Following his grueling 145-day solo ascent of Mount Hunter's South East Spur in 1978, Johnny Waterman's life took a troubling turn. As his personal struggles intensified, a new team emerged to attempt the formidable route. Peter Metcalf, Glenn Randall, and Pete Athens set their sights on doing the climb in alpine style.

Thanks to Jon Waterman and Glenn Randall for their help in creating this story. For more on the story of Johnny Waterman, check out Jon's book, In The Shadow of Denali.

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Recorded and produced by Evan Phillips
Music curated using Artlist.

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In 1978, an iconoclastic climber named Johnny Waterman spent 145 days soloing (and traversing) Mount Hunter. It was one of the boldest and strangest mountaineering feats of all time. But what could have been a launch pad into acclaim and prominence, turned into a descent of infamy and madness. Meanwhile, a group of 3 young gun alpinists prepared to attempt the same route in alpine style.

Thanks to Jon Waterman and Glenn Randall for their help in creating this story. For more on the story of Johnny Waterman, check out Jon's book, In The Shadow of Denali.

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Recorded and produced by Evan Phillips
Music curated using Artlist.

SUBSCRIBE to The Firn Line on YouTube!

PATREON • MERCH • MUSIC • DONATE

While working on an upcoming 2-part series, I stumbled onto this interview with Alaskan author and adventurer, Roman Dial. We recorded this back in November 2017 and for some reason, I never got around to publishing it. Roman is a natural storyteller, so I’ve decided to leave this pretty raw with minimal editing. If you enjoy stories of adventure and unique characters from Alaska, this episode is for you.

Read Roman's book, The Adventurer's Son: A Memoir

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Recorded and produced by Evan Phillips
Music curated using Artlist.

Check out Evan's new single NOT OVER YOU!

SUBSCRIBE to The Firn Line on YouTube!

PATREON • MERCH • MUSIC • DONATE