Episode 217 of The Adventure Podcast features photographer, IFMGA guide, writer and artist, Ben Tibbetts. In this episode, Matt sits down with Ben to explore a life shaped by isolation, long-term creative projects, and a deep need for structure in the wild. The conversation begins with Ben’s 18 months living and working in Antarctica, which quietly rewired how he thinks about solitude, landscape, and meaning. That experience sparked an enduring obsession with small huts in remote places, and ultimately led to years-long projects photographing bivouac huts and high mountain environments across the Alps. Ben also explains why he needs projects, the discipline behind producing large-format books, the thousands of hours of unseen work, and why these projects make little financial sense but enormous personal sense.

They touch on modern creativity, the 'junk food' nature of clickbait content, changing industry, and the quiet rebellion of stepping away to make work that lasts. Depth over noise. A meaningful life one long project at a time.

For extra insights from the worlds of adventure, exploration and the natural world, you can find The Adventure Podcast+ community on Substack. You can also follow along and join in on Instagram @‌theadventurepodcast.

Chapter Breakdown

00:00 - 01:30: Ben reflects on spending 18 months in Antarctica, the psychological effects of extreme isolation, and how that experience planted the seed for his fascination with tiny huts in wild places.

01:30 - 09:00: Back to his beginnings - exploring whether creativity or mountains came first, and how a fine art background shaped his photographic eye.

09:00 - 26:30: A deep dive into Ben’s approach to photography, mastery of light and colour, and how understanding his artistic roots reframes his mountain work.

26:30 - 34:00: Why huts are not destinations but “scaffolding for journeys.”

34:00 - 40:30: Ben opens up about using long-term projects to maintain mental health, purpose, and motivation - and why structure is essential for him to function creatively.

40:30 - 45:30: They discuss why Ben prioritises books over guiding or brand work, despite the financial reality.

45:30 - 52:30: A candid conversation about social media addiction and clickbait culture.

52:30 - 59:30: They explore the challenges facing photographers and filmmakers today.

59:30 - 01:06:30: A broader reflection on reinvention, relevance, and why diversification is now essential for survival in creative careers.

01:06:30 - 01:12:00: The episode closes with reflections on passion, privilege, persistence, and why doing work for the right reasons, even selfish ones, often leads somewhere meaningful.

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Episode 216 of The Adventure Podcast is Part Two of the conversation with Charlie Reynolds. If you've not listened to the first half, go back to episode 215. We start this episode where we left off, on a canoe in the waves after a brutal storm. Matt and Charlie continue unpacking his extraordinary journey, and several near misses, through South America. They dig into what those moments taught Charlie about instinct, trust, risk, and why some of his most meaningful insights came from silence rather than adrenaline. Charlie speaks openly about the emotional crash that followed his expedition. The hollow feeling of coming home, how identity becomes intertwined with extreme experiences, and why the aftermath can sometimes be the hardest to navigate. It's an episode packed full of adventure - from crossing an abandoned railway bridge with a no-fall zone, to accidentally befriending illegal gold miners, being robbed at knifepoint while camped in the mountains, and spending hours stuck in volcanic mud between two enormous Ecuadorian volcanoes - its a ride and a half. If Part 1 was about the catalyst that launched him, Part 2 is the proof that once Charlie started chasing uncertainty, the world kept handing him more.

Chapter Breakdown

00:00:00-00:05:00: Charlie arrives exhausted in Bogotá, sleeps for days, and rebuilds his bike setup before launching into the second half of the journey.

00:12:50-00:15:25: He describes arriving in Colombia soaked, gear ruined.

00:22:07-00:24:50: Charlie tells Matt about riding across a terrifying abandoned railway viaduct - narrow, unsupported, rattling, and suspended high above a Colombian river.

00:31:04-00:33:51: He recounts being approached by armed miners who ended up asking for drone shots, following him on Instagram, and turning what could have been a dangerous situation into a strangely wholesome encounter.

00:34:14-00:36:35: Riding south, he meets Diego, who gives him a list of spicy routes, including one that would become one of his biggest “struggle-fests” of the whole expedition.

00:36:35-00:38:35: Charlie explains the notorious volcanic mud route.

00:40:15-00:42:33: He describes camping in freezing marshland beneath Chimborazo, eating frozen tuna-rice for breakfast, and spending hours trying to haul his 200kg bike up a slope.

00:46:04-00:48:28: With an injured leg and almost no energy, Charlie sends a single InReach message home.

00:49:52-00:52:14: He recounts being robbed by men who spent hours at his tent demanding money.

00:59:38-01:01:32: A detour with a friend ends in them burying a rental car deep in a canyon

01:07:16-01:08:24: As he reaches southern South America, the adventure becomes less intense, but not less meaningful.

01:08:42-01:11:47: Worried about losing momentum and returning to rent-paying normality, Charlie impulsively buys an old expedition truck in Quebec and limps it across North America with almost no money.

01:11:47-End; Charlie reflects on how the journey has rewired him.

For extra insights from the worlds of adventure, exploration and the natural world, you can find The Adventure Podcast+ community on Substack. You can also follow along and join in on Instagram @‌theadventurepodcast.

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-adventure-podcast.

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Episode 215 of The Adventure Podcast features adventurer and overland explorer, Charlie Reynolds. In 2024, Charlie left the UK with almost no experience and rode a motorbike the length of North and Central America. He then attempted something far more daring. The Darién Gap is one of the most dangerous jungles on Earth and represents a frontier very few people attempt. Charlie decided to cross it by a hand-built boat. In this episode, Matt and Charlie explore the catalysts behind his journey, a confrontation with mortality, a hunger for discomfort, and what exactly happened on that trip. Fuelled by equal parts curiosity and chaos. This is only Part One, but it already feels like the start of a legend. There's a whole load more wild stories to follow in Part Two.

For extra insights from the worlds of adventure, exploration and the natural world, you can find The Adventure Podcast+ community on Substack. You can also follow along and join in on Instagram @‌theadventurepodcast.

Chapter Breakdown

00:00 - 00:06: Introductions and early reflections. What drives someone to step into the unknown?

00:06 - 00:09: Charlie breaks down what the Darién Gap actually is, and why nobody is 'supposed' to go there.

00:09 - 00:13: The mindset shift. Chasing discomfort to feel alive.

00:32 - 00:34: The Catalyst, facing mortality, and deciding to leave the UK.

00:38 - 00:40: Riding south through the US, learning logistics the hard way, and finding rhythm in chaos.

00:48 - 00:51: Arriving in Panama and negotiating for a dugout canoe in a language he barely speaks.

00:54 - 00:56: Steep learning curves, wind, reefs, survival and pride.

00:56 - 00:58: The reality of solitude, risk and responsibility - and dolphins guiding his boat.

00:58 - 01:00: He realises people already know he's coming. A mystery takes shape.

01:00 - 01:03: A surreal moment; Charlie is asked to speak at the funeral of a man he never met.

01:03 - 01:05: Maybe this is what he came looking for all along.

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-adventure-podcast.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.