Adventure Diaries is back with what it describes as its most ambitious season yet.
The award-winning podcast is returning with season five, promising a globally immersive run of long-form conversations focused on adventure, exploration and the natural world, told directly by those who experienced it.
Hosted by Chris Watson, the new series continues the podcast’s established approach, favouring reflective storytelling over fast-paced highlights.
Each episode explores not only what happened on an expedition, but why it mattered and how time spent outdoors reshaped perspective, responsibility and values.
The new season features explorer Pete Casey, who shares the realities of an ascent of the Amazon, navigating isolation, logistics and fragile ecosystems along one of the world’s most complex and important river systems. It gives insight into the human impact of travelling through sensitive environments.
Volcano climber Ricardo Kaljouw reflects on the physical and psychological toll of summiting seven volcanic peaks across different continents. He discusses what sustained exposure to risk teaches about restraint, decision-making and long-term resilience rather than short-term achievement.
Expedition leader Daniel Eggington recounts a high-risk journey through the Darién Gap, confronting extreme jungle terrain, human movement and the moral complexity of travelling through one of the world’s most dangerous migration corridors, with a focus on responsibility and awareness.
Storyteller and journalist Letícia Benavalli joins archaeological explorer Joe Trevorrow to explore Brazil and Guyana through field reporting and discovery.
They combine rainforest storytelling with investigations into traces of ancient human presence in remote landscapes rarely documented in audio form.
Kayaker and travel writer Oscar Scafidi tells the story of descending Madagascar’s Mangoky River. He talks about expedition travel with cultural encounters and the realities of moving slowly through unfamiliar places, while learning from communities encountered along the way.
Chris Watson said: “Adventure doesn’t have to mean extremes. It begins with paying attention, to place, to people, and to the landscapes you spend time in, whether they’re close to home or far away. Season five is full of immersive stories that I hope encourage listeners to explore more for themselves.”
Season five of Adventure Diaries launches on 26 February on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube and all major podcast platforms.
