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  • his hand when leaving. Covered Watson's Wednesday shift thereafter and seasoned soup as Watson taught

    his hand when leaving. Covered Watson's Wednesday shift thereafter and seasoned soup as Watson taught
    2026/10/28
    his hand when leaving. Covered Watson's Wednesday shift thereafter and seasoned soup as Watson taught

    A lone climber sat upright on a rock shelf with a compass wound twice around his wrist and glacier goggles pushed up, two miles off every bearing on his navigation card-how does a competent mountaineer with a compass end up in the wrong basin? The discovery of a five-serving pot of frozen oatmeal cooked for a team that never returned raises one looming question: what broke the chain of navigation and trust that night?

    In this episode, we walk through the timeline drawn from witness reports and search-and-rescue findings to show what happened at high camp and on the route that night, focusing on the compass, the expired bearings, and the moments Watson spent alone before he left camp. Could a single outdated navigation card and a calculated decision explain how Mark Watson ended up southeast instead of north?

    Person: Mark Watson
    Age: 52
    Date: October 14
    Location: Kessler Basin service road (found on flat rock shelf), two miles from intended route
    Event: Summit push from high camp on October 14

    - At 7:41 AM on October 14 Beverly Boyd found a man sitting upright on a flat rock shelf above a frozen irrigation ditch.
    - The temperature when she saw him was 19 degrees Fahrenheit and he held a compass in his right hand with the lanyard wound twice around his wrist.
    - Mark Watson arrived at high camp on October 9 as part of a five-person expedition aiming for the northwest face of Fenwick's Throne (9,800 ft).
    - Watson stayed at camp as radio monitor and cook while five teammates left at 3:15 AM on October 14 for the summit push; his last radio transmission to Earl Pruitt was at 9:00 PM on October 13.
    - When SAR reached high camp they found a five-serving pot of oatmeal with dried fruit cooked on the camp stove inside a sealed tent, frozen solid and untouched.

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    © 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
    This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.
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    15 分
  • The Orange Rope Left Behind: How a Guide's Error Almost Killed Nine

    The Orange Rope Left Behind: How a Guide's Error Almost Killed Nine
    2026/10/27
    The Orange Rope Left Behind: How a Guide's Error Almost Killed Nine

    A single orange rope left coiled at the trailhead saved nine climbers from a forty-meter exposed traverse where a soft spot in the line could have meant a fatal fall. One guide’s notebook showed an unclaimed note-“Upper rope feels stiff”-and the question that trails the case is simple and terrifying: who left that warning unread?

    In this episode, you will hear a step-by-step account of the Vantner northeast face expedition, from pre-rigging the Apron traverse to the wind spike at the summit col, and the unresolved note in the field notebook that haunted the investigation. How did routine checks, a stray observation, and a volunteer’s curiosity intersect to avert disaster?

    Person: Brenda Myers
    Person: Leon Underwood
    Person: Corey Spann
    Date: September 10
    Location: Vantner northeast face

    - The Apron traverse is a 40-meter horizontal crossing where the fixed rope is the only protection.
    - High Margin Alpine had run expeditions on the Vantner for eleven years.
    - Corey Spann recorded checking the ropes at 3:00 AM on September 7 in the team field notebook.
    - An additional handwritten marginal note read "Upper rope feels stiff" in a different pen and heavier hand.
    - Wind gusts reached 41 miles per hour at 11:30 AM in the summit col on September 10.

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    © 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
    This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.
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    13 分
  • The Dry Boot on Cinder Notch: How She Descended the Impossible

    The Dry Boot on Cinder Notch: How She Descended the Impossible
    2026/10/26
    The Dry Boot on Cinder Notch: How She Descended the Impossible

    Cold wind that snapped an anemometer needle and a dry mountaineering boot sat thirty-one hours apart on the same slope - the boot was found bone dry while every surface around it was wet, and the woman who wore it had been missing for three days. What choice on a ridge at 10:45, and what single sound during a silent descent, could explain how Vicki Norris walked away from what seemed impossible?

    In this episode, we tell the sequence of events from the summit attempt through the fall and the thirty-one-hour silence that followed, tracing decisions, weather readings, and the unexpected ledge that changed everything; could a single crampon sound and one folded map hold the key?

    Person: Vicki Norris
    Age: 28 years old
    Event: fall at approximately 14,300 feet after a 15-foot lead fall
    Date: August 10 (summit attempt), signed out August 8
    Location: northeast ridge, Cinder Notch Peak

    - The boot was found upright on a rock shelf at 9,200 feet with crampon attached and a wool-blend sock laced inside.
    - Two inches of storm had fallen the night before, yet the boot itself was bone dry.
    - The boot remained in the crevice for four days before being found and is now in a glass case at Eberle Ranger Station.
    - Vicki compiled a 41-page binder for the northeast ridge including route descriptions, elevation profiles, and annotated satellite imagery.
    - At 11:04 an anemometer at 13,800 feet logged sustained winds above 30 mph, and by 12:15 wind reached sustained 48 mph with a 14°F temperature drop.

    To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

    © 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
    This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.
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    15 分
  • The Yellow Tent Above 13,000 Feet: How They Walked Out

    The Yellow Tent Above 13,000 Feet: How They Walked Out
    2026/10/25
    The Yellow Tent Above 13,000 Feet: How They Walked Out

    A yellow tent was found fully erect above 13,000 feet after three days of a violent early-season storm - and its three occupants had already walked out. Winds hit 50-60 mph and temperatures plunged to about -8°F; yet the tent survived and the climbers vanished onto the ridge. What did Teresa see standing motionless that became the hinge of their survival?

    In this episode, we tell the sequence of events from departure to discovery using primary documents found with the team and radio logs from base. You will hear how timing, tested equipment, a broken radio signal, and an unlikely domestic detail intersected to shape their fate - and why one precise moment on the ridge may answer how they walked out.

    Person: Teresa Bowers
    Person: Tom Aldridge
    Person: Sandra Voss
    Date: July 15-19
    Location: Sutter Range, northeast face, above 13,000 feet

    - Storm arrived 30 hours ahead of forecast on the morning of July 16 with winds between 50 and 60 mph.
    - Temperature on the ridge dropped to approximately -8 degrees Fahrenheit during the storm.
    - Team left lower saddle at 3:40 AM on July 15 and reached high camp ledge at 12,400 feet by 1:00 PM.
    - Teresa owned a seven-year-old yellow Ridgeline four-season tent that remained intact after three days on the ridge.
    - A radio log entry by Megan Marshall was recorded at 11:47 PM on July 16 and became a critical document.

    To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

    © 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
    This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.
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    14 分
  • The Regulator at 11,200 Feet: Midnight Choices That Saved Four

    The Regulator at 11,200 Feet: Midnight Choices That Saved Four
    2026/10/24
    The Regulator at 11,200 Feet: Midnight Choices That Saved Four

    A single oxygen regulator sat upright in the snow at 11,200 feet with its serial number intact - found two years after anyone had been near that spot and 3,400 feet below its last documented use. How did one device end up alone on a slope, and what midnight decision at 14,200 feet set its path downhill?

    In this episode, we tell the episode’s account using only the expedition record and the discovery that reopened it. You will hear who was on that climb, what failed at midnight, and why a seemingly small repair led to a life-or-death choice - but did that decision save them, or nearly doom them?

    Person: Paula Morgan
    Person: Tom Feld
    Person: Person: Roy Abbot
    Person: Michelle Ramsey
    Event: Regulator found by Neil Zeller at 11,200 feet

    - The regulator was found upright in the snow on a Tuesday morning in June with its serial number intact.
    - The regulator’s last documented use was 3,400 feet higher than where it was found.
    - Four climbers left high camp at 14,200 feet at 2:40 a.m, on June 13.
    - One oxygen set lost more than one-third of its pressure by midnight after a field repair.
    - Paula Morgan, 44, logged the report of a slow leak on June 11 and attempted an overnight repair that failed by midnight.

    To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

    © 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
    This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.
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    14 分
  • She Packed Crampons For Descent She Never Took

    She Packed Crampons For Descent She Never Took
    2026/10/23
    She Packed Crampons For Descent She Never Took

    A clean pair of crampons, straps fastened and nested, left facing the mountain on a dirt road 430 feet below the snowline - an image that refuses to settle and hints at a planned descent that never happened; what decision did Marcia Miller make at 11,600 feet that changed everything? The clue sits in the gear she moved that night and a six-word radio message recorded before dawn-what do those details really mean?

    In this episode, we follow the timeline of the May 2011 expedition on Crestfall Peak, from the radio log and gear inventories to the summit photo and the choices each climber made, to ask whether Marcia’s private preparations reveal an alternate plan for the descent.

    Person: Marcia Miller
    Date: May 5, 2011
    Location: Crestfall Peak
    Event: Summit reached at 9:18 AM
    Evidence: Crampons found May 12, 2011

    - Crampons were found 430 feet below the snowline on May 12, 2011.
    - Marcia was 39 years old and worked as a structural engineer in western Colorado.
    - The team reached the summit at 9:18 AM on May 5, 2011.
    - Radio log at 10:17 PM on May 4 recorded: "M says route feels wrong. J says hold."
    - Marcia moved crampons to the top pouch and buried ascenders at 11,600 feet the night before the summit.

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    © 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
    This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.
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    13 分
  • Boot Upright in April: The Mountaineer's Last Four Hours

    Boot Upright in April: The Mountaineer's Last Four Hours
    2026/10/22
    Boot Upright in April: The Mountaineer's Last Four Hours

    A single La Sportiva high-altitude double boot stood upright in the snow beside a frozen creek at 8,112 feet with its lace still tied and no damage - found by a birdwatcher who had checked that spot every April for eleven years. Four climbers, a guide with a 22-year record of turning back when the math failed, and a weather model that was off by four hours: what happened in the last four hours on Tolliver's Crown that left one boot and no clean answers?

    In this episode, we follow the team's timeline from Camp Two at 13,040 feet to the summit push that began at 1:00 a.m., track conflicting GPS positions and a twelve-minute radio silence, and consider the decision made at 3:17 p.m. that no one on the mountain would walk back from. How did a storm arriving four hours early and a forty-meter GPS divergence turn an experienced team's attempt into a tragedy?

    Person: Diane Casey
    Age: 62
    Location: Bozeman, Montana

    Person: Cheryl Riley
    Age: 44
    Experience: 22 years professional guiding

    Event: Camp Two established at 13,040 feet on April 14
    Event: Summit push began at 1:00 a.m. on April 15

    - Boot found at 8,112 feet beside a frozen creek on the morning of April 19 with lace still tied and no damage.
    - Diane Casey had completed eleven summits above 7,000 meters and had attempted Tolliver's Crown twice before.
    - Team left Camp Two at 1:00 a.m.; Kevin Pace's GPS logged 13,800 feet at 4:08 a.m.
    - Joel Strand's GPS logged a position 40 meters north and 12 meters lower at 4:12 a.m., indicating significant drift.
    - Radio silence began at 4:47 a.m. and lasted twelve minutes until 4:59 a.m.

    To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

    © 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
    This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.
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    14 分
  • Empty Crampons on Tolliver: The One Word That Broke Them

    Empty Crampons on Tolliver: The One Word That Broke Them
    2026/10/21
    Empty Crampons on Tolliver: The One Word That Broke Them

    A flash of aluminum caught a fifteen-year-old’s binoculars at 9,200 feet: two crampons, perfectly buckled, no boots inside, and no person in sight - an image that sent search-and-rescue into overdrive. Fifty hours of decisions, a single log entry that read "monitor," and a collapse that cost five climbers everything - how did one word become the hinge of disaster?

    In this episode, we follow the six-day sequence on Tolliver Peak in late winter and the people involved, from a veteran guide with seventeen years at altitude to a first-time high-altitude climber. We cover the equipment note, the weather window, the summit timeline, and the descending decision that left a question: could one acted-or-ignored word have changed the outcome?

    Person: Amy Cole, 26, pharmacy technician
    Person: Nancy Gray, 41, guide with 17 years' experience
    Person: Cassie Ford, 22, first expedition above 12,000 feet
    Date: Tuesday morning in March (day of observation), day five began at 3:40 AM
    Location: Tolliver Peak, summit reached at 8:47 AM; crampons spotted at 9,200 feet

    - Five people in the group: one certified guide, four clients, pushing for a five-day summit attempt
    - Equipment log noted a "hairline fracture" in Cassie Ford's left crampon with the single-word instruction: "monitor"
    - Team left for glacier crossing at 5:15 AM with winds already above 30 miles per hour and temperature -12°F
    - All five stood on the summit by 8:47 AM with wind at 50 miles per hour and temperature -18°F
    - Nancy Gray called the descent at 9:09 AM after a cloud system descended from 16,000 to 14,000 feet during their 22-minute summit stop

    To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

    © 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
    This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.
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    16 分