In this episode, we chat with journalist and writer Michael Wejchert. Wejchert is based in North Conway, New Hampshire, and has penned many stories over the years. He has also written a book called Hidden Mountains, which, to quote his site, is about “a climbing adventure gone wrong in a remote Alaskan mountain range, the impossible rescue attempt that followed, and the fraught cost of survival.” It is an excellent and immersive read.
A through line in Wejchert’s work is exploring “lines of responsibility.” In Issue 4 of The High Route journal, Wejchert wrote a story titled “After the Runout,” in which he writes about the 2026 Perry’s Point avalanche off Donner Pass. His angle isn’t so much dissecting the events that led up to the tragedy that killed three guides and six clients, but discussing how the guiding industry may be impacted moving forward.
Behind the scenes, we vacilated a bout taking on such a contentious topic. Once news of the avalanche and some of the details were released publicly, the forums were ripe with opinion and blame. Overwhelmingly, it seemed, the perspective was that the guides in question had made egregious and preventable choices. The bottom line was that people were killed—so, yes, bad decisions were made. But as we emerge into a post-Perry’s Peak context, Wejchert asked difficult questions to understand what’s in store for the guiding industry.
As we began working with Wejchert, one thing was clear: As a tempered and methodical writer, Wejchert was the ideal person to write about such a difficult topic. We are honored to have worked with him.
Below are some THR resources related to the Perry’s Peak Avalanche
We want to thank Patagonia, CalTopo, ATK, Folkrm Poles, and Cripple Creek Bike and Backcountry for supporting the podcast.
The theme music for The High Route Podcast comes from Bozeman-based band Jampoke. We are psyched to feature young creative folks. Jam and twirl and tour on.
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