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.

Everest Coverage: Icefall Holdup and South Side Action
With the 2026 Everest season officially underway, Sam and Adrian kick off what will be four consecutive episodes of armchair mountaineering — a first for Adrian, who for most of the last two decades has been on the mountain rather than watching from home. It’s a unique vantage point, and one he’s leaning into fully.
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Episode 51: Will This Season on Everest’s South Side Be the Busiest Yet?
With the 2026 Everest season just around the corner, Sam and Adrian sit down to preview what’s shaping up to be one of the most consequential years in the mountain’s modern climbing history.
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Episode 49: How David Goettler’s Introduction to Alpine Climbing Defined His Style for Decades at the Top
David Goettler has been a professional alpinist for nearly 3 decades, and part of The North Face athlete team his entire career. With a focus on classical alpine style climbing on the highest peaks of the world, David has set out on a quest to climb in the way that suits him.
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Episode 48: Duffel Shuffle 2025 Wrap and 2026 Preview
Episode 48: Duffel Shuffle 2025 Wrap and 2026 Preview
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Mt. Everest – The Tallest Mountain on the Planet
Sam and Adrian wrap up the Seven Summits Series with none other than Mt. Everest. At 29,032′ above sea level, Mt Everest is much taller than any of the other seven summits, and its history, notoriety and reputation speaks for itself.
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Carstensz Pyramid: The Rock Climber’s Peak
The sixth in our series on the Seven Summits, Carstensz Pyramid, is the tallest peak within Oceania. While some Seven Summits lists include Mount Kosciuszko in Australia, most modern lists acknowledge Carstensz Pyramid due to its higher altitude and increased technical challenge. Locally known as Puncak Jaya, the peak sits at 4,884m or 16,024 feet above sea level, on the island of New Guinea.
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Episode 44: Kilimanjaro – The Roof of Africa
Our next episode in the Seven Summits series takes us to Africa, and we’re talking about Mount Kilimanjaro. What is arguably the most culturally enriching experience of all of the Seven Summits, Kili is the most accessible of the tallest peaks on each continent.
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Episode 43: Mt. Elbrus – Vodka and Altitude
Episode 3 of the Seven Summits Series takes us to the tallest point in Europe, Mount Elbrus. With first ascents on each of the two summits both occurring in the 1800’s, Elbrus’ history is both lengthy and, at times, entertaining.
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Episode 42: Denali – The High One
Our second episode in the Seven Summits Series centers on Denali. An Athabaskan word meaning “the high one,” Denali is the tallest peak in North America, sitting at 20,310′. Measured from its base to its summit, Denali has a larger vertical rise than Everest, making it the tallest land-based mountain on Earth by that measurement.
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