EPISODE · Aug 29, 2026 · 18 MIN
Trail Stories - Top of the World with Chris "Rad" Carter
from Hiker Trash Radio · host Bleav + Doc
About the Guest Chris "Rad" Carter is a Triple Crown thru-hiker (PCT, CDT + AT in a single calendar year), mountaineer, adventure filmmaker, and senior editor at Switchback Travel, where he runs the climbing, mountaineering, travel, and backpacking categories. Born in the United States and raised in Nairobi, Kenya by NGO parents, he came to America for college in 2014 and fell deeply in love with the country through his thru-hikes. In June 2025 he summited Denali — the highest peak in North America — as cameraman for Brandon's "Seek Your Summit" 50-highpoints record attempt. He is based in Chattanooga, Tennessee, recently married, and currently training for The Shield on El Capitan. His PCT documentary is called To Measure a Mile. Episode Highlights The Bleach Gang From Kenya to the Triple Crown Denali — The Mountain in Context The Poop System The Diving Board The Autobahn Post-Trail Depression and What the Trails Are For Links & Resources Chris Carter — Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chris.cart.er Switchback Travel: https://www.switchbacktravel.com To Measure a Mile — YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@chriscarter Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage — Alfred Lansing. Rad's current read — an unbelievable expedition story. Kon-Tiki — Thor Heyerdahl. Read on Denali. A must for adventure lovers. Pacific Crest Trail Association (PCTA): https://www.pcta.org Continental Divide Trail Coalition (CDTC): https://www.continentaldividetrail.org Connect with Hiker Trash Radio Email: mailto:[email protected] Social: Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok — search Hiker Trash Radio. The full interview with Rad drops Wednesday in two parts. Leave a review on Apple Podcasts — it takes 60 seconds and makes a real difference. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Embed this episode
What this episode covers
The last time Chris "Rad" Carter was on Hiker Trash Radio, he had just completed the Triple Crown, with the CDT and AT in a single calendar year. Since then he got married, moved to Chattanooga, started running climbing and mountaineering coverage for Switchback Travel, and stood on top of Denali. This episode covers what it's like to go from horizontal miles to vertical feet on a 20,000-foot glaciated peak in Alaska, the Denali poop management system and its specific failure modes in minus-20 conditions, the Diving Board shot he carried as a mental image since childhood in Kenya and waited through three attempts and 20 seconds of clear sky to finally get, and the section called the Autobahn where he found himself looking down at the crevasse where a team of Latvians had died weeks before and feeling, properly, the weight of the mountain beneath him. It also covers something rarer: an honest reckoning, three years after the Triple Crown, with what serial thru-hiking cost him, what he thinks trails are actually for, and why he believes the depression that hits so many thru-hikers after they come off trail might be partly about not giving back. The full interview with Rad drops Wednesday in two parts on the Hiker Trash Radio feed.
NOW PLAYING
Trail Stories - Top of the World with Chris "Rad" Carter
No transcript for this episode yet
Similar Episodes
No similar episodes found.
Similar Podcasts
No similar podcasts found.