Season 1

Virtual Reality Can Save The Places We Love

Sarah Steele grew up in Geneva, Switzerland, surrounded by some of the world’s most famous peaks, as well as a multitude of people dedicated to philanthropy, service, altruism, and conservation. So when she joined the fledgling Virtual Reality team at Google, Sarah had a bold idea to harness the budding technology to protect the places that she loves — our most wild and sacred environments.

Life Is Better In A Bathing Suit

Following a miscarriage, filmmaker Hannah Maia felt that her body had betrayed her. She was angry and felt a growing discomfort in her own skin. In the past, Hannah had bike packed on the Continental Divide Trail, rafted the Grand Canyon — and yet more adulting, plus the miscarriage, had led her to less and less physical activity. To rattle herself out of this dark time, Hannah committed to swim in open water once a month for an entire year. And while filming her endeavor, Hannah moved from devastation to self-love and epiphany.

Know Your Priorities. Forget About The Rest.

Eric Jackson has built a life and a career around kayaking, a sport that is foundationally individual. You are alone in a boat. And while kayaking is his life's purpose, Eric's responsibilities extend far beyond the river to his family, his business, and his community. But there’s a stark difference between paddling a kayak and navigating a life filled with priorities. It is the age-old outdoor sport conundrum: how do you pursue an individual sport while still being a functional part of a team and family? To answer this for himself, Eric had to become unwavering in the pursuit of his purpose and priorities.

The Outdoor Culture Is Killing Us

Stacy Bare's life has always been big. He's a big man with an even bigger personality. ROTC scholarship at age 17. Played rugby when he wasn’t deployed during his time with the Army. Served in the Army with tours in Sarajevo and Baghdad and civilian stints in explosive ordnance disposal in Angola and the Republic of Georgia. When Stacy returned from military service, his big life turned into a big problem — alcoholism and addiction. Stacy knew the way he was navigating life no longer worked, so he sought the camaraderie of the outdoor community. However, he found that it could just as nearly kill him, as save him.

Diversity Is More Than Color

Kareemah Batts is many things. A woman. A climber. An African American. A cancer survivor. An amputee. A self-described “broke girl from Flatbush.” She’s not just one thing. After being overlooked for conversations about diversity in the outdoor world, Kareemah took it upon herself to jumpstart a new conversation — she wants to expand the outdoor community’s definition of diversity and to rethink how we approach inclusivity. Because, as it turns out, diversity is a pretty damn diverse subject.

Barriers Need To Be Harnessed

At 14-years-old, Erik Weihenmayer lost his eyesight to a rare disease. He was devastated, feeling the crushing grip of loneliness and perceiving a limited future. Then, a rock climbing trip to North Conway, NH changed his perspective on what was possible. Erik has used his blindness, his so-called barrier, to charge to the top of Everest, propel himself through the rapids of the Grand Canyon, and as fuel to pass on his passion for adventuring to others.

Channel Risk Into Reward

Chris McNamara has spent his life pursuing risky outdoor activities, like big wall climbing and BASE jumping. To him, they’re essential avenues of self-discovery. But what happens when an essential part of who you are has the ability to lead you to disaster? You find different ways to take risks.

Marriage Is A Path To Self

Deep within our humanity is an engrained desire for companionship, but within our culture, there’s a need to have a clear identity. That’s what makes relationships challenging and wonderful. Host Paddy O’Connell’s parents, Molly Ryan and Mike O’Connell, discuss the trials, tribulations and discoveries created over 40 years of marriage.

Let’s Talk Life And Death

Jainee Dial and her boyfriend Brad took an ordinary climbing trip to Yosemite. They were a young couple doing what they love. When Brad died while climbing the Matthes Crest, Jainee’s life was turned upside down. Faced with the most devastating loss of her life, Jainee broke free from tradition to forge a new path through grief.

Learn From Your Enemies

Luis Benitez spent his twenties atop the world’s most famous mountains. After witnessing the Nangpa La shooting at Cho Oyu and meeting with the Dalai Lama, Luis changed his trajectory through life. Now he’s in charge of bringing recreation to the center of the political debate. If we want to protect the places we love, Luis thinks we need to take a page from the oil companies’ playbook.

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