Enormocast 296: Barry Blanchard Live in Banff

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On Episode 296 of the Enormocast, we rebroadcast an interview that was recorded live at the Banff Mountain Film Festival with alpinist and Canadian legend, Barry Blanchard. Barry showed up at the Banff Centre at 9:45am and brought the fire and the wisdom of 50 years in the game. Barry’s feted exploits range from his home in the Canadian Rockies to the worldwide ranges of Alaska, Pakistan, India, Chamonix, the Andes, Patagonia and frankly, anywhere there are mountains to climb. During the one hour interview in front of a hometown crowd, we talk about the Rupal Face on Nanga Parbat, The North Pillar of North Twin, but more interestingly, we get into Barry’s motivations, indigenous roots, darker side, and lost partners. Finally, we preview Barry’s next book and hear the story of his rebirth after a more domestic accident nearly took his life. Just a fine hour of Barry Blanchard.

The BMFF World Tour

Spindrift: The Barry Blanchard Story

More Barry over at the Firn Line Podcast

Enormocast 263: Steve House – The Art of Alpinism

Photos clockwise: House, M. Thurk, M. Thurk, House
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On Episode 263 of the Enormocast, I sit down for a long overdue conversation with one of the greatest alpinists of all time, Steve House. Steve house spent 20 years riding the cutting edge of alpinism. His ascents of K7, The Rupal Face, and the Slovak Direct, among many more, represented a sea change in the world of highly technical big mountain climbing. But all that time strung out to the max took its toll, and finally an accident on Mount Temple in the Canadian Rockies signaled the beginning of the end for Steve’s climbing aspirations. Steve cowrote the lauded book Training for the New Alpinism and now heads Uphill Athlete and coaches aspiring mountaineers the world over. He is also a dad and husband. After all these years on the edge, Steve put the work in daily to keep life simple, free, and filled with love.