On this episode of the Uphill Athlete podcast, book club edition, Steve dives into the minds of today's most inspiring authors and helps listeners to learn from the mountain world's most important thought leaders. In this book club episode, Steve welcomes Luis Benitez to the podcast to discuss his new book, Higher Ground. Luis is a mountain guide, government worker, executive leadership development expert, and professor among many other positions. Steve and Luis break down the impetus for Higher...
Aug 26, 2024•1 hr 1 min•Season 6Ep. 2
The Uphill Athlete podcast returns with a special episode discussing the newest training plans release, the Uphill Athlete Skyrunning plan. Alyssa welcomes mountain athlete and influencer Lukas Mann to the podcast to discuss his experiences working with Alyssa as she developed the skyrunning plan around his training for the Minotaur Skyrace. The two discuss Lukas’ background in mountain sports and his transition to adding trail running as a staple to his mountain toolbox. They break down Lukas’ ...
Aug 12, 2024•51 min•Season 6Ep. 1
In the latest episode of Voice of the Mountains, Steve welcomes an icon of mountain sports and artistic genius. Cory Richards went from homeless kid to Nat Geo Adventurer of the Year. From depression and bi-polar diagnoses to one of the best spokesmen and advocates for mental health, particularly men’s mental health. Cory and Steve discuss difficult transitions, how certain beliefs, such as how a certain unhealthy relationship is good for them, become convictions. How they spent years living in ...
Aug 01, 2024•1 hr 17 min•Season 1Ep. 4
On the third episode of Voice of the Mountains, Steve welcomes the pioneering climber Lydia Brady, who created a life of climbing through windows when the doors were slammed. She became the first female climber to summit Everest without oxygen in 1988 along with many first ascents worldwide. From big walls, to alpine climbs, Lydia has made her mark on the climbing world as a leader in her own climbing and a mountain guide. Unfortunately she faced tremendous doubt and scrutiny with her ascent and...
Jul 01, 2024•1 hr 34 min•Season 1Ep. 3
The Uphill Athlete podcast is back to answer your questions on all things altitude. Director of Coaching, Chantelle Robitaille and host Alyssa answer a range of questions from altitude and Vertical Kilometer races, coming from sea level to race at altitude, and the benefits and challenges of using a hypoxic tent vs mask. They also touch on the effects of altitude on men vs women as well as considerations aging athletes should take when planning for altitude adventures. The two wrap up the conver...
Jun 24, 2024•1 hr 4 min•Season 5Ep. 8
In the latest episode of the Uphill Athlete Podcast season on altitude, Alyssa welcomes IFMGA guide and Uphill Athlete coach, Jerome Sullivan, on to the podcast. Jerome has spent significant time climbing technical objectives in high to extreme altitudes and has found much success in being awarded a Piolets d’Or in 2016. Jerome and Alyssa discuss the risks and challenges of not only existing, but performing at high altitudes. They dive into the mental and physical preparations as well as the dee...
Jun 10, 2024•54 min•Season 5Ep. 7
Voices of the Mountains welcomes all-round action hero Will Gadd who is legendary in the climbing world. Year after year, Will has continually pushed the boundaries of ice and mixed climbing. He leaned into competition climbing and with other visionaries like Jeff Lowe, pushed mixed climbing forward. Will is a veteran of mountain sports, and not only does he continue to seek new adventures but he seems to have boundless energy. Will tells the listeners how just ten short years ago, he was quick ...
Jun 01, 2024•1 hr 37 min•Season 1Ep. 1
In the second episode of our Acclimatization Strategies, Martin and Alyssa discuss high and extreme altitude acclimatization protocols. They break down different approaches for mountains like Denali and Everest and what it takes to prepare for the extreme altitudes. They discuss the various protocols from the traditional acclimatization of spending weeks to a month of moving up and down the mountain to different altitude camps, to using hypobaric hypoxic and normobaric hypoxic chambers. If you’v...
May 20, 2024•1 hr 8 min•Season 5Ep. 6
In the first episode of a two-part podcast, Alyssa and coach Martin Zhor, dive into an overview of acclimatization strategies, with particular focus on moderate to high altitudes. They break down how and why the body adjusts to altitude with specific responses and the short and long-term effects. They also discuss training and racing strategies to manage the effects of altitude within recreational and performance situations. Martin offers advice on how to support goals in higher altitude environ...
May 06, 2024•1 hr 11 min•Season 5Ep. 5
We are thrilled to release the first episode of our new series, Voice of the Mountains. Hosted by legendary climber Steve House, the first episode welcomes Barry Blanchard. He hardly needs an introduction, but Barry is an Alpinist, a mountain guide, a father, a mentor and a dear friend to many. Barry and Steve explore the connection of Barry’s childhood and his foundation and desire to be a mountain climber. From Barry’s Metis heritage, to his connection with the mountains and those that challen...
May 01, 2024•1 hr 31 min•Season 1Ep. 1
In the latest episode of the Uphill Athlete podcast, Alyssa and Steve welcome AMGA guide Bill Allen, to discuss guiding practices and client preparation at altitude. They provide recommendations for clients concerned about altitude, how a guide assists and assess’ clients at high altitudes and how guides keep themselves safe on the mountain. They continue with common mistakes they see from clients and offer specific advice to make the best out of your high altitude mountain trip. Tune in to hear...
Apr 22, 2024•58 min•Season 5Ep. 4
In the newest episode of the Uphill Athlete podcast, Director of Coaching, Chantelle Robitaille and Director of Memberships Alexa Hasman, join Alyssa to discuss mental training tips in the preparation phase for big mountain expeditions or races in altitude. The three break down the unique mental challenges athletes face at altitude as well as sound principles of mental training recommended for safety and success. They address fears athletes may face in higher altitudes along with how to manage t...
Apr 08, 2024•1 hr•Season 5Ep. 3
In the second episode of the Uphill Athlete podcast altitude series, Alyssa welcomes Registered Dietician, Alyssa Leib, to discuss nutrition considerations at altitude. The two run through nutritional needs at different altitudes and recommended practices for training. They also discuss how to navigate eating on expeditions in foreign countries and the challenges athletes may face with travel and on mountain nutrition. Lastly, they dissect the use of certain supplements and their effectiveness i...
Mar 25, 2024•59 min•Season 5Ep. 2
The Uphill Athlete podcast returns with a new educational series dedicated to altitude and endurance athletes. In this multi-episode season, they begin with an introduction to altitude with guests Chantelle Robitaille and Martin Zhor who have extensive background in altitude education and application. Alyssa, Chantelle and Martin define the different altitude zones as well as give a general overview of the body’s reactions at these zones. They discuss AMS (Acute Mountain Sickness), HAPE (High Al...
Mar 11, 2024•1 hr 4 min•Season 5Ep. 1
Steve House welcomes guest Guy Cotter to the Uphill Athlete podcast in the latest episode. Guy is a New Zealand based IMGA guide, the owner of Adventure Consultants guiding company and has multiple Everest and other 8000m peak summits. Steve and Guy begin the conversation around Guy’s foundations as a mountain athlete and his newly released book, Everest Mountain Guide . The two continue with a discussion on the evolution of Everest climbing and Guy’s personal experiences on the mountain. They s...
Feb 26, 2024•56 min•Season 4Ep. 9
In the latest episode of the Uphill Athlete podcast, Steve chats with long time friend and climbing partner, Josh Wharton. Josh is a man of all trades in climbing and a highly accomplished climber. Steve and Josh dig into the origins of Josh’s climbing dating back generations to his families experiences in the UK. The two discuss how his family’s principles around climbing influenced Josh’s career and passions. They bounce around the climbing areas that have been most meaningful to Josh and how ...
Feb 12, 2024•1 hr 44 min•Season 4Ep. 8
In the latest Uphill Athlete podcast, coach Will Weidman flips the script on Alyssa and interviews her on her experiences at the Dragon’s Back Race in Wales. The Dragon’s Back Race is a 6 day stage race that runs the length of Wales covering 380km and over 17000m on completely unmarked terrain. Will and Alyssa dive into Alyssa’s race results and running prior to Dragon’s Back and the mindset, training and nutrition changes she has made in the past year. They then break down the ups and downs of ...
Jan 29, 2024•1 hr 17 min•Season 4Ep. 7
On the latest podcast episode, Steve and Alyssa welcome Chantelle and her athlete, Branden Joy, to discuss Branden’s self-designed Scandinavian Arctic Traverse. The route spanned nine hundred and eighty-five miles of which Branden covered using a backcountry ski set up and a snow kite, all while pulling a sled full of his supplies. The four discuss Branden’s background in endurance sports and the unique journey he has taken to create his own endurance adventures. Chantelle and Branden explain Br...
Jan 15, 2024•1 hr 21 min•Season 4Ep. 1
In the latest episode of the Uphill Athlete podcast, Steve chats with Lindsey Hamm and Priti Wright about their experiences in the Charakusa Valley in Pakistan. The three reminisce about their time in the valley climbing the magnificent walls and peaks. Along with specific discussions on objectives and routes, the three also reflect on the relationships they built there and the warmth of the local people. From cultural learnings to volleyball games to movie nights, Steve, Lindsey and Priti discu...
Jan 01, 2024•1 hr 12 min•Season 4Ep. 5
In a special holiday episode, Alyssa sits down with Uphill Athlete’s new registered dietician, Alyssa Leib. The two tackle listener questions about fueling well through the holidays and the unique challenges athletes face. The questions range from how to handle comments about your eating habits to staying on track with training and nutrition during the holidays. RD Alyssa offers advice on adding, not subtracting with your nutrition choices as well as tips on approaching potentially stressful hol...
Dec 18, 2023•48 min•Season 4Ep. 1
In the second episode of Chronicles of K2, Steve, Martin and Jon discuss Jon’s specific training for the mountain and his background before coming to work with Uphill Athlete. The three breakdown Jon’s progression from unstructured gym work to establishing an elite endurance base. They also work through an injury Jon sustained prior to his K2 training block and how he mentally dealt with the training progression from injury. Martin discusses his approach to acclimatization with Jon and how Jon m...
Dec 04, 2023•1 hr 28 min•Season 4Ep. 3
We are thrilled to announce the launch of the Uphill Athlete Membership Program. In this episode, Alyssa, Steve and coach Alexa Hasman, reveal details about the program and what new members can expect. They break down the three tiers of the membership as well as the vision behind creating this new offering from Uphill. The three discuss training plan updates, the cost of the programs and best of all, what they are most excited about for the community. Check out the membership options on uphillat...
Nov 24, 2023•35 min
In our second episode of Voices of the Mountains, Steve and coach Martin Zhor, speak with one of their athletes, Jon Lawrie, who recently summited K2 without supplemental oxygen. Jon chronicles his experience on the mountain, from the trek to base camp, to the jeep ride back to a warm bed. Steve and Jon relate over the odd experience of life above 8000 meters and a tragedy Jon witnessed on the mountain. The discussion shows a glimpse of the difficulty of this type of climb and the precarious nat...
Nov 20, 2023•1 hr 3 min•Season 4Ep. 2
In April 2018 Steve House and another mountain guide were the first to discover a massive tragedy that ultimately took the lives of seven skiers. Swiss National Television recently released a documentary on the incident, Todesfalle (Death trap) Haute Route , a film directed by Frank Senn. Steve recounts his experience of the catastrophe and digs into what it means to be a first responder, guide and most of all a human, when faced with the loss of human life. Alyssa and Steve grapple with the que...
Nov 06, 2023•1 hr 16 min•Season 4Ep. 1
In the final episode of our Training for Trail Running Series, Alyssa and return guest, coach Will Weidman, address race strategies and preparation for trail running success. The two discuss common mistakes in racing, developing a realistic time goal and race strategy, and how to focus on process vs outcome. They further break down organizing gear in drop bags and for your crew as well as setting time goals and expectations for your crew when coming in to aid stations. Will and Alyssa offer thei...
Oct 23, 2023•1 hr•Season 3Ep. 13
In this episode of Training for Trail Running, Alyssa sits down with one of the Uphill Athlete Physical Therapists, Pete Dickinson. The two discuss common injuries Pete sees in trail runners and how to avoid the training errors that lead to injury. They also break down treatment options, recommendations for strength training and the importance of recovery for runners. They tackle tendon injuries and why they occur along with differences between road and trail running. Pete gives his recommendati...
Oct 09, 2023•44 min•Season 3Ep. 12
In this episode, Alyssa sits down with coach Martin Zhor to discuss running in extreme conditions like altitude, heat and cold. They kick off with recommendations for acclimatization before racing, and different strategies to utilize depending on time and finances. They break down the higher caloric and hydration needs at altitude as well as the changes the body goes through at altitude. They then tackle running and racing in heat and heat training strategies that can help the body adapt more sm...
Sep 25, 2023•1 hr 11 min•Season 3Ep. 11
On this episode, Alyssa catches up with Registered Dietician, Rebecca Dent, to discuss proper race fueling strategies and how to perform your nutrition best in trail running. The two break down how to set up a race nutrition strategy as well as how to test this strategy in your training. Rebecca emphasizes the importance of proper carbohydrate consumption throughout the race and how it can turn a DNF into a Personal Best. They continue with considerations for multi-day races, gut training and co...
Sep 11, 2023•1 hr 9 min•Season 3Ep. 10
Alyssa welcomes fellow coaches Alexa Hasman and Brian Passenti to a coaches round table to discuss in race fueling strategies. They break down using aid stations, planning race nutrition, as well as fueling considerations for different distances. With all three having experience running distances from 50km to over 300 miles, each discusses how they individually approach a race, mistakes they have made and how they have learned to deal with ups and downs in their own careers. They also give advis...
Aug 28, 2023•50 min•Season 3Ep. 9
Alyssa is joined by two special guests this episode on pacing and crewing, her pacer from the Canyons 100 miler, Nic Erol, and her husband and long time crew chief, Codi Clark. The first part of the episode focuses on pacing where Nic and Alyssa discuss the history of pacers, their purpose in races as well as where in the world pacing is allowed or disallowed. They go on to talk about what to look for in a pacer, the pacer’s role for the runner, and discussions to have pre-race. In the second ha...
Aug 14, 2023•1 hr 30 min•Season 3Ep. 8
