Inside the Bothy: Stories from a 104-Shelter Adventure

In this episode Rob talks to Juls Stodel, a trustee for the Mountain Bothies Association.It's a rich conversation. Here's what we cover.How finishing the Wales Coast Path led to giving up her flat and starting a 15-month journey through Britain’s bothies Why she avoided a “pure foot” approach and mixed walking with hitchhiking and buses to prioritise experience over mileage The postcard system she invented — and the unexpected friendship it sparked with a stranger from Skye A chaotic three-day slog to Greg’s Hut involving a £9 children’s sled, deep snow, fog and type-two fun at its finest What a typical bothy night actually feels like, from quiet evenings to 2am arrivals The emotional comfort of seeing a gable end after a brutal day in the weather How bothies preserve the history of ordinary people — crofters, workers, families — and why that matters The role of the Mountain Bothies Association and the unseen work involved in keeping the doors open for everyone The Bothy Code, and why litter is currently the biggest threat to the system Small kindnesses and unforgettable encounters: stew-carrying ex-army lads, shared candles, and strangers becoming lifelong friends The thin line between adventure and exhaustion — and how to tell whether you're being brave or being stupid Living out of a backpack for years, and how it changes your sense of what “stuff” really matters Schizophrenia, survival, and the deeper emotional journey behind choosing a life of simplicity and meaning outdoors Advice for your first bothy: where to go, what to bring, and how to ease into it with confidence Juls’ favourite bothy of all — the magical Guìrdil on the Isle of Rùm Find out more at https://www.mountainbothies.org.uk