Callie 32, is a winter sports enthusiast who loves skiing and being in the mountains. She grew up in Southern California, before moving over to Alaska. One of Callie’s first challenges was bike touring from Dushanbe, Tajikistan to Ulaan Baaar, Mongolia. Callie has then gone on to successfully climb Mount Denali the highest mountain in North America and Aconcagua the highest mountain in South America. Both were unguided expeditions! Her most recent challenge led her to complete a 5,000 mile unsupported ski, kayak and bike from Arctic Russia (in mid-winter), to the Bosporus Strait in Istanbul!
During this podcast Callie talks about her journey, the challenges she has faced along the way, the high points, the low points, the dangers and realities of being out on the road. What she has learned about being brave and why women should get out there.
Show notes
- Who is Callie
- Growing up in California and moving to Alaska 10 years ago
- How a SoCal girl ended up in Alaska!
- Going to university and taking extra classes to get though university quicker
- Her first big adventure - a big bike trip across Asia
- Going to graduate school
- Deciding to go cycling with her best friend
- How her plans changed and why she decided to carry on solo
- Transitions from being in a pair to being solo
- Deciding to go to Afghanistan
- What it was like in Afghanistan in 2013
- Learning between bravery and recklessness
- Being reported as missing…
- Speaking to her parents
- What happened next
- Not being able to get out of the country
- Managing fear and keeping calm
- Getting back on the bikes again
- Deciding to go skiing in Kashmir
- Cycling through India and why it was her least favourite place to go as a women
- Having to be so aware of her surrounding and the people she was engaging with
- Planning where to sleep at night and making use of cheap hotels
- Talking herself into leaving Delhi
- Deciding to finish after a year of cycling
- Being attacked on the side of the road
- Being angry at men and why cycling wasn’t fun anymore
- Heading to Turkey to meet a friend
- Going to graduate school in Dublin
- Studying - Philosophy of Peace
- Getting into climbing and the mountains
- Becoming a more competent mountaineer
- 2016 and climbing Mount Denali and giving herself 6 month to plan
- Climbing Aconcagua in South America in 2014
- Climbing before the busy season - being there for Christmas and New Year
- What happened while on the mountain
- 2 summit attempts and the weather window
- Knowing when to turn around
- Heading back up by herself
- Summit day!
- Costs of climbing Aconcagua - permits, food, & flights - less than $3,000
- Deciding to climb Denali
- Gaining mountaineering skills and learning from friends
- Being injured at the moment with a torn ACL and MCL…
- Waiting to have surgery
- The Russian Expedition in 2017!
- A break down of the challenge
- Dealing with the cold …. Siberia in winter …. - 40!
- Going from skiing to bikes and then into kayaks!
- Navigating though the mountains
- Keeping positive in challenging situations
- Why everything is easier with a partner
- How the challenge came about
- The challenges during the kayaking portion
- Dealing with the Russian Army & Police
- Future plans for 2019
- Not being on social media
- Final words of advice for women out there
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