The High Route Podcast

While this is the first episode of the new season, it’s part two of an interview we did with Zahan Billimoria earlier in the summer. (That episode focused more on training, so if you are feeling out of sorts coming into the new season—give it a listen.)

(While Zahan still occasionally guides, he runs Samsara Experience which features their Big Mountain Snow Safety Workshop. A class some of our readers and listeners might benefit from.)

This episode stems from a talk I heard Zahan gave last winter in Tahoe—he spoke about learni...

In this episode, we connect with Teton-based IFMGA guide and founder/coach at Samsara Experience, Zahan Billimoria. Samsara offers online and in-person training for aspiring and well-established mountain athletes. 

Over the years, whenever I’ve engaged with a story, film, or post about Zahan, I’ve been drawn in. There’s something about his message that is motivating. Having heard about Zahan for years, I found that the 2020 film Solving for Z: A Calculus of Risk provided a more complete backstory. (Definitely take the time to watch this film.) What we see in the film is a glimpse...

In this episode, we connect with the never-fatigued duo, the Dorais brothers…Andy and Jason Dorais. The brief backstory is this: Andy and Jason are both ER doctors in Salt Lake City. Which means that, through all their adventures, past and present, they were educating themselves, working long, strenuous hours in a stressful job, running on fumes, eventually juggling partners, kids, and their clan of like-minded endurance-junkie devotees in their pursuit of light and fast. 

For those of us further afield, we could latch onto Jason and Andy’s stories through their respective blogs, which often documented pre...

In this episode, we have the good fortune of speaking with all-around world-class mountain traveler, IFMGA guide, and dad, Vince Anderson. For those of you keen on high-end alpinism, in 2005, Anderson, along with his partner Steve House, climbed a direct, technical route on Nanga Parbat's Rupal Face. For their cutting-edge alpine ascent, they were awarded Piolets d'Or.

Now, well into his 50s, Anderson has not slowed down. He still climbs at a very high level, having ascended Peru's Jirishanca with Josh Wharton in 2022. Along with all this technical climbing, Anderson runs Skyward Mountaineering from his Colorado...

In this episode, we have the pleasure of speaking with the two folks behind the climbing skins at Big Sky Mountain Products, Jackson Keogh and Eric Haferman. These upstanding young men run the business from Bozeman, Montana, where they build their manufacturing equipment, and, yup, manufacture climbing skins. Many things drew us to the company, which we'll cover in the episode, but first and foremost, these are committed skiers who develop good products and ooze a genuine, down-to-earth, and very approachable vibe. They are the kind of folks I'd be psyched to run into on the skintrack.

In this episode, we have the pleasure of speaking with Tina Haver Currin. Here’s some background. Currin is a crusher when it comes to long-distance thru-hikes…and that may be redundant, as we assume, lacking the background knowledge, that all thru-hikes are long. Currin has completed many epic hikes, including the Triple Crown: the Pacific Crest Trail, Continental Divide Trail, and Appalachian Trail. She has also taken on some mighty tough trail running/scrambling FKT challenges of late. Which is to say that Currin is out and about in the mountains. 

She is, however, somewhat new t...

In this episode, we have the pleasure of speaking with Matthew Tufts, a touring focused ski journalist and storyteller and photographer. To be clear, he is Vermont-raised, but at least for some of the year, he calls Revelstoke home. Tufts has roamed the dirtbag scene as a denizen in what he calls a 'cab over camper Ford," and along the way has documented the scenes and his adventures. If you have had an opportunity to read or see his work, you're likely better for it.  

On The High Route site, we have featured a few projects T...

In this episode of The High Route Podcast, we feature part two of our interview with Ptor Spricenieks, a noted adventure skier, cosmic traveler, and family man who resides in La Grave, France.  
 

Be forewarned, for the best results, please listen to part 1 of our interview, because we jump right into it in this episode. Part II of the interview jumps off after we had been discussing Spricenieks’ relationship with Peter Chrzanowski, another iconic and timeless ski mountaineer—Chrzanowski was the first person to ski Mount Robson. 

Spricenieks grew up in eastern Canada, became restles...

In this episode of The High Route Podcast, we connect with Ptor Spricenieks, a noted ski mountaineer, husband, father, cosmic traveler, guide, and Canadian of Latvian descent, who has lived with his family in La Grave, France, since 2007.

There, Spricenieks has carved a life for himself with some consistent themes. And in learning about Spricenieks, who is a contrarian, anti-establishment, thoughtful, and bold thinker, one begins to wonder what exactly we’re doing on this big rock hurtling through space. And thus the name of this episode, which is part one of our interview, A Wrinkle in Ti...

Let’s put this out there up front. Before you listen to this episode, we don’t want any spoilers. We’ve got a conversation with Norway’s Nikolai Schirmer lined up, and we'll discuss, in some detail, his ski movie titled “The Greatest Ski Tour of all Time.” Although Schirmer is well known for his 10-15 minute short ski docs (they feel more than just YouTube videos), the movie referenced above runs a full hour and thirty-five minutes. Yes, a legit movie.

We also discuss his YouTube vid “Cliff of the season, and the pinnacle of skiing,” so yo...

In this episode, which comes fast on the heels of our last episode (we’re getting a bit ambitious over here), we explore some new research about the Safeback SBX system. The research paper we explore is titled "Respiratory Gas Shifts to Delay Asphyxiation in Critical Avalanche Burial." The research paper was published in the esteemed Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). Our resident ER Doc and wilderness medicine expert, Dr. Patrick Fink, is our guest to help break down the research. 

Ok, what is the Safeback SBX system? Here’s how Fink explains it: “It’s a manua...

This episode goes deep with Andy Lewicky. If his name doesn’t ring a bell, you’ve likely, over the years, come across his ski touring blog, SierraDescents, which, as the name suggests, covers touring and ski mountaineering in California, and more specifically, in and around Southern California. If Lewicky is new to you, his writing and thoughts are well worth the time. 

We ran an interview last winter, shortly after Lewicky and his family lost their home in the Palisades fire. What was clear at the time was that Lewicky has a fondness for h...

On this podcast episode, we are going all in on... ZipFit liners. Specifically, we’ll be speaking with Jeff Colt, marketing and design go-to for the company. I’m going to lead with this and then make a quick exit. This November, ZipFit will release a new touring-specific liner called the Espresso. Ok. The exit. 

ZipFit: What does it stand for? And what is it good for? The easy part first. Evidently, the Zip stands for Zero Pressure Injection Fit. Ok then. ZipFit liners are traditionally foamless high-end liners constructed from neoprene, microfiber, and leather. ZipFit liners also...

In this episode, Chris Kussmaul is our guest. I’ve been aware of Chirs for a few years—a friend of a friend kind of thing. He is based in Bozeman, Montana and for the part of the year when snow is not on the ground, which is actually a limited time of year in Southwestern, Montana, he works as a geology consultant. When he’s not officially working during the late fall and winter, he’s ski touring, and trying to keep his work schedule limited to almost none. But that is not to say Kussmaul isn’t keeping hi...

One thing was clear a few years back when watching the film “Mind Over Mountain.” That film documents a team of three women on the classic Bugs to Rogers traverse, and Madleine Martin-Preney was pure fuel. This storied traverse presents a fine backdrop for a fine narrative arc, but much of the time, it is downright brutally hard work in an arena, if the weather cooperates, that is rewarded with good views.

Martin-Preney seemed to have supernatural energy. She was breaking trail, acting as a guide, and, at least to my eyes, was a cent...

Here at The High Route Podcast we’ve come to the conclusion of season 2 here on the podcast. We’ll pick back up again with season three in late summer.  

On this episode, we have the privilege of checking in with Billy Haas. 

Haas is an IFMGA guide, professional avalanche educator, and ski mountaineer. If you are someone who skims the surface of the ski mountaineering scene, it’s easy to see how Haas may not have caught your attention. He barely posts on social media. Google his name, and what populates, mostly are his prof...

There’s something a bit different on today’s episode. It all started back in March when I Googled a general term like “backcountry skiing in the news.”

A February article from the LA Times was indexed. The piece was by LA Times writer Jack Dolan, and it was titled:  “Backcountry skiing is growing in popularity, but experts warn it’s more dangerous than you think.”

LINK TO VIDEO

Dolan wrote a story and included an accompanying video. I’d give the video a watch if you’ve got a moment before listening to the podcast, as...

Welcome to mid-spring here at The High Route Podcast. Here in the Pacific Northwest, ski crampon season. It is also the season to unearth an interview with Fay Manners, a British alpinist and ski mountaineer, recorded late last summer. 

Manners caught my attention for one reason: she practices the aforementioned mountain disciplines at a high level. To optimize mountain conditions in winter and the shoulder seasons, it helps to be skilled at rock, ice, and mixed climbing, and when the snow is stable and conditions prime, slapping skis or a snowboard on the feet makes sense, too. 

For those of you keen on backcountry skiing podcasts, you will hear a familiar voice on this episoide. Doug Stenclik is our guest—he’s part owner of Cripple Creek Backcountry and the host of Totally Deep, Cripple Creek’s podcast. 

The past several years have seen a topsy-turvy world generally and a boom-bust cycle regarding backcountry skiing/riding business. Stenclik offers insight into the business operations of selling items like touring boots and bindings. Business, when it comes to skins and skimo, for example, isn’t always rainbows and unicorns. There are supply chain snafus, dry winters...

Before we roll into this episode full steam, here’s some basic information: this interview was recorded in the fall of 2023. That was when a group from the US, including Jimmy Chin and Jim Morrison, planned to approach Mount Everest’s north side to attempt to ski the Hornbein Couloir. The project was part of a larger documentary project. This past fall, in 2024, that team made another attempt but was reportedly stymied by poor conditions. 

All this is to say that back in 2023, skiing the Hornbein popped up in the news cycle. Around then, I reached out to Je...

Retirement. It is a word with notes of one chapter solidly shutting down and, with good fortune, another opening up—a transition in chapters we expect to manifest later in life. 

Hadley Hammer, in her late thirties, is in such a transition. Hammer sent out a notice today, Feb. 17th, marking her retirement from performance skiing. In other words, from being a pro skier. 

In her retirement statement, she writes, "I am walking away from peak performance, but not from the mountains nor the outdoor community and certainly not from skiing, which I still think is t...

Sometimes, the eyes go wide, the mind quiets and thoughts turn to the realization that you might be watching mastery. Chamonix-based skier, Vivian Bruchez illicites these expressions. For some time now, he has captured the imaginations of steep-skiing fans. Many skiers and riders open new lines, climb, and descend in good style: they break on through a mental, physical, or terrain barrier and make something audacious look possible. This is, in many ways, Bruchez's signature. No matter how steep or exposed, he pivots on a dime, dry skis with aplomb, and exudes joy. Whether it's his disheveled signature hair...

On this episode of The High Route Podcast, we do some exploring with Andy Sovick. If you are unfamiliar with Sovick, he is the humble founder of Beacon Guidebooks. Several years ago, Beacon released a few high-quality ski atlases that generated some buzz. The business has grown, yet the company remains dedicated to core values that promote safety while providing ski-run information to the community.

Go on most, if not all, outdoor-oriented online forums, and somewhere, without much filtering, you land on threads dealing with gatekeeping. Here at The High Route, we discuss and think about this...

One of the best parts of liking to ask questions and running The High Route is the opportunity to speak to folks we admire and want to learn from. With this in mind, photographer Drew Smith is the guest on this episode. 

Smith’s work spans the spectrum from outdoor-related commercial work to full-value expedition photography. We are drawn to his images for many reasons. First and foremost, there’s his documentarian style and vibe. In short, Smith is along for the ride, documenting rather than staging, keeping up with rather than slowing the tempo...

It has been more than a minute since our last episode. Over here at The High Route, there has been a bit of burying our heads in the sand as we focus on sending out our final proofs for our print version of The High Route. In the spirit of print, we have Michael Levy as our guest on the podcast. 

Levy is the driving force behind the resurrection of Summit Journal—an esteemed print magazine last printed in 1996. The history of Summit Journal is pretty fascinating, and Levy speaks about that legacy in more detail on The...

The first snows have fallen. And if the local webcams have anything to say about it, it might as well be winter. Snow sliding and keeping bases intact—that's another story. 

The story today, on The High Route podcast comes from Salt Lake based Mali Noyes. Let's see where to begin.

Catching up with Noyes is, and was, part of the problem. Not unlike many of us, she is busy. She is also on the move. Energy. Motion. Mountains. Running. Skinning. Skiing. Nursing. 

She grew up in Sun Valley, Idaho, and became part of a...

Bonjour listeners of The High Route Podcast. On this steeps and slogs episode, we feature Aurélien Lardy.

Good energy and ceaseless energy are two key qualities for those making a life for themselves in the hills. Aurélien Lardy, a prolific ski mountaineer based out of Chamonix, has been on a tear for the past few years. If first descents or rare repeats are a benchmark, Lardy, who goes by "Aurel" for short, has notched plenty of them. For example, he and Gaspard Ravanel repeated a sought-after ski/snowboard descent of the L’éperon des Jumeaux on th...

In this episode of The High Route Podcast, we speak with Lou Dawson. As much as anyone in North American ski mountaineering, Dawson has been a cornerstone of the sport and the broader culture.

Last spring, he released his memoir, Avalanche Dreams. Already reviewed on the site, here's what our writer Alex Lee had to say:

Some things should be laid to rest, like the idea that splitboarders are universally slow on the ups and slow to transition. Sure, the gear might be, generally, heavier, but the athletes, in our experience, are fit, fast, and able to ride terrain in eye-opening ways. 

Nick Russell fits this mold. A snowboarder living in California's Sierras, Russell and his easy-going vibe balance his moxy in big-mountain terrain. In this episode of The High Route Podcast, Russell provides some basics for non-snowboarders, such as the merits of soft boots over hard boots. He also details his immersive s...

Welcome to Season 2 Episode 2 of The High Route Podcast. 

There's a video clip on YouTube, back from 2014, cataloged by RedBull. You've likely seen it. Cody Townsend shimmies on his skis, perched above The Crack, which would become the best ski line of the year. A decade might as well be a lifetime ago.

Since then, Townsend transitioned from ski movie staple to something more arduous and certainly less glamorous (we're biased), but maybe more fun—ski mountaineer.

For those not tapped into the freeride or ski movie culture, Townsend came into our lives wit...

As we open up year two at The High Route, emerging from our late summer slumber, it's time to cue up the podcast. Episode 14 is all about reflecting on year one and diving into the print scene.

We open the second year of The High Route with a freshly recorded podcast episode. Episode 1 of Season 2 of The High Route podcast is primarily a State of the Union-type episode. 

Pete Vordenberg, Salt Lake denizen, and road-kill burrito gourmand facilitates a discussion with Jason Albert where they unpack the year that was at The High Ro...

The show must go on. It will go on when we bust into September. But it's a wrap for season one of The High Route Podcast. Lucky number episode 13, we'll call it good right there.

In this episode, Adam Fabrikant and Billy Haas bring some closure to their fall trip to the Chilean Andes. Just before Fabrikant's and Haas' departure in October, we ran The "No Excess" Ski Expedition Packing Mantra episode, which mainly focused on their gear choices. If you haven't had a chance, now might be a good time to take that episode in.

Here are a few notes to get this podcast rolling. We hope you are reading this. 

1) There is some foul language in this podcast. F-bombs abound, in particular, after ~the 45:00 minute mark.
 

2) The episode is broken into two parts: set 1 and set 2. The first "set" was recorded in late March after a fine day of Sunday skiing in the Wasatch. We recorded the second "set" roughly a month later. The main reason for "set" 2 is to discuss our interaction with another group the following Monday. We set the scene in the pod, but here is...

Dr. Patrick Fink joins us on Episode 11 of The High Route Podcast. Fink is an ER physician in Bend, Oregon, involved with the local and broader Wilderness Medicine community. He hosts Wilderness Medicine Updates—"a podcast for those interested in wilderness medicine, search and rescue, disaster and austere medicine, and ski patrol medicine." Fink also has a site titled Mountain Lessons, where he shares valuable information about his travels and best practices. 

All this is to say that Fink comes to the podcasts with some expertise. One aspect of backcountry travel he has thought a l...

We're dropping this episode a bit before March—a dreamtime month for many THR readers and podcast listeners. March is on the cusp here in the Northern Hemisphere of longer days. All that translates into more time to move through the mountains—often with warmer temps and more stable avalanche conditions.

This episode is handy if you need a little push to get the wheels turning, dream, be inspired, or push yourself out of your comfort zone.

Let's get to it.

On the Emergence Episode, we chat with Sam Hennessey, Michael Gardner, and Adam...

This past Fall, Blizzard-Tecnica released a ski and a book to raise money to support the Hilaree Nelson Fund. The fund promotes women-specific scholarships to support women in pursuing professional development relating to mountain pursuits. Formally, the scholarship is called the W2W Hilaree Nelson Education Scholarship. 

W2W (Women2Women) is the nomenclature for Blizzard-Tecnica’s program to support initiatives and product development for women. Leslie Baker-Brown, our guest on the podcast, leads the program at Blizzard-Technica that pushed for the ski and book honoring Nelson and furthering her legacy of female empowerment in...

We’re titling this the "Seeking Impeccability" epsiode for a few sound reasons. Lynne Wolfe, the guest on our first 2024 episode of The High Route Podcast, is aspirationally impeccable. She has decades of experience as an avalanche educator and a former guide for Jackson Hole Mountain Guides and Exum. Such a pedigree includes both mastery and a willingness to learn and improve. By all accounts, Lynne has these attributes. Over the years, she has aspired to be impeccable. Yet, she recognizes life is an arc where we illustrate moments of mastery on an endless continuum towards perfection—which we migh...

Many folks make up the backcountry community. Sliding skis or a splitboard uphill takes some discomfort tolerance (until you feel sufficiently fit) and a commitment to the unknown, even in small doses. Throw other people into the mix, and the recipe for joy, disaster, and all the combos in between are possibilities. When we came across Sophia Schwartz's talk at this year's Wyoming Snow and Avalanche Workshop (WYSAW) and gave it a view, things resonated. The title of her talk, Meaning in the Mountains: Using Purpose to Guide Risk and Decision Making in the Backcountry, is spot on considering...

There are some foundational values here at The High Route. Right at the top of the list is inspiring backcountry travelers to dream big adventures, and when the time is right, go out and have that adventure. Adventure has gradients, and this might seem like a tangent, but it's worthwhile—there was a 94-year-old at the climbing gym this afternoon. He's a regular. And it certainly looked like he was owning his adventure pulling plastic.

So, there is time to learn, get fit, and push the comfort zone just enough to make something happen. Th...

I think we all can recall our first time. You're scrambling around a digital facsimile of a library on the early Internet, and wham, you stumbled onto WildSnow. Lou Dawson, author of Wild Snow: 54 Classic Ski and Snowboard Descents of North America and curator of the website by the same name, is an integral part of the ski community's fabric. He's the first to ski all of Colorado's 14ers. And he's one of a few individuals to fastidiously research and document the ongoings of the backcountry touring scene. In particular, Lou allowed many of us to seek adventure deep...