Afterglow, A Mountain Storytelling Podcast

In our eighth and final episode, we sit down with skiing icon Glen Plake. As a pioneer of the extreme skiing movement, Plake is most well known for his seminal appearances in the classic Greg Stump films including Blizzard of Aahhh's, the Maltese Flamengo and License to Thrill. With his signature mohawk, Plake is arguably the most recognizable and most well known skier in the world. Over three decades he has maintained a love for all disciplines of the sport and a drive that has kept him timelessly relevant. It is safe to say, whether skiing 8-000 meter peaks, recording for Warren Miller Films, or traveling the country as part of his "Down Home" Tour, Plake has spread the love of skiing to millions across the globe. Many of Glen's physical accomplishments have been well documented. In our chat, I wanted to learn more about him as a person. Plake occupies the rare air of hero status for many skiers. In our conversation I quickly realized that he is a historian of skiing, someone who has seen three decades

In episode seven we sit down with rock climbing legend John Long. Long is most well known as one of the Stonemasters, a group of California rock climbers who, fueled primarily by LSD and Jimi Hendrix, pushed the sport to risky and adventurous new heights during the 1970s. John Long's list of rock climbing accomplishments occupies a place of magnitude that borders on myth. A big wall pioneer, Long was the first person to ever climb Yosemite's most iconic route, the Nose, in a single day. He also owns the second one-day ascent of El Cap, a five hour blast on the West Face. He's also the first person to ever climb a 5.13-rated route and put up visionary test pieces like Astroman that were years, if not decades, ahead of their time. Now in his late sixties, John is a tremendously insightful, reflective and philosophically inclined man. Our chat shines the light on John Long the person, and he talks openly, honestly and at length about a life well lived. He also talks about his regrets, epiphanies, struggles a

In episode six we sit down with highly accomplished ultra running personality Rory Bosio. Rory’s ascension in the ultra running world began in 2013 at what is arguably the most difficult mountain race in the world, the French Classic Ultra Trail du Mt. Blanc. It was here that a relatively unknown runner from Tahoe City, California smashed the women’s record by over two hours. She also became the first female to ever place in the overall top 10 positions of the race. To silence any doubters, Rory returned to the race to win it again one year later. In doing so she became the first woman to ever win back to back UTMBs. And while Rory has finished in second place at the famous Western States 100 Mile Endurance Run, has run across the French island of Corsica and won numerous 50-mile races around the globe, she is a person who is cut from a different cloth. Rory runs solely because she loves it. She is a free spirit with a rarely seen zest for life. As you might guess, Rory doesn’t follow carefully designed t

Caroline Gleich has consistently pushed the envelope in the high alpine environment of the Himalaya. She has also pushed it at home in Utah's Wasatch Mountains. In 2017 she became the first woman to descend all 90 lines of "The Chuting Gallery," Andrew McLean's guide to steep, extreme skiing in the Wasatch. She has also skied Cho Oyu, the 6th tallest peak in the world, summited Mt. Everest and skied the three tallest peaks in Ecuador, in one weekend. Despite her accomplishments, Caroline has consistently had to battle misogyny, sexism and doubters at an unprecedented level for a professional athlete. We talk about these topics at length in our conversation, as well as the larger gender-bias implications in the outdoor space. Caroline tells us about the vitriol of the cyber-bullying she has experienced throughout her career, and more importantly, how she has chosen to combat and beat it. We also talk about the importance of her family, how losing several close friends in the mountains drives her to this

If the name Dierdre Wolownick doesn't sound familiar to you, you aren't alone. Wolownick is Dierdre's maiden name, but she is indeed the mother of Alex Honnold, the greatest rock climber to ever grace the sport. While we do talk about Alex and his motivations, Dierdre's story is much deeper than merely being his mother, and she also has a much different origin story than most of our guests. Having grown up in a post World War II Polish immigrant family in New York City, she struggled to break the mold of what children, and particularly girls, were allowed to do. In her mid 20's, Wolownick made the decision to move to California, where she married and began a family. But the struggle continued, and she tells us, in both our conversation and her book "The Sharp End," that she longed for connection her entire life. Dierdre and I talk about her ultimate redemption, which she discovered through rock climbing and running. It was through these sports that she experienced a rebirth, but not until her mid 50's.

Imagine spending nearly 20 years traveling to remote corners of the globe, on a non-existent budget, in order to compile images of famous climbers and mountaineers. Jim Herrington has committed a large portion of his life to accomplish just this. In the process he has created a staggering work of photographic beauty that will be cherished by climbers for many generations to come. Herrington's seminal work "The Climbers," captures portraits, in stunning black and white analog film, of prominent climbers from the "Golden Age." These iconic pioneers were primarily active from 1920 to 1970 and pushed the ceiling on a fringe and dangerous sport. The list of subjects in Herrington's book is staggering. They include some of the brightest lights to ever tie into the sharp end of the rope, including Fred Beckey, Royal Robbins, Yvon Chouinard, Reinhold Messner, Ricardo Cassin, Jules Eichorn and many, many more. Through his evocative work, Herrington challenges our own concepts of aging and mortality, obsession, de

In S3:E2 we go deep into the mind, heart and soul of veteran heli ski guide Lel Tone. Known as the consummate local hero in North Lake Tahoe, California, Tone has been a ski patroller at Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows for over 24 years. During this time she has become a leading authority as an instructor for the American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education and co-founded the popular women's S.A.F.E. A.S. avalanche safety clinics. Tone is an Alaska fishing guide, has beaten a Navy Seal on a reality television show, worked a pit crew for off-road motorcycle races and guided the biggest names in the ski and snowboard business with Warren Miller Films. One would think someone with this type of pedigree would be burly and perhaps unapproachable. On the contrary, Tone carries herself with an open heart and a wonderful degree of kindness and compassion rarely seen in this day and age. We talk at length about her role in a male dominated profession, how she deals with failure, her spirituality, what it

We're excited to welcome you back for another deep dive into the mind, heart and soul of eight amazing and world renown adventure athletes. We kick off season three of Afterglow with Jeremy Jones, an absolute deity of the snowboard world. For those of you who know Jeremy, he needs no introduction. For those listeners who haven't heard of Jones, he has been a snowboarding icon for nearly three decades and is someone who epitomizes everything good and soulful about the sport. During his extended career he has appeared in over 60 films while becoming the godfather of big mountain snowboarding. He has also create his own highly successful snowboard brand and been nominated by National Geographic as an "Adventurer of the Year." IN 2007 Jeremy founded Protect Our Winters, an organization that we view as one of the last great hopes for fixing our climate crisis. Jeremy and his amazing group of climate advocates are dedicated to reversing global warming by uniting the winter sports community. What we find mos

We're back with Season Three of Afterglow, A Mountain Storytelling Podcast. Starting Monday, November 18th, we'll release weekly chats with some of the biggest names in the outdoor industry. Join us for another round of long-form conversations that travel deep into heart, mind and soul of world renowned adventure athletes. Subscribe today ... and tell a friend.

In our 8th and final episode of season two … we sit down with Barry Blanchard, one of the most bold and accomplished alpine climbers the world has ever seen. Blanchard is best known for his dangerous, cutting-edge ascents on high alpine faces across the globe. Many of Barry’s first ascents were well before their time and have consequently become test pieces for generations following in his footsteps. Most notably, these include the first ascent of Infinite Patience on the Emperor Face of Mt. Robson, the first ascent of the North Pillar of North Twin, a first ascent on the North Face of Les Droites, and a heroic attempt on the 15,000-foot Rupal Face on Nanga Parbat. He is perhaps most well known for outrageous alpine climbing feats with partners Mark Twight, Steve House, David Cheeseman and Scott Backes. The “brotherhood” as they are often referred to, actively challenged death on bold and cold alpine faces in what can only be considered a golden era of alpine climbing. We talk at length about his death

In episode seven we sit down with the most iconic and recognizable adventure photographer alive today, Chris Burkard. Burkard is known for traveling to the farthest expanses of the Earth, while working to capture stories that inspire humans to consider their relationship with nature. He also works diligently to promote the preservation of wild places everywhere. Layered by outdoor, travel, adventure, surf and lifestyle subjects, Burkard is known for images that are punctuated by untamed, powerful landscapes. His work is stunningly beautiful and remarkably inspiring. Burkard’s images are so powerful they cause the viewer to question their meaning in the world. In our chat, Burkard speaks transparently and honestly about: How there are no shortcuts to joy in life …. and that anything worth pursuing requires suffering; the morality of his faith and the difference between religion and spirituality; as a creative person, his quest for validation through work; how his family is the best method of self-refle

We return in episode six with Kim Havell, one of the most accomplished ski mountaineers of the last 25 years. Havell has skied on all seven continents, with first descents on four, and has adventured in over 50 countries. During her travels, Kim has climbed and skied big peaks in the Himalaya, Andes, Karakoram and the Americas. Perhaps most impressively, Havell insight skied the Grand Teton, one of the most coveted ski descents in the United States. She also has numerous first female descents across the western United States, including Wyoming’s notorious Otterbody on the Grand Teton. In 2014 Havell became the first woman to ski-guide the Grand Teton, for which Outside Magazine named her the “preeminent female ski mountaineer of our time.” In our chat, Kim talks openly and sincerely about how she balances being a professional athlete and a mother, how humility is the single most important lesson the mountains have taught her, how she coped with losing eight friends in a single year, and the power of not p

In episode 5 we enter the white room for a deep dive with Stephan Drake, the founder of DPS Skis. Drake epitomizes the definition of a soul skier and has spent his entire life roaming the globe in search of deep snow. While most skiers think of the pursuit as a sport, Drake considers it an art that is constantly evolving and being perfected. He is a modern day powder surfing samurai with a total devotion to the craft. Drake’s dogmatic pursuit of the perfect powder experience lies at the core of his existence. The result has been some of the most revolutionary ski shapes and technology the world has ever seen. Drake leads the technology and design initiatives behind DPS Skis, the most revolutionary ski company of the last 15 years. In a parallel evolution with the powder surfing ideas of Shane McConkey, Drake is responsible for the creation of rocker in powder skis, the first prepress carbon fiber sandwich skis and the fusion of space-age carbon in groundbreaking shapes. The result is a complete reset on w

In episode four of Afterglow, we sit down with Emily Harrington, one of the most accomplished all around rock and mountain climbers of the last 25 years. Our conversation provides a revealing glimpse into the heart and mind of one of the most badass women alive. Not only has Emily climbed some of the hardest 5.14a sport climbs in the world, she’s one of only a few athletes to have free climbed Golden Gate, a 5.13b route on Yosemite’s iconic El Capitan. She has also summited Mt. Everest, been a five-time US National Sport Climbing Champion and been victorious at the Ouray Ice Climbing Festival. Her accomplishments don’t stop there though …. in recent years she has skied off the summit of Cho Oyu (the 6th tallest peak in the world) while achieving a speed record on the coveted and challenging Himalayan peak. She’s an extremely diverse and accomplished mountain athlete who is constantly reinventing her career and challenging herself in new and exciting ways. In our open and honest chat, Emily gives the audie

We return in episode 3 with notable high altitude climber Adrian Ballinger, one of America's most accomplished mountaineers. Besides being the only American to ski two 8000-meter peaks in one day, Adrian holds the first ski descent of Manaslu, the 8th tallest peak in the world. He has also summited Mt. Everest six times, the most recent without supplemental oxygen. He is also the owner of Alpenglow Expeditions, arguably the premier guiding outfit in North America, and calls Squaw Valley, California home. Our very first Afterglow conversation featured Adrian along with Mt. Everest climbing partner Corey Richards. If you haven't listened to this conversation it might help you contextually for many of the topics contained in Adrian's second sit down.   At the time of our first recording, Richards and Ballinger had just returned from a 2016 oxygen-less attempt on Mt. Everest. Both climbers spoke openly about the trials and tribulations of their journey to the roof of the world. On the 2016 expedition, Cory

JT Holmes is a world-class professional skier and aerial athlete. Holmes grew up on the slopes of Squaw Valley and as a 15-year-old fell in with freeskiing legend Shane McConkey. McConkey taught Holmes that existence as a professional skier was a possibility .... and that anything was possible in life. Holmes has never turned back. A tremendously focused person, Holmes knew from a young age that he always wanted to be a professional skier. This passion has never faded and sits at the core of his existence. While skiing has always been his first love, his career has been a boundless exercise in the possibilities of gravity-fed passions. Skiing led to base jumping, which led to ski base jumping and in recent years, speed flying. A Red Bull and GoPro athlete, Holmes is a pioneer in freeskiing and high-flying aerial pursuits. Beyond his pursuit of these gravity-fed sports, Holmes has carved out a role as a Hollywood stuntman, with highly-acclaimed aerial work in Transformers 3, Hangover 3, Godzilla, Fast and

Hilaree Nelson (formerly O'Neill) is one of the world's premier ski mountaineers. She is most recently known for the first descent of the 29,940 foot Lhotse couloir, one of the most coveted and sought after high altitude ski lines in the world. Nelson's CV is absolutely staggering. She is the first woman to climb two 8,000m peaks in 24 hours (Everest and Lhotse). She’s also skied from the Himalayan summit of Cho Oyu in Tibet and climbed and skied several high peaks in Bolivia and Argentina. Elsewhere, Hilaree has cut turns on remote volcanoes in the Kamchatka Peninsula of Russia, Mongolia, Pakistan, Lebanon, as well as many first descents in the tight couloirs of Baffin Island. Nelson is also known for her story of redemption on Papsura, the Peak of Evil and a high-profile North Face expedition that went sideways on Hkakabo Razi in Myanmar. She was named "Adventurer of the Year" by National Geographic in 2018. Born and raised in the Northwest, Hilaree began skiing at age 3 at Stevens Pass in the Cascade

Season Two of Afterglow is finally here! Starting this Friday, October 26th, enjoy another round of long-form conversations that travel deep into heart, mind and soul of world renowned adventure athletes. Subscribe today ... and tell a friend.

Tommy Caldwell is perhaps the most well-known and accomplished rock climber on the planet. ​ ​He is best known for his recent ascent of El Capitan’s Dawn Wall​ with partner Kevin Jorgensen​,​ ​a project that​ several years to complete and garnered major mainstream media attention. ​Tommy has also climbed ​the hardest rock routes in the United States, including sport climbs of 5.15 and is also a world-class alpine climber. ​In the sixth and final episode of season one of Afterglow, Tommy ​speaks at length about how writing a memoir added value to his life by forcing him to be completely vulnerable. Madigan and Caldwell also chat candidly about his relationship with Dawn Wall partner Kevin Jorgensen, and how it was a marked departure from other partnerships in his climbing career; how his upbringing allows him to view life as a constant opportunity for growth, and that he wants to be remembered for personal qualities rather than athletic feats. The conversation meanders to also cover the formative influenc

C​hris Noble is ​one of the world’s leading adventure photographers​. Also an accomplished author, his new book "Why We Climb" is a celebration of the aspects of the climbing life that are most universal, meaningful, and long-lastin​g. These include ​the strong connection to partners and nature, ​the ​physical and mental mastery​ of the sport​, and the rewards of exploring oneself and the world through climbing. ​His work asks what compels men and women to dedicate their lives to the challenges and deprivations of living in a vertical world​. ​ Doug Robinson is a​n internationally-respected mountaineer​, guide and backcountry skier​​. He is also known for ​​his poetic writings about the mountains and why we climb them. Robinson has been called the "father of clean climbing" by Climbing Magazine and the “modern John Muir” for his lifelong devotion to California’s High Sierra. ​Having cut his teeth during Yosemite’s Golden Age​, Doug has accomplished more during his climbing career than most could ever dream