Most hikers focus on the trail—almost no one understands what shapes the experience before they arrive.

What does it really take to create a great hiking experience—and who’s working behind the scenes to make it possible?

In this episode, Marcus Shapiro sits down with Shannon Stowell, CEO of the Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA), to explore the hidden systems that shape adventure travel around the world. From developing destinations like the Jordan Trail and Patagonia to training guides and supporting local communities, Shannon shares how ATTA quietly influences the experiences hikers have every time they step onto a trail.

The conversation opens with a wild story—being unexpectedly pulled from his own event to meet a governor in Mexico—and quickly expands into deeper insights on what makes adventure travel meaningful, responsible, and sustainable.

Marcus also brings a powerful thought experiment to the table: two hikers summiting Kilimanjaro—one prepared, one not. Both reach the top, but the experience couldn’t be more different. What does that mean for guides, group dynamics, and the future of adventure travel?

You’ll also hear:

• How destinations like Chile and Jordan are developed into global hiking hubs
• Why 30–50% of travelers still show up underprepared—and how that impacts guides
• What “traveling better” really means (and how it can positively impact local communities)
• Why adventure travel is more resilient than mass tourism
• The growing trend of “dim sum travel”—doing more, not just one thing

This episode connects the dots between prepared hikers, supported guides, and protected places—and why all three matter more than ever.

If you’ve ever wondered how your experience on the trail is shaped long before you arrive, this conversation will change how you see adventure travel.

Explore trips and get inspired @ https://www.adventure.travel/

Learn more about the work behind the Adventure Travel Trade Association @ https://www.adventuretravel.biz/

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In this episode of the Hike Strong Podcast, Marcus Shapiro sits down with Joel — a 63-year-old retired physician who went from a heart attack, beta-blockers, and years of declining fitness… to completing the Camino de Santiago and rediscovering what he’s capable of.

Nine months before this conversation, Joel reached out with a simple question:
Can I actually do this?

After a STEMI in his 40s, years of weight gain, and the limitations of beta-blockers, Joel felt out of shape, uncertain, and honestly — afraid of elevation. But he also had a growing list of adventures he didn’t want to miss.

This episode follows that journey.

Joel shares what it felt like to start over…
What it was like training in a completely flat environment…
And how his confidence slowly returned — one walk, one stair climb, one small win at a time.

We talk about:

• The mental side of rebuilding after a cardiac event
• What it feels like to exercise on beta-blockers
• Reclaiming identity after years away from fitness
• Training alongside his wife and staying accountable
• The moment preparation turns into belief

And ultimately, what the Camino de Santiago meant to him.

From quiet coastal mornings along the Camino Portuguese…
to the realization halfway through the journey that he was ready…

And it didn’t stop there.

Since completing the Camino Walk, Joel has gone on to hike the Great Ocean Walk in Australia, continuing to build momentum with each new experience.

Looking ahead, he and his wife are planning future adventures including the Cotswold Way, the Tour du Mont Blanc, and even Kilimanjaro — goals that once felt uncertain, and now feel possible.

This is not a story about elite performance.

It’s about reclaiming your life, one step at a time.

If you’ve ever wondered whether it’s too late — or whether your body can still do hard things — this conversation will resonate.

HikeStrong mobile App: https://hikestrongapp.com/

Ask Me How To Get Fit For Your Next Hike, Trek or Backpacking Trip:
https://fitfortrips.com/consultation/

Get Your 3 Free 12-Week Hiking Training Plans:
https://fitfortrips.com/free-hiking-training-plan/

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Check out the audio podcast version on all platforms:
https://hikestrongpodcast.buzzsprout.com

How do you train for Mount Kilimanjaro at 60+ without living near mountains?
Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro isn’t just about summit night — it’s about the months of preparation beforehand.

In this episode, siblings Bob and Susan (both in their late 60s) share how they trained separately in completely different environments and successfully summited Kilimanjaro together.

Susan lives in the Washington, D.C. area and trained using local hikes in Virginia and Maryland, treadmill work, stairs, and strength training — one year after her second hip replacement. Bob lives in Iowa and trained in flat terrain, relying heavily on stairs and an artificial sledding hill to build elevation gain.

Both had real concerns: altitude sickness, balance, downhill scree, and handling back-to-back trekking days.

Over 12 weeks, they focused on elevation gain, lunges, balance work, and milestone challenges — logging more than 35,000–40,000 feet of vertical gain in training.

By the time they reached Tanzania, the physical side was no longer the question.
In this episode, we cover:

• How to train for Mt. Kilimanjaro without mountains
• Elevation gain vs. mileage
• Hiking after hip replacement
• Balance training for hikers over 60
• Trekking poles and downhill control
• Managing altitude sickness
• The value of experienced guides
• Why preparation reduces anxiety on big expeditions

This conversation is for anyone who believes big adventures are reserved for younger bodies or perfect terrain. Readiness can be built deliberately, locally, and imperfectly — and sometimes the most meaningful summits are the ones you share with someone willing to commit alongside you and stay accountable every step of the way.

HikeStrong mobile App: https://hikestrongapp.com/

Ask Me How To Get Fit For Your Next Hike, Trek or Backpacking Trip:
https://fitfortrips.com/consultation/

Get Your 3 Free 12-Week Hiking Training Plans:
https://fitfortrips.com/free-hiking-training-plan/

LIKE & SUBSCRIBE for new videos:
https://www.youtube.com/@HikeStrongPodcast

Check out the audio podcast version on all platforms:
https://hikestrongpodcast.buzzsprout.com