The thin air on a high summit is the single thing most likely to turn a great day into a dangerous one — and fitness won't save you from it. This Field Skills episode is the survival companion to the Great Basin trilogy, built for anyone eyeing Wheeler Peak or any climb above 10,000 feet.

Host Shawn Spainhour, a former Army officer, breaks down what altitude actually does to your body and why a marathon runner can fall apart while someone in cargo shorts cruises past. You'll learn the simple physics of why the air isn't thin — the push is — why acclimatization is genetic and can't be trained, and how to recognize and respond to AMS, HACE, and HAPE before they become emergencies. Then the rules that get you home: climb high and sleep low, hydrate ahead of thirst, skip the alcohol, set a turnaround time in the parking lot, beat summit fever,  ...