Episode 54: Everest Coverage - Onward and Upward Despite Real Hazards
With the 2026 Everest season now firmly underway and the icefall finally open, Sam and Adrian are back for their second installment of armchair mountaineering coverage.
Sam opens with a somber news section, paying tribute to two losses that hit close to home in the outdoor community: Bernie Rosow of Mammoth and Will Stanhope of BC, killed in separate incidents within days of each other. Adrian knew both casually and reflects on what made each of them so magnetic — Bernie grinding away as a snow cat driver while somehow getting out more than anyone on the east side of the Sierra, and Will quietly pushing the cutting edge of hard trad lines in Squamish and around the world for decades. Adrian also brings a lighter story out of the Himalaya: a Russian and Ukrainian climber who headed to Manaslu in the spring off-season, found the mountain entirely to themselves, and hung it way out there in proper old-school style — a good reminder that the vast majority of the world's mountains can still deliver wild experiences.
From there, Sam and Adrian dig into the following topics from the 2026 Everest season:
- The Icefall Opens: The threatening serac that delayed the season has partially fallen, a route has been threaded, and teams are moving — but the season is now running in the most compressed window of the modern era, with record permit numbers and a shortened timeline creating real human factors pressure.
- Drones on Everest: Last season's successful drone trials have hit a regulatory pause, and Adrian unpacks why that's both completely predictable and genuinely frustrating — and why getting drones properly established on the mountain may be the single most important step toward making the south side safe enough for Alpenglow to return.
- Topo's First Impressions and Season Conditions: Alpenglow guide Topo Mena has made his first carry to Camp Two on the south side with early reports positive. Adrian also notes the mountain is running unusually dry this season, which exposes hard ice on the Lhotse Face and adds challenge for everyone — including speed climbers Tyler Andrews and Karl Egloff, who are on the mountain chasing records.
- Listener Question — Does the Round Trip Count?: A listener asks the guys to weigh in on whether a summit counts if you don't make it back under your own power. Sam and Adrian don't hold back.
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.
