You’ve probably heard of the 10th Mountain Division, but did you know that climbing is just as or MORE important than skiing in shaping this division of expert mountaineering troops? In this episode, we sat down with Christian Beckwith, the creator of the 90 Pound Rucksack Podcast, and writer of a book by the same name, to talk about how climbers influenced the creation of the 10th Mountain Division, how climbing itself was critical to a battle in Italy that helped facilitate the end of the WWII, and the many gear developments that evolved from the 10th Mountain Division that shaped the climbing and mountaineering boom after the war. If you’re a history buff, you are going to especially love this episode. But even as someone who doesn’t have a particular connection to history, or especially military history, you can’t deny that tracing the impact of climbing on a world scale hits the spot for anyone who loves this sport.
Listen to more history of the 10th Mountain Division and their impact on climbing history on The Ninety Pound Rucksack podcast.