10th Mountain Division History with Christian Beckwith

Our guest this week is the creator of Ninety-Pound Rucksack, a podcast that examines the stories that made the 10th Mountain Division famous as well as those history has forgotten. Equal parts real-time research, intimate conversation and revelatory journalism, Ninety-Pound Rucksack explores not only the conventional wisdom about the 10th, but the transformative power of the mountains to forge a collective identity among the mountain troops—and to ignite a passion for the outdoors that reshaped American society in the process.

The story of the 10th is famous for good reason. Not only did its insertion into the war help end Germany’s occupation of Italy; post-war, its veterans founded and developed ski areas across America, started companies like NOLS and Nike and launched the fields of avalanche science and wilderness rescue.

The founder and board chair of The Teton Climbers’ Coalition, Christian Beckwith has spent more than thirty years immersed in the world of alpinism. In 1996, he became the youngest person to edit the world’s premier mountaineering journal, The American Alpine Journal. From there he went on to lead numerous projects: Alpinist Magazine, Alpinist Film Festival, Teton Boulder Project Outerlocal, the Town Pump bouldering series, SHIFT (a 501c3 non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of nature as a social determinant of health), and AlpinFilm. He has made expeditions to Kyrgyzstan, Alaska, Peru and Tibet, skied the Grand Teton half a dozen times, and established numerous first ascents and descents around the world. In 2023, he was inducted into the 10th Mountain Division’s Warrior Hall of Fame for services rendered to the Division which is what we'll be discussing in this conversation. He lives in Jackson, Wyoming, with his wife and daughter.

If the discussions in this episode interest you, go listen to Ninety Pound Rucksack wherever you get your podcasts!