Several weeks ago, alpinists Kyle Dempster and Scott Adamson disappeared into a storm while attempting one of the great mountaineering challenges of our time, the North Face of Ogre II in the Pakistani Karakorum. The climbing community came together to raise nearly $200,000 for a search and rescue mission, but by the time the storm cleared, they were gone.

In the days after the search was called off, The Dirtbag Diaries, an award-winning climbing podcast, released Mothers Have It Hardest, an interview with Kyle and his mom, Terry. The Dirtbag Diaries first aired the piece as part of an episode two years ago, but it has been reworked as its own feature.

Kyle and Terry address a profound topic: the difficulties of loving and being loved by an adventurer. There exists a terrible conflict between supporting a loved one in the relentless pursuit of their dreams and the knowledge that those dreams may take them from us. The two remind us that we are more than just climbers; we are sons, daughters, friends, and lovers. We have a duty to consider how our decisions affect those who care about us, and to address the painful reality that someday we might not come home.

This interview is a heartfelt look at the relationship between an adventurer and a mother who worries that each hug might be the last. The knowledge of Kyle’s eventual fate makes it both powerful and heartbreaking.

Kyle Dempster and Scott Adamson relentlessly pursued their dreams, and they lost their lives while changing the limit of what’s possible. They leave behind family, friends, and a community, all of whom wished so desperately for their safe return. We are deeply and sincerely sorry for their loss.

Want more climbing content? Get our awesome climbing newsletter, delivered weekly.

 

Explore more