Buried Alive: Surviving a Himalayan Avalanche at 14,000 Feet | E203

The CRUX: True Survival Stories

Bleav + Kaycee McIntosh + Julie Henningsen

Society & Culture, Halloween, Wilderness, True Crime, Nature, National, Crime, Documentary

4.0 • 606 Ratings

🗓️ 22 December 2025

⏱️ 55 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

What started as a routine lightning storm during a mountaineering expedition in India's Garhwal Himalayas quickly escalated into something far more terrifying. Taylor Pajunen shares her harrowing account of the night that turned a NOLS leadership course into a desperate fight for survival that no amount of training could have prepared them for.

Transcript

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0:00.0	There's nothing quite like being out on the water in Bristol Bay, Alaska, salt on your skin,
0:05.7	wind in your face, and the hum of a boat cutting through the wild open water.
0:10.1	At Pride of Bristol Bay, that's where it all begins. They're a fisherman-owned company
0:15.1	harvesting wild sockeye salmon from the world's most sustainable fishery, flash freezing each filet at peak freshness,
0:22.6	and shipping it straight from their nets to your door.
0:25.6	Bring the true taste of Alaska home for the holidays.
0:28.6	Visit pride of bristol bay.com and use the code crux 10 for 10% off your order.
0:35.6	Pride of Bristol Bay, clean waters, wild proteins,
0:40.1	from their nets to your table.
0:46.8	Hello, survivalists.
0:52.4	This is the Crux True Survival Story podcast. I'm Casey McIntosh. And I'm Julie
0:57.6	Henningson. And we are medical professionals with a passion for wilderness survival. Join us as we
1:02.7	explore real-life survival stories and the critical moments that determine their outcomes. Buckle up.
1:08.6	Adventure awaits. Let's dive into this week's story. Welcome back to the
1:15.3	Crux True Survival Stories. I'm your host Julie Henningson. On the night of April 20th,
1:21.2	20, 23, a knolls mountaineering course was camped at 14,000 feet in the Garwall Himalayas when an avalanche came
1:30.0	crashing down on their tents, burying their camp in debris and snow. Today we are joined by one of the
1:37.2	survivors who will share the incredible story of that terrifying night and what it took to make it
1:43.5	through.
1:46.1	Welcome Taylor Pinin.
1:48.1	Yay, hi, good to be here.
1:51.6	Taylor, we're excited to chat with you today about this incident.
	...

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