The Duffel Shuffle Podcast

Episode 58 brings the Duffel Shuffle audience back to the top story from the 2025 Everest Season. While both Sam and Adrian have been skeptical of the use of Xenon Gas that made headlines last season, the two sit down with Garth Miller , a UK-based airline captain and former British Army officer.  In 2025, Garth was part of a four-person team that pulled off a London-to-London ascent of Everest in...

On episode 57, Sam and Adrian dig into two stories making waves in their respective corners of the outdoor world before launching into an unplanned fifth installment of Everest season coverage and a full listener mailbag. Sam kicks things off with a story from his own week on Mount Shasta, where he watched runner Sarah Burke blow past his group near the summit and set a new women's unsupporte...

With the 2026 Everest season now officially in the books, Sam and Adrian are back for their fourth and final installment of Everest coverage, with Adrian calling in from Denver where the season's biggest stories have been the talk of the festival floor. Before diving into Everest, Sam and Adrian each share a news story from the week. Adrian touches on the trending trademark lawsuit between ou...

With the 2026 Everest season hitting its most critical stretch, Sam and Adrian are back for their third installment of armchair mountaineering coverage.  Before diving into Everest, Adrian recommends HBO's four-part series The Dark Wizard on the life of Dean Potter, which has now released all episodes and has been making the rounds well beyond the climbing community. Adrian reflects on  his f...

With the 2026 Everest season now firmly underway and the icefall finally open, Sam and Adrian are back for their second installment of armchair mountaineering coverage.  Sam opens with a somber news section, paying tribute to two losses that hit close to home in the outdoor community: Bernie Rosow of Mammoth and Will Stanhope of BC, killed in separate incidents within days of each other. Adrian kn...

With the 2026 Everest season officially underway, Sam and Adrian kick off what will be four consecutive episodes of armchair mountaineering — a first for Adrian, who for most of the last two decades has been on the mountain rather than watching from home. It's a unique vantage point, and one he's leaning into fully. Before diving into Everest, the guys pay tribute to Jim Whittaker, the f...

With a string of high-profile guiding accidents making headlines this winter — including close to home here in Tahoe — Sam and Adrian sit down to dig into what it actually means to be a mountain guide, how guide companies are held accountable, and what you, as a consumer, should be looking for before you hire someone to take you into the mountains. Before diving in, Adrian shares a personal update...

With the 2026 Everest season just around the corner, Sam and Adrian sit down to preview what's shaping up to be one of the most consequential years in the mountain's modern climbing history. While Alpenglow Expeditions has made the decision not to pivot their north side operation to the south side following the closure of the Tibetan route, Adrian's deep familiarity with both sides...

Emily Harrington is a professional rock climber, alpinist, and adventurer known for pushing the boundaries of what's possible in the vertical world. A five-time American sport climbing champion and member of The North Face athlete team, Emily has established herself as one of the most accomplished and versatile climbers of her generation, with landmark ascents on big walls and high-altitude p...

David Goettler has been a professional alpinist for nearly 3 decades, and part of The North Face athlete team his entire career. With a focus on classical alpine style climbing on the highest peaks of the world, David has set out on a quest to climb in the way that suits him.  For David, climbing the tallest peaks of the world is a dream, and the challenge is in their height. Climbing without supp...

Still technically only a "few" weeks late, Sam and Adrian look back on 2025 and forward to 2026. This episode was delayed due to the Seven Summits series, but as we move into the new year, there's lots to talk about, from personal experiences in 2025 and goals for 2026 to the industry as a whole.  - Adrian had a big year, with his 10th summit of Everest and the acquisition of Alpeng...

Sam and Adrian wrap up the Seven Summits Series with none other than Mt. Everest. At 29,032' above sea level, Mt Everest is much taller than any of the other seven summits, and its history, notoriety and reputation speaks for itself. While Everest has been well covered on the Duffel Shuffle Podcast, Sam and Adrian endeavor to provide an unbiased look at climbing the mountain, and compare the...

The sixth in our series on the Seven Summits, Carstensz Pyramid, is the tallest peak within Oceania. While some Seven Summits lists include Mount Kosciuszko in Australia, most modern lists acknowledge Carstensz Pyramid due to its higher altitude and increased technical challenge. Locally known as Puncak Jaya, the peak sits at 4,884m or 16,024 feet above sea level, on the island of New Guinea. Unli...

On Episode 45 of the Duffel Shuffle Podcast, Sam and Adrian head to the bottom of the world to discuss the Vinson Massif. This is the fifth episode in the series covering each of the Seven Summits, and while Vinson lacks some of the culture of previous mountains discussed, it makes up for that in the uniqueness of the adventure. First climbed in 1966, Vinson is known by Seven Summit climbers as &q...

Our next episode in the Seven Summits series takes us to Africa, and we're talking about Mount Kilimanjaro. What is arguably the most culturally enriching experience of all of the Seven Summits, Kili is the most accessible of the tallest peaks on each continent. Sam and Adrian chat about Kilimanjaro and all of the ins and outs. While Kili's technical challenge is nonexistent, the specifi...

Episode 3 of the Seven Summits Series takes us to the tallest point in Europe, Mount Elbrus. With first ascents on each of the two summits, both occurring in the 1800s, Elbrus' history is both lengthy and, at times, entertaining.  Adrian and Sam dive into the details of a Mount Elbrus expedition, which includes so much more than just climbing. While Elbrus is well positioned for a strike miss...

Our second episode in the Seven Summits Series centers on Denali. An Athabaskan word meaning "the high one," Denali is the tallest peak in North America, sitting at 20,310'. Measured from its base to its summit, Denali has a larger vertical rise than Everest, making it the tallest land-based mountain on Earth by that measurement. Sam and Adrian dive into some of the unique character...

The Duffel Shuffle podcast is kicking off a 7-episode series, covering all things Seven Summits. Popularized and first completed by Dick Bass, the 7 Summits List comprises the tallest mountain on each of the 7 continents of the world. These include, in order of height, Everest (Asia), Aconcagua (S. America), Denali (N. America), Kilimanjaro (Africa), Mount Elbrus (Europe), and Australia/Oceania (M...

Together, Christina "Lusti" Lustenberger and Guillaume "Gee" Pierrel have teamed up for some of the most notable and impressive first descents in recent years.  Lusti is an Association of Canadian Mountain Guides (ACMG) Ski Guide and professional skier. A career that started with alpine ski racing took Lusti all the way to the Olympics, but more than five knee surgeries later,...

Sam and Adrian connect for Episode 39 of the Duffel Shuffle Podcast to discuss the fall season in the Himalaya and, in particular, two athletes with specific objectives on Everest.  With a break in guests for the show, Sam and Adrian used this week's episode to catch up on a few items. - Adrian is tuning in while attending the Black Diamond Athlete Summit, so we took the opportunity to learn...

Outdoor Alliance is the only organization in the U.S. that unites the voices of outdoor enthusiasts to conserve public lands. They help ensure those lands are managed in a way that embraces the human-powered experience.  Sam and Adrian host Adam Cramer, CEO of Outdoor Alliance, and Nicole Brown, Communications & Public Engagement Manager. Adam and Nicole's passion for the outdoors is clea...

Sam and Adrian are joined on Episode 37 by Amie Engerbretson, a Tahoe local who shares her non-traditional path to becoming a professional skier. One could say being a skier is in Amie's blood, or you could argue that the career found her, but nonetheless, Amie has been a staple in magazine's and movies for more than a decade.  Amie was born and raised in Tahoe, and as the daughter of a...

George Bell, a climber on the 1953 American Expedition to K2 said "It's a savage mountain that tries to kill you." Nearly than 75 years later, the reputation is intact. Adrian successfully climbed K2, without supplemental oxygen, in 2019, doubling down on his no o2 ascent of Everest in 2017. With decades of experience climbing and guiding clients throughout the Himalaya, Adrian has...

In the latest episode of the Duffle Shuffle, Adrian and Sam dive into the details of Emily Harrington’s soon-to-be-released feature-length film “Girl Climber”.  Emily Harrington is a pro climber, a proud mother, and also happens to be Adrian’s wife. Emily is one of the best mountain athletes on the planet, having free climbed El Cap in a day, summited Mount Everest, skied an 8,000m peak, and climb...

On this episode of the Duffel Shuffle, Adrian and Sam talk with Connor Herson, a fellow Black Diamond Athlete and professional rock climber. Connor Herson is a standout American rock climber known for his bold ascents and technical mastery, particularly in crack and trad climbing. Born in 2003 and raised in a climbing family in California, he became the youngest person to free climb The Nose on El...