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MtnMeister — Outdoor
MtnMeister

A high altitude mountaineer travels through sub-zero temperatures, scales treacherous terrain, and carries hundreds of pounds of supplies. Many of us have very little in common with this person. We don’t need to worry about the lack of oxygen in the air or the extent of frostbite in our toes.

Yet, we are all human. There are certain ideas which apply to all of us, no matter if we are standing at 29,029 feet or sea level. Why is it important to step outside of our comfort zone? How do we weigh risk vs. reward? What psychological biases impact our behavior and decision making? On MtnMeister, we explore these ideas by talking with those who have found answers in the extremes.

Ben Schenck, the host of MtnMeister (pronounced Mountain Meister), asks thought-provoking and sometimes uncomfortable questions that you won’t hear in a typical interview. Notable guests include Alex Honnold, Sasha DiGiulian, Ueli Steck, Jeremy Jones, Lynn Hill, Conrad Anker, Aaron Gwin and other adventurers in climbing, skiing, hiking, biking, and everything else in the mountains.

Latest Episodes:

#72 Running 1000 KM in the world's harshest conditions with Jennifer Steinman Sep 09, 2014

Show notes

Jennifer Steinman is a Film Director, Producer and Editor with over 18 years of experience in television and filmmaking. Her work has aired nationally on ABC, PBS, Discovery, Nat Geo, and a bunch of different festivals like SXSW and Sundance. Jennifer’s most recent documentary film project, DESERT RUNNERS was selected "Best of the Fest" at the 2013 Edinburgh Film Festival. It won the Audience Award for Best Documentary at both the Vancouver International and The Hamptons International Film Festivals, and was named by the Huffington Post as one of "The Top 10 Documentaries of 2013."

#71 When too much tequila changes your life with ultramarathonman Dean Karnazes Sep 04, 2014

Show notes

Ultramarathonman Dean Karnazes has accomplished some of the most daunting feats in long-distance running. These include but are definitely not limited to: 50 marathons in 50 different states over 50 days, 350 continuous miles without sleeping for three nights. Ultramarathons in Death Valley at temperatures up to 130 degrees and a marathon in the South pole in negative 40 degrees. Dean was named as one of TIME magazine’s 100 most influential people in the world. He’s been featured on 60 minutes, Howard Stern, ESPN, and, quite possibly his most prized media appearance, MTNmeister podcast.

#70 The slightest margin with Jamie Greubel and Steve Langton Sep 02, 2014

Show notes

Jamie Greubel and Steve Langton are both American bobsledders who earned bronze medals in the 2014 Olympics in Sochi. Jamie competed in two-women bobsled and Steve in two-man and four-man. After successful track careers in college, both Jamie and Steve transitioned to bobsled full time.

#69 No shoes, no problem with Barefoot Ted Aug 28, 2014

Show notes

Ted McDonald, most often referred to as Barefoot Ted, received this nickname when he began running barefoot and eventually achieved a Barefoot marathon. Barefoot Ted has also run a bunch of ultra-marathons, including the Leadville 100 which is one of the most miserable things that any human can decide to do to him or herself. Ted is the founder of Luna sandals, which double as both minimalist running sandals and also everyday footwear.

#68 Close your eyes with Trevor Thomas Aug 26, 2014

Show notes

Trevor has hiked some of the most legendary and difficult treks in the US including an unassisted, solo, end-to-end, thru hike of the Appalachian Trail (2,175 miles in 2008). In 2009, he completed the 2,654 mile Pacific Crest Trail. Trevor is blind. In 2005, Trevor became blind in only a few months' time. After a period of mourning, he set out to regain the skills he needed to function in society, and much, much more.

#67 Decision making with intuition with Majka Burhardt Aug 21, 2014

Show notes

Majka Burhardt has a passion for creating unusual connections. As an author, professional climber, filmmaker, and entrepreneur, Majka has spent two decades exploring the globe—usually by hand and foot—and her stories of challenge, humanity, and the fine line between extreme and acceptable risk continue to inspire audiences around the world. As a keynote speaker and writer Majka champions “Additive Adventure” — when adventure goes beyond exploration to cultural and environmental connections that create a larger conversation of singular and collective human meaning. Her work has been featured in The Economist, Outside Magazine, The Weather Channel, NPR and she’s had articles in Men’s Health, Skiing Magazine, Backpacker, and numerous other publications.

#66 Miss Independent with Megan McJames Aug 19, 2014

Show notes

Megan McJames grew up in Park City, UT doing many outdoor sports: soccer, tennis, mountain biking, hiking, but most notably, ski racing. Megan has had over 50 world cup starts and won numerous NorAm championships, After many years on the US Ski Team, Megan failed to meet the criteria to make the team again. After putting together a team of her own, paying her own expenses, and finding her own training, Megan made the US Olympic team and finished in the top 30 at Sochi. Megan has secured world cup spots for the future, and will continue as an independent ski racer.

#65 Discovering the American dream with Brendan Leonard Aug 14, 2014

Show notes

Brendan Leonard is the creator of Semi-Rad.com and a contributing editor at Climbing Magazine, The Adventure Journal, and other outdoors publications. In August of 2011, after a break-up and economic downturn, Brendan hit the road in the search for answers. He lived out of a van and worked out of coffee shops all around the country three years and now lives in Denver, CO. His book, The New American Road-trip MixTape, is about this journey.

#64 Sleeping on the summits with Jon Kedrowski Aug 12, 2014

Show notes

Dr. Jon Kedrowski is an author, speaker, ski-mountaineer and geographer. In 2011, Jon became the first person to camp and spend the night on the top Colorado’s 55 Official 14ers: peaks over 14,000′. He achieved the feat from June 23 to September 28 2011, a stretch of only 95 days from start to finish. In May 2012, Kedrowski successfully climbed Mount Everest while witnessing and surviving the one of the worst tragedies on Everest, where seven deaths occurred that night. More recently Jon just completed a project skied the 20 highest cascade volcanoes and slept on the ones where weather permitted.

(R) #46 It's cool to be cold with Eric Larsen Aug 07, 2014

Show notes

What does it take to be a MTNmeister? Eric Larsen is a polar explorer, expedition guide, dog musher, and educator. The list of Eric’s accomplishments in exploration is extensive. In 2006, he and his partner Lonnie Dupre completed the first ever summer expedition to the North Pole where they paddled modified canoes through 550 miles of the ocean and ice. In 2009, he completed a 750-mile ski traverse to the south pole. Eric was the first person in history to reach the world’s three poles (the third being Everest) within a 365-day period.

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