Outdoor Lives by Mike Raine

Martin Chester – UIAGM guide, Level 5 Kayak Coach and Chief Instructor at Joint Services Mountain Training.

Martin Chester has built a reputation as one of the mostrespected figures in the outdoor world. A former Chief Instructor at the National Outdoor Centre, Plas y Brenin, before going on to help shape Mountain Training’s coaching programme. Along the way, he’s worked in television, becomea sought-after conference speaker and consultant. He continues to work in the role of Guide and Coach. Despite this we talk about imposter syndrome! A ski tourer at heart, Martin recently stepped into the roleof Chief Instructor for the MOD’s Joint Services Mountain Training - an organisation operating across Wales, Scotland, Norway and Germany. Martin is now the only person to have led both Plas y Breninand Joint Services Mountain Training - and alongside all of that, he’s a dedicated family man and a cancer survivor. Martin talks movingly about how tough the canccer challenge has been and still is.

Ioan Doyle – Climber and Farmer

Ioan is a Bethesda local. He’s a first language Welsh sheepfarmer, contractor, climber (up to E8) and Himalayan mountaineer. He’s an incredibly energetic worker, climber and family man. He coaches rugby, flies a paraglider, he’s a dry stone waller, fencer and shepherd; he climbs hard and plays hard…

Mark Reid of TeamWalking

Mark Reid is an experienced Mountain Leader, outdoorwriter, and lifelong lover of the outdoors. His company is called TeamWalking, they provide team events, navigation courses and guided walking. With nearly 30 years of professional experience, Mark hasguided over 21,000 people on walks of all ages and abilities, walked more than 32,000 miles of footpaths, and written 17 walking guidebooks. Mark and I have been working together on the Nature ofthe Yorkshire Dales workshops, Mark bring expert input on the geology, archaeology and history of the Dales, together we make a good team.

Colin Speakman - walker, author and environmental campaigner

Colin has authored or co-authored over 60 outdoor books.These include The Dales Way (now in its 11th edition), and walking guides to areas both in the UK and in mainland Europe, as well as poetry, topography, biography, transport history, and two literary anthologies. He worked as a teacher, lecturer, tourism officer and he ran the UK’s first green travelagency. Colin is a founder member of the Gritstone Authors Publishing Co-operative. In 1997 Colin received an honorary degree (D.Lit.) from Bradford University in recognition of his literary and environmental work, and in 2007 was awarded the first Dalesman Rural Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2015 he was named the UK Transport Campaigner of the year by the SheilaMcKechnie Trust, and in 2020 was cited as one of the UK’s “Walking Heroes” by noted countryside journalist Roly Smith. In 2021 he received the Golden Eagle Lifetime Achievement award from the Outdoor Writers & Photographers Guildfor his outstanding services to the Outdoors.

Jacquetta Megarry – Rucksack Readers Publishing

After a career in education, IT and academic publishing,Jacquetta became interested in long-distance walking and trekking. After completing her first long walk, the West Highland Way, in 1998, she progressed to Mount Kilimanjaro, which she summited four times by four different routes(1999, 2000, 2004 and 2008). She is a member of the Outdoor Writers and Photographers Guild and in 2016 won its Award for Excellence with Trek to Everest. [https://www.rucsacs.com/book/trek-to-everest/] In 2000 she launched the rainproof Rucksack Reader formatwith built-in maps for guidebooks. Now published over 40 guidebooks. Of these, she has either written or co-authored 24, as well as editing them all and creating frequent revised editions of earlier books. We chat about Jacquetta’s story of becoming a long distance walker, guidebook writer and publisher. To see the full range of lightweight, rain proof guides andperhaps get some inspiration for your next walk visit https://www.rucsacs.com/ [After a career in education, IT and academic publishing, Jacquetta became interested in long-distance walking and trekking. After completing her first long walk, the West Highland Way, in 1998, she progressed to Mount Kilimanjaro, which she summited four times by four different routes (1999, 2000, 2004 and 2008). She is a member of the Outdoor Writers and Photographers Guild and in 2016 won its Award for Excellence with Trek to Everest. In 2000 she launched the rainproof Rucksack Reader format with built-in maps for guidebooks. Now published over 40 guidebooks. Of these, she has either written or co-authored 24, as well as editing them all and creating frequent revised editions of earlier books. We chat about Jacquetta’s stroy of becoming a long distance walker, guidebook writer and publisher. To see the full range of lightweight, rain proof guides and perhaps get some inspiration for your next walk visit https://www.rucsacs.com/]