“Mountaineering, climbing - whatever name you want to give it - is probably the most honest thing there is”
Sometimes… there’s room for one more episode. Even though Mountain Air is currently on a summer break between the end of series 3 and the eventual arrival of series 4, a timely interview opportunity came along that proved impossible to turn down.
The recently released book “Walking Out of the Dark: How I Learned to Love Life Again” comes from first-time author Kelvyn James. A searingly honest piece of writing, it recounts profound tragedies and long-endured traumas but ultimately describes “a life-affirming journey through mountains, memory and meaning”.
In this conversation, Kelvyn describes the origin of the book, and discusses why healing, mental health and the outdoors are so profoundly connected.
* Learn more about Kelvyn here: https://mountainservices.co.uk/
If you’d like to buy a copy of the book - profits from which go directly to the charity Wellness Walks - you can do so via the Wellness Walks website or on Amazon via the links below.
* https://wellnesswalks.org.uk/product/walking-out-of-the-dark-signed-hardback/
* https://www.amazon.co.uk/Walking-out-Dark-learned-again/dp/1068519436
Listen, enjoy, tell your friends.
[episode recorded on 16/06/25]
00:00 - Introduction
02:17 - Welcome from the most confused place in Britain
04:08 - A litany of outdoor achievements (“an insight into high-functioning ADHD”)
06:50 - An overview of Walking out of the Dark; “I didn’t know I was writing a book for a long time, I thought I was writing a journal”
09:00 - “Even from the darkest of things, people can find a way”; describing the “black hole” at the centre of the book
14:48 - Release and healing in the outdoors; a place to be open with others; the psychology of the outdoor experience
16:15 - “Mountaineering, climbing… whatever name you want to give it, is probably the most honest thing there is”
18:10 - “Climbing was the first thing where I felt me, where I first felt in charge... and when what happened happened, it was climbing I went back to”
19:20 - “I didn’t expect people to react well, and pretty much they all universally did... it gave me a sense of worth”; a personal history of a love of climbing
24:20 - Learning to lead in the outdoors: “I remember asking my instructor what his real job was”; thoughts on the tough financial reality for outdoor professionals
28:53 - All about Wellness Walks; walking from home during the COVID pandemic; putting an advert on social media and waking up to dozens of requests; the honesty that comes from walking and talking without the need for eye contact
35:00 - “I didn’t see the joy in the world for a long time, but the miracle is that joy doesn’t disappear”
38:35 - Greatest Mountain Memory: a peerless viewpoint just outside of the Chamonix valley
42:20 - All the time, money, freedom… where do you go and what would you do? Climbing Pinnacle Ridge on the Helvellyn range.
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“Mountaineering, climbing - whatever name you want to give it - is probably the most honest thing there is”
Sometimes… there’s room for one more episode. Even though Mountain Air is currently on a summer break between the end of series 3 and the eventual arrival of series 4, a timely interview opportunity came along that proved impossible to turn down.
The recently released book “Walking Out of the Dark: How I Learned to Love Life Again” comes from first-time author Kelvyn James. A searingly honest piece of writing, it recounts profound tragedies and long-endured traumas but ultimately describes “a life-affirming journey through mountains, memory and meaning”.
In this conversation, Kelvyn describes the origin of the book, and discusses why healing, mental health and the outdoors are so profoundly connected.
* Learn more about Kelvyn here: https://mountainservices.co.uk/
If you’d like to buy a copy of the book - profits from which go directly to the charity Wellness Walks - you can do so via the Wellness Walks website or on Amazon via the links below.
* https://wellnesswalks.org.uk/product/walking-out-of-the-dark-signed-hardback/
* https://www.amazon.co.uk/Walking-out-Dark-learned-again/dp/1068519436
Listen, enjoy, tell your friends.
[episode recorded on 16/06/25]
00:00 - Introduction
02:17 - Welcome from the most confused place in Britain
04:08 - A litany of outdoor achievements (“an insight into high-functioning ADHD”)
06:50 - An overview of Walking out of the Dark; “I didn’t know I was writing a book for a long time, I thought I was writing a journal”
09:00 - “Even from the darkest of things, people can find a way”; describing the “black hole” at the centre of the book
14:48 - Release and healing in the outdoors; a place to be open with others; the psychology of the outdoor experience
16:15 - “Mountaineering, climbing… whatever name you want to give it, is probably the most honest thing there is”
18:10 - “Climbing was the first thing where I felt me, where I first felt in charge... and when what happened happened, it was climbing I went back to”
19:20 - “I didn’t expect people to react well, and pretty much they all universally did... it gave me a sense of worth”; a personal history of a love of climbing
24:20 - Learning to lead in the outdoors: “I remember asking my instructor what his real job was”; thoughts on the tough financial reality for outdoor professionals
28:53 - All about Wellness Walks; walking from home during the COVID pandemic; putting an advert on social media and waking up to dozens of requests; the honesty that comes from walking and talking without the need for eye contact
35:00 - “I didn’t see the joy in the world for a long time, but the miracle is that joy doesn’t disappear”
38:35 - Greatest Mountain Memory: a peerless viewpoint just outside of the Chamonix valley
42:20 - All the time, money, freedom… where do you go and what would you do? Climbing Pinnacle Ridge on the Helvellyn range.
> Find galleries, blog posts and many more episodes at www.mountainairpodcast.uk
“I love being able to share what I experience… taking folk to places they wouldn't feel confident to get to by themselves.”
Episode 2#10 is thrilled to meet Kirsty Pallas, of Oban in the West Highlands. Kirsty is an outdoor instructor of more than a decade’s experience who the 16,000 members of Mountaineering Scotland may also recognise as one of the group’s Mountain Safety Advisors.
Kirsty’s progress in her outdoor career has been as swift as it has been successful: inspired by school-age work experience at her local outdoor centre, Kirsty leapt straight into outdoor instruction immediately upon turning 18. Since that point, she’s gained her Summer Mountain Leader, Winter Mountain Leader and Mountaineering and Climbing Instructor Awards, and has even found time to be a serving member of Oban Mountain Rescue team for the past nine years. And all long before her 30th birthday.
When not finding time to climb on Buachaille Etive Mor and other classic Scottish peaks, Kirsty puts much of her spare energies into promoting inclusivity in the hills. A co-founder of advocacy group Our Shared Outdoors, and of mixed-race heritage herself, she has a driving passion for Britain’s mountains and believes everybody should feel equally free and welcome to enjoy their beauty and challenges.
> Discover more about Mountaineering Scotland: www.mountaineering.scot
> Learn about Our Shared Outdoors: www.oursharedoutdoors.org
> Listen, enjoy, tell your friends, subscribe to the podcast if you get and chance, and thank UKHillwalking.com for their kind support of this series!
[episode recorded on 07/10/22]
00:00 - Introduction
02:11 - Welcome, all about Mountaineering Scotland (“the Scottish equivalent of the British Mountaineering Council”) and life as a Mountain Safety Advisor
08:11 - The approach of winter, spreading the message of mountain safety (“it’s really hard to change the batteries in your head torch if you don’t have a light”)
10:39 - A personal history in the mountains: inspired by work experience at an outdoor centre, registering for Mountain Training awards immediately on turning 18
14:56 - A guide to outdoor assessments: Summer Mountain Leader, Winter Mountain Leader, Mountaineering and Climbing Instructor (“they give you as many chances as they can… and if you’re deferred on any element it’s because of a trend rather than a one-off”)
21:51 - Nine years of experience in Oban Mountain Rescue, covering Ben Cruachan to the Black Mount, Ben Lui, and the Isle of Mull (“have a bag packed, ready to go”), use of drones
30:01 - “I love being able to share what I get to experience with so many different people”
33:51 - Long-term goals and fulfilling ambitions in the outdoors (Winter Mountaineering and Climbing Instructor by age 30), “what I enjoy is the variety”
37:21 - “For me, inclusivity is that everyone feels welcomed into the hills”, the importance of feeling represented, the absence of generational experience
41:31 - Our Shared Outdoors, “a group of people that want to see things become more diverse within the outdoors”, film events that focus on under-represented groups
44:41 - Ways to make others feel welcome in the outdoors, supportive conversations and raised awareness
48:16 - Greatest mountain memory… climbing “The Chasm” on Buachaille Etive Mor, “what decisions did I take in my life that have led me to this moment, and why did I make those decisions?”
51:31 - All the time, money, freedom… what do you do? A climbing road trip across Canada and the US: Yosemite, Squamish and more.
Mountain Air
“Mountaineering, climbing - whatever name you want to give it - is probably the most honest thing there is”
Sometimes… there’s room for one more episode. Even though Mountain Air is currently on a summer break between the end of series 3 and the eventual arrival of series 4, a timely interview opportunity came along that proved impossible to turn down.
The recently released book “Walking Out of the Dark: How I Learned to Love Life Again” comes from first-time author Kelvyn James. A searingly honest piece of writing, it recounts profound tragedies and long-endured traumas but ultimately describes “a life-affirming journey through mountains, memory and meaning”.
In this conversation, Kelvyn describes the origin of the book, and discusses why healing, mental health and the outdoors are so profoundly connected.
* Learn more about Kelvyn here: https://mountainservices.co.uk/
If you’d like to buy a copy of the book - profits from which go directly to the charity Wellness Walks - you can do so via the Wellness Walks website or on Amazon via the links below.
* https://wellnesswalks.org.uk/product/walking-out-of-the-dark-signed-hardback/
* https://www.amazon.co.uk/Walking-out-Dark-learned-again/dp/1068519436
Listen, enjoy, tell your friends.
[episode recorded on 16/06/25]
00:00 - Introduction
02:17 - Welcome from the most confused place in Britain
04:08 - A litany of outdoor achievements (“an insight into high-functioning ADHD”)
06:50 - An overview of Walking out of the Dark; “I didn’t know I was writing a book for a long time, I thought I was writing a journal”
09:00 - “Even from the darkest of things, people can find a way”; describing the “black hole” at the centre of the book
14:48 - Release and healing in the outdoors; a place to be open with others; the psychology of the outdoor experience
16:15 - “Mountaineering, climbing… whatever name you want to give it, is probably the most honest thing there is”
18:10 - “Climbing was the first thing where I felt me, where I first felt in charge... and when what happened happened, it was climbing I went back to”
19:20 - “I didn’t expect people to react well, and pretty much they all universally did... it gave me a sense of worth”; a personal history of a love of climbing
24:20 - Learning to lead in the outdoors: “I remember asking my instructor what his real job was”; thoughts on the tough financial reality for outdoor professionals
28:53 - All about Wellness Walks; walking from home during the COVID pandemic; putting an advert on social media and waking up to dozens of requests; the honesty that comes from walking and talking without the need for eye contact
35:00 - “I didn’t see the joy in the world for a long time, but the miracle is that joy doesn’t disappear”
38:35 - Greatest Mountain Memory: a peerless viewpoint just outside of the Chamonix valley
42:20 - All the time, money, freedom… where do you go and what would you do? Climbing Pinnacle Ridge on the Helvellyn range.
