In 1897, a Swedish engineer convinced a king, a Nobel Prize winner, and an entire nation to fund the most ambitious plan in exploration history, flying a hydrogen balloon to the North Pole. He had never tested the balloon in Arctic conditions. His steering system didn't work. He launched anyway.

What followed was 65 hours of chaos in the air, 87 days of brutal survival on the Arctic ice when they finally found land. But, after only four days on land, the three men were dead. Their frozen camp was discovered 33 years later and the mystery continued. They had full supplies, working weapons, and enough food to last for months.

This is the story of the Andrée expedition, the hubris, the crash, the march, and the 125 year old mystery nobody has been able to solve.

Join my NEWSLETTER: https://adventuredispatch.beehiiv.com/

Join the Patreon to see the inside scoop, behind-the-scenes chaos, senior dogs and puppy craziness, and more! Supporting the channel really helps me keep these stories coming! https://www.patreon.com/c/adventuresgonewrong47/membership

🔥 Grab some merch inspired by TRUE CHAOS: https://adventuresgonewrong.com/

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

The north face of the Eiger had a reputation so bad it got a nickname.
Mordwand. The Murder Wall.

By 1936, it had already killed several climbers, and nobody had ever made it to the top. Four young climbers - two German, two Austrian - decided they were going to be the ones to crack the Eiger’s north face. They were talented. They were experienced.

And one decision in particular would make this one of the most witnessed - and most heartbreaking - disasters in mountaineering history.

This is the story of the 1936 Eiger disaster.

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

In May 1987, two of the world's best climbers - Dave Cheesmond and Catherine Freer - attempted the Hummingbird Ridge on Mount Logan, Canada's highest mountain. Between them, they'd climbed Everest, K2, and El Capitan. They were the best of the best.

The Hummingbird Ridge had only been climbed once since 1965 and it was a brutal 30-day siege that other climbers didn't believe was possible. Dave and Catherine went up fast and light. Just the two of them.

Then they vanished.

For thirteen years, nobody knew what happened. Then in April 2000, a helicopter spotted something frozen into the ridge. What they found didn't solve the mystery, but it confirmed just how deadly that route really is.

This is the story of Mount Logan, the Hummingbird Ridge, and the climbers who never came down.

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show