In this episode, Logan Talbot, an IFMGA guide, shares his journey into climbing, the importance of mentorship, and the art of decision-making in high-stakes environments. He discusses risk management strategies, the thrill of exploring the unknown, and the significance of having a reliable team in the mountains.

Operational Risk Form from Alpenglow: https://tacticalalpinism.com/blog/blog-post-title-one-twz94

This Episode's cover art background is Artesonraju, which Logan talked about in this episode.

Chapters

• 00:00:41 Logan's Early Climbing Days
• 00:04:42 The Role of Mentors
• 00:17:04 Decision Making in High-Stakes Climbing
• 00:21:43 Risk Management Strategies
• 00:25:52 Exploring the Unknown

Keywords

Peru, Artesonraju, Alpamayo, 8k, Cordillera Blanca, Himalaya, High altitude, climbing, mentorship, risk management, IFMGA, mountain guide, decision-making, high-stakes, adventure, exploration, team dynamics

The conversation explores the evolution and impact of the 10th Mountain Division and its Alpine Club, focusing on the cultural significance, training methodologies, and leadership dynamics within the military mountaineering context. It highlights the importance of outdoor recreation in shaping the identity of soldiers and the legacy of the division, while also addressing the challenges and opportunities in modern military training.

• The 10th Mountain Division has a rich history tied to outdoor recreation.
• Operation Mountain Legacy serves to celebrate and educate about the division's legacy.
• Leadership in the division emphasizes empowerment and initiative.
• The Adirondacks provide a unique training environment for soldiers.
• The Alpine Club aims to foster a culture of mountaineering within the division.
• Civilian engagement is crucial for preserving the legacy of the 10th Mountain Division.
• Training methodologies must adapt to the unique challenges of mountain environments.
• Terrain familiarization is essential for effective mountain operations.
• The legacy of the 10th Mountain Division influences modern outdoor recreation.
• Future training opportunities should leverage historical lessons learned.

Tanner Wanish on Manufacturing Adversity and Redefining Limits”

In this episode, we sit down with Tanner Wanish—former Navy SEAL turned elite big-wall climber—whose achievements in Yosemite have redefined what’s possible. From setting a speed record on the Triple Crown to inventing the Yosemite Quad and completing the Goliath Traverse.

We dive into Tanner’s unique philosophy of “manufacturing adversity”—deliberately seeking out hardship as a path to growth. He shares how his military background shaped his mental toughness, the logistics of fueling multi-day endurance climbs, and the delicate balance between risk and reward.

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This discussion was originally recorded and released on the MOPS N MOES Podcast. It dives into the research I conducted over the past few years, looking at a potential new metric for assessing and individualizing endurance training.

Here is the manuscript for the research if you're nerdy enough to want to read it.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/18iFyMifoPSL5r60GAXPE8b-VFJny36dy/view?usp=sharing

Chris Schulte has been a professional climbing athlete for Black Diamond, La Sportiva and several others since pretty early on in the United States' progression with that even being a profession. He was a mysterious figure in the Bouldering scene for many because he seemed to avoid the limelight and just climb hard things. When I found out that he was local to where this podcast is produced and recorded, I just knew I had to have him on.

Find some of the writing that he mentions in the episode below:

Patience: https://climbingzine.com/patience-chris-schulte/

Hidden Dragons: https://climbingzine.com/hidden-dragons-chris-schulte/

Jonathan Pope is one of the founders of Building the Elite and Fuel My Day Foods. Building the Elite is a tactical fitness company that focusses on preparing operators for selections and the rigors of their very physical job. Fuel My Day Foods was a brain child of Johnathan for addressing issues he was experiencing on big mountain days and for issues the operators he trains, who still wanted to fuel and perform well, were experiencing on long deployments.

Building the Elite: https://www.buildingtheelite.com/

Fuel My Day Foods: https://www.fuelmydayfoods.com/collections/all

Lance R. Blythe is a self described backcountry skier with a history problem. He is the Command Historian of the North American Aerospace Defense Command and the U.S. Northern Command. He is also Adjunct Professor of History at the United States Air Force Academy.

List and downloads of his written works:

https://academyadmissions.academia.edu/LanceBlyth

Mark Smiley is an internationally certified (IFMGA) mountain guide that has really leaned into online education. He initially gained public awareness because of climbing and filming the 50 Classic Climbs of North America with his wife Janelle.

In this episode we discuss the detailed planning, selection of partners and sacrifices that go into big objectives before transitioning to talking about the Mountain Sense courses that Mark created.

50 Classic Climbs:

https://www.climbing.com/travel/the-50-classic-climbs-of-north-america/

Mountain Sense Course Library:

https://www.mtnsense.com/

NW Alpine is a mountain apparel brand that focuses on having as much of their process, from the textile mills through the assembly, based in the USA. I was not too aware of how challenging this process can be until I started talking with Bill.

Bill Amos is the founder of NW Alpine and is also a lifelong climber and skier who got into making apparel so that he could spend more time in the mountains. You'll need to listen to the episode to see how that turned out...

Made in the USA Climbing Brands: https://www.nwalpine.com/pages/made-in-usa-climbing-brands

In this episode evolution, and future of mountain warfare training in the U.S. Army. From the history of the 10th Mountain Division in World War II to the recent 2025 introduction of the Army's Mountaineering Badge now authorized for Army-wide wear. Plus, we break down what it takes to earn the badge today, where soldiers train, and why mountain warfare skills remain mission-critical in modern operations.

HR5009 Section 1086: https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/5009/text

2024: Arctic Strategy: https://media.defense.gov/2024/Jul/22/2003507411/-1/-1/0/DOD-ARCTIC-STRATEGY-2024.PDF