Cassidy Randall is a journalist and author whose work explores the intersections of adventure, history, and the natural world. Her new book, Thirty Below: The Harrowing and Heroic Story of the First All-Women’s Ascent of Denali, tells the gripping true story of six women who, in 1970, became the first all-female team to summit North America’s tallest mountain. It’s a meticulously researched, beautifully written account that brings long-overlooked voices to the forefront of mountaineering history.
As someone with a deep personal interest in Denali, I was especially excited to read this book and speak with Cassidy. In our conversation, we talk not only about the origins of Thirty Below and the individual women at the heart of the story, but also about Cassidy’s career as a journalist— how she got started, the path she’s carved through the world of longform storytelling, and how she approaches writing with such clarity, depth, and purpose. She also shares insights into her research process, the challenge of shaping complex narratives, and the broader importance of telling stories that have too often been overlooked or dismissed.
Whether or not you’ve ever set foot on a glacier, Thirty Below offers a deep dive into universal themes— resilience, purpose, and the human desire to explore. It’s a story about ambition and endurance, but also about complexity, contradiction, and the ways women have long carved space for themselves in places that often excluded them. Cassidy brings these histories to life with nuance and empathy, honoring the individuality of each woman while raising timeless questions about legacy, belonging, and what drives us to push beyond our limits.
Thanks to Cassidy for writing the book and for taking the time to chat. I hope you enjoy.
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Photos courtesy of Cassidy Randall
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RESOURCES:
Topics Discussed:
- 2:06 – Intro, how did Cassidy get into Denali?
- 8:28 – Getting to know Grace
- 13:08 – Landscape of women in climbing
- 18:16 – Margaret and her journey with multiple sclerosis
- 22:39 – Why do people climb mountains?
- 25:38 – Grace at 88, any discontent?
- 28:08 – Ed on his experience climbing Denali
- 31:02 – The process of climbing
- 37:39 – Adventure for the sake of adventure
- 42:23 – Writing advice on structure
- 45:41 – Source change
- 47:07 – Book writing compared with magazine work
- 50:36 – Early creativity threads
- 53:28 – Shifts in the writing industry
- 55:24 – What is journalism’s role anymore?
- 1:00:17 – It’s alive! (The content we’re consuming.)
- 1:01:19 – Denali or McKinley?
- 1:04:37 – Writer recs
- 1:08:03 – Pro tips on being a writer
- 1:10:17 – Wrapping it up
Information Referenced:
- Cassidy Randall
- Cassidy’s Substack: The Wilder Path
- Thirty Below: The Harrowing and Heroic Story of the First All-Women’s Ascent of Denali
- Two books that do Denali justice, according to Ed. Club Denali by Jon Krakauer (from Eiger Dreams) and then Cassidy’s book above.
- The 50th anniversary celebration of the first all-women climb up Denali from the NPS that Cassidy’s agent sent her asking, “Is this a story?”
- Grace Hoeman, one of the protagonists of Thirty Below
- The Denali Damsels
- The Wilcox expedition, the deadliest Denali expedition with winds up top estimated at 300 mph. (Not a typo, Cassidy says.)
- Wild by Cheryl Strayed
- Classic outdoor adventure books: The Wager and Into Thin Air
- Letter to Outside by writers wanting off the masthead.
- Jessica Yellin’s News Not Noise, journalist on Substack and Instagram that Cassidy loves.
- Writer recs: John Branch at the New York Times, Kevin Fedarko and the Emerald Mile, Caroline Van Hemert and The Sun Is A Compass, Tom Robbins, Kevin Barry and The Heart in Winter, Maggie Shipstead
- John Branch on M&P
Enjoy this episode? Then you might like these too:
- Hampton Sides Returns: The Wild and Tragic Tale of Captain James Cook
- Kami Bakken – How to Build a Life and Career in the West’s Wide-Open Spaces
- Sandy Colhoun – Building Leaders Through Outdoor Education
- Mike DeHoff – Exploring the Colorado River’s Reemerging Rapids
- Pete McBride Returns – Exploring & Documenting His Backyard River
- Scott Hulet: Reading + Writing + Surfing + Fishing + Traveling
- Jenna Pollard – Timber Framing, Organic Farming, Community, and Purpose
- John Vaillant – A Riveting Exploration of Fire
Visit the podcast page for a full, searchable list of episodes
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