"We get to hear from people who’ve gone through incredibly powerful (and in some cases, life-changing) experiences, understand what happened, what they learnt, how they felt and their journey back." Caro says. "These are traumatic experiences, and I’m so humbled that guests are willing to go there so we can all learn."
Inspired by the work of Ashley from the US-based climbing podcast, The Sharp End, and the warm, unfolding style of ABC Conversations, Caro comes full circle in the space, including episodes with experts and emergency services workers.
"There are three types of episodes and guests on the Rescued Podcast," she continues, "First-person accounts of an incident, interviews with emergency services personnel and experts in associated fields."
Season one, which launched in 2023, opened with a compelling double episode from former Police Rescue operator Matt U’Brien. Kicking off with timeless messages around safe bushwalking and a humorous—but cringe-worthy— tale of a mountain biker, Matt then shares his dark memories of the time he went from being a rescuer to needing rescue. We hear about his tough challenges with mental health and his 2023 Heart to Heart walk, where he set off from the Lambert Centre of Australia to walk 2,400km (90 days) to Parliament House in Canberra to highlight the plight of first responder mental health.
Episode 3 brings the listener along on a lovely, sunny day in Spain, as Jane sets off alone on an easy tourist walk through a walk-in canyon, ‘Rio Chilla’. It's a trip that should have taken about 4 hours. Well-prepared and loaded with research, Jane shares her story of what she learned from a long, painful and lonely night when she found herself waking up to a dog licking her face, the threat of wild boar and what items she's added to her packing list since.
Back to Australia, episode 4 brings us along on the Australian Alps Walking Track with Owen, an experienced bushwalker familiar with the route. On day 24, he shows us that
even with great first aid skills and lots of preparation, there are some things that no first aid kit can prepare you for.
The first of the experts for the series, Linda from the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA), steps us through the world of PLBs (Personal Locator Beacons) and SEND Devices (eg: ZOLEO, InReach, SPOT) in episode 6. She unpacks what happens when someone activates a beacon or SOS and reveals some exciting tech developments in the near future.
"I was stoked to hear that the AMSA episode with Linda is now part of the TAFE Outdoor Leadership course resources," exclaims Caro. "It’s at the heart of why I started the podcast in the first place. Learning and sharing so we can have great adventures in the bush, safely."
Season 1 wrapped up with James and Dylan in episode 7, speaking of the nightmare when James was buried alive in a snow cave high in Kosciuszko National Park. Relatively close to the ski resort of Charlotte Pass and with clear conditions forecast, James experienced the longest, dark night of the soul, where escape wasn’t the end of it.
With Season 2 set to launch in March 2024, thanks to sponsor Paddy Pallin, listeners can expect vivid and inspiring stories, loaded with change-making insights to power their future adventures.
Subscribe and listen to Rescued on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Download transcripts at lotsafreshair.com/rescued-an-outdoor-podcast-for-hikers-and-adventurers.
Bushwalk
