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SKIMO GOLD
The premier podcast and YouTube show for ski mountaineering interviews and analysis. Explore the high-altitude, high-stakes world of skimo as elite athletes prepare for Olympic competition and beyond. From the World Cup podium to the local skintrack, SKIMO GOLD is THE podcast for smooth-gliding, quick-transitioning, lung-burning, kick-turning beta on training, racing, gear, fueling, mindset, and–most importantly–FUN! Join hosts Travis Macy and Cam Smith regularly for novel conversations with the world’s best athletes, coaches, organizers, and skimo aficionados plus just-in-time race analysis. Produced for all podcast players by Palm Tree Pod Co.
SKIMO GOLD
Inside the PDG: 16 Hours of Suffering, Teamwork, and Alpine Chaos
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In this episode of Skimo Gold, Travis Macy sits down with Mike Hogan, Scott Richards, and Dan Mellish to unpack their experience racing the legendary Patrouille des Glaciers (PDG) in Switzerland. A race that’s as much about survival and teamwork as it is about endurance.
This is a 57km, 4,000+ meter ski mountaineering race that starts in the middle of the night, crosses glaciated terrain, and demands that teams move together, often roped up, through steep climbs, technical descents, and brutal conditions. For Mike, Scott, and Dan, it turned into a 16-hour effort chasing cutoffs at every checkpoint, managing hydration issues, navigating the dark, and relying on each other to keep moving forward.
But this episode goes deeper than the race stats.
They share what it’s like to:
- Race under constant time pressure, hitting checkpoints with minutes to spare
- Ski technical terrain roped together in the dark
- Manage physical lows, cramping, and nutrition challenges mid-race
- Stay mentally engaged when the margin for error disappears
- Lean on teammates when things start to unravel
More than anything, this is a story about friendship, resilience, and what happens when you commit to something that pushes you well past your comfort zone.
Because at the end of it, this wasn’t just about finishing PDG. It was about doing it together.
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Thanks to our sponsor CAMP
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Skimo Gold is produced by Palm Tree Pod Co.