"Find that comfort zone, take a step out of it and do that, because that's how you continue your own personal growth. That's how you continue finding who you are. There are so many things out there in life to experience. Expose yourself to all of it because how are you supposed to know what you really like? For me, I never thought in the world hiking would be anything I'd be interested in and here I am doing it every weekend." - Brittany Bowman Welcome to the To Summit Up Podcast! This week's episode is an exciting episode with a hiking power couple who recently just completed the 46 Adirondack High Peaks, Brian Twardy and Brittany Bowman. You may know them from instagram (https://www.instagram.com/brian_hikes_all_day/ and https://www.instagram.com/brittany_hikes_all_day/ ), where they both share their hiking journey with their community. They have embraced the journey of life and have realized that every single moment along each adventure is special. This is a truly inspiring episode In this episode we get into: Brittany and Brian's discovery of the Adirondacks and their dedication to completing the 46 High Peaks.The highs and the lows of completing the 46 High Peaks.Expanding beyond one's comfort zone.Using Social Media to positively affect people's experiences in the outdoors.Living true to yourself. If you enjoy this episode, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts and subscribe wherever you listen most! Please check out Brian and Brittany's social media to follow along with their journey and reach out to connect :).

To Summit Up Podcast

E42 – The Journey to Becoming Adirondack 46ers – Brian Twardy and Brittany Bowman

"When you've got 400 people climbing mountains all over the country and you're standing on the summit, you feel this overwhelming awe of the power that that holds. Everyone who is at the summit of all of these mountains put through the work to get there for this cause and you're not alone when you're out there." -Kolby Ziemendorf, co-founder of 46Climbs Welcome to the To Summit Up Podcast! This week's episode is all about a very relevant organization, 46Climbs. 46Climbs (46climbs.com) is an organization rooted in encouraging many individuals across the United States and the world to take on the challenge of conquering suicide through the physical challenge of climbing and hiking. This is done in an effort to end the stigma and promote overall positive mental health. This upcoming week, August 30th through September 8th is the 5th annual 46Climbs event benefiting the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. This episode is all about the incredible connection between getting outside to the mountains and positive mental health. This episode contains clips from two previous shows that talk about mountains and positive mental health, the 46Climbs event and what it is. On the episode is Kolby Ziemendorf, the co-founder of 46Climbs and Cody Wiktorski, the co-founder of Wik Brothers. Both of these amazing people are climbing this week and, this upcoming Monday, I will be too. I'm taking on Mount Marshall, which will be my 40th Adirondack High Peak. This is an amazing episode where you will learn all about how 46Climbs started, the power behind getting outside to the mountains, and how you can get involved.

E41 – Climbing with 46Climbs

"The group in front of us was standing there looking out into the water with binoculars and they were like - 'is that a whale?' We stopped and turned and saw this enormous pool of water and it looked like a giant rock, but the people that were looking at it were like - 'yo, that's a whale.' " - Brandon Agostinelli Welcome to the To Summit Up Podcast! This week's episode is the second week in a row with a To Summit Up repeat guest. On the podcast this week is my great friend, Brandon Agostinelli. A year ago, Brandon and I went to Banff National Park in the Canadian Rockies and the outdoor flame was lit within him. Over the past year Brandon has grown and made the outdoors a staple in his life. He recently just took a trip to Acadia National Park and Bar Harbor in Maine. I (Ryan) too have been to Maine and it is an incredible place with a wide variety of activities available for everyone. This is a really great episode where we talk about why you should go to Maine and what you should do there. In this episode Brandon and I talk about: The varieties of activities available in Acadia National Park and Bar Harbor, Maine.Seeing whales in the Atlantic and what that experience was like.Accessible hiking for everyone in Acadia.Exploring new places.The importance of getting outside If you enjoy this episode, remember that the best way to help the podcast grow is to leave a positive review on itunes, subscribe on whatever platform you listen on, and to tell your friends to listen as well!

E40 – What to Do in Acadia National Park (Maine) and Why You Should Go – Brandon Agostinelli

"The positive out of it was just being out there. I mean, being out on the trail, seeing a new section on the trail that I hadn't done yet, meeting new people, sharing the experience with them when I was hiking with them during the start, and meeting all of the people at the start. There's no bad day outside - no matter how much it sucks - it beats other things in life.  I am just very grateful to have still had that experience." - Mat Jobin This week's episode was an amazing conversation with a To Summit Up repeat guest and northeast mountain guide Mat Jobin. Mat owns his own guiding and gear company in Connecticut called Reach Your Summit. Mat was on episode 32 of the podcast earlier this year and one of the trips that he had mentioned he was taking this spring was the Allegheny 100. A few weeks ago, he attempted this 100 mile journey for the second time and I wanted to get him back on the podcast to see how the experience went and what he learned. This is a really great episode where we talk about the Allegheny 100 and so much more. You are definitely going to want to stick around through this whole episode as there are some great outdoor tips and lessons learned. In this episode Mat and I talk about: This year's Allegheny 100 - the full story.Hiking tips and gear to stay as dry as possible in soggy, muddy conditions.How to mentally deal with setbacks.How the outdoors are an opportunity for growth for everyone. To find out more about Mat and Reach Your Summit, check out reachyoursummit.net or https://www.instagram.com/rys_adventure/

E39 – The Allegheny 100 – Mat Jobin

"It's worth every single step. And really take your time. It's not a race and you don't have to beat the clock to get there. You're going to miss a lot of great things if you try to." - Randy Guyer  This week's episode was a great conversation with an inspiring Adirondacker named Randy Guyer. Randy has lived at the foothills of the Adirondacks for over 20 years but just recently began to explore hiking - and it changed him for the better. Randy has worked in the food industry and combined his love for food and his newfound love for mountains into an inspiring platform and challenge called sandwich and a summit. This is a really amazing conversation where Randy takes us through his whole journey going from zero hiking experience to itching to hike all the time. In this episode Randy and I talk about: Randy's non-hiking years in the food industry.What sparked him to hike after 20 years of living in the Adirondacks and not hiking and how hiking changed him mentally and physically.Keeping it local for hikes and food.The creation of Sandwich and a Summit.Community in the mountains. Check out sandwichandasummit.com and @sandwichandasummit on Instagram for more!

E38 – Sandwich and a Summit – Randy Guyer

"Wilderness is not a luxury but necessity of the human spirit.” –Edward Abbey Spending time in nature has been scientifically proven to benefit mental and physical health. In this episode, I dive into an article by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation that lays out some of the benefits of spending time outside including... Improved immune health Reduction in stress and anxietyLower blood pressureimproved ability to focus and a reduction in Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder symptoms (ADHD)Quicker recovery from surgery. If you need more incentive to get outside beyond the adventure and views, this episode will provide you with reasons that may help you improve your overall health. Citation: Immerse Yourself in a Forest for Better Health. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.dec.ny.gov/lands/90720.html

E37 – The Scientifically Proven Health Benefits of Nature

"Enjoy the experience. Enjoy not just the summit, but enjoy the hike, enjoy the people that you're hiking with, enjoy nature, enjoy the summit, enjoy the snacks that you've brought - and then, after the hike, go to the local brewery and talk about the hike with your friends. That's a great experience." - Pat Barczys This week is challenge week! On the podcast is Pat Barczys, the founder of a new Adirondack Challenge called the ADK 6 Pack (www.adk6pack.com). This challenge combines two of my favorite things; mountains and beer. If you love taking on new challenges in the mountains and then rewarding yourself with a beer after, this episode and the ADK 6 Pack is for you. I am so excited for this challenge to go live on July 1st! In this episode Pat and I talk about: Pat's involvement in the Outdoor Club at the University at Buffalo. Who, What, Where, Why, How for the ADK 6 Pack Challenge.Spreading hikers around the entire Adirondacks rather than just the 46 High Peaks.How you can get involved and participate in the challenge. The fan of the week this week is Joyryde! To be featured as the fan of the week head over to itunes and spend 3 minutes leaving a review! Positive and constructive reviews will be featured on future episodes.

E36 – ADK 6 Pack – Pat Barczys

"Follow your gut instinct. It's always right and there is always this little, tiny voice in the back of your head that you're trying to push away or trying not to listen to, but it has always been right so follow that." - Brenda Zeelenberg This week's episode was a super fun conversation with an inspiring adventurer and traveler named Brenda Zeelenberg. Brenda is originally from the Netherlands and currently resides in British Columbia in Canada. Many people know Brenda from her Instagram account @backpackbren and her blog backpackbren.com, where she inspires people to travel and shows that it is not hard to travel and experience the world. In this conversation, we talk about: Go. Live. - Brenda's Life Motto.How to partake in and promote responsible adventure including social media.Doing activities that your body currently allows you to because someday you may not be able to do them.Importance of Avalanche Training.Building community in new places.

E35 – Go Live – Brenda Zeelenberg

"I feel like relationships are built quicker and potentially deeper when you are outside - especially with something like a hike. You go through so much with a person - ups and downs...literally... - and you are put out of your comfort zone and that always brings people closer together." - Heidi Nixon Heidi Nixon is building her skills in the field of therapeutic recreation and is also a skier, fly fisher, and a stoked outdoor enthusiast. This is such a fun episode! In this conversation, Heidi and I get into: Embracing the outdoors and sharing outdoor experiences with others.Heidi's 35 month ski streak.Impact of Therapeutic recreation on teens during developmental years.Wilderness First Responder Courses.East Coast community vs. West Coast community. Check out this episode and more at tosummitup.com !

E34 – Therapeutic Recreation – Heidi Nixon

This is a Ryck Proctor (Episode 25) Appalachian Trail update! Welcome back to the To Summit Up Podcast. I took a 2 month hiatus from posting and this is the first episode back. In this episode, I talk about: Reason for the 2 month hiatus.Recap of my trips to Squaw Valley, Lake Tahoe to ski and Lake Placid in the Adirondacks to hike.APPALACHIAN TRAIL UPDATE! Ryck Proctor was on Episode 25 of the podcast and embarked on the AT approximately 60 days ago.Reminder on the Garden Trailhead situation in the Adirondacks. Emily Giffin once said "Often I feel that projects overwhelm us when we look at how many hours are involved until completion. But just getting started is usually not that difficult." I appreciate your listening and am so glad to be back :)

E33 – Appalachian Trail Update

"Get outside. We only have one life to do it. Take the chance, make time and go for it. It's going to change your life. I mean, one of the things that I really love about long-distance hikes and thru-hikes is every day is different. You're waking up in a different town and you're seeing different things and experiencing different things - get out there!" -Mat Jobin Who is on: On this episode is Mat Jobin - an adventure guide who has his own company called Reach Your Summit based out of Connecticut. Mat's mission with the company is to empower anyone who seeks to connect with themselves and with nature with the opportunity to do so. He does this by striving to make the wilderness responsibly accessible for people of all experience levels. We talk about: Guiding and Coaching through Reach Your Summit (RYS).The values Mat instills in each individual who hikes with RYS.The need for more diversity and equality in the outdoors. Distance hiking and backpacking.How Mat created his own backpacking loop and hiked it for National Trails Day. Support TSU and Make a Difference: If you want to support the podcast and graduate from freeloader to a full-on supporter, there are a few ways you can help out. https://www.patreon.com/tosummitup, which allows listeners to contribute as little as $1 to help cover the costs of putting the podcast together.Bumper stickers and apparel at tosummitup.com/shop. Hats, shirts, and patches…grab your swag and represent the community as you create your story in the outdoors. Thank You: Music for this episode was brought to you by Scott Holmes. Scott’s music is throughout many of the podcast episodes and is brought to you courtesy of free music archive. His music can be found at http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Scott_Holmes/ . To Summit Up Theme Song was composed and produced by my good friend Jordan Wolf. Jordan can be found on Instagram @jwolfy3.

E32 – Get Outside – Adventure Guide Mat Jobin

"I just wanted to get to the top of that mountain and I remember telling myself as I was walking up that mountain - and this got really deep -, I was like 'If you give up now, you are going to give up on anything that you try in your life.' I made it that extreme because that's how much it meant to me to get to the top of the mountain. I truly think that how you treat every challenge in your life - or any challenge in your life - is how you are going to treat every other challenge in your life." - Rose Hvisch Who is on? Rose Hvisch - a now avid outdoor enthusiast who had basically zero mountain experience as of a few years ago, however, she has now backpacked in the US and Canadian Rockies and climbed a peak in Banff National Park. Rose is a prime example of what never quitting and continuing to put one foot in front of the other can do to you. In this episode we talk about: How to mentally handle and conquer being at the back of a group on a hike.How hiking has pushed Rose to NEVER QUIT at anything in life.Our first backcountry experience in Montana and how we learned what not to do.Hike preparation which now includes running, stair-climber, and local hikesThe importance of writing down goals and looking at them every morning. Puppies: The organization Rose talks about at the end is labs 4 rescue. Check them out! Support TSU and Make a Difference: If you want to support the podcast and graduate from freeloader to a full-on supporter, there are a few ways you can help out. https://www.patreon.com/tosummitup, which allows listeners to contribute as little as $1 to help cover the costs of putting the podcast together.Bumper stickers and apparel at tosummitup.com/shop. Hats, shirts, and patches…grab your swag and represent the community as you create your story in the outdoors. Thank You: Music for this episode was brought to you by Scott Holmes. Scott’s music is throughout many of the podcast episodes and is brought to you courtesy of free music archive. His music can be found at http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Scott_Holmes/ . To Summit Up Theme Song was composed and produced by my good friend Jordan Wolf. Jordan can be found on Instagram @jwolfy3.

E31 – Never Give Up – Rose Hvisch

"Some of the hardest situations - you look back and you're like 'wow. I'm so glad that happened... like that really sucked while it was happening.', but pushing yourself and putting yourself in uncomfortable situations is going to get you the greatest distance in the end." - Courtney Wilson In This Episode We Talk About: What makes the Adirondacks, Catskills, and hiking in Upstate New York special.Growing through putting yourself in uncomfortable situations.Heading West to live out the mountain dream in Colorado.Being a Spartan Athlete and competing at the highest level.Following your passion and knowing your limits. Support TSU and Make a Difference: If you want to support the podcast and graduate from freeloader to a full-on supporter, there are a few ways you can help out. https://www.patreon.com/tosummitup, which allows listeners to contribute as little as $1 to help cover the costs of putting the podcast together.Check out the bumper stickers and apparel at tosummitup.com/shop. Hats, shirts, and patches…grab your swag and represent the community as you create your story in the outdoors. Thank You: Music for this episode was brought to you by Scott Holmes. Scott’s music is throughout many of the podcast episodes and is brought to you courtesy of free music archive. His music can be found at http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Scott_Holmes/ . The To Summit Up Theme Song was composed and produced by my good friend Jordan Wolf. Jordan can be found on instagram @jwolfy3.

E30 – Heading West – Courtney Wilson

"I want to inspire people to set their own goals and say yes to more opportunities in their life and to embrace the beauty around them." - Liz Rose On the pod this week is Liz Rose - the youngest Canadian to climb the Seven Summits. The seven summits are the highest mountain on each tectonic plate (yes, this includes Mount Everest). She began her journey in 2015 and finished it just about two years later and has been working on a book that reflects on her experiences and aims to inspire people to conquer their own mountains both literal and metaphorical. This is an amazing episode where we talk about Liz's journey and growth over the past few years. In this Episode we talk about: Hiking parts of the Seven Summits with her Parents and what that meant to her including Mount Kilimanjaro with her Dad and Mount Everest Base Camp with her Mom.Climbing Mount Everest and how she completed it just months after she hiked Mount Aconcagua in South America.Specifics on Liz's book called Written in the Snow The biggest lesson that completing the Seven Summits taught Liz. Liz's Book, Written in the Snow: https://www.amazon.ca/Written-Snow-Journey-Seven-Summits-ebook/dp/B07MXT3LLD/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1549392868&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=written+in+the+snow&dpPl=1&dpID=41mWOgd-mPL&ref=plSrch Support TSU and Make a Difference: If you want to support the podcast and graduate from freeloader to a full-on supporter, there are a few ways you can help out. https://www.patreon.com/tosummitup, which allows listeners to contribute as little as $1 to help cover the costs of putting the podcast together.Check out the bumper stickers and apparel at tosummitup.com/shop. Hats, shirts, and patches…grab your swag and represent the community as you create your story in the outdoors. Thank You: Music for this episode was brought to you by Scott Holmes. Scott’s music is throughout many of the podcast episodes and is brought to you courtesy of free music archive. His music can be found at http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Scott_Holmes/ . The To Summit Up Theme Song was composed and produced by my good friend Jordan Wolf. Jordan can be found on instagram @jwolfy3.

E29 – Journey to the Seven Summits – Liz Rose

How many mountains do you climb in any given year? Chris Calabrese summits over 100 mountains per year and continues to fuel his passion in the mountains by peak bagging. There are many different mountain grouping lists that Chris keeps track of including the New Hampshire 48, Catskill 35, Winter 35, New Hampshire 52 with a view, New England 50 finest, Northeast 115, and Adirondack 46. You can bet he has had his fair share of crazy experiences in the mountains... "Scar Ridge was one that I was putting off for a while because people hate it and this is one of those hikes where it is guaranteed that you are going to go solo because, unless you know somebody else working on that list who's available that weekend to do it, nobody in their right mind would volunteer to do this hike with you." - Chris Calabrese What we talk about: The power of reading mountain-based books for inspiration and ideas.Why Chris hikes over 100 mountains per year.How hiking to complete mountain lists can lessen overall trail impacts. The Gear Chris uses.Insane stories about nearly getting lost alone in the woods.What Chris hopes those who see his content get out of it. Follow Chris's Journey: https://www.instagram.com/lives4summits/ https://www.peakbagger.com/climber/climber.aspx?cid=4768 Support TSU and Make a Difference: If you want to support the podcast and graduate from freeloader to a full-on supporter, there are a few ways you can help out. https://www.patreon.com/tosummitup, which allows listeners to contribute as little as $1 to help cover the costs of putting the podcast together. Check out the bumper stickers and apparel at tosummitup.com/shop. Hats, shirts, and patches…grab your swag and represent the community as you create your story in the outdoors. Thank You: Music for this episode was brought to you by Scott Holmes. Scott’s music is throughout many of the podcast episodes and is brought to you courtesy of free music archive. His music can be found at http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Scott_Holmes/ . The To Summit Up Theme Song was composed and produced by my good friend Jordan Wolf. Jordan can be found on instagram @jwolfy3.

E28 – Peak Bagging the Northeast – Chris Calabrese

Hiking, Skiing, and everything mountains, passion, and purpose. This podcast brings to light stories, stoke, and adventures from the trail, the slopes, and everywhere in between.

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