Richard Pyne: Custodian of Páramo

Kenton's guest on this episode of Cool Conversations is Hannah Cox who is about to launch herself into a 4,200km run, having only started running last year. Why? You will learn that Hannah is obsessed with a hedge that formed an inland customs line across India about 150 years ago. It was used to enforce a salt tax and resulted in a widespread famine in which millions died. Hannah is re-tracing the line of the hedge and will be running 100 marathons in 100 days to do so. It's a bold undertaking for anyone, especially a non-runner! But Hannah's 'Why' is strong. She is passionate about environmental sustainability and has founded two businesses with sustainability at their core - Better Not Stop and The Better Business Network. She aims to raise £1m for environmental charities through the project. Through her work building communities, businesses and bold adventures, Hannah’s mission is to prove that together we can achieve the impossible. Find out more: www.projectsaltrun.com Support the crowdfunder: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/project-salt-run

We have another outdoor special for you this week, recorded near Chamonix in Servos. Kenton chats to Sev Garo, an artist and sculptor who is inspired by glaciers. Sev explains how he aims to capture the energy of glaciers through his art and how he hopes his work helps to start conversations about climate change and glacial melt. Sev tells Kenton how he initially came up with the idea to design unique pieces of jewellery from the surface detail of glaciers and the process he follows to create this wearable art. Take a look at Sev's work on his website: www.garogosi.com

Tales from the Trails (TFTT) is back and this time Kenton is on the Eiger in the Swiss Alps. Kenton talks us through his ascent of the 3,967m Eiger, with his client Marco. They ascend via the Mittellegi ridge and descend via the South Ridge on an absolutely beautiful summer's day with views for miles. Having not done this particular climb since 2009, Kenton is reminded that it is not a walk in the park! Listen now to experience the Eiger through Kenton's eyes.

Welcome to a previously untested podcast format (for us!) - a walk and talk. Kenton recorded this episode with adventurer, writer and super-mum, Anna McNuff, whilst walking on Leckhampton Hill in Gloucestershire, and it really is a cool conversation! Anna and her husband, Jamie McDonald (another adventurer), have recently decided to sell their house in Gloucester and live a more nomadic lifestyle with their three children. As you will hear, Anna has undertaken many adventures and she wants her children to experience life a bit differently. Kenton and Anna discuss her thinking behind this big change, and they also cover a broad range of subjects including Madagascar (the film!), squats, Mum duty, trains, unschooling, mini-adventures, big adventures and Gloucestershire geography... You're in for a treat! This conversation is interspersed with dog chats, hellos to other walkers, and some wind noise - we hope you don't mind. Let us know what you think of the format!

This week's Cool Conversation is between Kenton and Richard Pyne, CEO of British clothing brand Páramo. Right from the offset, we understand that Páramo is unique: Richard describes himself as the Custodian of the brand, rather than the CEO; he tells us that the company is employee-owned; he tells us they have been repairing garments for customers for 30 years, whilst most others have only recently started to offer this; and he tells us that they designed their products by mimicking mammals - how does an otter stay dry and warm, even when his fur is soaked through? Most remarkable of all, Richard explains how the brand got its name from a range of mountains in the Andes and how the unlikely pairing of a nun and an entrepreneur has created untold opportunities for women and families in Colombia. This is the story of a brand that holds on tight to its values, that lobbies much bigger industry players to contribute to the circular economy, and that cares about people.

Recorded at 6,400m on Everest, is this the highest altitude podcast recording ever? We don’t know but we do know that you’re going to love it! Kenton speaks to University of Leeds based Professor of Glaciology, Duncan Quincey, about his current research project on the Khumbu glacier. Whilst Kenton was climbing Everest, Duncan and his team were installing some impressive, solar-powered equipment at Camp 2 to monitor changing glacial temperatures over the coming months. In this episode, Duncan explains his hypothesis to Kenton and talks about the early data they are collecting. He is clearly passionate about what he does and they cover glaciers, melt rates, radiation, snowfall, precipitation, temperatures and livelihoods in this fascinating conversation. There’s more to glacial research than you might imagine!

This week Kenton welcomes Dr Sarah Ruggins back to the pod to unpick the details of her incredible bike ride from John O'Groats to Lands End and back again. Sarah blended her love of the discipline of unsupported ultra-endurance cycling with supported time-trialling to take on her most recent endurance challenge. Sarah tells Kenton all about her approach to riding 2,700km at a speed most of us wouldn't be able to sustain for an hour, which resulted in her claiming the outright World Record for the route, completing it in 5 days, 11 hours, 14 minutes. She explains how her support team were integral to her success and how the riding was the easy bit - sleep deprivation and requirement for calories created far more of a challenge. Sarah shares so many insights in this episode and we know you are going to love it!

Whilst at Everest Basecamp this year, Kenton recorded this episode with Mark Fisher and Erich Roepke who made arguably the most exciting Everest discovery of recent years when they found Andrew Cormyn (“Sandy”) Irvine’s boot on the North Side of the mountain late last year. It was almost exactly 100 years since Irvine and Mallory went missing on their 1924 Everest expedition and whilst Mallory’s remains were found in 1999, there has been no trace of Irvine… until now. Erich and Mark tell Kenton what led them to make this discovery and their subsequent actions. We’re not going to give anything else away here - tune in to hear the whole story!

This week, Kenton sits down to talk to Jay Whiting at Everest Base Camp. Jay is not a professional climber or a professional athlete - he is a full-time solicitor in London - yet when this episode was recorded, he was preparing to take on an enormous Himalayan challenge. Jay talks to Kenton about his dreams of achieving the Everest Triple Crown this year - climbing Everest, Lhotse and Nuptse in one season. Only two people have ever done this to date - our host Kenton, and another professional mountaineer, Garrett Madison. Jay lives in Essex, which is not well-known for its mountainous terrain, and has spent hours and hours on a stair-master in training. Listen now to find out how Jay got on and if you find his story inspiring, please consider donating to his chosen charity, LandAid.  Donation link: www.gofund.m/2db7fee9 What Jay's Reading: Wisdom of Insecurity by Adam Watts What Jay's Listening To: David Goggins playlist, and Oasis

In this special episode, Kenton interviews Karl Egloff at Everest Base Camp as they both prepare for their Everest expeditions. Karl is an extreme mountaineer, mountain guide, runner and speed climber with a host of impressive Fastest Known Times (FKTs) to his name. Later this month, he is aiming to become the fastest person to move from Basecamp to the Summit and back to Basecamp with no oxygen. Not something for the faint-hearted! There is no doubt that Karl has the experience to do this - he talks Kenton through a potted history with great energy and enthusiasm, which includes him mentioning in passing that he summited Kilimanjaro six times in one week! Tune in now to be entertained and inspired... Karl's book choice: Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer Karl's music choice: "Soft" Latino music