Jam Crack - The Niall Grimes Climbing Podcast

Legendary 80s trad lizard, the Lion of Llanberis, helmet-boiler number one, Paul Pritchard in conversation.

Legendary 80s trad lizard, the Lion of Llanberis, helmet-boiler number one, Paul Pritchard in conversation.

Just me rambling on about myself, seacliffs, Welshmen and me dear friend Andy Scott. Probably not worth listening to.

Aiden Roberts is at the top of UK bouldering having done numerous 8C/8C+ first ascents. David Mason has been doing hard problems around the UK and the world for years. Together we take a look at top-end UK and world bouldering.

Anita talks about some of the work she has been doing to encourage diverse groups into climbing.

Natalie Berry reads Gordon Smith's classic accounts of winter ice climbing on Ben Nevis and big routes in the Alps, both stories drenched in 1970s drizzle and hunger.

Achtung: Legend! The quiet king of the quiet kingdom. Seldom has an area been so associated with one climber as Northumberland is with Bob Smith. From the late 1970s Bob championed style, commitment and technicality to produce climbs whose beauty and challenge have diminished little over the years.

Coach and climbing philosophy through lived experiences. This podcast won't make you stronger, but it might help you climb better and love it more. She's the boss.

In the 1990s she was at the top levels, redpointing 8b and flashing E7. Niall Grimes chats to Karin Magog about how she got there and what she's been doing since.

Trailblazing Irish climbers reads from her autobiography.

North Wales based climbing photographer, Ray Wood, sits down and thinks about life over a cup of tea.

Alex Megos talk to Niall Grimes about his new 9c, Bibliography, at Ceuse.

It's a bit sweary, sorry. I read out my own story of training obsession and blurred boundaries. Sorry.

Driving force of North Wales bouldering exploration, master of cutting edge trad, sport and bouldering. Pete Robins sits down and blows his own trumpet.

Bernadette McDonald reads about the most Extreme arena in all of climbing, 8000m peaks in Winter from her new book, Winter 8000. The episode centres around the efforts to rescue Elisabeth Revol and Tomasz Mackiewicz on Nanga Parbat.

Sam Whittaker, the biceps behind Sheffield's Climbing Works bouldering centre, yarns on about setting up the Works, why it's special and how it's handled lockdown. Plus a journey through his life.

Young North Wales based boulderer, trad climber, bassist and student Lewis Perrin Williams talks about some of the important stuff in his life.

Star of Hard Grit, classic 1990s climbing vid, chats to Niall Grimes in a darkening graveyard.

10-year-old and mad-for-climbing Rose tells Niall Grimes about climbing 8a, why she loves climbing outdoors, about Spain and plans to travel.

Young Lakes-based trad star Anna Taylor in conversation under a tree.

Peter Goulding reads extracts from his recently-published book Slatehead, which takes a personal look at the Llanberis slate climbing scene from the 1980s.

Paul Pritchard and George Smith read their farewells to their friend and 80's slate legend, Trevor Hodgson.

Gritstone master and pioneer of many of grit's finest Extremes died in a climbing accident last week. Niall Grimes remembers his experiences of some of JA's routes, and plays some music.

I spend an hour playing other people's music and try to take credit for it. Yay!

I ramble a few bits and pieces and tell a story about me n Brian Callen in Yosemite. And play some music.

Top adventure climber Nick Bullock recalls tales of loose rock, looser friends and the loosest ethics. Funny as hell!

Top UK all-rounder Hazel Findlay talks about being a professional climber, Tsunami, Magic Line, coaching, social media and podcasts.

Blind climber Jesse Dufton talks about his starring role in the award-winning documentary Climbing Blind, culminating in his on-sight lead of the Old Man of Hoy. Awesome.

Jim Pope, "The Last Climber", does well at Grit headgames, international comps and sport climbing. He wants to tick Extreme Rock and climb in the Himalayas. He's a dude. Niall Grimes chats to him.

A story about a day of great pain in Red Rocks and Las Vegas.

Ryan Pasquill loves doing 9a, flashing E9s, grit E8s, Font 8B, drinking beer and slagging James McHaffie. And he's a nicer guy than YOU. Hear his vibe.

Lake District legend Dave Birkett sits down with a beer, a guitar and a packet of crisps and talks climbing, music and rounding up sheep.

The second part of my Emma Twyford interview. So fab. We talk about Once Upon a Time in the Southwest, Indian Face, Free Solo, The Big Issue and Big Bang.

Emma Twyford is one of the UK's top climbers. Over the last year she has had an amazing run of achievements on top level sport and trad climbs. In this interview she chats with Niall Grimes about her journey on E8 and E9 trad climbs and 8c and 9a sport climbs. We talk childhhod beginnings, school, Once Upon a Time in the Southwest (E9, Dyer's Lookout), Mind Control (8c, Olianna), Nightmayer (E8, Dinas Cromlech), not trying Indian Face (E9, Cloggy), The Big Issue (E9, Pembroke) and The Big Bang (9a, Pen Trwyn). It's a long chat so I've split it in two. Part 2 to follow soon.

Poet and novelist Helen Mort reads some of her work based in the universe of climbing including extracts from her recently-published novel, Black Car Burning, Well good.

Niall Grimes reads his own story - a trip to one of the world's most ancient climbing areas turns decidedly hairy

Second instalment of Paul Dunlop chat yarning on about Germany, Elbesandstein, ghosts, being good at climbing, youth and travelling.

Paul is my oldest friend and the person I started climbing with. This is the first of two interviews. Some incredible stories in here. Then he had to catch a train.

The Olympics are a-coming. Eddie Fowke has been on the scene for years, photographing the action and watching from the sidelines. He knows what's happening; I didn't. Eddie explains the whole shit show to me. Tune in, and you'll learn a lot.

Chris Schulte, major US bouldering prospector and arête crusher, is one of the defining spirits of Jam Crack. You'll know his voice from great story episodes. Niall Grimes finally catches him in person over a couple of daytime pints in Sheffield's Broadfield pub.

Niall Grimes reads his own story about a trip to Kalymnos where he gets to hang out with some famous climbers: Ben Moon, Yuji Hirayama, Alex Megos, Jibe Tribout, Boone Speed, and some famous climbers he hadn't heard of before.

Top climber, top guy, Japan's Yuji Hirayama has pushed many of climbing's boundaries in his day. An early master of comps in the 1990s, first on-sight of 8c, The Nose speed record, and still climbing at a high level today. Hear his vibe.

Angus Kille reads his account of climbing Indian Face, the UK's first E9, and one of the most feared leads in the UK.

Angus Kille reads his account of climbing Indian Face, the UK's first E9, and one of the most feared leads in the UK.

Hannah Baldwin is one of the three British paraclimbers to win gold at the World Championships in Innsbruck this year. In this chat we talk about about one-legged climbing, Crohn's disease, climbing hard, dreaming 8a and her relationship with her coach, Be Fuller.

He's one half of the Beastmaker team, and one of the strongest climbers in the UK. Ned Feehally has added some of the country's hardest problems, bouldered up to Font 8C, done well in comps and pushed the art of highball bouldering as far as it's been pushed. Yet he remains backstage and keeps his climbing to himself. Let's hear what this dark horse has to say.

Iranian-born Shirin reflects on early trips into her native mountains with her father, local mountaineering culture and how mountains returned in her later life to bring a new direction. NOTE: AN EARLIER UPLOAD OF THIS EPISIDE WENT WRING SO NOW REUPLOADING

Iranian-born Shirin reflects on childhood exploits into her native mountains with her father, and how mountains returned to point the way in later life.

Britain's most prolific new router, most dedicated bolter and most obsessive Stranglers fan talks about life and near death.

These two are royalty who have sailed the spaceship of trad climbing into outer space since the 1980s. Legends. We talk: Cloggy; Indian Face; morphic resonance; Gogarth; Nesscliffe.