#147 | Dr. Jon Kedrowski on Climbing Everest with Mike Posner, Sleeping on All of Colorado's 14'ers, and The Best Hikes Around Colorado

Published: May 2, 2022, 8:09 p.m.

In today's episode of Backpacker Radio, we are joined by author, mountaineer, and keynote speaker, Dr. Jon Kedrowski.\xa0 Dr. Jon's list of accomplishments are staggeringly long, including sleeping at the summit of all the Colorado 14'ers, multiple Everest summits, playing D-1college basketball at Valparaiso, guiding and befriending Mike Posner, and much more.\xa0 We catch Dr. Jon very off-guard with a well-timed, fuck, marry, kill, we learn about the standout geography features of each of the Colorado mountain ranges, and what it's like to encounter death on Everest.

We wrap the show with a triple crown of minor injuries that hurt like fuck and we bring back a listener favorite segment \u2014 would you rather.\xa0\xa0

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Interview with Dr. Jon Kedrowski

Time stamps & Questions

00:04:41 - QOTD: What are you most excited about for Trail Days?

00:11:13 - BPR Announcements: Trail Days Road Trip, Asheville Meetup May 11, 6:30pm, subscribe to be alerted of new BPR episodes!

00:14:30 - Introducing Dr. Jon Kedrowski

00:15:50 - Tell us your mountaineering origin story.

00:19:08 - Were you the youngest person to hike all of Colorado\u2019s 14\u2019ers?

00:21:25 - How did you get to trailheads during high school?

00:22:24 - Tell us about being a geography professor.

00:24:20 - Was it tough to pursue mountaineering before it was a money-making profession?

00:27:30 - What\u2019s it like to be a part of March Madness?

00:28:23 - What\u2019s the overlap between being a collegiate basketball player and a successful mountaineer?

00:29:29 - For a backpacker, what\u2019s an applicable mantra or philosophy you go by?

00:32:20 - Tell us about the CDT and CT from a geographic perspective.

00:34:48 - How do you compare the San Juans and the Collegiate Peaks?

00:36:41 - If you had to pick one Colorado mountain range for the rest of your life\u2019s adventuring, which would it be?

00:38:20 - Fuck, Marry, Kill: Colorado mountain ranges.

00:40:24 - Do you actually sleep at the top of a mountain?

00:42:19 - What do you do if there\u2019s a storm while you\u2019re sleeping?

00:43:38 - Your tent got struck by lightning?

00:45:38 - Do you lead clients up Everest now?

00:46:56 - Are you in Mike Posner\u2019s new music video?

00:48:39 - Tell us a wild story from hiking with Mike Posner?

00:50:31 - What\u2019s considered good water once you become a snob about it?

00:52:00 - Did you ever not want to get in the water on video?

00:53:03 - Is there one place that stood out to you related to stargazing?

00:56:21 - Do you ever follow established routes or mainly find your own?

00:59:30 - Let\u2019s talk about Everest!

01:01:02 - What\u2019s it like when there\u2019s a tragedy on Everest?

01:03:20 - What went wrong in 2012?

01:08:02 - What\u2019s the atmosphere like when you return to the high camp?

01:08:35 - What\u2019s your personal mental state like when you have to leave someone behind?

01:10:40 - Is there any mental prep work for encountering people who will perish on Everest?

01:13:20 - At one point will Everest become a trail of bodies?

01:15:58 - Is there part of you that gets freaked out going back year after year?

01:17:32 - What would a training program for Everest look like?

01:19:14 - What training could someone do in the gym?

01:21:21 - Tell us about mountaineering gear.\xa0

01:23:22 - How much do those sleeping bags and down suits weigh?

01:24:03 - What does your pack typically weigh?

01:25:43 - What size is your pack?

01:26:20 - Tell us about your \u201cno off days\u201d philosophy.

01:27:40 - Are you physically preparing every single day or are you risking burnout?

01:28:42 - How old are you?

01:31:28 - Have you thought about retiring for two weeks like Tom Brady?

01:33:02 - Is part of you wanting to do a calendar Triple?

01:34:05 - What\u2019s your go-to junk food?

01:34:23 - Get a prize for buying Dr. Jon\u2019s new book!

01:36:34 - Thank you!

SEGMENTS

Trek Propaganda

Triple Crown of minor injuries that hurt like fuck

Would You Rather?

Mail Bag

5 Star Review

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