George Bell, a climber on the 1953 American Expedition to K2 said "It's a savage mountain that tries to kill you." Nearly than 75 years later, the reputation is intact. Adrian successfully climbed K2, without supplemental oxygen, in 2019, doubling down on his no o2 ascent of Everest in 2017.

With decades of experience climbing and guiding clients throughout the Himalaya, Adrian has spent little time in the Karakoram, and has only climbed K2 once. Following the 2025 K2 climbing season, Sam and Adrian connect to break down K2, and discuss Adrian's take on the mountain as well as his experience.

- Adrian shares his description of the route, starting with the trek in. Not only does he talk about some of the main features of the mountain, but he also discusses the famed objective hazards, from GI bugs to the Bottleneck Serac.

- Adrian shares a bit about why he's avoided K2 for most of his career, and how a tragic accident in 2008 took the life of a good friend, deterring him from the mountain for many years.

- Despite being supported by Topo Mena, who too has dreams of climbing K2 without oxygen, Adrian shares the one route on the mountain that he would climb, if it were possible.

Adrian's film, Breathtaking: K2 - The World's Most Dangerous Mountain, can be found on youtube.

Follow our podcast on Instagram @duffelshufflepodcast where you can learn more about us and our guests. Visit our website at www.duffelshufflepodcast.com and join our mailing list. The Duffel Shuffle Podcast is supported by Alpenglow Expeditions, an internationally renowned mountain guide service based in Lake Tahoe, California. Visit www.alpenglowexpeditions.com or follow @alpenglowexpeditions on Instagram to learn more.

In such a storied climbing region like the Himalaya, recording the history of the people who have climbed there and the summits they reached is vital. In this Episode of the Duffel Shuffle Podcast, Adrian sits down with Billi Bierling, the current director of the Himalayan Database, the go-to historical database of climbing in the Himalaya, to discuss Everest, modern high altitude climbing, and the life of the Himalayan Database.

Billi is a renowned journalist, high-altitude climber, and has been the director of the Himalayan Database since 2016, taking over after its founder, Elizabeth Hawley. With ascents of major peaks including Mount Everest, Manaslu, Cho Oyu, and Lhotse — Bierling brings both credibility and firsthand experience to her work. Bierling has been instrumental in expanding the reach and accessibility of the database, ensuring it remains a vital resource for climbers, researchers, and historians alike.

- Billi and Adrian talk about the Himalayan Database and the History of Everest.

- Billi shares about her time spent in Kathmandu and her own passion for mountaineering

- Adrian and Billi chat about Everest, the ever-changing dynamics of modern high-altitude mountaineering, and climbing without oxygen.

You can learn more about the Himalayan Database at https://www.himalayandatabase.com/. And you can follow along with Billi at her website; https://billibierling.com/, or follow her on Instagram @billi_bierling.

Follow our podcast on Instagram @duffelshufflepodcast where you can learn more about us and our guests. Visit our website at www.duffelshufflepodcast.com and join our mailing list. The Duffel Shuffle Podcast is supported by Alpenglow Expeditions, an internationally renowned mountain guide service based in Lake Tahoe, California. Visit www.alpenglowexpeditions.com or follow @alpenglowexpeditions on Instagram to learn more.