My name is Dave Alie, I’m the climbing editor at Blister, and I’m here to let you know that we are launching a new weekly podcast called “All Things Climbing.”
Many of us were drawn to climbing because of the sport itself, only to find the community surrounding the sport to be at least as interesting, weird, and fun as the actual climbing. So we’ll be keeping you up to date on the most interesting news, issues, and events coming out of the climbing world, from rock to ice to indoor climbing, on everything from boulders to big walls.
from its early days on the counter-cultural fringe, climbing has absolutely exploded, and is currently undergoing profound and sweeping changes. This is a fascinating evolution that demands a closer look.
We’ll also be talking to designers and manufacturers about the gear we depend on, and we’ll hear from the climbers and organizations that give the community its flavor.
What’s the biggest environmental impact we have as climbers? We talk with award-winning author, J.B. MacKinnon, about the three main environmental impacts from the outdoor industry, how those manifest in climbing, and the path to a more sustainable future.
Merlin Rock Gear makes the best cams you’ve never heard of — they aren’t sold in stores or online, and they don’t even have a website. Engineer Erick Davidson designs and builds extra-large format cams at home, trimming weight and introducing clever design elements to raise the bar significantly for large cams. We talk about his design improvements and how he convinced himself that they were safe to use in the real world.
Are we moving toward a future where The Nose (or other well-traveled walls) are headed for a permit system? Dave and Luke debate this hypothetical with the help of American Alpine Club CEO Phil Powers, Maury Birdwell, and Alex Honnold.
What’s it like to climb The Nose? Is it really as “easy” as people say? And what level of experience is required to have a reasonable chance of topping out? Our host of All Things Climbing and his wife Katie report on their recent trip up the world’s most iconic rock climb.
Justin Brown is the founder of Rhino Skin Solutions. He’s also a board member of the Smith Rock Group, and a 5.14 climber. We talk about starting Rhino Skin, why climbers need to be leaders in land management, and why belaying just might be the sport of the future.
Matt Pincus is the head coach/trainer at TrainingBeta, and he has a strong resume both as a coach and a climber. We talk to Matt about balancing his climbing goals with full-time work; the most important lessons he’s learned as a coach and trainer; and some of the key things most of us get wrong when it comes to progressing.
Alex Honnold is arguably the best and certainly the boldest climber in a generation, with a mind-bending free solo ascent of El Cap, and an unbelievable speed record on The Nose in under two hours. In this episode, we sat down with Alex and Maury Birdwell to talk about what may be an even more impressive accomplishment: the Honnold Foundation. (And, of course, we sneak in some talk about climbing, too.)
Climbing is growing — really fast. At some crags around the country, that means that our impact has also been growing, which has forced the critical question of how best to manage the increased traffic on public lands. So today we’re talking about best practices, controversial approaches, and how climbing culture could be affected if oversight from outside of the climbing community becomes the new norm.
Nik Berry is pushing the boundaries of his sport in a direction that many climbers aren’t even looking: his skill and composure on hard and scary trad routes fuel an obsession with freeing big aid lines and seeking out adventurous climbing. In this episode, we talk about his recent stellar season in Yosemite and how he balances a career with all that hard climbing.
John Sherman, one of the godfathers of modern bouldering, discusses the major ways in which the climbing scene has changed since his day; how and why he became a dedicated conservationist; making peace with the changing ethics and arrival of crowds; and much more.
We talk to Phil Powers, CEO of the American Alpine Club, about his own relationship to climbing (including summiting K2); the mission of the AAC and why it’s so important; the decision to give Alex Honnold the AAC’s Underhill Award; and much more.
In part 2 of our conversation with Will Anglin and Ben Spannuth of Tension Climbing, we talk about some of the finer points of shaping holds from wood, and what setting routes has to offer as a tool for learning difficult movement.
This week we’re talking with Will Anglin and Ben Spannuth of Tension Climbing. Both have impressive climbing ticklists and volumes of insight into how climbing works. We discuss their “mad scientist” approach to designing holds, and what years of coaching and studying have taught them about how to improve your climbing.
We talk to Jim Herrington about his new award-winning book, “The Climbers,” a compelling collection of portraits of many of the most influential climbers of the 20th century — including Fred Beckey, Yvon Chouinard, John Gill, and many more. We discuss the book, the subjects in the photos, and the book’s important role in the climbing community.
We talk with Dave O’Leske, the director of “Dirtbag: The Legend of Fred Beckey,” about documenting the life of one of the most influential and eccentric climbers of all time, and some of the stories that didn’t make the film.
When climbing outside, how safe are the bolts we encounter? Should we trust them? Who maintains and / or replaces them? Greg Barnes, the Director of the American Safe Climbing Association, answers all our questions about bolts and more.
In part 2 of our conversation with rock climber, Jonathan Siegrist, we discuss his time on the Dawn Wall with Tommy Caldwell, the role “adventure” plays in climbing, and how we can shape the future of the sport in a positive way.
In part one of our conversation with professional rock climber, Jonathan Siegrist, we discuss his entrance into climbing, his diverse lists of accomplishments on the rock, why he’s obsessed with climbing “old” routes, and the unique characteristics of the new generation of strong climbers.
From the Outdoor Retailer Winter trade show, we talk to Black Diamond about all the decisions and details that went into their brand new line of rock shoes, and we also talk with Scarpa about all the new tech and details for their new shoes.
We talk to Barbara Zangerl about her recent send of Magic Mushroom on El Cap with Jacopo Larcher, which is the first repeat of the route since it was first freed by Tommy Caldwell and Justen Sjong. We also discuss how climbing culture is different in Europe, and how she found herself free climbing grade VI big walls after initially being focused exclusively on bouldering.