‘Touching the Void’ mountaineer, Simon Yates, is a veteran of over eighty expeditions to high/remote mountains around the globe and shows no signs of slowing down. This is his story of the last decade, of new adventures and climbs in the far north and south, along with summits in South America, Central Asia and the Himalaya.

In 2023, Simon travelled with legendary British mountaineer Mick Fowler to attempt the un-climbed north face of Patkhor in Tajikistan, but contracted food poisoning from their freeze-dried food on just the second day. After some debate, they continued, but this was just the beginning of a series of events that would see them run out of food, retreat below the summit in a storm and Simon taking a bone-breaking 100m fall during the descent. After two days of lying on the glacier waiting for a helicopter, rescuers finally arrived but were unable to carry Simon down. Somehow, he would need to summon the energy for the painful three day walk to safety.

A survival classic, with the added twists of a fast-paced thriller.

From growing up in a racing yard to commentating in the King’s Coronation procession and fronting the Olympics and Wimbledon, Clare Balding’s life has been extraordinary.  Now, she has written her debut novel following a young woman who relocates from London to a struggling farm in Monmouthshire. Discover more in conversation with Clare about Pastures New as well stories from behind the scenes of her 30 years in broadcasting.

About Clare..

Clare Balding grew up in the countryside surrounded by horses and dogs, and reading everything from Jilly Cooper to Henry James. Her autobiography, My Animals and Other Family, won the National Book Award for Autobiography of the Year. A keen rider, she competed as an amateur flat jockey during her teenage years, winning Champion Lady Rider in 1990. After an English Literature degree at Cambridge she became a journalist. Alongside her award-winning sports broadcasting and coverage of major Royal events, Clare hosts her much-loved Ramblings series on Radio 4, taking her across the British Isles exploring its landscape and its storytelling. A passionate campaigner for equality and women’s sport, Clare was awarded a CBE for her services to Sport and Charity in 2022, which she was honoured to receive at Buckingham Palace.

About Pastures New...

Sometimes home is where you least expect it…

Alex has perfected the art of dodging responsibility during her almost 40 years — until an unexpected letter turns her life upside down. She’s inherited a crumbling sheep farm in wildest, wettest Wales. This was not her life plan. Not at all.

Now, her closest companion is a stubborn Welsh terrier, she’s speed-reading 'The Idiot’s Guide to Farming', and her arrival has set the village gossip mill spinning.

With the farm near collapse and its community now relying on her, Alex sets out to uncover the truth behind her mysterious inheritance. Then she can finally get back to the carefree life she thought she wanted. But as secrets surface, Alex finds her heart pulling her in a direction she never saw coming.

Will she pack her bags – or has she landed exactly where she’s meant to be?

Brimming with the warmth and wit that has made Clare Balding one of our best-loved TV personalities, Pastures New is a joyful celebration of new beginnings, community, and the delightful surprises of rural life.

Clare will be in conversation with BBC radio host Alice Hopkins.

Presented by Speakers from the Edge

Join legendary climber Leo Houlding for his next new show, Exposed, a gripping live experience with stunning visuals, film, and storytelling from the world’s wildest places. After three decades on the edge of adventure, Leo now explores with his young family—kiting across the Norwegian Arctic, canyoning in the Arabian desert, paddling remote Pacific islands, and spending a week vertical camping with the kids up El Capitan. 

A story of risk, resilience, and reward—Exposed will inspire you to embrace discomfort, confront fear, and chase your own horizons.