Alastair HumphreysEvery podcast appearance, updated as new ones drop

In this rich, wide-ranging conversation, Alastair Humphreys chats with Craig Mod about the overlapping worlds of adventure, creativity, and publishing. The two explore their different but kindred approaches to long walks — Craig’s meticulous, high-tech planning versus Alastair’s spontaneous, minimalist style — and how these journeys feed into their creative work. Craig shares the thinking behind his wildly successful newsletters, membership programme, and beautiful, obsessively designed books. They also dive into broader themes like cultural responsibility, self-discipline, nature connection, and why sometimes walking is just the best way to think deeply. 🧭 Topics and Themes Craig's long-distance walks across Japan (Tokaido, Nakasendo, Kumano Kodo) Comparison of walking vs. cycling as immersive travel tools Digital minimalism and “no teleporting” rules during walks High-tech vs low-tech navigation: Apple Watch Ultra vs. paper maps The joy and discipline of documentation: notes, photography, audio, video Daily synthesis as a creative practice while walking Books as tangible artefacts of ephemeral experience Craig’s reasons for walking: presence, routine, deadlines, synthesis Planning vs. spontaneity in adventures The special role of beautiful book design Making creativity sustainable: Craig’s membership model (Special Projects) Emotional and logistical tension between audience growth and creative purity Walk & Talk retreats with Kevin Kelly: structure, goals, dinner conversations Litter and cultural responsibility in Japan vs. the West The role of access in building care for the natural world The value of constraints, caps, and intimacy in building an audience 📚 Books Mentioned Things Become Other Things by Craig Mod (Random House edition) Kissa by Kissa by Craig Mod Rings of Saturn by W.G. Sebald Kevin Kelly’s essay “1000 True Fans” Papyrus: The Invention of Books in the Ancient World by Irene Vallejo (mentioned by Alastair) 💡 Concepts & Quotes “Walking is a platform for other things to happen.” “Teleports” as anything that removes you from presence (phones, news, etc.) “I’ve never thought: I have to do this because my subscribers are expecting it. It’s all selfish.” “The best piece of technology ever invented is the book.” “Snickers bar logic”: why we’re fine carrying snacks, but not their wrappers “Make the ephemeral tangible”: the purpose behind bookmaking “You can’t walk with someone and do the thinking.” 🧾 Links & Recommendations Craig Mod’s website and newsletters Special Projects Membership Random House edition: Things Become Other Things Craig’s essay on British sandwiches 🍞 Do Lectures Outrage + Optimism podcast Kevin Kelly’s “1000 True Fans” ★ Support this podcast ★

Please click here to 'Follow' the show - it really helps get the show to a wider audience (which I really thank you for!). 🚨 Don't FORGET to Join the Adventure Newsletter Here 🚨😎 It will bring more people, greater stories and more adventures for everyone. Exploring Local Adventures and Environmental Responsibility In this episode, the Alastair Humphreys encourages listeners to embark on a local exploration challenge dubbed the 'Local Seven Summits' - climbing the seven highest points near their homes. The discussion moves on to highlight organizations like Right to Roam, Trash Free Trails, and Take the Jump, each promoting environmental responsibility and greater access to nature. The guest stresses the importance of responsible roaming to ensure the preservation of natural spaces. Lastly, ways to follow the guest's adventures and access their resources are provided. Visit AdventureDiaries.com/Podcasts for More Send us Fan Mail Support the show Thanks For Listening. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a comment and subscribe for more exciting content. Please visit AdventureDiaries.com/GO For more authentic stories of Adventure Exploration and the natural world The Adventure Diaries Podcas t also covers a broad spectrum OF topics withIN the fields of Adventure, Exploration, Micro-adventure, Survival, Mental Resilience, Conservation, Scotland, Hiking, Solo Travel, Cycling, Nature, Storytelling, Mountaineering

Please click here to 'Follow' the show - it really helps get the show to a wider audience (which I really thank you for!). Alastair Humphreys cycled around the world for five years on a teacher's gap year he never quite ended. He rowed the Atlantic with three strangers he'd met online. He walked 500 miles across Spain playing the violin badly enough that someone occasionally threw him a coin. He's written more than a dozen books, been named a National Geographic Adventurer of the Year, and is widely credited with launching the global microadventures movement. And yet, when you talk to him, the thing that lights him up most is a random industrial yard on the edge of his local town — a kilometre-square of scrubby brownfield he was sent to by a random number generator, and which turned out to be one of the most fascinating places he visited all year. Chapers 00:00 Grand expeditions and getting into adventuring 01:08 Teaching, Edinburgh, and daydreaming about adventure 03:12 First adventures — Africa at 18 and discovering the wider world 04:42 Travelling pre-digital — paper maps, internet cafés, and no phone 06:34 Cycling around the world at 24: five years, 46,000 miles 07:21 Key memories — Patagonia, loneliness, and the kindness of strangers 09:41 Planning versus spontaneity — and how 9/11 changed the whole route 11:31 Wanting to quit: the mental challenge nobody warns you about 12:42 Friends, fellow cyclists, and Forrest Gump recruitment in Argentina 14:30 Rowing the Atlantic — an email from a stranger in Slovenia 16:14 Simultaneously boring and terrifying: life on the ocean 17:04 Wildlife at sea — and a very sad absence of sharks 18:15 Walking India's Kaveri River — 500 miles across southern India 19:39 Heat, crowds, and the relentless humanness of India 21:14 Walking across Spain playing the violin — and why terror was the goal 24:24 Grade 1 nursery rhymes and a windfall 20 euros in a sunny plaza 25:26 The rule: spend every coin immediately so you're broke again tomorrow 27:56 Microadventures — the breakthrough book and the five-to-nine concept 29:16 Why microadventures felt like giving up — and why it wasn't 31:26 Dismantling the obstacles — the five-to-nine thought experiment 33:39 The simple message: turn off your computer at five, sleep on a hill 35:03 Being a writer — the joy, the imposter syndrome, and the phone problem 37:33 Family, fatherhood, and why microadventures are his personal solution 38:05 The book Local — one Ordnance Survey map, one year, 52 grid squares 40:33 One to twenty-five thousand scale — and why 52 out of 400 felt like nothing 42:20 The random number generator — and why it was the best decision 44:40 What surprised him most: brownfield joy and environmental grief 45:51 The hidden environmental message — and why he's stopped flying for fun 51:18 What's next: Local was just published and for once there's no plan 53:56 Call to Adventure: your Local Seven Summits 55:51 Pay It Forward: Right to Roam, Trash Free Trails, and Take the Jump 58:22 Right to roam responsibly — and why that word matters 59:38 Where to find Alastair Humphreys That tension — between grand expedition and humble local wander, between flying somewhere epic and rediscovering what's on your doorstep — runs through everything Alastair does, and through this conversation. What You'll Learn: • Why Alastair says the Spain violin project — not the world cycle or the ocean row — is his favourite adventure of all time, and why terror was the whole point • What the five-to-nine concept actually means, and how it dismantles the most common reasons people never start adventuring • How committing to just one Ordnance Survey map for an entire year revealed something genuinely depressing about the British landsc

At the end of my ride around Yorkshire I decided to interview myself. Having spent a month grilling people with a card deck of difficult questions , it only seemed fair to have a go at answering them myself! This is the final episode in this series of Living Adventurously. I hope that you have enjoyed it. PLEASE DO LEAVE A REVIEW OF THIS PODCAST ON YOUR PODCAST APP. If you have enjoyed listening to this series over a cup of coffee and think it might be worth the price, you can buy me a coffee here: www. ko-fi.com/al_humphreys Keep up to date with future adventures, projects and books with my free monthly newsletter: alastairhumphreys.com/more/subscribe Say hello on Twitter and Instagram: @al_humphreys THIS PODCAST SERIES HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO YOU BY KOMOOT THANK you so much to komoot for all their support in this podcasYour very own outdoor experiences are waiting for you. Go explore more with komoot . Use the voucher code ADVENTUROUS to claim your free region maps bundle. The personalised planning and navigation tools ensure you plan the adventure that’s perfect for you . Komoot is Europe’s number 1 outdoor app, with route planning and navigation functionality, and strong community-driven inspirational features in the form of recommended Highlights and inspirational route Collections. It is used by nearly 10 million adventurers worldwide. Komoot is becoming the app of choice for cyclists and hikers the world over, with rapid community growth in the UK, the US and other parts of Europe. You can see my ride’s route on komoot here . ★ Support this podcast ★