Jonathan Siegrist, one of the world’s best sport climbers, returns to the show to share the news of his recent send of Rifle’s hardest route. We catch up on the latest in the climbing world in a casual conversation that traverses freely and honestly across the climbing landscape. But first, your friendly neighborhood podcast hosts explore what climbing may — or may never — mean for our kids, and how we think about raising the next generation in an era of social-media-fueled pressure to be “rad” ...
Sep 01, 2022•1 hr 15 min
Our guest today is Seb Bouin, one of the best rock climbers on Earth and the author of DNA, one of three 5.15d rock climbs established thus far. We talk to Seb about grades, how he measures success, the benefits of climbing outdoors vs. training indoors, and where the future of rock climbing is heading next. But first, we take a somber look at a recent accident on Half Dome, in which a young woman fell 80 feet and badly injured herself. In the aftermath of this terrible accident, calls are sound...
Aug 19, 2022•1 hr 11 min
To start, we grimly remark on the latest round up of avalanches, landslides, and glacier collapses and what that means for mountain travel in the future. Our main guest today is Cody Townsend, a self-proclaimed “rock climbing gumby” but a true all-mountain badass, free skier, ski mountaineer, and extreme-sports ambassador. Cody offers a wonderful outsider-looking-in perspective on our self-serious sport. He also dishes up the latest from Ski the Fifty, a multi-year effort to ski all 50 of the cl...
Jul 29, 2022•1 hr 17 min
Connor Herson returns to the show, a few years older, a few inches taller, and more than a few impressive ticks under his belt. One of his latest ascents is “Empath” on gear—potentially one of the harder gear leads ever recorded. Carlo Traversi first climbed Empath and proposed 5.15a. After quickly sending the route as a sport climb, Connor had the idea of trying it on gear. In this episode he shares his experience with that process, his thoughts about the difficulty of the route, and his vision...
Jul 20, 2022•1 hr 9 min
Hard, scary trad climbing is all fun and games until someone breaks their back. That’s what happened to Molly Mitchell on Crank It, a 5.13+ sport climb in Boulder Canyon that Molly was attempting to headpoint on gear. Nevertheless, Molly sought redemption and returned to the climb years later and ultimately sent it on gear. But what she discovered about her self, and her health, ended up being the real prize of this inspiring journey. But first, the hosts take a closer look at how one of the big...
Jun 28, 2022•1 hr 19 min
We begin with a conversation with Ben Hanna, the newest member of the prestigious USA Climbing National Team. At 23 years young, Ben is a longtime crusher from Santa Fe who we’ve watched go from being a young grommet at Rifle to throwing down at World Cups with the world’s best. Ben talks to us about what the current comp scene is like, a short-lived controversy with the IFSC, and how living in a training house with some of the best climbers in the world upped his game. Next, we speak with Wali ...
Jun 16, 2022•1 hr 30 min
Carlo Traversi is having one of the best climbing years of his life. He's sending V-insane, 5.15b sport, and 5.14c trad — all while managing a successful business that immeasurably improves the lives of climbers in his own community. He's got a healthy perspective on the sport, everyone respects him, and he's also super smart and has interesting opinions on everything. Yeah, we hate him too! Just kidding! Carlo is the man! We recorded this conversation earlier this year just after Carlo ticked M...
May 18, 2022•1 hr 4 min
What’s better: cragging it up in a full-on scene filled with gumbies and noobs, spray bros and crusher queens? Or going off to some obscure choss pile in the middle of nowhere and enjoying the quiet solitude of nature all by yourself? We debate the pros and cons of scenes vs solitude and come to the conclusion that, no matter which one you choose, either way the only person laughing at your jokes is still just you. Next, Freddie Wilkinson and Renan Ozturk join us to talk about their new film The...
May 10, 2022•1 hr 27 min
Will a new film from Reel Rock encourage climbers to engage in risky behavior and not use their rubbers on the rock? We discuss Barefoot Charles and his conspicuously well-coifed mane of hair. Next we speak to Lauren DeLauney Miller, a writer and climber who has released a wonderful new book of first person essays from the significant women, both well known and perhaps lesser known, who have made contributions to Yosemite climbing history. Finally, we share the guitar-picking music of climber an...
Apr 27, 2022•1 hr 8 min
After not watching the Oscars because who cares, we talk about the thing everyone was talking about and recall some of the more famous slaps that have been seen at crags around the world and throughout history and lore. Our main guest is Matt Segal, professional climber for The North Face, coffee entrepreneur, and publisher of the newly released Brine Magazine—a printed zine that looks at the intersection of food, adventure, and people, featuring gorgeous Drew Smith photography, and words writte...
Apr 08, 2022•1 hr 5 min
A new climbing management plan in Joshua Tree National Park redefines bolts as installations. We pore through this ominous plan to try to figure what the hell is going on in J-tree, and what this may mean for climbing in Wilderness locations around the country. Then, we sit down with Dr. Jared Vagy, AKA The Climbing Doctor, a physical therapist based in Los Angeles who specializes in treating climbing injuries. Our conversation runs the gamut of everything from finger tweaks to back pain, and ul...
Mar 14, 2022•1 hr 32 min
Ned Feehally is one of the few climbers ever to have flashed V14 (8B+). He is also one of the founders of Beastmaker, a U.K. climbing company that ushered in an era of fine wood hangboards that you just don’t mind grabbing cause they’re just so cushy. His new book is ”Beastmaking: A fingers-first approach to becoming a better climber,” and is a comprehensive look at training techniques that anyone can use. We discuss training philosophy with Ned, the rise of guru-dom in the training world and th...
Mar 03, 2022•1 hr 16 min
Friend of the pod and crusher of granite Jordan Cannon returns to the show with an update from his life on the road. We dive into a range of topics across the climbing spectrum, while trying not to be old-shamed by our young friend. But first, tragedy strikes in Patagonia as the climbing world loses one of its best: Corrado “Korra” Pesce, who died while descending Cerro Torre on January 28th. His partner Tommy Aguilo experienced serious injuries and attempted to descend alone, and was ultimately...
Feb 15, 2022•1 hr 28 min
Are you listening to The RunOut or TMZ? It may be hard to tell as we catch up on the latest celebrity gossip: weddings, babies, and who we are wearing this season. Next, we are joined by Dorian Evers, a climber and couples therapist from Boulder, to talk about some of the typical red flags and relationship disfunction that she sees across the climbing world, beginning with how relationships are portrayed in films. Finally, we’re stoked to share a folksy bluegrass band from California, One Grass ...
Jan 18, 2022•1 hr 8 min
Alex Lowe was considered one of the best climbers in the world in the 1990s. His feats in the mountains were as legendary as his infectious stoke for getting out and loving life on the edge every minute of every day. In October 1999, he and the cameraman David Bridges were killed in an avalanche on Shishipangma in Tibet. Their third partner, Conrad Anker, however, was miraculously spared the same fate and ended up surviving the avalanche. Alex left behind a wife, Jenni, and three young boys: Max...
Dec 27, 2021•51 min
RunOut #73: Real Crack with Tom Randall Today we’re joined by British crack-climbing legend Tom Randall to discuss his latest first ascent with his partner in crime Pete Whittaker. The duo, fondly known as the Wide Boyz, recently completed a 2,500-foot dead-horizontal roof crack on the underside of overpass in their native England. The 70-pitch crack, with difficulties consistently between 5.12d and 5.13b took the lads four days, and this journey will be subject of an upcoming Reel Rock film fes...
Dec 09, 2021•1 hr 3 min
Lor Sabourin is one of the country’s top trad climbers, with ascents as hard as 5.14a on gear. They are a coach, a guide, and the subject of a new film called, “They / Them: One Climber’s Story.” We spoke to Lor about the film, and also got the low-down on the incredible route that we see Lor climb in the film. For today’s final bit, we’re serving you a tasty musical treat pulled from the catalog of Chris Kalous’ days as a member of the band Sector 7G. This song, which climbing-podcast aficionad...
Nov 22, 2021•42 min
Birthday challenge accepted: Chris Kalous manages to commemorate his big 50th birthday with a big day of climbing: 50 pitches at Indian Creek. After the soreness and cramps relent, we catch up and decompress about a day that was personally meaningful and resonated widely. Next, we catch up with Drew Hulsey, a climber and social work from Tennessee who is using his Instagram account to do big things and show the climbing world that this is a sport for everyone. We learn the amazing story of how D...
Nov 11, 2021•1 hr 2 min
What was the first 5.15b in the US? With Matty Hong’s recent second ascent of Flex Luthor, which upgraded to 5.15b, we consider how this news shapes Tommy Caldwell’s legacy and what this means for our understanding of sport climbing. Nerd alert! Grade geekery ahead. … For our main bit, we speak with the esteemed Len Necefer about the restoration of Bear’s Ears by the Biden administration, as well as the potential danger of land acknowledgements. Len is a pHd. and assistant professor at the Unive...
Oct 21, 2021•1 hr 40 min
Chris Sharma makes his RunOut podcast debut to catch us up on what’s going on his busy life as a gym owner who just opened the biggest climbing gym in Barcelona, a TV show host, a father, and of course, sport climbing’s GOATiest GOAT. We dive into life, happiness, meeting Aquaman at Hueco, finding balance, the state of the sport, and future aspirations. And for our Final Bit, Lee Sheftel, local hero and friend, tickles the ivories and shares the secret of eternal youth. Show Notes Sharma Climbin...
Oct 01, 2021
RunOut #68: Chasing the Alpinist Marc André Leclerc was one of the most reticent and enigmatic figures in climbing—a guy who few knew much about other than what what we learned from the second-hand reports emanating out of the alpine and describing his latest solo. Even the perpetually nonplussed Alex Honnold shuddered in fear and awe upon hearing some of what Leclerc had managed to climb. On today’s podcast, we are joined by the director and filmmaker Peter Mortimer, whose new film is The Alpin...
Sep 09, 2021•1 hr 18 min
John Long needs no introduction—he’s climbing’s most prolific writer, Stonemaster, and a genre unto himself. He joins us to talk about his excellent new book, Icarus Syndrome, a collection of 19 essays that, in different ways, explore our strange compulsion to risk it all. After this deep literary dive, you might find yourself thinking, “You know what would be perfect right about now? A nice cup of tea.” The RunOut has got you covered! Hazel Findlay joins us from across the pond and gently guide...
Sep 01, 2021•48 min
Who owns the rock? The answer is, obvi, no one … And yet some climbers sure seem to act as if they think they do. We dive into a discursive etiquette discussion after some Ten Sleep climbers hog up a rock climb all day long. Then, Jackie Hueftle, a legend in route setting and part of the team at Kilter, joins us to talk about the art of route setting. If you think route setting is just a matter of screwing holds onto a piece of wood, you’ll be surprised to learn how much talent and physical fitn...
Aug 03, 2021•1 hr 12 min
Ah, the Olympics: the time when GOATs will be made just as GOATs will be beaten. Do we really need to keep referring to the Greatest Athletes of All Time as a bunch of smelly, stubborn animals? Perhaps that’s fodder for a different discussion, as today, we stand in awe of the 40 climbers who’ve earned their spot in the Olympics alongside our knowledgable guest, John Burgman. John is the JOCK—the Journalist of Climbing Knowledge—at least when it comes to all things competition related. John gives...
Jul 23, 2021•1 hr 14 min
We’re back with a hot take: Everest is OVER. The past season suffered from a COVID outbreak and a cynical authoritarian crackdown that even left some of Everest’s biggest cheerleaders with their pompoms down and deflated. Our main bit features the guy behind the Climberisms account on Instagram: Dylan Taylor, a routesettering at Touchstone Climbing in Los Angeles. Dylan’s puts the truth to what pro climbers might be thinking with his raw impersonations that he dubs over actual videos. From Danie...
Jul 09, 2021•57 min
Alex Johnson opens up about sieging her 10+ year project: The Swarm (V13/14) in Bishop. Plus, Chris and Andrew revisit Yosemite regulations. For today’s final bit, ever wonder what the world’s best alpinists talk about after getting done with a 30-hour push and drinking a beer? Jesse Huey and Quentin Roberts got you covered.Become a RunOut Rope Gun! Support our podcast and increase your RunOut runtime. Bonus episodes, AMA, and more will be available to our Rope Guns. Thank you for your support! ...
Jun 15, 2021•1 hr 15 min
Climbers wake up to the new reality of regulations in Yosemite, and crags across the country. Plus, we talk to John Branch of Dawn Wall fame. Become a RunOut Rope Gun! Support our podcast and increase your RunOut runtime. Bonus episodes, AMA, and more will be available to our Rope Guns. Thank you for your support! http://patreon.com/runoutpodcastContact us Send ideas, voicemail, feedback and more. [email protected] // [email protected]
May 22, 2021•1 hr 29 min
Become a RunOut Rope Gun! Support our podcast and increase your RunOut runtime. Bonus episodes, AMA, and more will be available to our Rope Guns. Thank you for your support! http://patreon.com/runoutpodcastContact us Send ideas, voicemail, feedback and more. [email protected] // [email protected]
May 03, 2021•40 min
Become a RunOut Rope Gun! Support our podcast and increase your RunOut runtime. Bonus episodes, AMA, and more will be available to our Rope Guns. Thank you for your support! http://patreon.com/runoutpodcastContact us Send ideas, voicemail, feedback and more. [email protected] // [email protected]
Apr 16, 2021•1 hr 16 min
Become a RunOut Rope Gun! Support our podcast and increase your RunOut runtime. Bonus episodes, AMA, and more will be available to our Rope Guns. Thank you for your support! http://patreon.com/runoutpodcastContact us Send ideas, voicemail, feedback and more. [email protected] // [email protected]
Apr 06, 2021•1 hr 2 min
