Episode 103: Stacy Bare- All We Need is Love, Climbing.

Photos: Abazar Khayemi

On Episode 103, I sit down with dad, husband, climber, skier, and Iraq War vet, Stacy Bare. Stacy is fresh off a trip to Angola with Alex Honnold, but he wants you to know that he’s really not a very good climber. Not good at all. So why did Honnold agree to go to Angola with him? Because he asked. Stacy found climbing while dancing on the edge of the void with booze, cocaine, and thoughts of suicide. The focus of climbing and the community around it brought him back from that edge, and his wife and child, Wilder, have kept him on stable footing ever since. Also, his day job leading kids, veterans, and so many others in the outdoors helps his stoke immensely. Oh, and lets talk about clearing landmines by hand while we’re at it.

Veteran Outreach at Sierra Club Outdoors

Stacy’s old job clearing ordinance with the Halo Trust

 

Episode 44: Joshua Brandon alive and well in the mountains.

Veterans Dan Wiwczar, Derek Quintanilla, and Joshua Brandon on the summit of Mt. Olympus in Washington State.
Veterans Dan Wiwczar, Derek Quintanilla, and Joshua Brandon on the summit of Mt. Olympus in Washington State. Click to see trip report.

On Episode 44 of the Enormocast, a chance meeting leads to an enlightening interview with Iraq war vet Joshua Brandon. Josh explains how struggles with PTSD led him to finding solace in the mountains and climbing (turns out that mountaineering has many of the thrills of combat but without the guys shooting at you). He explains his mission with the Sierra Club to help his brothers and sisters in the military find an outlet in the mountains, and what its like to try to get the Department of Defense to hug a few trees.

Sierra Club: Mission Outdoors

Sierra Club: Military Families and Veterans Intitiative

Josh’s buddy Stacy Bare on the Dirtbag Diaries