The Climbing Majority
The Climbing Majority
Kyle Broxterman
114 | Justin Sackett: Chasing Altitude - Close Calls & Training for Everest Without O2
1 hour 44 minutes Posted Feb 23, 2026 at 9:00 am.
Origin Story
Becoming a Guide & AMGA Certifications
Liberty Ridge Storm
Rainier Ice Block Incident & Close Calls
Starting Skyline Mountain Guides at 28
Training for Everest Without Oxygen
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1:44:30
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Show notes
Justin Sackett, an AMGA guide who googled "hardest hike" in college and ended up on a 20,000-foot peak in Ecuador with zero mountaineering experience. That failure lit a fire that led him from complete beginner to professional guide to running his own guide company at 28—all while training single-mindedly for Everest without supplemental oxygen. This episode explores his rapid progression to being an alpine guide, the mentor who gave him the technical foundation most climbers take years to de...