Episodes
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Jonathan Siegrist has built up an impressive tick list over the years. I first remember hearing about Jonathan in 2009 when he went on a tear in the Red River Gorge and redpointed seven 5.14 routes, sent three 5.13d routes, onsighted three 5.13c routes, and climbed 11 more routes ranging from 13a to 13b - all in a two week trip. Not bad. That year Jonathan got a ton of attention from the climbing media and won a Golden Piton Award for Breakaway Success from Climbing Magazine. Since then Jonathan has continued to put up and repeat many of the hardest lines in the country, if not the world. I met up with Jonathan at his place in Las Vegas and we talked about growing up in Madison, WI and Boulder, CO, why Las Vegas is such a great climbing city, and what being a professional climber means to him. Enjoy the podcast.
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Chris Weidner is a writer and rock climber from Boulder, Colorado that spends part of the year in Las Vegas where he and his wife, Heather, have a condo. He writes a bi-weekly column about rock climbing for the Daily Camera (Boulder) and has written for Climbing and Rock & Ice. Currently, he is working on a new guidebook for Boulder Canyon. Chris is also a well respected rock climber that has put up many first ascents and repeated many hard lines. I met with Chris at his place in Las Vegas and we talked about his upbringing outside of Seattle, his experience as a school bus driver in Boulder, and about the majesty of Dream Canyon. Enjoy!
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Missing episodes?
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Closing out 2017 with an interview with Andy Raether. Before heading home for the holidays I had the pleasure of sitting down with Andy at his gym, Origin Climbing & Fitness, in Las Vegas. We talked about his upbringing in Minnesota, why he decided to make Las Vegas his home base, what it takes to open and run a climbing gym, the status of his climbing hold company, Menagerie, and why he enjoys training so much. It's hard to believe one person can do so much, but after meeting Andy it becomes clear that his high-energy and competitive personality allows him to accomplish many things that the average person only dreams of, like his recent first ascent of Manphibian (5.14d). Enjoy!
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Her name is Irene Yee but many know her by her Instagram username, @LadyLockOff. She is a photographer from Las Vegas, Nevada that has earned Instagram fame for her stunning photographs that capture the joy and beauty of climbing and outdoor adventure from a wide variety of perspectives. I briefly met Irene Yee a couple years ago, but I really got to know her last winter when I unexpectedly took a guiding job in Vegas and needed a place to stay. She opened her home to me and I stayed in her guest room. She was working crazy hours at her Cirque du Soleil job. I barely saw her. The few times I did see her she was always editing photos in her office. I was impressed with her dedication to the craft and personal grit. Irene and I sat down in the van to chat about what she's been up to since I last saw her, why she started photographing climbing, and what it was like growing up in New Paltz, NY. Enjoy!
(Header image by Irene Yee from our adventure on Group Therapy (5.7) last winter.) -
While back in Boston to do some landscaping for a buddy I had the opportunity to sit down with Obe Carrion at Metro Rock (Everett) where he currently resides as the head coach and operations manager. I was excited to speak with Obe about his upbringing in Pennsylvania and what it was like to come up during the bouldering explosion of the early 2000s and be featured in one of the most iconic bouldering films of all time, Rampage (1999), which followed Obe and Chris Sharma on an epic bouldering road trip across the West Coast. Enjoy!
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Ian King considers himself a lifestylist of the climbing sort. I got to know Ian through our mutual relationship with Misty Mountain Threadworks - we're both Misty ambassadors - and to this day I haven't met a climber who so thoroughly enjoys being part of climbing photo shoots. (Thank you for the countless days climbing old school routes for me, Ian.) Whenever I ask him if he has time be a climbing model he always says yes, and enthusiastically comes up with photogenic routes and colorful outfits he has in mind. Ian won the 24 Hours of Horseshoe Hell Trad (Male) division in 2016 and had a strong finish this year. If he's not swinging a hammer or resoling climbing shoes to pay the bills it's a good bet he's plugging trad gear at a classic crag in the Southeast or a big wall in Utah. Ian and I sat down in my Sprinter Van in the Boulder County Courthouse parking lot and talked over beers before we getting Tacos in town. Enjoy!
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During an impromptu trip to Ventura, California I had the pleasure of catching up with Justin Roth, a friend and former co-worker. He currently works for Patagonia in the marketing department. Before that he was at Petzl and before that he served in a number of roles at Climbing Magazine and Urban Climber Magazine. Until recently he also published The Stone Mind, a popular blog that frequently contemplated climbing and Buddhism and the relationship between the two. As I have got to know Justin I have found him to be creative, thoughtful, even-keeled, and he possesses a tremendous amount of grit.
We recorded the interview at Justin's place in Ventura, which was nice because I got to visit with his wife, Kristin, and his baby girl, Olivia. After dinner and cupcakes Justin offered me a glass of whiskey to enjoy during our talk. We sat down at the microphones setup in his climbing gym (garage with woody) and covered a number of topics, including his suburban upbringing in Ohio, going to college at NYU, and the rapid evolution of media.
Enjoy! -
Adventurer Buzz Burrell grew up in Kalamazoo, Michigan, but it wasn't long before he packed his bags and headed west to Colorado to be in the mountains. Over the next five and a half decades he set fastest known time (FKT) records on the Colorado Trail (486 miles) and the John Muir Trail (223 miles), started the first certified organic farm in the state of Colorado, and helped take Ultimate Direction from a floundering brand to a market leader in hydration systems. I met up with Buzz at the Ultimate Direction offices in Gunbarrel, Colorado and we had a nice chat about running, adventure projects, FKTs, gear innovations, the Signature Series, featuring running celebrities Anton Krupicka, Scott Jurek, and Peter Bakwin, and some of the challenges of growing older.
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If there's one thing you can't call Maura Kistler it's sedentary. She's always doing something to bring people - climbers, kayakers, outdoor enthusiasts - together to build community, all while running her gear shop, WaterStone Outdoors, and teaching. Her unbounded drive, self deprecating humor, and straight-at-it attitude has been an inspiration to me over the years and I always look forward to bumping into her, either in Fayetteville if I'm passing through town or at Outdoor Retailer. This spring I was in Fayetteville for a Misty Mountain retreat and caught up with Maura at the AAC Campground where she and her husband, Gene, had organized their annual trail work event. We drank coffee. Joked about our shortcomings. Reminisced about mutual friends. It was wonderful.
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As I've gotten to know Jeremy Quentin (plays under the moniker Small Houses) over the years he's become one of my favorite people. We don't see each other much, since he lives in Austin and I in Denver. But from time to time we cross paths in different cities across the country. Last week Jeremy had a show in Cambridge, MA while I was in town and I asked him to stop by my aunt and uncles for a quick chat. He obliged and even played a new song of his that he hasn't recorded yet. We had a great talk, and afterwards we enjoyed some Massaman curry that my uncle cooked up for us. Enjoy.
Small Houses website - http://www.smallhousessing.com
Small Houses Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Smallhousessing/?fref=ts
Small Houses Bandcamp - https://smallhouses.bandcamp.com/
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Jon Glassberg and Jordan Shipman are the co-founders of Louder Than 11. You've probably seen some of their online videos or maybe even caught one of their climbing competition live broadcasts. They've come a long way since their first videos, like Colorado Glow, and now they're leaders in the climbing media landscape. I took a drive over to their office in Boulder, Colorado and spoke with them about the evolution of live broadcast in the climbing industry, how Louder Than 11 came to be, and their vision for the future. Enjoy!
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Julie Ellison joined the staff of Climbing Magazine back in 2010 when the magazine was sailing through turbulent waters. Over the next six years she gained the respect of the industry and became a leading voice in climbing media. Recently, Julie was promoted to Editor-in-Chief. But the road to the top hasn't been easy for Julie. Since joining the staff at Climbing Magazine it has changed ownership, cycled through a number of editors, and undergone many redesigns. Yet, Julie remains upbeat, positive, and focused on improving the magazine. She has a strong vision of what Climbing Magazine should be and a strategy to get there.
I drove up to Boulder to chat with Julie at her office in Boulder, Colorado. We discussed Julie's new promotion, the status of climbing media, and the pros and cons of her and her boyfriend, Alton Richardson, moving out of their apartment and living out of their van. Enjoy the conversation.
Connect with Julie:
Website
Instagram
Twitter
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Timmy O'Neill's career in the outdoor industry had taken him in many direction. From his modest start as a cashier at the Old Faithful Gift Shop in Yellowstone, to breaking the-then speed record for climbing The Nose on "El Cap" in Yosemite, to founding Paradox Sports, a non-profit organization that helps disabled individuals participate in human-powered sports and enjoy the great outdoors. With all he has achieved, Timmy continues to expand his horizons physically, intellectually, and spiritually. Recently, he became an ophthalmic technician to work with the Himalayan Cataract Project. Come March, Timmy will be traveling to Ghana to assist with cataract surgeries and help cure preventable blindness. Seriously. He's like a superhero alpinist or as Timmy puts it, an adventure caregiver.
Kevin met up with Timmy in his hometown of Boulder, Colorado to rap over a couple mics about public transportation, growing up in a large Catholic family, rock climbing, kayaking, and doing good for others. Enjoy!
Connect with Timmy:
Website
Instagram -
Anton Krupicka came onto the ultra running scene when he took 1st place at the Leadville 100 Run in 2006. He was 22 years old. In 2007, he took 47 minutes off his time and won the heroic race, once again. That time still stands as the 3rd fastest on the course. Those highly celebrated wins helped Krupicka turn his passion of running in the natural world into a career. Currently, he is sponsored by La Sportiva, Buff, Petzl, Ultimate Direction, Zeal, and Stance.
Krupicka stopped by the basement in Denver, Colorado to talk about his upbringing in Nebreska, his back-to-back wins at the Leadville 100 Run, and how his pursuits in the outdoors have changed over the years. Enjoy!
Photo Credit: Matt Trappe (mensjournal.com)
Connect with Krupicka:
Website
Instagram
Strava -
Even though Whitney Boland was born in Florida, a state with absolutely no worthwhile climbing and went to school in Ohio, a state with very limited climbing, somehow she fell in love with the sport and made a career of it. She serves as a contributing editor for Rock & Ice. She climbs for Black Diamond, La Sportiva, and Sterling. A number of outdoor industry brands hire her for marketing copy work. And she does all this from her home base in New Paltz, NY. Not a bad gig.
Whitney recently gave a talk at Rock & Snow in celebration of the 80th anniversary of the Gunks. Seemed like a good time to sit down with her and hear what she's up to. Turns out she's up to a lot. Whitney and Kevin sat down in the open spaced kitchen in her quaint home the bumps up against Minnewaska State Park and talked about her upbringing in Florida and Kentucky, how she got into climbing after losing interest in gymnastics, why she loves East Coast climbing, and her upcoming trip to Spain.
Enjoy.
Photo Credit: blackdiamondequipment.com -
Paul Nelson is a lot of things. He holds a PhD in history. He's a Misty Mountain and Blue Ridge Outdoors sponsored climber. He authored a book called Wrecks of Human Ambition: A History of Utah's Canyon Country to 1936. He started playing guitar at the age of five and recently started playing bluegrass mandolin. To say he's a passionate individual would be a gross understatement.
Kevin sat down with Paul at the American Alpine Club Campground, which Paul manages, at The New River Gorge in Fayetteville, West Virginia. The conversation moves from Paul's Mormon upbringing in Northern Utah, his time in graduate school at Southern Methodist University in Texas, and why he decided to stick around the East Coast instead of returning to the West Coast.
Want to more? Check out Paul's blog riversandstone. -
Andres Marin won't tell you he's a badass climber, but don't let him fool you. He is. He has represented the United States in five Ice Climbing World Cups, which is a bit funny since he was born in Columbia and lived there for most of his youth. As an AMGA mountain guide he leads climbing expeditions all over the world. His mountain resume, which includes climbs in Alaska, Peru and the Alps, is quite extensive for such a young climber. Andres is a really nice dude that also has an enormous passion for music.
Andres was in town for the WMCC Rendezvous to represent Millet and give a talk about an adventure he lead with Timmy and Sean O'Neill. He had a little extra time to chat. We sat down in the library of a New England farmhouse and chatted for an hour. It was great to hear about his unique upbringing and his genuine excitement for climbing rock and ice.
Enjoy!
Special thanks to Wayne Burleson for hosting Andres and allowing us to use his house as a studio. Much respect! -
Kevin meets up with Molly Kitchen at her beautiful new home in Montague, Massachusetts to discuss yoga, herbalism and life choices. Molly talks about growing up in a typical midwestern family in Kalamazoo, Michigan, her transformative years at Humboldt State in California, working on an organic farm in Hawaii, and the Yoga + Herbs Convergence workshop she founded. In addition to teaching public classes, Molly teaches Ayurvedic herbal and lifestyle workshops, offers personalized private sessions to help students take their practice to the next level, and provides one-on-one guidance for individuals recovering from illness or trauma. At Hampshire College she teaches semester long yoga courses, and also collaborates with Baystate’s Family Advocacy Center to study yoga as therapy for trauma. Busy, busy, busy...
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When speaking to Josh Helke, owner and founder of Organic Climbing, it quickly became evident that his passion for quality products is equal to his immense passion for climbing and bouldering. He's not a flashy guy, nor one to toot his own horn (maybe it's his humble Midwesterner upbringing), but when he gets to talking it's almost as if he gains momentum like a long distance runner, speaking about each topic comprehensively and candidly. We talked about his upbringing in a small Minnesota town. We talk about how he got into the sport at a young age. We talked about the modest beginnings of his company Organic Climbing and why he believes it's been so successful. We talked about his parents and his climbing heroes. I found our conversation endlessly fascinating and could have continued talking for another hour or two. Maybe another time.
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It's hard to start an outdoor brand. Like really hard. I've always admired those that ignore the odds and go at it full steam. So I enjoyed having product designer and founder of MHM Jeff Popp stop by the basement studio to talk about growing up in Golden, CO, snowboarding for the University of Colorado and growing a business. Enjoy!
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