Off You Pop!

In this episode of Off You Pop , we head into the volcanic heart of the Lake District for one of the most dramatic ways to reach the roof of England — the ascent of Scafell Pike via Mickledore , followed by a quiet, perfect finish on Lingmell . This is the deeper world behind the route: the Borrowdale eruptions that built the massif, the Ice Age that carved the valleys, the Norse names, the war me...

In this episode of Off You Pop , we head to the top of the UK for the story behind Ben Nevis , the 4,413‑foot volcanic giant that dominates the Highlands. This isn’t the tale of my climb — that part comes later. This is the deeper world of the mountain: the fire that built it, the ice that carved it, the people who tried to tame it, and the modern history that turned it into a proving ground for e...

In this episode of Off You Pop , we head to the east coast of Northern Ireland to explore the story behind Slieve Donard , the highest peak in the Mourne Mountains at 2,790 feet . This is the world that shapes the climb: the granite heart of the Mournes, the Ice Age valleys, the legends of saints and giants, and the human history carved into the stone. We follow the Donard Park approach along the...

In this episode of Off You Pop , we head into the MacGillycuddy’s Reeks for a deep dive into the mountain behind the mountain — Carrauntoohil, Ireland’s highest peak at 3,407 feet , and its gateway shoulder, Cnoc na Toinne at 2,772 feet . This episode is the world around the climb : the geology older than the Atlantic, the Ice Age architecture of the Hag’s Glen, the legends of the Cailleach and Tu...

What makes a hike “hard”? Why do some routes feel impossible to one person and casual to another? And why did our Instagram difficulty experiment got 300,000 views and exploded into a storm of opinions, contradictions, and zero usable data? In this episode, Philip and Jason pull back the curtain on the Blisterpop Difficulty Scale — the five‑pillar system designed to bring clarity to a world full o...

Mt. Lola is the quiet giant of the northern Sierra — a broad‑shouldered summit rising above Cold Stream Meadow, shaped by glaciers, wind, and time. In this Story Pop episode, we step into the shoulder‑season window when the mountain changes character, and early snow turns a simple trail into something more honest. This is the day I climbed Mt. Lolain early spring. A day when the meadows were rimed...

Chocolate Peak sits above Reno like a quiet dare — a short, steep, heat‑exposed ridge that looks like a warm‑up but climbs like a test piece. In this Story Pop episode, we head up the Jones Creek side to see what this unassuming Nevada peak has to say when the grade kicks up, the footing turns to ball‑bearing granite, and the sun starts to lean on you. This is a day built on honesty. A direct line...

This Story Pop takes you from the quiet of Fuller Lake to the volcanic summit of Cone Peak — a short Nevada climb that delivers more lessons per mile than almost anything in the Carson Range. We start in the forest, moving through the old Boy Scout camp — a place built for teaching resilience, teamwork, and the early rites of outdoor life. It’s the last structured space before the mountain takes o...

Jason Perkins — U.S. Army veteran, cofounder of Blisterpop, and the guy who helped shape the soul of this brand — sits down to talk about the part of service most people never see: the quiet fight that happens after the uniform comes off. This conversation moves through the real terrain of the veteran transition: identity shock, the pressure to look squared away, the moments when you realize you’r...

Petersen Mountain is supposed to be a moderate Great Basin peak — a clean ridge, a steady climb, a local’s summit. But mountains don’t care about reputations. They care about conditions , weather , and the line you choose . In this Story Pop episode, we step into a day where Petersen became something entirely different. Snow at the base. Wind ripping across the ridge. Clouds dropping visibility to...

Tule Peak doesn’t look like much from the basin floor — a quiet volcanic rise above the sagebrush, a radio tower, a ridge, nothing dramatic. But the Great Basin loves to hide its teeth, and the moment you start climbing, Tule Peak reveals what it really is: a short, steep, wind‑scoured punch of effort that hits far harder than it looks. In this Story Pop episode, we step into the grit, gradient, a...

Cactus to Clouds is one of the most dramatic vertical journeys in the United States — a 20‑mile, 10,795‑foot ascent from the desert floor of Palm Springs to the granite summit of Mount San Jacinto. In this Story Pop episode, we step out of the guidebooks and into the lived experience of that climb. This is the day that begins behind the Palm Springs Art Museum at 3 a.m., in warm desert darkness, a...

Mt. Tohakum is the high point of Nevada’s Lake Range — a remote, volcanic sky‑island rising straight out of the Black Rock Desert. In this Story Pop episode, we take you on a 10.5‑mile out‑and‑back with 4,500 feet of gain to a summit that once stood above the shoreline of the ancient Lahontan Sea. This is a mountain with no trail, no shade, and no crowds. Just volcanic rock, desert wind, and prong...

Most hikers don’t get hurt because the mountains are dangerous — they get hurt because the mountains are honest . In this episode, we break down the 10 real reasons people get into trouble on the trail, using the US21 as our guide: Cactus to Clouds, Rim‑to‑Rim, Whitney, the Presidential Traverse, the Pemi Loop, and more. No fear. No drama. Just clarity. You’ll learn how falls actually happen, why...

The Bigelow Pop is a wild, quietly powerful ridgewalk above the lakes of Maine — a 16–18 mile traverse across the Horns, Avery Peak, West Peak, and Cranberry Peak. In this episode, we take you from the soft morning forest of East Flagstaff Road to the airy granite spine of the Bigelow Range, where wind, wilderness, and wide‑open views shape the day. This is a route built on quiet strength: steep c...

The Pemi Pop is a full‑day circuit through the wild granite heart of New Hampshire — a 28–32 mile journey across Franconia Ridge, Garfield Ridge, South Twin, Guyot, Bond, and the iconic fin of Bondcliff. In this episode, we walk the entire loop from the quiet dawn miles of Lincoln Woods to the mythic wilderness moments high above the Pemigewasset. This is a route shaped by depth: long climbs, expo...

The White Mountains Pop is a full‑day march across the roof of New England — a 20+ mile traverse over the granite spine of the Presidential Range. In this episode, we take you from the dark forest at Appalachia Trailhead to the wind‑scoured summits of Madison, Adams, Jefferson, Washington, Monroe, Eisenhower, and Pierce. This is a route shaped by weather: wind that knocks you sideways, fog that er...

In this personal, cinematic Story Pop, Philip takes you inside the day he climbed Mt. Whitney — the highest peak in the Lower 48 — in just 10½ hours with three friends, a September weather window, and a chance encounter with a man known only as Crazy Jack , who has summited Whitney more than 200 times . It’s a story about preparation, altitude, friendship, and the strange magic of a mountain that...

El Cajon Mountain is one of the steepest, most deceptive, most psychologically demanding day hikes in Southern California — and in this live journey episode, we take you onto the rollers, and up the spine of a mountain that never stops taking and never stops teaching. This is a real‑time walk through a February gut‑check: early‑season legs, early‑season lungs, and a route that climbs, drops, climb...

In this special episode of Off You Pop, we pull back the curtain on what makes a Blisterpop Guide more than a PDF — it’s a complete adventure system. Philip breaks down how to use your guide to plan smarter, hike safer, and get more meaning out of every big day. You’ll learn the Three Steps to Ready, how to read a route like a story, how to use risk management as your safety net, and why local int...

The Adirondacks Pop takes you across the legendary Great Range Traverse — one of the most demanding, dramatic, and iconic single‑day routes in the East. This episode drops you into the dark forests of Keene Valley at 4 a.m. and carries you peak by peak across the rooftop of the Adirondacks: Wolfjaws, Armstrong, Gothics, Saddleback, Basin, and finally Mount Marcy. This is a story about endurance —...

If you’ve ever wanted to take on a big mountain day — a real Pop — but didn’t know how to train for it, this episode is your starting line. BIG DAY HIKE TRAINING is a free, outdoor‑only, community‑driven program designed to build the legs, lungs, and confidence you need for a big day in the next 3–6 months. In this episode, we break down the full training system: HIKE for aerobic base, HIKE X for...

The Catskills Pop is one of the most rugged, humbling, and quietly mythic traverses in the Northeast — a full day on Devil’s Path, where steep scrambles, moss‑covered ledges, and shadowed forest corridors test your presence as much as your legs. In this episode, we walk the steep, ancient spine of the Catskills from Prediger Road to Spruceton Road, moving through immediate hand‑over‑hand climbs, n...

A climb from lake to sky — this episode takes you from the dark, humid shores of Fontana Dam to the sacred summit of Kuwohi, the highest point in the Great Smoky Mountains. The Appalachia Pop is a journey through continuity: ecosystems, cultures, centuries, and the long, rolling spine of the Smokies themselves. In this guide, we walk the full Fontana → Kuwohi ascent: humid hardwoods, rhododendron...

The Pisgah Pop is grit made physical — 30 miles across the wild, humid, ridgerunning spine of the Art Loeb Trail. In this episode, we take you from the dark hardwood forests of Davidson River to the glowing quartzite of Shining Rock, across the iconic balds of Black Balsam and Tennent Mountain, and down into the quiet woods of the Daniel Boone Camp. You’ll hear the story of this Southern Appalachi...