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April 23, 2025 63 mins

New Hampshire native and author Ty Gagne joins the pod today to discuss the harrowing and heroic history of rescues in the White Mountains. Ty shares his in depth knowledge on some of the most well known rescues in The Whites, and what we can learn from them in regards to decision making, leadership and risk management.


We’ll also discuss how the members of search and rescue (many of them volunteers!) view their important work, and why we should check our judgement on the ‘mistakes’ that people make when they find themselves in need of high risk rescue. 


Ty’s books are available for purchase here: 

Lions of Winter: Survival and Sacrifice on Mount Washington

The Last Traverse: Tragedy and Resilience in the Winter Whites

Where You’ll Find Me: Risks, Decisions, and the Last Climb of Kate Matrosova



Join us over on the First Ascent Patreon. For $5, $7 or $10 a month, you’ll get access to wide ranging bonus content from greats like Mark Hudon, Scott Stevenson and many more. Plus you’ll get a Discord chat, exclusive beta, route info, and more. Check it out here:  https://www.patreon.com/FirstAscentPodcast


Do you have a listener question or a topic idea? Let us know at @firstascentpod on Instagram! Jay can be found at @jayknower




Disclaimer: 

The information expressed in this episode is for entertainment purposes only, and is not intended as, nor should it be interpreted as, informational or instructional.


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