Podcast · Sport

Go Mountain Goats

by Finlay Wild · English · Sport

Scottish hill runner and mountaineer Finlay Wild has some questions for the mountain community... www.gomountaingoats.com Buy me a cuppa! https://ko-fi.com/finlaywild

New episodes: Monthly
Typical length: 1 hr 21 min
Latest: 11 Jul 2026
Language: English

Latest episode

11 Jul 2026 · 1 hr 36 min

Episode 61 - Cabin Wild with Ben Tibbetts

Ben Tibbetts talks to me about alpine bivouac huts, and his project to visit and document hundreds of lesser known cabins and mountaineering routes across the Alps. Ben is an IFMGA Mountain Guide and a professional photographer whose first book Alpenglow showcases the finest routes on the 4000m peaks of the Alps. With his partner Valentine Fabre, he has recently self published Cabin Wild: Alpine Bivouac Huts in two volumes which explore a selection of simple mountain shelters across the Alps detailing the trips and common mountain itineraries accessable from these special places. The books…

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Earlier episodes 29 most recent

S1 · E60 · 29 Mar 2026 · 1 hr 37 min
Episode 60 - The Wallers Way with Bobby Gard-Storry
Bobby Gard-Storry tells us about his Wallers Way - a month long 30th birthday celebration in March 2025 in which he ran between the 26 major valleys of the Lake District, repairing a dry stone walling project each day, and sleeping out on the hills each night. Bobby has lived in Cumbria for most of his life and was introduced to the outdoors at an early age. However, it was only later that his passion for the fells and running developed, and time away in the city only strengthened his wish to live and work in the rural Lake District. He became a dry stone waller, working long hard days…
S1 · E56 · 9 Mar 2026 · 1 hr 17 min
Episode 59 - Grand Alpine Arc Traverse with Ben Bardsley, Es Tresidder and Jon Morgan
I speak with Es Tresidder, Ben Bardsley and Jon Morgan about our week-a-year traverse of the Grand Alpine Arc, from the Mediterranean to Vienna. Starting in 2016 at Menton near Nice, we have skied together on 9 iterations of this 'Speedy Tours' project where we utilise skimo racing kit for big mountain travel. February 2026 was our final week of the traverse - restarting at our 2025 finish point at Seeweisen we finished out a further 6 days to finish at St Stephen's Cathedral at the heart of Vienna. Reflecting on the project a few days later we discuss our tactics and tribulations. Some of…
S1 · E58 · 13 Feb 2026 · 1 hr 50 min
Episode 58 - Munro Round Record with Jamie Aarons
In June 2023 Jamie Aarons set out on her continuous, self propelled Round of all 282 Munros. 31 days and 10 hrs later she finished on Ben Klibreck with a new record and an incredible story. Moving to Scotland in 2005, Jamie and her partner Andy Taylor completed their first Munro round over one year (2013), before returning in 2020 with their rescue dogs for a second round. Hearing about Donnie Campbell's Munro Round Record in 2020 (Episode 12) set Jamie wondering how she would approach the challenge herself. She knew her superpower was going without sleep, and incorporated this into a plan…
S1 · E57 · 30 Jan 2026 · 1 hr 13 min
Episode 57 - Lake District 24-hour Fell Record with Andy Berry
I speak to Andy Berry about the Lake District 24-hour Fell Record, which he broke in 2023 with a new time of 23 hours and 23 minutes for 78 peaks. The Fell Record has existed in some form since Victorian times, and has evolved and grown in parallel with the honing of criteria for eligible peaks. This has led to some route quirks, and also the fact that the women's record follows a different route than the men's due to certain peaks being 'baked in' or omitted due to choices and requirements to meet the criteria of the time (the women's record evolving later than the men's and so set with…
S1 · E56 · 21 Dec 2025 · 1 hr 45 min
Episode 56 - Breaking The Snowline with Anna Wells
In March 2024 Anna Wells became the fourth person, and first woman, to complete all 282 Munros in a single winter season. She started on Dec 22nd 2023 and took a little under 83 days, equalling the record set by Martin Moran in 1985. Helen Rennard has subsequently lowered the time to 80 days and 9.5hrs in winter 2024-25 (Episode 47). For related episodes see also Ep 12, 15, 35, and future Ep 58. Anna was introduced to indoor climbing at the age of 12, and was a member of the GB Ice Climbing team for 4 years, competing all over the world in dry tooling events. As well as climbing extensively…
S1 · E55 · 5 Dec 2025 · 55 min
Episode 55 - Langdale Extreme Rock with Esther Foster
I talk to Esther Foster about the Langdale Extreme Rock linkup which she completed with Callum Coldwell Storry in May 2025. This challenge involves climbing all seven Langdale routes from the iconic book Extreme Rock in 24 hours. These routes range from E2 - E6 and visit three varied crags: Raven Crag, Gimmer and Pavey Arc. Extreme Rock, by Ken Wilson and Bernard Newman, was published in 1987 and forms a triptych with Classic Rock and Hard Rock. It showcased cutting edge climbing across Scotland, England and Wales in a coffee table book that was both guidebook and inspiration. The printing…
S1 · E54 · 14 Nov 2025 · 1 hr 15 min
Episode 54 - 40 at 40 with Rob Greenwood
Rob Greenwood - who interviewed me about my Dark Bob Graham in Episode 33 - returns to chat about his own adventure on the Fleetwood Lakes 40. Often called the 40 at 40, or Lakes 40, this route was devised by John Fleetwood as a 40 peak challenge to celebrate his 40th birthday. Hear more from John Fleetwood in Episode 42 "Beyond the View". Rob Greenwood has an impressive and broad resume in both the climbing and running worlds including headpointing E8, the Brandler-Hasse on the Cime Grande (Dolomites), and of course countless Dark Peak Fell Runners obscure Peak challenges (and a lot of…
S1 · E53 · 3 Nov 2025 · 1 hr 43 min
Episode 53 - Three Solo with Damian Hall
Damian Hall is an ultrarunner, coach and writer who has held records on many of the UK's long distance challenges including the Pennine Way, Paddy Buckley Round, Cape Wrath Trail and Wainwrights Coast to Coast. He has placed 5th in UTMB (2018), 4th in Tor des Geants (2023), and has won the Spine Race. He has competed in the infamous Barkley Marathons ultra twice. Damian is also a founder of The Green Runners which is a global community of over 3000 runners who aim to highlight and take action on the climate and ecological crisis. Their 4 Pillars consider How We Move (travel), How We Kit-up,…
E52 · 16 Oct 2025 · 1 hr 7 min
Episode 52 - All the Marilyns with Rob Woodall
I sat down with Rob Woodall to talk all things peak bagging. After completing all the Munros, Corbetts and Grahams, Rob progressed to more obscure categories such as HuMPs (hundred metres of prominence) and TuMPs (thirty and upwards metres of prominence), via some long distance hill running rounds (The UK Big Three, the Rigby Round, and his Cuillin Round to name a few). Rob also devised the Trans Cuillin but never got to complete it - James Gibson doing this in 2023. From an early age Rob was interested in maps, and as one list led to another in 2016 he became the first person to visit all…
S1 · E51 · 22 Sep 2025 · 1 hr 21 min
Episode 51 - The Long Run with Wendy Dodds
Wendy Dodds has been at the heart of English and British fell running since before most of us could tie our laces. Now approaching her 75th birthday, Wendy has been racing in the hills since the early 70s, across the breadth of the sport. In 1972 she paired up with Val Finch (nee Pacey) to be the first women's team to complete the KIMM mountain marathon. She was also the first person ever to complete the Paddy Buckley round in Snowdonia, and took part in the inaugural Dragon's Back multiday race in 1992. As well as having done far too much to list here, her longevity is incredible, listing…
S50 · E50 · 16 Sep 2025 · 1 hr 45 min
Episode 50 - Himalayan Artist, Highland Crofter with Rob Fairley
Rob Fairley talks to me about his journey as an artist - starting at an early age with a school visit to St Kilda, through Edinburgh College of Art and onwards to Mallaig and then Shona Beag island where he spent 5 years as its sole occupant in his early 20s. There he created what would now be described as land art, for example altering the movement of deer in certain ways to create patterns, or 'tuning' a causeway by moving rocks to change the pitch. He used climbing mainly as a means of exploration, and undertook several mountaineering expeditions to the Himalaya with Mal Duff - sketching…
4 Aug 2025 · 1 hr 16 min
Episode 49 - Flow Country Traverse with Dan Ashwood
Dan Ashwood (Dash) talks me through the Flow Country Traverse which he pioneered in April 2025. This 100km route started at Berriedale on the Caithness coast and headed west into the Flow Country: one of the largest blanket bog systems in the world. Dan has become a bog expert having worked in peatland restoration projects with Caledonian Climate for the past several years. Spending more time in peatland led him to appreciate these biodiverse areas both for their ecological importance in terms of carbon sinks, and also their abundant plant and animal life. Traversing the Scaraben group he…
E48 · 7 Jun 2025 · 44 min
Episode 48 - Climbers Against Cancer with Dominic Oughton
I speak to Dominic Oughton, a Trustee of Climbers Against Cancer (CAC), which is a charity raising money for research and therapeutic projects around the world that support those living with or after cancer. Founded by John Ellison, CAC has recently celebrated it's 10 year anniversary, and has raised over £700,000 to support cancer research and therapeautic initiatives worldwide. You will likely have seen the bright and bold CAC T-shirts at a climbing wall or crag near you. CAC's annual Everest challenges in now underway, encouraging the community to climb, run, walk or cycle the equivalent…
E47 · 21 May 2025 · 1 hr 45 min
Episode 47 - Winter Munro Round Record with Helen Rennard
In this conversation with Helen Rennard we hear about her Winter Munro round of last winter in which she completed all 282 Munros in 80 days and 9.5hrs, beating the previous record of just under 83 days shared by Martin Moran (1985) and Anna Wells (2024). Helen talks about her formative days in a local Staffordshire hill walking club, before her progression to many years of hard Scottish winter climbing. She has held the female winter Tranter’s round record in the past, as well as completing many winter climbing first ascents and hard repeat ascents around Scotland. We talk about…
E46 · 1 May 2025 · 1 hr 25 min
Episode 46 - Trofeo Mezzalama with Iain Innes
In this episode I talk to Iain Innes about his season racing skimo in the ISMF World Cup series, before going on to chat about longer team races and our season finale in the iconic Trofeo Mezzalama race in the Monte Rosa region of the Pennine Alps. Iain raced for Team GB as a downhill skier for over ten years, before switching to more mountaineering-centred activities. This season he has lived out of his van in the alps, training full time as a skimo athlete. Whether racing the furiously-paced skimo sprint, putting in big elevation days to Chamonix summits or cross training on foot or by…
E45 · 19 Feb 2025 · 1 hr 42 min
Episode 45 - Northern Horizons with Will Herman
In this episode I talk to Will Herman about his new book Northern Horizons. The book explores the hills of Cumbria and Scotland in a series of personal reflections illustrated with the author’s photography. Will has been a fell racer, a runner, a kayaker and a climber - but his book is primarily about mountain experiences themselves. He takes us on long and often unusual routes which are woven with detail of these precious places and some of their wider human and geologic history. Northern Horizons will be published by Scottish Mountaineering Press on 17th February 2025. Much more than a…
E44 · 22 Dec 2024 · 30 min
Episode 44 - Lactate Threshold and VO2max Testing with Dr Mia Burleigh
In this episode I meet Dr Mia Burleigh at the University of the West of Scotland in Blantyre, Glasgow, to undertake some physiology testing. I had Lactate Threshold and VO2max testing done and we discuss the results. Dr Burleigh is a Senior Lecturer and Laboratory Director at the university’s Sport and Physical Activity Research Institute, which is the only BASES accredited lab in Scotland (British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences). First I undertook Lactate Threshold testing, which involved running for 4 minute blocks at increasing speed increments, with a fingerprick lactate…
S1 · E43 · 1 Dec 2024 · 1 hr 4 min
Episode 43 - SIPR Selkies Live at Kendal Mountain Festival
This is a live recording of a conversation at The Barrel House, Kendal as part of Kendal Mountain Festival on Saturday 23rd November 2024. Finlay Wild talks to The Selkies (Suzy Connor, Lizzie Goodfellow, Heloise Le Clanche and Cat Riaz) about their journey to the finish line of the 2024 Scottish Islands Peaks Race (SIPR), as the first all-female team to compete in 19 years. The SIPR is a gruelling sailing and running race involving sailing between - and running up peaks - on Mull, Jura and Arran in a non stop race from Oban to Troon, held in May each year. The fifth member of the team was…
E42 · 19 Nov 2024 · 1 hr 47 min
Episode 42 - Beyond The View with John Fleetwood
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…
E41 · 29 Oct 2024 · 44 min
Episode 41 - OMM Glen Artney with Phil Rutter
I took the audio recorder along on the OMM Elite course in Glen Artney over the weekend of 26&27th October 2024. I was paired with Phil Rutter of Kendal who has won the Elite race in 2022 and 2023. The OMM is a 2 day mountain marathon in which teams of two navigate between checkpoints to a midway camp, carrying all the food and kit they require to survive in the October weather. A very popular event, it has different courses to fit different abilities, and is held in a different area each year. Phil talks us through the OMM and we have some chat as we progress through day 1. Arriving at the…
E40 · 10 Oct 2024 · 1 hr 32 min
Episode 40 - Mullardoch Round with Alice Tirbooman
In this episode I sit down with Alice Tirbooman to talk about her journey from aerial circus and climbing in Bristol, to solo Scottish long distance running. We share tales of the remote and unsung Mullardoch Round, a 50km circuit of 12 Munros north of Glen Affric, which Alice ran solo and unsupported in 2022 and 2023. She then contrasts this with her racing experiences which range from the London Marathon, to the Glencoe Skyline and Jura Fell Race. We talk about Alice’s solo traverse of the Cuillin Ridge, which combined her running and climbing skills in a rewarding challenge which was made…
E39 · 13 Sep 2024 · 1 hr 31 min
Episode 39 - Trofeo Kima 2024 with Jack Kuenzle and Finlay Wild
Trofeo Kima is a unique technical race in the beautiful Val Masino region of Italy, in the rough granite mountains not far from Lake Como. While I don't usually devote episodes to organised races, I think Kima justifies an exception, especially this year's race - in which I had a fantastic racing experience with none other than Jack Kuenzle. Jack is now a recurring character on the podcast, having shown up in Episode 21 to beat my Tranter's Round record, and again in Episode 38 when I got it back! Join Jack and I as we delve into a race analysis of our head to head 'duel' at the front of the…
E38 · 9 Sep 2024 · 25 min
Episode 38 - Tranters Round record with Finlay Wild
In this episode I read my article 'Competition as Catalyst: Beyond Racing on Tranter's Round' which was recently published in Like The Wind magazine #42. Tranter's round is a 60km round in the Lochaber hills, and my favourite round. I held the record for several years until Jack Kuenzle arrived from the USA and shaved around 15 minutes off in summer 2022. It may come as no surprise that I was keen to try and get the record back, which I did on 1st June this year. Myself and Jack have had an interesting friendship-rivalry since meeting in 2022, with him going on to gain the Bob Graham round…
E37 · 4 Jul 2024 · 1 hr 29 min
Episode 37 - Norge På Langs with Ben Bardsley
It's December 2019. Ben Bardsley packs up his wet tent in the rain at Lindesnes lighthouse, the most southerly point in Norway. He sets off heading north, a direction he will rarely waver from over the next 3 months as he attempts to traverse the entire length of Norway - Norge På Langs - in a single winter. Dealing with a particularly stormy winter, he first met difficulties when the usual winter routes across frozen lakes were not safe in the south due to mild conditions. Next he experienced exhausting trail breaking in one of Norway's snowiest Februarys on record, which increased the…
E36 · 16 Jun 2024 · 1 hr 8 min
Episode 36 - Cuillin Round Record with Finlay Wild, interviewed by Es Tresidder
Es Tresidder chats to me (Finlay Wild) about my record for the Cuillin Round. Set on May 1st 2024, I travelled solo and unsupported from a tent at the base of the South Ridge of Bla Bheinn, returning to finish the loop in 13hrs 04mins 13secs. The round takes in 60 summits in the Black and Red Cuillin in a route created by Rob Woodall in 1999 and rekindled by James Gibson last year with his record of 19hr 39min. We spend some time discussing different rounds in the Cuillin, starting with the famous Cuillin (Main) Ridge traverse: the classic mountaineering journey of the 'British Alps', which…
E35 · 26 May 2024 · 1 hr 55 min
Episode 35 - Winter Munro Round and Arrochar Round with Kevin Woods
In one of my favourite episodes so far, I chat to Kevin Woods about his Winter Munro Round in which he completed all 282 Munros over the brutal winter of 2019/20. Delving into logistics and preparation for the Winter Munro Round gives a glimpse of Kev's incredible depth of mountain experience, having previously completed 4 (non continuous) rounds of the Munros. As an example of his meticulous planning, he carefully compiled a database of winter weather patterns over multiple winters, which he used to aid his decision making over the winter Munros project - in a winter season of relentless…
E34 · 29 Apr 2024 · 46 min
Episode 34 - Running Shoe Design with Harry Bolton
Recently I bumped into Harry Bolton of Keswick AC and we arranged to sit down for a chat when he was up in Fort William. Harry has a real love for fell running and has notched up some impressive results including being the Lakelands Classics winner in 2022 and both the English and British Under 23 Fell Running Champion, also in 2022. Even back in school he was clear that he wanted to make a career in sportswear design, and this led to a Sports Engineering degree at Loughborough University which he completed in 2021. Harry tells the story of how he then landed an exciting job as Running…
E33 · 15 Feb 2024 · 1 hr 7 min
Episode 33 - Dark Bob Graham with Finlay Wild interviewed by Rob Greenwood
Rob Greenwood, UKC Guru (probably not his actual job title!), interviews Finlay Wild about his recent “Dark Bob” - a Bob Graham Round run between sunset and sunrise, solo and unsupported in Jan 2024. Rob is no stranger to long rounds, having racked up an impressive CV including the UK “Big Three”, Rigby Round and Spine Challenger. Developing the idea of midwinter rounds, Finlay maximised the darkness and committed to attempting whatever the weather on the longest night (Winter Solstice 21-22nd December). This first attempt was aborted at Scafell Pike in very poor conditions - strong winds,…
E32 · 21 Nov 2023 · 1 hr
Episode 32 - Winter Trilogy and The Cuillin with James Gibson
Cumbria-based James Gibson has had an incredible past few years picking off a host of big ticket endurance running records. In a 10 week period from December 2022 he became the first person to complete all three UK Big Rounds in one winter season, solo and unsupported (Bob Graham Round, Paddy Buckley Round and Charlie Ramsay Round). Completing this 'Winter Trilogy' took 6 attempts and James talks about the experience he gained from the 'failed' rounds early in the winter. While most people would be content to sit on the couch for a bit after that, he was back with the second fastest ever run…

About Go Mountain Goats

Scottish hill runner and mountaineer Finlay Wild has some questions for the mountain community... www.gomountaingoats.com Buy me a cuppa! https://ko-fi.com/finlaywild

Go Mountain Goats is a English sport podcast from Finlay Wild. Melo plays each episode straight from the publisher's own feed — no ads added, no account needed — and remembers where you stopped, in this browser only.

Publisher: Finlay Wild
Language: English
Category: Sport
New episodes: Monthly
Typical length: 1 hr 21 min
Latest episode: 11 Jul 2026
Feed: RSS — paste into any podcast app
Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1521280735
Rights: Finlay Wild

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