The Sharp End

Last spring in May of 2022, Matt Randall took a 1,000 foot fall from the top of South Maroon Bell, one that he undoubtedly shouldn't have survived. He was solo ski mountaineering just outside of Aspen Colorado and Matt somehow got lucky and walked away with zero injuries and one broken ski. He wants to share his experience because he believes it would be beneficial for others to hear since he’s convinced there are lots of other people out there with similar human traits. Listen to this episode to hear how someone can survive that long of a fall, and what he learned from his mistake. 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 --> 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 Vi

On June 3, 2020, two good friends, Kat and Amy, set out to climb the North Twin Sister in the North Cascades in Washington State. They initially had a beautiful weather window so they went for it. They were having a great time when the weather started to move in, visibility got low and they decided to turn around. On the descent, Amy accidentally dislodged a microwave sized rock that tumbled down hitting Kat, shattering most of her hand and breaking through her radius and ulna. Listen into this episode to hear what happened, what they both learned, how they got rescued and the impacts this had on their friendship. 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 → Sign up to win a $1,000 tuition voucher for any public group course! Voucher is transferable. Expires December 31, 2024. Sign up at thesharpendpodcast.com. Drawing is May 15th

Gabs was coming down the Athabasca Glacier after spending nine days winter camping up on the Columbia Ice-Fields. Her crew had just re-supplied two days prior with another ten days worth of food/fuel, and soon after, her ski went parallel to a narrow crevasse and her pulk (a snow sled she was towing behind her) lined up with her body. She then broke through a snow bridge, falling ten meters down into the icy, freezing cold crevasse! Listen into this episode to hear what happened, what she learned, and how she got out of the crevasse. 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 → Sign up to win a $1,000 tuition voucher for any public group course! This voucher is transferable and expires December 31, 2024. To sign up, visit my website at www.thesharpendpodcast.com and enter the giveaway right on the homepage. Drawing is May 15th. →

On November 22, 2022, just two days after Thanksgiving, River Barry was gearing up to go mountain biking in Kings Creek, Moab, Utah. Things quickly changed when all of a sudden, a base jumper crashed into the sandstone rock and was dangling ever so delicately 80-100 feet above the ground. River soon found herself in the middle of a rescue. Listen into this episode to hear what happened and what she learned from being at the right place at the right time. 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 --> 15% off Sterling Rope with code SHARPEND -->15% off Swoop garments with code SHARPEND --> 20% off First Aid contents at MyMedic.com with code SHARPEND20

On Tuesday, July 26, 2022, Taylor Fields needed to release some school stress so he chose to go rock climbing. He went out with his best friend to climb "The Odyssey" on the Sun Wall at Looking Glass Rock in North Carolina. The Odyssey is a 5 pitch traditional route that is rated 5.11- on Mountain Project. Let's just say Taylor didn't walk back to the car after this. Listen in to this episode to hear what happened and what Taylor learned from his accident. This podcast is produced by Ashley Saupe. This episode is brought to you by Rocky Talkies. Thank you to the American Alpine Club for the consistent support. --> 10% off Rocky Talkie radios at RockyTalkie.com/SharpEnd --> 15% off Sterling Rope with code SHARPEND -->15% 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 October 6, 2021, Ryan and his climbing partner headed out to climb at a crag in North Conway, New Hampshire called Whitehorse Ledge. This climbing area is known for runout slab climbing. They had their eyes set on a nine pitch trad route rated 5.9. They loaded up their climbing racks and went for it. On pitch five of the climb, Ryan slipped. Listen to this episode to hear more. This podcast is produced by Ashley Saupe. Rocky Talkies is the sole sponsor of this episode. Thank you to the American Alpine Club for the consistent support. --> 10% off Rocky Talkie radios at RockyTalkie.com/SharpEnd --> $20 off Ski Babes training at www.skibabes.com with code SHARPENDBABES --> 15% off Sterling Rope with code SHARPEND -->15% 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

Aavron was on Mt Rainier when he slipped and fell, pulling his climbing partner down a slippery slope with him. During the fall, he was impaled by his ice ax. The surgeons said that packing the wound with snow saved his life. Using that resource was life or death to Aavron. By packing snow in his open chest wound, he was able to see his two boys and girlfriend again. Listen into this episode to hear what happened and what Aavron learned from this accident. This podcast is produced by Ashley Saupe. Thank you to Rocky Talkies for consistently sponsoring this podcast so I can get these stories out to you. Thank you to my two good buddies over at Primitive Gourmet for sponsoring this episode and thank you, as always, to the American Alpine Club for the consistent support. --> 10% off Rocky Talkie radios at RockyTalkie.com/SharpEnd --> $20 off Ski Babes training at www.skibabes.com with code SHARPENDBABES --> 15% off Sterling Rope with code SHARPEND -->15% off Swoop garments with code SHARPEND --> 20% off Fir

Andrew has been sport climbing for around 10 years and wanted to get some alpine/mountaineering experience under his belt. He did a handful of mountaineering climbs leading up to this particular climb (one being Mt Whitney) and then he and his climbing partner set their eyes on Mount Baldy (aka Mount San Antonio), the highest peak in the San Gabriel Mountains in California, sitting at 10,064 feet. On January 19, 2019 he set out to climb this peak with his climbing partner and his Golden Retriever, Charlie. Listen into this episode to hear what caused Andrew’s 1,000 foot fall on this mountain and what he learned from this experience. This podcast is produced by Ashley Saupe. Rocky Talkies is the sole sponsor of this episode. Thank you to the American Alpine Club for the consistent support. --> 10% off Rocky Talkie radios at RockyTalkie.com/SharpEnd --> $20 off Ski Babes training at www.skibabes.com with code SHARPENDBABES --> 15% off Sterling Rope with code SHARPEND -->15% off Swoop garments with code SH

In today’s episode, I talk with Enji Cooper about what happened on Oval Peak with Glenn Block on the 8,800-foot mountain in the North Cascades of Washington state. This episode is a follow up from last month’s episode number 79. (Make sure to listen to episode 79 before listening to this one!) There were many questions that listeners had about some of the finer details of Glenn’s account. Tune in to hear Enji share their perspective of what happened and why. This podcast is produced by Ashley Saupe. Episode sponsors include Rocky Talkie, Ski Babes and the American Alpine Club.  --> 10% off Rocky Talkie radios at RockyTalkie.com/SharpEnd  --> $20 off Ski Babes training at skibabes.com with code SHARPENDBABES --> 15% off Sterling Rope with code SHARPEND -->15% 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

Glenn Block and his friend Enji set out to climb Oval Peak, an 8,800-foot mountain in the North Cascades of Washington state. At the time, Glenn was a novice hiker and admits he didn’t fully understand what he was getting himself into. As a result, he has many learnings from this experience. Being prepared and prepping for a hike like this is extremely important. What I admire about Glenn is that he’s humble enough in his personal mountaineering journey to share these learnings with you to minimize future outdoor accidents. Listen in to episode 79 to hear more. This podcast is produced by Ashley Saupe while on the road working a remote contract as Safety Manager for another wilderness survival tv production and while still recovering from knee surgery. 
Episode sponsors include Rocky Talkie, Arc’teryx and the American Alpine Club.  --> 10% off Rocky Talkie radios at www.rockytalkie.com with code SHARPEND10 —> 15% off Sterling Rope with code SHARPEND —>15% off Swoop garments with code SHARPEND —> 20% off F

Rachel Pisula set out on July 29, 2020 on a pretty nice, mostly sunny day in Colorado to climb two fourteeners in the Sangre De Cristo Mountains about 3 hours from her home in Golden, Colorado. By this point in the summer, Rachel thinks she already hiked ten fourteeners with her dog, Emmett. She was feeling strong and confident. Her objective on this particular day was to climb Challenger Point and Kit Carson Peak in a day. Unfortunately, she got turned around on a tricky part of the hike and ended up needing a rescue. Listen in to hear Rachel’s full story and how her and her dog Emmett made it down. This podcast is produced by Ashley Saupe while being laid up from knee surgery. 
Episode sponsors include Rocky Talkie, Sterling Ropes, Swoop and the American Alpine Club.  --> 10% off Rocky Talkie radios at www.rockytalkie.com with code SHARPEND —> 15% off Sterling Rope with code SHARPEND —>15% off Swoop garments —> 20% off First Aid contents at MyMedic.com with code SHARPEND20 Become a Patreon: patreon.com

Clara was climbing at a local crag in Tennessee called King’s Bluff where she witnessed a free solo accident & was heavily involved in the rescue. The climber was out alone on a weekday, and her and her partner were the only other people at the crag. The climber that fell was climbing on an unestablished route and ended up being rescued via boat on the Cumberland River. A pretty interesting story and Clara definitely has some key takeaways to share with Sharp End listeners. Tune here to hear her story. This podcast is produced by Ashley Saupe while being laid up from knee surgery. 
Episode sponsors include Rocky Talkie, Sterling Ropes and the American Alpine Club.  --> 10% off Rocky Talkie radios at www.rockytalkie.com with code SHARPEND —> 15% off Sterling Rope 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 January 10th,  2020 Adam Campbell and his wife, Laura Kosakoski were skiing with their friend Kevin in the Mount Hector area of Banff National Park. Laura skied first, Kevin followed, as Adam approached the slope, he triggered a size 2.5 avalanche that pushed Laura into a terrain trap and buried her with over 12 feet of snow. Although Adam and Kevin were able to get to her, she never regained consciousness. She passed away from her injuries the next day. Adam has had to live with the grief and trauma of triggering the slide and losing his wife ever since. This episode was recorded LIVE at the American Alpine Club’s Annual Benefit weekend in Denver, Colorado on March 26th, 2022. This podcast is produced by Ashley Saupe. 
Episode sponsors include Rocky Talkie, Sterling Ropes and the American Alpine Club. --> 10% off Rocky Talkie radios at www.rockytalkie.com with code SHARPEND —> 15% off Sterling Rope with code SHARPEND —> 20% off First Aid contents at MyMedic.com with code SHARPEND20 Become a Patreon:

Tune in to episode 75 of the Sharp End Podcast to hear Joe Lovin share his story about a climbing fall he took in Clear Creek Canyon outside of Denver, Colorado. He talks about what went wrong and the important lessons he learned from his fall. This podcast is produced by Ashley Saupe. 
Episode sponsors include Rocky Talkie and the American Alpine Club. --> 10% off Rocky Talkie radios at www.rockytalkie.com 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

Bad fall, Broken face (Ep. 75) Tune in to episode 75 of the Sharp End Podcast to hear Joe Lovin share his story about a climbing fall he took in Clear Creek Canyon outside of Denver, Colorado. He talks about what went wrong and the important lessons he learned from his fall. This podcast is produced by Ashley Saupe. 
Episode sponsors include Rocky Talkie and the American Alpine Club. --> 10% off Rocky Talkie radios at www.rockytalkie.com 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 #climbing #wildernessmedicine #podcast #outdoorpodcast #clearcreekcanyon #coloradoclimbing #climbingaccident

In this episode, Ken Wylie, author of the book “Buried,” recounts the horrific accident of La Traviata in Revelstoke, British Columbia. On January 20, 2003, thirteen people were caught in an avalanche while ascending the La Traviata West Couloir. Seven people died. This podcast is produced by Ashley Saupe. 
Episode sponsors include Rocky Talkie and the American Alpine Club. --> 10% off Rocky Talkie radios at www.rockytalkie.com with code SHARPEND —> 20% off First Aid contents at MyMedic.com with code THE_SHARP_END_PODCAST20 Check out Ken Wylie’s book BURIED. Become a Patreon: patreon.com/thesharpendpodcast! Visit my website: www.thesharpendpodcast.com

Mount Emerson is located in the Sierra Nevada in eastern California. It’s the 116th highest mountain in California. Christian and a friend set out to climb it and ended up spending an extremely cold and uncomfortable night out on the mountain side at 13,000 feet. Listen in to hear Christian’s learning from the unplanned bivvy. This podcast is produced by Ashley Saupe. 
Episode sponsors include Rocky Talkie and the American Alpine Club. --> 10% off Rocky Talkie radios at www.rockytalkie.com with code SHARPEND —> 20% off First Aid contents at MyMedic.com with code SHARPEND20 If you’re interested in reading one of Christian Kiefer’s novels, here are a couple of book titles: Phantoms, The Infinite Tides, and The Animals Become a Patreon: patreon.com/thesharpendpodcast! Visit my website: www.thesharpendpodcast.com

Kyle Broxterman was consistently climbing strong. He was stoked on pushing himself physically and to continue to push the grades. Kyle and a couple of friends went out to a new crag on Donner Summit outside of Lake Tahoe, California. It was a beautiful day, they climbed a few routes and then Kyle decided to attempt to onsite a slightly overhanging, lightening bolt crack. Listen in to hear why Kyle is taking a step back from letting his ego drive his climbing and how he is managing his recovery from a terrible fall. This podcast is produced by Ashley Saupe. 
Episode sponsors include Rocky Talkie and the American Alpine Club.

In late July 2016, Ed and three other climbers in his group were caught in a sudden storm on top of 180 foot, two pitch climb called ”Waves" in the Black Hills behind Rushmore. With estimated 50 mph winds, a dangerous plunging temperature, and golf-ball-sized hail, getting off the climb was a test of experience, concentration, and teamwork. Listen to the end of this episode to hear Desert Mountain Medicine’s Program Director Morgan Matthews (RN, CEN, WFR) talk about why Hypothermia is no joke. This podcast is produced by Ashley Saupe and backed by the American Alpine Club. Episode sponsors include Rocky Talkie and Desert Mountain Medicine. Get 10% off Rocky Talkie radios at www.rockytalkie.com with code SHARPEND Get 20% off First Aid contents at MyMedic.com with code SHARPEND20 Become a Patreon: patreon.com/thesharpendpodcast! Buy a Sharp End top: https://www.bonfire.com/sharp-end-tops/ Buy me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/thesharpend Poke around my shiny NEW website: www.thesharpendpodcast.com

Aaron and Ian are a father / son climbing team. Aaron is a teacher and Ian is a student and they both had summer break off. In June of 2021, they decided to take advantage of their summer break and head to Zion National Park, a climbing destination they try and go to at least once a year. Listen in to episode 71 to hear what went wrong and how they were rescued off this multi-pitch climb. This podcast is produced by Ashley Saupe and backed by the American Alpine Club. Episode sponsors include Rocky Talkie, CRUDE Conversations, and Desert Mountain Medicine. —> Nominate your favorite SAR team at https://americanalpineclub.org/rocky-talkie-award --> 10% off Rocky Talkie radios at www.rockytalkie.com with code SHARPEND —> 20% off First Aid contents at MyMedic.com with code SHARPEND20 —> 10% off Four Sigmatic product Become a Patreon: patreon.com/thesharpendpodcast Visit my website: www.thesharpendpodcast.com