Against The Odds

In the summer of 1972, Marilyn and Maurice Bailey decide to leave their quiet lives in suburban England behind, to sail across the world and start a new life in New Zealand. But when their 30-foot yacht is struck by a whale, they’re left stranded in a small rubber life raft in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, hundreds of miles from the nearest land.Listen to Against The Odds on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Experience all episodes ad-free and be the first to binge the newest season. Unlock exclusive early access by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial today by visiting http://wondery.com/links/against-the-odds/ now.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In December of 1846, a small group split off from the Donner Party in a desperate attempt to find help. The party, known as the Forlorn Hope, endured the bitter Sierra Nevada winter, trekking roughly 100 miles in 33 days. The route the party took remained unknown for decades. Until 2020, when ultra-runners Bob Crowley and Tim Twietmeyer completed a seven-year odyssey. Together they mapped and retraced the path they think was taken by Forlorn Hope. Today, Tim and Bob join host Mike Corey to share how they managed this incredible feat of endurance.Listen to Against The Odds on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Experience all episodes ad-free and be the first to binge the newest season. Unlock exclusive early access by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial today by visiting http://wondery.com/links/against-the-odds/ now.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In the winter of 1847, a series of rescue parties fought their way through record snowfall to try to reach the stranded Donner Party. But when they finally arrived at the snowbound camps, they were unprepared for the scenes of horror and cannibalism they would find.Listen to Against The Odds on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Experience all episodes ad-free and be the first to binge the newest season. Unlock exclusive early access by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial today by visiting http://wondery.com/links/against-the-odds/ now.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In November of 1846, an early snowstorm left the Donner Party’s 87 men, women and children trapped in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Freezing and running out of food, they decided to send out a team of men and women on a rescue mission. But soon, the rescuers would find themselves lost and starving, and forced to face the ultimate taboo of the wilderness: whether to eat their fallen comrades to survive.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In the 1840s, thousands of Americans journeyed west to California to pursue better lives. One group of settlers became infamous: the Donner Party. After taking an unproven shortcut, their wagon train fell dangerously behind schedule. If they couldn’t cross the Sierra Nevada Mountains before winter came, they risked getting trapped in the snow and starving. But as pressure mounted for the wagons to move faster, tensions among the settlers would explode into violence.Listen to Against The Odds on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen early and ad-free on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/shows/against-the-odds now.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Journalist Brian Murphy first discovered Leon Crane’s story buried in a press release about a fellow airman, who had died when their B-24 bomber crashed in Alaska in 1943. At the end of the release, he found mention of a “lone survivor,” who walked out of the frozen Yukon over the course of three months. Today, Brian Murphy joins host Mike Corey to talk about how he pieced together Crane’s epic journey for his book, 81 Days Below Zero: The Incredible Survival Story of a World War II Pilot in Alaska's Frozen Wilderness.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A man faces the challenges of pulling a heavy sledge through frozen Alaska, battling freezing temperatures and the constant danger of falling through the ice. Despite various challenges and a wet sledge, he continues his journey in search of safety. Eventually, he encounters a cabin and returns to civilization where he meets a man named Bureil and shares his survival story.

Pilot Leon Crane has spent a week stranded in the Alaska backcountry after his plane crashed, and is in desperate need of food. He’s now considered “missing in action” by the army, with no rescue coming. His only option is to keep walking along a frozen river. But a stroke of luck buoys his spirits and gives him just enough fuel to keep searching for signs of civilization.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It’s December 1943 and First Lieutenant Leon Crane and his crewmates board the Iceberg Inez, a B-24 bomber, for a test run. But when the plane runs into trouble and crashes, Crane finds himself alone in a remote stretch of Alaskan backcountry, far from the army base, Ladd Airfield. With no gear or supplies to protect himself from the harsh winter conditions, he must rely on his own ingenuity in his quest to find help. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today, Yossi Ghinsberg joins host Cassie De Pecol to discuss how he survived for three weeks alone in the Bolivian Amazon. Yossi reflects on the lessons he learned from the experience, and shares the story of his return to the Amazon a decade later. His book Jungle: A Harrowing True Story of Survival in the Amazon was the basis for the film Jungle, starring Daniel Radcliffe.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.