In Ice Axe We Trust

Rising 7,573 feet over Yosemite Valley, El Capitan is one of the two iconic mountains of the valley, and of Yosemite National Park as a whole. With over 3,000 feet of vertical elevation gain, “the chief” is an imposing granite monolith that is one of the most challenging climbs in the world. In this episode of IIAWT, veteran climber Paul Souza talks about about his ascent of El Capitan, training for an ascent of this classic peak and about his climbing philosophy overall.

While the Olympic Mountains are close to Seattle, they are one of the lesser known mountaineering areas of the U.S. The Olympic Range is home to a number of high peaks, two of which are Mount Ellinor (5,952 feet), and Mount Washington (6,260 feet). In this In Ice Axe We Trust Podcast, Matt and Chris rely on the expertise of a highly-qualified guest who knows a thing or two about hiking and climbing in the Olympics.

Not only is Mount Katahdin, at 5,270 feet, the tallest mountain in the state of Maine, but it also holds another lofty distinction as the northern terminus of the 2160-mile Appalachian Trail. In this In Ice Axe We Trust Podcast, Chris and Matt veer off from their usual West-Coast subject matter and head into somewhat uncharted territory (for them, at least). Luckily, they have the expertise of a highly-qualified guest who knows a thing or two about hiking and climbing in the Northeast to fall back on. The result is 60 minutes of Katahdin and tons of information about this storied peak.

If you’re looking for a huge peak that presents a serious mountaineering challenge, look no further than Wyoming’s tallest mountain, Gannett Peak. Summit attempts on Gannett typically include at least 40 miles round trip and upwards of 9,000 feet of elevation gain. In this episode of IIAWT, Chris and Matt talk with special guest fills us in on what's involved in scaling such a remote mountain.

At 12,637 feet, Humphreys Peak is the tallest mountain in Arizona. In this episode of In Ice Axe We Trust, Matt interviews Chris and two old friends of the show - John & Jes - about their recent trip to Humphreys. This round table discussion focuses on climbing Humphreys in the winter, when the cold and snow add degrees of difficulty to finding a way to stand atop Arizona's highest peak.