Armchair Explorer

Latest Episodes:

RED BULL: Paragliding the Himalayas with Tom de Dorlodot Aug 25, 2025

Show notes

Today we’re sharing an episode from the Red Bull podcast: How to be Superhuman.

How To Be Superhuman is about pushing the limits of human potential, from conquering terrifying climbs and kayaking down jaw-dropping waterfalls to swimming the world’s longest rivers, running through uncharted mountain kingdoms, and embarking on solo expeditions to the most remote corners of the globe. In each episode, host Rob Pope and the athlete dive into the physical and mental resilience behind these awe-inspiring feats, offering immersive storytelling and insights into overcoming the world’s greatest challenges.

Today, extreme paraglider Tom de Dorlodot shares his passion for flying among the world’s highest mountain peaks. Hear what it takes to paraglide at extreme altitude, the survival mindset required, and why the spirit of adventure keeps drawing him back to unforgiving terrain.

If you like this episode, you’re going to love the full series. Check it out, where you listen to podcasts!

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

redbull.com

Head to instagram.com/redbulladventure for more superhuman content

Instagram: ⁠@armchairexplorerpodcast⁠

Facebook: ⁠@armchairexplorerpodcast⁠

Newsletter: ⁠armchair-explorer.com⁠

If you enjoy the show, please subscribe on whatever podcast player you’re reading this on right now. Go on, do it! It helps us grow the show and continue to bring inspiring travel stories your way.

CREDITS:

Armchair Explorer is produced by ⁠Armchair Productions⁠. Aaron Millar wrote and presented the show, Charles Tyrie did the audio editing and sound design. Jason Paton is our lead producer, and our theme music is by the artist ⁠Sweet Chap⁠.

CONNECTION: Real-world ‘Yellowstone’ Ranchers and Rodeo Legends at the Pendleton Roundup Aug 19, 2025

Show notes

“The first time I entered here I was 18 years old…I'd always heard about the Pendleton Roundup, it's just iconic. I was driving in thinking, I've made it, you know, I've made it”

“You can name any sport, basketball, football, whatever. [Rodeo] just isn't that way. These events started and evolved from ranching. They've molded it into a sport, and that's just outta cowboy try. I have a ranch, Pat has a ranch, and for the people that watch ‘Yellowstone’, that's a lot like his place.”

Welcome back to Pendleton, Oregon, home of the world-famous Roundup that we covered in a previous episode. While saddle broncs bucked and thousands cheered outside, we snuck into a storage room for kegs and liquor to interview two absolute legends in rodeo.

Butch Knowles of the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame, 1988 Olympics USA Gold Medal Team, who spent decades broadcasting with the NFR. And Pat Nogle, a bulldogging champion with a collection of medals and records that stand to this day.

The conversation was full of bawdy tales and laughter, but also deep introspection on what western culture means to actual ranchers like them, and also to the 50,000 fans that come to Pendleton every September.

LET ‘ER BUCK!

If you haven’t already, go back and listen to ‘Let ‘er Buck! Broncos, Steers, Whiskey & Beer at the Pendleton Roundup.’

And remember, you can see all of this yourself! Go to PendletonRoundup.com for details and take our advice: book early!

Plan your next Oregon adventure at TravelOregon.com

Thank you to the guests featured on the show: Pat Nogle and Butch Knowles

This series was produced by Armchair Productions, the audio experts for the travel industry.

Brian Thacker led our pre-production, Charles Tyrie assisted on audio editing, and the episode was recorded by Jason Paton who also wrote and co-produced along with host Aaron Millar.

CONNECTION: Living Adventurously with Alastair Humphreys Aug 15, 2025

Show notes

Alastair Humphreys is a legend in the world of adventure. If you haven’t heard of him, here’s a few of things he’s gotten up to over the years …

“Aged nine, he completed the 20 mile Yorkshire 3 Peaks challenge, then the National 3 Peaks in 24 hours aged 13. At 15 he cycled off-road across England … Then after leaving school, he cycled from Pakistan to China, Land’s End to John O’Groats, Turkey to Italy, Mexico to Panama and across South America. He ran a charity project in the Philippines and the London marathon dressed as a rhino.”

And that was before he left school! This episode picks up the story after he graduated university - and don’t worry it doesn’t stop.

Our ‘CONNECTION’ episodes are deep dive interviews with some of the most inspirational and influential people in the world of travel and adventure.

Whether you're looking for an epic saga about a cross-continental bike trip or the wildest story about playing the violin you've ever heard, you're going to enjoy this episode about the many types of adventure that exist, how we can have them, and why we need them.

FIND ALASTAIR

Follow him on Instagram @Al_Humphreys. Find his latest book, Local, wherever books are sold (though we recommend ordering from your local bookshop!).

Follow him on Instagram @Al_Humphrey to see what he’s up to now, and sign up to his free newsletter at AlastairHumphreys.com where you can also find information on all his books, podcasts and more.

SOCIAL

Share the show with your friends! Subscribe to the podcast wherever you're listening, follow @armchairexplorerpodcast on Instagram and Facebook, check out Armchair Explorer's website, armchair-explorer.com, and learn more about APT Podcast Studios on their website at APTpodcaststudios.com.

CREDITS

This episode was produced by Armchair Productions. Find our other shows at armchair-productions.com. Aaron Millar presented the episode and Charles Tyrie did the audio editing and production.

CONNECTION: The Lost Treasures of AlUla Aug 04, 2025

Show notes

In this series, we’re going to take you on a journey into the heart of one of the most ancient kingdoms on Earth. Located in the northwestern corner of Saudi Arabia, Alula is an oasis in the desert layered in 200,000 years of human history. But, until recently, it was closed to outsiders, and to this day only a handful of visitors have ever been.

If you haven’t listened to our three-part on location documentary series, the Elements of Alula, scroll back in the feed and check it out: hot air balloon crashes, stargazing with bedouins, curious camels with a taste for microphones … It's a lot of fun.

But today, we’re sharing a special bonus episode from that series. Because AlUla was closed to outsiders for so long, the archeology that’s happening there is unearthing incredible treasures we had no idea even existed. Jonathan Wilson: Arts and Culture Administration Senior Manager at the Royal Commission for AlUla is going to share some of those secrets with us today.

And just to set the scene: we’d just got back from an afternoon riding Arabian horses through the desert. It was an incredible experience, but it was hot - so we stepped inside Jonathan's office where archeologists were working day and night to document the treasures of this lost kingdom of alula … this is the tour he gave us, and the interview we did afterwards.

FIND OUT MORE

Our on-location documentaries are designed so that you can experience everything we did in this episode. Find out more at ExperienceAlula.com. Check out @experiencealula on Instagram, Facebook and X more inspiration and ideas.

CONNECT WITH US

If you enjoy the show, please subscribe on whatever podcast player you’re reading this on right now. Go on, do it. It means you get to choose what episodes you listen to, rather than the algorithm guess (wrongly) and kick us off your feed.

Following the show on socials will definitely maybe bring you good travel karma!

Instagram: @armchairexplorerpodcast

Facebook: @armchairexplorerpodcast

Armchair Explorer is produced by Armchair Productions. Aaron Millar wrote and presented this episode show, Jason Paton did the audio editing and sound design.

IMMERSION: ‘We Will Never Fade:’ Protecting Native History at Tamástslikt Jul 28, 2025

Show notes

We thought we knew the Oregon Trail…

Turns out, we only knew half the story.

“The settling of the West,” says Bobbie Conner, “was the unsettling of the West for our people.”

In this episode of The Hidden Trails of Oregon, we’re exploring the past, present and future of the Cayuse, Umatilla, and Walla Walla tribes, whose ancestral homelands stretch across Eastern Oregon.

In 1993, the 150th anniversary of the Oregon Trail, tribal leadership attempted to build a center to tell the story of the trail from a Native American perspective. But they were denied funding.

So on August 12th, 1993, a wagon train celebrating the anniversary was interrupted at the reservation border by Natives on horseback. One rider was Antone Minthorn, chairman of his tribal council. He spoke in protest of the poverty and unemployment affecting his people. But also of his vision of a place for learning and research; for a different perspective on manifest destiny.

It worked. Funding was secured and soon the Tamástslikt Cultural Institute opened its doors.

We’re taking an immersive, sound-rich journey through this world-class museum. You’ll hear horses rumbling across the grassy plateau, storytellers in winter lodges, ringing bells and worshipers in song and prayer.

We’ll sit down with Bobbie Conner, director of the Institute, to talk about the achievements, aspirations and concerns of her community. And we’ll explore the meaning of a phrase you’ll find emblazoned on the walls of the final exhibit:

Cháwna mun na’ámta–We will never fade.

🧭 Planning a visit? Tamástslikt Cultural Institute is just outside Pendleton, Oregon, and trust us, it’s worth the detour. You’ll leave changed. Learn more at TravelOregon.com and Tamastslikt.org

🎧 Next up, we’re sticking around Eastern Oregon to uncover more hidden trails. So hit subscribe and follow us wherever you get your shows.

Special thanks to Bobbie Conner and all the staff at Tamástslikt

Hidden Trails of Oregon is produced by ⁠Armchair Productions⁠. Jason Paton wrote and produced the episode with Aaron Millar, who also presented the show.

FOLLOW US:

Instagram: ⁠⁠@armchairexplorerpodcast⁠

⁠Facebook: ⁠⁠@armchairexplorerpodcast⁠⁠

Newsletter: ⁠⁠armchair-explorer.com⁠⁠

ADVENTURE: Biking Around the World with a Mystery Illness Jul 15, 2025

Show notes

"There are people out there that have found incredible success in ultra-running and things by being tough as nails…and it just doesn't work for me. But what I can do is wake up in the morning and be like, oh, like I'm gonna stop for a coffee in 10 miles and that coffee's gonna taste so good…Relying on speaking positively to myself and…to other people, I think offers a lot more potential”

– Chris McCaffrey

Chris McCaffrey didn’t set out to cycle around the world to break a record or prove a point. He did it to chase something deeper. Joy, connection, and the quiet, personal legend we all carry inside us. But in the process, he faced a near-death illness in Vietnam, and was misdiagnosed with dengue. He pushed on through the Australian outback running on empty and eventually crossed the Colorado Rockies in a blizzard to make it back home.

18,000 miles, 17 months alone, and two brushes with death. But somehow, it all became less about finishing the journey and more about learning how to keep moving forward with gratitude and self-kindness.

This is not just an adventure story, it’s a story about how we talk to ourselves in the moments that matter most. It’s about the power of mindset. And it’s about how joy, not toughness, is the real fuel for going the distance.

FIND OUT MORE

Follow Chris and continue the ride: ⁠@chrisinthecold⁠

FOLLOW US:

Instagram: ⁠@armchairexplorerpodcast

⁠Facebook: ⁠@armchairexplorerpodcast⁠

Newsletter: ⁠armchair-explorer.com⁠

CONNECT WITH US:

If you enjoy the show, please subscribe on whatever podcast player you’re reading this on right now. Go on, do it! It helps us grow the show and continue to bring inspiring travel stories your way.

This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/ARMCHAIR and get on your way to being your best self.

Armchair Explorer is produced by ⁠Armchair Productions⁠. Aaron Millar wrote and presented the show, Charles Tyrie did the audio editing and sound design. Jason Paton is our lead producer, and our theme music is by the artist ⁠Sweet Chap⁠.

PATHWAYS July: UFO Parking, Shark Attacks, and Biking Around the World Jul 08, 2025

Show notes

Every month on Pathways, host Aaron Millar and producer Jason Paton crack open a few stories, play their favorite clips, and take you on a whirlwind preview of what’s coming up this month on Armchair Explorer. It’s part travel hangout, part behind-the-scenes, and a whole lot of part “wait, you did what?”

Special Offer: we’ve revived our ⁠NEWSLETTER!⁠ (scroll to the bottom of our homepage to signup)

And contact us for a free copy of our fearless leader Aaron Millar’s ebook:

⁠The 50 Greatest Wonders of the World⁠

Award-winning travel journalist Aaron Millar reveals the greatest wonders of the world and the insider secrets on how to see them. From where to catch the perfect sunrise over the Grand Canyon to how to swim up to the very edge of the Victoria Falls, this is a road map for discovering the greatest experiences of your life.

🌍 This Month on Pathways:

Around the World by Bike with Chris McCaffrey

Meet Chris McCaffrey, an adventurer from Boulder, Colorado, who biked across the world. Sounds epic already—but halfway through his 17-month journey, he caught a mystery illness that nearly ended it all. From pushing through a near-fatal illness to profound reflections on adventure and risk, his story hits hard and goes deep.

🦈 Surviving a Great White Shark Encounter

Our very own landlord (yep, you read that right), Patrick, drops by with a jaw-dropping tale—literally. While filming great whites off Guadalupe Island, a 21-foot shark ripped the cage apart with him still inside. It’s terrifying, intense, and weirdly philosophical. Bonus: He’s got a viral video and a calf tattoo to prove it.

👽 Discovering South America's Hidden Wonders with Dylan Thuras

Follow Atlas Obscura co-founder Dylan Thuras on a quest to discover South America’s hidden wonders. From the Last Incan Bridge and the Machu Picchu of the North to the Everlasting Lightning Storm and a statue of a squid fighting a whale the size of the statue of liberty, this is an epic ride through Colombia, Venezuela, Bolivia and Peru’s weirdest and wildest wonders. The stuff glittering in the shadows that you may never have heard of before, but you’ll be desperate to see after.

✈️ Travel & Misconceptions

We revisit past guests who shared their experiences traveling in places like Iran. Travel writers Pico Iyer and Drew Binsky reveal a truth that’s easy to forget: People are not their governments. From saintly ceremonies to warm hospitality, these are glimpses of humanity we don’t see in the headlines.

🌟 New Segments, Bad Puns & Surprises in the Studio

We introduce a few new segments, share laughs, bad puns (Jason, looking at you), and catch each other off guard. This is Armchair Explorer at its most unpredictable, unscripted, and fun.

This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at

betterhelp.com/ARMCHAIR and get on your way to being your best self.

🌏 Ready to Explore?If you're into real stories of epic places told by the people who’ve lived them, make sure to subscribe—that way you choose the adventure, not the algorithm.

📸 Instagram: ⁠@armchairexplorerpodcast⁠

📘 Facebook: ⁠@armchairexplorerpodcast⁠

⁠Armchair Explorer⁠ is produced by ⁠Armchair Productions⁠. Aaron Millar and Jason Paton presented the show, Charles Tyrie did the audio editing and sound design.

BEST OF EXPLORER: Discovering South America's Hidden Wonders with Dylan Thuras Jul 01, 2025

Show notes

Follow Atlas Obscura co-founder Dylan Thuras on a quest to discover South America’s hidden wonders. From the Last Incan Bridge and the Machu Picchu of the North to the Everlasting Lightning Storm and a statue of a squid fighting a whale the size of the statue of liberty (yes, you read that right), this is an epic ride through Colombia, Venezuela, Bolivia and Peru’s weirdest and wildest wonders. The stuff glittering in the shadows that you may never have heard of before, but you’ll be desperate to see after.

But it’s more than that too. When we think of wonders of the world we think of The Grand Canyon, the Great Pyramids. These are undeniably awe-inspiring, but they’re obvious. Everyone goes there, and all too often the experience and the destination suffer as result. Atlas Obscura’s mission is to open our eyes to the wonders all around us, the bizarre, hilarious, incredible things that inspire our curiosity and make our jaws drop at the amazing world we share. Wonder is a state of mind, they say, not a place; and the more we look for it, the more it becomes a part of who we are. This is a quest to discover South America’s hidden wonders, but we may just discover something hidden in ourselves too.

“The problem of failing to recognise the magic in the world lies not with the world, but with us; and it is our job to turn ourselves into vessels of recognising that magic.”

- Dylan Thuras, co-founder Atlas Obscura

Highlights include:

· Visit the Last Incan Bridge, an 120-foot long woven grass suspension bridge, straight out of Indiana Jones, which has been re-built every year for more than five centuries.

· Stand at the base of Gocta Falls, the most incredible waterfall you’ve never heard of – twice the size of the Empire State Building.

· See Venezuela’s Everlasting Lightning Storm, the most electric place on the planet.

· Meet the Colombian village who travel by home-made zip-line across the jungle.

· Find out about the inspiration for Atlas Obscura, how it went from a childhood love of weird Midwestern roadside attractions to a global phenomenon and New York Times bestseller.

· Hear about such crazy historical inventions as the cat piano, the vomiting statue and a language created entirely out of music

· Learn how by changing our mindset we can escape the wonder deficit of the modern world and live more meaningful and extraordinary lives

Atlas Obscura tells extraordinary stories about hidden places, incredible history, scientific marvels, and gastronomical wonders. ⁠www.atlasobscura.com⁠ / @atlasobscura

Dylan’s book, ‘Atlas Obscura: An Explorer’s Guide to the World’s Hidden Wonders’, is a No. 1 bestseller on Amazon and in the New York Times: ⁠https://www.atlasobscura.com/unique-gifts/atlas-obscura-book⁠

Armchair Explorer ⁠ is produced by ⁠Armchair Productions ⁠. Aaron Millar presented the show and did the audio editing and sound design. Our theme music is by the artist ⁠Sweet Chap ⁠.

CONNECTION: Guarding the Voiceless with Peter Heller Jun 25, 2025

Show notes

"We paddled out to the first net, and there were 12 pilot whales huddled up against it, completely traumatized because they could hear the other 40 members of their pod being massacred yards away. They were screaming. I remember a little baby pilot whale breached and stuck her head out to look at us with curiosity. I took as a request - a sacred compact to speak for those who cannot speak for themselves…to try and give voice to the other species on this planet that can't defend themselves."

The Japanese government once issued an arrest warrant for novelist Peter Heller for his role in the Academy Award-winning documentary The Cove. The crime? Paddling surfboards into a small bay, where local fishermen were actively killing pilot whales, to protest the slaughter.

But this is just one piece of Peter’s story.

He’s an expert expedition kayaker, journalist and adventure writer. On top of all that he happens to be one of my heroes! We featured Peter in a signature episode last year called ‘ADVENTURE: Whale Warriors and Eco-Pirates: Patrolling the Southern Ocean with Best-Selling Author Peter Heller,’ where he joined an eco-pirate ship to take on whaling fleets. It’s an incredibly moving tale that he describes beautifully. But in this episode for our CONNECTION series, we’re diving deeper and getting stuck into the rest of his story.

We’ll talk about Hemingway and living in a teepee as a kid, Soviet kayakers and well-earned vodka, bigfoot pranks, tragedy on training runs, unexplored Tibetan rivers, and infiltrating a secret cove.

So without further ado, here’s my full conversation with Peter Heller.

CONNECT WITH PETER HELLER

Peter’s novels transport you to wild and beautiful places, whilst keeping you page-turning on the edge of your seat. Find out more about his books at peterhellerauthor.com

His latest novel, Burn, is about two men—friends since boyhood—who emerge from the woods of rural Maine to a dystopian country racked by bewildering violence.

CONNECT WITH US

Following the show on socials will definitely maybe bring you good travel karma!

Facebook: @armchairexplorerpodcast

Instagram: @armchairexplorerpodcast

Special Offer: we’ve revived our NEWSLETTER! (scroll to the bottom of our homepage to sign up). And contact us for a free copy of our my ebook: The 50 Greatest Wonders of the World

Award-winning travel journalist Aaron Millar reveals the greatest wonders of the world and the insider secrets on how to see them. From where to catch the perfect sunrise over the Grand Canyon to how to swim up to the very edge of the Victoria Falls, this is a road map for discovering the greatest experiences of your life.

Armchair Explorer is produced by Armchair Productions. Aaron Millar presented the show, Jason Paton did the audio editing and sound design. Our theme music is by the artist Sweet Chap.

Let ‘er Buck! Broncos, Steers, Whiskey & Beer at the Pendleton Roundup Jun 14, 2025

Show notes

It might’ve been my first rodeo, but it won’t be my last!

“It’s part action movie, part rock show blurring into the superbowl. It feels modern, but bull riding itself goes back to the bronze age. And that’s true for rodeo contests in general: bull riding, barrel racing or wild cow milking, they’re all based on tradition, and in keeping those traditions alive.

‘Let ‘Er Buck’ makes a lot of sense from the back of a bull. But as we find out, it’s much more than a rodeo shout: it’s a way of life.”

Welcome back to Season 2 of ‘The Hidden Trails of Oregon.’ In our second episode, we’re leaping headfirst into the rodeo to end all rodeos, the 115 year-old Pendleton Roundup!

In this episode, host Aaron Millar tests his mettle on a massive mechanical hog, before climbing into the stands for a (literally) explosive ‘Xtreme Bulls’ finale. We’ll lean over the bucking chutes and get clobbered by dirt flung from bronco hooves. But the roundup isn’t all spectacle, it’s also about family and tradition. We’ll step back in time to learn about the history of the event while sipping whiskey in the notorious ‘Let ‘er Buck’ room. Stories of champions, princesses, suicide-racers and steer-wrestlers wait around every corner.

We’ll meet a generational indigenous horse relay racing team, hand them microphones, and listen in on their insane bare-back bid for victory. And through it all explore the western ties that bring all these groups to rodeo together each September.

LET ‘ER BUCK!

Remember you can see all of this yourself. Go to https://www.pendletonroundup.com/ for details and take our advice: book early!

Plan your next Oregon adventure at https://traveloregon.com/

Thank you to all guests featured on the show: Toni Minthorn, Scott and Dylan Abramson, Pat Nogle and Butch Knowles

A special thank you to Greg and Petra for showing us such a great time, we can’t wait to come back.

This series was produced by Armchair Productions, the audio experts for the travel industry.

Find out more at https://www.armchair-productions.com/

Brian Thacker led our pre-production, Charles Tyrie assisted on audio editing, and the episode was recorded by Jason Paton who also wrote and co-produced along with host Aaron Millar.

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Armchair Explorer

Related Podcasts

1

2

3

4

5

6