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Paul Kirtley

Wilderness Bushcraft. Survival Skills. Outdoor Life.

PK Podcast 014: Mark Kalch On Epic Source To Sea River Descents

PK Podcast 014: Mark Kalch On Epic Source To Sea River Descents

Paul Kirtley Comments 13 comments
Mark Kalch expedition paddler in the middle of nowhere.
Mark Kalch – expedition paddler.

Mark Kalch has made it his mission to paddle the longest river on each of the seven continents – seven rivers on seven continents. He has already completed descents of the Amazon, Volga and the Missouri-Mississippi River.

These journeys have taken Mark through a wide variety of environments, some of them very wild and remote. His journeys have also brought him into contact with diverse cultures and some amazing people. Mark often undertakes his journeys solo and is not romantic about the craft he paddles, having used white water rafts, kayaks and stand up paddle boards.

Mark joins me on this podcast to talk about his background, his journeys, his preparation and the lessons learned so far in undertaking the epic 7 Rivers, 7 Continents project, including his recent attempt on the Murray-Darling system in Australia…

Our conversation forms Episode 14 of the Paul Kirtley Podcast…

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 on the right of the player.

You can download the podcast episode .mp3 file by right-clicking on the download icon just to the left of the play button 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 14 with Mark Kalch

More About Mark Kalch And His Work

http://markkalch.com/
http://www.7rivers7continents.com/the-project/
Mark on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MarkKalch

Mark and crew rescuing their raft after a wrap.
Mark and crew rescuing their raft after a wrap.
Mark is not romantic about the type of craft he utilises, taking the most suitable for the journey.  Here he paddles a stand-up paddle board.
Mark is not romantic about the type of craft he utilises, taking the most suitable for the journey. Here he paddles a stand-up paddle board.
Kayak and contents.
Kayak and contents.
Feeding time on expedition.
Feeding time on expedition.

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… May I Ask A Favour?

If you haven’t done already, please, please 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, they help get this content in front of other people who would benefit from what it contains. AND I read each and every one of them.

Related Material On Paul Kirtley’s Blog

PK Podcast 009: Leon McCarron & Tom Allen On Making Meaningful Journeys, Off The Beaten Track

PK Podcast 013: Ray Goodwin On Continually Evolving Adventures By Canoe

PK Podcast 005: Justine Curgenven And An Aleutian Adventure

 


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13 thoughts on “PK Podcast 014: Mark Kalch On Epic Source To Sea River Descents”

  1. Bruce Havourd says:
    at 14:44

    Excellent audio quality. Seamless use.

    Reply
    1. Paul Kirtley says:
      at 21:15

      Thanks Bruce.

      Reply
  2. Dan says:
    at 11:32

    Hi Paul, thanks for another very interesting pod cast. I really enjoyed Listening to your conversation with Mark. Thank you for all the high quality information you put out on your blog , podcasts and ask Paul Kirtley feature. Regards Dan

    Reply
    1. Paul Kirtley says:
      at 00:59

      Hey Dan, thanks for your comments. I’m really glad you enjoyed this episode and, more generally, are getting so much out of my blog. ATB, Paul

      Reply
  3. Stuart Eadie says:
    at 11:34

    What a fantastic 2 hour conversation.
    Very, very interesting and not a dull moment either!
    A fantastic look in to the lives, cultures and pre-conceptions of other countries as well as the river systems etc so well described by Mark.
    Looking forward to the next one 🙂

    Reply
    1. Paul Kirtley says:
      at 01:00

      Thanks Stuart, glad you enjoyed it so much. 🙂 Cheers, Paul

      Reply
  4. Matt says:
    at 12:26

    Hats off to you on this one Paul. A really good listen. So good I have lost count how many times. All credit to Mark, some great life stores/adventures I think it also goes to show that most people are generally good no matter what culture. It’s just a shame the media is so good at only showing the negative but hey that’s (great???) news for you!

    Reply
    1. Paul Kirtley says:
      at 20:07

      Hey Matt, glad you enjoyed this discussion. Yes, let’s hope we can continue to sideline the “mainstream” media with tales from the real world, told by real people, with no agenda.

      Warm regards,

      Paul

      Reply
  5. mark jickells says:
    at 10:35

    Hi there Paul, a truly inspiring character and equally inspiring podcast. Well done on the chat. I think the simplicity you both speak of is key in a lot of our outdoor experiences. We strip back other forces and situate ourselves in the moment with fewer other influences to negotiate with The Shamans of the Yaqui Indians used to go out with very little…it’s a bit like fasting. Yeah it’s beautiful to strip back the layers and get back to that primordial sense in the nature and even survive on that visceral level – still the risks exist. This was a a great story and hikes in it also across Iran. As far as rivers are concerned it makes me realize what amazing eco systems and places of people and culture our rivers are – delicate also. If your OK with it I would like to put a link on our website to the podcast. The aim..to keep the discussion alive and inspire us even. Fantastic. All the best to you and your listeners. Mark.

    Reply
    1. Paul Kirtley says:
      at 20:56

      Hi Mark,

      Thanks for your comments and perspectives they contain. Interesting to read.

      You are most welcome to share a link to this page/podcast. I hope others do find it inspirational and/or food for thought.

      Warm regards,

      Paul

      Reply
      1. mark jickells says:
        at 10:12

        Hi Paul,

        Thanks for your response. I will find a place for this inspiring river story.

        All the best.
        Mark.

        Reply
  6. Oz C says:
    at 12:00

    Great podcast, loved it!! Thanks very much Paul & Mark.

    Reply
  7. Prlsplvr says:
    at 05:25

    Hi there, great podcast, very relaxed and sincere conversation there.
    One problem, though – don’t seem to be able to stream it off your embedded player, the stream ends abruptly several minutes into the podcast, right after your introduction of Mark. Had to download it.

    Reply

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