Skip to content
Paul Kirtley
  • Home
  • About
  • My Book
  • Free Tips & Advice
  • Podcast
  • #AskPaulKirtley
  • Resources
  • Courses
  • Search Icon

Paul Kirtley

Wilderness Bushcraft. Survival Skills. Outdoor Life.

Justin Curgenven paddling Aleutians
PK Podcast 005: Justine Curgenven And An Aleutian Adventure

PK Podcast 005: Justine Curgenven And An Aleutian Adventure

Paul Kirtley Comments 11 comments
Kayak in the Aleutian Islands
A stunning shot from Justine and Sarah’s trip along the Aleutian Islands. Copyright Justine Curgenven.

Listen To Episode 5 Of The Paul Kirtley Podcast

My guest in episode 5 of my podcast is adventure film-maker Justine Curgenven. She’s an expedition sea kayaker who has made some truly challenging journeys and whose films have aired on National Geographic, Channel 4, Channel 5 and the BBC. Her films have won over a dozen prestigious prizes including best adventure film at both the Banff and Kendal Mountain Film Festivals.

Justine joins me to talk about the incredible, unprecedented sea kayak journey she and Sarah Outen made along the Aleutian Islands chain and Alaskan peninsular, which resulted in a rich wilderness experience of wild, remote islands, unpredictable seas, brutally long days, isolated Aleut native communities and abundant wildlife.

Justine Curgenven with a fish
Justine with one of their fish suppers during the Aleutian trip. Copyright Justine Curgenven.
Shoreline Foraging
Shoreline foraging with Aleut natives. Copyright Justine Curgenven.

Some quotes from this podcast:

“…it will be the most challenging trip that either of us have ever done”

Click to tweet

“I’ve never seen as much wildlife as on that trip…”

Click to tweet

“It’s wild, it’s remote, it’s beautiful.”

Click to tweet

“There’s strong tidal currents, which for some strange reason attracts me…”

Click to tweet
Justin Curgenven paddling Aleutians
Justine en route through the Aleutians. Photo: Justine Curgenven

How To Listen To This Podcast

You can listen to this podcast here on my website by using the player above. Just press the play button.

You can download the podcast episode .mp3 file by right-clicking on the download link to save the .mp3 file down to your local machine/device.

You can also subscribe on iTunes and on Stitcher or via my podcast-only RSS feed.

TRANSCRIPT

Click here to read or download the transcript of Paul Kirtley Podcast episode 005.

Kayaking The Aleutians Film

As you might expect from someone with Justine’s adventure film-making pedigree, she made a film of her and Sarah’s 101-day, 1,500 mile journey. There are two versions, a 55 minute standard version and a 70-minute director’s cut. Both are high quality documentaries, all the more impressive given the tough conditions in which the video was captured.

The trailer for Kayaking The Aleutians is below:

Connect With Justine Curgenven

Don’t forget to say thanks to Justine in person. Here’s some of the places she inhabits online….

Cackle TV Productions Website

Justine on Twitter

Cackle TV Productions on Facebook

YouTube Channel

Thanks For Listening!

Thanks for joining me on this podcast. If you have any comments about this episode, please leave them in the comments section below.

If you enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media buttons at the top of this page. Thanks!

And Finally…

Finally don’t forget to leave an honest review & rating on iTunes or on Stitcher. Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated! They do matter in the rankings of this podcast and I read each and every one of them.

Related Material On Paul Kirtley’s Blog

Podcast Episode 003: Kevin Callan, The Happy Camper

Podcast Episode 002: Ray Goodwin On Wilderness Canoeing

Six Men, Three Boats and The Bloodvein: Canoeing A Wilderness River

Fjelltur: A Norwegian Adventure


Journeys, The Paul Kirtley Podcast

Post navigation

PREVIOUS
How To Generate Water In The Frozen North
NEXT
What To Do If You Get Lost Outdoors: STOP

11 thoughts on “PK Podcast 005: Justine Curgenven And An Aleutian Adventure”

  1. Ron C says:
    at 12:44

    Curiosity and courage – a wonderful combination – comes in many different packages. In this instance, the persons of Justine Curgenven and Sarah Outen bring personal accounts of adventure into the public sphere. Thankfully, that there are those of an adventurous spirit willing to share their life experience while the rest of us cannot imagine doing such risky things is a gift much appreciated at this address.

    Reply
  2. Jim says:
    at 21:53

    Bravo Justine and Sarah! To sea kayak in the Bering Sea takes incredible courage and physical strength.
    The waters of Alaska provide one of the worlds great wilderness opportunities but you must be
    prepared to remain safe. I worked in the Bering Sea fisheries and the waters are very cold and dangerous.
    Equally I spent four years in Southeast Alaska and the Alexander Archipelago provides a further
    opportunity for sea kayaking. Indeed, many enthusiasts explore the entire Inside Passage. Paul this is
    a truly educational broadcast.
    Kind Regards
    Jim=Pacific Northwest

    Reply
  3. Andy says:
    at 13:44

    Great podcast. 5.
    wish I had the balls to do that. What does it cost for a journey like that? Do they have sponsorship?
    Like the video about the water ,Finish marshmallow good name. Was you in Finland? We have snow here in Sweden soon will try out both techniques!

    Reply
    1. Jim says:
      at 18:46

      Hello Andy
      I spent four years in Alaska, and yes travel generally is expensive. I don’t know if these ladies have a
      sponsor but they deserve it. The Alaska Marine Highway ferry system services Southeast Alaska with
      a summer schedule across to Anchorage area. Marine bush planes also charter to remote areas and
      may be able to transport a kayak and gear. The seas are extremely dangerous and the untrained
      shouldn’t attempt such a journey. The Inside Passage provides an excellent alternate opportunity
      for adventure with more shelter.
      Kind Regards, Jim Pacific Northwest

      Reply
      1. Paul Kirtley says:
        at 19:47

        Thanks Jim 🙂

        Reply
  4. Pingback: 4 awards and multiple reviews for “Kayaking the Aleutians” | CackleTV
  5. Davie mccrae says:
    at 22:06

    Fantastic podcast paul
    I downloaded them all to listen to on a long drive at the weekend
    Some great guests you’ve had
    Looking forward to the next one
    Davie

    Reply
    1. Paul Kirtley says:
      at 17:16

      Thanks Davie. Glad you are enjoying the podcasts and we’re keeping you company on long drives 🙂

      All the best,

      Paul

      Reply
  6. Lucy says:
    at 22:53

    What an incredible journey! I read Sarah Outen’s excellent book and my favourite bit was the Aleutian Islands leg. It was wonderful to hear Justine here talk about it too – what a character and storyteller! A true role model.

    Thank you Paul,
    Lucy

    Reply
    1. Paul Kirtley says:
      at 00:07

      Hi Lucy,

      I’m glad you’ve found this podcast and really enjoyed it.

      Justine – and Sarah – are both amazing. I’ve had the pleasure of journeying with Justine and, among her many qualities, she is tough and good humoured, both of which I am sure were important in completing the Aleutians journey.

      If you have not seen Justine’s film of the trip, I would highly recommend seeking it out. It’s amazing!

      Warm regards,

      Paul

      Reply
  7. Lucy says:
    at 01:12

    Hi Paul,

    Yes, I am absolutely going to purchase Justine’s DVD! And I shall certainly listen to your podcasts with Ray, Justine and Kevin on the Spey.

    Have a good Christmas 🙂

    Lucy

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Search Paul Kirtley’s Website….

Connect With Paul On These Platforms:

Subscribe to The Paul Kirtley Podcast

Apple PodcastsAndroidby EmailRSS
© 2025   Copyright Paul Kirtley. All Rights Reserved.