A Second Life on Foot: Jacquetta Megarry and New Adventures After Midlife

<p>At the age of 50, while most people are thinking about slowing down, Jacquetta Megarry decided to speed up - on foot. </p><p>A career in ICT was swapped for muddy boots and mountain paths after one frustrating but hugely adventurous hike along the West Highland Way sparked a bold idea: to create waterproof, lightweight, beautifully crafted guidebooks that could actually survive the Scottish weather.</p><p>That spark became <a href="https://www.rucsacs.com/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer"><strong>Rucksack Readers</strong></a>, now a 25-year success story with over 40 titles covering the UK’s best long-distance trails - and a few far-flung adventures from Kilimanjaro to Antarctica. </p><p>In this episode, we about the joy of multi-day hiking, the art of turning passion into purpose, and the power of taking a giant leap midlife. </p><p>Jacquetta shares the lessons she’s learned from a second career built on adventure, her advice for tackling altitude sickness, and we discuss how to make the most of every summer before it slips away.</p><p>It’s a conversation not just about walking - but also about courage, creativity, and how to keep exploring, no matter your age.</p><p>Find out more about Rucksack Readers here: https://www.rucsacs.com/</p><p><strong>Support the podcast: </strong></p><p>Get a whopping 65% off your first Gousto box at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠<a href="https://www.gousto.co.uk/raf/?promo_code=TOM42277653⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">⁠⁠⁠https://www.gousto.co.uk/raf/?promo_code=TOM42277653⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a></p><p><strong>Get in contact:</strong></p><p><a href="⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/tombryanyeah/⁠⁠⁠" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/tombryanyeah/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a></p><p><a href="⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/greatbritishadventurespodcast⁠⁠⁠" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/greatbritishadventurespodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a></p><p><a href="⁠⁠⁠https://www.threads.net/@tombryanyeah" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.threads.net/@tombryanyeah</a></p><p><br></p><p>Timestamps:</p><p>00:00 Intro</p><p>02:22 London life vs. Rural Scotland Life</p><p>05:34 50th Birthday inspiration</p><p>07:19 Rucksack Readers</p><p>12:39 The adventures of a multi-day hike</p><p>16:39 Following your interests to make a career out of it</p><p>18:44 Managing altitude sickness</p><p>23:59 Creating a career around lifestyle</p><p>26:36 Taking a leap aged 50</p><p>30:03 Persistance and resilience within a creative pursuit</p><p>34:47 Setting manageable itineraries</p><p>38:58 Golden Eagle Encounter</p><p>41:02 Solo tours vs. company</p><p>45:06 Access rights</p><p>48:45 Age is just a number</p><p>50:46 Making time for these journeys</p><p>51:49 Bad weather</p><p>54:58 Different takes on adventure</p><p>58:35 Research vs. Curiosity</p><p>01:00:43 How preconceptions of places can be wrong</p><p>01:05:55 Tom&#39;s summer story</p><p>01:12:21 Midges in Scotland</p><p>01:16:11 Jacquetta&#39;s favourite trails</p><p>01:20:42 It&#39;s not always about the destination</p><p>01:23:58 Hunter gatherers</p><p>01:25:02 Technology on the trails</p><p>01:28:19 Making retirement a career</p>