Stories: Podcast
Mountain adventures create the best stories, and we want to share some of ours with you. Dive into Alpenglow Stories to stay up to date on expeditions in the field, read blogs, and get tips and tricks from guides.
Podcast Series: 7 Summits Episode 10–Everest with Adrian Ballinger & Mike Hamill Interview
Discover key facts about Mount Everest, the highest peak in the world at 29,031 feet. Learn about its growth due to tectonic activity, extreme jetstream winds, and the evolving history of summits and fatalities through January 2024.
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Episode 21 with Nick Russell: A Splitboarder’s Soul with an Alpinist’s Drive
Nick Russell has been exploring the world by snowboard for more than a decade now. What started as a career competing has transitioned to strictly human powered exploration to some of the worlds highest peaks. Nick’s drive comes from being truly passionate about riding his snowboard, and loves travel and exploration just as much as a day in Truckee riding with friends.
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Episode 20 with Michelle Parker: Not Your Average Professional Skier
Michelle Parker has been a professional skier since she was 15 years old. Now, more than 2 decades later, Michelle is so much more than your every day professional skier (or athlete for that matter). From mentoring younger athletes to excelling at other off-season sports, Michelle’s impact on the sport and the people around her is admirable.
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Episode 19: The Business of a Professional Mountain Athlete
Sam and Adrian discuss Adrian’s trajectory as a sponsored athlete, from when he got his first support from La Sportiva in a free pair of shoes, to now where he’s supported by multiple large brands such as Black Diamond, La Sportiva, and others. Adrian shares a bit about what his job duties entail, and how he’s structured his support, with a clothing brand typically anchoring his support.
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Episode 18 with Tommy Caldwell: Yosemite Comfort or Expedition Sufferfest
Yosemite Valley legend Tommy Caldwell joins Sam and Adrian on Episode 18 of the Duffel Shuffle Podcast. Tommy talks about this season in Yosemite Valley, and why moving his family to South Lake Tahoe has changed how he’s able to climb in the valley. He also talks about his recent film, The Devil’s Climb, which covers his recent trip to climb the Devils Thumb in Alaska with Alex Honnold. Tommy admits that his true passion in climbing is the sufferfest expeditions, but really he just loves climbing regardless of what it entails.
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The Duffel Shuffle Podcast is Growing!
Sam and Adrian catch up on their plans and what schedules look like as they head into winter. After the break, the two reflect on the podcast to-date, and share some exciting updates for future episodes. Moving forward, episodes will launch Wednesday’s and be available in the early morning hours. Starting with episode 18, an editor will give The Duffel Shuffle a fresh sound, and future guests like Tommy Caldwell, Michelle Parker and Nick Russel will be joining in.
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Episode 13 with David Morton: A Life Beyond Everest
In Episode 13, Adrian and Sam sit down with David Morton. Dave is a freelance climbing and expedition guide, photographer/videographer, filmmaker, speaker-presenter, and founder of The Juniper Fund. In this episode, Dave talks about his life as a mountain guide on the worlds tallest peaks, including 10 Mt Everest Expeditions. He also shares information on his foundation, The Juniper Fund, which supports and empowers families and communities impacted by the loss of Himalayan high-altitude workers. Join us for our conversation with Dave.
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Episode 11: The Adventure Addicts – The Importance of Authenticity
Sam and Adrian sit down with Zoe and Kelby of The Adventure Addicts. These two have built a career as influencers, and they share a bit about their path, their jobs and their passions. The episode dives into the significant role influencers play in the outdoor industry, and the importance of remaining authentic. Their channel, @the_adventureaddicts on Instagram, has amassed nearly 500,000 followers, including a loyal 10 who just joined Zoe and Kelby on an Alpenglow Expeditions trip to Ecuador.
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Episode 10: Alex Honnold, Professional Climber
Alex Honnold makes a special appearance on The Duffel Shuffle Podcast. Sam and Adrian chat with Alex about his motivations in climbing, why he’s decided high altitude climbing isn’t for him, and what his future goals are now that he’s a father to two.
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Episode 09: Emily Harrington – The Olympic Dream
Emily Harrington joins Sam and Adrian to talk all things Olympics. Emily, who herself participated in an exhibition event in 2006 at the Winter Olympics, has followed the growth and expansion of competition climbing for more than 2 decades. From the early days of the World Cup circuit in which Emily competed to the addition of climbing in the Olympics in which Emily has followed as a fan, competition climbing is exploding in popularity. Emily’s perspective as an athlete provides invaluable insight into the sport.
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