Mountain

Jackie Greaves survives for two nights during a big winter storm. She’s finally found by a search and rescue dog, bundled into a helicopter and flown to hospital. Jackie’s safe, but then another ordeal begins. Music Ascent by Jon Luc Hefferman, Namaste by Jason Shaw, Impact Prelude by Kevin MacLeod, Hung Balance by Ketsa, Cylinder Five […]

February, 1994. The Cairngorms are in the grip of an Arctic storm. Alone and in a whiteout, Jackie Greaves strays out on to a cornice. Seconds later, the snow collapses into air. Music Ascent by Jon Luc Hefferman, La Brise by Circus Marcus, Little Black Cloud by Poddington Bear, Tentative Steps by Kai Engel and […]

Bikepacking coast-to-coast across Scotland. Adventure cyclist Lee Craigie loves to ride her bike, but when the road ends and the trail begins, the ride becomes so much more than a simple journey through the landscape. Music Paris (Elite Athlete Remix) and Amsterdam by Lasers, Waterbourne and Algea Trio Blue Dot Sessions, Padded Walls (reEdit) and Alesis 2010 by Floating Spirits. Credits Thanks […]

There are days in the mountains that have you hiding behind rocks to get out of the relentless wind. Days when you tug your hood over your face to shield it from blasts of hail. Days when you think: “Where did all this begin?” Music Shiny Clouds by Ketsa, Butterfly/Kid On The Mountain and Lark In […]

Even small hills have secrets. A chance discovery on a mountain walk leads to a hidden tunnel entrance and an abandoned village. Music Cloud Line by Blue Dot Sessions, Seeing The Future and Shooting Star by Dexter Britain, Dark Water, Juliette and Three Colors by Podington Bear, Piano Hymn (Instrumental) by Weinland and Going Home by Lee Rosevere. […]

Ben Nevis, February 2015. Climbers on Ben Nevis are enjoying some of the best ice conditions in decades. And then a chilling scream cuts through the mist. Music Cylinder Four and Cylinder Seven by Chris Zabriskie, Le Soir J’me Raconte Des Histoires Dans La Cave and La Tapa Del Lunes by Circus Marcus, The Fathomless Caves II by Jihel, […]

The best moments from the first year of the Mountain podcast. Music Hands of Time by Amy Sayer. All the other music used is credited on the individual episode pages. Credits You heard the voices of Joe Symonds, Andy Brett Wenz, Dave and Anne Lindop, Duncan McCallum, Freya Beesley, James Roddie, Anna MacQuarrie, Alan Halewood, Susie […]

Adventurer Alastair Humphreys has cycled around the world, walked across deserts and rowed the Atlantic. His last expedition was a simple walk across Spain, but it brought him face-to-face with his deepest fear. Music Threaded Clouds by Blue Dot Sessions, Spanish Moss by Ennio the Little Brother, Shinedown and  Somnolence by Kai Engel, Vivaldi’s Four Seasons (Winter Mvt 3) played by […]

We all love to explore new places, but most of us also have some hills we call home. For Kirstie Smith, it’s the heart of the northern mountains on the Isle of Arran. Music A String (Instrumental) by Loch Lomond,  (I Am) Climbing On Air by Kai Engel, Autumn Sunset and Serenity by Jason Shaw, Autumn Leaves by […]

Beach, bog, mountain and sea. Triathletes Cat Morrison and Caroline Wallace take on one of the UK’s toughest adventure races through one of the country’s most extraordinary landscapes. Music Air Hockey Saloon by Chris Zabriskie, Ocean Tapping and When the Wind Comes by PC III, Humm OK by Gablé, Over the Fence and Headlights/Mountain Road by Blue Dot Sessions […]

Get up early, grab a bike and take a look round the back of your favourite hill. You might be surprised at what you find. Music Cycling Through Ikebukuro by Koen Park, Georgia Rose by Broadway Quartette, Wild Horse Of Stony Point and Brushy Fork Of Johns Creek by Black Twig Pickers, When The Mockingbirds Are Singing In […]

North-east Afghanistan, July 2010. On the edge of the Little Pamir range, in a tiny village surrounded by mountains, a phone call changes everything. Music Cylinder Two and Cylinder Four by Chris Zabriskie, The Fathomless Caves II by Jihel, The Summit by Blue Dot Sessions and Running Waters by Jason Shaw. A special thanks to Robyn Friend, who sang the Persian […]

A bonus episode, with more from fiddle player Siobhan Anderson on how she chose the music for episode 7 – and her deep family links to Beinn Dorain. Music Moladh Beinn Dóbhrain (In praise of Ben Dorain), trad tune; Tha Sìor Choineadh Am Beinn Dóbhrain (There Is A Constant Wailing in Ben Dorain), trad tune; Cead […]

With modern maps, GPS and aerial photography, we like to think we know the hills better than anyone. But open an Ordnance Survey map of any mountain in the Scottish Highlands and there, in plain sight, is evidence that those who roamed these hills long before us knew them intimately – perhaps more than we ever will. Music […]

Assynt, in the far north-west of Scotland, is one of the world’s most startling landscapes. Shark’s fin mountains rise vertically from a plateau of three-billion-year-old rock, splattered with lochans. But for a landscape of real beauty, mystery and dread, you need to journey inwards. Music Insatiable Toad and Wax Paper Jewel by Blue Dot Sessions, Radiant […]

Skye, late September 1981. A young woman sits in a dark bothy, staring into a fire. A pair of flimsy shoes are propped next to her, drying in the heat, and a kettle comes to the boil. Who was the Angel of Camasunary and where did she go? Hillwalker and photographer Duncan McCallum tells the […]

As the climber Mo Anthoine used to say, sometimes you have to feed the rat. After a winter indoors editing podcast episodes about other people’s adventures, Mountain host Christopher Sleight heads to the Cairngorms for a full-on winter’s day. Music See Through Walls and Reversable by Anitek. Jig of Slurs – Dublin Reel – Merry Blacksmith […]

On 19th May 2015, Adrian Oram was traversing a section of the Cuillin Ridge with his novice climbing partner Mike. The ridge was harder than expected, but they were enjoying the challenge. It was a good day in the mountains. But for Adrian and Mike’s friends, a completely different story was playing out. Adrian and […]

It’s Easter Saturday, 1998. Two climbers are alone in a tiny tent in an isolated Himalayan valley. There’s a gnawing cold and the snow conditions are against them. Should they go for the summit again? Or play it safe and head for the valley? Music Chapter One/Cold album by Kai Engel and Nepalski Circus by Njuškači Jabuka. Additional sound effects […]

Inside the mind of elite mountain runner Joe Symonds, as he takes on Scotland’s first skyrace – a 50 km route over summits and along ridges in a trial of the body and mind. Music Masonic Meadows and Burning Record Running by Friendly Foliage, and  Down and Able by James William Hindle. Credits Thanks to Joe Symonds, Shane […]