If you spend enough time in the mountains, you’re bound to come across things that leave you scratching your head, wondering, how did this happen? Nature is breathtakingly beautiful, yet also unforgiving. In this episode, I share the story of a massive bull elk I discovered above an icefall—a find that will forever leave me questioning how he got there while also inspiring dreams of the incredible life he must have lived. This elk was undoubtedly the king of the mountain. You can find videos of this discovery on my social media, but after listening to this episode, you’ll know the full story—more than just the speculation in the comments!

Thanks to Dan Vastyan, Chris Guyer and Christian Baumeister for joining the conversation. 

Whether Kimberly Cross is leading friends up frozen waterfalls, tackling alpine climbs, or inspiring her kindergarten class with the wonders of the outdoors, her mission remains the same—helping others step outside without fear and push past obstacles.

"Chasing an outdoor dream can build a renewed or deepened sense of self," she says. "Confidence, perseverance, and purpose grow when we experience the outdoors and witness the beauty these landscapes offer. It’s a powerful force for the mind, body, and soul."

Born with one hand and what she affectionately calls her "stump"—Kimberly knew that pursuing a sport like ice and alpine climbing wouldn’t be easy. But from a young age, her family encouraged her to embrace challenges, adapt, and never back down. So when she set her sights on climbing, she found a way to make it happen. Her relentless drive and passion caught the attention of The North Face, earning her a spot in one of their athlete development programs.

She continues to hone her skills at ice festivals across the West, proving time and time again that anything is possible. And while she pushes the limits in the mountains, she also balances a fulfilling career as a kindergarten teacher and cherishes time with her husband and stepkids. Kimberly has found a way to pursue her passion while creating balance—a true testament to her determination and love for the outdoors.

I have known Jackson Marvell for a while now and I have always been in awe of his continued pursuit to push himself in the sport of ice, rock and alpine climbing. He and his friends Alan Rousseau and Matt Cornell became very well known climbers when their names hit the New York Times for their accent of Jannu. Take a dive into Jacksons mind, life and his teams ascent of Jannu in this episode. 

Aaron Mulkey sits down with Matt Berry who is the head of QA and R&D at Black Diamond Equipment to talk everything ice screws. There are a ton of questions ice climbers have about the strength of ice screws and their placements. We dig into all of that, I ask every question I can think of. We also dive into the differences in Aluminum vs Steel ice screws. If you're an ice climber, this is a must listen!

I will also post a couple key pieces of this chat on my YouTube Channel. 

There is a YouTube video that Matt did with Will Gadd that is also really good to watch. Watch Here 

Aaron Mulkey shares information about The Cookeout Ice Festival and Wyoming Ice Festival events. They have an incredible lineup up of speakers at these two events. Aaron then shares a story about exploration and an Ice Axe he took through the bicep during an ice climbing fall many years ago deep in the backcountry. We also take time to remember Michael Gardner.

A great video about who Michael Gardner was. 

Who is Aaron Mulkey? I figured it was time to go beyond the surface of my life. Like just about anyone I have struggled in life multiple times. I have lost, loved, fallen and escaped life when I needed to disconnect from reality. Climbing and Kayaking kept me alive in my darkest times, but I was incredibly lucky. Attempting to find balance between work, climbing and family has always been a struggle. Social Media tells a story that we curate for our followers, but the reality of a life can only be shared through a book or conversation. This will be the first of these open conversations to come. 

 

This is a super powerful conversation with Sarah Hueniken who has been a driving force in the Ice and Mixed Climbing community for many years. She is one of the strongest winter athletes I know and one of the nicest people you will ever meet. Sarah shares some of her secrets to her success and how she navigates fear and risk. We also chat about accidents and loss in the mountains and how we as a climbing community can better support each other. 

Check out https://www.mountainmuskox.com/ a support group of individuals who have been impacted by loss or trauma in the mountains. 

History is made with the introduction of the "Many-Headed Beast" The Black Diamond Hydra ice climbing tool. I sit down with ice and alpine climbing legends Will Gadd and Jackson Marvell along with the incredible design and engineering team at Black Diamond, Sean Dunlop, Derek Gustafson and Jeremy Stack. This is a first of its kind conversation about how the Hydra Ice Climbing Tool came to be. We also dive into some Ice Climbing history and the many ice tools that Black Diamond has developed over the years. This history is very important to tell the story of the evolution of the Hydra.

Hydra Contest: For your chance to win one of the two Hydra tools signed by Aaron Mulkey, Jackson Marvell and Will Gadd follow the rules below to enter. 

• Follow @blackdiamond and @coldfear on Instagram
• Listen to this podcast
• Answer the question: Which pomel is stronger, the upper or lower?
• DM the secret answer to @coldfear on Instagram
• Comment on the @blackdiamond and @coldfear Hydra Podcast collaboration post on Instagram “I conquered the many headed beast” once you’ve sent in your answer
• Share that collaboration post to your story for an extra entry
• Winner will be randomly selected from submissions that meet all the rules on September 20th!

Connor Koch is a mountain endurance athlete rooted in the Rockies. His climbing career has been shaped by fast and light pushes on the Colorado 14ers, technical Teton and Montana high points, and ski descents from the granite giants of the Sierra. While comfortable on any medium, Connor is most inspired by long days with nothing but a small pack and running shoes, testing his limits and finding the edge of possibility between the earth and the sky. 

The time is now to start training for your winter season. I sit down with Seth Keena to talk about the Ice Climbing training plan he and I put together with Evoke Endurance. Seth is a full time coach at Evoke Endurance and started mentoring under legend Scott Johnston in 2015. Seth is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to training and how the body responds. We talk about the Ice Climbing training plan and how easy it is to start this plan for people who also have full time jobs. If you're looking to get strong this winter season then give this a listen and check out the plan for $75.

Check out the plan HERE