Tag: Alpine Climbing

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Episode 129: Steve Swenson – Almost an Astronaut.

On Episode 129 of the Enormocast, I sit down with consummate alpinist, Steve Swensen. Steve’s career in the big mountains has spanned decades. As a kid, Steve dreamed of flying to the stars as an Apollo astronaut, but he chose to climb as close to space as possible instead. While he has climbed worldwide, his most memorable and mesmerizing locale is the Karakorum on the borders of Pakistan, China, and India. In his new book Karakorum: Climbing through the Kashmir Conflict, Steve recounts his years exploring the mountains of this formerly closed region and falling in love with its people but also watching the waves of conflict ebb and flow in the surrounding lands. Steve spent 40 years balancing on the three pillars of his radical life: climbing, career, and family, and somehow he is as stoked as ever to be in the mountains and pushing his mind and body to the highest reaches of the Earth.

Karakorum: Climbing through the Kashmir Conflict

 

 

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Episode 127: Erik Weihenmayer – Learning by Letting Go.

On Episode 27 of the Enormocast, I sit down with blind adventurer Erik Weihenmayer. Erik found climbing just in time to save him from a miserable existence in the dark safe place where taking chances and adventure are out of the question. Instead, Erik learned to push against his boundaries and seek fearful situations to help him grow. Giving in to his blindness instead of fighting it was the ironic catalyst to a life of adventure that has taken Erik to the top of Denali, Everest, and countless other ice, rock, and snow climbs. Not satisfied with just climbing, Erik also learned to kayak and descended the entire Grand Canyon. Erik has learned to let go of the forces he can’t control and achieve a certain flow in the river of life. And did I mention that he can’t see a damn thing? And climbs 5.11 and kayaks class 5? WTF?

No Barriers organization

Erik’s Website

 

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Episode 123: Kitty Calhoun – The Mountains are Calling.

On Episode 123 of the Enormocast, I it down in Cody, Wyoming at the Cody Ice Fest with alpinist Kitty Calhoun. Kitty grew up in “society” in South Carolina, but quickly learned to live simply and love the mountains. The late 70s found her bumbling up ice climbs in Vermont and dreaming of big peaks. By the 80s and 90s, Kitty was guiding worldwide and mounting small expeditions to climb gnarly peaks like Makalu in Nepal. After raising a boy and a stint away from big mountains, Kitty is back in the saddle for expedition climbing. She’s also thrown her hat in the ring as part owner of Chicks With Picks, where she tries to teach women climbers to be just as determined and capable as herself.

Kitty’s Ted Talk

 

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