The Most Bizarre Olympic Disaster Ever: The 1904 Marathon

Andrée's 1897 Arctic Balloon Expedition

In 1897, a Swedish engineer convinced a king, a Nobel Prize winner, and an entire nation to fund the most ambitious plan in exploration history, flying a hydrogen balloon to the North Pole. He had never tested the balloon in Arctic conditions. His steering system didn't work. He launched anyway. What followed was 65 hours of chaos in the air, 87 days of brutal survival on the Arctic ice when they finally found land. But, after only four days on land, the three men were dead. Their frozen camp was discovered 33 years later and the mystery continued. They had full supplies, working weapons, and enough food to last for months. This is the story of the Andrée expedition, the hubris, the crash, the march, and the 125 year old mystery nobody has been able to solve.  Join my NEWSLETTER:  https://adventuredispatch.beehiiv.com/ Join the Patreon to see the inside scoop, behind-the-scenes chaos, senior dogs and puppy craziness, and more! Supporting the channel really helps me keep these stories coming! https://www.patreon.com/c/adventuresgonewrong47/membership 🔥 Grab some merch inspired by TRUE CHAOS: https://adventuresgonewrong.com/ Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2464505/fan_mail/new] Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2464505/support]

Murder Wall: The 1936 Eiger Tragedy

The north face of the Eiger had a reputation so bad it got a nickname. Mordwand. The Murder Wall.  By 1936, it had already killed several climbers, and nobody had ever made it to the top. Four young climbers - two German, two Austrian - decided they were going to be the ones to crack the Eiger’s north face. They were talented. They were experienced.  And one decision in particular would make this one of the most witnessed - and most heartbreaking - disasters in mountaineering history. This is the story of the 1936 Eiger disaster. Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2464505/fan_mail/new] Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2464505/support]

Mount Logan 1987: The Ridge That's Only Been Climbed Once

In May 1987, two of the world's best climbers - Dave Cheesmond and Catherine Freer - attempted the Hummingbird Ridge on Mount Logan, Canada's highest mountain. Between them, they'd climbed Everest, K2, and El Capitan. They were the best of the best. The Hummingbird Ridge had only been climbed once since 1965 and it was a brutal 30-day siege that other climbers didn't believe was possible. Dave and Catherine went up fast and light. Just the two of them. Then they vanished. For thirteen years, nobody knew what happened. Then in April 2000, a helicopter spotted something frozen into the ridge. What they found didn't solve the mystery, but it confirmed just how deadly that route really is. This is the story of Mount Logan, the Hummingbird Ridge, and the climbers who never came down. Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2464505/fan_mail/new] Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2464505/support]

The Most Bizarre Olympic Disaster Ever: The 1904 Marathon

The 1904 St. Louis Olympic Marathon might be the most disastrous sporting event in history. Thirty-two men started. Only fourteen finished. The winner was given rat poison and brandy to keep him moving. Barefoot runners were chased off-course by dogs. And race organizers intentionally restricted water because they believed dehydration helped performance! This is the true story of the 1904 Olympic Marathon. A race so chaotic it nearly killed the Olympic marathon forever. Join the Patreon to see the inside scoop, behind-the-scenes chaos, senior dogs and puppy craziness, and more! Supporting the channel really helps me keep these stories coming! https://www.patreon.com/c/adventuresgonewrong47/membership Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2464505/fan_mail/new] Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2464505/support]

Annapurna: Why Does the Deadliest Mountain Now Have a Waiting Line?

Annapurna was the first 8,000-meter peak ever climbed, three years before Everest. It should have been a triumph. Instead, the climbers who made history lost every finger and toe getting back down. 75 years later, Annapurna is still taking lives. But now it's not just elite alpinists on the mountain, it's commercial clients, guided expeditions, and climbers who've never been above 8,000 meters. This is the story of the world's deadliest mountain, the people who keep climbing it, and what it costs the Sherpas who make those climbs possible. Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2464505/fan_mail/new] Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2464505/support]