SPECIAL GUEST: Carsten Coles
STARTING YOUR OWN TRAVEL MAGAZINE
New Zealander Carsten Coles has lived and worked across the world before settling in Sheffield, where he lectures in English and publishes travel mag Run Wild. The magazine was inspired by a course featuring talks by editors of Delayed Gratification and Cereal. ‘That was when I knew I really wanted to do my own magazine,’ he says. When asked to describe his magazine in three words, Carseten described it as “Travel. Adventure. And Environmentalism. This was an excerpt from a Magculture interview with Carsten.
My thoughts:
Carsten is a wonderful English gentleman and that became pretty clear right when I met him via zoom call. I got the opportunity to speak to Carsten about his travel magazine, RUN WILD. I think the creative producer/writer/documentary filmmaker part of me was really drawn to his story. This incredibly inspiring man, just one day decided he was going to create a magazine. That is not easy. In fact in this episode, Carsten touches on some of those ups and downs. Yet to me, the incredible rewards, highly outweigh the work. One of those rewards was the ability to create opportunities for others, specifically, for women travelers/explorers. Many adventure magazines fail to tell the story of women, so it is refreshing to see someone who is traversing into this rarely explored avenue.
It’s been great to meet all these like minded individuals who respect nature and the environment as much as I do. There is something to be said about dropping it all and going “both feet in” for your dream. And his dream was to create this magazine that would focus on 3 things I absolutely care about – Travel. Adventure. and Environmentalism.
But you know, many of us have these giant dreams that stay dreams because we either get too busy to actually pursue them, or we’re too scared to fail (or succeed), the work behind the dream is too hard, or the millions of excuses that come to mind when you just don’t want it bad enough. As a result, these dreams stay up in the clouds of our brains waiting to live their life out until it one day, fades away. I sure do hope that this episode inspires you to chase those dreams that float up there and drag them down to the reality of Earth. Carsten inspires me to do many things. Here are a few that come to mind, care even more about the environment, great risks equal great rewards, learn to be a better listener and be more like a fine Englishman, create your own opportunities. and here’s the big one, “Follow that damn dream – no matter what the outcome.”
Hope you like the episode!
Stay Wild,
Drea
SHOW NOTES:
Intro: Carsten shares his journey to climb a 12 pitch route to La Taillante (3,185m).
1:09 Drea introduces Carsten Coles.
1:57 Carsten continues to share his journey on this route. It was his third rock climb up real rocks up a 200 meter cliff.
3:15 Carsten started an Adventure Travel Based Magazine called RUN WILD. He shares why he created RUN WILD and what their mission is.
4:15 Carsten shares his inspiration in starting RUN WILD, his love for paper and dreams of being a writer
7:45 Carsten started the magazine in March 2019 and what it looks like
to begin a travel magazine.
9:05 The importance of following your dreams no matter how big they are.
9:53 Carsten shares the many challenges in starting a travel magazine. Learning to do everything from soup to nuts.
11:26 Carsten shares the most fulfilling moments in starting the magazine, one of which is hiring female writers.
14:00 Carsten shares some tips & tricks to start a magazine.
15:45 Carsten shares the number of countries he had been to and his favorite places he’s been to which is Columbia and Svalbard.
Carsten shares with us some Tips & Tricks of Svalbard is the Backpacker’s version of Antarctica.
20:23 Columbia Tips & Tricks. (i.e. how to find a cheaper tour, etc)
22:34 More Tips & Tricks for Svalbard
24:57 Carsten shares what travel means to him and why he’s passionate about it. Carsten tells us his favorite way to travel.
30:07 Carsten shares the way he likes to travel – Camping & Backpacking
31:16 Carsten just loved traveling and it started when he was young.
37:08 Carsten shares his 8 pitch climb in the Dolomites with his friend
39:03 Carsten shares with us his most interesting travel story in Greenland when he went hiking around the country.
43:00 Carsten shares his exciting experiences in maneuvering in Beijing, China.
45:38 Chatting with inuit reindeer Hunters in Greenland, discussing climate change in the areas, and how it is effecting their food supply
47:47 Carsten shares his favorite item that he brings on his adventurous trips – a Garmin Satellite Communicator.
51:52 Carsten believes in no regrets in life so his advice to himself is to take more risks, don’t get tied up with a job. Think about the life you want, and earn enough money to have that life.
52:29 Carsten’s favorite trails – The O in Patagonia & The Dusky Trail in New Zealand. He shares in detail about his love for these trails, and a few tips and tricks.
56:04 Carsten’s next plan – Hamburg and the issue with flights and covid and the Scottish Highlands!
57:58 Carsten and his work can be found on www.RUNWILDMAGAZINE.COM and on IG at www.instagram.com/RUNWILDMAG
