Delivering Adventure

Chris Kaipio & Jordy Shepherd

This is the podcast for people who want to share adventure like a pro – with their friends, family, or as a profession. Each episode explores a different aspect of adventure delivery with top experts to get their best stories, insights, and trade secrets. Learn what it takes to deliver epic experiences to yourself and others, from the mountains to the office, and beyond. Go farther, become better and achieve more. Chris Kaipio and Jordy Shepherd explore the essential skills and techniques that adventure industry experts use to delivery personal growth. Listen as adventure guides, managers, and promoters share their best advice on leadership, managing risk, coaching, and how to achieve experiences worth remembering. Topics include risk assessment, decision making, leadership, emergency response, crisis management, trip planning, memory building, marketing, capturing experiences, teaching new skills, improving performance, overcoming challenge, resiliency, communicating risk, and experience delivery. Whether you are leading people up the corporate ladder or to the tops of the world’s highest peaks, Delivering Adventure can help you to take yourself and others farther.Visit www.deliveringadventure.com to learn more.

  1. Imagining the Worst-Case Scenario with Chris Kaipio& Jordy Shepherd

    2 DAYS AGO

    Imagining the Worst-Case Scenario with Chris Kaipio& Jordy Shepherd

    Why is it so important to imagine the worst-case scenario? What happens when we don’t? In this episode of Delivering Adventure, Chris and Jordy share a few examples from their adventure industry careers to illustrate the importance of considering the worst-case scenario. They also talk about some of the factors that can compromise our ability to foresee what can happen if things don’t go to plan and how we can avoid falling into these traps. Chris Kaipio has been working in the adventure guiding industry as a guide, instructor, trainer, manager and content developer since 1991. Jordy Shepard is an internationally certified ACMG / IFMGA Mountain Guide, guide trainer, an avalanche educator, rescue specialist, and a former park warden. Key Takeaways How we can imagine the wort-case scenario: Consider What can Reasonably Happen: This involves asking ourselves what all the possible negative outcomes could be and identifying if we are prepared if they come to pass. Be detail oriented: The difference between a professional and an amateur is being detail oriented. Considering all the details before hand gives us an opportunity to identify and plan for all the likely outcomes that may happen. Think ahead: This can require us to step away from complex situations so that we can fully consider the situation and what lies ahead. Ask if we are Missing Anything: Is there information that we might be missing? This is something that we should always be asking ourselves. This helps to avoid developing tunnel vision. Do your research: This can involve talking to others and looking at case-studies. Training and Simulations: This can give us firsthand experience with what can happen. Communicate the Risks Thoroughly: This creates an opportunity for everyone to understand what hazards they can expect to encounter. Guest Bios Chris Kaipio is the produce and co-host of Delivering Adventure. He has worked in the adventure industry as an instructor, guide, trainer and manager since 2001. Chris is currently developing the Managing Risk on Snow eLearning Certification for the Professional Ski Instructors of Canada. When complete, this will be a robust four level online risk management and decision-making certification for guides and Instructors. Chris has written the book Power to Influence: How to get the best out of ourselves and others. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides. This is where he met Jordy Shepherd. Jordy Shepherd is the co-host of Delivering Adventure. Jordy is an internationally certified ACMG / IFMGA Mountain Guide, guide trainer, an avalanche educator, rescue specialist, and a former park warden. His work experience includes Canadian Avalanche Association Course Leader for Avalanche Search and Rescue Advanced Skills, Provincial Park Ranger, National Park Warden, Wildlife Conflict Specialist, Wildland and Structural Firefighter, Mountain and Industrial Rescue Specialist, Heli-skiing Operations Manager and Lead Guide, and Licensed Real Estate Agent. In addition to all of his work in the adventure guiding industry, Jordy runs a successful real estate company in Canmore Alberta where he currently lives with is family. Follow or Subscribe Don’t forget to follow the show! Share & Social Links https://linktr.ee/deliveringadventure

    1h 4m
  2. Decision Making in High-Risk Situations with Colin Zacharius

    28 JAN

    Decision Making in High-Risk Situations with Colin Zacharius

    Why is it so hard to make good decisions in higher risk situations? High risk situations are ones where a mistake, a miscalculation or a mishap can lead to serious or unmanageable consequences. These situations are the ones where uncertainty and the threat of experiencing serious consequences can apply pressure that can cloud our judgment. In this episode Chris and Jordy are joined by Colin Zacharius to explore how we can make better decisions in high-risk situations. Colin is well renowned ACMG /IFMGA Mountain Guide who has worked in the adventure industry since 1980. Colin has worked as a guide, guide trainer, avalanche educator, accident investigator, risk management specialist and speaker. He has worked extensively in the cat skiing and Heli-skiing industry in Canada and the US. He has trained and examined guides across multiple disciplines for the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides where he previously served as the technical director. Colin harnesses his extensive experience working in the adventure industry to help us to understand why it so hard to make good decisions in high-risk situations and how we can avoid some of the mistakes that he has seen throughout his career. Key Takeaways How to make better decisions in high-risk situations: Imagine: What the worst-case scenario could look like. Practice Good Habits: This includes taking the time to be well prepared, being situationally aware so that you know what is happening or likely to happen and being aware of any human factors that may negatively influence your judgment. Examine Decisions Afterwards: Either by getting peer feedback, debriefing with your team or by using self-assessment. The intention should be to examine decisions that are made regardless of the outcome, with the intent of identifying things that went well and areas that could be improved. What you really want to identify are trends. Build in an Adequate Margin of Error: This gives you a buffer in case of a mistake, misstep, miscalculation or there is a surprise. Avoid Normalizing High Risk Situations: When we become too comfortable in high-risk situations, we become complacent to the danger. Guest Bio Colin Zacharius is well renowned ACMG /IFMGA Mountain Guide who has worked in the adventure industry since 1980. Colin has worked as a guide, guide trainer, avalanche educator, accident investigator, risk management specialist and speaker. He has worked extensively in the cat skiing and Heli-skiing industry in Canada and the US. He has trained and examined guides across multiple disciplines for the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides where he previously served as the technical director. Colin has contracted as an instructor, course leader, and recently as a curriculum developer for Canadian Avalanche Association (CAA) Industry Training Programs (Level 1-3). He has also provided consulting services for the American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education. His guiding work has included ski touring, trekking, and climbing adventures with individuals and small groups to domestic and exotic locations (New Zealand, Morocco, Costa Blanca Spain, the Alps, the Dolomites, the Canadian Arctic, Iceland, and the Antarctic Peninsula). Guest Links Contact Colin: colinzach@mac.com Follow or Subscribe Don’t forget to follow the show! Share & Social Links https://linktr.ee/deliveringadventure

    1h 7m
  3. Managing the Hazardous Attitudes with Geoff Powter

    13 JAN

    Managing the Hazardous Attitudes with Geoff Powter

    How can we manage hazardous attitudes in ourselves and others? The FAA in the US has identified five hazardous attitudes that are present in human caused airline crashes. These five attitudes are anti-authority, impulsivity, invulnerability, macho and resignation. These attitudes can negatively impact judgment in any risk-taking situation. In this episode Geoff Powter shares how we can manage these hazardous attitudes in ourselves and others. Geoff Powter is a retired psychologist, an experienced climber, writer, and adventurer from the Canadian Rockies. He served as editor of the Canadian Alpine Journal for 13 years and has won 9 National Magazine Awards. Geoff has authored several books, including Strange and Dangerous Dreams, which won the Jury Prize at the 2006 Banff Mountain Book Festival and was adapted into a radio series. His second most recent book, Inner Ranges, won the Climbing Literature Prize at the Banff Festival in 2019 and the National Outdoor Book Award in the USA. His most recent book Survival Is Not Assured: The Life of Climber Jim Donini, is the Winner of National Outdoor Book Award in the USA. This is the second episode of two where Geoff, Jordy and Chris explore the five hazardous attitudes that can impact decision making and risk taking. Key Takeaways How to manage hazardous attitudes in ourselves and others: Anti-authority: Is the “do not tell me what to do,” mindset. To manage this, recognize that rules, guidelines and best practices exist to help us and follow them! To manage it in others, explain the reason why rules exist, give people control when you can, and involve people in decision making as much as possible. Impulsivity: Is the “do it quickly,” mindset. To manage this, be methodical, follow all the steps, and slow things down when we feel the need to rush into things. Also, make others aware of the risk of rushing into things and encourage them to follow systems and processes without skipping steps. This reduces the chance of errors and missing information. It also ensures everyone knows what to do. Invulnerability: Is the “It won’t happen to me,” mindset To manage this, remind yourself that bad outcomes can happen to anyone. For others, try to personalize the fact that bad outcomes can happen to anyone by highlighting mishaps that have happened to people they may know. This can include sharing your own stories of misadventure involving negative outcomes. This can help to make things more real. Macho: This is the “I can do it,” mindset To manage this, look for signs of overconfidence. Celebrate humility and model an objective approach to decision making that involves accepting that some things may be beyond our capabilities and that’s normal. Resignation: This is the “what’s the use,” mindset. To manage this, believe that you have the power to change or influence the situation you are in. Involve everyone in decision making and ensure everyone is heard. Acting on concerns or suggestions can also demonstrate to others that they do have the power to change their situation. Guest Bio Geoff is a retired psychologist, an experienced climber, writer, and adventurer from the Canadian Rockies. He served as editor of the Canadian Alpine Journal for 13 years and has won 9 National Magazine Awards. Geoff has authored several books, including Strange and Dangerous Dreams, which won the Jury Prize at the 2006 Banff Mountain Book Festival and was adapted into a radio series. His second most recent book, Inner Ranges, won the Climbing Literature Prize at the Banff Festival in 2019 and the National Outdoor Book Award in the USA. His most recent book Survival Is Not Assured: The Life of Climber Jim Donini, is the Winner of National Outdoor Book Award in the USA. In 2012 Geoff was the recipient of the Summit

    1h 14m
  4. Recognizing Hazardous Attitudes with Geoff Powter

    23/12/2025

    Recognizing Hazardous Attitudes with Geoff Powter

    How can our attitude affect our decision-making? The Federal Aviation Agency in the US has identified five specific attitudes that are present in airline accidents when human error is the cause of the crash or mishap. They have labeled these attitudes, the five hazardous attitudes. These attitudes are anti-authority, invulnerability, impulsivity, macho, and resignation. Each of these attitudes can negatively impact our judgement on a sub-conscious level, meaning we may not be aware of their presence. In this episode of Delivering Adventure, Geoff Powter joins Chris and Jordy to discuss what the five hazardous attitudes are and how we can recognize them in ourselves and others. Geoff Powter is a retired psychologist, an experienced climber, writer, and adventurer from the Canadian Rockies. He served as editor of the Canadian Alpine Journal for 13 years and has won 9 National Magazine Awards. Geoff has authored several books, including Strange and Dangerous Dreams, which won the Jury Prize at the 2006 Banff Mountain Book Festival and was adapted into a radio series. His second most recent book, Inner Ranges, won the Climbing Literature Prize at the Banff Festival in 2019 and the National Outdoor Book Award in the USA. His most recent book Survival Is Not Assured: The Life of Climber Jim Donini, is the Winner of National Outdoor Book Award in the USA. In this episode, Geoff uses his deep knowledge of phycology and risk taking to help us to better understand the five hazardous attitudes. This is the first of two episodes focussing on how we can recognize and manage these specific human factors. This is another must listen to episode for anyone who wants to better understand decision making and risk taking. Key Takeaways Anti-authority Attitude: This is the “don’t tell me what to do,” mindset. Recognizing this in ourselves requires us to really question whether our decisions are being made because of our ego and the need to push back on being told what to do. Or is our judgment being influenced by reasoned self-confidence? Impulsivity Attitude: This is the “do it quickly,” mindset. We can spot this by looking to see if we are skipping steps that we either would normally do or know we should be doing. Also, asking ourselves if we do really need to rush and involving others in discussions can be very beneficial in spotting this in ourselves. Impulsivity is the one attitude that can cause us to move into situations faster which can push us into the hazard zone more quickly. Invulnerability Attitude: This is the “It won’t happen to me,” mindset. Invulnerability affects our ability to objectively assess the probability and consequence of taking risks. Spotting invulnerability requires us to be very aware of whether we really believe that a bad outcome can happen to us. Macho Attitude: This is the “I can do it,” mentality. The challenge with Macho is that it can cause us to become overconfident. As Geoff pointed out, there is also no macha attitude meaning that the macho attitude is more of a male dominated attitude. Resignation Attitude: This is the “what’s the use,” mentality. This is the attitude that can cause us to believe that there is nothing that we can do to prevent bad outcomes. This can leave us feeling resigned to fate. This can cause people to go along with what the group says, even if a person feels the group may be wrong. Resignation attitude can happen when we don’t care or we don’t trust our judgment. It can also happen when we feel helpless or we are not being heard. Guest Bio Geoff is a retired psychologist, an experienced climber, writer, and adventurer from the Canadian Rockies. He served as editor of the Canadian Alpine Journal for 13 years and has won 9 National Magazine Awards. Geoff has authored several books, including Strange

    1h 4m
  5. Longevity Delivering Adventure with Nadio Hachey

    02/12/2025

    Longevity Delivering Adventure with Nadio Hachey

    Longevity Delivering Adventure with Nadio Hachey What does it take to enjoy a long career as an adventure guide, instructor or manager? The reality is that there is quite a high rate of attrition in the adventure industry when it comes to guides and instructors. It can be costly to get certifications and experience in both time and money. It can be physically demanding. It can also be far from financially lucrative. For all of these reasons many people drop out early in their career. That said, there are many people who have enjoyed long careers. One of these people is Nadio Hachey. Nadio has enjoyed a career in the ski and bike instruction and guiding industry that spans over forty years. Nadio supervises and trains ski and bike instructors at a high level and teaches at that level himself. Nadio joins Jordy and Chris to discuss what it takes to make delivering adventure into a sustainable career. He shares his insights on everything from decision making on the mountain to making smart choices with your finances. Nadio Hachey is a longtime manager in the Whistler Blackcomb Snow and Bike School. He is a PSIC level 4 certified ski instructor and a Level 4 PSIC LPT Trainer. He is also a certified level 2 PMBIA mountain bike instructor. This is an engaging and candid discussion about some topics that often go unspoken about. Key Takeaways Master Your Trade: If you want to have a long career on a professional, or even amateur level, you need to master the necessary hard skills. This includes things like navigation, skiing, snowboarding, biking or whatever it is - you have to be good at what you are actually doing. This keeps you safer and quite frankly, the people you may want to lead, expect you to be good at what you are leading. Decision making: It doesn’t matter how good you are at the hard skills of your activity. If you can’t make good decisions leading yourself and others, you won’t enjoy a long career. It’s that simple. People expect adventure guides, instructors and coaches to be able to make good decisions.  Motivated to Help People: It doesn’t matter if you are in Search and Rescue, heli-skiing, surfing, biking, hiking, ski and snowboard instructing or a guide trainer. If you want to have a long career, you have to want to help people. Just wanting to do your sport or activity is not going to be enough for you. The people you are going to be dealing with are also going to figure out very quickly if you are there for them or yourself. Financial Needs: To sustain a long career in the adventure industry you need to be able to make enough and save enough to survive over the long term. This may mean picking up extra jobs, learning to cook so you can spend less going out, and being smarter with your money. Guest Bio Nadio Hachey has enjoyed a career in the ski and bike instruction and guiding industry that spans over forty years. Nadio supervises and trains ski and bike instructors at a high level and teaches at that level himself. This makes him a great person to share with us the secrets of what it takes to have a long career in the adventure industry. Nadio Hachey is a longtime manager in the Whistler Blackcomb Snow and Bike School. He is a PSIC level 4 certified ski instructor and a Level 4 PSIC LPT Trainer. He is also a certified level 2 PMBIA mountain bike instructor. Follow or Subscribe Don’t forget to follow the show! Share & Social Links https://linktr.ee/deliveringadventure

    1h 1m
  6. Smart Risk Taking with Barry Blanchard

    18/11/2025

    Smart Risk Taking with Barry Blanchard

    Smart Risk Taking with Barry Blanchard How can you know when to actually take a risk on a personal or professional level? What would a good risk, or a smart risk look like before and after? In this episode Chris and Jordy are joined by world renowned Alpinist, ACMG / IFMGA Mountain Guide, speaker, author and friend of the show, Barry Blanchard to discuss what a Smart Risk looks like. Barry Blanchard taps into his long career of risk taking and guiding to share the essential elements of what good risks look like, and what we should be wary of. Barry is a recent recipient of the Order of Canada and is an honoured member of the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides. He is respected for his ability to complete technical, high-risk ascents on a personal level and leading others as professional guide. Barry has worked on numerous movie projects as a stuntman including Cliffhanger and Vertical Limit. He is the star of his own documentary called Spindrift: The Barry Blanchard Story. He is also the author of The Calling: A Life Rocked by Mountains. Barry has another book coming out in 2026 called The Echo. Always engaging, thoughtful and honest, Barry shares some dark moments he has had in his career and many of the highlights. Along the way we define what makes a Smart Risk to take. Key Takeaways: Smart Risks: Are calculated, acceptable, necessary and prepared for. They are risks we can justify in the moment and after the fact because they are carefully considered, acceptable, needed to be taken and we were ready for the choice that we made. Calculated Risk: Calculated risks are ones that are well analyzed weighing the potential consequences against the potential for both positive and negative outcomes. The hazards are known and if you decide to take it, the benefits outweigh the potential costs. A calculated risk is a risk worth doing based on careful analysis. Acceptable Risk: Acceptable risks are the ones we can justify to ourselves and others. They should fall within everyone’s risk tolerance. They should also prioritize your safety ahead of safety or providing service someone else. Acceptable risks for professionals fall within industry best practices. Acceptable risks fall within personal, professional and legal responsibilities and limits. Necessary Risks: Necessary risks are the ones that need to be taken. They add value to the experience and contribute to towards achieving the objective. They are also the best option for what needs to get done. A risk might be acceptable to take, but also unnecessary. Prepared for: These are the risks we are ready for because we have prepared and built in an adequate margin of error. Worst case scenarios have been considered and planned for. Not Taking the Risk: This is also a risk. Smart Risks are the ones we did take for the right reasons. Guest Bio Barry Blanchard is an ACMG / IFMGA Mountain Guide, author, speaker, and sometimes movie stunt man. Barry has recently been the recipient of the Order of Canada and has just been recognized as an honoured member of the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides. Both of these awards have been given in recognition of his numerous complex and demanding ascents in the Rockies, the Alps and the Himalayas, some of which have not been repeated. For more than 40 years, Barry has been a guide, resource and mentor to countless mountain enthusiasts. Barry is one of North America’s top alpine climbers. He has spent his life pushing the standards of highly technical, high risk alpine climbing and ice climbing from the Himalayas to the Canadian Rockies. Barry is also renowned for his ability to guide complex, high risk alpine ascents. Some of the movies that Barry has been in or has worked on include...

    1h 3m
  7. Case Study: Keeping Control with Madeleine Martin-Preney

    30/10/2025

    Case Study: Keeping Control with Madeleine Martin-Preney

    When it comes to delivering adventure, the difference between control and chaos can be as little as one small mistake. A situation can seem to be under complete control one moment and the next it can be spiralling away. The worst-case scenario for leaders often starts with something small. It can be a trip, a fall, a moment of butter fingers, or some other unforeseeable fumble or mistake. In this episode, Madeleine Martin-Penney shares a situation where a small misstep from one of her guests put her and her group in a potentially tough bind. Madeleine walks us through what happened and how she reacted to keep control. Madeleine Martin‑Preney is a certified ACMG Ski Guide, Hiking Guide, and Apprentice Rock Guide based in Revelstoke, BC. Born and raised in Nelson, BC, she earned her full ski guide certification in 2018. An avid backcountry adventurer, she completed the first full ski traverse of the Selkirk Mountains (520 km, 43 000 m elevation) and participated in the Bugaboos‑to‑Rogers Pass expedition featured in the film Mind Over Mountain.  Guest Bio Madeleine Martin‑Preney is a certified ACMG Ski Guide, Hiking Guide, and Apprentice Rock Guide based in Revelstoke, BC. Born and raised in Nelson, BC, she earned her full ski guide certification in 2018. An avid backcountry adventurer, she completed the first full ski traverse of the Selkirk Mountains (520 km, 43 000 m elevation) and participated in the Bugaboos‑to‑Rogers Pass expedition featured in the film Mind Over Mountain.  Madeleine has served on the ACMG Board of Directors with Chris and I for the past nine years. She is also involved with Mountain Muscox. Mountain Muskox is a community-based organization that provides peer support circles for individuals who have experienced loss or trauma in the mountains.  Guest Links Madeleine’s Instagram: @madoalpine Geary’s Guiding: https://gearysguiding.com Mountain Muscox: https://www.mountainmuskox.com Follow or Subscribe Don’t forget to follow the show! Share & Social Links https://linktr.ee/deliveringadventure

    26 min
  8. Improving Decision Making in Others with Bruce Wilson

    08/10/2025

    Improving Decision Making in Others with Bruce Wilson

    How can we improve the decision making in others? When we are delivering adventure to others, it isn’t just the leader that needs to have good judgment. In every activity, there is a degree of decision-making skills that participants are going to need to be able to have, and if they don’t, the odds of achieving a good outcome start to go down. There is of course another dimension to this in that many guides and instructors aren’t just leading guests, friends or family. They may also be supervising or working with other guides or instructors. In this episode, we are joined by master guide, instructor, outdoor educator and friend of the show Bruce Wilson. Bruce returns to Delivering Adventure to explore how we can help others to improve their decision-making skills. When it comes to outdoor education and leadership training, Bruce is literally a Jack of all trades. Bruce is an ACMG Hiking Guide. He is a sea kayak guide and guide trainer for the Association of Sea Kayak Guides. He is an avalanche educator for Avalanche Canada. Bruce is a certified instructor in the Wim Hof Method, he has a master’s degree in leadership, and is a Vision Quest instructor, just to name a few of his many qualifications and certifications. He currently instructs the Outdoor Recreation Management Program at Capilano University in North Vancouver. He also provides coaching and guiding through his company Warrior Wolf Guide Services and Coaching. In this episode of Delivering Adventure, Bruce shares key strategies that leaders can use to help others to improves their decision making. Key takeaways How can we help others to make better decisions? Trust Them: Whether we like it or not, we have to trust the decision making and judgement of others. Micromanaging everything is not a sustainable option for anyone in a leadership position, and it can be argued that that isn’t even leadership! Create Opportunities: We need to give people the opportunity to make decisions. Decision-making is a skill. To develop skills, people need time on task to practice. Right Process: Teaching them the right process can help to set them up for success. Part of this requires us to model and then explain what a good decision-making process is. Go to Completion: It is important to let people bring their decisions to completion: this allows them to see and experience the consequences firsthand. This increases learning. Take it Seriously: Treat every moment as if it is real. This can eliminate the risk of developing bad habits. It also maximizes the learning. Guest Bio When it comes to outdoor education and leadership training, Bruce is literally a Jack of all trades. Bruce is an ACMG Hiking Guide. He is a sea kayak guide and guide trainer for the Association of Sea Kayak Guides. He is an avalanche educator for Avalanche Canada. Bruce is a certified instructor in the Wim Hof Method, he has a master’s degree in leadership, and is a Vision Quest instructor, just to name a few of his many qualifications and certifications. He currently instructs the Outdoor Recreation Management Program at Capilano University in North Vancouver. He also provides coaching and guiding through his company Warrior Wolf Guide Services and Coaching. Guest Links https://www.snowolf.ca Follow or Subscribe Don’t forget to follow the show! Share & Social Links https://linktr.ee/deliveringadventure

    56 min

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About

This is the podcast for people who want to share adventure like a pro – with their friends, family, or as a profession. Each episode explores a different aspect of adventure delivery with top experts to get their best stories, insights, and trade secrets. Learn what it takes to deliver epic experiences to yourself and others, from the mountains to the office, and beyond. Go farther, become better and achieve more. Chris Kaipio and Jordy Shepherd explore the essential skills and techniques that adventure industry experts use to delivery personal growth. Listen as adventure guides, managers, and promoters share their best advice on leadership, managing risk, coaching, and how to achieve experiences worth remembering. Topics include risk assessment, decision making, leadership, emergency response, crisis management, trip planning, memory building, marketing, capturing experiences, teaching new skills, improving performance, overcoming challenge, resiliency, communicating risk, and experience delivery. Whether you are leading people up the corporate ladder or to the tops of the world’s highest peaks, Delivering Adventure can help you to take yourself and others farther.Visit www.deliveringadventure.com to learn more.

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