Becoming Billy Haas

Here at The High Route Podcast we’ve come to the conclusion of season 2 here on the podcast. We’ll pick back up again with season three in late summer.

On this episode, we have the privilege of checking in with Billy Haas.

Haas is an IFMGA guide, professional avalanche educator, and ski mountaineer. If you are someone who skims the surface of the ski mountaineering scene, it’s easy to see how Haas may not have caught your attention. He barely posts on social media. Google his name, and what populates, mostly are his professional bios—yes, you can find him guiding in the Wasatch, Tetons, and Alaska Range, and other places that require focus and a love for type II fun. But you’ll have to dig a bit deeper to get the full picture of Haas and the breadth of his adventuring.

Now and then, Haas may author a trip report in the American Alpine Journal, or be part of a crew reporting on a significant descent on, no doubt, complex and steep terrain.

What you’ll hear about in this podcast is not a “there I was” reflection on this or that steep line. You will, however, learn about Haas’ path into guiding, how he once maybe skipped a few lacrosse practices to take an avalanche course on Mount Washington and found a lifelong mountain partnership with Adam Fabrikant.

Along the way, there was dishwashing, road trips, lots of aspirational clients, and a vision to be the best he could be practicing his mountain craft.

Lastly, we touch upon Haas’ story in Issue One of The High Route Journal…titled The Patient. Haas explores his two major heart surgeries— intermittent diversions on his path toward excellence, and climbing and skiing— in good style—Gasherbrum I and II.

Thanks for listening, and have a good day,

The High Route Team.

If you are new to The High Route, we are a reader and listener-supported enterprise focusing on human-powered turn making. Our mission is simple, but it takes real deal calorie burning to piece it all together.

We are also excited to announce Issue 1.0 of The High Route magazine is shipping. Fancy paper. Good reads. High-octane photos. And some fine mountain ranges. And turns. You can learn more about our subscription options here.

The theme music for The High Route Podcast comes from Storms in the Hill Country and the album The Self Transforming (Thank you, Jens Langsjoen). You can find a link to the album here—there are so many good songs on this album. And if you think you've spotted a UFO in the past or visited the 7th dimension, "Beautiful Alien" is a good tune to start with.