The Outdoors Station - Audio

Rose was invited to Sweden by the Scandinavian Outdoor Group and while she was out in the wilds hiking, paddling and caving on the female only expedition, she interviewed the following people in order of appearance; Eva Arnlund - Woolpower http://www.woolpower.se/en/default.asp Maria Hyttnas - Guide http://www.aktivut.se/index.asp?langID=2 http://www.scandinavianoutdoorgroup.com/ Lena Bjelfman - Tentipi http://www.tentipi.com/ Erica Brodin - Fjallraven http://www.fjallraven.com/ Sophie Jugard - Ski Guide/Fjallraven Classic http://www.scandinavianoutdoorgroup.com/ http://www.fjallraven.com/Fjallraven-Classic/Home/Home/ Aukje van Gerven - Journalist/Cyclist http://aukjevangerven.com/ Ola Korpensoga - Accommodation/Horse Riding http://korpensoga.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=24&Itemid=32 There's plenty of title nuggets of information in these interviews so, enjoy!

Shirley manages to get up early enough to enjoy the last day from North Water Bridge heading for St Cyrus. In the company of Sue Hawkins and Kate and Tim Wood, she passes the time with Sue explaining in great detail what it is like to be caught in an Avalanche. Sue also passes on a lot of information about her trip so far and how much enjoyment she has had this year. Kate also gives an overview of their trip and some of the interested places they visited such as Cougie and Mar Lodge. Tim lists some of his cooking skills along with a few key pieces of equipment which have performed well. As you finish the Challenge it is always a time of mixed emotions. Achievement, and thrill to finish mixed with sadness that it is all over for another year, as Andy eloquently explains.

After a 'refreshing' night in Braemar Shirley reflects on the previous 24 hours of food and wild dancing which took place at the evening party to the music of Bingo Wings. Whilst at Rucksacks Bunkhouse Jamie Morgan shares his enjoyment of the crossing and thoughts on the warm welcome they have all received at the hostel and Braemar generally. After she makes it into town she enjoys the classic fish platter for which the Hungry Highlander is well known for and while there discusses gear and stoves with John Jocys and Munro hunting Challenge routes with Alistair Pooler. Sadly the Tomdoun Hotel is making itself less popular with Challengers this year and John gives it a damming report. However on a brighter side, Paddy Burrows tells a great story of a tent and a Stag fighting. Unfortunately with him and his wife still in it at the time! On the long and winding road to Loch Callater Lodge she meets two legends staggering under the weight on cheese and wine, Alan Sloman and Phi Lambert. Andy picks his story up at Tarfside having walked through the Balmoral Estate to Ballater and after staying the night there, popping over Mount Keen to the hostel and the notorious Masons Arms. The following day Shirley emerges from Loch Callater Lodge and the social haze which envelopes everyone who enters there, to find all the others had gone. After a rapid climb she catches up with the wine and cheese party for another social in the middle of nowhere, before heading to Tarfside encouraged with the promise of endless Bacon Sandwiches. Andy is already there along with Cameron Mcneish, who apparently is quite enjoying his first Challenge! Naturally they discuss the contents of his rucksack and TGO things generally. The following day Shirley reflects once again on her food experience at Tarfside and the countless Bacon Butties she has enjoyed, as she starts her walk to Edzell along the riverside with Phil and Alan. Andy, still ahead of her, meets Philip Werner a US blogger on route from Edzell to North Water Bridge who reflects on his impressions of the event which he came to hear about, via blogs and podcasts. Another lightweight enthusiast his gear choice encourages an interesting discussion. Shirley arrives late as ever, but looking forward to seeing some friendly faces all resting before the final big push to the coast.

Shirley wakes to talk about her plans for the day, which seems to involve food more than Munros! However she start from Ryvoan Bothy via Bynack More and finally arrives at the Hutchinson Memorial Hut. Here she meets Caburn Chamberlain and begins to interrogate him about his trip so far and, once again, food! Caburn doesn't do dehydrated food, and the contents of his rucksack always leaves people salivating and watching in awe as delightful things appear at meal times! Then she starts to think about Braemar and her route into town which involves visiting all the cafes on the way to the Fife Arms and eating each menu speciality in the process. Andy wakes up at the fantastic Braemar Campsite and chats with first timer John Garner who has been slightly ahead of most walkers, but enjoying his trip all the same. He also has chance to have an in depth chat with Henry Shires from the US, about his trip and the range of lightweight shelters which he designs. In the Fife Arms Andy chats to first timer Louise Ward and someone who really was serious about coming to Scotland, Michael Firkins all the way from Australia. Finally Paul Mason discusses the magical repairing abilities of his new lightweight accessory, Gaffer Tape!

Day 6 sees Shirley leaving the Dalwhinnie Bunkhouse after a decent breakfast, and is pleased to walk in the company of Colin to point her in the right direction of Achleum in Glen Feshie, where she camps and hears strange voices during the night! On day 7, once Andy gets to Corrour Bothy after walking through snow fields in the Lairig Ghru he sits and reviews the previous long day. While singing her heart out to her MP3 player at Cairngorn Footbridge, Shirley is surprised by an audience of one, Jim Anderson. Andy makes it to Derry Lodge, one of the most ideal wild camping spots in the Cairngorms and shares good times and strange mint drinks with Steven Horner and Phil Turner. It gives them plenty of time to talk about lightweight shelters. First timer Daniel McLynn also at Derry Lodge shares his thoughts and impressions of this his first crossing, the social side, as well as the landscape he passes through in glorious weather. Shirley finally makes it all the way to Ryvoan Bothy, but is probably too tired to hunt for more Ghosts!

Andy awakes at 4.30am enjoying the full joys of tarp tenting! Shirley on the other hand has a ghoul free night at Gourton Bothy before setting out for Ben Alder Cottage. Once she has negotiated walking by the train line she triple checks her location before heading through Rannock Forest, where she spends a few moments chatting with Roy Cocker, Paul Richards, Barry Turton and Catherine Cane. Meanwhile Andy finally gets to the Fiddlers Rest in Drumnadrochit for yet another beer and a chat with Phil Turner in more detail about his recent hiking trip in Finland and just how different walking in that kind of wilderness can be. Shirley on the other hand discovers a more than warm, 'foody welcome' at the newly renovated Bridge of Gaur Guesthouse. Once replenished she heads out for Ben Alder Cottage and another ghost hunt. However while she was there she talks to a couple of other walkers who reflect on the beauty of the place, even with its sinister history. On the way to Dalwhinnie Bunkhouse she calls into Culra Bothy for a brew and spends a few moments enthusing about the beauty of the walk from Ben Alder. At Dalwhinnie once again, we are back to her favourite subject, food!

In part two we cover day 2 and 3 as Andy awakes to pouring rain. When he and Phil Turner make it to an empty Glen Africk SYHA they sit over a mug of coffee and discuss some of the map integration software, twitter and mobile blogging Phil is using during the crossing. Touching on various options for mobile charging for phones and MP3 players. Clever lad that Phil! Then they head for Cougie stopping short and camping by the confusing 'small' lochan. Shirley starts describing the first of her detailed observations of B&B's and any fine food she can lay her teeth into. However once she is on her own and heading for Loch Dockhart she finds herself 'misplaced' once again. However somehow in the middle of it all, she finds time to camp and chat to Roy Cocker, Carl Oddy, Bert Hendrikse and Suus Hubregtse, Bill Cannell and Catherine Cane. Once they have been refreshed at the Inveroran Hotel for a few Beers. she makes her way to the first of her haunted Bothys at Gorton. However Andy and Phil find a great wild camp spot which they enjoy in the evenings pouring rain and blistering heat!

And so here is the first of the extended podcasts relating to the 2010 Rab TGO Challenge. Sorry for the delay in launching it, however there has been a considerable amount of editing required to tell the story. Recorded this year by Andy and Shirley this first episode includes the travelling day and then starting out on day one. Included are conversations about routes, food, gear and emotions with Barbara Peers, Kate and Tim Wood, Graham Gofton, Ian Allister and Paul Astbury. George Griffin, Lou La Borwit and Phyllis La Borwit. Phil Turner, Chris and Graham Ball. Carl Oddy. David Kiernan, William Hinkamp. Angus McKinnon, Lee Wells and Tony Bowe. Charlie Coombs and Roy Cocker. Just a few of the Challenge stars who have shared their story with us as the whole experience unfolds before your very ears!

This final podcast from the Friedrichshafen Trade Fair 2010 finds us meeting the MSR Director of Tents and Shelters, Dale Karikostas and he and I get very excited about single skin shelters and the new bivvy bags which will be arriving in the UK early January 2011. I also sit down with Toshio Shina the R & D Director from Evernew Titanium Cookwear along with Takaya Mioshi and hear more background about the company, the history of their Titanium manufacture and some of the technical facts you might like to know. But first Tammy Fairweather from Cascade Designs takes us through the 2011 series of Platypus Hydration Packs which have been designed from the hydration unit outwards, resulting in a totally fresh range of packs.

Coming to you as live as we can make it, we are still in Friedrichshafen exploring the rich and varied products currently on offer from around the world and in this episode Roman get very excited about some of the new lightweight offerings coming through from Montane and Golite. So we let him off the leash and he makes a bee-line to speak with them and weigh everything in sight. We on the other hand, get down to basics and discuss the luxury of Silk as underwear with Emily from Silkbody. Not only technically very reliable, but so 'nice' against the skin. It's hot and humid wandering around these huge glass structures, and I'm sure there's a cold beer to be found somewhere!

More from our hot wanderings around the vast halls at Friedrichshafen where we spend some considerable time in the Tent Village only to find Chris Davidson from Vaude UK and discuss the Power Lizard and more offerings from them using the same fabrics. Heidi Koysel on the Leki stand introduce us to the new attachment for photographers, wanting to turn their Leki Walking Pole into a monopod, and more. Then down in the exciting Cascade Designs stand we meet Vice President Doug Jaycott who gives us the latest information on the new series of Thermarest lightweight quilts and mats which follow on from the successful NeoAir.

This is the first in a series of podcasts from the Outdoor Show over in Friedrichshafen 2010 and we talk to two winners of Gold Awards for Innovation. Andy Utting from Terra Nova regarding the new Laser Ultra 1, a 500gm two skin tent and Wayne Edy from Inov-8 regarding the new Bare-Grip 200. The closest thing to barefoot running you're going to get in 2011. Of equal interest to us was also the Inov-8 EvoSkin, a silicon sleeve which fits over the foot like a second skin. As a slight diversion from all this excitement, we also chat to Ronnie Dodd from TGO Magazine and hear about his passion for wild swimming.

Rose is at it again! After her first taste of a Triathlon last year, we head off to another local 'sprint' event in Worcester on what is forecast to be the hottest day of the year. Her support crew (ie me) keeps the faith, takes pictures and generally passes the time in a very restful manner and taking advantage of a sports massage with Mindy Davvey of www.206therapy.co.uk. Afterwards we chat about the benefits of sports massage for all outdoors users. There also a small piece about sleeping out on Midsummer Hill on Midsummer Night. A simple Bivvy Trip purely to enjoy the pleasures that sleeping in the open can bring. Enjoy!

We catch up with our back log of emails and update you with the latest news regarding previous interviewees. Andy nips down to the big smoke to interview Ben Collins, who is just about to set off on a long walk to a new career. Leaving a top job in the city for the life of an outdoor walking photographer!

Its the beginning of May 2010 and Andy Howell drops by to collect a few goodies and discuss the growing impact wood burning stoves are making in the outdoor world. Specifically we look at the latest Titanium offerings from Evernew in Japan and Vargo in the US. Both items have just arrived in the UK and are combining with others already in the market, to offer more variety in outdoor cooking. As Andy is about head off on the 2 week solo cross Scotland TGOC walk, we also look at the subtle difference, both gear wise and physiologically, there is when walking solo compared to with your domestic partner. Does it mean for a better walking experience? Hope out partners aren't listening!