Mtnmeister

Arlette Laan (trail name Apple Pie) took on an audacious project in the summer of 2014. The word diratissima in Italian means "most direct route", and in hiking it refers to the shortest route to connect multiple peaks. Apple Pie coordinated a White Mountain Diratissima where she linked all 48 of the 4,000-foot mountains. It took 258 miles to connect them all and she did it unsupported over the course of 11 days.

Exploration and adventure allow us to discover certain things: we discover new places, what we’re capable of, and what we love. Derek Abbey discovers something else. He’s a member of the BentProp project, a team of volunteers, trained specialists, and professionals who are dedicated to locating and assisting with identifying American POWs and MIA soldiers from World War II. The effort is done through extensive research, recoveries, and exploration all while coordinating with appropriate national authorities.

In mid-August of 2015, I received a text from some old high school friends. These are the kind of friends that you see a couple of times each year, maybe at a wedding or when you return home for the holidays. We already have the foundation of a solid friendship, so it's never awkward, but life takes you in different directions. Besides, with social media and technology you already know what's going on in their lives.   Anyway, the text said that they wanted to go on a hike in Peru in the spring of 2016. They asked if I wanted to go. I said yes, and so did three other people. This episode of MtnMeister is a trip report about six dudes in their twenties who want to go on an adventure. They have limited time to take off of work, and they don’t have sponsors to pay for it. To put it simply, it’s real life. I know listening to professional athletes and extreme adventurers is fun, and yes, it definitely serves a purpose. But the meisters are outliers. They show us what is humanly possible, not humanly probable.   

Aaron Gwin is a professional downhill mountain biker who has quickly ascended the ranks to become the best in the world. He competed in his first race at age 20, and today, at age 28, he’s a 3-time World Cup Overall Champion. Gwin has put the USA back on top in sport that in recent years has been dominated by Europeans. In this interview, we’ll talk about what it means to have supportive parents, the difficulty of staying competitive and passionate at the same time, and what goes on behind the scenes in downhill mountain biking and other action sports. Thanks to our sponsor for this episode, Big Agnes. For 20% go to https://www.bigagnes.com/ and use the code "meister" at checkout. Want a MtnMeister t-shirt? Check them out here - https://gumroad.com/l/QiebU

Eric McElvenny is an endurance athlete and a retired Marine Corps infantry officer. He deployed three times, and on his third and final tour in Afghanistan, an IED took away his right leg below the knee. Less than two years after stepping on the IED, he stepped up to the starting line at the Kona Ironman and completed the race in 11 hours and 54 minutes. 

The Tuckerman Inferno Pentathlon is a race that covers many miles through the White Mountains of New Hampshire. Participants can compete in individual legs as part of a larger team or show off prowess in various disciplines and compete as an individual. A few friends and I competed in the race as a team: I did the 8.3 mile running leg before my teammates took over for the kayak, bike, hike and ski legs. When I looked at the results, I saw that the winning individual did the running leg 4 minutes faster than I did my running leg. He then went on to finish the race in 3 hours, 53 minutes, 41 seconds, beating our team by about 30 minutes. That man is Andrew Drummond.

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/ 

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/

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.

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.

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

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

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    

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).  

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.

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.

At 53 days, 6 hours, 37 minutes, Joe "String Bean" McConaughy holds the supported speed record on the Pacific Crest Trail. Joe covered around 50 miles a day in the summer of 2014, making his way northbound from Mexico to Canada. When you work that hard, you have to eat that much - Joe consumed around 8,000 calories a day. The project is called “Run for Colin”, named after Joe’s baby cousin who lost a battle with Neuroblastoma.

Tom Gathman aka Jabba aka The Real Hiking Viking is currently attempting a southbound winter thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail. In 2013 he thru-hiked the AT with fellow combat veterans in the Warrior Hike. In 2014 he thru-hiked the 3,100 mile Continental Divide trail. In this interview, we talk with Tom about his progress thus far, faulty headlines, and whether his beard has contributed to his success.

Today's guest defies stereotypes.  She’s a southern belle that has been guiding for over 30 years ago on the highest peaks in Peru, Alaska, Bolivia, and Nepal. She's a co-owner of Chicks with Picks, a company that runs ice climbing, rock climbing, and skiing clinics for women. Her name is Kitty Calhoun, but her accomplishments in alpine climbing would be personified by a mountain lion rather than a kitten.

Outdoor Retailer is a trade show where companies show off their latest and greatest outdoor products: gear, clothing, technology, and everything else you can think of. At this year's Winter Market show, there were 22,000 overall attendees and more than 1,000 exhibiting brands. In this episode of MtnMeister, we record two-minute segments with companies about their products. In exchange for being featured, they give you free gear! To win a piece of gear, all you have to do is send an email to ben@mtnmeister.com saying what you want - the first person who requests it wins. Once you win a prize, you are locked into that prize and cannot win anything else or switch. $5,473 in gear. 21 companies. 37 winners.  For pictures and links, visit this page on our website - http://mtnmeister.com/meister/gear-giveaway-outdoor-retailer-winter-market-2016/