It’s Mountain Week on Cool Weird Awesome
This week we’re replaying some of our favorite episodes about some fascinating peaks.
Didier Delsalle Landed His Helicopter On Top Of Mount Everest
Today in 2005, test pilot Didier Delsalle took a helicopter where a helicopter had never gone before: the summit of Mount Everest.
The Dog That Climbed All Of New Hampshire’s 4,000 Foot Mountains
Today in 1788, New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify the Constitution. A dog there once climbed all 48 of the state’s 4,000 foot high mountains.
Why People Push Peanuts Up Pikes Peak With Their Noses
It's our 1000th episode! To celebrate, here's the story of a guy this month in 1929 who won a bet by proving he could push a peanut all the way up Pikes Peak with his nose.
A 10 Month Old Kitten Once Climbed The Matterhorn… Somehow
Today in 1950, the Coshocton, Ohio Tribune carried a news story with one heck of a headline: “Kitten Scales Matterhorn: Veteran Mountain Climbers Are Astonished”! Here's how the cat, later nicknamed Matt, got there.
A Rare Blood Condition Led To The “Blue People Of Kentucky”
A family in rural Kentucky with a rare blood disorder had blue complexions for decades - until a doctor found a way to treat it.
The Guy Who Climbed Mount Hood To Drop Off A Morning Paper For His Friends
Today in 1947, two men who had climbed Oregon's Mount Hood and stayed overnight woke up to find a surprise: a quart of milk and the morning newspaper. Who would climb a mountain just to leave those items?
The Race Up The World’s Longest Staircase
Adventurous type headed to Switzerland each year for a race like no other: a run up a world record staircase known as the Niesen Stairway Run.
The Keyboard Made From Plants
A Spanish tech startup called Bioo has built an installation in which plants serve as the keys of a kind of "green piano."
The Mountain That’s Higher Than The Highest Mountain
This is Geography Awareness Week, and on our fascinating planet Mount Everest is the tallest mountain - but it's not actually the highest point on earth. That's actually Mount Chimborazo, in Ecuador.