Tiphaine Muller – Alps to Himalayas: Cycling Across Continents & Trekking the Great Himalaya Trail in Nepal
Release Date: 09/23/2025
Alexandra Nemeth: Beyond the Seven Summits — Highs, Lows, and Life in Extreme Places.
Tough Girl Podcast
Alex is a qualified International Mountain Leader, Polar Guide, and a professional Photographer based in St. Moritz, Switzerland. From scaling the world’s highest peaks to leading expeditions in the Arctic and Antarctica, she thrives where the wild meets the extreme. Her passion for high-altitude exploration took her on a relentless quest; climbing the highest mountain on every continent, culminating on the summit of Mt. Everest in 2018. She became the first ever Hungarian to climb the Seven Summits. This journey ignited her mission to guide others through the raw beauty of the mountains...
info_outline
Bonita Norris – Mountains, Mindset, Motherhood and Mastering the Impossible
Tough Girl Podcast
Bonita Norris became the youngest woman to reach both the summit of Mt Everest at just 22 and the North Pole at 23, and her story is nothing short of extraordinary. In this episode, she shares the journey that took her from school trips in North Wales to climbing some of the world’s highest peaks, navigating extreme environments, and pushing the limits of what’s possible. Bonita reflects on the early steps that built her career in mountaineering—starting with beginner climbing courses, funding her expeditions, and preparing for the Himalayan peaks. She opens up about the mental and...
info_outline
Jacquetta Megarry – Founding Rucksack Readers, Walking Adventures, and Building Confidence in the Outdoors
Tough Girl Podcast
Jacquetta Megarry didn’t grow up in the outdoors, and she certainly didn’t see herself as an adventurer—or a publisher. But turning 50 sparked a journey that would transform her life. From walking the West Highland Way with friends to summiting Mt Kilimanjaro, Jacquetta discovered the power of pacing yourself, listening to your body, and building unshakeable self-belief. Her adventures inspired her to found Rucksack Readers, a guidebook company that helps hikers navigate trails around the world. Over 25 years later, Jacquetta shares stories from her experiences—from hiking in the UK...
info_outline
Sabrina Pace-Humphreys – UTMB, Trail Running, and Building Community: The Journey of a Runner and Advocate
Tough Girl Podcast
Sabrina Pace-Humphreys is back on the Tough Girl Podcast for her third appearance, sharing her incredible journey as a runner, coach, and advocate for representation in trail running. From being a mum of four and grandmother of three, to taking on some of the toughest ultramarathons in the world, Sabrina’s story is one of resilience, community, and the relentless pursuit of goals. In this episode, Sabrina reflects on her time at the UTMB, the challenges of race preparation, and the lessons learned when things don’t go to plan. She also shares updates on her work with Black Trail Runners,...
info_outline
Becky Wandell – Reinvention, Solo Travel, and Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail at 55
Tough Girl Podcast
Becky Wandell is a Teacher, Writer, Tour Guide, Volunteer, and Solo Traveler. At 47, while weathering a difficult divorce and the death of four close relatives, she clawed her way up from the depths of grief and, in her words, set out to “find her way back to Becky again”. To do this, she quit her job, sold all of her belongings and charted a plan to complete a series of adventures she had always dreamed of doing. Joining the US Peace Corps, learning to speak Spanish and gaining her confidence in solo travel and living abroad set the stage for several years of living her best life...
info_outline
Denisa Krásná – Flow, Fear, and Female Adventure: Redefining Women’s Stories in Extreme Sports
Tough Girl Podcast
What does it mean to challenge the limits of both body and mind—and to redefine what success looks like along the way? Denisa Krásná, scholar, author, and adventurer from the Czech Republic, takes us on a journey into the world of women in extreme sports. From her early days trekking with her parents to highlining hundreds of meters above the ground, Denisa has always been drawn to adventure, isolation, and pushing herself beyond comfort. She co-edited Flow: Women’s Counternarratives from Rivers, Rock, and Sky, an inspiring anthology celebrating diverse women’s voices in adventure...
info_outline
Sarah Williams: Solo Reflections Episode, GR10, the Numbers and Plans for 2026
Tough Girl Podcast
Happy New Year! I’m taking a moment to look back at the last six months of 2025—what’s worked, what hasn’t, and what the numbers tell me about the year so far. I reflect on the journey I’ve been on, the adventures, the challenges, and the mindset shifts that have shaped my life. I talk about working in longer blocks, thinking in decades not years, and the balance between pushing hard and giving myself space to rest. I share what I’m learning about consistency, structure, and getting intentional with my time, energy, and goals. I also get real about needing magic, wanting change,...
info_outline
Dr Latika Nath – Nat Geo’s Tiger Princess: Pioneering Conservation and Studying Big Cats in the Wild
Tough Girl Podcast
From the jungles of India to the global stage of wildlife conservation, Dr Latika Nath has spent her life studying and protecting big cats, becoming the first woman in the world to study tigers in the wild. Known as Nat Geo’s “Tiger Princess,” she shares stories from deep in the forests where she observed tigers using tools, hunting porcupines, and navigating complex human-wildlife conflicts. In this episode, Latika takes us on her journey from a childhood spent exploring the outdoors to pursuing her dream in a male-dominated field, studying elephants and tigers in the wild. She shares...
info_outline
Kaytlyn Gerbin – Motherhood, Mountains, and 100-Mile Runs: Her Ultra Running Comeback
Tough Girl Podcast
What does it take to return to the top of the ultra running world after major life changes and a “career-ending” surgery? Kaytlyn Gerbin knows. In this episode, Kaytlyn shares her journey from a scientist with a love for the outdoors to a world-class trail and ultra runner. Growing up active but without formal running experience, she discovered her talent in her mid-twenties and quickly fell in love with the 100-mile distance. Since then, she’s set course records, tackled some of the most technical alpine trails in the Pacific Northwest, and stood on podiums at legendary races like UTMB,...
info_outline
Sheryl Ramstad – Surviving the Impossible: A 1% Miracle, Radical Resilience, and Rebuilding Life After a Plane Crash
Tough Girl Podcast
Sheryl Ramstad’s story is nothing short of extraordinary. After surviving a catastrophic plane crash with less than a 1% chance of survival, Sheryl’s life was forever changed. What began as her first solo flight at age 29 became a harrowing journey through life-threatening burns, multiple surgeries, overwhelming grief, and two years of excruciating rehabilitation. But this isn’t just a survival story—it’s a testament to the power of resilience, faith, and the unbreakable human spirit. In this powerful conversation, Sheryl shares how she transformed unimaginable trauma into...
info_outlineIn this Tough Girl EXTRA episode, we catch up with Tiphaine Muller, the intrepid French adventurer who continues to push her boundaries through long-distance cycling and remote, high-altitude trekking.
Now 31 and based in Chamonix, France, Tiphaine has spent the last decade traveling the world by bike, exploring five continents. Her latest journey saw her pedaling from the Alps to the Himalayas before tackling one of the toughest and most remote treks on earth: The Great Himalaya Trail (GHT) in Nepal.
This conversation picks up from where we left off in her first Tough Girl Podcast interview (November 2021) — where she shared her early adventures and passion for slow travel. This time, we dive deep into her 2024 journey:
Cycling from France to Nepal through the Balkans, Turkey, Iran, Central Asia, and the Himalayas — all while managing extreme heat, border crossings, and a strict budget of €10/day.
Hiking the Great Himalaya Trail solo (West to East), over 80 days, through towering 5,000m+ passes, remote villages, and ever-changing terrain — while battling physical exhaustion, route-finding issues, and high-altitude nutrition struggles.
Tiphaine candidly shares:
- The logistics and challenges of arranging permits for restricted zones without a guide
- Her coping strategies for trekking alone in high mountains
- Cultural highlights from cycling through Turkey and Iran
- How she funds her travels and balances life back home as a social worker
- Her future goals — including film-making and another epic cycle across South America
This episode is a deep, honest reflection on the highs and lows of big adventures and what it takes — mentally, physically, and emotionally — to keep moving forward when things don’t go to plan.
Don’t miss this inspiring update from a woman who truly lives the spirit of adventure, one pedal stroke and step at a time.
New episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast drop every Tuesday at 7 AM (UK time)! Make sure to subscribe so you never miss the inspiring journeys and incredible stories of tough women pushing boundaries.
Do you want to support the Tough Girl Mission to increase the amount of female role models in the media in the world of adventure and physical challenges? Support via Patreon! Join me in making a difference by signing up here: www.patreon.com/
Your support makes a difference. 
Thank you x
Show notes
- Who is Tiphaine
- 31 years old
- Living in Chamonix, France
- Travelling on and off for the past 10 years
- Going on 3 big bicycle trips
- 1st Tough Girl Podcast episode - November 18th 2021
- 2nd Big Cycle Trip - Cycling from Mexico to Alaska
- This episode focusing on cycling from France to Nepal and hiking the Great Himalaya Trail
- Thinking about the next challenge
- Hiking the High Route of the Pyrenees solo
- Joking about the Great Himalaya Trail
- Figuring out the visa and trying to plan for the trail
- Planning for 6 months and working out how to make it work with the seasons
- Starting in March 2024
- The Route - Cycling Europe really fast in 1 month
- Going through the Balkan Countries, Greece then the ferry over to Turkey
- Across Georgia, Armenia, Iran and the Stan countries
- Highlights and magical moments from the cycle ride
- Why Turkey is one of her favourite countries
- Why Iran was really demanding
- The bike and gear setup for 6 months
- Dealing with extreme heat and needing to ride during the night to escape the heat
- Funding the trip and living off savings
- Living off a daily budget of 10 euro per person per day (while cycling)
- Earning money working as a social worker
- Day to day rhythm while riding on the bike
- Having a rest day every 10 days
- The Great Himalaya Trail and wanting to walk West to East
- Needing to go to Katmandu first to sort out all the permits
- Taking a rest in Katmandu for 10 days
- Busing to the start of the trail
- Having 80 days to walk the trail
- Why the first 2 weeks were super hard
- Getting lost of the trail; no signs, no gps on the phone, incorrect maps, not knowing which track was the correct one
- Struggling to stick to the schedule, due to the permits
- Not having a guide
- Dealing with problem after problem
- Walking in the high mountains
- Needing to have guides while walking in Nepal….
- Going through a trekking agency - who will allow you to get the trekking permits without a guide
- The restricted areas close to the borders
- Mixing the high routes and the low routes
- Finding resupply and food on the trail
- The challenges of cooking at altitude
- Struggling to get the calories in and needing to focus more on food
- Needing to eat, even when not hungry
- Paying for food - and taking cash for 80 days…
- Coping with the altitude and the high passes over 5,000m
- Hiking without a guide
- Connecting with other hikers and Nepalese people
- What’s app group for GHT preparation!
- Hiking or cycling?!
- Reaching the end of the hike in December
- Deciding to continue cycling for another 2 months and visiting China and Malaysia
- Writing another book?
- Focusing on film and making 2 videos - a bike film and a hike film!
- Plans for the future?
- Wanting to visit South America on the next big bike and cycle trip
- How to connect with Tiphaine on social media
- Final words of advice
- To do something big you need to start with something little
- Trust yourself
Social Media
Instagram @littlemisspedals