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A Second Life on Foot: Jacquetta Megarry and New Adventures After Midlife

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Manage episode 513318001 series 3627061
Content provided by Tom Bryan. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by Tom Bryan or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://podcastplayer.com/legal.

At the age of 50, while most people are thinking about slowing down, Jacquetta Megarry decided to speed up - on foot.

A career in ICT was swapped for muddy boots and mountain paths after one frustrating but hugely adventurous hike along the West Highland Way sparked a bold idea: to create waterproof, lightweight, beautifully crafted guidebooks that could actually survive the Scottish weather.

That spark became Rucksack Readers, now a 25-year success story with over 40 titles covering the UK’s best long-distance trails - and a few far-flung adventures from Kilimanjaro to Antarctica.

In this episode, we about the joy of multi-day hiking, the art of turning passion into purpose, and the power of taking a giant leap midlife.

Jacquetta shares the lessons she’s learned from a second career built on adventure, her advice for tackling altitude sickness, and we discuss how to make the most of every summer before it slips away.

It’s a conversation not just about walking - but also about courage, creativity, and how to keep exploring, no matter your age.

Find out more about Rucksack Readers here: https://www.rucsacs.com/

Support the podcast:

Get a whopping 65% off your first Gousto box at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.gousto.co.uk/raf/?promo_code=TOM42277653⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Get in contact:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/tombryanyeah/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/greatbritishadventurespodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.threads.net/@tombryanyeah

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro

02:22 London life vs. Rural Scotland Life

05:34 50th Birthday inspiration

07:19 Rucksack Readers

12:39 The adventures of a multi-day hike

16:39 Following your interests to make a career out of it

18:44 Managing altitude sickness

23:59 Creating a career around lifestyle

26:36 Taking a leap aged 50

30:03 Persistance and resilience within a creative pursuit

34:47 Setting manageable itineraries

38:58 Golden Eagle Encounter

41:02 Solo tours vs. company

45:06 Access rights

48:45 Age is just a number

50:46 Making time for these journeys

51:49 Bad weather

54:58 Different takes on adventure

58:35 Research vs. Curiosity

01:00:43 How preconceptions of places can be wrong

01:05:55 Tom's summer story

01:12:21 Midges in Scotland

01:16:11 Jacquetta's favourite trails

01:20:42 It's not always about the destination

01:23:58 Hunter gatherers

01:25:02 Technology on the trails

01:28:19 Making retirement a career

  continue reading

45 episodes

Artwork
iconShare
 
Manage episode 513318001 series 3627061
Content provided by Tom Bryan. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by Tom Bryan or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://podcastplayer.com/legal.

At the age of 50, while most people are thinking about slowing down, Jacquetta Megarry decided to speed up - on foot.

A career in ICT was swapped for muddy boots and mountain paths after one frustrating but hugely adventurous hike along the West Highland Way sparked a bold idea: to create waterproof, lightweight, beautifully crafted guidebooks that could actually survive the Scottish weather.

That spark became Rucksack Readers, now a 25-year success story with over 40 titles covering the UK’s best long-distance trails - and a few far-flung adventures from Kilimanjaro to Antarctica.

In this episode, we about the joy of multi-day hiking, the art of turning passion into purpose, and the power of taking a giant leap midlife.

Jacquetta shares the lessons she’s learned from a second career built on adventure, her advice for tackling altitude sickness, and we discuss how to make the most of every summer before it slips away.

It’s a conversation not just about walking - but also about courage, creativity, and how to keep exploring, no matter your age.

Find out more about Rucksack Readers here: https://www.rucsacs.com/

Support the podcast:

Get a whopping 65% off your first Gousto box at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.gousto.co.uk/raf/?promo_code=TOM42277653⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Get in contact:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/tombryanyeah/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/greatbritishadventurespodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.threads.net/@tombryanyeah

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro

02:22 London life vs. Rural Scotland Life

05:34 50th Birthday inspiration

07:19 Rucksack Readers

12:39 The adventures of a multi-day hike

16:39 Following your interests to make a career out of it

18:44 Managing altitude sickness

23:59 Creating a career around lifestyle

26:36 Taking a leap aged 50

30:03 Persistance and resilience within a creative pursuit

34:47 Setting manageable itineraries

38:58 Golden Eagle Encounter

41:02 Solo tours vs. company

45:06 Access rights

48:45 Age is just a number

50:46 Making time for these journeys

51:49 Bad weather

54:58 Different takes on adventure

58:35 Research vs. Curiosity

01:00:43 How preconceptions of places can be wrong

01:05:55 Tom's summer story

01:12:21 Midges in Scotland

01:16:11 Jacquetta's favourite trails

01:20:42 It's not always about the destination

01:23:58 Hunter gatherers

01:25:02 Technology on the trails

01:28:19 Making retirement a career

  continue reading

45 episodes

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