Ross Bowyer: Bushcraft to Bear Grylls

Watching Bear Grylls drink reindeer blood in northern Norway is just part of the day job for Ross Bowyer. He’s been working with and advising Bear on his TV shows for nearly nine years. Ross scouted out the islands off the coast of Panama that contestants try and survive on for The Island with Bear Grylls TV show. He’s also worked with Ray Mears, been on a remote expedition in the Brazilian rainforest with James Cracknell and spent weeks surviving using traditional skills in Alaska. When he’s not on expeditions around the world advising TV crews on safety and survival, Ross lives in Kendal in the Lake District. He runs wilderness and bushcraft courses there. In this podcast, Ross reveals how he got started in his extraordinary career and why at London's Euston station he realised his life had to be outdoors. He also has a ton of fascinating anecdotes from his adventures. It hasn’t always been plain sailing though. As someone without military training, unlike many of the people who work in his industry, Ross had to work extra hard to be accepted into the survival and bushcraft community and prove himself. He describes how this experience and the resilience he gained from it have helped him throughout his career. Listen out for the calming minute of the sounds of nature at the end of the podcast - this week it's walking on a snowy mountain in Snowdonia! * The Outdoors Fix is a podcast hosted and produced by Liv Bolton @liv_outsideuk