Tactical Alpinism

In this conversation, Elyse Ping Medvigy shares her journey from military life to high-altitude mountaineering, discussing the challenges of balancing personal interests with professional obligations. She reflects on her experiences climbing iconic mountains like Everest and Mount Hood, the importance of mental preparation, nutrition, and the dynamics of climbing teams. Elyse emphasizes the need f...

Helmet Comparison Link In this episode of Tactical Alpinism, Mauri DiMeo discusses the importance of selecting the right helmet for various outdoor activities, particularly climbing and skiing. He highlights recent achievements in the Himalayas, explains the different certifications for helmets, and provides insights into the types of helmets available. The conversation emphasizes the significance...

In this conversation, Jim Donini shares his extensive experiences in climbing, discussing the evolution of techniques, the impact of personal tragedy on his journey, and the importance of partner dynamics in climbing. He reflects on the joy of exploration, the significance of first ascents, and the future of climbing, emphasizing that there are still many unclimbed peaks and challenges ahead for t...

Silas is an IFMGA licensed mountain guide and an AMGA instructor team member with the AMGA. He is also the current president of the AMGA's board of directors. Silas guide's aroudn the world and is primarily based in the Shawangunks of NY. He runs the online education and guiding platform ALPINE LOGIC . Once created, the gear list I mention in the episode will be here.

Paul Rogers shares his experiences leading the Special Operations Mountain Warfare Training Course, studying at NPS, a significant skiing accident in Colorado, and the subsequent rescue operation that saved his life. He discusses the importance of risk management in mountain warfare training, the unique role of Green Berets in unconventional warfare, and the need for better preparation for future...

This is the first episode of a shorter type of episodes. The Mountain Locker is a series of solo and discussion based gear, equipment and tactics focused episodes. As requested, here are some of the pieces mentioned in this episode. Leuko Tape Thicker, Green Super Feet Thin, Carbon Super Feet

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-titl...

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 opportu...

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 adv...

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=shari...

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 an...

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 fu...

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...

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...

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...

Today on the podcast, we’re joined by a true professional of the mountain world—Larry Goldie. A professional mountain guide with over three decades of experience, Larry’s career has taken him from the rugged peaks of the North Cascades to the remote heights of Antarctica, with stops in Alaska, the Alps, Japan, Africa, and nearly every major mountain range in between. Larry was the 28th American to...

Today’s guest is Alex Morrow, the founder of MOPS and MOEs a podcast and education platform that focuses on improving the fitness of the force. Alex created MOPs & MOEs after realizing how antiquated the Army’s approach to fitness was, and after many attempts (and failures) to bring attention to this issue from the inside. He graduated from West Point in 2013 and spent eight years on active du...

Zach White is the first repeat guest on the podcast and this episode dives into a narrative of the Battle of Monte La Difensa. This episode was recorded back in November and Zach is the first repeat guest on the podcast. The purpose of this discussion was to talk a battle analysis he did a ton of research into. He completed a battle analysis as part of his NCO professional development on the Battl...

Planning for success in the mountains starts at home and by building in redundancy for critical systems. The a common military acronym is PACE: Primary Alternate Contingency Emergency This podcast episode dives into leveraging this framework to be more successful in the mountain environment. The avalanche fatalities discussion is intended to bring attention to learning what we can from the inciden...

Today’s guests are both professional guides and teachprofessional level avalanche courses through Silverton Avalanche School aka SAS. Together they founded SASTAC to provide alpine and arctic training fortactical teams. Josh Jesperson (josh@sastac.org) is a Navy SEAL and holds the record for fastest time to ski all of the Colorado 14ers. Michael Ackerman aka Ack (ackerman@sastac.org), is a profess...

Derek Debruin is a professor in the Outdoor Program at Weber State University. He is also a Mountain Guide that works with special operations teams, expanding their ability to go bigger in the mountains. Derek Provided some further notes and resources beow: Weber State University Outdoor & Community Recreation Education https://www.weber.edu/hper/outdoorcommunityrec.html Offer a 4-year Bachelo...

The standard season for Denali is May through July and we are now entering the meat of the months where people will be progressing their training to be prepared for climbing in the Alaska range this season. This discussion was before I had gone to Denali and in a future episode, I’ll do a recap of that trip and lessons learned.  Scott is an incredibly accomplished and humble about what he has done...

Explosive avalanche initiation started with the military. Now there is a whole industry wrapped around keeping us safe in snowy environments, where we often don't think we may be at risk. This podcast explores the high-stakes art and science of avalanche mitigation, offering an insider’s perspective on the precision and expertise required to navigate dangerous terrain. The speaker breaks down the...

Peak Rescue's mission is to provide each client with cutting edge skills and education to prevent catastrophe. https://peak-rescue.com/ Peak Rescue is an organization that I learned about a few years ago and have been interested in. I was introduced to the team and now get to share their expertise with you.