Breaking Barriers
Image credits: Roo Smith
Diversity in the outdoor industry is not where it should be. Communities of colour remain underrepresented. Accessibility for disabled people remains poor. Many people are fenced out of outdoor pursuits such as hiking, camping, rock climbing and skiing because of the expense — from transportation to gear to training to permits. But recognising those limitations is the beginning of changing the boundaries. The Adventure Podcast, hosted by Matt Pycroft, features discussions with adventurers, explorers, and environmental advocates — including underrepresented voices. Matt’s interviews get to the heart of a more modern, inclusive outdoor community, featuring people of colour, members of the LGBTQI+ community, disabled adventurers, women and more. Here are our four favourite episodes to listen to now:
Episode 079: Gail Muller — Overcoming Chronic Pain
In this heartwarming conversation, British writer and explorer Gail Muller shares how an early diagnosis of muscular-skeletal issues has shaped her life and approach to adventure. For fifteen years, Muller has lived with chronic illness, but has continued to take on significant outdoor challenges. Since 2019, she’s thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail, the UK's South West Coast Path, the Continental Divide Trail and the Tour du Mont Blanc. Central to her story is an important message: acceptance of difficult circumstances can coexist with hope.
Listen here.
Episode 085: Paul Pritchard — Disabled not Unable
Paul Pritchard is a renowned climber and mountaineer. In this episode, he speaks about his rise in the climbing scene through the 1980s and 1990s until a life-altering accident in 1998 threatened his whole career. Faced with the possibility of never walking or speaking again, Pritchard shares how he has adapted to life with disability, while maintaining his passion for adventure and climbing. The optimism of this conversation, paired with Prtichard’s extraordinary resilience, makes for compulsive listening.
Listen here.
Episode 092: Rotimi Odukoya — Clmbxr
Rotimi Odukoya founded Clmbxr, a London-based climbing community, in 2019. The club evolved from his own passion for climbing, and has now expanded to host bi-weekly climbing sessions, specifically aimed at Black and underrepresented communities. In this episode, Odukoya talks candidly and engagingly about accessibility in the climbing community — how open and welcoming people are, how easy it is to find a climbing wall, and conversely, how expensive the sport can be. He reinforces the idea of community as a ‘safe space’, where people can feel supported to try something new.
Listen here.
Episode 105: Zofia Reych — Born to Climb
Zofia Reych is a climber and writer who is non-binary, queer and autistic. In this discussion Reych shares their story, from early beginnings in Warsaw to their life in six countries around the world including France, where they now live in the bouldering hotspot of Fontaine-Bleu. Reych also discusses their role as Director of the Women’s Bouldering Festival, an international annual event. This is an intimate, intelligent conversation that touches on ethics, climbing, feminism and autism.
Listen here.
The Adventure Podcast also has a full-time charitable partner — the Martin Moran Foundation, which aims to improve the lives of underrepresented or disadvantaged teenagers through fully funded mountain adventures.
