the Sharp End Podcast

In March of this year, Brandon took his wife and a visiting climber from Hungry to the Atlantis climbing area in Queen Creek Canyon near Phoenix, AZ. They were warming up on some easy routes and were all thoroughly enjoying the day. On Brandon’s second lead of the day climbing an easy 5.8, things were going fine until they weren’t. From what Brandon later heard from his belayer, wife, and a bystander who witnessed the event, he was approximately 7-8 ft above his last bolt (the second bolt in the climb) and at clipping level to the next one, when a flake of rock he was using as a toehold sheared off quite suddenly. The flake fell and hit his belayer's hand, who had the presence of mind not to lose the rope. Brandon fell, hit a ledge with his shoulder and then head and then hit the ground 20 feet below. Listen here for the full story. This podcast is produced by Ashley Saupe. This podcast is sponsored by Rocky Talkie, the American Alpine Institute and LIVSN. HELMET GIVEAWAY: Brandon feels so passionately about people wearing helmets, that he wants to purchase TWO helmets for TWO people that would be unable to purchase their own helmet due to financial reasons. He was wearing a Black Diamond Capitan helmet when he had his unplanned encounter with gravity (and that’s what very likely saved his life) so that’s the helmet he wants to purchase to give away. In order to be considered for this helmet sponsorship, head over to thesharpendpodcast.com and sign up on the homepage. Remember, this is exclusive to people who do not already have a helmet due to financial reasons. Giveaway will be on September 30th. Good luck! → Use code “SharpEnd25” to save $25 on the fall WFA course October 5-6 2024 at the Monadnock Climbing Gym. Register at https://www.climb-monadnock.com/ → 10% off LIVSN clothes with code TSE10 (limited to 30 uses) → 10% off Rocky Talkie radios at RockyTalkie.com/SharpEnd → 15% off Swoop garments with code SHARPEND → 20% off First Aid contents at MyMedic.com with code SHARPEND20 Instagram: the_sharp_end_podcast YouTube: @thesharpendpodcast Become a Patreon: patreon.com/thesharpendpodcast Visit my website: www.thesharpendpodcast.com

Sean Oldfield was climbing Mount Shasta this year in May when he was violently struck in the back of the head by a falling rock on his descent. Despite wearing a helmet (which saved his life), Sean ended up getting flown off the mountain in a helicopter to the hospital, where he received multiple staples in his head, a fractured skull, and a concussion. Tune in to hear the details and what he learned. This podcast is produced by Ashley Saupe. This podcast is sponsored by Rocky Talkie, the American Alpine Institute and LIVSN. → Use code “SharpEnd25” to save $25 on the fall WFA course October 5-6 2024 at the Monadnock Climbing Gym. Register at https://www.climb-monadnock.com/ → 10% off LIVSN clothes with code TSE10 (limited to 30 uses) → 10% off Rocky Talkie radios at RockyTalkie.com/SharpEnd → 15% off Swoop garments with code SHARPEND → 20% off First Aid contents at MyMedic.com with code SHARPEND20 Instagram: the_sharp_end_podcast YouTube: @thesharpendpodcast Become a Patreon: patreon.com/thesharpendpodcast Visit my website: www.thesharpendpodcast.com

Kirk and Fred have been friends for a long time. They have done adventure races together in the past and know where their limits lie. During this adventure, Fred nearly lost his life to heat stroke when they were doing the Rim to Rim to Rim (R2R2R) in the Grand Canyon. Kirk and Fred talk openly about what led up to the incident and how they managed it during and after. Tune in to hear more. This podcast is produced by Ashley Saupe. This podcast is sponsored by Rocky Talkie. → Use code “SharpEnd25” to save $25 on the fall WFA course October 5-6 2024 at the Monadnock Climbing Gym. Register at https://www.climb-monadnock.com/ → 10% off Rocky Talkie radios at RockyTalkie.com/SharpEnd → 15% off Swoop garments with code SHARPEND → 20% off First Aid contents at MyMedic.com with code SHARPEND20 Instagram: the_sharp_end_podcast YouTube: @thesharpendpodcast Become a Patreon: patreon.com/thesharpendpodcast Visit my website: www.thesharpendpodcast.com

This is a crazy incident where my guest was bit by a rattlesnake in June of 2022 and ended up in the hospital for 12 straight days. She was climbing at Consumnes River Gorge in Lake Tahoe and it was going to be her first time trad climbing. The crew was getting all set up near the first climb, she decided to use the “facili-trees” (if you will) before putting on her harness. She walked away from the group and found a private area, was about to go when she felt something bit her! Tune into this crazy story of a rattlesnake bite and her long road to recovery. This podcast is produced by Ashley Saupe. This podcast is sponsored by Rocky Talkie and supported by the American Alpine Institute. Sign up on Instagram to win some climbing gear from Ropelite valued at $185! The kit includes: two 6-foot Red Ultralight Anchor Slings Two 20-inch Ultralight Hitch Cords and One Skimo Tether. That is a $185 dollar value. Drawing is on June 15th. Don’t forget to sign up for the Arc’teryx Climbing Academy: https://squamish.arcteryxacademy.com/ → Use code “SharpEnd25” to save $25 on the fall WFA course October 5-6 2024 at the Monadnock Climbing Gym. Register at https://www.climb-monadnock.com/ → 10% off Rocky Talkie radios at RockyTalkie.com/SharpEnd → Up to 30% off Hydration & Energy Bundle. Includes each of each best-selling flavors of Hydration & Energy at protekt.com/sharpend → 10% off Swoop garments with code SHARPEND → 20% off First Aid contents at MyMedic.com with code SHARPEND20 → 10% off any wilderness medicine course with Desert Mountain Medicine using code SHARPEND Instagram: the_sharp_end_podcast YouTube: @thesharpendpodcast Become a Patreon: patreon.com/thesharpendpodcast Visit my website: www.thesharpendpodcast.com

This is Part Two of this story sequence with Taylor Rose. If you haven’t tuned in to episode 99, stop here and go back and listen to Part One (Episode 99) where Taylor Rose shares all about the details of his accident when he broke his femur on April 2nd, 2021 backcountry skiing in Huntington Ravine in the Mount Washington area. In this episode, Taylor reflects on what he learned and how he moved through the challenging recovery. This podcast is produced by Ashley Saupe. This podcast is sponsored by Rocky Talkie, the Arc’teryx Climbing Academy and supported by the American Alpine Club. To sign up for the Arc’teryx Climbing Academy: https://squamish.arcteryxacademy.com/ Sign up to win a pair of Rocky Talkie Mountain Radios at www.thesharpendpodcast.com. Drawing on May 15th. → 10% off Rocky Talkie radios at RockyTalkie.com/SharpEnd → Up to 30% off Hydration & Energy Bundle. Includes each of each best-selling flavors of Hydration & Energy at protekt.com/sharpend → 10% off Swoop garments with code SHARPEND → 20% off First Aid contents at MyMedic.com with code SHARPEND20 → 10% off any wilderness medicine course with Desert Mountain Medicine using code SHARPEND Instagram: the_sharp_end_podcast YouTube: @thesharpendpodcast Become a Patreon: patreon.com/thesharpendpodcast Visit my website: www.thesharpendpodcast.com

Taylor Rose is a twenty-four year old guy who loves the outdoors. He was out skiing in the backcountry with some friends in Huntington Ravine on Mount Washington in 2021 when he suffered a broken femur from a long sliding fall that resulted in a rescue involving his crew and the Mount Washington Avalanche Center. Tune in to hear part one of this series. This podcast is produced by Ashley Saupe. This podcast is sponsored by Rocky Talkie and then American Alpine Institute and supported by the American Alpine Club. → 10% off Rocky Talkie radios at RockyTalkie.com/SharpEnd → Up to 30% off Hydration & Energy Bundle. Includes each of each best-selling flavors of Hydration & Energy at protekt.com/sharpend → 10% off Swoop garments with code SHARPEND → 20% off First Aid contents at MyMedic.com with code SHARPEND20 → 10% off any wilderness medicine course with Desert Mountain Medicine using code SHARPEND Instagram: the_sharp_end_podcast YouTube: @thesharpendpodcast Become a Patreon: patreon.com/thesharpendpodcast Visit my website: www.thesharpendpodcast.com

Devin Farkas was instructing a ten day climbing course in Joshua Tree National Park this last January. They were on day two of this ten day course when Devin’s trip was cut short. Tune into this episode to hear why. This podcast is produced by Ashley Saupe. This podcast is sponsored by Rocky Talkie and then American Alpine Institute and supported by the American Alpine Club. → 10% off Rocky Talkie radios at RockyTalkie.com/SharpEnd → Up to 30% off Hydration & Energy Bundle. Includes each of each best-selling flavors of Hydration & Energy at protekt.com/sharpend → 10% off Swoop garments with code SHARPEND → 20% off First Aid contents at MyMedic.com with code SHARPEND20 → 10% off any wilderness medicine course with Desert Mountain Medicine using code SHARPEND Instagram: the_sharp_end_podcast YouTube: @thesharpendpodcast Become a Patreon: patreon.com/thesharpendpodcast Visit my website: www.thesharpendpodcast.com

On Fourth of July weekend, two climbing partners, Grant and David, set out to climb a 2,200 foot climb on the Northwest face of Half Dome in Yosemite National Park in California. The conditions were perfect to climb this beautiful and exposed twenty-three pitch climb. Things started out perfectly, but not everything turned out as they had planned. Tune into this episode to hear more. This podcast is produced by Ashley Saupe. This podcast is sponsored by Rocky Talkie and then American Alpine Institute and supported by the American Alpine Club. → 10% off Rocky Talkie radios at RockyTalkie.com/SharpEnd → Up to 30% off Hydration & Energy Bundle. Includes each of each best-selling flavors of Hydration & Energy at protekt.com/sharpend → 10% off Swoop garments with code SHARPEND → 20% off First Aid contents at MyMedic.com with code SHARPEND20 → 10% off any wilderness medicine course with Desert Mountain Medicine using code SHARPEND Instagram: the_sharp_end_podcast YouTube: @thesharpendpodcast Become a Patreon: patreon.com/thesharpendpodcast Visit my website: www.thesharpendpodcast.com

In this BONUS episode, I chat with Jeannie Wall and Catherine Coe about an idea that came to life. Jeannie is the founder of BroadBeta which aims to “embolden women through shared stories to embrace wild ideas, wild experiences, and preserve the wildness.” Tune into this bonus episode to hear more about this idea, how it came to life, and what it’s all about. To learn more and to get involved, head to their website: www.BroadBeta.com This podcast is produced by Ashley Saupe

Andrew Clements was climbing in Indian Creek on October 18, 2023 with a couple of climbers he had met in the parking lot the same day. He was on a route called Gorilla, which is rated 5.10b, which was his 3rd route of the day. He was standing about 2 feet above his last piece of gear when he fell. Drew injured his hand and both of his heels. Tune into this episode to hear more. This podcast is produced by Ashley Saupe. This podcast is sponsored by Rocky Talkie and then American Alpine Institute and supported by the American Alpine Club. → 10% off Rocky Talkie radios at RockyTalkie.com/SharpEnd → Up to 30% off Hydration & Energy Bundle. Includes each of each best-selling flavors of Hydration & Energy at protekt.com/sharpend → 10% off Swoop garments with code SHARPEND → 20% off First Aid contents at MyMedic.com with code SHARPEND20 → 10% off any wilderness medicine course with Desert Mountain Medicine using code SHARPEND Instagram: the_sharp_end_podcast YouTube: @thesharpendpodcast Become a Patreon: patreon.com/thesharpendpodcast Visit my website: www.thesharpendpodcast.com

Douglas started this small gear company because he saw a need in the outdoor climbing and rescue community. As a member of Search and Rescue, he found he needed specific gear for specific tasks that could create efficiency within certain tasks. Tune into this episode to hear what RopeLiteLLC is, why and how it started and how this whole interview came about. Check out his gear at www.RopeLiteLLC.com This podcast is produced by Ashley Saupe → 10% off Rocky Talkie radios at RockyTalkie.com/SharpEnd → 15% off Minus33 garments in December with code SHARPEND → 10% off Swoop garments with code SHARPEND → 20% off First Aid contents at MyMedic.com with code SHARPEND20 → 10% off any wilderness medicine course with Desert Mountain Medicine using code SHARPEND Instagram: the_sharp_end_podcast YouTube: @thesharpendpodcast Become a Patreon: patreon.com/thesharpendpodcast

In May of 2023, Allen and Samuel were out skiing Mt. Baker, a 10,781 foot active glacier-covered stratovolcano in the North Cascades of Washington when they came upon another skier who fell 35 feet down inside a crevasse after the snow bridge he was standing on collapsed. With their knowledge of rope skills and crevasse rescue, they sprung into action to rescue the stuck skier. Tune in to this episode to hear all of the details. This podcast is produced by Ashley Saupe. This podcast is sponsored by Rocky Talkie, Minus33 and Protekt and supported by the American Alpine Club. → 10% off Rocky Talkie radios at RockyTalkie.com/SharpEnd → 15% off Minus33 garments in December with code SHARPEND → Up to 30% off Hydration & Energy Bundle. Includes each of each best-selling flavors of Hydration & Energy at protekt.com/sharpend → 10% off Swoop garments with code SHARPEND → 20% off First Aid contents at MyMedic.com with code SHARPEND20 → 10% off any wilderness medicine course with Desert Mountain Medicine using code SHARPEND Instagram: the_sharp_end_podcast YouTube: @thesharpendpodcast Become a Patreon: patreon.com/thesharpendpodcast Visit my website: www.thesharpendpodcast.com

Have you ever heard the phrase “Cotton Kills?” One thing that we can each do to be a responsible outdoors person is to dress appropriately for the activity and weather to minimize the risk of getting too wet and too cold which could lead to hypothermia. Today I talk with Lawson Glidden, owner of Minus33, an American company founded in New Hampshire in 2001. They have been making wool textiles for 100 years bringing you apparel that will keep you warm when wet. Lawson is extremely passionate about wool and you’ll have to tune in to hear why. I present, “the wonders of wool.” → 10% off Rocky Talkie radios at RockyTalkie.com/SharpEnd → 15% off Minus33 garments in December with code SHARPEND → 10% off Swoop garments with code SHARPEND → 20% off First Aid contents at MyMedic.com with code SHARPEND20 → 10% off any wilderness medicine course with Desert Mountain Medicine using code SHARPEND Instagram: the_sharp_end_podcast YouTube: @thesharpendpodcast Become a Patreon: patreon.com/thesharpendpodcast

In April of 2023, Michael Habicht headed over to Nepal to climb the striking 6,812 meter tall mountain, Ama Dablam. As a solo climber, he was met with some unique challenges and learned a ton from his expedition. After Michael got back from this trip he made the decision not to climb 8,000 meter peaks because of the experience he shares on this episode. His reasoning has nothing to do with his technical skills, but you’ll have to tune in to hear why. This podcast is produced by Ashley Saupe. This podcast is sponsored by Rocky Talkie and supported by the American Alpine Club. → 10% off Rocky Talkie radios at RockyTalkie.com/SharpEnd → 10% off Swoop garments with code SHARPEND → 20% off First Aid contents at MyMedic.com with code SHARPEND20 → 10% off any wilderness medicine course with Desert Mountain Medicine using code SHARPEND Instagram: the_sharp_end_podcast YouTube: @thesharpendpodcast Become a Patreon: patreon.com/thesharpendpodcast Visit my website: www.thesharpendpodcast.com

Duane Swanson was rope soloing and found himself in a situation where he got stuck on the rock wall without food or water for nine hours and then had to figure out how to descend… by himself. Tune in to this episode to hear what rope soloing is and how he managed to self rescue. Other articles on Rope Soloing mentioned in the episode include: https://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/skills/series/pete_whittaker/how_to_rope_solo_-_with_pete_whittaker-11160 https://gearjunkie.com/climbing/rope-solo-rock-climbing-how-to This podcast is produced by Ashley Saupe. This podcast is sponsored by Rocky Talkie and the American Alpine Institute and supported by the American Alpine Club. → 10% off Rocky Talkie radios at RockyTalkie.com/SharpEnd → 10% off Swoop garments with code SHARPEND → 20% off First Aid contents at MyMedic.com with code SHARPEND20 → 10% off any wilderness medicine course with Desert Mountain Medicine using code SHARPEND Instagram: the_sharp_end_podcast YouTube: @thesharpendpodcast Become a Patreon: patreon.com/thesharpendpodcast Visit my website: www.thesharpendpodcast.com

Myriam Bouchard and her partner were at the City of Rocks having an amazing climbing trip. They were on a 5.8 climb called ‘Twist and Crawl’ and when her partner was at the anchor, he told her that he was ready to be lowered. She began lowering him when all of a sudden, the rope slipped through the belay device and he fell 20 feet down to the ground. Listen to hear the entire story and how she explains experiencing, “the greatest terror of her life.” This podcast is produced by Ashley Saupe. This podcast is sponsored by Rocky Talkie and the American Alpine Institute and supported by the American Alpine Club. → 10% off Rocky Talkie radios at RockyTalkie.com/SharpEnd → 10% off Swoop garments with code SHARPEND → 20% off First Aid contents at MyMedic.com with code SHARPEND20 → 10% off any wilderness medicine course with Desert Mountain Medicine using code SHARPEND Become a Patreon: patreon.com/thesharpendpodcast Visit my website: www.thesharpendpodcast.com

BASE jumping accidents are rarely talked about and I’ve always wondered why. Last month, Derek reached out to me to share his story regarding a BASE jumping accident that he was involved in and I was eager to hear it. He was jumping with three of his good military friends on October 25, 2014 when his lines got twisted very shortly after he jumped off the Roan Plateau in Rifle, Colorado. It was one of the last jumps of the season before weather rolled in and winter began to start. Hear all about his accident, his evacuation and how he’s changing the way the BASE jumping culture looks at accidents within the sport. This podcast is produced by Ashley Saupe. This podcast is sponsored by Rocky Talkie and the American Alpine Institute and supported by the American Alpine Club. Make sure to vote for the most inspiring rescue of the year at RockyTalkie.com/2023SARaward. Voting closes August 11th at midnight. → 10% off Rocky Talkie radios at RockyTalkie.com/SharpEnd → 10% off Swoop garments with code SHARPEND → 20% off First Aid contents at MyMedic.com with code SHARPEND20 → 10% off any wilderness medicine course with Desert Mountain Medicine using code SHARPEND Become a Patreon: patreon.com/thesharpendpodcast Visit my website: www.thesharpendpodcast.com

In July of 2022, one year ago, just last summer, Bryce and James took a climbing trip to the Cirque of the Towers in the Wind River Range in Wyoming. They planned on climbing the Cirque of the Towers traverse. First, they started out up the South Buttress of Pingora and had a beautiful time on the route. At the top of the climb, that’s when they would start the traverse over to Tiger Tower and then over to Wolf’s Head. All was going just as planned until weather moved in… and weather moved in FAST. Tune in to this episode to hear what happened. This podcast is produced by Ashley Saupe. This podcast is sponsored by Rocky Talkie and supported by the American Alpine Club. Jame’s book suggested about decision heuristics: "Thinking, Fast and Slow" by Daniel Kahneman --> 10% off Rocky Talkie radios at RockyTalkie.com/SharpEnd
 -->10% off Swoop garments with code SHARPEND 
--> 20% off First Aid contents at MyMedic.com with code SHARPEND20 Become a Patreon: patreon.com/thesharpendpodcast
Visit my website: www.thesharpendpodcast.com

On July 30, 2022, Austin suffered a heat illness that could have cost him his life. He was climbing on the Olympic Peninsula with two of his friends. They set out to climb ‘The Brothers,’ which are the two highest mountains in that range that you can see from miles and miles away. Due to his heat illness, he ultimately pressed the SOS button to get rescued. Listen to this episode to hear what happened during this specific event and how this event led him to finding out he actually had undiagnosed thyroid cancer that was growing for years. This podcast is produced by Ashley Saupe. This podcast is sponsored by Rocky Talkie and supported by the American Alpine Club. --> 10% off Rocky Talkie radios at RockyTalkie.com/SharpEnd -->10% off Swoop garments with code SHARPEND --> 20% off First Aid contents at MyMedic.com with code SHARPEND20 Become a Patreon: patreon.com/thesharpendpodcast Visit my website: www.thesharpendpodcast.com

I recently interviewed Christian Beckwith who is (among many additional pursuits) the founder of The Teton Climbers’ Coalition, co-founder of the Alpinist Magazine, founder of the non-profit SHIFT, a skilled alpinist, and most recently, creator and host of the podcast, Ninety-Pound Rucksack. Ninety-Pound Rucksack is a podcast dedicated to retracing the journey of America’s original mountain warriors, the 10th Mountain Division. I am so stoked to share this special bonus episode with all of my listeners! A video version of the interview is available on YouTube. Learn more about Christian and his podcast via the link in my bio or wherever you get your podcast fix. This podcast is produced by Ashley Saupe. This episode is sponsored by Rocky Talkie and supported by the American Alpine Club. --> 10% off Rocky Talkie radios at RockyTalkie.com/SharpEnd  --> 15% off Sterling Rope with code SHARPEND --> 10% off Swoop garments with code SHARPEND --> 20% off First Aid contents at MyMedic.com with code SHARPEND20 Become a Patreon: patreon.com/thesharpendpodcast Visit my website: www.thesharpendpodcast.com #thesharpendpodcast #playhardandbesmart