Virtual Leadership Summit Session 4

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Beyond the Piton : Technology is Reshaping Risk in the Outdoors
TOM VOGL, CEO of The Mountaineers

In May 2025, three climbers died in a tragic accident in the Early Winters Couloir in the North Cascades near Washington Pass in Washington State. The simplistic cause of the accident was a catastrophic anchor failure, that occurred when the climbing party was rappelling down the couloir off a single piton. Like many accidents, secondary causes played a significant part in decisions that ultimately ended in the climbers’ decision to rappel off that piton. Did technology play at least some role in this accident? At least in some ways, yes.

Technology is changing the way we plan and experience outdoor activities - both in positive and problematic ways. In this session, Mountaineers CEO Tom Vogl, will share his personal experience and observations as a climber, backcountry skier and avalanche instructor. He has also been studying how the explosion of user-generated digital content and AI-driven search results is increasingly impacting risk management in the outdoors - sometimes in dangerous and deadly ways.
Come learn how you can incorporate these learnings into your own outdoor toolboxes, especially as you plan and lead courses and trips as an outdoor educator.

As Chief Executive Officer, Tom Vogl oversees all aspects of education, youth and conservation programs as well as the publishing division of The Mountaineers, a role he's held since 2026. Vogl currently serves on the board of directors of the Washington Wildlife and Recreation Coalition and motorsports company, Comoto, and in the past has served on the board of directors and as Treasurer of Outdoor Alliance, The REI Foundation and the Chief Seattle Council of Boy Scouts of America. Prior to joining The Mountaineers, Tom had more than 25 years of general management, e-commerce and marketing leadership with organizations such as REI, Dell, Redfin and The Clymb. In addition to being an avid backcountry skier, cyclist, and climber, Tom volunteers with The Mountaineers as an avalanche education and climbing instructor.