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A Second Life on Foot: Jacquetta Megarry and New Adventures After Midlife
Manage episode 513318001 series 3627061
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
45 episodes
Manage episode 513318001 series 3627061
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
45 episodes
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