Episodes Feed
EP 20: Chad Andrews
Chad Andrews is the maker of the Clipping Chains blog—a resource to help climbers navigate personal finance and move towards financial independence. We talked about reaching retirement at age 35, simple steps to reduce your cost of living, why financial strength equals freedom, the joy of building a craft, and pursuing your best life.
EP 19: Mikey Schaefer (Part 2)
This is part 2 of my conversation with Mikey Schaefer. We talked about climbing as a finite resource, footwear for big walls, rope tricks, Mikey’s “fix and follow” system for team-free ascents, climbing smarter, what Mikey is grateful for, and a refreshing perspective about COVID. You can find part 1 of our conversation in episode 18.
EP 18: Mikey Schaefer (Part 1)
Mikey Schaefer is a photographer, filmmaker, and an all-around climber whose accomplishments range from dangerous first ascents in the mountains to 5.13+ big walls, 5.14 sport climbs, and V10 boulders. We talked about some of Mikey’s most meaningful first ascents, experiences on Liberty Bell, balancing risk and reward, becoming a jack of all trades, and building his pyramid.
EP 17: Drew Ruana
Drew Ruana is a 20-year-old boulderer, sport climber, and competition climber who is quickly becoming one of the best rock climbers in the world. We talked about climbing ‘Sleepwalker’ (his first V16), the significance of skin and conditions and tactics for optimizing them, his current training philosophy, transitioning from competitions to outdoor climbing, and his career and climbing goals.
EP 16: Tara Kerzhner
Tara Kerzhner is an award-winning photographer, cinematographer, and accomplished rock climber. We talked about being creative while stuck at home, the importance of shooting what you love, balancing her work with art and climbing, becoming a more powerful climber, and telling stories through film.
EP 15: Katie Lambert
Katie Lambert is an elite rock climber in just about every discipline of the sport. She is also a contributing author for Climbing Magazine, owns a business, and has a master’s in nutrition. We talked about the film Pretty Strong, her training and how she balances the many disciplines of climbing, and nutrition recommendations for climbers.
EP 14: Jonathan Siegrist
Jonathan Siegrist is a professional rock climber, and one of the most prolific sport climbers in the world. We talked about the evolution of his training, how he trained to climb 5.15b, current training methods, how he mixes in climbing with training, tactics for quick redpointing, a new direction for his climbing, and The Fins project.
EP 13: Bill Ramsey
Bill Ramsey is a professor of philosophy at the University of Nevada Las Vegas and at 59-years-old, still climbs 5.14. We talked about his coffee addiction, his legendary training days and how he uses the treadwall, replicas, and the fingerboard, his two-part climbing career, favorite articles he’s written, and the crossover between philosophy and climbing.
EP 12: Mike Doyle
Mike Doyle is an elite-level rock climber who balances climbing with a career as a software engineer. He also has a long history of competition climbing and coaching. We talked about lessons learned from 10+ years of coaching, his training philosophy, onsighting tips, go-to climbing shoes, surfing, and the best breakfast he’s ever had.
EP 11: Shanjean Lee
Shanjean Lee is an orthopedic surgeon and a badass climber whose accomplishments range from V10 boulders, to 5.14a sport, to 5.13+ trad and multi-pitch climbs. We talked about how SJ trained to climb ‘City Park’ during her residency, some of her biggest challenges, differences between men and women, dating your climbing partner, and the importance of self-belief.
EP 10: Peter Croft
Peter Croft is an absolute legend in climbing. We talked about ‘The Shadow’ in Squamish and how his ascent became a climbing game, lessons from spending time alone, experimenting with burning fat for fuel, how he trains for big solos and linkups, some of his most memorable climbs, long johns vs. lycra, and the magic of inspiration.
EP 09: Will Stanhope
Will Stanhope is a professional rock climber with many notable ascents in the realm of single and multi-pitch trad climbing, free-soloing, and cutting edge first ascents. We talked about Will’s recent freak accident and broken finger, the injury process, trad climbing tips, pushing through fear vs. listening to fear, and a case for more climbing/less training.
EP 08: Kristin Yurdin
Kristin Yurdin is a restaurant owner and chef who has balanced a successful career with hard climbing and genuine enjoyment of life. She and her husband Ian opened The Terrebonne Depot, a very successful restaurant near Smith Rock. We talked about her transition from podiatric surgeon to restaurant owner, about her climbing progression and training, and about redpointing her first 5.14a at 42-years-old.
EP 07: Ian Yurdin
Ian Yurdin is a Smith Rock local who climbs hard and has had a successful career developing footwear for companies like Adidas, FiveTen, and Solomon. We talked about his career in product creation and his transition to consulting, starting a restaurant with his wife Kristin, his history with ‘To Bolt Or Not To Be’, measuring rock temperature to quantify climbing conditions, health issues, and the things he is most grateful for.
EP 04: Alan Watts
Alan Watts is widely regarded as the founding father of Smith Rock, and was a key player in the development of sport climbing in America. He established the first 5.13d in America with ‘East Face Crack’ in 1985—just shy of the world standard. We talked about eating every other day, his paradigm shift from freeing aid climbs to face climbing, wearing Wolfgang’s shirt, meeting Adam Ondra, and his “little slice of contribution”.