The Enormocast

On Episode 186 of the Enormocast, I sit down with comp climber, boulderer, and sport climber, Sean Bailey. Sean’s outdoor feats include an ascent of Biographie/Realization (5.15a) in Ceuse, France and Joe Mama (5.15a) at Oliana, Spain. His comp results have put him on top of Nationals in both bouldering and lead, not to mention … Continue reading "Episode 186: Sean Bailey – The New Old School."

On Episode 185 of the Enormocast, I am joined in Carbondale by a mythical figure named Hobo Greg. Who is Hobo Greg? I don’t know, even now. He left his home in New Jersey on a Greyhound bus four years ago and is now a climbing guide in Joshua Tree. He drinks wine by the … Continue reading "Episode 185: Hobo Greg – Crossing the Threshold."

On Episode 184, I sit down with climber and photographer, Corey Rich. Corey came up as a dirtbag climber, but he simultaneously started a serious study of photography and how to use a camera. A fateful roadtrip put his images in front of the main climbing media outlets of the day like Climbing Magazine and … Continue reading "Episode 184: Corey Rich – The Story is the Thing"

On Episode 183 of the Enormocast, I sit down with truly legendary alpinist, Jim Donini. Jim has been banging it out on big climbs since before most of you, dear listeners, were born. Jim cemented his reputation early on in Patagonia when it was still a truly wild frontier, but Donini went on to put … Continue reading "Episode 183: Jim Donini – Once More Unto the Breach, Dear Friends."

On Episode 182 of the Enormocast, I sit down with young(ish) trad and sport climber, Molly Mitchell. I first hung out with Molly just two short years ago, and in the interim, she has burst onto the scene as a professional climber ticking hard trad and sport ascents with ease. Molly is not you’re typical … Continue reading "Episode 182: Molly Mitchell – Silence the Mind, Send the Climb."

On Episode 181, I sit down with climber, industry insider, and amputee, Malcolm Daly. Malcolm is a lifer who has been steeped in climbing culture and the climbing industry since the late 60s. Among so many profound achievements, he somewhat haphazardly found himself at the forefront of US bouldering while in Fort Collins and started … Continue reading "Episode 181: Malcolm Daly – The Limb Reaper"

On Episode 180 of the Enormocast, I sit down with Team Texas Alum and current comp climber, Claire Buhrfeind. Claire was born and raised in Plano, Texas, far from any form of rock or mountain climbing, but she found the sport anyway. Claire started climbing in the gym at age 5, and as she grew … Continue reading "Episode 180: Claire Buhrfeind – The Tao of Claire."

On Episode 179 of the Enormocast, I sit down with Dierdre Wolownick, perhaps better known in the climbing world as Alex Honnold’s mom. Up until now, Dierdre has appeared to the climbing world as a talking head in Alex’s movies, and I believe, she’s a bit misunderstood. Dierdre has recently put her thoughts on raising … Continue reading "Episode 179: Dierdre Wolownick – Mother of Honnolds."

On Episode 178 of the Enormocast, I sit down with Canadian rock and ice climber, Will Gadd. Will hit the early sport climbing scene in Boulder, Colorado in the 80s and has never looked back. As an early comp climber, Will had the honor of getting crushed by a young Chris Sharma. Switching his focus … Continue reading "Episode 178: Will Gadd – Stoked on the Magic."

On Episode 177 of the Enormocast, I sit down in a parking lot with Canadian boulderer and comp-climber, Allison Vest. Though Allison grew up in the heart of the Canadian Rockies’ alpine gnar, competition and plastic were her heart’s desire. She made her mark as a youth climber, and after a wayward year in Edmonton, … Continue reading "Episode 177: Allison Vest – Trashcans and Try-hard."

On Episode 176 of the Enormocast, I sit down in my kitchen with author and climber Jeff Smoot. Jeff had a wild climbing ride in the 80s as he shadowed two of the renegades inventing sport climbing in the USA: Todd Skinner and Alan Watts. In his book, Hangdog Days: Conflict, Change, and the Race … Continue reading "Episode 176: Jeff Smoot – The 80s Come Alive with Hangdog Days."

On Episode 175 of the Enormocast, I sit down in the Mobile Studio parked under a rainy Moab sky with Mark Hudon and Jordan Cannon. Mark and Jordan are on a great Western road trip and prepping for Mark’s attempt on the Freerider on El Cap. But here’s the thing, Mark is 63 and Jordan … Continue reading "Episode 175: Mark Hudon and Jordan Cannon’s Excellent Adventure."

On Epsiode 174 of the Enormocast, I sit down in the mobile studio with British/Canadian duo, Jacob Cook and Bron Hodgins. This couple found each other at a sock wrestling tourney in Leeds, England and have been inseparable adventurers ever since. Jacob and Bron have laughed they’re way through expeditions from the big walls of … Continue reading "Episode 174: Bronwyn Hodgins and Jacob Cook – A Perfect Pairing."

One Episode 173 of the Enormocast, Craig DeMartino returns to bask in 7 years of Enormocast glory. His original appearance, where he vividly describes his 100 footer into the turf and his recovery after a leg amputation, remains one of the top moments on the Enormocast. Craig continues to hear from folks about that gripping … Continue reading "Episode 173: Craig DeMartino – Unintended Inspiration."

On Episode 172 of the Enormocast, we continue to part 2 of a conversation with Alpinist Mark Twight. The Royal We highly recommends that one has a listen to Part 1 first, but this second half does stand on its own especially if you’re already familiar with Mark’s exploits in Chamonix and on Nanga Parbat. … Continue reading "Episode 172: Mark Twight – Still Coming Down Part 2."

On Episode 171, I sit down in the Dissect Podcast studio with former alpinist, Mark Twight, for part 1 of our talk from February 2019. Though Mark gave up extreme alpinism around 2000, his attitude, outlook, and philosophy are still that of a climber. In this EPIC late night and whiskey-fueled interview, Mark recounts a … Continue reading "Episode 171: Mark Twight – Still Coming Down Part 1."

On this special Episode, I whip those stallions pulling the Free Solo bandwagon and rebroadcast Alex Honnold’s interview from 2017 – just a few weeks out from his free solo of the FreeRider on El Capitan in Yosemite. Not just a cynical grab at downloads, when I re-listened this interview for myself, I was newly … Continue reading "BandWagon Episode: REBROADCAST Alex Honnold from 2017."

On Episode 170 of the Enormocast, I practically rip Tim Emmett off the stage at the Michigan Ice Festival to sit down for an interview. Tim has been a climbing adventurer for over 20 years. This odyssey started in Wales, involved the then new-ish sport of deep water soloing, moved to ice climbing, competitive ice … Continue reading "Episode 170: Tim Emmett – To Strive, To Seek, To Find."

On Episode 169 of the Enormocast, I meet up at the home of a mutual friend with Quinn Brett. Quinn took a monstrous fall on El Cap in October of 2017 that should have killed her, but it didn’t. Instead, Quinn is left paralyzed from the waist down and facing a new life with a … Continue reading "Episode 169: Quinn Brett – Forward from the Fall."

On Episode 168 of the Enormocast, I sit down in North Conway, New Hampshire with guide, father, and climber, Peter Doucette. Peter grew up, learned to climb, and still lives in New Hampshire near North Conway. He cut his teeth guiding in Wyoming, but returned home to start his own show, Mountain Sense, and, well, … Continue reading "Episode 168: Peter Doucette – Guided to the Mountains."

On Episode 167, Steve Dilk, Andrew Bisharat, and I load up the whiskey glasses and sit down for a good old fashioned shit-talking session about climbing trends that have died, should have died, or are wobbling toward the grave. What better way to start the New Year than a metaphor about death? First we review … Continue reading "Episode 167: TAPS part Deux AKA Climbing Humor is Dead."

On Episode 166 of the Enormocast, fan-favorite James Lucas returns! The intervening years since James’ most recent previous show and first appearance on the Enormocast have sobered the pie-baking-dirtbag into a contributing member of society. Now in Boulder at Climbing Magazine and happily dating pro-climber Nina Williams, our former redpoint-soloist and reluctant spokes-person for the … Continue reading "Episode 166: James Lucas – A Recipe for Success."

On Episode 165 of the Enormocast, I sit down with quite possibly the world’s best rock climber, Adam Ondra. I found Adam luxuriating with 4 friends and colleagues in the Super Bowl Campground in Indian Creek, UT of all places. He and his crew were on a whirlwind tour of Yosemite, Smith Rocks, and Indian … Continue reading "Episode 165: Adam Ondra – Getting Closer to the Luck."

On Episode 164 of the Enormocast, I sit down with CLIMB!ing legend, Jamie Logan. Logan was one of a handful of climbers in 1970s era Boulder, CO redefining what climbing would look like in the coming decades: from resetting free-climbing standards to imagining new difficulty and new styles in the alpine. After climbing a visionary … Continue reading "Episode 164: Jamie Logan – Owning Her Identity."

On Episode 163 of the Enormocast, I sit down in an RV in the Supercrack parking lot with wellness coach, Blake Cason. Blake, through her business Pivot Integrative Wellness, helps people achieve wellness through mindfulness and radical honesty. Blake has turned her knowledge to climbing specific habits and behaviors in an effort to help climbers … Continue reading "Episode 163: Blake Cason – Let’s Be Honest."

On Episode 162 of the Enormocast, I sit down with visually impaired climber, Justin Salas. Hailing from the unlikely climbing locale of Tulsa, Oklahoma, Justin started losing his sight to an unidentified syndrome while a teenager. The first thing to be abandoned was his passion for BMX, then depression set in. Luckily, a friend got … Continue reading "Episode 162: Justin Salas – Trading Eyesight for a Vision."

On Episode 161 of the Enormocast, I sit down with young wall-climber, Jordan Cannon. Jordan’s path to climbing, while rather normal 30 years ago, flies in the face of the standard young person’s path through the gym to the boulders. Instead, Jordan went pretty straight to the big walls without passing GO. Armed with endless … Continue reading "Episode 161: Jordan Cannon – Looking Back to Go Forward."

On Episode 160 of the Enormocast, I sit down with blogger and freshly minted podcaster, Kathy Karlo. Kathy made a name for herself with her For the Love of Climbing blog , and has now rocked climbing podcasting with a new show that pulls no punches on the dark and difficult emotions in the climbing … Continue reading "Episode 160: Kathy Karlo Goes Deep."

On Episode 159 of the Enormocast, I sit down with professional climber Sam Elias in his camper parked at Rifle Mountain Park. With the creek gurgling in the background and the occasional late night drive-by, we get deep into Sam’s motivations and psyche. Once on a pro-skiing track, Sam decided to slow his life down … Continue reading "Episode 159: Sam Elias – You Can’t Climb Everything."

On Episode 158 of the Enormocast, I sit down in my sweet Denver hotel room with Ken Yager and Allyson Gunsallus of the Yosemite Climbing Association. Ken Yager started the Yosemite Facelift event 15 years ago out of his pickup, and the gathering has since cleaned up mountains of trash and debris from Yosemite Valley. … Continue reading "Episode 158: Ken Yager and the Yosemite Facelift."

On Episode 157, I sit down in Bishop California with adventure climber and long lost friend, Katie Lambert, for a raucous, story-filled interview. Katie recounts her journey from the distinctly climbingless State of Louisiana to Toulumne and Yosemite Valley. Katie tells of her travails trying to get into America’s Hat, climbing in the Northwest Territories … Continue reading "Episode 157: Katie Lambert – Face Yourself."

LISTEN TO PART 1 HERE. On Episode 156 of the Enormocast, we find the second half of an interview with artist, photographer, climber, historian, Dean Fidelman. Dean was/is a Stonemaster, was/is a Stone Monkey – the only guy to really span those two distant eras. His climbing odyssey began in the early 70s at Stony Point … Continue reading "Episode 156: Dean Fidelman – Film, Like Love, Takes Time Part 2."

On Episode 155 of the Enormocast, I sit down in Lynn Hill‘s office with artist, photographer, climber, historian, Dean Fidelman. Dean was/is a Stonemaster, was/is a Stone Monkey – the only guy to really span those two distant eras. His climbing odyssey began in the early 70s at Stony Point in Los Angeles, and 40 some … Continue reading "Episode 155: Dean Fidelman – Film, Like Love, Takes Time Part 1."

On Episode 154 of the Enormocast, I sit down back stage at the Summit Music Hall in Denver, Colorado with Senses Fail frontman and founding member, Buddy Nielsen. Buddy has been the lead singer and driving force behind this acclaimed hardcore band since 2002. Living the touring rock band life led him into many of … Continue reading "Epsiode 154: Buddy Nielsen – One Version of a Dangerous World."

On Episode 152 of the Enormocast, I met up with ice-climber, rock-climber, guide, and gym-owner, Janet Wilkinson, in her breakfast nook in New Hampshire. Janet came up in climbing when female trad-climbers and guides were still few and far between and cut her teeth with the boys. But in search of lady partners, she made … Continue reading "Episode 153: Janet Wilkinson – A Little Help From Her Friends."

On Episode 152 of the Enormocast, I realize a stated dream by sitting down in the Oasis Camper Trailer with Mark Hudon and Max Jones. Max and Mark quietly pushed the boundaries of free climbing in the late 70s in Yosemite. Operating under the shadows of the likes of Kauk and Bachar, Jones and Hudon … Continue reading "Episode 152: Mark Hudon and Max Jones – As Free as Can Be."

On Episode 151 of the Enormocast, you, dear listener, join the Enormocast for an ascent of Golden Gate on El Capitan in Yosemite Valley. Golden Gate is a variation off the Salathe Wall, and as a free climb, the next step up from FreeRider. On May 18th, 2018, Steve Dilk and I blasted off up … Continue reading "Episode 151: A Candid Ascent of El Cap."

On Episode 150 of the Enormocast, we tape a live one in front of an audience at for the 5Point Film Festival. I invited old friend Brendan Leonard of semi-rad.com to moderate a discussion between myself and Fitz Cahall of The Dirtbag Diaries and Duct Tape Then Beer. Fitz was well into his podcast career when … Continue reading "Episode 150: Live at 5Point with Brendan Leonard and OG podcaster, Fitz Cahall."

On Episode 149 of the Enormocast, I sit down in the Wilkinson Family “Shabin” (shed that became a cabin) with the alpinist and author, Freddie Wilkinson. Freddie is known throughout the land as a super capable and stoked partner, but he’s also got his finger in the pie of many climbing related endeavors besides sending … Continue reading "Episode 149: Freddie Wilkinson – Just Stoked to Be There."

On Episode 148, I had the honor and pleasure of talking to Hugh Herr. Hugh was a prodigy rock climber as a kid, and in 1982, at the age of 17, an accident on Mt Washington in New Hampshire changed the course of his life forever, and ironically, perhaps for the better. Hugh and his … Continue reading "Episode 148: Hugh Herr – Never Broken"

On Episode 147 of the Enormocast, I sit down with current American Alpine Club CEO, Phil Powers. Phil cut his climbing teeth as an instructor at NOLS, and went on to combine a deep personal climbing resumé with guiding and instruction across the US and the world. At the helm of the AAC, Phil has … Continue reading "Episode 147: Phil Powers – Teacher, Steward, Student."

On Episode 146 of the Enormocast, I journey to Jackson, New Hampshire to sit down with an old friend, Majka Burhardt. Majka has actually been on the show twice before but the files were ruined one way or another due to inept skills on the part of the Royal We. Finally, 4 years after the … Continue reading "Episode 146: Majka Burhardt – From Climbing to Conservation."

On Episode 145 of the Enormocast, I sit down with my friend and Carbondale local, Mary Harlan. I often get requests for the “everyman (sic)” interview, and though Mary is not ordinary, nor is she a man, she does tread near the mainstream category as not only a good and experienced climber, but a mother, … Continue reading "Episode 145: Mary Harlan – Almost Famous"

On Episode 144 of the Enormocast, I sit down at the Ouray ice festival with ice climbing dark horse, Rapheal Slawinski. While a total legend in his backyard of the Canadian Rockies, Raph is maybe not quite the household name of his compatriot, Will Gadd. Yet, he has been on the forefront of ice climbing, … Continue reading "Episode 144: Raphael Slawinski – Control Within the Chaos."

On Episode 143 of the Enormocast, Andrew Bisharat, Steve Dilk, and I sit down with a bottle of whiskey and look back on the year and decide what notions and ideas in climbing are dead, or dying. Do Euros really suck at crack climbing the way the forums might see it? Can you really get … Continue reading "Episode 143: The TAPS Edition AKA Kill Your Daisy Chain with Andrew Bisharat and Steve Dilk."

On Episode 142 of the Enormocast, I sit down in a wide open and relaxing space in SLC to talk to big wall legend, John Middendorf. John disappeared to Tasmania after single-handedly changing big wall climbing in the 1990s. Previously, porta-ledges afforded respite from the vertical, but could not hold any serious storm at bay. … Continue reading "Episode 142: John Middendorf – Build It and They Will Go"

On Episode 141, my friend and climbing advocate, Sam Lightner, returns for his sophomore appearance on the Enormocast after joining us way back on Episode 9. Sam just recently published a book, Heavy Green, about a battle in the Vietnam War that involved a climbing twist as the NVA were faced with a climbing crux … Continue reading "Episode 141: Sam Lightner Jr. – Heavy Green."

On Episode 140 of the Enormocast, I sit down with World Citizen by way of Finland, Nalle Hukkataival. Much to my surprise, we found ourselves discussing at great length a single boulder problem, Burden of Dreams, something I never would have expected on the Enormocast. However, as we delve into Nalle’s send of what is … Continue reading "Episode 140: Nalle Hukkataival – Going Beyond."

On Episode 139 of the Enormocast, I sit down with mountain runner, or running explorer, or climber runner, or just plain runner, Joe Grant. Joe and I connected at a fundraising event for the Salt Lake Climbers Alliance in Salt Lake City, and while Joe was telling me about his running passion and long distance … Continue reading "Episode 139: Joe Grant – Analyzing the Simple."

On Episode 138 of the Enormocast, I sit down with my old friend, Heidi Wirtz. Heidi came up in climbing rock and ice in the hard-knocks backwater of Crested Butte, CO. She learned to take chances but never take money for climbing. After committing fully to the dirtbag lifestyle, Heidi nevertheless soon found herself wanting … Continue reading "Episode 138: Heidi Wirtz – The Long Game."