Written in Stone: Climbing History
Written in Stone is a podcast about the history of rock climbing, focusing on the most groundbreaking ascents. Host Kris Hampton presents narrated, sound-designed stories about what led to new levels in climbing, paired with conversations with contemporary top climbers about how those historic moments inspired them. Each season explores a different era or theme, including the 1990s, the 1980s, and the history of modern bouldering. The show blends storytelling and interviews to trace the sport's evolution.
Episodes
Bart Van Raaij | 400 Trips to Fontainebleau, Writing Climbing Guidebooks, Bleau.info and More
Bart Van Raaij is the owner of Bleau.info, the author of the popular 5+6 and 7+8 guides, and is obsessed with Fontainebleau. Since the 1980s he's visited Fontainebleau more than 400 times, despite living 6 hours away. In this episode, we hear the stories of his first time doing legendary boulders like Carnage, Berezina, Amok, and more. We discuss why he would choose to write a guide to a seemingly
Jacky Godoffe | Making Climbing History in Fontainebleau, Big Boss, Fatman, C'Était Demain and More
Jacky Godoffe joins me to chat about legends of Fontainebleau: Jerome Jean-Charles, Robert Paragot, Pierre Allain, Fred Nicole, and more. We hear the stories of his boulders Big Boss, Fatman, and C'Était Demain, as well as stories about Carnage, La Pierre Philosophale, La Merveille and more.
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You're Wrong About The Limits of Climbing
A few thoughts that combine all of the things I spend time thinking about while I get together the Bleau interviews.
The future of climbing difficulty isn't only about the size of holds or the distance between them. In fact, that's rarely what changes things. It's more about the climbers and their skills.
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The History of Fontainebleau Bouldering Circuits
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Bouldering began as a way to train for the mountains, but by the mid 1940s in Fontainebleau, it had started to form it's own identity. A Bleausard named Fred Bernick had an idea that would continue the tradition of preparing for those mountain routes
The First V6 (7A) Boulder | Robert Paragot and The Joker
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Perhaps the most powerful force in the early years of Fontainebleau bouldering history was the consistent changing of the guard. Every few years a new group would supplant the old, bringing new ideas, updated ethics, and stronger fingers. But when a brash group of climbers, formed from the best of several groups, the difficulty standards of the previous leaders, Pierre Allain
World's First 6A (V3) Boulder and The Convicts of Cuvier
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Shortly after WWII, a new group formed in Fontainebleau. They called themselves the Cuvier Academic Club, but were quickly known as The Convicts of Cuvier. Led by Pierre Allain, René Ferlet, Guy Poullet and Jacques Poincenot, this group would raise standards in the forest with the first ascent of La Marie Rose, the first V3 (6A) in the world.
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Pierre Allain: The First Superstar of Modern Bouldering
After World War 1, bouldering began to shapeshift into something that very closely resembles the modern day game. At the forefront of that movement was Pierre Allain, a climber who was openly competitive and aimed to be the best. Also a talented and accomplished alpinist, Allain invented much of the gear we take for granted today, including the first shoes specifically for climbing -- and they wer
Fontainebleau and the Birth of Bouldering as We Know It
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By 1908, people had been practicing on boulders for over 25 years, but it lacked something essential to bouldering: community. In Fontainebleau, groups of climbers with a shared passion would unite around the sandstone blocs and forever shape the gam
Was Oscar Eckenstein Really the First Boulderer? Featuring Efix Roy
Was Oscar Eckenstein the first boulderer? What does that even mean? This season, we are asking and trying to answer some big questions. In this episode, I talk with our research assistant, Efix Roy, about the big question raised by the first episode of the season.
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The First Boulderer and His Occultist Protégé: Oscar Eckenstein and Aleister Crowley
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People have likely climbed on boulders for all of human history, but in the late 1800's, one man began advocating for climbing on boulders as a way to become a better climber. His name was Oscar Eckenstein, and he fundamentally changed the way we climb. Was he the first boulderer?
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Season 3 | The History of Modern Bouldering
What is bouldering, really? What defines a "boulderer"? And how has that changed since the beginnings of the game? Are there rules, and if so, where did those "rules" start?
Coming Soon: Season 3 of Written in Stone | The History of Modern Bouldering.
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Michael Kennedy on Access to Climbing Culture and the Photo of Edlinger That Defined the 80s
Michael Kennedy is a legend of climbing media. As the editor of Climbing Magazine from 1974 to 1998, he helped to bring climbing culture to tens of thousands of climbers who otherwise didn't have access to it. He also took the photo that I believe best defines climbing in the 1980s.
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BONUS: When Lynn Hill Proved That Women Can Beat Men In Competition
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In a recent Magnus Midtbo video, Janja Garnbret mentioned that she could do well against the men in a sport climbing competition. Lynn Hill may have helped prove Janja's point - all the way back in 1990.
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The Thumbs Up: Sharing Lanes And Circling Back in 1980s Climbing.
After a few weeks of thinking about it, I've put my finger on what I learned about climbing by looking back at the 1980s, and I'm ready to reveal where we go next season.
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Jordan Cannon on The Free Salathe, How to Climb Pitch 19, and Why Style Matters
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Today, in the final interview of the season, we are talking to young legend in the making, Jordan Cannon, who is fresh off of an incredible season of big wall climbing. Most important for this conversation is his recent ascent of The Free Salathé, including the infamous Pitch 19, one of only a handful to do the route this way.
Jordan’s emphasis
Mark Hudon on Free As Can Be on the Salathé Wall, Skinner and Piana's Ascent, and Experience Vs. Trophies
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Mark Hudon is a bonafide climbing legend. One of the best free climbers of the 70s and early 80s, he and partner Max Jones looked past convention and moved hard free climbing to the big walls of Yosemite. His article Long, Hard and Free inspired a whole generation of climbers, including Todd Skinner and Paul Piana, and laid the groundwork for th
Steve Bechtel on Skinner, Piana, Friendship, and Community
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Steve Bechtel is a Wyoming climbing legend who moved to Lander when the limestone at Wild Iris was discovered and helped to develop it alongside Todd Skinner and Paul Piana.
In this episode we discuss the sides of Skinner and Piana that often get lost when listing accomplishments - their roles as friends and community builders. Their humanity.
Paul Piana and Todd Skinner Free the Finest Rock Climb On Earth (Part 2)
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After causing a ruckus in Yosemite Valley and Index, Todd Skinner didn’t slink away. He looked up. Way up. At El Capitan.
He and Paul Piana had been dramatically influenced by an article written by Mark Hudon called Long, Hard and Free, and the dusty disappointment of the Valley Demi-Gods wasn’t going to hold them back.
Using tactics borrowed f
Paul Piana and Todd Skinner Partner Up and Push the Boundaries (Part 1)
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By the middle of the 1980s, the shift to sport climbing was in full swing. Two Wyoming cowboys, Paul Piana and Todd Skinner, recognized that the strength they’d gained from sport climbing would give them an advantage on projects left behind by the previous generation. However, that previous generation wasn’t so quick to embrace the changes. Part
Rob LeBreton on Snowbird and Australian Sport Climbing in the 1980s
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Rob LeBreton wears a lot of hats. First, he’s a long time friend of the show, but he’s also a dad, husband, gym owner, former president of Sport Climbing Australia, and absolute climbing legend - the first Australian to establish climbs of 31 and 32 (13d and 14a) in Australia.
After the Snowbird episode came out, Rob sent me a video of the fina
Alan Watts on Setting for Snowbird, the Drama that Unfolded, and the Comp's Importance to American Indoor Climbing
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Alan Watts is widely recognized as the father of American sport climbing and a leading developer at Smith Rock. However, most don’t know about his impact on the indoor climbing industry in the US or the fact that in 1988 he set for the very first international climbing competition in the country - Snowbird.
In this episode we discuss his role as
Showdown(s) At Snowbird | Edlinger vs. Tribout and Destivelle vs. Hill
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In 1985, 19 of the top French climbers signed a manifesto against competition climbing. But competitions came anyway. Quickly, most of those same signees defected - becoming the climbers to beat at every event. As happens in every competitive sport, rivalries were formed, and would play out in the vertical theater.
In 1988, America would host i
Ted Kingsnorth on the Influence of Jerry Moffatt and Chasing History
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A big part of my research for any UK climber ends up being first, climbing-history.org run by Remus Knowles, but then immediately after I start reading endless threads on UKclimbing.com. While there, I often bump into an authoritative voice who obviously absolutely LOVES climbing history. Ted Kingsnorth.
I first came across Ted’s name when he m
Jerry Moffatt Climbs Everything, Everywhere
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In 1984, Jerry Moffatt was quite possibly the best climber in the world. A year later, he was out of climbing entirely, with severe elbow problems. During his couple of years off, climbing moved on without him - and it moved fast. Bolts became the norm, yo-yo ascents were all but gone, replaced by redpoint tactics, difficulty had skyrocketed fro
Mark Anderson on Wolfgang Güllich, The Campus Board, and Climbing on Your Heroes' Routes
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Beyond being a top athlete, Wolfgang Güllich was also a training nerd and developed the campus board. Because of this, I knew I needed to talk to Mark Anderson. Mark is one of the twin Anderson Brothers - both great climbers and pioneers in the training space. They wrote The Rock Climbers Training Manual, developed the Rock Prodigy Hangboard and
Wolfgang Güllich is a Wolf on Wallstreet
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After establishing Punks in the Gym, the first 14a (8b+), Wolfgang Güllich was looking for a change. First he accepted an invitation to a competition in Bardonecchia, Italy. It left a bad taste in his mouth. Over the next year, after doing a few more hard routes, he experimented with bold climbing on gritstone and free soloing, culminating in hi
Back To The Regular Season Plus An Announcement
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Thanks for listening. We're back next week with our regular season.
Check out our website for related episodes, resources and more!
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Season Two is generously supported by Rab.
This episode is supported by Tension Climbing and The Tension Board 2.
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Rosie Andrews on No Spare Rib and Women in Climbing From the '80s to Today
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Over 40 years ago, Mountain Magazine published an article by Rosie Andrews called No Spare Rib. Filled with photos of strong women and asserting that women would eventually climb at the highest levels while explaining why they were behind in the '80s, it did two things: inspired some and ruffled the feathers of others.
Today, women like Brooke
Louise Shepherd on Her Female Climbing Role Models and Connecting with Other Women in the '80s
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Louise Shepherd was and is a juggernaut for women’s climbing, particularly in Australia, where she did for climbing what Lynn Hill did in the US - make it impossible to ignore that women are excellent at this. And this was before everybody got the news from everywhere immediately - so, yes, there needed to be a palpable example in all of the cli
Alison Osius on The Women of Climbing and Media in the '80s
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Alison Osius is easily one of the most impactful people in climbing media. She helped to shape how so many climbers learned more about and engaged with the sport from the '80s into the '20s. She’s a former editor at Climbing, Rock and Ice and Outside, the first woman president of the American Alpine Club, wrote Second Ascent: The Story of Hugh H
Lynn Hill on the Women of the '80s, Who Inspired Her, and Who Is Inspiring Her Now
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Lynn Hill is THE legend, and quite possibly the most impactful climber of all time. I could make a case that Lynn's free ascent in a day of The Nose is the greatest climbing achievement of all time.
But Lynn and I aren't talking about Lynn. We're talking about the other women of the '80s: the women she climbed with, competed against, and was in
Amy Skinner on Las Vegas Climbing in the '80s and the Importance of Great Female Partners
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Today I sit down with my good friend Amy Skinner - who, in the early '80s in Las Vegas, sort of stumbled into the scene that would eventually be called sport climbing. We discuss that movement, where she first encountered other female climbers, who her favorite female climbing partners have been, and more.
Like many of the women who have been m
Women Climbers of the '80s Part 3: Unique Strengths
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In Part 3 of our series on female climbers of the 1980s, we wrap up the decade with difficulty reaching new heights. We see a smart pattern start to emerge at the top of the pack as women realize how to leverage their unique strengths, and in doing so, they prove themselves with resounding success at the most futuristic crag in the world - Buoux
Women Climbers of the '80s Part 2: Power In Numbers
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In Part 2 of our series on women climbers of the 1980s, we focus on the middle of the decade, when difficulty soared. We take a closer look at the 1984 International Ladies Meet hosted by The Pinnacle Club in North Wales, how it connects to the women who were at the forefront of sport climbing a year later, and how standards began to skyrocket.
Women Climbers of the '80s Part 1: It Wasn't Because They Weren't There
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The history of women in climbing, in it’s written form, is woefully incomplete. In this, the first of a multi-part series, we attempt to correct some of these oversights by taking a look at not only the early '80s, but the years and accomplishments that laid the foundation for the women of the '80s.
In this episode, we discuss Bev Johnson, Siby
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Our main sponsor this season, Rab, is giving away three of their Ascendor Light Hoodies, mens or womens, any color in stock.
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History Misses Things
Check out our new book, Written In Stone: The 1990s!
We're taking a short break because we want to make sure that we don't miss the important contributions from the women climbers of the 80's who were pushing things forward. We'll be back soon!
In the meantime, there are a bunch of free bonus episodes in our Patreon, The Secret Stoners Club!
Jeff Smoot on John Bachar, Peter Croft, and the Shift in Climbing in the '80s
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Because this season is focused on the 1980s, and we are talking about the two best free soloists of their generations, Peter Croft and John Bachar, there is a Venn Diagram that puts today’s guest squarely in the center: Jeff Smoot.
In Jeff’s book Hangdog Days: Conflict, Change and the Race for 5.14, he tells the tale of the beginnings of sport
Alex Honnold on Peter Croft, John Bachar, Free-Soloing, and Climbing Big Yosemite Linkups
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Does Alex Honnold need an introduction? No, of course he doesn’t. But he was particularly suited for this conversation about Bachar and Croft for several reasons:
#1, Alex is a student of history. He cares about this stuff. If you haven’t listened to his Climbing Gold podcast, you should. I highly recommend the Dope Lake series - it’s a 5 part s
John Bachar Chooses Peter Croft For a New Game
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It was 1986, over halfway through a decade that had brought turbulent change to climbing, and it was clear to John Bachar that even in Yosemite - hallowed ground as far as he was concerned - ethics were shifting. Sure, people still traveled here to do the big walls and to climb some of the classics, but the world knew that Yosemite and the once
Andrea Hah on Punks in the Gym, Arapiles, and Confidence
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Shortly after my own trip to the Grampians and Araps, where I played briefly on Punks in the Gym, just to give it, as Ben Cossey would say, a tummy rub, I went back to the Blue Mountains where I met a bunch of Australian mega-crushers. One of those crushers was Andrea Hah. And because she was the first Australian woman to climb Punks in the Gym,
Jesse Guthrie on Wolfgang Güllich, Kurt Albert, and Climbing in the '80s
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As I was researching Wolfgang, I would regularly come across candid photos taken inside the house he shared with Kurt Albert, and of course I read every story about Wolfgang I could find. In those photos and those stories, I often came across an American name - Jesse Guthrie. I had to try to find him and get him on the show.
He was one of the p
Hannes Huch on Community in the Frankenjura, Wolfgang Güllich, and Kurt Albert
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Because the history of the Frankenjura can’t be told without Kurt Albert and Wolfgang Güllich, both of whom we lost too soon, I wanted to talk to someone rooted in that community to try and get an understanding of how their legacy looks. For me, the obvious choice was Hannes Huch. He’s a photographer and artist who balances a modern aesthetic wi
Ben Cossey on Wolfgang Güllich, Punks in the Gym, and Lightweight Baby
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There’s really no debate. In the pantheon of Wolfgang Güllich frothers, there is no person who is as much a frother as Australian superstar Ben Cossey. In May of 2024, Ben made the first ascent of a long-standing project at Mt. Arapiles in Australia, Lightweight Baby, finally finishing what became the hardest pitch in the area - and within sight
Wolfgang Güllich is a Punk in the Gym
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From the early to mid-1980s, Wolfgang Güllich was steadily discovering his own power. Spurred on by American and British climbers coming to the Frankenjura and establishing the hardest routes, he tapped into a part of himself that he rarely showed. With that competitive side on display, he went to America to do the hardest routes there, returned
History Takes Time
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While we're working hard on the next episode, an update on some changes to the remainder of the season.
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Season Two is generously supported by Rab.
This episode is supported by Tension
Andy Salo and Whitney Boland on Lynn Hill and a Love of Gunks Climbing
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Andy Salo and Whitney Boland are modern day Gunks legends. Andy has FA’d some of the hardest routes in the area and co-written the brilliant guidebooks to the area. Whitney moved to the area and gained near instant local status, eventually writing the Flashback series about Gunks legends, which you can find both in Andy’s guidebooks and on the R
Russ Clune on Lynn Hill, Gunks Climbing, and Vandals
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Russ Clune is a Legend. I once introduced him as climbing's Forrest Gump, because since the 1980s he's been there for many of climbing's most impactful moments. A Gunks local who has traveled widely to climb on every type of rock, in every style imaginable, he's a living thread from before sport climbing to now, and if you're ever lucky enough t
Lynn Hill Vandalizes Perception
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In 1983, after years of climbing on Yosemite's granite cracks with John Long and the Stonemasters, Lynn Hill went on a roadtrip. First to Arizona, then to Colorado and finally Red Rock, outside of Las Vegas. While on the road, she and Long established some of the most classic routes in the country. After a brief foray into Hollywood stunts, Lynn
Niall Grimes on Moffatt, Revelations, and What Jerry Means to Climbing
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Many climbers put Jerry Moffatt’s book, Revelations, on the top of their list. This is in no small part due to the work of Niall Grimes, who co-wrote the Banff Mountain Book Festival Grand Prize Winner. Niall is an Irish climbing legend who lives in Sheffield, and the host of the hilarious, story filled Jam Crack Climbing Podcast.
In this episo
Jerry Moffatt is the Best Climber in the World
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In 1983, one climber was more dominant than any other: Jerry Moffatt. Filled with confidence, he traveled the world not only to quickly repeat the hardest routes, but to put up his own routes - often the hardest in the country. A trip to the US let the world know that he had arrived, but it was a trip to Germany with one of the brightest German
Bill Ramsey on Alan Watts and Climbing at Smith Rock in the '80s
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There’s nobody better than Bill Ramsey to discuss the impact that Alan Watts had on climbing. Not only is he a philosophy professor, but he was born in the same hospital as Alan, just a few hours later. Their fathers climbed together at Smith Rock, their mothers shared a recovery room, and together they found a love of climbing that helped bring
Alan Watts Sets Off a Chain Reaction
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In early 1983, in a small backwater area in Oregon with less than stellar rock, Smith Rock, sport climbing history was quietly being made. Alan Watts had all but climbed out the cracks in the area and had turned his attention to the blank faces and lasercut aretes. He would have to bend the rules to get it done, but with nobody around to tell hi
David Chambre on Edlinger, Tribout, and French Sport Climbing History
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Kris chats with French legend David Chambre, the author of one of the best and most beautiful reference books out there for '90s climbing history, The 9th Grade. David’s previous book, co-written with Jibé Tribout, The 8th Grade, is a treasure trove of French climbing history of the late 1970s and early to mid 1980s. They discuss the influence o
Jibé Tribout and Arnould T'Kint on Patrick Edlinger and Climbing in the '80s
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Kris sits down in Wyoming with two absolute legends from the '80s, Jibé Tribout and Arnould T’Kint, to talk about Patrick Edlinger and the birth of sport climbing as we know it.
Belgian climbing legend Arnould T’Kint did the third 8a in the world, and the first outside of the US, as well as reportedly being the first to onsight 8a.
Jibé Tribou
Patrick Edlinger is a Rock Star
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There is no icon of 1980's climbing with the starpower of Patrick Edlinger. Known as Le Blonde, it's estimated that by the mid 1990's, Edlinger was responsible for inspiring 80% of France's climbers to join the sport. Not only was he one of the first to embrace sport climbing, he defined the style and movement of the era.
But the life of the roc
Kurt Albert and the Birth of Sport Climbing
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As the end of the 1970’s neared, climbers, more and more, the world over, were wondering the same thing. “How hard can we climb?
In this setup episode we look at the factors that coalesced right there at the end of the 70's and beginning of the 80's to help pave the way for what we now call sport climbing.
New equipment, new tactics, and most i
Season 2: The 1980s
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Climbing, in the 1990s, as you’ve already heard, was all punk rock and new wave, rising standards and superstar climbers pushing each other forward through friendly – and not so friendly – rivalries. And it was huge.
But all of that bravado started somewhere. It wasn’t some Big Bang event. Instead, January 1st, 1990 was a product of the previous
BONUS | Remus Knowles on the Climbers and Ascents We Missed in Season 1
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Remus Knowles runs https://climbing-history.org/ , and since he's a fan of the show, I asked him to come on and tell me which climbers and ascents we missed in Season 1. He showed up with a great list of climbers including Leo Houlding, Klem Loskot and more. I do my best to defend my choices, but Remus makes some great points.
Become a Patron an
BONUS | Matt Samet on Climbing Mags from the '90s to Now
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Matt Samet is a legend of the climbing magazine world, having worked for Climbing, Rock & Ice and Alpinist as an editor, writer and general voice of credibility. Not everyone in the industry is core to the climbing lifestyle, but Matt definitely is. He loves this.
In this episode we discuss the role of the magazines then and now, the demise
Climbing in the '90s: Cultural Shifts and Lessons Learned from Season One
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Sometimes you need time away to realize what you were in the midst of.
In this episode Kris reflects on the season, where the true cultural shifts in climbing came, and the lessons that climbers can take away from examining climbing history this way.
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Eva Lopez on Women in Sports, Rivalries, and What Josune Means to Climbing History
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Eva Lopez is one of the top Spanish climbers in history. While she is largely known as one of the world’s foremost researchers on training for climbing, she’s also a crusher. She was the 5th woman to to climb 8c and in 2013, at 42 years old, climbed her first 8c+, a route she bolted called Potemkin.
In this episode, Eva and Kris discuss the sta
Josune Bereziartu Goes Honky Tonkin'
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Basque superstar Josune Bereziartu first tied in as the 80’s were changing into the 90’s, after seeing a documentary showing two women climbing in the Verdon. Within those first few months of Josune learning to climb, Lynn Hill did the first 14a ever climbed by a woman.
By the middle of the 90’s Josune became the 5th woman to equal the feat, wh
Chris Schulte on the Magic of Fontainebleau, Climbing Lifelist Boulders, and Catherine Miquel
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Chris Schulte is a boulderer who is obsessed with the lines and shapes of climbing. He fell in love with Fontainebleau many years ago based on a photo of Fred Nicole climbing Karma and has cultivated a relationship with the forest and climbed many life-list boulders there.
In this episode, Kris asks Chris to describe the forest in his poetic way
Catherine Miquel Wins the Duel
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Throughout the 90s, Catherine Miquel was the undisputed queen of bouldering. Surprised you haven’t heard her name? I was too, but we aren’t alone. Not many of the people I’ve talked to know of her or her incredible resume.
Climbing in Fontainebleau, she entered the decade as the only woman to climb V8, and then it was off to the races. Again an
Josie McKee on Curiosity and the Mindset of Climbing Freerider
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Josie McKee is a climbing guide, former YOSAR member, all-around big wall super badass and a climbing coach through her company Mind Athlete. She’s climbed El Cap over 20 times, set several speed records, has free climbed damn near every Valley classic, and her Yosemite resume rivals just about anyone’s.
In this episode, Josie walks Kris through
Chris Kalous on Freerider, Big Wall Climbing Rules, and How the Hubers Shifted History
Check out our new book, Written In Stone: The 1990s!
If you were following Chris Kalous and The Enormocast in the early days, then you are well aware that he’s climbed Freerider. And if you follow his new show, The Runout, you know how interested he is in the history of one specific pitch of The Free Salathe - Pitch 19 - the pitch that Alex Huber subverted by climbing the Monster Offwidth, thus la
Alex Huber Rides Free
Check out our new book, Written In Stone: The 1990s!
In 1998, Alex and Thomas Huber climbed the first ascent of Freerider on El Capitan in just over 15 hours. Their climb ushered in a new era of big wall free climbing, and there’s no question it was a hugely important moment in climbing history.
But the way we credit it, most often simply to Alex Huber, ignores the rich history of the route.
The
How to Climb Cowboy Direct: Jordan Cannon on The Struggle Climbing Show
Check out our new book, Written In Stone: The 1990s!
Today, we're featuring a great conversation between our friend Ryan Devlin, host and creator of the Struggle Climbing Show and member of the Plug Tone Collective, and Jordan Cannon.
In this bonus episode, Jordan takes us on the unbelievable adventure of tackling one of the toughest high-altitude big wall ascents in the world, the Cowboy Direct
Mike Lilygren on Todd Skinner, Leadership, and Climbing Trango Tower
Check out our new book, Written In Stone: The 1990s!
In his book, Beyond the Summit, Todd Skinner wrote, “Mike Lilygren had a schoolboy face and Dennis the Menace hair, an irritatingly endless sense of humor, and a tinkerer’s mind for detail. He would turn into “the closer” on the expedition, the one who kept getting stronger as the burden increased, the keystone that bridged the way to the summit
Jordan Cannon on Cowboy Direct, Climbing History, and the Importance of Storytelling
Check out our new book, Written In Stone: The 1990s!
In 2023, Yosemite big wall free climbing ace Jordan Cannon joined Matt Segal and Jesse Huey on a trip to Pakistan to test their mettle against Trango Tower. Specifically, they were looking at the unrepeated Cowboy Direct, established in 1995 by Todd Skinner, Mike Lilygren, Bobby Model and Jeff Bechtel.
In this episode, Kris and Jordan discuss t
Todd Skinner and Team Cowboy Up
Check out our new book, Written In Stone: The 1990s!
In 1995, Todd Skinner began assembling a team for an audacious ascent in the Himalayan Karakoram. He’d been shown photos of a golden, rocket-ship-shaped tower that looked like it could be sitting in Yosemite, except it sat at 19,000 feet and was surrounded by some of the greatest mountains on earth. But he didn’t gather a team of experienced alp
Jonathan Siegrist on the Difficulty of Grading and Climbing for the Challenge
Check out our new book, Written In Stone: The 1990s!
Jonathan Siegrist isn’t just one of America’s best and most prolific sport climbers, having climbed over 25 5.15’s. He’s also someone who thinks deeply about what climbing offers us, and works to make sure we stay on track.
In this episode, Kris and Jonathan discuss one of the most controversial topics in climbing, grades. How grades come abou
Seb Bouin on Akira, Grading DNA, and French Climbing History
Check out our new book, Written In Stone: The 1990s!
Seb Bouin is one of only three climbers who have climbed 5.15d (9c). Following in the footsteps of leading French climbers, he established his testpiece, DNA, in 2023 in the Verdon Gorge. It may not be a coincidence that this came shortly after his Vintage Rock Tour, in which he climbed all of the firsts in France from 7c+ to 9a+, including the
Fred Rouhling, Akira, and the Biggest Climbing Controversy of the 1990s
Check out our new book, Written In Stone: The 1990s!
Fred Rouhling was a good climber, but 5.15b? At a time when 14d was the hardest grade, Fred suggested that his half boulder/half route hybrid, Akira, was much harder than any other climb on the planet. Not many people believed the quiet, usually reserved French climber. Many of the top pros at the time; Ben Moon, Jibe Tribout and Alex Huber, wou
BONUS: Nina Caprez on Attempting to Climb The Nose with Lynn Hill
Check out our new book, Written In Stone: The 1990s!
Nina Caprez is a weapon. Known as the ‘Swiss Machine’, and easily one of the most accomplished big wall free climbers on the planet, she had her eyes on freeing The Nose, and she had partnered up with none other than Lynn Hill. What could possibly stand in her way?
The same thing that nearly stopped Lynn. Changing Corners.
In this episode, Kris
Lauren DeLaunay Miller on Lynn Hill and The History of Women Climbing in Yosemite
Check out our new book, Written In Stone: The 1990s!
Lauren DeLaunay Miller is a climber, former YOSAR member, and award winning author of Valley of Giants: Stories from Women at the Heart of Yosemite Climbing. From her first moments in Yosemite Valley, hearing the stories of the inspiring women who not only climbed hard things but built the community, she knew that a book was necessary. She just
Chelsea Griffie on Leading the Way and Being the First Black Woman to Climb El Cap
Check out our new book, Written In Stone: The 1990s!
In 2001, Chelsea Griffie topped out on Lurking Fear on the far left side of El Capitan and became the first black woman to climb the world famous formation. But she didn’t realize that until years later. She was just looking for things to challenge her.
In this episode, Kris and Chelsea discuss the path of her climbing that led to El Cap, what
Bobbi Bensman on Lynn Hill and 1990s Competition Climbing
Check out our new book, Written In Stone: The 1990s!
Bobbi Bensman was one of the most dominant competition climbers of the 1990s, winning the Phoenix Bouldering Contest 13 years in a row and 20 National Championships. She’s still going strong, adding every year to a 5.13 ticklist that’s now over 250 routes long.
In this episode, Kris and Bobbi discuss her years as a competition climber, her grea
Lynn Hill Proves It Goes
Check out our new book, Written In Stone: The 1990s!
Lynn Hill was looking for a different kind of progression. By the mid-1990’s climbing grades had skyrocketed, and Lynn was climbing harder and harder. But the difficulty wasn’t what drove her. She wanted adventure. Partnership. To push into the unknown. Something BIG. And there was one prize that had been talked about for decades with the air of
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