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In 2017, Victor completed the “Explorer’s Grand Slam” which requires climbing the highest peak on all seven of the world’s continents including Mt. Everest and skiing at least 100 kilometers to the North and South Poles. He piloted the first repeated dives to the ocean’s deepest point, Challenger Deep, in the Pacific’s Mariana Trench -- now fifteen times, and in August 2019 became the first person to visit “The Five Deeps,” the deepest point in all five of the world’s oceans. Victor has now personally explored the bottom of seventeen deep ocean trenches and has made three dives to the Titanic including the only solo dive ever made there. He and his team also discovered and surveyed the two deepest shipwrecks in the world: the USS Johnston in 2021 and the deepest, the USS Samuel B. Roberts at 22,600 feet, in 2022. In 2025, the US Navy announced that T-AGOS 26, a new ocean surveillance vessel of the Explorer class, would be named after him. He is also a commercially rated, multi-engine jet, seaplane, and helicopter pilot, a certified submersible test pilot, and recently flew into space on Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket, becoming the first person in history to climb Mount Everest, dive to the bottom of the ocean, and visit space. Victor received his bachelor’s degree from Stanford University, a Master’s Degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and received an MBA from Harvard Business School where he graduated as a Baker Scholar. Additionally, Victor served 20 years in the U.S. Navy Reserve as an intelligence and targeting officer, retiring in 2013 as a Commander. Support this Podcast:  buy me a coffee Hosted by Michael J. Reinhart MichaelJReinhart.com     Whiskey and a Map: Stories of Adventure and Exploration.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

George McKenzie Jr. is a National Geographic Explorer, award-winning filmmaker, conservation photographer, and educator whose work sits at the intersection of storytelling, science, and community. Born in Guyana and raised in Brooklyn, George did not grow up in wild places—however found his way to them and now dedicates his career to making conservation accessible to people who may not see themselves reflected in it. George is the director and subject of The Book of George, a critically acclaimed short documentary that has screened at major international festivals, including Telluride Mountain film, Banff, and Jackson Wild, where it won Best Short Form Film in the People & Nature category. The film anchors an ongoing impact campaign focused on youth mentorship, conservation education, and representation in the outdoors. His photography and film making document the unseen connections between wildlife, working lands, and the people who steward them. From camera-trapping Florida panthers and photographing endangered plants on the Lake Wales Ridge to telling stories across the Florida Wildlife Corridor and the Okefenokee Swamp, George’s work emphasizes private lands, cultural history, and the human role in conservation outcomes. Beyond storytelling, George is deeply engaged in applied conservation. He collaborates with land trusts, state and federal agencies, scientists, and private landowners on projects related to habitat restoration, invasive species management, prescribed fire, and climate resilience. His work often translates complex land-management science into compelling visual narratives that build public understanding and support. A committed mentor and educator, George works extensively with young people—particularly youth of color—through workshops, school programs, and outdoor experiences that use photography and storytelling as tools for confidence, curiosity, and connection to nature. His approach is grounded in the belief that conservation succeeds when people feel included, capable, and invested. Through his lens, voice, and leadership, George McKenzie Jr. is reshaping how conservation stories are told—centering place, people, and possibility in the effort to protect wild and working landscapes for generations to come. Support this Podcast:  buy me a coffee Follow George at his Instagram https://www.instagram.com/georgemckenziejr/ and at his website https://www.georgemckenziejr.com. Hosted by Michael J. Reinhart MichaelJReinhart.com     Whiskey and a Map: Stories of Adventure and Exploration.    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Send us a text Cited as one of "20 of the world's most influential photographers" by the George Eastman House International Museum of Photography and Film, Peter Guttman is an acclaimed travel journalist, adventurer, author, photographer, lecturer and television personality, winner of the Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Exploration and Storytelling, three time recipient of the Lowell Thomas Travel Journalist of the Year Award, author of nine books and creator of two honored series of hardcover books about magical travel experiences around the world. He created five apps for the iPad and iPhone including the number one bestselling iPad app, Beautiful Planet HD, a groundbreaking showcase of global beauty, named by NBC News one of "eight outstanding educational apps".     Peter has made numerous television appearances (Today Show, CNN Travel Guide, Travel Channel, A&E profiles) discussing his adventures and discoveries.  In addition, he's been a frequent contributor to Conde Nast Traveller, Dallas Morning News, National Geographic Adventure, Outside, BBC.com as well as a national spokesman for Kodak.   He was chosen as a Fellow of The Explorers Club having “directly and substantially contributed to scientific understanding of the world” and cited for the “sheer diversity and thoroughness of his exploration experience”. Support this Podcast:  buy me a coffee Find Peter’s Books here on Amazon   Follow Peter at his website PeterGuttman.com His Instagram at  https://www.instagram.com/peterguttman/ and on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/peterguttman/ Hosted by Michael J. Reinhart MichaelJReinhart.com     Whiskey and a Map:  Stories of Adventure and Exploration.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Send us a text Jim Clash covers extreme adventure and classic rock. Over three decades of writing for Forbes, Clash, who holds an MBA from Columbia University, has penned four books, most recently Amazon bestseller “Amplified,” about ‘60s music. His first-person stories include supersonic flights in eight separate aircraft pulling up to 9 Gs and flying to 84,000 ft; driving a Bugatti at 253 mph and Indy cars at 200 mph; expeditions to the North and South Poles; summiting the Matterhorn and 23,000-ft. Aconcagua; a C-130 flight through Category V Hurricane Dorian; chasing tornadoes; riding jet skis on 60-ft waves in Portugal; a U-2 flight to the edge of space; bullfighting; being shot point-blank in a ballistics jacket, and more. Interviews include Neil Armstrong, Mario Andretti, John Glenn, Edmund Hillary, Roger Bannister, Grace Slick, Joe Frazier, Chuck Yeager and Edward Teller. For fun, Jim gives 170-mph rides at Daytona speedway. He’s a former director at The Explorers Club. See more of Jim's work at Forbes and on his FaceBook page Get Jim's books here on Amazon Support this Podcast:  buy me a coffee Hosted by Michael J. Reinhart MichaelJReinhart.com     Whiskey and a Map:  Stories of Adventure and Exploration.  #space #JamesClash #biggestwaves #supersonicflight Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Send us a text In 2015, Rigby embarked on his epic “Crossing Africa” expedition, traveling from Cape Town, South Africa to Cairo, Egypt entirely by foot and kayak. Over two years, he covered more than 12,000 kilometers across 8 African countries.  Along the way, he learns of its people, languages and customs coming away with a deep understanding of the reach cultural diversity of continent.  He then went on to kayak the length of Lake Ontario, bicycle from coast to coast across Canada.  Mario recently returned from a month long stay in Algeria’s Sahara Desert with the nomadic Tuareg.  His next adventure, Expedition Impossible will be to circumnavigate the planet solely through human powered transport and to climb the 7 summits along the way. Rigby is an explorer, athlete, and advocate for sustainable adventure. His mission is to inspire the world to explore responsibly while pushing human potential to new limits.  He has been awarded Explorer in Residence by the Royal Canadian Geographic Society. Follow Mario at his website www.mariorigby.com and on his FaceBook Page Support this Podcast:  buy me a coffee Hosted by Michael J. Reinhart MichaelJReinhart.com     Whiskey and a Map:  Stories of Adventure and Exploration.  #Africa #MarioRigby #trekking Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Send us a text Driving across the African continent in an old Land Rover.  Safari guide in the remote Zambezi valley.  Join us for part two as we hear more tales of classic African adventure from Rob Fynn. Rob Fynn's family goes back in Africa six generations.  He was brought up in Rhodesia and then at age 18 he left to join the Royal Navy. He was asked to leave when UDI was declared and all Rhodesians in the British armed forces were now regarded as potential rebels. After pursuing his engineering degree at Bristol University, he returned home driving across the African continent in a Land Rover, which led him into starting up a safari operation in the remote Zambezi valley of Zimbabwe. Rob Fynn is a professional guide and author.  His book, Angels in a Thorn Bush is good reading.  Available at Amazon and good book stores. Follow Rob at https://www.facebook.com/rob.fynn.  Support Michael's work by visiting MichaelReinhartPhotography.com  Hosted by Michael J. Reinhart MichaelJReinhart.com Whiskey and a Map:  Stories of Adventure and Exploration.  #safari #landrover #Safariguide #Africa #RobFynn Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Send us a text Driving across the African continent in an old Land Rover.  Safari guide in the remote Zambezi valley.  Join us as we hear tales of classic African adventure from Rob Fynn. Rob Fynn's family goes back in Africa six generations.  He was brought up in Rhodesia and then at age 18 he left to join the Royal Navy. He was asked to leave when UDI was declared and all Rhodesians in the British armed forces were now regarded as potential rebels. After pursuing his engineering degree at Bristol University, he returned home driving across the African continent in a Land Rover, which led him into starting up a safari operation in the remote Zambezi valley of Zimbabwe. Rob Fynn is a professional guide and author.  His book, Angels in a Thorn Bush is good reading.  Available at Amazon and good book stores. Follow Rob at https://www.facebook.com/rob.fynn.  Support Michael's work by visiting MichaelReinhartPhotography.com  Hosted by Michael J. Reinhart MichaelJReinhart.com Whiskey and a Map:  Stories of Adventure and Exploration.  #safari #landrover #Safariguide #Africa #RobFynn Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Send us a text In this episode of Whiskey and a Map, award winning journalist and author Jacques Leslie recounts his years as a war correspondent covering the wars in Vietnam and Cambodia and the Indira Gandhi crises in India.  At the age of 24, Jacques Leslie became a Los Angeles Times foreign correspondent, and covered the war in Vietnam and Cambodia for two years. For that work he won the Sigma Delta Chi Distinguished Service Award for foreign correspondence and an Overseas Press Club citation. He began writing about environmental issues two decades ago, and won numerous awards including the J. Anthony Lukas Work-in-Progress Award for the “elegant, beautiful prose” of his 2005 book on dams, Deep Water: The Epic Struggle Over Dams, Displaced People, and the Environment. Now a Los Angeles Times contributing opinion writer, he is working on a book about the Klamath River basin on the California-Oregon border. Support Michael's work by visiting MichaelReinhartPhotography.com Follow Jacques at  jacquesleslie.com  Hosted by Michael J. Reinhart MichaelJReinhart.com Whiskey and a Map:  Stories of Adventure and Exploration.  #Vietnamwar #vietnam #warcorrespondent #Cambodia #JacquesLeslie Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Send us a text In this episode, we are joined by Danish adventurer, documentarian and speaker Rasmus Krath.  Rasmus ventures solo into some of the most dangerous places on the planet armed only with camera and the ability to connect with and gain the trust of the people who live there.   His adventures have taken him into active war zones of Afghanistan to meet local warlords and across lawless Somalia to interview pirates. His latest expedition takes him across the most dangerous jungle in the world- The Darien Gap of Central America- where he traveled with human smugglers and migrants to document their journey as they suffered the dangers of the jungle and the criminal gangs praying upon them. Support Michael's work at MichaelReinhartPhotography.com Follow Rasmus at https://www.rasmuskrath.dk/ https://www.instagram.com/rasmus_krath/ https://www.facebook.com/rasmus.krath.3/ Hosted by Michael J. Reinhart MichaelJReinhart.com Whiskey and a Map:  Stories of Adventure and Exploration. #Afghanwarlords #Afghanistan  #somaliapirates #Adventure #AdventureStories #migrants #wildlife #wildlifephotography #DarienGap #trueadventurestories #immigration  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Send us a text Facing down grizzly bears, charging mountain gorillas and a solo cross country ski crossing of Yellowstone in winter, are just some of the adventures award winning wildlife photographer Tom Murphy shares with us in this episode of Whiskey and a Map. Tom uses his photography to illustrate his passion for the remaining wild places on our earth. Yellowstone National Park’s wildlife and landscapes are the special focus of Tom’s work. A talented naturalist and gifted lecturer, Tom has traveled the United States presenting the wonders of nature captured in his photographic slide shows. Tom Murphy is featured in a PBS Nature film, “Christmas in Yellowstone” which is shown every Christmas worldwide. His photography is in private, public, and museum collections around the world. He has produced seven books including the Seasons of Yellowstone, a four volume set. Tom serves on the board of the Yellowstone Park Foundation and the Park County Environmental Council. Tom donates his work to conservation organizations to help in preserving wildlife and wild land. Much of the photography in the Old Faithful Visitor Education Center in Yellowstone Park was donated by Tom for educational use by the National Park Service. Please support this podcast and Michael's work at MichaelReinhartPhotography.com  Follow Tom Murphy at his website tmurphywild.com Hosted by Michael J. Reinhart MichaelJReinhart.com Whiskey and a Map:  Stories of Adventure and Exploration. #Yellowstone #Adventure #AdventureStories #grizzlybears #wildlife #wildlifephotography Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Send us a text In this episode, Katie Aune takes on a adventure far off the typical tourist track, from riding the Trans-Siberian Railway across Russia and taking a cargo ferry from Ukraine to Georgia, to volunteering in Tajikistan and camping in the desert of Turkmenistan.  Katie is a recovering tax attorney who has worked in nonprofit and higher ed fundraising for more than a decade while also dabbling in travel blogging and writing. Born and raised in Minnesota, Katie is currently based in Washington, D.C. Despite not traveling overseas for the first time until she was 25, she has been to 70 countries and all seven continents. She is the author of Finding Katya: How I Quit Everything to Backpack the Former Soviet States, a travel memoir that chronicles her 13-month adventure through the former Soviet Union. Please support this podcast and Michael's work at Michaelreinhartphotography.com Follow Katie at her website katieaune.com Hosted by Michael J. Reinhart MichaelJReinhart.com Whiskey and a Map:  Stories of Adventure and Exploration. #Russia #Adventure #AdventureStories Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Send us a text Described by some as a never ending green hell and by others as the most beautiful bio diverse place on the planet, the jungles of Panama attract the best and the worst of mankind.  In this episode, conservation photographer Joshua Asel recounts his adventure into the jungles of Panama’s Darian gap to embed with the indigenous tribal rangers and support their efforts to counter large scale poaching of wildlife and timber on their lands.   Joshua is an award-winning wildlife conservation photographer and certified Marine Ecology Naturalist, with a photographic emphasis on coastal and marine habitats, birds of prey, and threatened/endangered species and national parks. He is an Emerging Member of the International League of Conservation Photographers, a Board Member of the Bird Rescue Center of Sonoma County, the Global Editor and Manager of the Global Parks Network at Global Conservation, a member of the Ethics Committee for the North American Nature Photography Association, and is sponsored by Think Tank Photo.    While in Panama, Joshua became an Honorary Tribe Member of the Naso Indigenous People for his work helping them document their culture and patrolling with their rangers. His current main project revolves around critically endangered California condor conservation, with focused efforts to establish a new home base in Sonoma County for the Condor Recovery Program. He's also appeared on multiple judging panels, advised on mountain lion safety for land trusts, and acted as a consultant and principal photographer to help establish a new redwood forest preserve in Healdsburg, California.    Joshua’s stories and images have appeared in Smithsonian Magazine, National Geographic, Defenders of Wildlife, Whalebone Magazine, The New York Times, Hakai Magazine, Alaska Airlines Magazine, The Press Democrat, NANPA Expressions, and several scholarly articles, among others.  Please support this podcast and Michael's work at Michaelreinhartphotography.com  Host:  Adventure Journalist Michael J. Reinhart https://michaeljreinhart.com Follow Joshua at  https://www.joshasel.com/ Whiskey and a Map Podcast Stories of Adventure and Exploration as told by those who lived them. #counter-poaching #anti-poaching #rangers #conservationphotography #trueadventurestories #dariangap #panama #worldsmostdangerousjungle Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Send us a text The most dangerous exploration is cave diving.  Dive deep into the earth’s underwater caves, see creatures no one has seen before, stories of Mayan sacrifices and explore the oracle that set Alexander the Great on his world conquests with our guest Jill Heinerth. Jill Heinerth is a cave diver, photographer, writer and filmmaker. Jill has explored unmapped, underwater caves deep in the earth, as well as the submerged crevices of the world’s largest iceberg. She has seen hidden creatures and life forms that have never been before.  More people have been on the moon than to places where Jill has explored.  Jill has made TV programs for the CBC, BBC, National Geographic, consulted on movies for directors including James Cameron and produced independent films. Over 2.5 million people have learned about climate change, water advocacy, and exploration by viewing Jill’s TED Talks.  Jill was awarded Fellowships from numerous institutions including the International Scuba Diving Hall of Fame, Underwater Academy of Arts and Sciences, Women Diver’s Hall of Fame, National Speleological Society, WINGS WorldQuest, and Explorers Club, which honored her with the William Beebe Award. The Wall Street Journal, Oprah, and New York Times lauded Jill’s best-selling books Into the Planet and The Aquanaut. In 2024, Running Cloud Productions of Australia is releasing a feature documentary, Diving Into The Darkness, about Jill's remarkable adventures.  Jill serves as a tireless advocate for conservation, climate change, and water resource protection. She works toward creating awareness and inspiring action through her writing, photography, films, social media, podcasts, and speaking engagements.  Please support this podcast and Michael's work at Michaelreinhartphotography.com  Follow Jill at  IntoThePlanet.com  Hosted by Michael J. Reinhart MichaelJReinhart.com   #cavediving #diving #underwaterexploration #womenexplorers #adventure #travel #stories Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Send us a text Luke Smithwick shares stories of his travels and adventures in the Himalayan mountains.  The dangers of climbing remote and unclimbed peaks, witness to ancient mask dances and blood sacrifice, and an encounter with the rare snow leopard. Luke Smithwick is an American professional skier, alpinist and mountain guide in the Himalaya with 98 Himalayan expeditions in the past 13 years. He is focused on the unclimbed and unskied in the Himalaya and hasn't repeated an expedition since he started climbing and skiing full time there in 2010. Formerly he worked as an environmental biologist and archaeologist in Alaska so his approach on expeditions isn't just about climbing summits and first ski descents, focusing on the cultures and natural history in each specific expedition. He lives at home in Teton valley, Idaho with his dog Wolfie when he isn't on expedition. Having done eight to nine Himalayan expeditions every year since 2010, that is not very often. Please support this podcast and Michael's work at Michaelreinhartphotography.com  Follow Luke at his website lukesmithwick.com and at his Facebook page.facebook.com/himalayaslukesmithwick   Hosted by Michael J. Reinhart Adventure Journalist MichaelJReinhart.com   An adventure and exploration podcast   #travel #travelstories #outdooradventure #mountaineering #skimountaineering #adventuretravel Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Send us a text  Walking the length of Africa's Zambezi river, explorer Chaz Powell entered a small village and saw something that he will never forget. Witchcraft, the exorcism of a demonic spirit and the heavy presence of evil. A strange but true story as told by one who lived it. Chaz Powell is an Explorer, Expedition Leader and Survival Guide. Recognized as Explorer of the Year 2021 by the Scientific Exploration Society His ongoing project ‘The Wildest Journey’ is all about his explorations by foot along Africa's wildest rivers with an aim to raise awareness for wildlife conservation and anti poaching. In his full episode on the podcast Whiskey and a Map, Chaz shares his experiences exploring wild Africa. Charged by elephants, imprisoned by villagers, suffering extreme dehydration and encounters with witchcraft, Chaz has ventured to places where few outsiders have ever been. Follow Chaz on his website TheWildestJourney.com The podcast Whiskey and a Map is hosted by Michael J. Reinhart True stories of adventure and exploration as told by those who lived them. MichaelJReinhart.com An adventure and Exploration Podcast  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.