148. Ed Ley-Wilson: Exploring the mind and the sea

Sue Stockdale speaks to adventurer, author, and deep thinker Ed Ley-Wilson. Ed shares insights from his life exploring both the outdoors and the mind. From kayaking the rugged west coast of Scotland to reflecting on resilience, solitude, and the power of slowing down, Ed reveals how adventure - whether on land, sea, or within ourselves shapes our engagement with the world. 

About Ed Ley-Wilson
Ed has over thirty years of working and engaging with business, community, educational, social and environmental issues throughout the Highlands of Scotland. He has undertaken long self-supported kayaking journeys in Norway and Patagonia and has run 1200 miles of the Great Wall of China (1988) and the 2000 mile length of the Himalayas (1990). Ed is no stranger to hardship and during his 2022 kayaking journey up the west coast of Scotland he faced some of the worst weather in that region for years. He also has two books to his name, ‘The Himalayan Shuffle’ and ‘Kayaking the Sea Roads.

Key Quotes

• "Adventure isn’t just about the physical challenge; it’s about how we engage with the world around us and what we learn from it."
• "Solitude teaches you resilience in a way nothing else can - you have to sit with your thoughts and find your own way through them."
• "Whether on the sea or in life, you can’t always control what happens, but you can control how you respond to it."
• "The lessons I learned from John Ridgway weren’t just about survival; they were about self-reliance, discipline, and understanding your own limits."
• "Slowing down and disconnecting from the noise of the modern world is one of the greatest gifts adventure can offer."
• "It's not a weakness to not know stuff. It's a strength actually".

Chapters
01:57 Early Adventures and Influences
03:33 Lessons from the Wild
04:31 The Philosophy of Adventure
05:42 Kayaking the Sea Roads
10:07 Reflections on Highland Communities
16:27 The Importance of Time and Space
21:30 Embracing Uncertainty and Curiosity
23:06 The Role of Yoga in Kayaking
25:54 The Journey of Self-Discovery
35:39 Balancing Life and Future Plans

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Producer: Sue Stockdale  
Sound Editor: Matias De Ezcurra 

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