Welcome to FOMO Sapiens, the podcast about entrepreneurial thinkers who don’t just follow the crowd but instead take their own path to success in business and in life. In this episode, we sit down with adventurer and author Michael Wejchert to discuss his riveting new book, “Hidden Mountains: Survival and Reckoning After a Climb Gone Wrong.”
Michael shares his harrowing experience of how FOMO drove a climbing expedition of amateur mountaineers to undertake a perilous ascent in a remote Alaskan mountain range, ultimately leading to tragedy. Throughout the conversation, we explore the dangerous intersection of FOMO and adventure sports, examining the psychology behind risk-taking and the impact it can have on decision-making in high-stakes situations. Michael provides invaluable insights into managing the urge to participate in extreme activities, balancing the thrill of adventure with the need for safety and self-preservation, and what happens when things get out of control.
Meet our guest:
I’m a writer and climber based in North Conway, New Hampshire, in the heart of the brittle ice and good granite of the White Mountain region. I’ve written for Alpinist, Ascent, Rock & Ice, Appalachia, and the New York Times, to name a few. In 2013, I won the Waterman Fund Essay Contest for a piece called Epigoni, Revisited, about a failed attempt to climb Mount Deborah in the Hayes Range of Alaska. These days, I write about adventure, the personalities it draws, and exploration in a changing landscape. I love turning research, interviews, and personal insight into a good adventure yarn. Though I’ve climbed in Alaska, Peru, Newfoundland, Argentina, and the Canadian Rockies, I relish days out at home as much as being tent-bound on a glacier somewhere. New Hampshire’s seasonal changes force you to be quick on your feet: ice climbing one day, rock climbing the next, trail running in between. I’m a jack-of-all trades, and certainly master of none. One thing remains true: I care less about the objective than the people I share it with. I live in an off-the-grid cabin with my fiancée, the mountain guide Alexa Siegel.
For media and speaking requests, and to suggest a guest for the show, please email letsconnect@patrickmcginnis.com.
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