Against The Odds

In May 1986, a group of high school students and faculty embarked on a journey to the top of Mount Hood, Oregon's tallest mountain. The climb was part of an annual wilderness program, and was usually uneventful. But during this climb, a brutal and massive storm engulfed the mountain, stranding the climbers near the summit, and forcing them into a harrowing battle for survival. Listen early and ad free with Wondery+. Join Wondery+ for exclusives, binges, early access, and ad free listening...

With night falling, the student climbers and their adult chaperones must take refuge in a cramped, frigid, and hastily dug snow cave. Their leader, Father Tom Goman, begins to succumb to hypothermia. Meanwhile, search and rescue teams prepare to deploy. But as the storm that first trapped the climbers on Mount Hood rages on, the dire nature of their predicament becomes increasingly apparent. Listen early and ad free with Wondery+...

Morning provides no relief for the Oregon Episcopal School climbers trapped without food or water high on Mount Hood. The storm that forced them to take shelter in a snow cave shows no signs of letting up. Two of the climbers embark on a perilous journey to find help, while elite rescuers battle the elements, and confront the terrifying possibility that they could wind up stranded on the mountain as well. Listen early and ad free with Wondery+...

As the search for the missing climbers enters its second day, rescuers redouble their efforts to find the lost students and their adult guides. But the vastness of the search area presents major challenges. Rescue workers and parents face the awful reality that the missing climbers' chances for survival are dwindling rapidly. But then, a crucial discovery gives them hope, and profoundly alters the nature of the search. Listen early and ad free with Wondery+...

The Mount Hood tragedy remains the second deadliest mountaineering accident in North American history. Growing up in Oregon, Ric Conrad remembers following the developments on the six o’clock news when he was just a few years older than some of the teenage climbers. But it wasn’t until he had his own experience tackling Mount Hood that he decided to investigate more. Ric is the author of Code 1244: The 1986 Mount Hood Tragedy...

On this special episode, survival writer Peter Stark joins host Mike Corey for a wide-spanning conversation about adventure – why we’re drawn to it and how it can push us to the edge. They’ll discuss Stark’s Outside Magazine article Frozen Alive, about what it feels like to succumb to hypothermia, as well as how to deal with risk in the wilderness, and exploring the blank spots on the map. They’ll also swap stories about encounters with deadly mamba snakes in Africa...