Ep. 1099: Alex Harz - The Culture of Everest

Originally aired, February 18, 2019.When Adrian’s wife thought it would be a good idea to learn how to Paraglide, she probably didn’t foresee that in a relatively short amount of time, her husband would be summiting and flying solo off volcanoes near their home in Mexico City.Obviously, Adrian took to the sport quickly and it gave him a completely different view of his other favorite hobby, climbing. But with their recent family addition of a little girl and limited time off work, Adrian needed a way to summit mountains over 18,000 feet and return home in the same day. This led him to sleeping in a hypoxic chamber to decrease the amount of time needed to acclimate to high elevation.  Talk about dedication to adventure. What’s your excuse?Instagram: @ponchoelpilotohttp://youtube.com/ponchoelpilotoSupport Adventure Sports Podcast monthly by going to Patreon.com/AdventureSportsPodcast or make a one-time donation to the show here. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/adventure-sports-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

21 Maalis 202444min

When Nicole finished climbing to the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro, she knew something had changed about her. Soon after, she left her corporate career in search of a new trail and challenge, one that had never been done before. She found that path at Appalachian Mountain Club, a 150-year-old organization whose purpose is to foster the protection, enjoyment, and understanding of the outdoors…and one that had never had a woman leader.You may know AMC through its world-class recreational network of professionally maintained trails and best-in-class outdoor program centers, lodges, cabins, camps, and campsites. From backcountry campsites to front country lodges to world-famous high mountain huts, AMC has had an undeniable impact on the understanding of and appreciation of the natural world for over a century. Learn more about AMC and Nicole at www.outdoors.orgSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/adventure-sports-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

18 Maalis 202449min

Originally aired March 27, 2017Whether you love to run or would never run, this show is inspiring and tons of fun. Todd Lewis takes us on a journey from nearly collapsing attempting a 5K run through years of falling in love with ultra-running and overcoming challenge after challenge to finally achieve his goal of completing a 100 mile race. This is the real deal, folks. Todd shares how you can overcome to achieve your dreams too. Thanks, Todd for a wonderful visit and for sharing your dreams with us!https://toddzillaruns.wordpress.com/Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/adventure-sports-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

14 Maalis 202448min

Today we’re hearing from Adventure Sports Podcast alumni, West Hanson. You may remember West from episode 581, when he kayaked the Amazon River from source to sea.This adventure is another world record: the first kayakers to complete the Northwest Passage in a single expedition. The 1,600-mile, 83-day (total of 105 days) paddle is the epitome of an epic adventure, making this episode an instant classic. West’s account of the sub-freezing expedition is wonderful. You’re going to love this one!West is a 61-year-old social worker in the mental health field for several decades. At age 46, he was invited to compete with friends in a raft race on the Amazon River in Iquitos. This was his first trip outside of the US and after 20 years racing ultramarathon canoes/kayaks, it sparked his interest in long-distance expeditions. He is the first to lead successful expeditions down the entire lengths of the Amazon and Volga Rivers.Learn more: www.westhansen.comSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/adventure-sports-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

11 Maalis 20241h 13min

Author Caroline Paul has always filled her life with adventure. Now in her late fifties, she expects this new stage of life to be every bit as invigorating and full of high adrenalin escapades as the last. But as she skateboards, paddles a SUP, or surfs in cold winter swell alongside many men her age, she sees fewer and fewer older women. Isn’t the outdoors a vital elixir? Shouldn’t adventure be something we pursue as we age?These are the questions Caroline Paul asks in her new book, Tough Brough. Among the interviews were 93-year-old hiker Dot Fisher-Smith, 80-year-old SCUBA diver Louise Wholey, 52-year-old BASE jumper Drew Brooks, and the many septuagenarian Wave Catchers, who boogie board together in the San Diego surf. These women aren’t famous. They aren’t experts. But their experiences offer important insight into our own physical and emotional health as we age.Caroline dives deep into the research on aging, but also accompanies older women on bird-watching outings, sea kayaking excursions, swim laps, and walks in the park, among other outdoor adventures, and begins to see her own future in a new and dazzling light. Combining scientific research, cultural studies, psychology, and personal stories, Tough Broad is a high-spirited call for women to embrace the outdoors, not back away from it, in our fifties, sixties, seventies and beyond.Caroline Paul is the author of the New York Times bestseller The Gutsy Girl: Escapades for Your Life of Epic Adventure and Lost Cat: A True Story of Love, Desperation, and GPS Technology, which has been translated into fifteen languages. She is also the author of the memoir Fighting Fire, the middle-grade book You Are Mighty: A Guide to Changing the World, and the novel East Wind, Rain. Her TED Talk, “To Raise Brave Girls, Encourage Adventure,” has been viewed over 2 million times. A longtime member of the Writers Grotto, she lives in San Francisco.You can get Tough Broad starting March 5, 2024 by following the link below: https://www.carolinepaul.com/tough-broadAdditional book link: https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/tough-broad-9781635576498/Website: https://www.carolinepaul.com/Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/adventure-sports-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

4 Maalis 20241h

Originally aired April 12, 2019.Kristin Knight Pace is one tough person. Not many people would go to Alaska during the winter, completely alone, to take care of a team of sled dogs to get over a recent divorce. However, that's exactly what she did. That toughness has also led her to become one of only 29 women to complete both the Iditarod and the Yukon Question 1000-mile sled dog races. Kristin is now remarried and has started a new journey, motherhood. She also works as a wilderness planner for Denali National Park and has recently written a book about her experiences, This Much Country. It can be found following the link below or pretty much anywhere else you buy books. We hope you enjoy listening to this life outside the box!The book: This Much CountryInstagram: @heymoosekennelSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/adventure-sports-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

1 Maalis 20241h 3min

When Craig and his buddy, Skip,  applied for the longest paddle race in the world in 2019, he had no idea how much that decision would change his life. Once selected, the realization that he had never done anything like this, had no real skills or talent in paddling, and knew nothing about adventure started flooding his mind. However Craig and Skip committed to giving it their best effort and put a plan together to train, learn, and go from never racing before to completing a fully self-supported 1,000-mile paddle through some of the most remote wilderness in North America. At 46 years young, Craig wanted to inspire others to push themselves and take on challenges that go beyond their comfort zone. When I applied for the Yukon 1000 in 2019 I had not taken part in any feat of endurance.  Learn more about Craig:instagram.com/craigsawyer77instagram.com/thesupcoachwww.abovesixsix.co.ukhttps://www.theshac.co.uk/instagram.com/thesurreyhillsadventurecompany/Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/adventure-sports-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

28 Helmi 20241h 30min

Originally aired November 30, 2015.Roman Dial has been exploring Alaska, America's greatest last frontier, for more that 20 years. Listen in as Roman relates exciting stories about his exploits: packrafting, ice skating over 100 miles, backpacking more than 600 miles self-supported without resupply--all in America's most vast landscapes.Don't forget to enter our contest to win a lift ticket!http://packrafting.blogspot.com/https://www.youtube.com/user/romandialhttps://www.alaskapacific.edu/people/roman-dial/Also, you can support The Adventure Sports Podcast monthly by going to Patreon.com/AdventureSportsPodcast or make a one-time donation to the show here. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/adventure-sports-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

22 Helmi 202449min