The 29029 Podcast

On an April evening in 2017, a small single-engine plane disappeared into the mountains of Washington State.

Somewhere near 5,000 feet on the snow-covered face of Mount Jupiter in Olympic National Park, metal met rock.

A distress call cracked across the emergency frequency — faint, urgent, alive.

High above the Pacific Northwest, a Delta flight en route from Seattle to Shanghai heard it. The pilots relayed the call. A Navy search-and-rescue crew lifted off from Whidbey Island in an MH-60 helicopter.

By 6 p.m., rescuerson that ]steep, frozen, unforgiving.

Two men were pu...

At Whistler 2024 there was a different kind of green that covered the slopes of Blackcomb Mountain. Among the old-growth forest of towering trees every once in a while you’d spot a a green flash……flourescent green to be exact on top of the heads of the crew from Google.

Those hats belonged to Team Green Lightning. Some may argue there is nothing “lightening” when you are climbing 4 mile 3900 foot ascents up a mountain for 36 hours, but a team they were. Colleagues by day, turned cheerleaders and confidants on the mountain. 

Brian Goldstein was part of Team Gre...

At Whistler this year, we had a guest. His name was Tom. Tom walked around the world.

No! Really!…..He walked around the world on his own two feet with his dog Savannah. Who better to prepare you to take on a 36 hour hiking challenge than him?

Tom’s World Walk came after life threw him one of those curveballs; the ones you really don’t see coming, and the ones that change you from that moment forward.

Tom was 17 years old and lost his best friend to a tragic accident. Faced with his ow...

If you’ve been to 29029 or are training to take on your Everest, you know Coach Brent Pease (and if you don’t…..maybe you should stop what you are doing and open your emails with the training plan.)

Brent’s story of coaching hundreds of athletes each year along their journey at 29029 is awesome in and of itself…..but there is a larger part of Brent’s story that has created the foundation of the coach we know today.

That other part of the story is Brent's brother Kyle.

If you’ve been lucky eno...

Pam and Lauren have known each other for years, decades really. They were sorority sisters and college friends. They lived in New York City during 9/11. They shared a lot of life together.

After college they went their separate ways, Pam to law school and Lauren to business school. They got married, had children. It wasn’t that they didn’t stay in touch, but they didn’t connect often…..of course when they did, it was that kind of relationship that just seemed to pick up where they left off.

That’s probably why Pam figured sh...

At 29029 legends aren’t born—they’re forged.

The red carpet on a final summit does not make you a legend, your journey becomes legendary when you continually show up, time and time again, facing struggle, fatigue, and doubt—You become a legend when you KEEP CLIMBING. 

In this episode, we celebrate three individuals who have become legends in their own right.

Each of them has faced what some would call failure. Each of them has had to look at them selves and ask “why….why am I still here….why I am still doing thi...

NEW EPISODES ARE BACK!

The finish line isn't always what you dream it will be. It can be life-changing or it can be a lonely road.

Are you good enough?

Are you fast enough?

What are you trying to prove out there?

Does a finish line really define you or your life?

Eric Recker experienced too many of those fickle finish lines in his life. He wanted more. He needed more.

A reel showed up in Eric's social media...

CANCER

Those six letters….that single syllable….that one word…..

Cancer might be the scariest sound our ears can register, especially when you’ve heard it before and hoped to never hear it again.

But this story isn’t just about cancer.

This story is about a man named David Johnson. A husband. A father. A fighter…..A 29029 alumni who knows what it means to KEEP CLIMBING.

There are deep lessons taught through suffering; both the suffering we choose and the suffering we’d never in our right minds sign up for. <...

In 2022, from the outside looking in you might think Vija Williams had it all. A successful real estate career that wasn’t just growing but thriving.  A beautiful family.  Dreams that were coming true.  But what wasn’t true is that narrative.

Vija’s weight had skyrocketed to over 235 pounds. Her health wasn’t what it use to be. It was like she didn’t notice what was happening and maintained a skewed view of who she was and what she could accomplish. She signed up for not one, but two marathons that fall. When she brushed off her train...

Ken Rideout grew up in the inner city of Boston surrounded by drug addicts and criminals.

Today he is a husband, dad of 4, former Wall St. trader and a former opioid addict. Through perseverance and mindset Ken has transformed himself into, the best marathon runner in the world over the age of 50.

Since getting sober in 2010, Ken has won races all over the world, from 5Ks to ultra-marathons. In 2023 he won the Age Group (50-54) at the Marathon World Championships in Chicago, finishing in a blistering 2:29:08.

Also in 2023, Ken competed and won his...

What is 29029 TRAIL? Is it like a 29029 mountain event or totally different? 

If you haven’t yet, we encourage you to pause right here and go back to Part 1 of this episode with Abe Abich.  It’s important that you know how we got to TRAIL with these two brothers and their close friend Jay. 

Since an invitation was made by the legendary Thomas Zebley back in 2022 the effect that first mountain experience had on Abe rippled through this crew and now they found themselves at the Ritz-Carlton Lake Tahoe at NorthStar ready to take on 3 mo...

You’ve probably thrown a small stone into a still pond before.  The small rock breaks the glassy water into ripples that reach out from the rocks entry point seemingly forever if uninterrupted.  This ripple effect in nature is the perfect example of what happens within the community at 29029. 

Thomas Zebley is a 29029 original, a legend on the mountain.  He has climbed and finished 12 mountains since 2018.  But you don’t reach legendary status in this world showing your own strength and endurance.  The legend of Zebley is less about his red hat collection and more about the impact tho...

Every episode we start by asking “What’s your Everest?” or your biggest goal or challenge in life.  BUT there is another question that lies beyond the pronouncement of a goal or something you want to accomplish and it’s a bit more complex. Why?

Why do you want to challenge yourself?

Why do you want to sacrifice time and money?

Why is THIS so important? 

Why?

I was scrolling through my instagram feed the other day and came across this post by 29029 alumni, LeAnne Rodriguez. 

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I was str...

The boxer Mike Tyson once said “Everyone has a plan until you’re punched in the mouth”

This feels like a truth we all understand; that things in this life are not going to unfold the way we want or expect them to.  They never have and they never will. Yet, we go around creating our perfect plans and end up shocked and disappointed when our plans fail. 

On the mountain we know how many laps we need to do before lunch, what we will wear to start and the intervals at which we will change o...

Sometimes the world feels so big and overwhelming.  There are so many people in so many places with so many opinions, values and path.

......But something happens on the mountains and the trails, on long bike rides and over monotonous hours of endurance training.

There’s something within endurance sport that acts like a binding agent reaching across borders and cultures, filling in the gaps of humanity until we all seem to be a bit more similar…….because aren’t we all simply people, who strive to be the best versions of ourselves?

Hannah Wa...

The mountain has a way of checking our soul, of challenging us on multiple levels all at once.  

We met David Allen at Snowbasin this year.  He was strong, fit and capable, a gym owner, former athlete and powerlifter..  He always smiled when we referred to him as “Dr. David Allen” when he would return to the base of the mountain to brand his board.  (Sidenote: David’s not a “doctor” but his name sure made us think of one from a daytime soap opera.)

At the Ascent Board, we see participants multiple times.  At Snowbasin, parti...

Editor's Note: We aren't just talking about climbing 29,029 at one of our 6 - 29029 mountain events (though we are going to do that too)......We are talking about THE REAL MOUNT EVEREST! Enjoy!

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Let’s talk about your dreams and ambitions……I know you have some!  Maybe they are in the form of a bucket list item that you want to check off before you leave this life behind.  Maybe they seem unattainable but for some reason you still can’t get them out of your head. 

What if you actually got off the...

If I can climb 29,029 feet in 36 hours, with very little sleep and live to tell the tale…..What else can I do? 

If you are signed up for 29029 get ready to ask yourself this question when you get home from the mountain.  It’s inevitable.  Doing hard things is a key that unlocks future potential.  We gain a great perspective of what might be possible when we take on the seemingly impossible and find success. 

The tale we have to tell you today didn’t actually start on the mountain, but the mountain was pivotal in setting...

Most 80 year old men you find sitting comfortably in a recliner surrounded by their grandchildren telling stories of adventures long past.   Jim Fisher is not one of those 80 year old men.  Jim is still seeking adventures, still climbing mountains and still living his life to the fullest.  

In 2021, 29029 Alumni Chuck Fisher invited his parents to climb with him in Snowbasin that year.  Jim and Mary Fisher were 78 almost 79 years old when they pressed that red registration button.  

Jim was an instant celebrity on the mountain.  He was the source of a new kind of inspiration in our c...

Have you ever watched a great athlete perform?  They can look flawless.  Light on their feet.  Perfect form.  They make everything look effortless. 

Whether it's at 29029 or another endurance event it’s easy to see the “front of the pack” and think “how can this be so easy for them”.....”and why isn’t it that easy for me”

I’m not sure what it is that makes us think that those who are winning the races and climbing in front of us are somehow having an easier time.  No matter your ability, everyone is covering the same distan...

American Entrepreneur and Author Jim Rohn is often credited with the saying “You are the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with.” 

So look around. 

Who’s in your circle?

Are the people you are spending the most time with people who you look up to; people who you want to be like?

Alvaro Nunez is one of those people you want in your circle. 

Beyond his incredible success in business, he is always seeking to live his life to the fullest.  He’s waded through the challeng...

We don’t know about you, but we just can’t get enough of Joannie Rich!

If you haven’t, go back and listen to episode 41 so you can meet Joannie and get a glimpse of why she owns 13 red hats and plans to keep climbing. 

Joannie is a wealth of knowledge not only on the mountain but at home too.  She is generous with her time taking calls and answering messages from participants in our community.  It’s part of what makes her such a legend. 

While we had Joannie in the podcast hot...

When most people sign up for 29029 they get used to being asked “but Why?”

Why in the world would you want to climb the same mountain for 36 hours?

Why would you want to put yourself through that?

Why would you climb in the rain, the sun, the dark, the snow?

Why would you dedicate so much of your time to earn a red hat? 

Joannie Rich has been asked “why” more times than she can remember.  That’s probably because she was the first 29029 participant in 2021 to wear a black bib...

On December 12, 2023 the three 29029 Co-Founders (Marc Hodulich, Jesse Itzler and Colin O’Brady) sat down to welcome our community to a new year and a new season!  

Each of these men lives and breathes endurance sports.  It’s not just their business, it is their lives. 

Their takeaways for how to plan, prepare and balance a massive goal like 29029 is just what you need to hear as you prepare for a new year of challenges in your own life. 

No matter what mountains you are facing in this new season, know that when you lean...

The hardest thing about producing this podcast is that all of our participants at 29029 have a story.  They have REALLY good stories.  We are going to keep sharing those stories with you month after month and season after season.....but every once in a while there is a story that transcends the others. 

A story that epitomizes what 29029 stands for.  

Jon Samnick has been climbing mountains with 29029 for a long time.  When Jon started there were no red hats, no red carpets…..there weren’t even coaches or training plans.  There was just a mountain and newly f...

So!  You signed up for 29029.  Now what? 

Maybe you are nervous. 

Maybe you are excited. 

Maybe you are even a bit scared…..okay you might be REALLY scared. 

All of those emotions are okay! 

You just signed up to climb 29,029 feet up a mountain in 36 hours.  That’s big, but we promise you are going to love it!

Unlike other endurance events, 29029 will be different.  You are going to be fully supported and surrounded by a community of like-minded individuals who are seeking to be their best and want to s...

If you ever have the chance to come to 29029, I hope that you take a moment to just observe. 

Watch, listen and just feel…..You'll recognize something profound……29029 has little to do with climbing a mountain.

Of course, on Friday morning at 6am we blow an airhorn and send a 250 people climbing….So yes.  There’s definitely a mountain involved. 

But what you see, hear and feel at 29029 has everything to do with the people who are there, not the mountain they are climbing. 

It’s this special community of mostly strangers embark...

Part of my job as the host and emcee at 29029 events is getting to know the participants who take on the challenge to find their Everest.  Over the 4 days that I get to spend with them, I typically get a good read on who they are and some of the roads and backroads they have traveled before climbing our mountains.  Each one of them has a story and I see it as my job to unlock a bit of that narrative to help create powerful moments on the mountain.  

But sometimes I don’t see the whole story...

We all create stories in our minds.  Some of those stories take the form of wishes and dreams.....maybe hopes and visions for the future. 

But let’s be honest, some of those stories aren’t fairytales. 

Some of our stories that we create are rooted in fear, shame, vulnerability and served up with a healthy helping of doubt. 

Some of the stories you have told yourself about yourself are so unkind you would never speak something like that to someone else. 

But yet……those are the stories that seem to play the loud...

If you’ve listened or followed this podcast before you know we talk a lot about “the why”.  Why do we climb?  Why do we choose to voluntarily put ourselves in a position to struggle in order to climb the vertical feet of mountain Everest.  

Every single participant who presses that red registration button on the 29029 website is there  for a different reason.   We have participants show up with perfect clarity as to what they are seeking to find and accomplish through their 29029 experience.  Others seem to find their why as they train over 20 weeks.  Sometimes the realization of...

When you create something new like 29029 you never know what will happen.  It’s hard to tell if people are going to buy into the idea that climbing up a mountain for 36 hours over a weekend to try to reach the vertical gain of Mt. Everest is a good idea or not.  

In 2017 when 29029 was launched, it was a small group of people who were known for enjoying crazy experiences.  They loved it!  Of course they did.  In 2018 as the brand expanded to include an additional location in Snowbasin Utah a larger community had the opportunity to experien...

Beginning in 2017, we have had a front-row seat to 1000s of individuals who have found their way to their own personal Everests while climbing 29029.  We can share story after story of participants who found a bigger and better version of themselves in 20 weeks of training and over those 36 hours struggling up the slopes of a mountain.  It’s inspiring to see people literally transform before your eyes into more than they ever thought they could be.  

Over the past few seasons we’ve seen the reasons why people choose to climb, broaden and expand.  While sel...

It's 5:30pm on a Saturday in mid August 2019. 250 individuals have used the preceding 35 and 1/2 hours to test themselves on the slopes at Snowbasin Resort, Utah. Each attempting to complete 29,029 feet of vertical gain or mimicking the vertical accumulation of climbing from sea level to the top of Mt. Everest.

Though the event technically has another 30 minutes until its official 36-hour cut off time, most participants are back at their tents, showered, eating dinner and many are sporting new red hats. They completed the event.

But the mountain is far from empty. There is still one...

In 2021, Colleen, the host and emcee for the 29029 events, stepped off her flight to Albany, New York on the way to Stratton Mountain for another epic weekend.  As she made her way down to baggage claim without realizing that two sets of eyes were following her gray 29029 hoodie down the escalator.   

The owners of those eyeballs soon found some courage asked her if she was, in fact, Colleen "The Voice of the Mountain" at 29029.  They introduced themselves as Joe Curtain and Mario Minnaert.   

At that moment a friendship was forged, a selfie was taken and the fi...

How many times in life have you been willing to commit to doing something that you didn’t know the outcome? I’m talking about committing to a project that you didn’t know if you could handle.  A deadline that would stretch you so thin you risked failure.  

Generally, we don’t commit to things we are not confident we can complete.  But that’s just our comfort zone.  Where’s the growth in that?  If we only set out to do things we know we are good at and we can “finish” we miss all the things we could b...

We all are acquainted with grief.  It’s rare to leave this life without the pain and suffering that comes with our human experience.

Grief is different for everyone and the ways we move through our grief are as unique as the reasons why people sign up to climb a mountain over and over again for 36 hours to reach the vertical gain of Mt. Everest.

But the thing about choosing to climb a mountain with a partner like grief is that you can’t hide.  The mountain will cause you to face whatever it is that l...

In 2022 29029 Everesting celebrated our 5th anniversary of challenging individuals to set an Everest-sized goal.

I was scrolling through old photos and came across images from our first event in 2017 at Stratton Mountain Vermont.  Some things looked different, like the ascent board and the bibs.  Some things operated differently, like the gondola and the schedule.  But there was something familiar in those old photos, something I’ve noticed ever since my first time on the mountain in 2019.   It was something about the faces!  Not that I recognized the faces because many of them I had never met, but it was a...

Let’s flip the script today. Instead of worrying so much about the worst case scenarios and what to do to when they happen…… let’s shift to a different, more positive mindset.  

Casey Gilbert has traveled the world for years as an online trainer sharing his love for fitness and words of wisdom though the screen on your workout machine.  He seems to have limitless energy and strength, but have you ever thought that there might be struggles on the other side of the camera?

Trainers and coaches like Casey are not immune from the demons...

If you’ve lived on this earth for more than a few days, you are pretty familiar with the fact that life doesn’t always travel the easiest path.  One moment you are on the summit of the mountain enjoying the view and the next you find yourself lost in the deepest valley you’ve ever had to navigate.

Kacia and Seena Ghetmeri signed up for 29029 with fire in their bellies.  They were getting out of their comfort zone and they were ready to grow. Newly engaged.  Blazing new paths.  Budding entrepreneurs!  29029 was perfect!

Little did they kn...

One of the most unique features of a 29029 event is that it is something ANYONE can access.  The summit of our mountains have seen finishers of all ages, shapes, sizes and backgrounds.  From former olympic and professional athletes, to individuals who had never completed a 5k before 29029…..Our community climbs together, fully-supported to help you accomplish your goals!

Many reach Everest but EVERYONE on the mountain leaves being able to redefine what they think they are capable of.

Shawn Doss turned into an athlete on the slopes of 29029!  An ultra-endurance athlete!  His red hats left him wa...