A podcast about navigating the highest altitudes from a guide’s perspective.
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MEET YOUR HOSTS:
ADRIAN BALLINGER
Adrian Ballinger is a big mountain climber and skier, certified mountain guide, and professional speaker. Ballinger is the founder of Alpenglow Expeditions and has been professionally guiding groups on the world’s tallest mountains for 25 years.
Summits of Everest and K2 without supplemental oxygen
First ski descent of Makalu (5th tallest peak in world) from summit
First ski descent of Manaslu (8th tallest peak in world) from summit
Four complete 8000-meter peak ski descents
Nineteen summits of 8000-meter peaks (including 9 summits of Mt. Everest)
Founded and leads Alpenglow Expeditions, which now takes 6000+ people a year skiing, climbing and mountaineering, in Tahoe and around the world
IFMGA Mountain Guide since 2008
Proud dad of Aaro Storm & husband to Emily Harrington
SAM KIECKHEFER
Born and raised in Northern California, Sam began exploring the Sierra and developed a love for the mountains at a young age. A lifelong skier, he started backcountry skiing in 2010 and found his way up Mt. Shasta on only his second ski tour ever. After years of gaining experience ski touring in the mountain west, he started guiding in 2019. Sam has guided ski trips in both hemispheres, but you’re sure to find him in the winter around Tahoe as he continues to work towards his AMGA Ski Guide certification. Sam also teaches both recreational and professional avalanche courses with the American Avalanche Institute in the Tetons.
Sam is an AMGA Assistant Ski Guide and Apprentice Alpine Guide, and an AIARE Course Instructor. He lives on the West Shore of Lake Tahoe with his wife Susie.
After discussing the three Piolets d'Or winners, and 60 finalists, Sam and Adrian jump into the complicated topic of high altitude climbing. The two share stories of their early experiences with altitude and talk about the basics of acclimatization and what a typical schedule might look at. Finally, they dive into the "aids" that are used for altitude climbing, from Diamox and Dexamethasone to Oxygen. A future episode will discuss the topic of Pre-Acclimatization using hypoxic tents, and what the Rapid Ascent system that Adrian has pioneered looks like.