Episode 42 - Beyond The View with John Fleetwood

Go Mountain Goats

If you delve into the history of almost any endurance mountain running challenge in the UK you will likely see the name John Fleetwood. Usually flying under the radar solo and unsupported, his website www.longdistancechallenges.blogspot.com reveals a plethora of epic mountain adventures in the wild trackless bounds of Scotland, England and Wales.

John first became 'hooked' on endurance runs in the late 90s following his 'first proper run' - the 100km Bob Graham Round. Long before the current boom in ultra running and 'FKTs' he was having intense experiences as he sought to bring dream lines on a map into reality by following them on the ground. More interested in 'first known completions' than speed itself, he has made huge aesthetic loops in wild places. A winter Broxap Round in Glen Shiel over 120km and 61hrs; the Glen Lyon Watershed, a 121km 47hr loop of rough grass, bog and heather; or the Strathfarrar Watershed, 99km over 50hrs in deep snow.

We talk in more detail about John's Scottish Haute Route walk, his Lakes 40 Peaks at 40yrs challenge, and his mind bending Winter Rigby Round - a 54hr odyssey around the dark December Cairngorms in 2010.

John is also an author of two Cicerone guides to Scrambles in the Lake District. His book Beyond the View is his 'pilgrimage through nature', a hardback photography book interlaced with his personal story and deep connections to these wild places. Seeing 'beyond the view' is about connecting with our surroundings in a deeper way. He has also worked with Big Issue vendors in a project which gave them new access to outdoor experiences. He hopes to set up a charity further expanding this work which aims to heal the disconnect many people (and arguably society as a whole) feels for nature.

John is speaking at Kendal Mountain Festival next week (Sunday 24th November 2024)