The Art of Adventure

The Race for Timbuktu: The Hunt for Africa's City of Gold

For centuries, Timbuktu was Europe's idea of the unreachable place - an African El Dorado where the roofs were said to be made of gold. The myth had roots in something re

Denali 1967: The Worst Climbing Disaster in North American History (Part 2)

Seven men were somewhere on the upper slopes of Denali and nobody had heard from them since a single radio call from the summit. Five survivors were pinned in their tents

Denali 1967: The Worst Climbing Disaster in North American History (Part 1)

In the summer of 1967, twelve men set out to climb Denali - then officially Mount McKinley - the highest mountain in North America. Nine of them had been recruited by a 2

The Last Tourist in Russia

In February 2022, Charlie Walker flew to Russia to travel 600 miles alone across Arctic Siberia. Five days later, Russia invaded Ukraine. He had a narrow window to get ou

Theodore Roosevelt's Last Great Adventure: The River of Doubt

In 1914, former US President Theodore Roosevelt nearly died in the Amazon. Feverish and delirious from an infected wound, he asked his son to leave him behind — and carri

Dismasted in the Southern Ocean: Lisa Blair's Solo Record Around Antarctica

Seventy-two days into her attempt to sail solo around Antarctica, more than 1,000 miles from the nearest land, Lisa Blair's mast came down in a storm. She was alone, outs

Scott vs. Amundsen: Triumph and Tragedy (Part 2)

March 1912. Roald Amundsen has beaten Scott to the South Pole, outrun the winter ice, and telegraphed his triumph around the world. But back on the ice, Captain Scott and

Scott vs. Amundsen: The Race to The South Pole Begins (Part 1)

June 1910. Captain Robert Falcon Scott sets sail from Cardiff aboard the Terra Nova, convinced he has a clear run at the South Pole. Then a telegram arrives: "Beg leave t

Win a £100 Arthur Beale voucher - What do you want to hear in series 2?

Have your say: https://forms.gle/Xc6USH2ThWqzxRex7 Series 2 is coming. But first - we want to hear from you. Which adventures should we cover next? Which explorers, exp

Sailing Solo Around the World Like It's 1968: The Golden Globe Race

In 1968, nine sailors set off on the first solo nonstop race around the world. Only one crossed the finish line. Sir Robin Knox-Johnston returned aboard Suhaili to claim

Gino Watkins: The Greatest Explorer You've Never Heard Of

In 1930, a 24-year-old Cambridge undergraduate named Gino Watkins led fourteen men to the east coast of Greenland on one of the most ambitious Arctic expeditions of the t

Solo to the North Pole: Pen Hadow

Pen Hadow appears by arrangement with DBA Speakers www.dbaspeakers.com In 2003, Pen Hadow became the first person to trek solo and without resupply from Canada to the No

The Lost Franklin Expedition: What Really Happened?

In 1845, Sir John Franklin sailed from England with 129 men and two of the Royal Navy's finest ships, HMS Erebus and HMS Terror, to chart the last unmapped stretch of the

Navigating the Grand Canyon Like It's 1869: John Wesley Powell

In 1869, John Wesley Powell set off down the Colorado River with nine men, four wooden boats, and no idea what lay ahead. The Grand Canyon, 300 miles of unmapped canyon,

Astronaut wanted, no experience necessary: Helen Sharman

Helen Sharman appears by arrangement with DBA Speakers www.dbaspeakers.com In 1989, Helen Sharman was driving home from work when a radio ad changed her life. Astronaut

Climbing Mont Blanc like it’s 1838: Lise Wortley

In 1838, Henriette d'Angeville became the first woman to climb Mont Blanc unaided - in a 12-kilogram wool dress, a matching bonnet, and hobnail boots, with 18 bottles of

The Endurance: How to Captain a Ship Like Shackleton

In 1914, Ernest Shackleton set out to make the first land crossing of Antarctica. His ship never reached the continent. Within months, the Endurance was crushed by sea ic

Rowing For My Life: A Record Breaking Tale of Endurance

Kathleen Saville was barely out of college when she rowed her first ocean - earning a world record along the way. What began as a wildly ambitious plan between two newlyw

Mallory's Last Climb: What Really Happened on Everest?

On 8th June 1924, George Mallory and Andrew Irvine set out from their high camp on Everest. They were spotted once, two small figures moving through a break in the clouds

Introducing The Art of Adventure

The Art of Adventure celebrates the people who push into the unknown, past and present, and asks: what is the true art of adventure… and where might it take you? Brought