BOLD with Joe McGucken

EPISODE 5: The First Irishman To Climb Everest With No Oxygen

BOLD with Joe McGucken

Show Notes

James MacManus is a Tipperary man with an extraordinary goal: to summit Mount Everest without oxygen! Twice he’s attempted this near-impossible feat, and twice he’s been turned back by the sheer brutality of the mountain. But undeterred, James is gearing up for a third attempt at one of the most dangerous and demanding challenges in human history. Only 229 people have ever accomplished this, while many others have tried with a large percentage ending in tragedy. So, what drives someone to take on such a monumental risk? I sat down with James to ask him... WHY?

More from BOLD with Joe McGucken

Jun 26, 2026

Hello everybody! Thank you so much for listening and supporting the BOLD podcast for it's short life. It's given me an opportunity, to develop it into a brand new RTE podcast called RAMBLE. So if you liked BOLD and want to hear more of the same. Please follow me over to my new podcast RAMBLE.

Jul 20, 2025

I'm Joe McGucken and on this weeks episode of the BOLD podcast My dog Fred done a runner and went missing, and somehow that got me thinking about old Nokia ringtone, and sending cartoon porn to friends through infrared. All on the same day of Oliver's birthday party: pure chaos wrangling kids at The Smurfs movie and a Burger King party where we were basically public enemy number one for existing. I also dissect the CEO controversy around the Coldplay kiss cam, moan about the culchies that invade Dublin on match days, take a shit on a Wexford beach, and my Ma's new Temu addiction. All that, plus a massive thanks. Somehow we're a top 5% podcast in Ireland! You're mad, but I appreciate it.

Jul 6, 2025

What's up! I'm Joe McGucken, and this week on the BOLD podcast, you're lucky I'm even here. I was violently knocked off my electric scooter by a car and somehow survived to tell the tale. As if my week wasn't bad enough after being attacked by a rabid bat in a Galway pub. My self defense involved a lot of screaming. What was I doing in Galway? Well, somehow I got roped into a football panel discussion for Off The Ball, where I presented myself as a Shelbourne expert. Oh, and I also flew a plane. So, take it from me, flying a plane is actually easy. Swimming, on the other hand, is not. Some da jumped off a Disney Cruise to save his daughter, and I wonder what I would do in that situation. Given my serious lack of buoyancy. All that, and more sh*te talk, on this week's BOLD podcast!

Jun 22, 2025

Someone in Cork just scored a ridiculous EuroMillions jackpot this week. €250 Million! And while everyone's celebrating them (and the shop that sold the ticket!), I'm here to tell you that sometimes that kind of luck can be a curse. On this episode of the BOLD podcast, I'm diving into the mad stories of lotto winners who hit the jackpot, only for their lives to spiral into chaos, misery, or worse. From the teen millionaire who hated her life, to the shocking tales of murder and misfortune. I'll take a look at why winning big might just be the most unluckiest thing that can happen. And what even is luck anyway?

Jun 15, 2025

Happy Father's Day! Or Da's Day, because I'm not a priest.On this Da's Day episode of BOLD, I unpack the weird job of being a Da. One day you're the main character, the next you're a chauffeur, a chef, and a professional arse-wiper for a tiny, demanding prima donna. We'll also take a look at some weird Hollywood das (looking at you, Eddie Murphy) and even weirder ones in nature like the seahorse aulfellas giving birth. Respect.But I'm not one too judge, so I risk my ego and ask my own kids for a performance review. So stick this on, send the family away, and enjoy a bit of BOLD. Leave a comment, rating and follow on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

See all episodes →