A fantastic story, and one the climbing community would do well to learn from. James Pearson joins us this week to tell us about how he tried to push trad climbing, and how severe a community kickback can be even over something as trivial as slightly inflated grading. We hear about what James learnt from the experience, and how he improved himself as a climber to be ready to be in more or less the exact same situation many years later... Glossary Headpoint - The art of practicing a climb on a to...
Dec 06, 2023•2 hr 16 min
Very exciting episode for your listening pleasure this week as Alex and Billy, two previous guests, return to talk us through their fantastic adventure in Yosemite. Not many people believed two retired comp climbers who've barely done a multi-pitch between them could wander over to Yosemite and free climb a thing that has still to this day only seen a handful of free ascents. Come hear all about it! If you're enjoying the podcast and would like to support us please check out our Patreon page! : ...
Nov 29, 2023•2 hr 31 min
Taylor joined us this week for a typically wide ranging conversation. We joke a bit about Taylor being 'tall not strong' but it's all in an ironic way, he's clearly a beast! Lots of stuff on the agenda, first ascenting, climbing in the south east, living in a school bus in a commune, all standard fare. Taylor is a super humble guy and it was great to get a chance to chat to him, hope you enjoy! If you're enjoying our podcast and would like to support us: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=70353823 S...
Nov 22, 2023•2 hr 12 min
We were thrilled to have Ollie Torr this week. The guy really knows his stuff when it comes to coaching climbing. As well as being a strong climber himself, the people he coaches have enjoyed massive success. We got him talking about all kinds of stuff, and some of it might just be useful! If you're enjoying this podcast and would like to support us: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=70353823 Support the show
Nov 15, 2023•2 hr 40 min
All in the title really, just Aidan and I catching up about how his Finland trip has been going mostly, but also trying to assess boulders by way of their objective qualities not our experiences on them or their difficulty. If you're enjoying the podcast and would like to support us, please do check out our Patreon page! : https://www.patreon.com/user?u=70353823 Support the show
Nov 08, 2023•1 hr 23 min
We were excited to have Hazel join us this week, she's the head coach at Strong Mind, the company that is working to redress the balance by exploring the psychological side of our sport. It's pretty easy to talk about the physical side of climbing, hangboard protocols and shoulder conditioning or whatever, but it was a lot of fun to dive into the murkier waters of the mental side with someone who really knows their stuff. If you think you might benefit from a tune up to your mental game (to be h...
Oct 31, 2023•2 hr 28 min
Just the home team this week! Chatting about Aidan returning to Finland, being ill (as in the covid not being cool), battery powered planes and teasing Aidan with more ridiculous moral conundrums. You know, the usual drivel. If you're enjoying our podcast and would like to support us, check us out over on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/user?u=70353823 Support the show
Oct 25, 2023•1 hr 30 min
Orrin dropped in to join us this week. We know Orrin pretty well, he's a strong climber based in Leicester, which is not exactly the hub of UK climbing, but Orrin has definitely made the most of it! He's climbed up to 8C on the boulders and he's competed for Great Britain at world cups so he's had a great deal of success in the sport. That said he's been really open and honest with this struggles when things aren't all going his way. He has the ability to really confront his flaws and talk openl...
Oct 18, 2023•1 hr 52 min
We were thrilled to have Isabelle join us for a chat this week. She is one of the best boulderers around and has been responsible for a large amount of boulder development. She has the hardest first ascent by a female to her name, and yet her accomplishments have often seemed to fly slightly under the radar, especially the ones that we thought would have been big news in the climbing world! We chat a little bit about why that might be and also a lot about boulder development, including how the g...
Oct 11, 2023•1 hr 51 min
66 the number of the beast, and the beast in this case is Alex Megos. One of the world's greatest rock climbers, it was a right treat to have him on one of the world's podcasts. A nice chilled out chat about a range of topics, you know who he is, and you know we don't have a format, just give it a listen! (Thank-you for listening) If you enjoy our podcast and would like to support us: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=70353823 Support the show...
Oct 04, 2023•1 hr 39 min
A classic ramble pod this week as we discuss a whole lot of absolute rubbish. Should you take your phone climbing? Should Aidan have a Nokia 3310 instead of an iPhone. If you could wear a pair of shoes that benefitted the rock but were rubbish would you wear them? You know, that kind of gubbins. If you're enjoying the podcast and would like to help us to keep it going, please do check out our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=70353823 Support the show...
Sep 27, 2023•1 hr 27 min
This week we were joined by South-West crusher Solly. Solly has done a bunch of hard FAs and repeats in recent years so we've been meaning to get him on for a while. We had a really fun chat talking about all sorts of things, Solly has had his fair share of mishaps and misadventures to go along with the big successes so there's something for everyone. *Warning, this episode is slightly more sweary than usual so be prepared* If you're enjoying the podcast and would like to help us to keep it goin...
Sep 20, 2023•2 hr 8 min
Billy is back! Our very first guest returns with an update on all that's been going on since last we spoke.. And it's quite a lot! Billy is a top bloke and a good mate of both of ours so it's always a fun chat when he's around. We chat about him taking a step back from the comp scene (he's not actually officially retired but that made for a snappier title), some successful rock trips and he's got some big and exciting goals to chase on his upcoming Yosemite trip. If you enjoy our podcast and wou...
Sep 13, 2023•2 hr 2 min
Ravioli, he reminds me of that kid in school who everyone wanted to be friends with because he would beat up the bullies. I reckon he's the de facto leader of the Moonboarding community. Insanely strong but equally friendly, supportive and encouraging of everybody else. We don't just talk about the Moonboard though as he's no stranger to hard rock climbs, and Aidan doesn't know all that much about the Moonboard so that prevented us from spending the whole conversation nerding out about individua...
Sep 06, 2023•2 hr 37 min
It's a peek into the near future this week as we discuss how artificial intelligence or 'AI' to us in the biz is going to change absolutely everything in climbing. As is traditional we don't know anything about AI so we had to get AI to tell us about itself. A bit like the plot of Ex Machina (one of my favourite films) but Chat GPT so far hasn't gone into a murderous rampage. If you're enjoying the podcast and would like to help us to keep it going : https://www.patreon.com/user?u=70353823 Suppo...
Aug 30, 2023•1 hr 47 min
Louis AKA Captain Cutloose joins us this week. As one of the busiest people in climbing it took a few months to find a time but once we did it was a real treat. Louis' media persona is the incredibly energetic and enthusiastic climbing coach that you may have seen on Instagram or Youtube, but somehow he actually is just like that in real life too. He's effortlessly entertaining and manages to sneak profound suggestions and useful tips under the rug almost without you noticing. Thanks for listeni...
Aug 23, 2023•2 hr 27 min
Ned joins us for a natter this week. One of the strongest climbers the UK has ever produced but he's tried his very best to keep a low profile. If he was a musician his music probably wouldn't be on spotify and only available via cassette. He's responsible for strengthening millions of meat hooks and his products quite likely sit above a doorframe in your house. His personal climbing has been put on the backburner a tad in recent years, as he's become a Dad and he's also supporting his wife Shau...
Aug 15, 2023•2 hr 6 min
You wouldn't know when listening to this episode, but Hamish is a very talented climber, but one who hasn't taken the obsessive path and has left his mind open to experience life outside of climbing as well. As two climbing obsessives, Aidan and I wanted to explore that a bit! They say you can tell a lot about someone from the company they keep, well in this case I think you can. Hamish is one of Aidan's closest friends, and it's not hard to see the similarities in the way they think. Hamish &am...
Aug 09, 2023•1 hr 48 min
Tom O'Hallaran on the pod this week and we had a great chat talking about the Olympic build up as well as the Australian climbing scene and lots of the bits and pieces that he gets up to. It's a long one and we had so much more to cover so hopefully we'll be able to persuade him to come back at some point! This podcast is solely supported by our fantastic community of patroons, if you enjoy the podcast then do consider checking out our Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/user?u=70353823 Support the...
Aug 02, 2023•2 hr 39 min
Jonny Kydd has recently climbed an 8C called The World is Yours at Biblins cave. It took him multiple seasons and over 110 sessions. Not the sort of siege many of us would be willing to take on but Jonny has demonstrated incredible mental resilience and tenacity and when listening to him speak it's infectious. He's also a Lattice coach with a sports science background so is able to provide some great takeaways for all listeners. I really hope you enjoy! If you are enjoying the podcast and would ...
Jul 26, 2023•2 hr 4 min
A real home team ramble this week. Goes all over the place, mostly pretty light hearted but we do touch on the RED-S issue in climbing and mention the IFSC medical resignations so be aware if that's a sensitive topic for you. The main topic of the day was trying to define what success and failure is to us when it comes to climbing, it turns out to be a hell of a lot more difficult than we were expecting! If you enjoy our podcast and would like to support us, please consider checking out our Patr...
Jul 19, 2023•1 hr 42 min
*I'm away at the minute so the intro was recorded without a microphone but don't worry the rest of it is fine* Storytime is a bit of a format change and will appear on the thread every now and then, the concept is just anyone with a really good story comes on and tells it to us more or less, not exactly genius but it's fun! This week it's a friend of mine coming to help me provide proof of concept, Elliot White has a couple of loosely Trad climbing based stories and we end up chatting about what...
Jul 12, 2023•1 hr 32 min
It was great to get an opportunity to chat to David this week. He has some great thoughts and perspectives about enjoying the ride as well as the destination. He's notorious for having some of the worlds strongest fingers and he gives us some of his pearls of wisdom, as is always the way it's more than just dangling off small edges.... well.. it is that, but there's nuance. Great guy, great chat. It was a chat that also made me value the climbing community, I was left thinking about how David mo...
Jul 05, 2023•2 hr 15 min
It was an absolute pleasure to chat to Keenan Takahashi, he has lots of really well thought out views about the pursuit of climbing as well as the climbing industry as a whole. Is climbing more than chasing numbers and ascents? What can the climbing scene learn from that of skateboarding? Why are highballs so alluring? How can a man cultivate such a powerful moustache? You can find the answer to some but not all of those questions within! If you enjoy our podcast and would like to support us, pl...
Jun 28, 2023•2 hr 18 min
We put a Partridge amongst the pigeons this week as Jon joins us for a wide ranging and introspective chat. We cover his comp climbing, his regrets, his ever changing relationship with the sport and also the ups, downs and hard truths that come with building a climbing wall. Jon is a well known and universally well liked character on the British scene and it was a pleasure to have him. If you enjoy our podcast and would like to support us, please consider checking out our Patreon! https://www.pa...
Jun 21, 2023•1 hr 54 min
Tiba Vroom joins us this week for a wide-ranging chat with a lot of ground covered. As well as Tiba's own climbing we chat about Wildflower, her non-profit climbing gym in the Netherlands, route-setting, the benefits of learning to climb on a spray wall, women in boulder development and we also run through Tiba's desert island boulders! If you enjoy the podcast and would like to support us: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=70353823 Support the show...
Jun 14, 2023•1 hr 57 min
Omar Bobat joins us for a general chat this week. Omar is the eponymous creator of the Bouldering Bobat YouTube series and co-owns a climbing wall but unlike many of our guests is not an obsessional climber and so brings a slightly different perspective which I hope you'll enjoy. We cover a lot of ground, definitely more of a pub chat with a fun and interesting guy. If you enjoy our podcast and would like to support us, please do check out our Patreon! : https://www.patreon.com/user?u=70353823 S...
Jun 07, 2023•1 hr 46 min
Beth has had one of the most dramatic careers in climbing. Competition and Rock success, being kidnapped in Kyrgyzstan as well as struggling with injuries and under fuelling. She is introspective and philosophical and she's learnt so much through climbing which I think will resonate with everybody. There's also a triumphant return for Desert Island Boulders which is now equipped with what I can only describe as a market leading jingle so listen out for that. We loved getting an opportunity to ch...
May 31, 2023•2 hr 16 min
It's a special episode this week, and by special I mean something has been taken away. Brace yourselves everyone, Aidan isn't here for this one.... Right, who's still here? Don't be too disheartened because we have a great episode with my own dear brother Ben and we've got a mixture of advice and funny stories about opening climbing walls. Not a lot of actual climbing chat but I think it's a good episode nevertheless, big thanks to Ben for being game to record it! Thanks very much for listening ...
May 24, 2023•2 hr 15 min
Great chat with Jake Mason, a brilliant routesetter, rock climber, hold producer, content creator and most importantly an all round good guy! If you enjoy our podcast and would like to support us please check out our Patreon page, we're completely ad free so this whole house of cards is held aloft by our fantastic community of Patroons! https://www.patreon.com/user?u=70353823 Support the show
May 16, 2023•2 hr 16 min
