MtnMeister

MtnMeister

By Ben Schenck explores the minds of those who explore: climbing, skiing, mounSportsHealth & FitnessWilderness
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MtnMeister episodes

  • #173 Third time's a (c)harm with Alex Staniforth

    Alex Staniforth is 20 years old, and he has already accomplished what some would consider a lifetime of adventures. In 2014, his first Everest attempt was cut short by the avalanche in the Khumbu Icefall. He tried again in 2015 but was stuck at Camp 1 during the Nepal earthquake. Alex is the author of Icefall: The True Story of a Teenager on a Mission to the Top of the World. 

    Alex's Meister Profile page - http://mtnmeister.com/meister/alex-staniforth/ 
    30 min
  • (R) #150 Climbing by the numbers with Billi Bierling

    Billi Bierling is a mountaineer, journalist, and assistant for Miss Elizabeth Hawley, the legendary chronicler of Himalayan expeditions. Billi is the first German woman to reach the tops of Lohtse and Manaslu, the latter of which she summited without oxygen in 2011.

    Check out Billi's Meister profile page here - http://mtnmeister.com/meister/billi-bierling/

    36 min
  • #172 Putting the “out” in outdoors with Elyse Rylander

    The outdoors has a diversity problem, not with the landscapes or the weather, but with the people who participate.  Today's guest is changing that by getting people out, outside. Elyse Rylander is the executive director of OUT There Adventures, an organization that takes queer young people on outdoors adventures to help them develop positive identities and individual empowerment. In this episode, we chat about how the outdoors can serve as a safe space for queer youth and why it's important for everyone to care about the movement.

    36 min
  • #171 All about adapting with Jason Romero

    Jason Romero is a legally blind ultra-runner who is attempting to run across the country. He will leave on March 24th, and he plans to run 50 miles a day from LA to Boston. Jason's previous accomplishments in ultra endurance include Leadville Trail 100, Badwater 135, and many more. In this interview, Jason talks about his upcoming project (Vision Run USA) and the challenges of adapting to a field of vision that is consistently narrowing.

    Thanks to this episode's sponsor, Mountain House. For 20% off of your purchase, go to mountainhouse.com/meister.

    34 min
  • #170 Adventure: Nature or Nurture? with Rickey Gates

    In addition to food, water, and shelter, it seems that Rickey Gates has two additional basic needs: running and traveling. At age 34, Rickey has been living a vagabond-ish lifestyle for nearly half of his life by running, writing, and taking pictures. In this episode, we discuss the "how and why" of Rickey's adventurous lifestyle.

    Check out Rickey's Meister Profile - http://mtnmeister.com/meister/rickey-gates

    Thanks to our sponsor for today's episode, Mountain House. For 20% off, visit www.mountainhouse.com/meister

    33 min
  • #169 The first ascent of Mt. Vinson with the 1966 American Antarctic Mountaineering Expedition
    This time fifty years ago, each of the highest peaks on every continent had been summited. Except one. At 16,050 feet, Mt. Vinson is Antarctica’s tallest mountain, and in 1966, the American Antarctic Mountaineering Expedition was organized to make a first ascent. This year, the 50th anniversary of this iconic accomplishment, some of the members of the team reunited at the American Alpine Club’s Annual Benefit Dinner in Washington DC. In this episode, you'll hear them reflect on the historic expedition. 
     
    This was recorded at the American Alpine Club's 2016 Annual Benefit Dinner presented by The North Face and REI. Special thanks National Geographic.
     
    Thanks to MtnMeister's sponsor for this episode, Mountain House. For 20% off, go to mountainhouse.com/meister
    1 hr 7 min
  • #168 Alex Honnold on the 100-year anniversary of America's National Parks

    On August 25th America will be celebrating the 100-year anniversary of the National Parks. In good spirit, the American Alpine Club hosted its Annual Benefit Dinner in Washington DC and invited world-renowned rock climber Alex Honnold to be the keynote speaker.

    In this episode, I sit down with Alex to talk about his experiences in the National Parks and his opinions on protected lands. Sometimes a person who gets interviewed as much as Alex will resort to "canned answers". Not Alex. I really appreciated how he listened to each question and gave thoughtful, candid responses.

    Following the interview is Alex's keynote. This was recorded at the American Alpine Club's 2016 Annual Benefit Dinner presented by The North Face and REI. Special thanks National Geographic. Also, thanks to MtnMeister's sponsor for this episode, Mountain House. For 20% off of your purchase go to http://www.mountainhouse.com/meister

     

     

    46 min
  • #167 A behind-the-scenes look at outdoors athlete sponsorship
    The “Did someone get paid to say that?” question runs through my mind a lot. Often, I have trouble finding the answer. For example, when a guest on MtnMeister gives a gear recommendation, does he/she get paid by that company? If he/she does, can we trust that the recommendation is authentic? How do these sponsorships work? What do the brands get from the athletes and what do the athletes get from the brands? How does this impact us as outdoors consumers?
     
    In this episode, we hear from a couple of professional athletes, a large outdoors brand, and a talent manager. If you have questions or comments, leave them in the discussion forum on our website mtnmeister.com or send me an email (ben at mtnmeister.com).
     
    31 min
  • (R) #144 Microadventures with Alastair Humphreys

    Alastair Humphreys is an adventurer, blogger, author, and motivational speaker. He has ridden a bike 46,000 miles around the entire world, rowed the Atlantic Ocean, and walked across India, but it’s the smaller adventures which have had the biggest impact. Alastair has created a concept called "microadventures", which encourages you to get outside, get outside of your comfort zone, and get to somewhere you have never been before.

    25 min
  • #166 Racing across America with Adam Kimble aka The Bearded Sole
    In 2009, Adam Kimble ran his first 5k. In 2011 his first half, 2012 his first marathon, and 2014 his first ultra. Now, in 2016, he is attempting to become the fastest person to run across the USA. The time to beat is 46 days, 8 hours, 36 minutes, and to do it he will have to average 68 miles a day. On February 15th, he will leave Huntington Beach and head west to hopefully finish around March 30th in NYC. 
     
    Follow Adam @thebeardedsole on FB, IG, Twitter, or AdamKimble.com. Links to everything we discuss in today's episode (including Summit for Someone info) on our website, mtnmeister.com.
    30 min

About MtnMeister

From the publisher's feed

A high altitude mountaineer travels through sub-zero temperatures, scales treacherous terrain, and carries hundreds of pounds of supplies. Many of us have very little in common with this person. We don’t need to worry about the lack of oxygen in the air or the extent of frostbite in our toes.