Villars World Cup Finals + Season Wrap: Overall Champions, Sprint Drama & Farewell to Legends

Inside the PDG: 16 Hours of Suffering, Teamwork, and Alpine Chaos

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. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  Thanks to our sponsor CAMP [https://www.camp.it/d/us/us/corporate] Subscribe to our YouTube channel  [https://www.youtube.com/@SKIMOGOLD] Learn more about Travis Macy [https://www.instagram.com/travismacy/] and Cam Smith  [https://www.instagram.com/camfromcb/] Follow along with Skimo Gold [https://www.travismacy.com/skimogold] and the Travis Macy Show  [https://www.travismacy.com/] Skimo Gold is produced by Palm Tree Pod Co.  [https://www.palmtreepodco.com/]

Joe Dombrowski on WorldTour Cycling, Endurance Mindset & Training Across Disciplines

What can ski mountaineers learn from a WorldTour cyclist? In this episode of Skimo Gold, Travis Macy sits down with professional cyclist Joe Dombrowski for a wide-ranging conversation about endurance training, racing strategy, and the mindset required to perform at the highest level across demanding mountain sports. Joe shares insights from his years competing in Grand Tours and major international races, including how elite cyclists structure training, manage recovery, and prepare for long seasons of high-intensity competition. The conversation explores the overlap between cycling and ski mountaineering, from pacing and fueling to altitude adaptation and durability over multi-hour efforts. They also discuss how athletes transition between disciplines, what mountain athletes can learn from cycling culture, and why longevity in endurance sport often comes down to consistency, curiosity, and staying motivated over time. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  Thanks to our sponsor CAMP [https://www.camp.it/d/us/us/corporate] Subscribe to our YouTube channel  [https://www.youtube.com/@SKIMOGOLD] Learn more about Travis Macy [https://www.instagram.com/travismacy/] and Cam Smith  [https://www.instagram.com/camfromcb/] Follow along with Skimo Gold [https://www.travismacy.com/skimogold] and the Travis Macy Show  [https://www.travismacy.com/] Skimo Gold is produced by Palm Tree Pod Co.  [https://www.palmtreepodco.com/]

The Way Out: Risk, Loss, and What the Mountains Teach Us with Devon O’Neil

In this episode of Skimo Gold, Travis Macy sits down with journalist and author Devon O’Neil to explore the story behind his book The Way Out—a deeply reported account of a backcountry hut trip that ended in tragedy and reshaped an entire community. The conversation centers on a 2017 trip to a 10th Mountain Division hut in Colorado, where two skiers left for a quick run and never returned. What followed was a chaotic search effort, a powerful survival story, and years of unanswered questions that O’Neil would spend nearly a decade trying to understand.  But this episode goes far beyond the incident itself. Travis and Devon dig into the deeper themes that sit underneath the story: *  How risk shows up in seemingly “routine” backcountry decisions  *  What preparedness really means—and how often we overestimate it  *  The emotional weight carried by survivors, families, and communities  *  How mountain towns like Salida respond when something goes wrong  *  And the question that lingers for anyone who spends time in the mountains: is the adventure worth it? Devon also shares his writing process, the years it took to earn trust and tell this story, and how reporting the book ultimately changed his own relationship with risk, fatherhood, and the outdoors. This is a conversation about skiing, but also about perspective, consequence, and what we’re really chasing when we head into the mountains. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  Thanks to our sponsor CAMP [https://www.camp.it/d/us/us/corporate] Subscribe to our YouTube channel  [https://www.youtube.com/@SKIMOGOLD] Learn more about Travis Macy [https://www.instagram.com/travismacy/] and Cam Smith  [https://www.instagram.com/camfromcb/] Follow along with Skimo Gold [https://www.travismacy.com/skimogold] and the Travis Macy Show  [https://www.travismacy.com/] Skimo Gold is produced by Palm Tree Pod Co.  [https://www.palmtreepodco.com/]

Villars World Cup Finals + Season Wrap: Overall Champions, Sprint Drama & Farewell to Legends

The final World Cup of the season is in the books, and we’re breaking it all down from Villars. In this episode, Travis Macy and Catie Friend recap a stacked weekend of racing across the vertical, individual, sprint, and mixed relay, including a dramatic sprint finish, dominant performances from familiar names, and one of the most exciting relays of the year. They also zoom out to look at the bigger picture:  – Overall World Cup champions crowned  – Breakthrough seasons (Julia Murada, Margot Ravinel, Remi Bonnet)  – How the rankings shook out across every discipline And they take time to recognize a group of athletes stepping away from elite racing, including Arno Lietha, Johanna Hiemer, and others who’ve shaped the sport in a big way. Plus, a quick look ahead to what’s still to come this season, including the Patrouille des Glaciers and late-season racing. Big thanks to CAMP for supporting the show and the sport. Let’s go! - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  Thanks to our sponsor CAMP [https://www.camp.it/d/us/us/corporate] Subscribe to our YouTube channel  [https://www.youtube.com/@SKIMOGOLD] Learn more about Travis Macy [https://www.instagram.com/travismacy/] and Cam Smith  [https://www.instagram.com/camfromcb/] Follow along with Skimo Gold [https://www.travismacy.com/skimogold] and the Travis Macy Show  [https://www.travismacy.com/] Skimo Gold is produced by Palm Tree Pod Co.  [https://www.palmtreepodco.com/]

Youth Worlds, World Cup Chaos & Grand Traverse Grit with Catie Friend

It’s one of the busiest weeks of the season, and we’re breaking it all down. Catie Friend is back to unpack a packed stretch of racing across the global skimo circuit, from the Youth World Championships and World Cup action in Puy Saint Vincent, to the Tour du Rutor, North American Championships, and a wild Elk Mountains Grand Traverse that looked more like a run than a ski race. We get into standout performances from the next generation of athletes, including major results from Team USA and a powerful moment of sportsmanship that defines what this sport is all about. On the senior side, we cover dominant performances from the usual names, emerging contenders making noise, and how a chaotic, travel-heavy season is setting up a fascinating World Cup final. We also zoom out to look at the bigger picture, the rise of youth programs, shifting international competition, and what it all could mean heading into future Olympic cycles. Plus, a quick preview of what to watch for at the World Cup Finals in Villars. It’s race analysis, athlete stories, and a full snapshot of where skimo stands right now. Let’s go! - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  Thanks to our sponsor CAMP [https://www.camp.it/d/us/us/corporate] Subscribe to our YouTube channel  [https://www.youtube.com/@SKIMOGOLD] Learn more about Travis Macy [https://www.instagram.com/travismacy/] and Cam Smith  [https://www.instagram.com/camfromcb/] Follow along with Skimo Gold [https://www.travismacy.com/skimogold] and the Travis Macy Show  [https://www.travismacy.com/] Skimo Gold is produced by Palm Tree Pod Co.  [https://www.palmtreepodco.com/]