the Sharp End Podcast

Near-misses are greatly under-reported in general, yet they are plentiful. What leads them to be under-reported? Joel Reid, the Washington Program Director at the Northwest Outward Bound School and Steve Smith, from Experiential Consulting, chat with Ashley about why near-misses matter and the importance of reporting near misses in an institutional setting. You don’t want to miss this informative...

We put together a survey in early February so we could get to know our listeners better. We want to know who you are and what you think of the show. Over 400 people filled out this survey and we gathered some good information. Listen in as Dustin from Podboarder and Ashley talk about the results and read some of the comments from fans. By filling out the February survey, you entered to win 1 of 3...

A fumarole is an opening in the earth which emits steam and gases such as carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, hydrogen chloride, and hydrogen sulfide. The steam forms when superheated water boils as its pressure drops when it emerges from the ground. These holes can be very dangerous. Listen to episode 61 as Scott tells Ashley about his fall into a fumarole during a solo ski mo attempt on Mt Hood in O...

After five consecutive years of producing the Sharp End Podcast, Steve Smith at Experiential Consulting turns the tables on podcast creator Ashley Saupe and interviews her! Listen as Ashley and Steve talk about a few incidents she's had in the backcountry, how she's managed them and why she is inspired to continue producing this podcast for her listeners. This podcast is produced by Ashley Saupe a...

On the morning of September 5, Annie Weinmann and her climbing partner started up the North Chimney, a broad 500-foot slot that leads climbers to the Diamond, Colorado's premier alpine wall. Annie had done the North Chimney before and was comfortable climbing the easy terrain unroped and in approach shoes. But when she got slightly off-route, a foot slip led to a terrible tumble. In Episode 39 of...

Tyler Willis and a friend were descending from a successful ascent of Mt. Owen in Grand Teton National Park. It was late in the day when they reached the Teton Glacier, which they had crossed without a problem early that morning. Just a few steps later, Tyler plunged into a hidden crevasse, an extremely rare accident for the Tetons. By the time climbers pulled him to the surface, he was hypothermi...

Brian Vines was a high school senior and a budding climber in the 1990s when he and some friends went to Sand Rock, Alabama, for a day of top-roping. On their last climb, a simple mistake led to a damaging ground fall. More than two decades later, Brian and Ashley look back at that day in Episode 57 of the Sharp End. After many years away from the sport, Brian has returned to climbing, and his 14-...

Scott Reed and a friend trekked more than five miles into the mountains west of Denver to attempt a long, moderate ice climb during the short days of late December. At an elevation around 12,000 feet, they climbed several pitches and then, in high wind, decided to bail back down the route. Toward the bottom, Scott, age 23 at the time, pondered whether or not to rappel from just one small piece of...

Summit day on Mt. Rainier had just begun. Less than an hour out of high camp, carefully leading her team up a well-trodden boot track, Rita Hansen suddenly plunged into a crevasse. After falling more than 60 feet, she was completely buried by falling ice and snow. Amazingly, Rita was basically unharmed. But she couldn’t move. In episode 55 of the Sharp End, Rita shares the details of her 2007 acci...

Four friends from all over the United States met in eastern Utah in February 2020 to go canyoneering. They were all experienced canyoneers and had done trips together before. As they exited Angel Cove Canyon by the final rappel of the day, Fiona, 33, was the last person down. In Episode 54 of the Sharp End, Fiona's three companions describe what went wrong with her rappel and share some stories ab...

Three friends set out for a popular waterfall hike on the north shore of Kauai in late December. A high-surf warning had been issued, but the hikers didn't expect their route to take them close to the beach. Plans change, however, and accidents sometimes sneak up on you. In Episode 53 of the Sharp End, Alexandra Williams tells Ashley how a series of events led them into a very dangerous situation....

Denali mountaineering ranger and flight nurse Dave Weber returns to the Sharp End to talk COVID-19 and the issues related to outdoor recreation, first response to accidents, and staying sane during a tough stretch for outdoor adventurers. Don't forget to enter Mammut's big gear giveaway this month. Head to https://americanalpineclub.org/sharp-end-podcast to sign up. The Sharp End is presented by M...

Hari Mix, a very experienced mountaineer, had planned a rare and difficult winter-season traverse of the White Mountains, the high, remote range separating California from Nevada. He had studied the weather forecasts carefully and packed the right gear, but when an intense storm struck the crest of the ridge, Hari's challenging outing became a struggle for survival. Learn what happened in episode...

Climbing is a big part of Meg Atteberry and John Luebbers' life together. John even proposed to Meg partway up a climb. So, what happened when the Colorado couple experienced a climbing accident together? In Episode 50 of the Sharp End, Ashley talks with Meg and John about their accident and how it affected both their climbing and their relationship. Don't worry, it ends well! The Sharp End is pre...

In this special live-audience recording of the Sharp End, Alaska climbing legend Charlie Sassara recalls an epic survival story and rescue from 2002. Sassara's climbing partner, Jack Tackle, was clobbered by rockfall, knocked unconscious, and broke his back high on the unclimbed north face of Mt. Augusta. Tackle regained consciousness and together they determined there was only one course of actio...

On May 27, 2019, three experienced canyoneers—Becca, Eileen, and Justin—were descending the Middle Fork of Lytle Creek in California's San Bernadino Mountains. As the group completed the third rappel in the canyon, Becca moved through flowing water toward the anchor for the fourth rappel. Suddenly she slipped and disappeared over the edge of a towering waterfall. In Episode 48 of the Sharp End, As...

Carbon monoxide, an odorless, colorless, and poisonous gas, can build up to dangerous levels inside a tent during or after cooking with a stove. Sharp End hostess Ashley Saupe had a personal scare with CO poisoning, and in Episode 47 she discusses her own experience and other people's close calls with Denali mountaineering ranger Dave Weber. This episode is packed with essential information for wi...

Margie Root and her husband were attempting the classic Culp-Bossier Route up the steep north face of Colorado's Hallett Peak. When Margie broke a hold on the run-out fifth pitch, she fell at least 50 or 60 feet and sustained several injuries. Luckily, a group of good friends, including Leslie Gains-Germain, were climbing nearby. In Episode 46 of the Sharp End, Margie and Leslie (both expert climb...

Sherrie Trecker and a friend had just finished climbing a classic route on Cutthroat Peak in the North Cascades. It was a gorgeous day, and the descent started smoothly. But when they reached the snowy couloir leading down to the foot of the peak, it was much icier than expected. A slip led to sliding fall, and the snow was too hard for self-arrest. Sherrie slid hard into the rocks below. She was...

Dr. Leslie Drapiza had carefully planned a winter hike of Oregon's Mt. Defiance on Superbowl Sunday, expecting the 12-mile round trip to go as smoothly as her previous training climbs. But when she got off-route during the descent, one bad thing led to another. By the time she was rescued, Leslie had spent two nights out in the cold and snow. In episode 44 of the Sharp End, Leslie tells her story:...

Andrew Smith from Texas dreamed of climbing big walls in Yosemite Valley. He had learned to climb traditional routes with an experienced mentor and had practiced aid climbing in a specially equipped gym. When he decided to try his first outdoor aid climb, he chose the nearby Wichita Mountains in Oklahoma. But things did not go as smoothly as he'd hoped. Andrew fell near the top of his climb, pulle...

In 2012, Mike Drake was still a young climber, but he and his partner were well prepared for the Nose of El Cap and felt ready to take the next step in their climbing. They made it more than 20 pitches up the route before Mike suffered a damaging fall off the notorious short crack above Pancake Flake. In this episode, Mike and Ashley talk through the accident and rescue, and Mike shares insights a...

Casey Brown and a friend were trying a seldom-climbed route at a limestone crag in western Montana. A huge block pulled loose. He tumbled toward the ground. Somewhere along the way, his helmet shattered. He believes the helmet saved his life. In episode 41 of the Sharp End, Casey and Ashley debrief this accident and the ways climbers choose to use (or fail to use) their vital head gear. The Sharp...

Twenty years ago this month, Malcolm Daly and Jim Donini attempted a new route on Thunder Mountain in the Alaska Range. After Daly fell near the top of the climb, the ensuing rescue was one of the most dramatic in Alaskan mountaineering history. In episode 40 of the Sharp End, listen to Daly tell this legendary story in vivid detail. The Sharp End is presented by Mammut, with additional support fo...

Stephen Leimgruber and his wife were wrapping up a day at Fortress Wall in Kentucky's Red River Gorge. He wanted to do just one more climb. Some warning lights were flashing: They were tired, it was getting dark, clouds were threatening rain. But, hey, he thought: It's a well-protected 5.8. What could go wrong? Find out what exactly happened, and what Stephen learned from it, in this episode. The...