The 29029 Podcast

At 29029 legends aren’t born—they’re forged.The red carpet on a final summit does not make you a legend, your journey becomes legendary when you continually show up, time and time again, facing struggle, fatigue, and doubt—You become a legend when you KEEP CLIMBING. In this episode, we celebrate three individuals who have become legends in their own right. Each of them has faced what some would call failure. Each of them has had to look at them selves and ask “why….why am I still here….why I am still doing this”.  They didn’t earn a red hat after one event, not even two events…….each committed to their Everest multiple times before reaching the ultimate goal. What sets them apart has nothing to do with talent or luck—it’s grit, determination, and an unwavering drive when faced with the seemingly impossible. We call them LEGENDS because they embody the heart of 29029. Their stories are proof that greatness isn’t given—it’s earned.So get ready to be inspired, challenged, and reminded that the climb, no matter how steep, is always worth the struggle. 

NEW EPISODES ARE BACK! The finish line isn't always what you dream it will be. It can be life-changing or it can be a lonely road. Are you good enough?Are you fast enough?What are you trying to prove out there? Does a finish line really define you or your life? Eric Recker experienced too many of those fickle finish lines in his life. He wanted more. He needed more. A reel showed up in Eric's social media feed - 29029 Everesting Do you have what it takes? - and a journey of self-discovery and purpose ensued. Subscribe to the 29029 Podcast for more inspiring content.Learn more about 29029 Events and our community HERE.

In 2022, from the outside looking in you might think Vija Williams had it all. A successful real estate career that wasn’t just growing but thriving.  A beautiful family.  Dreams that were coming true.  But what wasn’t true is that narrative. Vija’s weight had skyrocketed to over 235 pounds. Her health wasn’t what it use to be. It was like she didn’t notice what was happening and maintained a skewed view of who she was and what she could accomplish. She signed up for not one, but two marathons that fall. When she brushed off her training, her coach told her she had an “Upper Limit problem”.  This concept of an “Upper Limit Problem” comes from a book, Big Leap by Gae Hendrick. It’s the idea that people set internal limits on how much success, happiness, and love they deserve. When you experience something great, like a promotion or a financial windfall, (or a blossoming real estate career) you subconsciously invite negative thoughts to bring yourself back down to a more comfortable level of happiness. At Vija’s first marathon in Patagonia she made it just over half way before being pulled off the course.  A few months later in New York City and only 100 yards from where her daughter stood cheering for her mom from the sidelines, Vija hid herself and walked off the course.  Something had to change. Vija had to change.   Subscribe to the 29029 Podcast for more inspiring content. Learn more about 29029 Events and our community HERE

Ken Rideout grew up in the inner city of Boston surrounded by drug addicts and criminals. Today he is a husband, dad of 4, former Wall St. trader and a former opioid addict. Through perseverance and mindset Ken has transformed himself into, the best marathon runner in the world over the age of 50. Since getting sober in 2010, Ken has won races all over the world, from 5Ks to ultra-marathons. In 2023 he won the Age Group (50-54) at the Marathon World Championships in Chicago, finishing in a blistering 2:29:08. Also in 2023, Ken competed and won his first ultra-marathon, The Gobi March, a 155-mile, self-supported, 6-day stage race across the Gobi Desert in Mongolia. In 2024 Ken climbed 29029 Whistler. We couldn’t get enough of his refreshing no-holds-bar mindset and invited him to speak at the inaugural TRAIL Tahoe. To learn more about Ken Rideout follow him HERE 

What is 29029 TRAIL? Is it like a 29029 mountain event or totally different?  If you haven’t yet, we encourage you to pause right here and go back to Part 1 of this episode with Abe Abich.  It’s important that you know how we got to TRAIL with these two brothers and their close friend Jay.  Since an invitation was made by the legendary Thomas Zebley back in 2022 the effect that first mountain experience had on Abe rippled through this crew and now they found themselves at the Ritz-Carlton Lake Tahoe at NorthStar ready to take on 3 mountain marathons in 3 days.  That’s 80 plus miles not just up, but up and down and around this iconic resort.  Oh….and Jay invited his wife Sarah this time.  They were all in for a life-changing experience, once again, led by the infamous Thomas Zebley.  Watch out because you might just fall in love with a different kind of challenge and magic the 29029 community created in October 2024.     

You’ve probably thrown a small stone into a still pond before.  The small rock breaks the glassy water into ripples that reach out from the rocks entry point seemingly forever if uninterrupted.  This ripple effect in nature is the perfect example of what happens within the community at 29029.  Thomas Zebley is a 29029 original, a legend on the mountain.  He has climbed and finished 12 mountains since 2018.  But you don’t reach legendary status in this world showing your own strength and endurance.  The legend of Zebley is less about his red hat collection and more about the impact those red hats have had within his circle of influence.  It would be hard to put a number to how many 29029 participant’s journeys began because of an invite from Thomas Zebley.  He’s kind of like Kevin Bacon that way.  If he didn’t talk you into climbing, someone he talked into climbing, talked you into climbing. The ripple effect.  It’s real!  This episode isn’t about Thomas Zebley….but it did start with him. This is about Abe Abich.  Abe said YES to Thomas Zebley’s invitation to climb Snowbasin 22.  That climb was the stone thrown into another pond and the ripples started again.  In 2023 Abe would be joined by his brother Josh and close friend Jay at Whistler.  In 2024 they have plans to complete 3 trail marathons in 3 days, 29029-style. Let’s go back to the original ripple, Snowbasin 22 and let Abe, Josh and Jay tell you their stories.   Subscribe for more inspiring content from our 29029 community. Find out more about 29029 Everesting HERE

Every episode we start by asking “What’s your Everest?” or your biggest goal or challenge in life.  BUT there is another question that lies beyond the pronouncement of a goal or something you want to accomplish and it’s a bit more complex. Why? Why do you want to challenge yourself? Why do you want to sacrifice time and money? Why is THIS so important?  Why? I was scrolling through my instagram feed the other day and came across this post by 29029 alumni, LeAnne Rodriguez.  *************** I was struggling with my WHY the other day. 🤍 You know the “why are you climbing again?”🤍 I used to laugh and say it’s my drug. 🤍 But last week I made a promise to myself that I would stop joking to hide the pain. 🤍 Why do I want to be back on that mountain every year? 🤍 Because on that mountain … -no one cares about my past -no one is gossiping -EVERYONE is cheering each other on every step -your mountain friends will love you FOREVER. -there’s no snide remarks or jealousy on that mountain. We are all in awe of each other. -no one really cares what you do for work. They just want to know why you are on the mountain. -the mountain makes you realize that you are amazing all by yourself -the mountain stories will be ones you cherish forever So the next time you wonder why someone is doing something make sure you are also truly wanting to know. 🤍 Find your mountain my friends. ***************** I had watched LeAnne climb Snowbasin and then Jackson Hole and knew I would see her again in Sun Valley this season.  She always radiated light and hope, but I knew there was something behind her words in this post.  I wanted to know more. I wanted to know Why?  Every mountain has a beginning, so let’s start there…… Find out more about 29029 Everesting events and our incredible COMMUNITY by clicking the links. Subscribe & follow for more inspiring content

The boxer Mike Tyson once said “Everyone has a plan until you’re punched in the mouth” This feels like a truth we all understand; that things in this life are not going to unfold the way we want or expect them to.  They never have and they never will. Yet, we go around creating our perfect plans and end up shocked and disappointed when our plans fail.  On the mountain we know how many laps we need to do before lunch, what we will wear to start and the intervals at which we will change our socks and eat our meals.  We know how long we will sleep and ride the gondola.  We plan for showers and slow downs overnight.  We’ve seen spreadsheets and laminated cards laying out minute-by-minute all 36 hours.  Then the airhorn sounds and we start climbing. Noah Pines was a 3x alumni trying his hand at the newest mountain in the 29029 fleet - Jackson Hole 2023.  He had 3 hats on his shelf back home and now he wore a black bib on his back.  At 6am on Friday morning he began to work his plan to pull on his 4th red hat.   No one ever plans to get punched in the mouth……except for if you are MIke Tyson.....Noah sure didn’t until it happened.   What do you do when nothing goes to plan?  What happens when you are faced with a choice that you never imagined you would face on the mountain? What of your goals?  Your success?  What if you can’t reach Everest?   No one likes to talk about it, but we are going to talk about it in this episode.

Sometimes the world feels so big and overwhelming.  There are so many people in so many places with so many opinions, values and path. ......But something happens on the mountains and the trails, on long bike rides and over monotonous hours of endurance training. There’s something within endurance sport that acts like a binding agent reaching across borders and cultures, filling in the gaps of humanity until we all seem to be a bit more similar…….because aren’t we all simply people, who strive to be the best versions of ourselves? Hannah Waters first climbed 29029 at Whistler in 2022.  She showed up alone and left with a red hat and 4 new friends.  Those friends met again on the mountain at Jackson Hole in 2023.  Hannah had flown across the world to Jackson Hole from her home in Saudi Arabia, the flight taking almost as long as it would take her to earn her second red hat.  Four friends grew to 5 on that mountain and Hannah added another dot to her global map showing how sport connected her no matter where she traveled.   There is no doubt when you watch Hannah that she is an athlete. Endurance sport is as big a part of her life as her career. She doesn’t train to win.  She isn’t gunning for the top spot (though you will most likely find her there).  Hannah loves the process of endurance sport. She loves the community.  Sport makes her feel like she’s a part of something no matter where in the world her life has taken her……and it’s taken her on quite a ride!  Subscribe and don't miss an episode! Want even more stories? FIND THEM HERE

The mountain has a way of checking our soul, of challenging us on multiple levels all at once.   We met David Allen at Snowbasin this year.  He was strong, fit and capable, a gym owner, former athlete and powerlifter..  He always smiled when we referred to him as “Dr. David Allen” when he would return to the base of the mountain to brand his board.  (Sidenote: David’s not a “doctor” but his name sure made us think of one from a daytime soap opera.) At the Ascent Board, we see participants multiple times.  At Snowbasin, participants come through the base as many as 13 times in their quest to conquer Everest.   We didn’t think much of “Dr. David Allen” other than a guy with a great smile going home with a red hat on his head……until Colleen received a DM from him the following Tuesday……David wanted to connect with Coach Derek who had helped him on the mountain.  Colleen asked him how he was feeling and made a “Doctor” joke……..His response took her back….He said……"My body feels fine, I’m a little sore but not any more than a normal workout.  Emotionally I’m completely wrecked.” David had been invited by a friend to take on what he thought would be the physical challenge of climbing 29,029 feet.  He was shocked to find himself emotionally torn open by the experience and really wasn’t prepared on where to go from there.   Listen and subscribe for more inspiring content from our 29029 Community. Learn more about 29029 Everest events https://29029everesting.com/https://29029everesting.com/.

Editor's Note: We aren't just talking about climbing 29,029 at one of our 6 - 29029 mountain events (though we are going to do that too)......We are talking about THE REAL MOUNT EVEREST! Enjoy! ********* Let’s talk about your dreams and ambitions……I know you have some!  Maybe they are in the form of a bucket list item that you want to check off before you leave this life behind.  Maybe they seem unattainable but for some reason you still can’t get them out of your head.  What if you actually got off the couch and started making those dreams happen?  Where would you start?  How would you get there?  Would people support you?  What would it feel like to look back and realize you made that dream a reality.  Grace Lee was tiny and mighty when she showed up to 29029 Stratton in 2021.  She had an easy smile and a giggle and a wide-eyed wonder for the challenge in front of her.  Little did any of us know that just a year earlier, Grace was sitting on her couch when she decided she was going to climb the Seven highest summits on the seven continents of the world.  She had watched a documentary….she was inspired. Oh, but Grace isn’t a mountaineer.  She didn’t ever go to the gym or play sports. She disliked the cold, camping and heights.     Grace is literally working herself from the couch to Everest.  What is it going to take?  Who will support her?  How is she going to make this dream a reality?  You’re about to find out, but watch out Grace’s dreams are contagious….. Subscribe & Follow for More Inspiring Content Learn More about 29029 Everesting HERE

If I can climb 29,029 feet in 36 hours, with very little sleep and live to tell the tale…..What else can I do?  If you are signed up for 29029 get ready to ask yourself this question when you get home from the mountain.  It’s inevitable.  Doing hard things is a key that unlocks future potential.  We gain a great perspective of what might be possible when we take on the seemingly impossible and find success.  The tale we have to tell you today didn’t actually start on the mountain, but the mountain was pivotal in setting the course for this adventure.   Ben Towill and Charlie Layton have a close relationship.  They are friends and business partners, but this test had nothing to do with business and everything to do with rowing a two-man boat thousands of miles from the Canary Islands across the Atlantic to the tiny Western Caribbean Island of Antigua.   It’s probably important to note that Ben isn’t a rower, neither is Charlie.  They jumped feet first into a challenge that most people would say they had no business even attempting.   Not to spoil the ending, but they make it and pull out of port wearing a 29029 RED hat!   So let’s go back to that red hat, the first one Ben earned in Snowbasin 2021, when Ben and Charlie were still testing their relationship.   Subscribe & Follow for More Inspiring Content Learn More about 29029 Everesting HERE

Have you ever watched a great athlete perform?  They can look flawless.  Light on their feet.  Perfect form.  They make everything look effortless.  Whether it's at 29029 or another endurance event it’s easy to see the “front of the pack” and think “how can this be so easy for them”.....”and why isn’t it that easy for me” I’m not sure what it is that makes us think that those who are winning the races and climbing in front of us are somehow having an easier time.  No matter your ability, everyone is covering the same distance and even the best of us have underlying struggles, not visible to the outside world, that threaten to derail our performance.  Amber Conlin was the first woman to find her Everest at Snowbasin #2 in 2022.  She was fast and fit, completing 29,029 feet of climbing and 30 miles of distance just after midnight 19 hours after beginning the challenge.  If you were standing at the summit in those dark, early morning hours, you would have seen a mom being greeted by her 4 children, her husband Tyler and her in-laws.  All of them beaming and overflowing with pride.  But this 29029 finish was not the only Everest Amber climbed on her way to this point. We may not always know the battles and challenges that rage on the other side of a smiling face and a brilliant performance, but as we dig below the surface what we uncover can teach us things for our own journey.  Amber can teach us what true happiness is and how she finally found it……not on the mountain…….but within herself!  

American Entrepreneur and Author Jim Rohn is often credited with the saying “You are the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with.”  So look around.  Who’s in your circle? Are the people you are spending the most time with people who you look up to; people who you want to be like? Alvaro Nunez is one of those people you want in your circle.  Beyond his incredible success in business, he is always seeking to live his life to the fullest.  He’s waded through the challenges of growing up an emigrant to this country.  He worked his way through undergraduate school as a janitor.  He had to reset his mind every time life threatened to derail his plans.  Through it all Alvaro developed a mindset that turns his challenges into his super power.  It will come as no surprise that Alvaro seeks to have relationships with people he wants to be like.  That’s pretty much how he ended up at 29029 because Alvaro followed the many expeditions and adventures of Colin O’Brady and he got curious.  Then Alvaro found out that Colin was going to be in Miami…….Of course, he invited him to go skydiving. Want to hear more stories from Alvaro and learn to Level Up your own life? Read his book LEVEL UP Learn more about 29029 events HERE

We don’t know about you, but we just can’t get enough of Joannie Rich! If you haven’t, go back and listen to episode 41 so you can meet Joannie and get a glimpse of why she owns 13 red hats and plans to keep climbing.  Joannie is a wealth of knowledge not only on the mountain but at home too.  She is generous with her time taking calls and answering messages from participants in our community.  It’s part of what makes her such a legend.  While we had Joannie in the podcast hot seat, we figured it was a great time to get some answers to those questions everyone is always asking her. Enjoy a little bonus episode with Joannie Rich.   Find out more about 29029 Everesting HERE

When most people sign up for 29029 they get used to being asked “but Why?” Why in the world would you want to climb the same mountain for 36 hours? Why would you want to put yourself through that? Why would you climb in the rain, the sun, the dark, the snow? Why would you dedicate so much of your time to earn a red hat?  Joannie Rich has been asked “why” more times than she can remember.  That’s probably because she was the first 29029 participant in 2021 to wear a black bib, signifying that she had completed 3 previous events.  She didn’t stop there, not even close.  Joannie went on to become the first participant to earn the designation of “10-time finisher” in 2023.  Remember, when the co-founders started 29029, they didn’t even know if people would come back more than once.  To date, Joannie has come back 13 times, climbed every single mountain we’ve offered and has never gone home without a red hat.  Whether she likes it or not Joannie has become a legend on the mountain. She’s fun-sized and fierce and always has the perfect outfit for her final lap of the weekend.  29029 wouldn’t be the same without her and with this little peek behind the curtain you’ll realize why Joannie’s answer to why is usually “why not!”  Like and subscribe for more inspiring episodes. Learn more about 29029 Everesting

Beginning in 2017, we have had a front-row seat to 1000s of individuals who have found their way to their own personal Everests while climbing 29029.  We can share story after story of participants who found a bigger and better version of themselves in 20 weeks of training and over those 36 hours struggling up the slopes of a mountain.  It’s inspiring to see people literally transform before your eyes into more than they ever thought they could be.   Over the past few seasons we’ve seen the reasons why people choose to climb, broaden and expand.  While self-mastery is still a big motivator to take on the challenge of climbing 29,029ft, participants are showing up for far greater reasons than just themselves. We’ve seen people raise 100s of thousands of dollars for charitable foundations and personal causes.  The impact of their 29029 experience rippling throughout their communities and the world.   Participants are using their own physical and mental strength not just to change themselves but to motivate all of us to step up to the challenge of creating a better world.   Dayna Boshard came to the mountain from a small town in Southern Utah with a big purpose.  Her goal was to help children and families who lived, literally, in the shadow of Mt. Everest. Her climb would benefit their daily climb…. She had seen the faces of the Nepalese children struggling for basic skills and opportunity.  They hadn’t signed up for the mountain they were asked to climb every day of their lives.  But Dayna did and she was able to use 29029 to build something life-changing in a country she’s never stopped foot in.    Eternal Hope International

It's 5:30pm on a Saturday in mid August 2019. 250 individuals have used the preceding 35 and 1/2 hours to test themselves on the slopes at Snowbasin Resort, Utah. Each attempting to complete 29,029 feet of vertical gain or mimicking the vertical accumulation of climbing from sea level to the top of Mt. Everest. Though the event technically has another 30 minutes until its official 36-hour cut off time, most participants are back at their tents, showered, eating dinner and many are sporting new red hats. They completed the event. But the mountain is far from empty. There is still one participant on that mountain. He left the base aid station just over 15 minutes ago and is attempting to complete his fastest lap of the last 36 hours before that clock rolls over to 6:00 pm and his time is up. He is not alone. Flanked by volunteers, 29029 staff, friends and colleagues, 29029 Co-Founder Marc Hodulich and Head Coach Brent Pease if he's going to make it, he is going to have to run. What transpires in the next 30 minutes has become legend in the 29029 Community. Even those who weren't there know this story and are heard asking, "Did you hear about that guy in Snowbasin 2019? What was his name?"  His name is Kyle McClung and this is his 29029 Story! Subscribe and never miss an episode! Read more stories of inspiring people Want to find your Everest? JOIN US

In 2021, Colleen, the host and emcee for the 29029 events, stepped off her flight to Albany, New York on the way to Stratton Mountain for another epic weekend.  As she made her way down to baggage claim without realizing that two sets of eyes were following her gray 29029 hoodie down the escalator.    The owners of those eyeballs soon found some courage asked her if she was, in fact, Colleen "The Voice of the Mountain" at 29029.  They introduced themselves as Joe Curtain and Mario Minnaert.    At that moment a friendship was forged, a selfie was taken and the first of many jokes about Mario’s choice in luggage….it was a full-fledged lady-bag you’ve seen your grandma using.....began.  Colleen watched Joe and Mario conquer their Everests at Stratton that year and then watched Mario take the mountain and continue to climb.   Whether with his coaching business, his new podcast or the 100 mile race he would go on to complete….The lessons of the mountain went with Mario when he flew back home and they should remain with us too! The powerful experiences that 29029 creates for participants, volunteers and even spectators are ones that can help propel each of us up the next mountain we will face.......because we all know there are always more mountains to climb. Don't miss an episode of the 29029 Podcast.  Click to subscribe.  Want more inspirational stories from the mountain.  Find them here.  

Most 80 year old men you find sitting comfortably in a recliner surrounded by their grandchildren telling stories of adventures long past.   Jim Fisher is not one of those 80 year old men.  Jim is still seeking adventures, still climbing mountains and still living his life to the fullest.   In 2021, 29029 Alumni Chuck Fisher invited his parents to climb with him in Snowbasin that year.  Jim and Mary Fisher were 78 almost 79 years old when they pressed that red registration button.   Jim was an instant celebrity on the mountain.  He was the source of a new kind of inspiration in our community.  Jim was almost 80 years old but Jim was climbing.  He didn’t complain.  He didn’t stop.  We all watched in awe as he chatted and smiled his way step after step up and down those slopes.  2021 Snowbasin was a challenge for many reasons for Jim and when he left without a red hat a new fire burned inside of him.  He had to come back.  He needed to find his Everest.   And oh did he come back…….. In June 2022 at the start of our 29029 event season, we invited Jim to speak to our community on a special zoom call.  Jim’s message and motivation is just too good not to share with the world.  We hope you are as inspired as we are by Jim Fisher.  We hope his message resonates to help you keep climbing your own mountains and seeking out new summits whenever you can….regardless of the birthday you are celebrating this year!   LEARN MORE ABOUT 29029 HERE Follow & subscribe for more inspiring stories!