FAN FAVORITE: Trapped on Mt. Hood | Search and Rescue | 3

Against The Odds

Wondery

Cassie De Pecol, History, Society & Culture, Dolby, Mike Corey, Dolby Atmos, Atmos

4.7 • 7.2K Ratings

🗓️ 26 August 2025

⏱️ 48 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Morning provides no relief for the Oregon Episcopal School climbers trapped without food or water high on Mount Hood. The storm that forced them to take shelter in a snow cave shows no signs of letting up. Two of the climbers embark on a perilous journey to find help, while elite rescuers battle the elements, and confront the terrifying possibility that they could wind up stranded on the mountain as well.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Wondery Plus subscribers can listen to Against the Odds early and ad-free right now.
0:05.6	Join Wondery Plus in the Wondery app or on Apple Podcasts.
0:09.6	Join Wondery Plus in Apple Podcasts or the Wondery app to listen to Against the Odds early and ad-free.
0:17.5	This episode of Against the Odds contains explicit language. Please be advised.
0:22.2	High school student Molly Shula struggles to walk on the ice-encrusted slope that stretches out in front of her.
0:39.9	The roaring wind blasts her eardrums and knocks her off balance.
0:44.9	Ahead of her, climbing consultant Ralph Summers is barely visible through the driving snow,
0:51.5	even though he's only a few feet away.
0:56.9	He turns in waves for her to follow him to the edge of a steep drop-off. Molly swallows her fear and trudges forward. She has to get down off
1:04.7	this mountain and save her friends. Just a few steps behind her is the snow cave that served as her shelter for the last 12
1:13.6	hours. Her fellow climbers are still huddled inside, nine classmates and two faculty members
1:20.7	from Oregon Episcopal School. Their group started an ascent of Mount Hood more than 24 hours ago. But just before they
1:29.6	reached the summit, they were hit by a vicious storm. Summers dug out the snow cave as an
1:35.6	emergency shelter, and they took refuge inside, hoping the storm would pass. But as the night wore on,
1:42.8	the storm didn't let up. By morning, it was clear.
1:47.5	If someone didn't leave to get help, they were all going to die. Molly volunteered to join
1:53.4	Summers and attempt the dangerous descent. As she inches closer to Summers, he pulls her
2:00.1	towards the edge of the steep precipice and points
2:03.3	down.
2:04.1	We need to get down there, Molly.
2:05.7	From what I can tell, this isn't a straight drop, just a very steep slope.
2:11.0	We're going to have to slide down until the terrain levels out.
	...

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