Surviving the Medusa Face of Mt. Neacola, Alaska

The Cutting Edge

In late April, on their third trip to Alaska's remote and forbidding Mt. Neacola, Ryan Driscoll, Justin Guarino, and Nick Aiello-Popeo made the first complete ascent of the north face (a.k.a. the Medusa Face). The New Hampshire–based trio followed the line of a visionary 1995 attempt by Topher Donahue and Kennan Harvey until high on the wall, then added another full day of sustained climbing to top out, before descending the unknown east face. And this was only AFTER they had been avalanched out of their base camp earlier in the same month. It's a wild, wild story, and Ryan and Justin tell it in-depth, with Chris Kalman asking the questions. The Cutting Edge is presented by Hilleberg the Tentmaker, with additional support from Lowa Boots, Polartec, and Gnarly Nutrition. This podcast is produced by the American Alpine Club.