Conversation Zone - Mountains

RUNNING ORDER Timings are approximate and given in hours and minutes from the start of the Zone. 00:00 Stark Talk with Joe Simpson: Back in 1985, mountaineer, writer and self-confessed risk-taker Joe Simpson suffered a near fatal accident whilst descending the Peruvian peak of Siula Grande. In this gripping episode of Stark Talk, Joe talks to Edi about why he climbs, his guilt at surviving accidents when others have died, his success as a writer, his atheism, loneliness, his dislike of children and his thoughts on death. 00:28 Mountain Tales Schiehallion: A journey to the geographical heart of Perthshire where presenter Mark Stephen is in search of some fairies on Schiehallion, or the fairy hill of the Caledonians. 00:54 Out of Doors item on mountain rescue dogs: Alison Todd works for the Grampian Police Mountain Rescue Team. In 2005, Alison took on a search and rescue dog. Out of Doors reporter Lesley Kay travelled to Banchory to chat with Alison and the real star of the show – Midge. 01:02 The Day I Didn't Die featuring Jamie Andrew: Scottish mountaineer Jamie Andrew talks to Olivia Giles about the climb that claimed the life of his close friend and very nearly his own. 01:30 The Man Who Cycled the Americas: Not content with having broken the world record for circumnavigating the world, Mark Beaumont decided on a fresh challenge to cycle down the full length of the Americas, getting off his bike to tackle a couple of massive mountains along the way. With snow, wind, ice, and altitude all taking their toll, the certainty of Mark reaching the summit of North America's highest peak – Mount McKinley or Denali - was far from assured. 01:58 4 Seasons In A Day with David Whalley: Crawling along the Cairngorm plateau in 100 mph winds and blinded by snow is just a normal part of mountain weather for David "Heavy" Whalley. After 37 years in Mountain Rescue and a lifetime in the hills David has learnt that understanding and respecting the weather is his key to survival. But as presenter Colin Prior and David discuss, the good weather gives them both a calling to head into the mountains 02:27 A Life in Question featuring Stephen Venables: Stephen Venables was the first Briton to climb Mount Everest without supplementary oxygen. In this episode of A Life in Question, he talks to Colin Mackay about how his attitude to risk-taking changed when his eldest son died at the age of twelve. 03:00 Stark Talk with Chris Bonnington: The veteran mountaineer reveals some startling thoughts on climbing, family and death. 03:26 Mountain Tales on Cairngorm: Presenter Mark Stephen meets people who work and walk on Cairngorm. 03:55 4 Seasons in a Day with Geoff Monk: Geoff Monk is a former met office forecaster who as a boy, was totally fascinated by the weather. Today he’s the authority on Scottish mountain weather forecasting; his forecasts are used by Mountain Rescue, the Ski centres, climbers and photographers. Presenter Colin Prior hears how one mans love for the climate has changed people's relationship with the weather across the country. 04:24 The Journey featuring Rory Stewart: Explorer and adventurer Rory Stewart discusses some of his travels in Afghanistan and Iraq. 04:54 Past Lives in Arran: Past Lives presenter Mark Stephen spent a lovely day on the island and one of the people he met there was local archivist Stuart Gogh who promised to take him to the final mountain resting place of what he described as the victim of a sensational Victorian murder. 05:03 The Man Who Cycled the Americas: Getting to South America was a milestone for adventurer Mark Beautmont, but he still had to battle the elements to get to Argentina in time to climb the highest mountain in the Western Hemisphere, Aconcagua.