Ep 35: You Asked, We Rambled 🎙️
Last week we released our first episode fully dedicated to answering your listener questions and ya’ll did not disappoint with the topics!
You had us covering everything from go to crag snacks to paragliding off of routes, with our personal favorite question (slide 5) coming from @deca_setter
But now it’s time to hear YOUR responses!
Scroll through to see some of the questions we covered in the episode and drop your answers below
#rockclimbinglife #climbing_worldwide #climbingcommunity #rockclimber #bouldering
Ep 34: The Rock Warrior 🤺
Arno Ilgner first picked up a rack of pitons in the limestone bluffs of Tennessee over 50 years ago and hasn’t looked back since!
Most known for his influential mental training book, The @rockwarriorsway , Arno’s climbing career has been one filled with bold first ascents across the country, including major contributions in Fremont Canyon and the intimidating headwalls of Whitesides in North Carolina
@listentogroundup Episode 34 on your favorite podcast platform to hear more from a lifetime of climbing adventures and find out how he turned a realization that he felt more comfortable on runout 5.12 trad than safely bolted 5.13s into a mental training program that’s helped climbers all around the world
#tradisrad #mentaltraining #climbingtraining #climbinginspiration #climbon
Would you rather climb runout 5.12 trad or bolted 5.13s?
Ep 33: Big Wall Chronicles 🌄
From summiting 4,500 ft peaks in Baffin Island’s frozen tundra to tackling the monumental mesas of Guyana’s tepuis, Wilson Cutbirth has made a habit of seeking out remote big wall expeditions all around the world
@wilstone8 ’s expertise with also rope systems extends beyond his own FA’s and FKT’s into his rigging work with @the.gravity.line where he’s worked on groundbreaking projects like Honnold’s free solo of Taipei 101 and Babsi’s flash of Free Rider on El Cap
Listen to Episode 33 of the Ground Up Podcast on your favorite streaming platform to hear more about Wilson’s big wall adventures and some truly full value epics, including his FKT pushes on the Cirque Tower Traverse, flooded portaledges on El Cap, and Carhart protected hail storms at Mount Hooker
#firstascent #bigwallclimbing #tradisrad #climbinglife #climbers
Ep 32: Rattlesnake Redemption 🐍
Spicy trad lines, highball boulders, bolting king lines, and the occasional free solo are all part of the process for @andrew_leich as he prepares for bigger and bigger climbing goals.
With no local gym to train at, Andrew has turned to his own backyard of West Virginia’s endless mountain landscapes and a bulletproof hangboard workout to develop quite the tick list and an equally entertaining number of stories to go along with it!
Listen to Episode 32 of the Ground Up Podcast to hear more about Andrew’s adventures in Cheat Canyon, developing Green Magic in the Hills (5.14b) with @vampireprofessor at Seneca Rocks, helping establish 2,000+ boulders at Cooper’s Rock, and how a rattlesnake bite almost took climbing away from him all together.
#westvirginia #bouldering #tradisrad #coopersrock #climbingtraining
For decades, Ghost Town stood as one of North Carolina’s most legendary—and inaccessible—cliffs. First climbed in the 1970s and closed for nearly 20 years, its towering crack systems and dramatic position above Hickory Nut Gorge became the stuff of local lore.
In this episode, we sit down with the @carolinaclimberscoalition Executive Director, Mike Reardon, to unpack the long journey to bring Ghost Town back to life.
Mike shares the behind-the-scenes story of land access, conservation, and the effort to reopen this historic crag to the climbing community.
Stream Episode 31 of the Ground Up podcast on your favorite platform to hear more about Ghost Town’s rich history, its untapped potential, and what it means to be part of a climbing area’s rebirth—from forgotten first ascents to brand new routes waiting to be discovered.
#northcarolinamountains #tradisrad #rumblingbald #chimneyrock #rockclimbing
Learning to ice climb in Ouray and plug gear in the Gunks isn’t your typical introduction to climbing, but Kathy Karlo’s journey has been anything but ordinary.
Now known for her willingness to tackle bold trad lines and embrace type two challenges, @inheadlights established herself in the southeast climbing community by becoming the first woman to complete the Tennessee Wall Triple Crown - three 5.12 roof cracks outside of Chattanooga - and the Linville Destroyer - a massive linkup that adds six formations and a committing river crossing to the already formidable Linville Crusher in Linville Gorge.
Listen to Episode 30 of the Ground Up Podcast on your favorite streaming platform to learn more about Kathy’s journey as a climber, her work as the executive director of @nomanslandfilmfestival and what ultimately keeps drawing her back to Southeast climbing despite years of sampling the best to offer in places like Indian Creek, the Black Canyon and Vedauwoo.
📸 Cover photo courtesy of @karenklane
#tradisrad #climbinglife #womenwhoclimb #tradclimbing #rockclimbing
Welcome to Wonderland 🌈🧗♂️⛰️
The Ground Up crew is back for Season 2 and we’re kicking things off with one of Colorado’s most under the radar developers, Tal Wanish!
A product of the Carolinas, @totalwanish eventually landed out in the Front Range where he linked up with legendary route developer Nathan Brown (Ep 5) to learn the timeless art of Elvis legging your way up virgin rock with a hand drill in tow.
Now a veteran of the craft, Tal has has dedicated the last few seasons to developing an expansive and untapped granite zone west of Denver known as Wonderland that currently boasts over two dozen named formations and hundreds of established routes.
Listen to Episode 29 of the Ground Up Podcast on your favorite streaming platform to learn more about Tal’s adventures in the South Platte and how he’s helping build a community of new age route developers along the way.
Oh and if you’ve made it this far, you’re probably someone that would benefit from knowing about our Patreon so you can get early access to future episodes.
#climbinginspiration #firstascent #climbingpodcast #coloradoliving #tradisrad
If a weekend with the boys doesn’t look something like dressing up in costumes and rock climbing over a vertical mile in 24 hours, we’re probably not interested
So much more to come from our favorite sufferfest of the year, but for now here’s a little taste of what it’s like to take on climbing’s best endurance challenge and get after it with our favorite idiots at Horseshoe Hell 🧗🏼♂️🦁
#rockclimbing #enduranceracing #horseshoehell
From early mishaps to historic pushes, female points record holder Nadya Vorotnikova & Horseshoe Hell veteran Sean Vallefuoco have come a long way from their first years at the ranch!
Listen to Episode 28 of the Ground Up Podcast to hear @nadyavorotnikova & @seanvallefuoco walk us through their wildly entertaining list of 24HHH Do’s & Don’ts, as well as everything that went into last year’s record breaking effort at Horseshoe Canyon Ranch
#climbingpodcast #horseshoehell #24HHH #climbinginspiration #climbingcompetition #sufferfest #sportclimbing #rockclimber
Hundreds of climbers compete in the 24 Hours of Horseshoe Hell every year, but only one team has been there for all twenty years…
A true testament of resilience, @dickdower & @nadneal , better known as Leather & Lace around the @horseshoecanyon , have seen every stage of @therealtwofourhell and helped shape it into the competition we all know and love today.
Listen to Episode 27 of the Ground Up Podcast to hear more about the early days of 24HHH, their historic pushes over the past 20 years, and what ultimately keeps them coming back for more!
#climbinginspiration #24hhh #horseshoecanyonranch #ozarks #climbingcouple #climblife
Have you ever dreamed of quitting your job and selling everything to travel the world and climb? Well that’s exactly what the @climbing_backpackers did 2 years ago and they haven’t looked back since!
From Ton Sai’s beaches to Badami’s boulders, Nettie & Dave have managed to explore some the world’s best cragging destinations, all while living on less than £10 per day!
Check out Episode 26 of @listentogroundup to hear how a brutal injury became the catalyst for a dream dirtbag adventure, what it’s like to climb in places like Laos, Turkey, Thailand, Greece, Vietnam and India, and where their seemingly endless travels will take them next!
#climbingpodcast #dirtbag #climbinglife #climblikeagirl #climbingtrip #rockclimbing #backpacking #backpackingasia #climbingworldwide
From learning how to place trad gear on YouTube, to becoming the youngest climber to free El Cap in a day - Ethan Morf’s meteoric rise into the Yosemite record books has been fueled by a commitment to long days on granite, countless hours on the MoonBoard, and a seemingly endless supply of PSYCHE!!!!
Listen to Episode 25 of the Ground Up Podcast to hear @ethanmorf ’s wildly entertaining stories about dirtbagging in Squamish, his ‘ignorance is bliss’ approach to climbing, and how he ultimately power screamed his way through the fight of his life to send Freerider in a day!
📸 Cover photo courtesy of @victoriakohnerflanagan
#squamish #yosemite #elcapitan #freerider #climbinglovers #tradisrad #tradclimbing #climbingpodcast #rockclimber
