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. Sam and Adrian dive into some of the unique characteristics of Denali. Despite being only climbed once between the two of them (Adrian in the early 2000s), countless...
The Duffel Shuffle podcast is kicking off a 7-episode series, covering all things Seven Summits. Popularized and first completed by Dick Bass, the 7 Summits List comprises the tallest mountain on each of the 7 continents of the world. These include, in order of height, Everest (Asia), Aconcagua (S. America), Denali (N. America), Kilimanjaro (Africa), Mount Elbrus (Europe), and Australia/Oceania (Mount Kosciuszko/Puncak Jaya). Adrian and Sam start with Aconcagua, the tallest mountain out...
Together, Christina "Lusti" Lustenberger and Guillaume "Gee" Pierrel have teamed up for some of the most notable and impressive first descents in recent years. Lusti is an Association of Canadian Mountain Guides (ACMG) Ski Guide and professional skier. A career that started with alpine ski racing took Lusti all the way to the Olympics, but more than five knee surgeries later, a career pivot has taken her to ski some of the most impressive and challenging lines around the world. Ge...
Sam and Adrian connect for Episode 39 of the Duffel Shuffle Podcast to discuss the fall season in the Himalaya and, in particular, two athletes with specific objectives on Everest. With a break in guests for the show, Sam and Adrian used this week's episode to catch up on a few items. - Adrian is tuning in while attending the Black Diamond Athlete Summit, so we took the opportunity to learn more. Athlete Summit’s are a popular event among brands, but there’s not much info about them for...
Outdoor Alliance is the only organization in the U.S. that unites the voices of outdoor enthusiasts to conserve public lands. They help ensure those lands are managed in a way that embraces the human-powered experience. Sam and Adrian host Adam Cramer, CEO of Outdoor Alliance, and Nicole Brown, Communications & Public Engagement Manager. Adam and Nicole's passion for the outdoors is clear, and their joy in representing and connecting human powered users is contagious. - With t...
Sam and Adrian are joined on Episode 37 by Amie Engerbretson, a Tahoe local who shares her non-traditional path to becoming a professional skier. One could say being a skier is in Amie's blood, or you could argue that the career found her, but nonetheless, Amie has been a staple in magazine's and movies for more than a decade. Amie was born and raised in Tahoe, and as the daughter of a professional skier, she was surrounded by the industry from the very start. As Amie grew up, she pursu...
George Bell, a climber on the 1953 American Expedition to K2 said "It's a savage mountain that tries to kill you." Nearly than 75 years later, the reputation is intact. Adrian successfully climbed K2, without supplemental oxygen, in 2019, doubling down on his no o2 ascent of Everest in 2017. With decades of experience climbing and guiding clients throughout the Himalaya, Adrian has spent little time in the Karakoram, and has only climbed K2 once. Following the 2025 K2 climbing season, Sam an...
In the latest episode of the Duffle Shuffle, Adrian and Sam dive into the details of Emily Harrington’s soon-to-be-released feature-length film “Girl Climber”. Emily Harrington is a pro climber, a proud mother, and also happens to be Adrian’s wife. Emily is one of the best mountain athletes on the planet, having free climbed El Cap in a day, summited Mount Everest, skied an 8,000m peak, and climbed 5.14b. Emily’s new film “Girl Climber” tells the incredible story of her climbing El Capi...
On this episode of the Duffel Shuffle, Adrian and Sam talk with Connor Herson, a fellow Black Diamond Athlete and professional rock climber. Connor Herson is a standout American rock climber known for his bold ascents and technical mastery, particularly in crack and trad climbing. Born in 2003 and raised in a climbing family in California, he became the youngest person to free climb The Nose on El Capitan at age 15. Since then, he’s climbed over 50 routes graded 5.14, including Meltdown, Magi...
In such a storied climbing region like the Himalaya, recording the history of the people who have climbed there and the summits they reached is vital. In this Episode of the Duffel Shuffle Podcast, Adrian sits down with Billi Bierling, the current director of the Himalayan Database, the go-to historical database of climbing in the Himalaya, to discuss Everest, modern high altitude climbing, and the life of the Himalayan Database. Billi is a renowned journalist, high-altitude climber, ...
After returning from Everest, Sam and Adrian chat with Alpenglow Guide Mike Pond. In this episode of the Duffel Shuffle, they dive into the life of a mountain guide who guides everything from the Tahoe Via Ferrata in Olympic Valley, CA, to the summit of Mount Everest. Mike Pond is a career mountain guide who has spent his life climbing and guiding on mountains all over the world. At Alpenglow, he guides across the entirety of its programming, from rock climbing and the via ferrata, to h...
Following a successful Everest expedition in which Adrian successfully reached the summit for the 10th time, Sam and Adrian catch up to cover some of the notable storylines from the season. While much of the 'action' occurs on the South side of the mountain, a route that Alpenglow does not climb, Adrian has such intimate knowledge of both sides that his perspective is unique. Additionally, between mountain guide gossip and the Sherpa grapevine, a lot if information gets passed without perco...
Adrian Ballinger and the Alpenglow Expedition team had success on Everest! First, Sam and Adrian had a chance to catch up briefly following Adrian's 10th summit of the tallest mountain in the world. In this episode of The Duffel Shuffle, the two touch base with Esteban "Topo" Mena, Alpenglow's co-expedition leader, from base camp on the North Side of Mount Everest before Alpenglow's summit push. Topo Mena is an IFMGA guide, Black Diamond Athlete and an inspiration to many. Topo’s accomplishme...
Adrian Ballinger is joining us live from base camp on the North Side of Mount Everest. We've collected more than 30 questions from you, the audience, over the past months, and now it is time to rapid fire answer as many as we can. With questions all across the board, we cover the following topics: - Everest costs, financial requirements and alternatives - Training and physical preparation for Everest and other climbing goals - How to progress as a climber, and comparing different training g...
Melissa Arnot Reid is not only a mountain guide, speaker and author, but she's also an athlete. Melissa is the first American woman to successfully summit and descend Mount Everest without supplemental oxygen, a peak she has climbed a total of 6 times throughout her career. Melissa's new book, Enough: Climbing Toward a True Self on Mount Everest, released on April 1, and we had a chance to connect with her following the launch to learn more. - The three kick off their conversation with a ...
Beth Rodden is an American Rock Climber who has been at the top of the sport for decades. After getting her start in competition climbing, Beth moved her focus the outdoors, and is known for both hard single pitch climbs and technical big wall climbing. Beth has also been an advocate for women in climbing and has been outspoken about her struggles with an eating disorder early in her career. Beth released her memoir, A Light Through the Cracks: A Climber's Story, in May of 2024, and we fina...
Garrett Madison is considered to be one of America's premier Everest guides. In addition to leading nearly 100 clients to the summit of Mt. Everest, Garrett has made a lasting impact on the world of expedition climbing in the Himalaya and Karakoram, with notable firsts including the first guided climbs of K2 and guided linkups of Everest and Lhotse. Prior to departing for the 2025 Everest season, Garrett joined Sam and Adrian on episode 26 of the Duffel Shuffle Podcast. Garrett shares h...
Referred to by Outside Magazine as "one of the world's most respected chroniclers of Everest," Alan Arnette is not only a journalist, but also a climber. At age 38, Alan discovered a passion for climbing and completed over 37 expeditions, including Mt. Everest and K2. Living in Colorado, he has summited all 58 of the 14,000-foot mountains over 225 times. In anticipation of the 2025 Mt Everest climbing season, Alan joins Sam and Adrian on episode 25 of the Duffel Shuffle Podcast! Alan talks ...
On Episode 24 of The Duffel Shuffle Podcast, Sam and Adrian dive into the nitty gritty details of what goes into planning an Everest Expedition, behind the scenes. Adrian has guided dozens of expeditions to the Himalaya, and while the industry and technology are forever changing, the process of planning a Himalayan expedition, particularly to Mt Everest, follows a fairly typical path. - Everest planning is truly a year-round activity, but Adrian tries to protect the month of July as his...
Tyler Andrews is a world class endurance runner whose start on the road has paved the way for success in the mountains. He competed in two Olympic Trials, three World Championships, and found his true passion in the mountains, where he has set countless world records in the Himalaya, Andes, USA, and Africa. Not just an athlete, Tyler has also been working with athletes of all levels as a coach for more than a decade. Tyler joins Sam and Adrian on Episode 23 of the Duffel Shuffle Podcast...