The Duffel Shuffle Podcast
- Episodes
- 68
- Released
- every two weeks
- Latest episode
- Nov 4, 2026
About the podcast
A new podcast covering the world of climbing and skiing in all its forms, through the eyes of mountain guides. In each episode we'll unpack exhilarating stories, share invaluable insights, and get up close and personal with some of the most experienced and passionate guides and athletes in the industry.
Contributors
- Adrian BallingerCo-host
- Sam KieckheferCo-host
Episodes 68
Matt Segal: Pushing the Limits of Trad Climbing and Surviving a Near-Death Accident
In episode 67, Sam and Adrian open with quick hits on Nick Russell, Adam Fabricant, and Billy Haas's clean first descent of Dorje Lakpa's south face and Jonathan Siegrist's 100th route of 5.14d …
Show notes
In episode 67, Sam and Adrian open with quick hits on Nick Russell, Adam Fabricant, and Billy Haas's clean first descent of Dorje Lakpa's south face and Jonathan Siegrist's 100th route of 5.14d or harder, before sitting down with longtime North Face athlete Matt Segal, just eleven weeks into fatherhood.
Matt traces a career Adrian calls the ultimate blue-collar pro: a Miami gym kid turned competition climber, then a Boulder-based trad specialist putting up hard single-pitch gear routes, then expeditions from China to Pakistan.
- A paragliding crash outside Bishop eight years ago broke a dozen bones and forced a restart, and from that hospital bed came a vow to climb 5.14 again before flying. He never flew again, but went on to tick his two childhood dreams: 5.14d and the summit of Nameless Tower.
- Now 42, with a son and a lot of lost friends behind him, Matt says he no longer accepts dying in the mountains. His focus is a short, safe Boulder Canyon crack he first tried 15 years ago that would be his hardest trad route ever, chosen because it's close to home.
- The crew also gets into the controversy over his winter free ascent of D7 on the Diamond, how he thinks about risk for the next generation, and his plans to blend climbing and food through Alpine Start, coaching, and Never Skip Dinner retreats.
Follow our podcast on Instagram @duffelshufflepodcast where you can learn more about us and our guests. Visit our website at www.duffelshufflepodcast.com and join our mailing list.
The Duffel Shuffle Podcast is supported by Alpenglow Expeditions, an internationally renowned mountain guide service based in Lake Tahoe, California. Visit https://alpenglowexpeditions.com/ or follow @alpenglowexpeditions on Instagram to learn more.
Angela Hawse: Three Decades of Guiding, Risk, and a Changing Climate
On Episode 66, Sam and Adrian open with quick hits on early-season snow stoke and Andrzej Bargiel calling off his Dhaulagiri ski attempt before sitting down with IFMGA mountain guide, avalanche educator, and …
Show notes
On Episode 66, Sam and Adrian open with quick hits on early-season snow stoke and Andrzej Bargiel calling off his Dhaulagiri ski attempt before sitting down with IFMGA mountain guide, avalanche educator, and Black Diamond athlete Angela Hawse.
Angela traces her path from Prescott College and Outward Bound to the American Alpine Institute, five seasons on Denali, and nine seasons heli-ski guiding in the San Juans.
- In 2010 she became the 60th IFMGA guide in the US and only the sixth woman, and she has since helped lead the AMGA and served on the IFMGA technical commission. She breaks down how the American modular training system compares to Europe's entry-exam model, and why early mentorship from Kathy Cosley taught her to guide like herself rather than like the bigger guys around her.
- The conversation turns to risk management, how climate change is tightening margins and making past experience less reliable, and her new short film with Protect Our Winters, Black Diamond, and Polar Bears International, Mountain Guides: Barometers of Change (watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7dnnDO-SS6A).
- Plus: a 1993 Pakistan duffel saga that ends with her pack in Hong Kong, and why she took up skateboarding three years ago.
Follow our podcast on Instagram @duffelshufflepodcast where you can learn more about us and our guests. Visit our website at www.duffelshufflepodcast.com and join our mailing list.
The Duffel Shuffle Podcast is supported by Alpenglow Expeditions, an internationally renowned mountain guide service based in Lake Tahoe, California. Visit https://alpenglowexpeditions.com/ or follow @alpenglowexpeditions on Instagram to learn more.Is Alex Honnold Going to Start High Altitude Climbing?
On Episode 65, Alex Honnold returns for his second appearance on the show, this time flipping the script and taking over as guest host. Sam and Adrian open with the tragic avalanche that struck base camp on …
Show notes
On Episode 65, Alex Honnold returns for his second appearance on the show, this time flipping the script and taking over as guest host.
Sam and Adrian open with the tragic avalanche that struck base camp on Nepal's Himlung Himal and a quick look at a storm-battered fall season in the Himalaya before handing Alex the mic.
Fresh off town-to-summit days on the Eiger and the Matterhorn, Alex arrives with the questions anyone who's climbed high has wondered about.
Why does it feel like you're dying at altitude when your heart rate is barely 120? Adrian explains how the heart itself is starved of oxygen, why acclimatization comes in a fast phase over a few days and a slower red-blood-cell phase over weeks, and why it fades faster than it builds.
Alex also opens up about the migraines that derailed his trips to Vinson and Aconcagua, and Adrian's theory that he's simply a slow acclimatizer.
From there the conversation turns to the trade-off between cardio and hard rock climbing: how much zone two is enough, whether sprinting the approach to the crag actually helps, and why fitness watches never give credit for slogging uphill with 70 pounds of kids on your back.
Follow our podcast on Instagram @duffelshufflepodcast where you can learn more about us and our guests. Visit our website at www.duffelshufflepodcast.com and join our mailing list.
The Duffel Shuffle Podcast is supported by Alpenglow Expeditions, an internationally renowned mountain guide service based in Lake Tahoe, California. Visit https://alpenglowexpeditions.com/ or follow @alpenglowexpeditions on Instagram to learn more.
Fall Himalaya Coverage: Autumn Avalanches
*Editor's note: This episode was recorded on September 18, before an avalanche at Camp 3 on Manaslu killed two climbers. Our thoughts are with their families, their friends, and everyone involved in the …
Show notes
*Editor's note: This episode was recorded on September 18, before an avalanche at Camp 3 on Manaslu killed two climbers. Our thoughts are with their families, their friends, and everyone involved in the rescue.*
In Episode 64, Sam and Adrian open with quick hits on The Gear Project, a new online consignment shop for used outdoor gear, and a wave of climbing and ski films landing on major streamers this fall, before turning to the autumn Himalaya season.
Adrian opens the episode with why post-monsoon snowpack and long stable weather windows make fall the best time for technical and ski objectives below 8,000 meters, and why an unreliable jet stream makes the highest peaks a gamble.
- Manaslu: With Cho Oyu closed and Pakistan seeing a quiet summer, more than 1,000 climbers have converged on Manaslu for a record season. Adrian, who spent four seasons there after Russell Brice first brought commercial teams in 2008, breaks down the mountain's history of massive avalanches, the wet tail of this year's monsoon, and a slide above Camp 3 that wiped out an estimated 1,300 meters of fixed rope just hours after the fixing team came down.
- The rest of the map: Dhaulagiri's low commercial success rate (and Adrian's canceled expedition there as a young climber), autumn attempts on Makalu and Annapurna, and the case for a commercial fall season on Everest's south side, where shared infrastructure could make the Khumbu Icefall affordable.
- Ama Dablam: Adrian's favorite mountain, which he has summited 13 times, and the hanging serac hazard that shapes Alpenglow's camp policy there.
Follow our podcast on Instagram @duffelshufflepodcast where you can learn more about us and our guests. Visit our website at www.duffelshufflepodcast.com and join our mailing list.
The Duffel Shuffle Podcast is supported by Alpenglow Expeditions, an internationally renowned mountain guide service based in Lake Tahoe, California. Visit https://alpenglowexpeditions.com/ or follow @alpenglowexpeditions on Instagram to learn more.Ryan Mitchell: The Minecraft YouTuber Who Summited Mount Everest
Episode 63 opens with Adrian and Sam's conversation on the devastating Nepal-China border flood at Gyirong Port, and a nod to Laura Rogora's blazing six-day ascent of Bibliographie, before settling …
Show notes
Episode 63 opens with Adrian and Sam's conversation on the devastating Nepal-China border flood at Gyirong Port, and a nod to Laura Rogora's blazing six-day ascent of Bibliographie, before settling into a wide-ranging interview with viral Minecraft-YouTuber-turned-mountaineer Ryan Mitchell.
Ryan built a following of millions making Minecraft videos before walking away to chase Mount Everest — a goal he set purely because he thought it would make a good video title.
- With no outdoor background and guidance from Everest expert Alan Arnette, he trained for a year and a half and summited in 2024.
- He quickly found himself hooked and a brutal, storm-battered K2 season in 2025 left him hungry to go bigger.
- This spring he set out to climb Everest without supplemental oxygen, but a botched tonsil infection and a rushed return to altitude triggered HAPE at base camp, ending the attempt and sparking a season-long debate over what counts as a "legitimate" no-oxygen ascent.
- Ryan talks candidly about getting rescued, tuning out online criticism, and the hard lesson that ego, not fitness, is usually what gets climbers killed.
He's already looking ahead: Ryan is currently attempting Manaslu, aiming for another no-oxygen summit with a snowboard descent, and lays out a longer-term goal of climbing all fourteen 8,000-meter peaks without supplemental oxygen.
Follow our podcast on Instagram @duffelshufflepodcast where you can learn more about us and our guests. Visit our website at www.duffelshufflepodcast.com and join our mailing list.
The Duffel Shuffle Podcast is supported by Alpenglow Expeditions, an internationally renowned mountain guide service based in Lake Tahoe, California. Visit https://alpenglowexpeditions.com/ or follow @alpenglowexpeditions on Instagram to learn more.
Cody Townsend and Tommy Caldwell: When Elite Climbers and Skiers Team Up
Episode 62 opens with quick hits on T-Mobile's satellite phone service and a run of Alps headlines — climbers requesting paid rescue after ignoring a Mont Blanc closure, a family of 36 rescued in the …
Show notes
Episode 62 opens with quick hits on T-Mobile's satellite phone service and a run of Alps headlines — climbers requesting paid rescue after ignoring a Mont Blanc closure, a family of 36 rescued in the Austrian high country, and Kilian Jornet's viral post on the range's fast-changing climate — before Sam and Adrian sit down with Cody Townsend and Tommy Caldwell to talk through their spring traverse of Norman's 13.
Norman's 13 links the Sierra's thirteen 14,000-foot peaks from Mt. Langley to North Palisade, a route of over 100 miles and 40,000 vertical feet that had never been done in winter.
- Townsend, a self-described "5.9 climber and 5.14 skier," recruited Caldwell — the inverse — after cold-emailing him with the idea; a day of simul-climbing at Lover's Leap and some recon skiing on Mt. Sill convinced them their risk tolerances matched well enough to commit.
- Traveling south to north over eight days with cameraman Bjarne Salén, they broke the route into three distinct stretches: a technical run through the Whitney-area peaks, a 50-mile bushwhack and river-forge through John Muir Trail sequoia groves, and a final rope-and-crampons push across the notoriously exposed Palisades Traverse.
- The trip nearly broke both of them. Townsend fought a lung infection and food poisoning through the early days, and a 25-hour closing push through isothermic snow — on a catastrophically failed ski boot — tested everyone's limits.
- The two talk candidly about reading the line between suffering and real danger, the odd role reversal of a rock climber staying calm on exposed skiing while a skier plunge-steps nervously on rock, and how the trip changed the way Townsend plans traverses going forward.
- A film on the expedition, shot largely on iPhone after their camera batteries mysteriously died, is due out this fall.
Follow our podcast on Instagram @duffelshufflepodcast where you can learn more about us and our guests. Visit our website at www.duffelshufflepodcast.com and join our mailing list.
The Duffel Shuffle Podcast is supported by Alpenglow Expeditions, an internationally renowned mountain guide service based in Lake Tahoe, California. Visit https://alpenglowexpeditions.com/ or follow @alpenglowexpeditions on Instagram to learn more.Unlocking the Mountain: How Rope Fixing Really Works
Episode 61 opens with a somber update on the Broad Peak avalanche in Pakistan that killed all ten climbers, including members of Nims Purja's team, on their July 30th summit push.Following the update, Sam …
Show notes
Episode 61 opens with a somber update on the Broad Peak avalanche in Pakistan that killed all ten climbers, including members of Nims Purja's team, on their July 30th summit push.
Following the update, Sam and Adrian dig into the episode's real focus: rope fixing, the process that makes the world's biggest mountains climbable.
- Adrian breaks down the difference between alpine style — climbing a mountain in one unsupported push — and siege style, where teams fix rope from camp to camp so climbers can self-belay on the way up and move quickly on the way down. The practice exploded in scale after the 1996 Everest tragedy, when climbers caught in a whiteout couldn't find their way back to tents just yards away; today, nearly the entire route on Everest, and increasingly all 14 eight-thousanders, is strung with fixed line.
- He traces how the work gets organized — from the old days of rival companies pooling gear and Sherpa labor, or tossing cash into a pot at Base Camp, to today's more formal systems: China's government-run team on Everest's north side, Nepal's Expedition Operators Association contracting the job out to local companies, and this season's milestone in Pakistan, where an all-Pakistani crew led by Mirzer Ali fixed a new line up Broad Peak's headwall — the first time a major Karakoram peak has been rope-fixed entirely by Pakistani high-altitude workers.
- Adrian shares his own path into the work, from tunneling through a collapsing cornice on Ama Dablam in the early 2000s to a 2010 rope-fixing day on Everest so calm and untracked he calls it the highlight of his life. He's candid about the risks too: anchors that melt or rip out, old abandoned ropes that fail under body weight, and the 2010 K2 tragedy that killed nine climbers after a serac collapse wiped out the fixed line and left survivors without the gear or skills to downclimb.
His takeaway: fixed lines are an extraordinary safety tool, but never one to fully rely on without a backup plan.
Follow our podcast on Instagram @duffelshufflepodcast where you can learn more about us and our guests. Visit our website at www.duffelshufflepodcast.com and join our mailing list.
The Duffel Shuffle Podcast is supported by Alpenglow Expeditions, an internationally renowned mountain guide service based in Lake Tahoe, California. Visit https://alpenglowexpeditions.com/ or follow @alpenglowexpeditions on Instagram to learn more.
How to Get Started as a Climber
More than two years and sixty straight episodes for the Duffel Shuffle! Adrian calls in from a Nicaragua surf trip, and before getting into it, he and Sam touch on a rough week of accidents on classic trade …
Show notes
More than two years and sixty straight episodes for the Duffel Shuffle! Adrian calls in from a Nicaragua surf trip, and before getting into it, he and Sam touch on a rough week of accidents on classic trade routes (Mont Blanc, Huascarán, Rainier) and the FAA's new approval of drones for avalanche mitigation.
The real focus of the episode is a full roadmap for getting into climbing and mountaineering — for total beginners and for rock climbers eyeing high-altitude objectives alike. Adrian traces his own path in from age 12 on local Massachusetts crags through a college outdoor program that eventually got him to Ecuador at 17, and makes the case that adults break into the sport just as often as kids do.
- Sam and Adrian lay out where to actually build the skills: climbing gyms, guide companies, and clubs for the technical basics (ropes, knots, belaying, crampon work);
- via ferrata's and plain time on trails for the underrated skill of moving efficiently on uneven, exposed terrain; and a progression from guided client to genuine climbing partner, built through repeat trips with the same guide or company.
- And risk — how hazard and consequence combine, why mismatched risk tolerance between partners causes the most friction in the mountains, and why so much of a guide's training is really about risk management rather than technical skill.
Parting advice: don't overthink the big goal, find your first one, and give it a few real tries before deciding it's not for you.
Follow our podcast on Instagram @duffelshufflepodcast where you can learn more about us and our guests. Visit our website at www.duffelshufflepodcast.com and join our mailing list.
The Duffel Shuffle Podcast is supported by Alpenglow Expeditions, an internationally renowned mountain guide service based in Lake Tahoe, California. Visit www.alpenglowexpeditions.com or follow @alpenglowexpeditions on Instagram to learn more.
Pakistan Coverage: War won't stop these climbers
Sam and Adrian open episode 59 with three news stories — a bolting controversy resolved (kind of?) on Snake Dike, the public comment window on the PARC Act's draft management plans, and freeride …
Show notes
Sam and Adrian open episode 59 with three news stories — a bolting controversy resolved (kind of?) on Snake Dike, the public comment window on the PARC Act's draft management plans, and freeride skiing's addition to the 2030 Olympics — before shifting into a full rundown of the Pakistan 8,000-meter season, now underway.
Following spring season in the Himalaya, climbers and skiers move on to the Karakoram range, with the season often starting in June and peaking in July before temps warm too much into August.
- Why Pakistan Climbs in Summer Nepal and Tibet's Himalayan season runs spring and fall because their more southern latitude brings a powerful summer monsoon that makes climbing impossible — and increasingly, makes even the shoulder seasons too warm for features like the Khumbu Icefall to hold together. Pakistan's Karakoram sits further north and west, giving it a weather pattern closer to Europe or North America, with a summer window instead. That window is compressing too: teams are now pushing to finish by mid-July rather than mid-August as glaciers destabilize earlier each year.
- Nanga Parbat: A Season Already Winding Down — Except One Face Of Pakistan's five 8,000-meter peaks, Nanga Parbat climbs earliest, partly because it sits further south and is technically part of the Himalayan range rather than the Karakoram. The normal Diamir Face route is already falling out of condition. Meanwhile, a team is still attempting a new route on the Rupal Face — the mountain's massive alpine wall, home to some of the biggest lines in the world — in a pure alpine style (no camps, no fixed ropes, no pre-carrying gear).
- A Quieter Pakistan Season: War and Infrastructure This year's season is noticeably smaller. Sam and Adrian point to the ongoing conflict along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, which escalated sharply in February and forced expedition companies — including Alpenglow, along with Furtenbach Adventures and Madison Mountaineering — to sit the season out on safety and logistics grounds, while some Nepali operators chose to run smaller trips anyway. Beyond the war, Adrian frames Pakistan as roughly 20 years behind Nepal on tourism infrastructure: more avalanche exposure on routes like Broad Peak, and far less-developed logistics, hygiene, and food quality at base camp. He argues that gap will close, and that the Baltoro trek and Pakistan's climbing and skiing terrain — bigger, steeper, and less crowded than Nepal's — are worth experiencing before it does.
- Andrzej Bargiel's Continuous Ski Descent of Nanga Parbat Andrzej Bargiel completed the first continuous ski descent of Nanga Parbat, skiing from summit to snowline without a break — distinct from the mountain's first-ever ski descent (Hans Kammerlander, 1990s) and last year's Rupal Face descent, both of which included overnight stops partway down. Bargiel used drone-guided route-finding to link a new line through the Diamir Face's serac zones, avoiding a rocky section that has forced other skiers to remove their skis. The descent makes Nanga Parbat his eighth of fourteen 8,000-meter peaks skied without supplemental oxygen, putting him on pace toward being the first to ski all fourteen in that style.
- Remembering Guillaume "Gee" Pierrel A brief check-in following the loss of ski mountaineer Gee Pierrel on K6 a couple episodes back — his teammates are down safely, though no further details on the incident have been released.
- More From the Karakoram Playground A team of Italian climbers put up a new 30-plus-pitch mixed route on K7 without summiting, which Sam and Adrian frame as a legitimate new-route achievement independent of a summit push. More broadly, they note this year's smaller, less commercial Pakistan season is producing an outsized share of no-oxygen and new-route climbing — with K2's fixed ropes up to Camp 2, and Broad Peak and the Gasherbrums positioning for summit pushes as climbers stack peaks ahead of K2's mid-to-late July window.
Follow along on Instagram @duffelshufflepodcast and visit www.duffelshufflepodcast.com to join our mailing list.
The Duffel Shuffle Podcast is supported by Alpenglow Expeditions, an internationally renowned mountain guide service based in Lake Tahoe, California. Visit www.alpenglowexpeditions.com or follow @alpenglowexpeditions on Instagram.Garth Miller: Everest In a Week with Xenon Gas
Episode 58 brings the Duffel Shuffle audience back to the top story from the 2025 Everest Season. While both Sam and Adrian have been skeptical of the use of Xenon Gas that made headlines last season, the two …
Show notes
Episode 58 brings the Duffel Shuffle audience back to the top story from the 2025 Everest Season. While both Sam and Adrian have been skeptical of the use of Xenon Gas that made headlines last season, the two sit down with Garth Miller, a UK-based airline captain and former British Army officer.
In 2025, Garth was part of a four-person team that pulled off a London-to-London ascent of Everest in just 6.5 days, attributing their success and safety margin to the use of Xenon Gas. The conversation opened Sam and Adrian's own thinking on the substance and hearing the details behind their adventure connected some dots that had been left out in most of the media coverage surrounding their climb.
- Garth first attempted Everest in 2004, turning back near the Second Step after a failed oxygen system caused repeated panic attacks. He returned in 2022, summiting Everest and Lhotse in a 21-day push
- In 2025 he joined a Furtenbach Adventures expedition with three other former British special forces members, training with 550–650 hours of pre-acclimatization before a single 25-minute Xenon exposure in Germany two weeks out
- The team framed Xenon as a safety tool for its neuroprotective and cardiopulmonary properties, not a performance enhancer, and pushes back on media narratives conflating it with doping
- Garth points out that other altitude aids already in common use — Diamox, dexamethasone — are also WADA-banned substances, complicating the "cheating" framing Xenon received
- They summited together after weathering a serious storm below the South Summit that sent much of their Sherpa team back down, and were caught in a Khumbu Icefall avalanche on the way up
- Garth sees client experience-vetting, not crowding, as the bigger lever for Everest safety, and notes the team raised over $500,000 for veterans' charities including Scotty's Little Soldiers
Follow us on Instagram @duffelshufflepodcast and visit www.duffelshufflepodcast.com to join our mailing list.
The Duffel Shuffle Podcast is supported by Alpenglow Expeditions, an internationally renowned mountain guide service based in Lake Tahoe, California. Visit www.alpenglowexpeditions.com or follow @alpenglowexpeditions on Instagram.
Everest Coverage: Left for Dead, and Found Alive
On episode 57, Sam and Adrian dig into two stories making waves in their respective corners of the outdoor world before launching into an unplanned fifth installment of Everest season coverage and a full …
Show notes
On episode 57, Sam and Adrian dig into two stories making waves in their respective corners of the outdoor world before launching into an unplanned fifth installment of Everest season coverage and a full listener mailbag.
Sam kicks things off with a story from his own week on Mount Shasta, where he watched runner Sarah Burke blow past his group near the summit and set a new women's unsupported FKT — Horse Camp to summit in 2 hours and 10 seconds, breaking the previous mark of roughly 2:13. The moment sends him down a rabbit hole into Shasta's surprisingly deep speed-record history, from John Muir's 4:10 ascent in 1874 to Norman Clyde's 2:43 in 1923, and into a broader conversation with Adrian about what "unsupported" really means when guided teams and other climbers are nearby to help if something goes wrong.
Adrian brings his own story from Yosemite, where guidebook author Eric Sloan has added roughly 16 new bolts to the first three pitches of the famous Snake Dike route on Half Dome, shrinking runouts that once stretched 50 to 100 feet down to just 10 or 12. The move has reignited a long-simmering debate over who gets to decide how safe a historic climb should be, and both hosts land on the same conclusion: it's a conversation best settled locally, by the climbing community itself, rather than dictated from the top down.
From there, the two pivot into a story too big to leave out of the season: a fifth, unplanned Everest episode.
- Hillary Dawa's Six-Day Survival on Everest — A Sherpa originally hired as a Camp Two cook for the small operator Himalayan Traverse Adventure was put on a summit push he wasn't trained or equipped for. On the descent, with the team low on oxygen and one client struggling badly, Dawa was left seated near the Yellow Band while the rest of the group continued down — and no apparent search effort followed. He spent six days descending alone, fell into a crevasse near 18,000 feet and broke his femur, survived two days trapped before an avalanche gave him a way out, and was eventually spotted crawling through the bottom of the icefall by a trash-cleanup crew before being helicoptered to safety.
- What Went Wrong — and What Needs to Change — Sam and Adrian walk through the chain of decisions that led to the accident, from the irresponsibility of putting an undertrained worker on a summit push to the company's failure to search once he went missing. They push for changes that outlast this season's headlines: minimum experience standards at every level of a team, an independent rescue presence on the mountain, and government oversight enforcing basic rules at every camp.
- Listener Mailbag: Suffering, Decision-Making, and the Case for a Mountain Guide — Tying directly back to the Dawa story, Adrian breaks down how to tell productive suffering from real danger at altitude, using headache severity as a rough gauge. Both hosts agree that knowing where that gray-area line sits is exactly the judgment call a certified, IFMGA/AMGA-trained mountain guide is built to make — and what was missing on Dawa's team.
- Listener Mailbag: Quick Hits — Rounding out the episode: theft at high-altitude camps (rare for passports and valuables, more common as opportunistic gear grabs), training mental toughness through repeated exposure to difficulty and failure, Adrian's picks for a favorite 8,000-meter peak beyond Everest (Cho Oyu for safety and beauty, Makalu for those chasing something wilder), techniques for safely passing on crowded fixed lines, preventing snow blindness through consistent eye protection, and a candid rundown of how mountaineers manage GI distress at altitude.
With Everest properly wrapped, Sam and Adrian are turning toward guest episodes and the approaching Karakoram season, with K2 and the rest of Pakistan's big peaks on deck.
Follow us on Instagram @duffelshufflepodcast and visit www.duffelshufflepodcast.com to join our mailing list.
The Duffel Shuffle Podcast is supported by Alpenglow Expeditions, an internationally renowned mountain guide service based in Lake Tahoe, California. Visit www.alpenglowexpeditions.com or follow @alpenglowexpeditions on Instagram.
Everest Coverage: Was this season a smashing success?
With the 2026 Everest season now officially in the books, Sam and Adrian are back for their fourth and final installment of Everest coverage, with Adrian calling in from Denver where the season's biggest …
Show notes
With the 2026 Everest season now officially in the books, Sam and Adrian are back for their fourth and final installment of Everest coverage, with Adrian calling in from Denver where the season's biggest stories have been the talk of the festival floor.
Before diving into Everest, Sam and Adrian each share a news story from the week. Adrian touches on the trending trademark lawsuit between outdoor apparel giant Patagonia and Pattie Gonia, the drag persona of environmental activist and outdoor influencer Wyn Wiley, unpacking the nuance on both sides and why two brands with nearly identical values find themselves here. Sam flags two recent search and rescue incidents in the South Lake Tahoe area, which leads to a spirited debate on satellite communicators vs. iPhone satellite messaging — both landing on the same conclusion: redundancy wins.
From there, Sam and Adrian cover the following from the 2026 Everest season:
- Bartek Ziemski: Story of the Season: No contest for Adrian. The Polish ski mountaineer — a software engineer with no social media — skied Lhotse without oxygen, rested briefly, then summited and skied Everest without oxygen as well, keeping his skis on from top to bottom. Adrian reflects on what it takes physically and mentally to turn around for a second no-oxygen 8,000-meter peak in a single season, and what Bartek's ascents mean for the next generation of Himalayan ski mountaineering.
- The Season by the Numbers: A record number of climbers, a record single-day summit of 274 people, roughly five fatalities — and what may be the best no-oxygen season on record with four successful ascents including Bartek, Kristen Harila, and Nirmal Purja. Garrett Madison notched his 16th summit, Kenton Cool his 21st, and Kami Rita Sherpa extended his record to 32.
- Aviation: The Season's Most Complicated Story: Drones moving thousands of kilograms of equipment over the Khumbu Icefall represent real progress toward reducing worker trips through the mountain's most dangerous section. But widespread abuse of the helicopter rescue system — with climbers faking medical emergencies to skip the descent — is a growing problem, and Adrian argues the current regulatory framework is failing.
- Three Climbers Stranded Above the Icefall: As of recording, two Americans and a Sherpa remain at Camp 2 after the icefall was decommissioned, waiting on a helicopter that weather has so far prevented from reaching them. Adrian weighs in on the decision-making that put them there — and what it says about following the rules of the mountain you're on.
- The FKT Question — Karl Egloff and Tyler Andrews: Karl turned around below Camp 4, staying true to his no-oxygen-only philosophy. Tyler eventually summited with oxygen in just under 10 hours. Adrian congratulates Tyler on seeing the full mountain but is direct: oxygen FKTs and no-oxygen FKTs are not the same record, and keeping that distinction clear matters for the athletes still chasing the real one.
One more episode is coming. Send your Everest questions via DM, YouTube comments, or the website — Sam and Adrian are planning a bonus listener Q&A before moving on to K2 season.
Follow our podcast on Instagram @duffelshufflepodcast where you can learn more about us and our guests. Visit our website at www.duffelshufflepodcast.com and join our mailing list.
The Duffel Shuffle Podcast is supported by Alpenglow Expeditions, an internationally renowned mountain guide service based in Lake Tahoe, California. Visit www.alpenglowexpeditions.com or follow @alpenglowexpeditions on Instagram to learn more.Everest Coverage: Summits begin, will chaos ensue?
With the 2026 Everest season hitting its most critical stretch, Sam and Adrian are back for their third installment of armchair mountaineering coverage. Before diving into Everest, Adrian recommends HBO's …
Show notes
With the 2026 Everest season hitting its most critical stretch, Sam and Adrian are back for their third installment of armchair mountaineering coverage.
Before diving into Everest, Adrian recommends HBO's four-part series The Dark Wizard on the life of Dean Potter, which has now released all episodes and has been making the rounds well beyond the climbing community. Adrian reflects on his feeling genuinely moved by how elegantly the filmmakers handled the full arc of Dean's life, his struggles, and ultimately his death. Sam touches on a new GPS-based avalanche transceiver from German company Nivia Safety, claiming to speed up burial searches by up to 30% and set to launch in fall 2026.
From there, Sam and Adrian cover the following from the 2026 Everest season:
- Bartek Ziemski on Lhotse: The Polish ski mountaineer made only the second ski descent of the Lhotse Couloir — the first without oxygen, without new fixed ropes above Camp 3, and without ever taking his skis off, including finding a creative line through the icefall. Adrian, who made the first ski descent of Makalu and has a personal connection to Bartek, calls it one of the most groundbreaking Himalayan ski mountaineering achievements he's seen. Since recording this episode, Bartek went on to successfully summit and ski Everest without oxygen as well.
- The First Summit Wave: The rope fixing team reached the summit and six clients followed before the weather window closed. Adrian celebrates the fixing effort while pushing back on the practice of clients climbing on rope fixing day — a habit that adds pressure to the team doing the most dangerous work on the mountain.
- Summit Windows and Crowd Management: With a record number of climbers on the south side and a compressed season, Adrian breaks down what the next 10 days look like, how teams are positioning themselves across two potential windows, and why he's always preferred a marginal weather day with fewer people over a perfect day with 150 climbers on the route.
- Speed Ascents, Kristen Harila, and No-Oxygen Attempts: A look at the notable storylines shaping up for the final push — including Tyler Andrews and Karl Egloff's contrasting acclimatization approaches ahead of their FKT attempts, and Kristen Harila's no-oxygen bid after summiting Nuptse without supplemental oxygen as a warmup.
Follow our podcast on Instagram @duffelshufflepodcast where you can learn more about us and our guests. Visit our website at www.duffelshufflepodcast.com and join our mailing list. The Duffel Shuffle Podcast is supported by Alpenglow Expeditions, an internationally renowned mountain guide service based in Lake Tahoe, California. Visit www.alpenglowexpeditions.com or follow @alpenglowexpeditions on Instagram to learn more.
Everest Coverage: Onward and Upward Despite Real Hazards
With the 2026 Everest season now firmly underway and the icefall finally open, Sam and Adrian are back for their second installment of armchair mountaineering coverage. Sam opens with a somber news section …
Show notes
With the 2026 Everest season now firmly underway and the icefall finally open, Sam and Adrian are back for their second installment of armchair mountaineering coverage.
Sam opens with a somber news section, paying tribute to two losses that hit close to home in the outdoor community: Bernie Rosow of Mammoth and Will Stanhope of BC, killed in separate incidents within days of each other. Adrian knew both casually, and reflects on what made each of them so magnetic — Bernie grinding away as a snow cat driver while somehow getting out more than anyone on the east side of the Sierra, and Will quietly pushing the cutting edge of hard trad lines in Squamish and around the world for decades. Adrian also brings a lighter story out of the Himalaya: a Russian and Ukrainian climber who headed to Manaslu in the spring off-season, found the mountain entirely to themselves, and hung it way out there in proper old-school style — a good reminder that the vast majority of the world's mountains can still deliver wild experiences.
From there, Sam and Adrian dig into the following topics from the 2026 Everest season:
- The Icefall Opens: The threatening serac that delayed the season has partially fallen, a route has been threaded, and teams are moving — but the season is now running in the most compressed window of the modern era, with record permit numbers and a shortened timeline creating real human factors pressure.
- Drones on Everest: Last season's successful drone trials have hit a regulatory pause, and Adrian unpacks why that's both completely predictable and genuinely frustrating — and why getting drones properly established on the mountain may be the single most important step toward making the south side safe enough for Alpenglow to return.
- Topo's First Impressions and Season Conditions: Alpenglow guide Topo Mena has made his first carry to Camp Two on the south side with early reports positive. Adrian also notes the mountain is running unusually dry this season, which exposes hard ice on the Lhotse Face and adds challenge for everyone — including speed climbers Tyler Andrews and Karl Egloff, who are on the mountain chasing records.
- Listener Question — Does the Round Trip Count?: A listener asks the guys to weigh in on whether a summit counts if you don't make it back under your own power. Sam and Adrian don't hold back.
Follow our podcast on Instagram @duffelshufflepodcast where you can learn more about us and our guests. Visit our website at www.duffelshufflepodcast.com and join our mailing list. The Duffel Shuffle Podcast is supported by Alpenglow Expeditions, an internationally renowned mountain guide service based in Lake Tahoe, California. Visit www.alpenglowexpeditions.com or follow @alpenglowexpeditions on Instagram to learn more.
Everest Coverage: Icefall Holdup and South Side Action
With the 2026 Everest season officially underway, Sam and Adrian kick off what will be four consecutive episodes of armchair mountaineering — a first for Adrian, who for most of the last two decades has been on …
Show notes
With the 2026 Everest season officially underway, Sam and Adrian kick off what will be four consecutive episodes of armchair mountaineering — a first for Adrian, who for most of the last two decades has been on the mountain rather than watching from home. It's a unique vantage point, and one he's leaning into fully.
Before diving into Everest, the guys pay tribute to Jim Whittaker, the first American to summit Everest in 1963, whose passing was announced recently at the age of 97. Adrian reflects on Whittaker's outsized influence on American mountain guiding culture — from his early days at REI to his brother Lou's founding of RMI, the institution that shaped a generation of guides and guide companies across the country. Sam also circles back on a story that slipped through the cracks last episode: Cody Townsend and Tommy Caldwell's first ski-climb winter traverse of Norman's 13 in the Eastern Sierra — an eight-day, 40,000-foot suffer fest that Adrian and Sam dig into with obvious admiration.
From there, Sam and Adrian cover the following topics from the opening weeks of the 2026 Everest season:
- Early Summits on Annapurna, Dhaulagiri, and Makalu: What's driving the trend of climbers targeting multiple 8,000-meter peaks in a single season, and what the logistical and safety implications of that strategy actually look like on the ground.
- Khumbu Icefall Delays: A threatening serac has delayed route fixing through the icefall, pushing the season's timeline later than ideal. Adrian provides important context on where the serac likely is, why the media narrative may be off, and what the icefall doctors' cautious approach actually signals.
- Topo Mena on the South Side: Alpenglow guide Topo Mena is heading to Everest's south side with a small, fast team through Pemba Gelje's Expeditions High Mountain — and Adrian explains why this trip is as much an information-gathering mission for Alpenglow's future south side decision-making as it is a personal guiding trip for Topo and Carla.
- Ryan Mitchell and the Oxygen Debate: A Minecraft-turned-mountaineer's medical emergency at base camp sparks a broader conversation about what it actually means to climb Everest without supplemental oxygen, where the line is, and how oxygen compares to other forms of aid on the mountain.
Follow our podcast on Instagram @duffelshufflepodcast where you can learn more about us and our guests. Visit our website at www.duffelshufflepodcast.com and join our mailing list. The Duffel Shuffle Podcast is supported by Alpenglow Expeditions, an internationally renowned mountain guide service based in Lake Tahoe, California. Visit www.alpenglowexpeditions.com or follow @alpenglowexpeditions on Instagram to learn more.
What does it mean to be a Mountain Guide?
With a string of high-profile guiding accidents making headlines this winter — including close to home here in Tahoe — Sam and Adrian sit down to dig into what it actually means to be a mountain guide, how …
Show notes
With a string of high-profile guiding accidents making headlines this winter — including close to home here in Tahoe — Sam and Adrian sit down to dig into what it actually means to be a mountain guide, how guide companies are held accountable, and what you, as a consumer, should be looking for before you hire someone to take you into the mountains.
Before diving in, Adrian shares a personal update: a fractured back sustained in a sport climbing fall at Starwall that has him sidelined for the spring. Ever the risk management thinker, he unpacks the decision-making lapse that led to the accident and what the takeaway actually is. Sam, freshly back from a family ski trip to Davos, also weighs in on a developing fraud story out of Nepal in which rescue companies are alleged to have poisoned clients with baking soda to trigger fraudulent helicopter rescues — and why the distinction between mountain guides and high-altitude workers matters enormously in that conversation.
From there, Sam and Adrian turn to the main event: a wide-ranging conversation on guiding, certification, and accreditation.
- What Is a Mountain Guide?: Why the term is so contested in the US versus Europe, and why the semantics actually matter for clients trying to evaluate who they're hiring.
- Certification: How the AMGA certification and scope of practice system works, where Sam sits in that process, and why the gold standard is both certification and experience — not one without the other.
- Accreditation: What AMGA accreditation means for guide companies, why only 32 businesses in the US have achieved it, and why Adrian believes it should become the industry standard — not the exception.
- The Client's Role: Why the best guided experiences are partnerships, and why showing up as an active participant — not just a passenger — matters regardless of how qualified your guide is.
Follow our podcast on Instagram @duffelshufflepodcast where you can learn more about us and our guests. Visit our website at www.duffelshufflepodcast.com and join our mailing list. The Duffel Shuffle Podcast is supported by Alpenglow Expeditions, an internationally renowned mountain guide service based in Lake Tahoe, California. Visit www.alpenglowexpeditions.com or follow @alpenglowexpeditions on Instagram to learn more.
Will this season on Everest's South side be the busiest yet?
With the 2026 Everest season just around the corner, Sam and Adrian sit down to preview what's shaping up to be one of the most consequential years in the mountain's modern climbing history.While …
Show notes
With the 2026 Everest season just around the corner, Sam and Adrian sit down to preview what's shaping up to be one of the most consequential years in the mountain's modern climbing history.
While Alpenglow Expeditions has made the decision not to pivot their north side operation to the south side following the closure of the Tibetan route, Adrian's deep familiarity with both sides of the mountain gives him a uniquely informed perspective on what the season ahead holds. Between insider knowledge from the guiding community and the ever-reliable Sherpa grapevine, Adrian and Sam have plenty to say that hasn't yet made it into the mainstream conversation.
Sam and Adrian talk about the following storylines heading into the 2026 Everest Season:
- North Side Closure: The Tibet side of Everest has been closed to international teams this season, sending a wave of expeditions scrambling to pivot to the Nepal side — and setting up what could be the busiest south side season in history.
- Alpenglow's Decision: After a 90-minute internal meeting, Alpenglow chose not to redirect their north side operation southward, citing concerns about Khumbu Icefall dangers and the growing number of inexperienced climbers and operators on the south side route.
- Notable Expeditions: FKT attempts, no-oxygen ascents, and sea-to-summit adventures are among the compelling storylines worth watching as the season gets underway.
- Guiding & Regulation: Adrian and Sam make the case that the industry's focus on client experience requirements misses the bigger issue — the need for stronger regulation of guide companies themselves.
- The Everest Experience: Whatever your style or approach, the guys take a moment to reflect on what makes climbing the world's highest mountain so enduringly extraordinary.
Follow our podcast on Instagram @duffelshufflepodcast where you can learn more about us and our guests. Visit our website at www.duffelshufflepodcast.com and join our mailing list. The Duffel Shuffle Podcast is supported by Alpenglow Expeditions, an internationally renowned mountain guide service based in Lake Tahoe, California. Visit www.alpenglowexpeditions.com or follow @alpenglowexpeditions on Instagram to learn more.
Risk, Reward, and Pressure with Emily Harrington
Emily Harrington is a professional rock climber, alpinist, and adventurer known for pushing the boundaries of what's possible in the vertical world. A five-time American sport climbing champion and member …
Show notes
Emily Harrington is a professional rock climber, alpinist, and adventurer known for pushing the boundaries of what's possible in the vertical world. A five-time American sport climbing champion and member of The North Face athlete team, Emily has established herself as one of the most accomplished and versatile climbers of her generation, with landmark ascents on big walls and high-altitude peaks around the world.
For Emily, climbing is as much about the journey and the people as it is about the summit. Whether projecting the hardest multi-pitch routes in Mexico or commentating a live Netflix broadcast of Alex Honnold free soloing Taipei 101, she brings the same curiosity, grit, and openness to every experience.
- Emily recently served as a commentator for Netflix's "Skyscraper Live", in which Alex Honnold free soloed Taipei 101. The experience offered a behind-the-scenes look at the complexity of live television production — coordinating hundreds of crew members while capturing one of climbing's most audacious feats in real time.
- On a recent trip to Mexico, Emily attempted "La Sombra del Chamán," widely considered the hardest multi-pitch route in the country. The climb tested her relationship with fear and exposure on big walls and led to a deeply personal decision to step back from her own send attempt to support her climbing partner, Matt Segal.
- After a busy stretch of travel and high-output experiences, Emily reflects honestly on nervous system overload and the quiet loss of motivation that can follow — and what it looks like to reset, recalibrate, and find joy in climbing again, as she's currently doing on a low-key rock climbing trip in Italy with minimal gear and zero performance pressure.
To learn more about Emily Harrington, follow her on Instagram @emilyaharrington. Her new documentary Girl Climber follows her career-defining attempt to free climb El Capitan in under 24 hours — becoming the first woman to free climb the 36-pitch Golden Gate route in a day, a feat previously accomplished only by male climbers like Alex Honnold and Tommy Caldwell. Watch Girl Climber now on Prime Video or stream it at jolt.film/watch/girlclimber.
Follow our podcast on Instagram @duffelshufflepodcast where you can learn more about us and our guests. Visit our website at www.duffelshufflepodcast.com and join our mailing list. The Duffel Shuffle Podcast is supported by Alpenglow Expeditions, an internationally renowned mountain guide service based in Lake Tahoe, California. Visit www.alpenglowexpeditions.com or follow @alpenglowexpeditions on Instagram to learn more.How David Goettler's Introduction to Alpine Climbing Defined His Style for Decades at the Top
David Goettler has been a professional alpinist for nearly 3 decades, and part of The North Face athlete team his entire career. With a focus on classical alpine style climbing on the highest peaks of the …
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David Goettler has been a professional alpinist for nearly 3 decades, and part of The North Face athlete team his entire career. With a focus on classical alpine style climbing on the highest peaks of the world, David has set out on a quest to climb in the way that suits him.
For David, climbing the tallest peaks of the world is a dream, and the challenge is in their height. Climbing without supplemental oxygen and Sherpa support above basecamp is the only way for him to truly test his abilities.
- David has successfully summited seven 8,000m peaks without supplemental oxygen, many of which required multiple attempts. On his fifth attempt of Nanga Parbat in Pakistan in 2025, David summited via the Schell Route and descended by Paraglider from 7,700m on the mountain.
- David has gone on expeditions with countless partners, and the list includes some of the most notable alpinists in the last 3 decades. For David, finding the right partners for his objectives is almost as calculated as the climb itself.
- While David believes that all professional alpinists should be climbing without supplemental oxygen and sherpa support, he recognizes that for non-professionals, just being in the mountains is what's important, and style should be chosen based on what each individual is seeking.
To learn more about David Goettler, follow him on Instagram @david_goettler.
Follow our podcast on Instagram @duffelshufflepodcast where you can learn more about us and our guests. Visit our website at www.duffelshufflepodcast.com and join our mailing list. The Duffel Shuffle Podcast is supported by Alpenglow Expeditions, an internationally renowned mountain guide service based in Lake Tahoe, California. Visit www.alpenglowexpeditions.com or follow @alpenglowexpeditions on Instagram to learn more.
Duffel Shuffle 2025 Wrap and 2026 Preview
Still technically only a "few" weeks late, Sam and Adrian look back on 2025 and forward to 2026. This episode was delayed due to the Seven Summits series, but as we move into the new year, there's lots to …
Show notes
Still technically only a "few" weeks late, Sam and Adrian look back on 2025 and forward to 2026. This episode was delayed due to the Seven Summits series, but as we move into the new year, there's lots to talk about, from personal experiences in 2025 and goals for 2026 to the industry as a whole.
- Adrian had a big year, with his 10th summit of Everest and the acquisition of Alpenglow Expeditions by Milky Way Park. Meanwhile, Sam started and finished his year on separate ski trips to Japan, but the highlight of the year was his growing family.
- From expected films to impacts of tariffs, 2026 is sure to bring lots of interesting twists and turns. Andrzej Bargiel and Jim Morrison both broke the ceiling of 8,000m peak ski mountaineering, and expected films are potentially coming in 2026. On the other end of the industry, the ski industry may continue to see the direct effects of tariffs and other economic impacts.
As we look forward to 2026, we want to thank our listeners for their continued support and encourage you to share feedback. Comment or message us what you like and what you don't like. Guest and topic ideas are always welcome!
Follow our podcast on Instagram @duffelshufflepodcast, where you can learn more about our guests and us. Visit our website at www.duffelshufflepodcast.com and join our mailing list. The Duffel Shuffle Podcast is supported by Alpenglow Expeditions, an internationally renowned mountain guide service based in Lake Tahoe, California. Visit www.alpenglowexpeditions.com or follow @alpenglowexpeditions on Instagram to learn more.Mt Everest: The Tallest Mountain on the Planet
Sam and Adrian wrap up the Seven Summits Series with none other than Mt. Everest. At 29,032' above sea level, Mt Everest is much taller than any of the other seven summits, and its history, notoriety and …
Show notes
Sam and Adrian wrap up the Seven Summits Series with none other than Mt. Everest. At 29,032' above sea level, Mt Everest is much taller than any of the other seven summits, and its history, notoriety and reputation speaks for itself.
While Everest has been well covered on the Duffel Shuffle Podcast, Sam and Adrian endeavor to provide an unbiased look at climbing the mountain, and compare the two regular climbing routes for guided climbers, with as little opinion as possible.
- Different "requirements" for prior experience exist on either side of the mountain, and many operators have their own prerequisites, but in general experience up to 7,000m is important. In theory, this experience and more can be gathered through climbing the other six of the seven summits.
- There are pros and cons to each side of the mountain, but the most important thing when considering an Everest Expedition is understanding what your getting from your operator. Budget and Guiding do not go hand in hand.
- While there are differences between sides in weather, infrastructure, rescue, technicality, access, etc. the each have reasonable pros and cons.
Interested in climbing Mt Everest with Alpenglow Expeditions, visit https://alpenglowexpeditions.com/expedition/mount-everest-north-side-rapid-ascent-expedition to learn more.
Follow our podcast on Instagram @duffelshufflepodcast where you can learn more about our guests and us. Visit our website at www.duffelshufflepodcast.com and join our mailing list. The Duffel Shuffle Podcast is supported by Alpenglow Expeditions, an internationally renowned mountain guide service based in Lake Tahoe, California. Visit www.alpenglowexpeditions.com or follow @alpenglowexpeditions on Instagram to learn more.Carstensz Pyramid: The Rock Climbers' Peak
The sixth in our series on the Seven Summits, Carstensz Pyramid, is the tallest peak within Oceania. While some Seven Summits lists include Mount Kosciuszko in Australia, most modern lists acknowledge Carstensz …
Show notes
The sixth in our series on the Seven Summits, Carstensz Pyramid, is the tallest peak within Oceania. While some Seven Summits lists include Mount Kosciuszko in Australia, most modern lists acknowledge Carstensz Pyramid due to its higher altitude and increased technical challenge. Locally known as Puncak Jaya, the peak sits at 4,884m or 16,024 feet above sea level, on the island of New Guinea.
Unlike all other peaks on the list of seven summits, Carstensz Pyramid is a true rock climb, where climbers ascend a limestone ridgeline with both vertical walls and exposed traverses.
- Much of the climb has been fixed with ropes, including a span that now has a cable bridge, to accommodate the number of climbers looking to climb the mountain and prevent issues of overcrowding.
- Due to its relatively low altitude, as compared to its counterparts, climbing Carstensz is generally quite quick, and much of the true adventure lies in the many-day trek through the jungle to reach the base of the peak.
- Unfortunately, with a long history of unrest in the jungle, it has become standard to heli into basecamp for your climb. With ethnic tribal conflicts and civil disturbances, it's no longer feasible to trek through the jungle.
Follow our podcast on Instagram @duffelshufflepodcast where you can learn more about our guests and us. Visit our website at www.duffelshufflepodcast.com and join our mailing list. The Duffel Shuffle Podcast is supported by Alpenglow Expeditions, an internationally renowned mountain guide service based in Lake Tahoe, California. Visit www.alpenglowexpeditions.com or follow @alpenglowexpeditions on Instagram to learn more.Vinson: The Last Great Challenge
On Episode 45 of the Duffel Shuffle Podcast, Sam and Adrian head to the bottom of the world to discuss the Vinson Massif. This is the fifth episode in the series covering each of the Seven Summits, and while …
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On Episode 45 of the Duffel Shuffle Podcast, Sam and Adrian head to the bottom of the world to discuss the Vinson Massif. This is the fifth episode in the series covering each of the Seven Summits, and while Vinson lacks some of the culture of previous mountains discussed, it makes up for that in the uniqueness of the adventure.
First climbed in 1966, Vinson is known by Seven Summit climbers as "The Last Great Challenge" as it was the final peak climbed by the first to complete the seven tallest summits on each continent. While not particularly challenging, Vinson is notable for its logistical complexity as well as extreme temperatures.
- Due to its relatively low altitude of 4,892m (16,050'), Vinson expeditions can theoretically be completed in a matter of days. That said, most expeditions last 2-3 weeks to allow for the logistics to fall into place, which can be severely delayed by weather and other factors.
- All Vinson logistics are managed by Antarctic Logistics and Expeditions (ALE), whose strict risk management practices have led to an incredibly high safety and success rate.
- A Vinson expedition requires a high level of mountain independence, primarily to manage the challenges of cold. As such, it's a great peak to follow Everest or Denali, and can also be easily combined with climbing Aconcagua.
Follow our podcast on Instagram @duffelshufflepodcast where you can learn more about our guests and us. Visit our website at www.duffelshufflepodcast.com and join our mailing list. The Duffel Shuffle Podcast is supported by Alpenglow Expeditions, an internationally renowned mountain guide service based in Lake Tahoe, California. Visit www.alpenglowexpeditions.com or follow @alpenglowexpeditions on Instagram to learn more.Kilimanjaro: The Roof of Africa
Our next episode in the Seven Summits series takes us to Africa, and we're talking about Mount Kilimanjaro. What is arguably the most culturally enriching experience of all of the Seven Summits, Kili is …
Show notes
Our next episode in the Seven Summits series takes us to Africa, and we're talking about Mount Kilimanjaro. What is arguably the most culturally enriching experience of all of the Seven Summits, Kili is the most accessible of the tallest peaks on each continent.
Sam and Adrian chat about Kilimanjaro and all of the ins and outs. While Kili's technical challenge is nonexistent, the specifics around how the mountain is climbed are quite particular.
- All climbers on Kilimanjaro must climb with a local operator. This mandates that climbers support the local economy by hiring a fixed number of support staff.
- While Kilimanjaro does have a rainy season in the spring, and a shorter period of rain in the fall, it can be climbed virtually year-round. That, combined with the lack of technical challenge, means that Kilimanjaro is far from a wilderness experience as we know it, and hundreds of climbers, guides, porters, and cooks will be on the mountain with you.
- Climbing Kilimanjaro is still a feat and an incredible experience in itself, but if you go all the way to Africa and skip the Safari, you're just crazy. Adding a 3-5 day Safari is an incredible way to culminate your climbing trip. And if you're looking for even more, head on to Zanzibar!
Follow our podcast on Instagram @duffelshufflepodcast where you can learn more about us and our guests. Visit our website at www.duffelshufflepodcast.com and join our mailing list. The Duffel Shuffle Podcast is supported by Alpenglow Expeditions, an internationally renowned mountain guide service based in Lake Tahoe, California. Visit www.alpenglowexpeditions.com or follow @alpenglowexpeditions on Instagram to learn more.Mount Elbrus: Vodka and Altitude
Episode 3 of the Seven Summits Series takes us to the tallest point in Europe, Mount Elbrus. With first ascents on each of the two summits, both occurring in the 1800s, Elbrus' history is both lengthy and …
Show notes
Episode 3 of the Seven Summits Series takes us to the tallest point in Europe, Mount Elbrus. With first ascents on each of the two summits, both occurring in the 1800s, Elbrus' history is both lengthy and, at times, entertaining.
Adrian and Sam dive into the details of a Mount Elbrus expedition, which includes so much more than just climbing. While Elbrus is well positioned for a strike mission type attempt due to its relatively low altitude (as far as high altitude goes) and significant on-mountain infrastructure, climbing Elbrus should most certainly include time exploring Russia.
- Visiting both St. Petersburg and Moscow during your trip adds time, but they are crucial parts of the experience, and one city can be visited before and the other after you climb.
- Elbrus is unique in the Seven Summits world in that it has significant infrastructure, including lift systems that are part of a ski area and snow cats that can take climbers as far as ~90% of the way to the top. Find the style of climb that suits you and gets you excited!
- Like most of the Seven Summits, Elbrus can experience challenging weather, and while the route is often considered "straightforward" because Snowcats create a road, hazards such as crevasses should not be underestimated.
Follow our podcast on Instagram @duffelshufflepodcast where you can learn more about us and our guests. Visit our website at www.duffelshufflepodcast.com and join our mailing list. The Duffel Shuffle Podcast is supported by Alpenglow Expeditions, an internationally renowned mountain guide service based in Lake Tahoe, California. Visit www.alpenglowexpeditions.com or follow @alpenglowexpeditions on Instagram to learn more.
Denali: The High One
Our second episode in the Seven Summits Series centers on Denali. An Athabaskan word meaning "the high one," Denali is the tallest peak in North America, sitting at 20,310'. Measured from its base to its …
Show notes
Our second episode in the Seven Summits Series centers on Denali. An Athabaskan word meaning "the high one," Denali is the tallest peak in North America, sitting at 20,310'. Measured from its base to its summit, Denali has a larger vertical rise than Everest, making it the tallest land-based mountain on Earth by that measurement.
Sam and Adrian dive into some of the unique characteristics of Denali. Despite being only climbed once between the two of them (Adrian in the early 2000s), countless colleagues have shared insight after insight on Denali.
- Adrian shares a bit about his early 2000s trip to Denali, with original intentions to climb the West Rib.
- Most climbers ascend the West Buttress route, but the mountain holds countless other amazing routes, many of which are more technical, as well as world-class ski and snowboard descents.
- With restrictive guiding limitations set by the National Park, Denali climbs have followed a traditional style, but much opportunity exists for different styles, like fast and light missions using pre-acclimatization.
Follow our podcast on Instagram @duffelshufflepodcast where you can learn more about us and our guests. Visit our website at www.duffelshufflepodcast.com and join our mailing list. The Duffel Shuffle Podcast is supported by Alpenglow Expeditions, an internationally renowned mountain guide service based in Lake Tahoe, California. Visit www.alpenglowexpeditions.com or follow @alpenglowexpeditions on Instagram to learn more.
Aconcagua: Roof of the Americas
The Duffel Shuffle podcast is kicking off a 7-episode series, covering all things Seven Summits. Popularized and first completed by Dick Bass, the 7 Summits List comprises the tallest mountain on each of the 7 …
Show notes
The Duffel Shuffle podcast is kicking off a 7-episode series, covering all things Seven Summits. Popularized and first completed by Dick Bass, the 7 Summits List comprises the tallest mountain on each of the 7 continents of the world. These include, in order of height, Everest (Asia), Aconcagua (S. America), Denali (N. America), Kilimanjaro (Africa), Mount Elbrus (Europe), and Australia/Oceania (Mount Kosciuszko/Puncak Jaya).
Adrian and Sam start with Aconcagua, the tallest mountain outside of the Himalaya, and the tallest peak in South America. Aconcagua, which was first climbed in 1897, sees approximately 3,000-4,000 attempts annually, with a success rate of roughly 30-40%. Considering the altitude, challenging weather, and incredibly short climbing season, Aconcagua is no walk in the park!
- Nearing 23,000' or 7,000m in elevation, Aconcagua is an excellent place for climbers to test themselves at an altitude that isn't found anywhere else, outside of the Himalaya.
- While the technical challenge on Aconcagua is quite low, each season brings many accidents and near misses due to unprepared climbers and challenging weather and wind.
- Equipment choices on Aconcagua can be the difference between success and failure, and many cold-weather items are really only needed on the summit.
Follow our podcast on Instagram @duffelshufflepodcast where you can learn more about us and our guests. Visit our website at www.duffelshufflepodcast.com and join our mailing list. The Duffel Shuffle Podcast is supported by Alpenglow Expeditions, an internationally renowned mountain guide service based in Lake Tahoe, California. Visit www.alpenglowexpeditions.com or follow @alpenglowexpeditions on Instagram to learn more.
The Key to Successful First Descents with Christina Lustenberger and Guillaume Pierrel
Together, Christina "Lusti" Lustenberger and Guillaume "Gee" Pierrel have teamed up for some of the most notable and impressive first descents in recent years. Lusti is an Association of Canadian Mountain …
Show notes
Together, Christina "Lusti" Lustenberger and Guillaume "Gee" Pierrel have teamed up for some of the most notable and impressive first descents in recent years.
Lusti is an Association of Canadian Mountain Guides (ACMG) Ski Guide and professional skier. A career that started with alpine ski racing took Lusti all the way to the Olympics, but more than five knee surgeries later, a career pivot has taken her to ski some of the most impressive and challenging lines around the world.
Gee, a french IFMGA Mountain Guide, got his start on skis through Nordic racing, but a love for the outdoors and the mountains brought him full circle. He too made a career pivot in his 20's, and what started out as ski instruction eventually led him to guide certification.
Lusti and Gee join Sam and Adrian to talk about the partnership they've developed and the keys to their success in the mountains:
- With their first big mountain experiences on New Zealand's Mt. Cook in October 2024, Lusti and Gee recount their first descent on the mountain.
- Following their success in New Zealand, Lusti invited Gee to join her on a more-than-a-decades long project on Canada's Mt. Robson.
- With the ultimate partnership developed, and technical skills that complement each other nicely, Lusti and Gee have the ultimate potential to push forward the sport of Ski Mountaineering.
Lusti and Gee's latest film, Robson, debuts at the Banff Mountain Film Festival on November 1. To learn more about Lusti and Gee, and follow their adventures, find them on Instagram @christinalusti and @geepierrel.
Follow our podcast on Instagram @duffelshufflepodcast where you can learn more about us and our guests. Visit our website at www.duffelshufflepodcast.com and join our mailing list. The Duffel Shuffle Podcast is supported by Alpenglow Expeditions, an internationally renowned mountain guide service based in Lake Tahoe, California. Visit www.alpenglowexpeditions.com or follow @alpenglowexpeditions on Instagram to learn more.
Should You Climb Everest in Autumn?
Sam and Adrian connect for Episode 39 of the Duffel Shuffle Podcast to discuss the fall season in the Himalaya and, in particular, two athletes with specific objectives on Everest. With a break in guests for …
Show notes
Sam and Adrian connect for Episode 39 of the Duffel Shuffle Podcast to discuss the fall season in the Himalaya and, in particular, two athletes with specific objectives on Everest.
With a break in guests for the show, Sam and Adrian used this week's episode to catch up on a few items.
- Adrian is tuning in while attending the Black Diamond Athlete Summit, so we took the opportunity to learn more. Athlete Summit’s are a popular event among brands, but there’s not much info about them for the average consumer, so we use this opportunity to deep dive and learn more.
- With the Autumn season on Everest wrapping up, Sam and Adrian discuss the two special projects that took place this season; Tyler Andrews was unfortunately unsuccessful in two attempts to set the FKT on Everest while Andrzej Bargeil successfully submitted and skied off Everest, without supplemental oxygen, in his third attempt.
- Despite a tricky season with short weather window's other fall 8,000ers in the Himalaya, many commercial operators had success on Manaslu, with fewer successful on Cho Oyu due to fewer climbers for political reasons.
Upcoming, we’ll be launching a 7 episode series to deep-dive into all aspects of each of the seven summits. We’ll be following the format of Episode 36 “K2: The Savage Mountain” and unpacking all the important information about the tallest peaks on every continent. Stay tuned!
Follow our podcast on Instagram @duffelshufflepodcast where you can learn more about us and our guests. Visit our website at www.duffelshufflepodcast.com and join our mailing list. The Duffel Shuffle Podcast is supported by Alpenglow Expeditions, an internationally renowned mountain guide service based in Lake Tahoe, California. Visit www.alpenglowexpeditions.com or follow @alpenglowexpeditions on Instagram to learn more.
Outdoor Alliance: Conservation Powered by Outdoor Recreation
Outdoor Alliance is the only organization in the U.S. that unites the voices of outdoor enthusiasts to conserve public lands. They help ensure those lands are managed in a way that embraces the human-powered …
Show notes
Outdoor Alliance is the only organization in the U.S. that unites the voices of outdoor enthusiasts to conserve public lands. They help ensure those lands are managed in a way that embraces the human-powered experience.
Sam and Adrian host Adam Cramer, CEO of Outdoor Alliance, and Nicole Brown, Communications & Public Engagement Manager. Adam and Nicole's passion for the outdoors is clear, and their joy in representing and connecting human powered users is contagious.
- With the first public comment period on rescinding the Roadless Rule recently closing, Adam shares the importance of sharing your voice with your representatives.
- Nicole dives into some of the Outdoor Alliance's recent big wins, most notably the 10 year process of advocating for and working with policy makers to develop and pass the EXPLORE Act.
- With ongoing threats to our public lands, Adam and Nicole emphasize the importance of these protected areas, and what can be done to continue fighting for them.
Outdoor Alliance is a nonprofit coalition of national advocacy organizations that includes American Whitewater, American Canoe Association, Access Fund, International Mountain Bicycling Association, Winter Wildlands Alliance, the Mountaineers, the American Alpine Club, the Colorado Mountain Club, and the Surfrider Foundation. Visit www.outdooralliance.org for more information, or follow Outdoor Alliance on Instagram, Facebook, X or LinkedIn.
Follow our podcast on Instagram @duffelshufflepodcast where you can learn more about us and our guests. Visit our website at www.duffelshufflepodcast.com and join our mailing list. The Duffel Shuffle Podcast is supported by Alpenglow Expeditions, an internationally renowned mountain guide service based in Lake Tahoe, California. Visit www.alpenglowexpeditions.com or follow @alpenglowexpeditions on Instagram to learn more.
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