. I don’t wish to speak on Ruth’s behalf - other than to say that her management of her own mental health and her ability to endure pain, discomfort and uncertainty are truly incredible - but I know she has experienced a very similar journey. There is no “beating” cancer, or hope of improving your chances of survival by being a “fighter” or “not a quitter” or any other ghastly phrase which entirely misunderstands the nature of disease, but your response to the situation with which you are presented is within your control. In this Ruth has been an inspiration. A limitless thank-you too to the oncology, surgery, breast unit, A&E and all other teams at Addenbrookes Hospital with whom we’ve interacted over the past year.
So, given the above, you can imagine how the collateral sicknesses induced by chemotherapy, the family responsibilities, the sudden changes of childcare for our three children, and the lack of focus wrought by living under high anxiety, have had the potential to disrupt wonderful projects such as this podcast.
But wait, there’s more! Four days before the diagnosis, I found out that I can been cast as the joint lead in a production of Tom Stoppard’s classic play Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead. My immediate reaction, four days later, was that I must give up playing Guildenstern. There was no way that I would be able to learn more than a hundred pages of complex dialogue and give the time and energy that rehearsals required under the circumstances. It was foolish and irresponsible. Ruth convinced me otherwise, and for that I’ll always be grateful. You can see more information about the production on the Corkscrew Theatre, BAWDS, and Cambridge Critique websites. Over the six performances we sold around 1,040 tickets at Cambridge’s iconic ADC Theatre, received overwhelmingly positive public and critical feedback, and had an indescribable amount of fun doing so. Tom Stoppard himself even wrote us a note of support. I gave up hundreds of hours learning lines and rehearsing with the amazing production team, nearly had a breakdown, and by the end of the second performance on the Saturday evening could barely speak coherently. I don’t regret a moment of it. Tomorrow evening (21 March 2023) I’ll found out if I’ve won BAWDS’ annual “Best Actor” award. Wish me luck! And if you happen to be near Cambridge, come and see me play Antonio (The Merchant of Venice) and Count Orsino (Twelfth Night) in Shakespeare Shorts this July.
Rosencrantz (Will Males), Hamlet (Matt Bairstow), Guildenstern (me).
On top of this, I’ve also been making progress with my nascent voiceover career. In the past year I’ve recorded an audiobook, featured on a series of podcasts, voiced medical and corporate adverts and short films, and had a failed audition shouting into a microphone in a studio in Surrey trying to capture the essence of a “bull centaur”. It’s been wild and I’m hungry for more.
I’ve even managed to occasionally get to the mountains and be smashed about by some foul weather atop a Munro or two.
Finally, like all of us, I have to work to support myself and my family. And although my job as communications manager for the Isaac Newton Institute for Mathematical Sciences is a varied and fulfilling one, and the University of Cambridge could not be a more understanding employer for trying personal circumstances, it also takes up a large percentage of my time and energy from day to week to month.
All of which leaves precious little time for me to thank Sibusiso Vilane, Zac Poulton, Keri Wallace, Renan Ozturk, Sarah Jane Douglas, Rob Woodall, David Lintern, J.R. Harris, Doug Bartholomew, and Kirsty Pallas for making series 2 such a phenomenal experience. It has been filled with such rich experiences, such meaningful learning, and such good humour that I feel at a loss to express it in this simple paragraph. If you’ve not listened to each of these episodes then please go and do so now and enrich your life that little bit more thanks to these tremendous people.
Series 3, much like its predecessor, will be sponsored by UKHillwalking.com - which couldn’t be a finer fit. One episode is already recorded and scheduled to be published in the coming week or so. Others are being recorded and set up as you read this post.
On that note, thank you so much for reading. Thank you so much for listening. I hope I can continue to bring more brilliant people to your ears for many years to come.
Stay safe out there, and see you on the summits.
Dan
p.s. I recently ran the Cambridge Half Marathon to raise money for two local cancer support charities. I aimed for £500, and at the time of writing have raised £950. Want to help it make £1000? Head here to donate: www.justgiving.com/team/danielaspel
Look at the suffering below! That’s worth a few quid, surely?
