With the 2026 Everest season now officially in the books, Sam and Adrian are back for their fourth and final installment of Everest coverage, with Adrian calling in from Denver where the season's biggest stories have been the talk of the festival floor. Before diving into Everest, Sam and Adrian each share a news story from the week. Adrian touches on the trending trademark lawsuit between outdoor apparel giant Patagonia and Pattie Gonia, the drag persona of environmental activist and outdoor influencer Wyn Wiley, unpacking the nuance on both sides and why two brands with nearly identical values find themselves here. Sam flags two recent search and rescue incidents in the South Lake Tahoe area, which leads to a spirited debate on satellite communicators vs. iPhone satellite messaging — both landing on the same conclusion: redundancy wins. From there, Sam and Adrian cover the following from the 2026 Everest season: - Bartek Ziemski: Story of the Season: No contest for Adrian. The Polish ski mountaineer — a software engineer with no social media — skied Lhotse without oxygen, rested briefly, then summited and skied Everest without oxygen as well, keeping his skis on from top to bottom. Adrian reflects on what it takes physically and mentally to turn around for a second no-oxygen 8,000-meter peak in a single season, and what Bartek's ascents mean for the next generation of Himalayan ski mountaineering. - The Season by the Numbers: A record number of climbers, a record single-day summit of 274 people, roughly five fatalities — and what may be the best no-oxygen season on record with four successful ascents including Bartek, Kristen Harila, and Nirmal Purja. Garrett Madison notched his 16th summit, Kenton Cool his 21st, and Kami Rita Sherpa extended his record to 32. - Aviation: The Season's Most Complicated Story: Drones moving thousands of kilograms of equipment over the Khumbu Icefall represent real progress toward reducing worker trips through the mountain's most dangerous section. But widespread abuse of the helicopter rescue system — with climbers faking medical emergencies to skip the descent — is a growing problem, and Adrian argues the current regulatory framework is failing. - Three Climbers Stranded Above the Icefall: As of recording, two Americans and a Sherpa remain at Camp 2 after the icefall was decommissioned, waiting on a helicopter that weather has so far prevented from reaching them. Adrian weighs in on the decision-making that put them there — and what it says about following the rules of the mountain you're on. - The FKT Question — Karl Egloff and Tyler Andrews: Karl turned around below Camp 4, staying true to his no-oxygen-only philosophy. Tyler eventually summited with oxygen in just under 10 hours. Adrian congratulates Tyler on seeing the full mountain but is direct: oxygen FKTs and no-oxygen FKTs are not the same record, and keeping that distinction clear matters for the athletes still chasing the real one. One more episode is coming. Send your Everest questions via DM, YouTube comments, or the website — Sam and Adrian are planning a bonus listener Q&A before moving on to K2 season. Follow our podcast on Instagram @duffelshufflepodcast where you can learn more about us and our guests. Visit our website at www.duffelshufflepodcast.com and join our mailing list. The Duffel Shuffle Podcast is supported by Alpenglow Expeditions, an internationally renowned mountain guide service based in Lake Tahoe, California. Visit www.alpenglowexpeditions.com or follow @alpenglowexpeditions on Instagram to learn more.
