Kirra Balmanno - Run High

Kirra Balmanno - Run High

Kirra Balmanno is one of those people who seems happiest when she's moving through the mountains. An accomplished ultrarunner and endurance adventurer, she's raced everywhere from the Alps to the Himalayas, but she's also passionate about sharing those experiences with others through her company, Run High, where she leads trail running adventures in some of the world's most spectacular places. Alongside that, she somehow balances life as a veterinarian with a calendar full of ambitious mountain projects. In this conversation we explore why running is such a powerful way to experience wild places, what draws her back to high-altitude adventures time and time again, and why the mountains have a remarkable ability to simplify life.

Sandra Riches - AdventureSmart

Sandra Riches has spent years helping keep people safe in the mountains, but her own story starts a long way from British Columbia. After growing up in Ontario, she made the move west and has often said that the moment she arrived in BC, she felt like she'd come home—even though she'd never been there before. That connection to the mountains and the outdoors has shaped everything since. Today she's Executive Director of BC AdventureSmart, part of the BC Search and Rescue Association, leading education programs that help people make better decisions before they head into the backcountry. In this episode we talk about how search and rescue really works, why prevention is just as important as rescue itself, and what every one of us can do to reduce the chances of ever needing that call for help.

Rob Mazenc | Living the Dream

On today's episode I'm speaking to Rob Mazenc - the Alpine Club of Canada's Services Director, and a man who has taken a long and winding road to reach a destination that he describes as "a dream come true". Born in France, he now lives in Canmore, in the heart of the Canadian Rockies, and does a job which makes a real difference to the mountain community around him. If you want an uplifting, positive and inspiring assessment of why we love mountains so much, this is the episode for you.

Troy Becker | Adaptive Adventures

Today I'm talking to one of the most competent outdoor all-rounders I've ever met - Troy Becker. A vastly experienced and skilled outdoorsman, Troy has poured 25 years into Adaptive Adventures - an organisation dedicated to getting disabled people into the outdoors. The story of the last quarter century is incredible and inspiring in equal measure.

Emilie Mann | The Why

In this episode of the Outmap Podcast, we sit down with Emilie Mann, an ultrarunner whose approach to endurance is as much about mindset as it is about miles. Emilie shares what draws her to long days in the mountains, how she prepares for the physical and mental demands of ultrarunning, and why moving efficiently through wild terrain is both a skill and an art. We talk about pacing, resilience, and the quiet discipline required when the distances stretch far beyond what most people consider possible. Emilie also reflects on how running changes the way you see landscapes — reading terrain, managing effort, and learning to stay calm when things inevitably get difficult. It’s a conversation about endurance in its truest sense: patience, curiosity, and the deep satisfaction that comes from covering ground under your own power.