SportsWilderness

Outside Podcast

Outside

Outside’s longstanding literary storytelling tradition comes to life in audio with features that will both entertain and inform listeners. We launched in March 2016 with our first series, Science of Survival, and have since expanded our show and now offer a range of story formats, including reports from our correspondents in the field and interviews with the biggest figures in sports, adventure, and the outdoors.

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47 episodes
a few times a week
Avg 42 min
English

Episodes 47

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Wednesday · 56 min
LIVE! From Outside Days: Alex Honnold and Jim Morrison on Skiing Everest
Last year, ski mountaineer Jim Morrison completed what many have called the boldest ski descent in the history of hairball skiing: the direct North Face of Mount Everest. The accomplishment is the subject of Jimmy Chin's new film, "Everest: The Other Side. " There are few folks on this planet who are in the same realm as Jim when it comes to bold firsts. Luckily, Outside Days has a way of bringing these types together. Jim was joined on the fest's Ideas Stage with Alex Honnold and Fitz Cahall, hosts of the podcast Climbing Gold. Alex has spent his career redefining what is possible on rock walls and Fitz—host of the first outdoor podcast, the Dirtbag Diaries—has spent his career helping us mere mortals make sense of why people do objectively bonkers things. Alex and Fitz sat down with Jim for a live recording of the Climbing Gold Podcast to discuss Everest, decision-making, risk, why we spend time in the outdoors, and what happens when the margin for error gets very small.
Saturday · 38 min
Bonus! Exploring Joshua Tree’s Night Sky, with Dr. Gary Blackwood
Recorded live at RESET Hotel, presented by Outdoor Collection by Marriott Bonvoy What's on the outside of outer space? Nobody knows, not even a guy who spent 36 years at NASA. 🌌 Paddy heads to Reset Hotel outside Joshua Tree National Park to stargaze with Dr. Gary Blackwood, aerospace engineer, former NASA Exoplanet Exploration Program leader, and (yes) alien hunter. We get into why he’s convinced we’re not alone, how telescopes can sniff out breathing planets from light years away, the Habitable Worlds Observatory, the Belt of Venus, a Hurricane Hilary backpacking mishap, a lightning round (quasars vs. pulsars vs. Jar Jar), and what Gary would ask visiting aliens first. Plan your stay at RESET, part of Outdoor Collection by Marriott Bonvoy: https://www.marriott.com/brands/outdoor-collection.mi
October 28 · 49 min
It’s Time For Winter, so it’s Time for the Warren Miller Movie, with Katie Burrell
If you’re a skier or snowboarder and you’ve never packed into a movie theater with a few hundred other snow-starved fiends to shout and cheer and ring in the winter season by watching your favorite past time reflected back at you on the big screen, you’re missing one of the best rituals in the outdoors (ironic, given that it happens indoors). This collective act of snow-summoning has become an annual ritual for hundreds of thousands, thanks in large part to one man: Warren Miller. For over 70 years, the films have reliably sent people into autumn evenings around the world glowing and ready to shred. This year, the film’s 77th edition features a new star and, for the first time since Warren himself was at the helm, that star is also the film’s director. Katie Burrell needs no introduction to Outside Podcast fans; this is her third time on the pod in less than three years, but her previous spots were due to her best-in-class comedy chops and massive social presence. This time, the conversation has a bit more heft: You’ve been handed a legendary winter sports franchise … now what?
October 24 · 31 min
Long Read! These Detectives Use Tree DNA To Catch Timber Thieves
In this week's Long Read with Outside Magazine Features Editor Fred Drier, we explore an entirely different kind of poaching than the one you're thinking of. This isn't a story about illegally hunted grizzly bears or gray wolves, it's about trees. In the Pacific Northwest, loggers venture deep into national forests to illegally cut down protected species of trees that they can then sell as specialty lumber for thousands of dollars. Today's story was reported by Nick Davidson, about a high profile case of timber poaching that occurred in Washington's Olympic National Forest in 2018 and how a team of forest service rangers and investigators ended up cracking the case by using tree DNA.
October 21 · 49 min
Why You Should Eat More Pop-Tarts, with Ocean Rower Kelsey Pfendler
We love our extreme endurance athletes, like Ironman champions, the lady who walked to the South Pole, and Alex Honnold. But, regardless of how many times we stare slack jawed at their accomplishments, we never stop asking: Why? Why do they choose to do these outrageous, objectively un-fun things? Record setting open ocean rower Kelsey Pfendler has the most relatable answer for these un-relatable outdoor pursuits: “ There’s a part of me that I don’t get to be unless I’m in those places.” In July 2026, Kelsey became the first American woman, youngest woman, and fastest person overall–breaking both the women's and men's records–to row solo and unsupported from California to Hawaii. Nothing about the 2,400-mile journey is easily identifiable to regular ole outdoor folks, but Kelsey’s ideas on the importance of endurance sports, fear, and motivation are relevant to everyone. After all, who doesn't need a little motivation to push harder when the going get tough?
October 17 · 35 min
BONUS! You’ll Want to Check Out This New Hampshire Campfire, With Matt Lyons
Recorded live at Postcard Cabins, Blake Brook, presented by Outdoor Collection by Marriott Bonvoy When it comes to the outdoors, New Englanders are a particular bunch, known far and wide for their insistence that — where you might be in the world and whatever you might be doing — you’re missing out if you haven’t done it in New England. Hiking, biking, surfing or skiing, if you haven’t encountered these characters in the wild, you may have found them in your social feeds, where they’re masterfully depicted by Matt Lyons. Matt amassed millions of social followers with his hilarious caricatures of outdoorsy stereotypes, but he only mocks what he knows himself, and he knows the New Hampshire wilderness better than most. From thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail to weekend escapes from Boston, Matt knows the value of slowing down and getting outdoors. That made him the perfect guest to join us at Postcard Cabins, tucked into the woods just 90 minutes outside the city. We talked about that thru hike, as well as the unconventional path Matt took from middle school teacher to social media phenom, and of course why his native New England is such a treasure trove of characters for one of the funniest people in all the outdoors. Plan your stay at Postcard Cabins, part of Outdoor Collection by Marriott Bonvoy: https://www.marriott.com/brands/outdoor-collection.mi
October 14 · 55 min
The Surprising Link Between Competition and Community, with Eliot Jackson
You’ve surely heard the stories of a deeply competitive athlete whose drive to win has wreaked havoc on those around them. But can the positive attributes of competitive drive, like goal setting and persistence be harnessed to achieve something totally different than dominance—even something altruistic? If you’re mountain biker Eliot Jackson, the answer is yes. Eliot parlayed national championships in motocross into top 10 finishes in downhill mountain bike racing. When he retired at 36 years old, Eliot shifted his drive to confront the racism in cycling, sparked by the national racial justice reckoning that swept the country in the wake of George Floyd’s murder. In 2020, Eliot founded Grow Cycling, a foundation to promote access and inclusion in the sport. Under Eliot’s guidance, the foundation turned ideas into real life solutions, starting with a 50-acre bike park in Inglewood, California. It's a shining example of a vibrant, diverse bike scene and how individual competitiveness can create real community.
October 10 · 31 min
BONUS! You’re Thinking About Jackson All Wrong, With Jim Ryan
Recorded live at Trailborn Jackson Hole, presented by Outdoor Collection by Marriott Bonvoy. What does Jackson Hole look like through the eyes of a big-mountain ski superhero who's just as excited to talk about the town's artists and musicians as its powder? On this special episode of the Outside Podcast, brought to you by Outdoor Collection by Marriott Bonvoy, we sit down with Jim Ryan, recorded live at Trailborn Jackson Hole in Jackson, Wyoming. Jim is a Vermont ski racer who headed west when his race career ended, and he became a fixture in the Jackson community, and not only in the ways you'd think. He's respected by the town's world-class athletes, but he'll just as happily tell you about its swing dancers, its creatives, and its... LARPers? Together, it adds up to one big idea: you've been thinking about Jackson all wrong. By the end, you'll be booking your own stay at Trailborn Jackson Hole to see it for yourself. Plan your stay at Trailborn Jackson Hole, part of Outdoor Collection by Marriott Bonvoy: https://www.marriott.com/brands/outdoor-collection.mi
October 7 · 49 min
Circumnagivating the Globe–and Other Little Goals–with Anne-Marie Keane
Most of us, at some point in our lives, will put a goal aside, with every intention of coming back to it later on in life. Maybe it’s that marathon you always thought you should run. Maybe it’s going for that big promotion at work. Or perhaps it’s trying to learn how to play guitar or a new sport or…the list is endless. The point is, we all have dreams, big, small, audacious, or somewhere in between. But, while the goal setting is endless, the follow through is often nonexistent. Unless you’re pianist, composer, and sailor Anne-Marie Keane, who's currently fulfilling a life-long—and long delayed—goal of sailing the globe. In today's episode, she gives a master class in navigation, not just of the seas, but of a life well lived.
October 3 · 24 min
Long Read! Inside the Surprisingly Intense World of Competitive Steinholding
On this week's Long Read, with Outside Magazine's Features Editor Fred Drier, we welcome you to fall—specifically, to Oktoberfest. Thanks to the magic of marketing, the German festival where people don lederhosen, drink beer, and sing songs has spawned a new tradition. Masskrugstemmen is the German word for competitive steinholding. You heard that right; it's a competition in with competitors hold beer steins full of beer and ... well, that's about it. In 2025, reporter Martin Fritz Huber traveled to Central Park to check out the Masskrugstemmen National Competition, to soak up the suds and the fun at the event, and then for this story, he took a deep dive into the wacky world of Steinholding.
September 30 · 1 hr 5 min
People Raft the Grand Canyon For All Kinds of Crazy Reasons. Here are 7
This past July, host PaddyO checked the box of a bucket list adventure 20 years in the making: boating all 280 miles of the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon. And, of course, he couldn’t go without a microphone stuffed into his drybag. PaddyO interviewed a handful of guests, complete strangers to him, and a few dory boat guides tasked with navigating more than 250 rapids over 15 days. Sure, the Grand is known for its beauty and thrills, but there is something else that draws people here. When boaters arrive at the Lee’s Ferry put-in, somehow, the Grand Canyon becomes whatever they need it to be–-a mirror, a teacher, a therapist, a parent. By the time you hit the Pearce Ferry takeout two weeks later, you’re a different person. Skeptical? Just listen.
September 26 · 35 min
Long Read! Rachel Entrekin Pushes the Limits of Human Endurance and Pets Every Dog She Sees
On this week's Long Read, Abby Wise, Brand Director for Outside, takes us into the world of ultra running that has watched in awe as American runner Rachel Entrekin completely dominates the sport's most grueling distances. Known as the Queen of Cocodona for her consecutive wins at the punishing 250 mile race in Arizona, she made history this spring by winning the event outright, beating the entire men's field by over an hour, but her remarkable season was far from over. Just recently, Entrekin made her highly anticipated debut at the legendary UTMB race in Chamonix, France, trading desert heat for the brutal technical climbs of the Alps. She proved her versatility against a stacked international field, taking an incredible second place in the women's race with a time of 22 hours and 15 minutes. To find out what drives one of endurance sports rising stars, we turned to writer Rebecca Byerly. Rebecca had a front row seat to Rachel's history making performance this year as she was out on the trails pacing another runner at Cocodona. In this in-depth profile, Rebecca explores Rachel's rise to the top, her unique approach to training, and the joy that fuels her through hundreds and hundreds of miles.
September 23 · 45 min
The Unexpected Upside to Getting Totally Lost , with Emily Miller
When’s the last time you were lost, as in “zero connectivity, a map you don’t understand, and tens of miles between you and shelter” lost? If you’ve ever been in that situation you know it awakens a kind of primal panic. It's not pleasant, but it's an amazing classroom, and it's one that Emily Miller has intentionally led people into for over 15 years. Emily's a gifted rally racer, which means she's used to being lost while at speeds near 100 miles an hour. But as interesting as her racing career is (and listen on for just how interesting it was!), it's the race she founded that's really fascinating. The Rebelle Rally is the longest navigation race in the U.S., and it's only open to women. In the past decade, Emily has trained more than 8,000 women to race it, which mean's she's taught them how to get excruciatingly lost, and then find their way home. Turns out, those skills are pretty translatable to the rest of your life.
September 19 · 23 min
Long Read: What Really Happened During the Broad Peak Avalanche
Today's Long Read with Outside Magazine Features Editor, Fred Drier, reveals the magnitude and devastating impact of the recent tragedy on Broad Peak, in the Karakoram Range between Pakistan and China. The 26,414-foot mountain is considered one of the challenging in the region, and 10 lives lost make it the deadliest high-alpine avalanche in more than a decade. Outside's Mount Everest correspondent, Ben Ayers, spoke to the people central to the recovery effort, and this is their story.
September 16 · 54 min
Seeing Your Adventures Get the Hollywood Treatment, with Peter Heller
When Peter Heller moved to the Rocky Mountains, he arrived ready to split his time between paddling rivers and penning stories. What began with a shot-in-the-dark cold call led to a career in adventure journalism. Peter’s award winning body of work saw him on assignment in some of the most dramatic and extreme locales around the globe. And these stories in turn became the foundation for his New York Times bestselling novels, like "The River" and "Burn." Peter’s books are so compelling because of their lyrical depictions of nature and the dramatic circumstances his characters face. And underneath the adventure is a continued examination of manhood and male friendship—a theme that’s been central to his writing since his very first novel, "The Dog Stars," which recently received the full Hollywood treatment from director Ridley Scott, starring Josh Brolin, Jacob Elordi, and Margaret Qualley. Peter sat down with us just after he returned from the film’s London premiere for a conversation filled with wild tales, the ongoing examination of what it means to be a man, and how time outside forms who we are.
September 12 · 20 min
Long Read! Seagulls Terrorized Ocean City, So Ocean City Fought Back
Today's Long Read with Outside Magazine Features Editor, Fred Drier, is for anyone who's done battle with snack-hunting seagulls on a beach trip this summer. Writer Andrew Zaleski tells the tale of how one beach community—Ocean City, NJ—got so fed up with the gulls dive bombing its guests, it decided to respond with the big guns: Birds of prey. Come take a walk on the Jersey Shore, with the falconers keeping everyone's pizza safe.
September 9 · 47 min
Why You Should (And Shouldn’t) Meet Your Heroes, with Heather Hansman
When it comes to the GOATs of outdoorsy heroes, who do you think of first? Chances are it’s not Grand Canyon rafting legend Georgie White, groundbreaking author and Adirondack wilderness guide Anne LaBastille, and backcountry powder-skiing trailblazer Dolores LaChapelle. And author Heather Hansman wants to change that. Her new book, “Fierce Country: The Untold Story of Three Women Who Ignited America’s Love for the Wild” is a triple biography of the trio’s influence on our understanding of wild places and the odds they faced to earn this influence. Heather rectifies the sexism that kept their names out of our history in “Fierce Country,” but never pulls a punch when it comes to the grimy parts of life that made these women complicated heroes. In her research and writing, Heather found deep gratitude for the full and messy lives these women led, and a better understanding of why and how to live a life outside.
September 5 · 32 min
Long Read! In Search of Michelle Vanek: Part 2
Today's Long Read with Outside Magazine Features Editor, is Part 2 of one of the most read articles in Outside's history: the story of the only hiker to eve rdie while seeking the summit of central colorado's most famous 14er. Ted Katauskas, a member of the search team that finally recovered her remains 19 years later, investigates who she was and what we can all learn from her death before our own adventures in the high alpine.
September 2 · 40 min
How to Act Like a Crime-Solving National Park Ranger, with Tracy Spiridakos
When you watch a movie or TV show in which an actor portrays a skier or biker or climber or…whatever-er, do you believe them? Whether or not they can convincingly descend/ascend a mountain or a wall or a tree is often the difference between success and failure for shows set in the wilderness. Luckily for the brand new USA Network show, “Anna Pigeon”, veteran TV actress and outdoorswoman Tracy Spiridakos takes on the title role. In order to portray Anna’s ruggedness as a Glacier National Park ranger and hardboiled detective solving many-a-crime that happens inside the grounds of the park, Tracy called up two things: her lifelong love affair with nature and the same athleticism she’s used throughout her career to perform her own stunts. Wrestling criminals to the ground and into handcuffs is one thing, but it takes a real dirt lover to pull off horseback riding, hanging off cliffs on the side of a mountain, and sitting on a tree branch chatting with bald eagles. That is the type of acting skill that makes a character both believable and beloved.
August 29 · 33 min
Long Read! In Search of Michelle Vanek: Part 1
Today's Long Read with Outside Magazine Features Editor, Fred Drier, is Part 1 of one of the most read articles in Outside's history: the story of the only hiker ever to die while seeing the summit of central Colorado's most famous 14er. Ted Katauskas, a member of the search team that finally recovered her remains 19 years later, investigates who she was and what we can all learn from her death before our own adventures in the high alpine. Don't miss Part 2, next Saturday.

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