We talk to Tommy Caldwell and Access Fund Policy Director, Erik Murdock, to discuss a massive public lands bill that’s moving through congress called the Natural Resources Management Act. We dive into what makes it so important, hear about Tommy’s involvement with the Access Fund, then Erik helps us unpack the Natural Resources Management Act — what it is, how it was created, and why it matters to climbers.TOPICS & TIMES:Why Tommy got involved with the Access Fund (1:41)What’s in the National Resources Management Act? (2:19)How did it achieve bipartisan support when so little does? (6:20)Which parts have the biggest impact on climbers? (11:24)What is the Land and Water Conservation Fund? (13:40)Ways for climbers to be better advocates (16:30)Other exciting projects with the Access Fund (20:32)Plans for Climb the Hill 2019 (22:25) See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

All Things Climbing

Erik Murdock and Tommy Caldwell on the Natural Resources Management Act

What’s the biggest environmental impact we have as climbers? It’s easy to be distracted by the obvious stuff: chalk marks, cat holes, bolts. But, as journalist J.B. MacKinnon points out, the reality is much more complicated.Longtime climber J.B. Mackinnon is a contributor to The New Yorker on ecology and consumer issues. He has written several award-winning nonfiction books including The 100 Mile Diet and The Once and Future World, and he is now working on a book on consumerism in the outdoor industry. In this conversation, we talk about the places climbing has the greatest environmental impact, how this has changed over the decades, and how we as a community can reduce our footprint.(MacKinnon's website and work)TOPICS & TIMESMacKinnon’s free soloing experience (1:40)What are the biggest environmental issues within climbing culture? (6:25)What are the underlying costs of consumer culture? (8:45)How is the outdoor industry different from other consumer industries? (10:06)What climbing equipment is most problematically produced and marketed? (14:28)On the importance of community-wide conversation (18:50)How do we decide to leave certain cliffs as ecosystems? (21:25)How do we prioritize climbing locally? (23:30)How do we get brands to do a better job? (28:20) See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Climbers' Environmental Impact with Author J.B. MacKinnon

Erick Davidson makes the best cams that you’ve never heard of — they aren’t sold in stores or online, and Davidson’s company, Merlin Rock Gear, doesn’t even have a website.Erick, a mechanical engineer by day, designs and fabricates large-format cams that are much larger than Black Diamond’s number 6 Camalot, and that cover sizes way beyond what is protectable with more common commercial cams. And because of some clever engineering and expert construction, they’re also much lighter than the Valley Giant cams that span similar sizes.Beyond the engineering elements of it all, making your own cams and selling them to people for use in very consequential settings is a much more serious undertaking than making chalk bags, packs, or bouldering pads. So we talk to Erick about the innovations in design he brought to Merlin cams, how he convinced himself that they were safe to use and sell, and where you can pick one up before you find yourself at the base of an unprotectable squeeze chimney.TOPICS & TIMESHow did Erick get started making cams? (2:35)When cams fail, which part is usually breaking? And why? (9:20)What’s different about the stem of Merlin cams? (15:25)How does taking tons of poorly placed whippers affect the cam? (22:53)What do the control horns do? (32:50)Will there be a production run in the future? (39:40)Where does the name “Merlin” come from? (47:20)How can people place an order? (50:05)Has Erick whipped on one of his cams yet? (53:02)What’s the best possible way to boost sales? (58:05) See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Making Homemade Cams: Erick Davidson of Merlin Rock Gear

Are we headed for a future where The Nose (or other well-traveled walls) are headed for a permit system? We started debating this “what if” scenario almost a year ago, prompted by a conversation about the recently established permit system governing the cables route on Half Dome (the standard “hiking” route to the summit). If crowds grow or rescues become frequent, could certain technical routes, such as The Nose, find themselves governed by a system similar to the one used on Half Dome?Over the past few months we also put this question to several of our guests to bring in some expert perspectives. So for today’s episode, we’ve got American Alpine Club CEO Phil Powers explaining why he thinks a permit system is likely, and Alex Honnold and Maury Birdwell making the case against. Even after producing this episode, we’re still deliberating, so we’d love to hear your thoughts or opinions and collect more data! Let us know what you think on this episode’s instagram post.TOPICS & TIMESWhere did the idea for this question come from? (00:35)Phil Powers’ response. (1:35)Why would a permit system make more sense for The Nose than other popular climbs? (2:45)Two scenarios that could lead the park to instate a permit system. (4:25)What might that permit system look like? (9:30)Presented by Rhino Skin Solutions (12:00)Alex Honnold and Maury Birdwell’s response. (13:50)Strengths and weaknesses in their response. (17:25)How practical could a permit system be? (21:10)What are the potential benefits of a permit system? (24:35)Isn’t the rap route another example of adapting to crowding? (25:40)What are our conclusions? (26:50)Outro (31:25)PRESENTING SPONSOR: RHINO SKIN SOLUTIONSClimbing is complex and performing at your limit means bringing many variables together at the right moment. Rhino Skin Solutions makes the best skin care products for keeping your skin dry, healthy, and resilient, which brings one of the most crucial elements of performance under your control. Keeping your skin in good condition not just before a redpoint attempt but throughout the season means more effective training and climbing harder on the wall, it’s as simple as that. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Phil Powers and Alex Honnold on a Permit System for The Nose?

A couple weeks ago, our host Dave Alie and his wife Katie set off to Yosemite with the goal of climbing The Nose, often called The Greatest Rock Climb on Earth.It has a reputation as being accessible to non-elite climbers, yet at least half of the teams who leave the ground end up bailing on Day 1.With the good fortune of a stable forecast, relatively low traffic on the route, and a supportive ground team (helmed by the adventure baby), we succeeded in climbing the route wall-style over three days. Prior to our attempt on The Nose, we had done tons of prep and research, but still had a ton of questions going in.So this episode is a trip report and our chance to answer many of those questions for folks who might want to give The Nose a go. And if you have any questions that we didn’t cover or you’re gearing up for an attempt and want some beta, feel free to reach out to through Blister at (dave@blistergearreview.com) or on Instagram (@hakunaburrata).TOPICS & TIMESBrought to you by Rhino Skin Solutions (00:40)Why Dave and Katie chose to climb in October (4:00)How crowded was the route?When did they first decide they wanted to climb the Nose?Which big walls did they climb in preparation, and why was that so important? (8:50)Climbing as a married couple? (23:20)How did being new parents affect the experience? (28:45)The hazardous ‘Death Block’ at the top of the route (33:32)The importance of the order in which you build anchors (37:15)Best and worst equipment / food to bring? (40:40)Where Dave and Katie passed other teams. (46:20)Why The Nose has a misleading reputation for being easy (47:45)Dave’s advice to listeners for climbing The Nose? (51:33)Lessons from teams who climb in a day and other great resources. (55:00)Is there a consensus approach to handling loose rock on classic routes? (1:00:02)Outro (1:12:20)Check out the show notes to this episode to see photos from the route, including the loose block at the Wild Stance.PRESENTING SPONSOR: RHINO SKIN SOLUTIONSClimbing is complex and performing at your limit means bringing many variables together at the right moment. Rhino Skin Solutions makes the best skin care products for keeping your skin dry, healthy, and resilient, which brings one of the most crucial elements of performance under your control. Keeping your skin in good condition not just before a redpoint attempt but throughout the season means more effective training and climbing harder on the wall, it’s as simple as that. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

What's it like to climb The Nose?

Justin Brown is a Bend, Oregon local who spends much of his free time climbing around the country and volunteering as a board member of the Smith Rock Group. Between campfires and trail-building, he’s even found himself clipping the chains on routes as hard as 5.14a.He recently ditched his career as a chef to start Rhino Skin Solutions, after elevating his own climbing by creating recipes for some extremely effective antiperspirant and skin-recovery products. We talk about what it has been like to start a business in the outdoor sports industry, why it’s important for us all to give back to the resources we depend on, and why belaying just might be the sport of the future. We also cover why skin care is so important and how it can change your climbing.TOPICS & TIMESIntro (0:00)Bivouac Coffee (1:50)How did Justin get into climbing? (3:00)Why did he end up living in Oregon? (5:25)How did Justin’s background as a chef influence his founding Rhino Skin Solutions? (9:20)How does Justin make his products? And what is the chemistry behind them? (12:40)What level of climber tends to discover the importance of skin care? (23:40)Why did Dave initially resist focusing on skin care? And what changed his opinion? (30:25)What are some of the best circumstances for using lotion? (34:25)What is some of the essential work Justin does with the Smith Rock Group? (37:38)How does Justin characterize the climbing at Smith? (42:40)Adam Ondra’s skin care. (47:38)How can Rhino Skin Solutions serve every type of skin and circumstance? (50:05)Will there ever be career belayers, like famous golf caddies? (52:40)Outro (55:55) See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Rhino Skin Solutions founder, Justin Brown

Matt Pincus is a climber’s climber, deeply committed to the sport and the community. He’s also the content manager and head coach / trainer at TrainingBeta, and a Blister alumn. Suffice it to say, when it comes to improving your climbing, the guy knows his stuff. Since the days back when he and I used to trade notes while reviewing gear, he has taken his life on the road, climbing as much as possible and sharing his wisdom and experience with others through coaching sessions and writing. We caught up recently to talk about what he’s learned along the way, how it’s shaped his climbing, and what his perspective is on the trendiness of “training.”TOPICS & TIMESIntro (0:00)Bivouac Coffee (1:50)How Matt transitioned to being a full-time climber (3:00)How do you stay psyched to train? (6:50)What's your motivation for climbing hard? (12:20)Has the trend in training over-emphasized hang boarding and under-emphasized technique? (15:45)What's Matt's own training approach? (24:00)What's fun about coaching other people? (29:10)Bouldering as movement distilled (36:00)Importance of skin maintenance (41:50)Quality training instead of over-training (45:30)How would you summarize your ideas about training? (48:01)What the biggest change happening in climbing? (57:00)Outro (59:50)Presented by Rhino Skin Solutions See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Matt Pincus of TrainingBeta

Alex Honnold “The Climber” needs absolutely no introduction. He is one of the most talented climbers of his generation, and he is without question the greatest free soloist of all time. And yet, Alex Honnold The Philanthropist” may be even more impressive.Roughly five years ago, Alex teamed up with Maury Birdwell (an extremely talented climber himself), to start the Honnold Foundation. Since then, they’ve donated countless hours and several hundred thousand dollars (most of it Alex’s money) to support energy access projects in various parts of the developing world. Few climbers have advanced our concept of the sport to the extent that Alex has, yet his more important legacy could be the lives changed by the work of the Honnold Foundation.In this episode Luke and Dave Alie talk to Alex and Maury about how, exactly, the Foundation works; how they choose their projects; how they gauge whether they’ve been successful; their hopes for the future of the Foundation; and how working in development has changed their perspectives on climbing. And finally, Alex also details what it was like to film the upcoming documentary Free Solo, a film by Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin, about his astounding, ropeless ascent of The Freerider on El Cap.TOPICS & TIMES:Intro (00:00)Presenting Sponsor: Rhino Skin Solutions (01:50)How Alex first got into philanthropy (03:45)"Better World Shopping Guide" and conscious consumption (07:30)How Maury got involved in the Foundation (13:25)Why the Honnold Foundation supports solar projects, specifically (17:30)Why form a foundation rather than donate money directly? (20:05)Have there been any mistakes in projects? (25:25)How they select projects and assess their success (29:20)Where do they see the foundation going? (34:40)Has their perspective changed on how to best promote renewable energy? (37:45)How can people support the foundation? (49:45)Does philanthropy make climbing feel small? (51:45)What was it like making the film Free Solo? (54:00)Did making the film add pressure to complete the climb? (59:10)What comes after free soloing El Cap? (1:01:30)How is the growth of indoor climbing affecting the sport? (1:05:05)What's it like passing people on routes? (1:11:00)What's it like being so recognizable? (1:13:25)Outro (1:14:25)Presented by Rhino Skin Solutions See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Alex Honnold & Maury Birdwell on the Honnold Foundation and filming Free Solo

As the number of people that are climbing outside continues to explode, there is increasing pressure on land managers and advocacy groups. This often leads either to “active management” (e.g., restrictions on bolts or route development, etc.) or to complete closure. Does this stuff work? Why do we need these types of interventions? How are the ethics and culture of climbing altered or preserved through rules implemented by non-climbers?Furthermore, this trend is picking up steam all across the US. As just one recent example, a handful of Blister Climbing Editor Dave Alie’s local crags in Golden, Colorado have seen dramatic increases in the number of visitors in recent years, causing the County to step in and take a more active management role. So in this episode, we take a close look at how this practice has impacted climbers through the lens of some high profile Front Range crags. We hear from both Eric Kraus, who oversees outdoor recreation for Jefferson County, and Dave Montgomery, who sits on the Fixed Hardware Review Committee that advises the county on climbing related actions.TOPICS & TIMES:Part I - Eric KrausWhat does Eric do with Jefferson County, and what are their goals? (5:50)Which places were instructive to JeffCo when deciding how to manage climbing? (9:30)What is the fixed hardware review committee? (11:50)Why is it important to have the public sector involved in managing climbing? (13:45)What is the process for developing new routes / crags? (15:20)Is there oversight for installing / replacing hardware? (21:15)Is the useful criticism from the climbing community? (24:35)Are we generally headed towards proactive management? (27:00)What message would he give to JeffCo land users? (28:40) Part II - Dave MontgomeryDave and Luke’s Introduction. (30:45)Why does DM have mixed feelings about the fixed hardware committee? (32:50)Do they take into account the different climbing ethics for each crag? (39:20)What was Dave's introduction to developing? (42:30)What are the advantages of recording who's putting up routes? (45:05)What falls under the fixed hardware committee besides climbing? (46:30)What would DM personally like to shift in the fixed hardware committee? (53:40)What is it like standing between the county and the climbing community? (54:50)What can climbers do about raptor closures? (57:40)Presented by Rhino Skin SolutionsClimbing is complex and performing at your limit means bringing many variables together at the right moment. Rhino Skin Solutions makes the best skin care products for keeping your skin dry, healthy, and resilient, which brings one of the most crucial elements of performance under your control. Keeping your skin in good condition not just before a redpoint attempt but throughout the season means more effective training and climbing harder on the wall, it's as simple as that.On top of all that, Rhino Skin Founder Justin Brown sits on the board of the Smith Rock Group, which helps plan and fund-raise for various maintenance projects at Smith Rock State Park. We're donating all our proceeds from the show, after production costs, to the American Safe Climbing Associate and the Access Fund. Rhino Skin is fully behind this effort and has offered to knock 10% off your order and kick an additional 10% over to the Access Fund when you use the promo code “Blister” at checkout. Head over to Rhino Skin Solutions to check out their offerings. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Bolt Restrictions, Hardware Committees, & Threatened Access, Oh My!

Nik Berry has propelled himself onto the national climbing scene with a seemingly unending series of hard sends on long routes all over the country. With a taste for big walls and an aptitude for committing routes, Nik has racked up an impressive list of hard, gear-protected test-pieces including the Salathe Wall (ledge-to-ledge variation) and El Corazon, The Hallucinogen Wall (5.13 R), and El Sendero Luminoso in Wyoming, and the first free ascent of Lunar Ecstasy (5.13 R) in Zion. He has also cultivated a career in nursing and remains one of the most enthusiastic climbers I’ve ever spoken with.In this episode, Nik discusses how he balances a career with the training required to climb at an elite level; what sort of climbs he aspires to for the rest of his career; and what goes into finding big-wall routes that have potential for free climbing.TOPICS & TIMES:Sending Wet Lycra Nightmare (1:20)Dyno into a chicken wing?! Is that actually fun?? (3:36)Freeing Lunar Ecstasy (8:33)Is there a group-think approach to discovering free-able lines on big walls? (13:55)Why aren't there more 5.14 climbs in Zion? (17:50)What is it like balancing nursing and climbing? (21:50)How do you stay in shape when not climbing? (27:20)What about maintaining skin care while not climbing? (29:20)What advice would you offer to all beginner climbers? (40:45)Would you rather...? (41:55)Outro (43:05)Presented by Rhino Skin Solutions See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Nik Berry: Trad Climbing's Cutting Edge

Prior to John Sherman’s arrival on the climbing scene back in the time of the Stonemasters, bouldering wasn’t really taken seriously. There was no meaningful, open-ended grading system to compare problems, and Hueco Tanks was just some place in West Texas. John changed all that, and did so before bouldering pads existed.In the years since casting his long shadow over the sport, John has dedicated himself to wildlife photography, with a particular focus on working to protect the California Condor. He filled me in on how photography and bouldering are linked, what has been lost in climbing since his heyday, and why he thinks there are more impressive feats than Alex Honnold’s free solo of El Cap.TOPICS & TIMES:“Are you chopping lines in the background?” (1:52)Episode Introduction (2:05)What will you be remembered for most as a climber? (4:40)What are you most afraid of being remembered for? (6:30)How do you sandbag masterfully? (8:20)Do you resent crowding at the crags you developed? (11:05)What’s the biggest problem in the sport today? (14:05)Is there anything you wish remained with the sport from your heyday? (21:24)Does Honnold rehearsing his free solo of The Nose change the accomplishment? (27:15)When did you get into photography? (34:21)How does wildlife photography compare to bouldering? (36:45)Why Condors? (40:30)Does your irreverent bent carry over to the photography world? (51:15)Is “Old Man Lightning” still going forward? (59:40)How can people contribute to Condor recovery? (1:03:05)Outro (1:03:52)Presented by Rhino Skin SolutionsRhino Skin Solutions makes high-end skin care products for climbers, by climbers. No matter where you climb or how hard, sandstone, granite, limestone, and plastic are all brutal on your skin, and there’s no sense missing a day on the wall because of blisters or splits. And there’s no reason to grease off your project when there are better solutions out there then chalking up every 4 moves. On top of all that, Rhino Skin Founder Justin Brown sits on the board of the Smith Rock Group, which helps plan and fundraise for various maintenance projects at Smith Rock State Park.We’re donating all our proceeds from the show, after production costs, to the American Safe Climbing Associate and the Access Fund. Rhino Skin is fully behind this effort and has offered to knock 10% off your order and kick an additional 10% over to the Access Fund when you use the promo code “Blister” at checkout. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Bouldering Legend John "Verm" Sherman

The American Alpine Club is one of the oldest climbing institutions in the US. Yet despite its deep past, the AAC takes a forward-looking approach to improving the climbing experience for all on issues like safety, access, and education. This makes the AAC one of the modern climber’s biggest allies.American Alpine Club CEO, Phil Powers, has climbed for decades all over the world, and has brought the lessons from his experiences to the helm of the AAC. In our conversation, he introduces the American Alpine Club to climbers who might not know why the AAC’s mission is so important. We also talk about his vision for the AAC’s role in shaping climbing as we move forward, as well as the decision to give their prestigious Underhill award to Alex Honnold for free soloing The Freerider, even as they work to encourage safe climbing practices.This episode is presented by Rhino Skin Solutions, makers of high end skin care products for climbers. Climbing days are the best days, make sure your skin is healthy and ready so you can take full advantage. Check out their solutions to everything from blisters to splits to greasing off holds at www.rhinoskinsolutions.comTOPICS & TIMES:Episode Intro (2:23)Phil’s personal favorite style of climbing (4:00)What was it like to summit K2? (5:00)How do you handle risky scenarios? (6:50)Phil’s role at the AAC, and the mission of the AAC (7:54)What is the AAC? 8:30Will the Olympics grow the sport, or is climbing experiencing a bubble? (10:45)What is the role of climbing organizations in welcoming new climbers? 12:43How does the AAC operate in conjunction with other climbing organizations? (18:45)Why is it so important that the AAC is a nonprofit? (26:00)How does the AAC's rescue benefit work? (29:10)If I get injured in Clear Creek, what do I do? 32:15What are the AAC's publications? 35:15Are there trends in climbing accidents? Can they be prevented? 39:50Dissonance in awarding Alex Honnold the Underhill Award? (44:00)Outro (47:10) See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

American Alpine Club CEO, Phil Powers

Will Anglin and Ben Spannuth, founders of Tension Climbing, are two of climbing’s most dedicated technicians. Not only have they spent years studying the physiological components of “training,” Will and Ben have also devoted themselves to scrutinizing climbing’s more nebulous aspects: movement, personal weaknesses, and so forth. They are famous for their belief that no detail is too small to be examined closely, and their skill on the rock is testament to the value of this approach. In this episode, we talk about the culture and discipline of setting routes, what sort of fine-tooth considerations go into shaping holds out of wood, and their thoughts on which Olympic sport should be brought back from the dead.TOPICS & TIMES:How Will got injured making a hold (1:00)Is route setting an art form? (5:15)What makes someone a great routesetter? (8:15)How do you handle criticism? (11:55)What olympic sport would you bring back? (16:58)Outtake (23:48) See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Tension Climbing’s Will Anglin & Ben Spannuth, Part 2

Will Anglin and Ben Spannuth have spent a lot of time thinking about how climbing works — why this foot and not that one? What precisely makes this move hard? They are extremely accomplished climbers themselves, but seem to enjoy the tinkering with and dissecting of climbing’s finer points as much as they enjoy actually climbing. Tension Climbing, where Will and Ben design, shape, and manufacture wooden holds and training tools, is their effort to bring what they’ve learned to the rest of us. Recently they gave me and Luke a tour of their shop, then sat down with us to talk about some of the things they’ve learned about climbing mastery through years of training, coaching, and setting routes. Will and Ben had a lot of insightful stuff to say, so this episode is part 1 of 2.TOPICS & TIMES:What is your production process? (2:03)Why do you use so many different types of wood? (3:59)How did you meet and decide to start Tension? (5:00)What is the Tension Board all about? (7:10)Why is wood better than plastic? (13:25)What Will and Ben learned from CATS gym in Boulder (18:30)What do you learn from route setting? (22:30)What is the most common mistake you see climbers making? (28:45)What would you be doing if you hadn’t found climbing? (34:00) See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Tension Climbing’s Will Anglin & Ben Spannuth, Part 1

Photographer Jim Herrington's new photo book "The Climbers" is an undeniably compelling portrait collection of many of the most influential climbers of the 20th century, including Fred Beckey, Yvon Chouinard, John Gill, Cesare Maestri, John Long, Jeff Lowe, and many more. Grand Prize Winner at the Banff Book Awards, "The Climbers" serves as an important tribute to those who paved the way for the sport as we know it today. Dave and Luke take a close look at the pictures and review clips from Luke’s interview with Jim.TheClimbersBook.comJimHerrington.comTOPICS & TIMES:Dave and Luke discussing the style in the photographs (1:20)Luke's interviewing incompetence (3:51)The origin of "The Climbers" (4:50)The Fred Beckey portrait (7:05)Are these photos about decay? (9:30)Jim's response to theme of morbidity (10:00)Dave's response to theme of morbidity (12:15)Luke's response to theme of morbidity (14:50)The role of the book in the climbing community (17:05)Outro (19:00)Outtake (19:36) See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Reviewing Portraits of Climbing Legends in "The Climbers"

Welcome to Blister’s weekly climbing podcast. I’m Dave Alie, the climbing editor at Blister, and host of All Things Climbing. Like most climbers, I was immediately smitten by the sport when I first found it. But in the years since, the community and culture the surrounds climbing has proved itself to be as interesting and influential in shaping my life as the actual climbing itself. For so many of us, it’s the reason climbing makes the leap from fun hobby to all-consuming lifestyle obsession.This show is about that community and culture. We’ll cover major events, prominent trends in the sport, gear and equipment, and the individuals that make climbing’s community so colorful.

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All Things Climbing

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