Of all of the guest requests that I receive from listeners, Steve House is the name that comes up most. Steve is one of the most respected alpine climbers of this generation. In a time when establishing a quantity of summits has a certain superficial appeal, Steve stays committed to quality. He moves through the mountains in light and fast style, and through his programs like Alpine Mentors and Uphill Athlete, he teaches other climbers to do the same. In this interview, we’ll profile his introduction to climbing, the importance of mentors, and his approach to training. He’ll also talk about an accident in 2010 that left him stranded on the wall.
Company Spotlight
After Steve’s interview, I speak with Jeff and Susan Russell, the founders of Ridge Merino, in our Company Spotlight segment. Jeff Russell was heading up soft goods at Armada when he realized that all of the Armada athletes – when they weren’t at photoshoots – wore merino baselayers instead of the synthetic ones that Armada produced. Jeff and Susan set out to make youthful, cost effective merino base layers to fill the void. Get 20% off with the code “meister” at https://www.ridgemerino.com/
Episode Sponsor
Health IQ is an insurance company that helps active and health conscious people get lower rates on their life insurance. Similar to how you save money car insurance for being a good driver, Health IQ saves you money on your life insurance by living a healthy lifestyle. See if you qualify today – go to healthiq.com/meister for a free quote.
Gear Recommendation
Built for the harshest alpine conditions, the Hyper Puff™ Jacket uses stretchy, high-loft 100-g HyperDAS insulation wrapped in a lightweight, weather-resistant Pertex Quantum® 100% nylon stretch ripstop shell and lining. The whole garment stretches to accommodate a full range of motion while hoarding heat in deeply cold conditions.
Book
In Training for the New Alpinism, Steve House, world-class climber and Patagonia ambassador, and Scott Johnston, coach of U.S. National Champions and World Cup Nordic Skiers, translate training theory into practice to allow you to coach yourself to any mountaineering goal. Applying training practices from other endurance sports, House and Johnston demonstrate that following a carefully designed regimen is as effective for alpinism as it is for any other endurance sport and leads to better performance. They deliver detailed instruction on how to plan and execute training tailored to your individual circumstances.
Additional Resources
Check out these links to additional episode content.