If you’re an ice climbing gearhead, then you’ve probably heard about the new picks by Beartooth Alpine Equipment. Cofounder Charlie Faust joins the pod today to tell us all about them. He’ll share how Beartooth Alpine came to be, how their picks differ from other brands on the market, the role gear advancement has played in changing the sport of ice climbing, and his personal pick sharpening tips. Plus, we’ll get philosophical in a talk about the light and dark motivations that lead peop...

James Schroeder (aka Fudd) is back on the pod today to talk about his recent health journey with a severe heart arrhythmia. He’ll share how the health issue came to light, the surgical processes he went through to correct the issue, what the recovery process has been like for him, and how it has changed his perspective on life, fitness, and climbing. Plus, Fudd and Jay reminisce about an epic ice climb, and the unforgettable rock prank Fudd played on Jay. Join us over on the First ...

Ice climbing season is just around the corner! Today, avid ice and mixed climber Brian O’Leary is on the pod to answer your ice, mixed and dry tooling questions. We’ll talk about the best ways to train for ice and mixed climbing, how the design of the tools you use will affect your performance, Brian’s thoughts on the need for more dry tooling routes, where to dry tool year round, and our thoughts on route grading. Brian is the co-founder of Forecast Climbing Equipment. Learn more a...

Rusty Talbot, candidate for NH Senate District 1, joins me on the pod today for a discussion about public service - both in the state house and at the crag. Rusty is an avid climber, the owner of the North Country Climbing Center in Lisbon, NH, a firefighter, and a search and rescue leader. Today, Rusty shares how climbing informs his approach to politics, what inspired him to run for state senate, where he stands in regards to issues facing New Hampshire’s outdoor recreation scene, and ...

Today Chris Vaughan and Mike Gagnon join me on the pod to discuss the latest developments at Merriam Woods and Russell Crag! We’ll talk about the history and future of Merriam Woods, how the development of a parking lot will majorly improve access, some of the best routes at the crag (for all skill levels!), the land management challenges in the area, the importance of community support to keep the crag accessible and thriving, and how you can get involved through The Central New Hampshi...

Dylan Connole, a longtime climber and tech rep for Trango Climbing, joins me on the pod today to talk about climbing Mainiac, a mythical 5.13d in the far reaches of northern Maine. Dylan shares some history about the climb before detailing his own experience climbing it in September (complete with some invaluable beta). Plus, he’ll share what it’s like to work in the climbing industry and how he made the transition from climber to working at the center of the industry. Check out Dyl...

Nadya Vorotnikova and Sean Vallefuoco are on the pod today to discuss their incredible performance at Horseshoe Hell, a grueling 24-hour climbing competition in Arkansas! They’ll share how the event works, the challenges that can arise when climbing for 24 hours straight, the importance of community support during the event, and the strategies they employed to achieve some really impressive performance metrics. Learn more about Horseshoe Hell here. Follow Nadya on Instagram @na...

Brian O’Leary of Forecast Climbing Equipment reached out with some questions about glue in bolts, so we’re gonna chat about it on the pod! We’ll talk about the benefits and challenges of glue in bolts vs. mechanical bolts, how the trend in bolting has moved towards glue ins in recent years, our thoughts on red tags, and the projects we’re excited about tackling this fall. Plus, Brian will tell us about the new tools coming to the Forecast Climbing lineup! Disclaimer: The inform...

New Hampshire silent crusher Franky Lapatino is on the show today to talk about the completion of his impressive project: ticking every route on the lower parking lot area at Rumney. We’ll talk about what inspired him to take on the project and Franky will share opinions of the underrated and overrated routes he ticked during the project. Then, Franky will talk us through how he went about projecting the crack climb 357 (aka Angel) throughout 2022. You can check out a video of his send o...

New York climbing legend Jim Lawyer is on the pod today to talk about the art of writing a guidebook. Jim is the co-author of Adirondack Rock: A Rock Climber’s Guide, an extremely comprehensive guidebook that covers 3,100 routes on more than 320 cliffs within the Adirondacks. Today, Jim and I cover what prompted him to tackle his huge project, the unique experiences that occur in the process of writing a guidebook, important priorities to keep in mind when writing a guidebook, and the im...

New England climbers Ryan Loiselle and Dan Knisell join Jay on the show today to talk about their very cool new business - Real Stone Holds. The guys share the benefits of using stone holds when doing indoor climbing, the unique process they use to craft each stone hold, the experience they’ve had building a business in the climbing industry, and how they’re balancing their personal climbing goals with their business goals. Check out Real Stone Holds full line of products here. &nbs...

Ladd Raine, President of the Rumney Climber’s Association, is on the pod today to talk all about Rumney and the upcoming AAC Craggin’ Classic on Sept 6-8. Ladd and I talk about what a local climbing organization (LCO) does, the history of the Rumney Climber’s Association and The Craggin’ Classic, what to expect at The Craggin’ Classic, how to report if a bolt needs to be replaced at Rumney, and all of the ways to get involved in your LCO if you want to help with the stewardship of the cr...

Nate Liles is back on the pod! If you watch climbing media, you’ve most likely seen Nate’s work as a videographer and photographer. Today he’ll take us behind the scenes to give us a glimpse of what it takes to create awesome climbing media. We’ll talk about the challenging process of rigging equipment to capture the ascent, the considerations Nate keeps in mind when using drones for footage, the business side of climbing media, and a few tips and tricks he uses to create compelling fina...

Certified Performance Climbing Coach Leif Gasch of Substr8 Climbing is on the show today for a deep dive conversation about the fundamentals of training. We’ll talk about how to know when you’re ready for training, the importance of setting a strong foundation for your body, cultivating an open mindset toward climbing, and how to schedule training so that you don’t have to give up days at the crag. To learn more about Leif’s personalized training plans, check out https://www.substr8...

We’re officially entering into a new phase of the First Ascent Podcast, and I could think of no one better to join me than my longtime climbing buddy, James Schroeder. With over 27 years of climbing under his belt, James has a lot of insight to offer. So, we’ll tackle some recently submitted listener questions. You’ll hear our thoughts about the responsibilities of a guide, how to successfully progress with trad climbing, the best way to give back to the climbing community, and the ethic...

On May 21st, First Ascent co-host Lee Hansche passed away while setting routes at the climbing gym while he worked. Today, Jay is releasing the final episode that they recorded together, as it reflects what a great man Lee was and what a joy it was to speak with him about climbing. If you would like to donate in Lee’s name, please visit https://www.gofundme.com/f/lee-hansche. The proceeds will be split between the Rumney Climbers Association and the Central New Hampshire Climbers Associa...

One of the coolest things about climbing is the rich historical lineage behind each route. From cans on spires, to guide books and magazines, and now Mountain Project, documentation that traces the history of a climb is an inspiring thing that connects us to the past. Not every route has a pristine historical record, however. This has caused a rift in the community. A rift that has brought some older climbers to make the claim that there are no first accents left at all - which we think ...

Nadya Vorotnikova is on the pod today for an awesome talk about loving the process and breaking self limiting beliefs. Nadya grew up in Russia, moved to New Hampshire when she was 10, and now lives in Colorado - and she’s been climbing all along. This journey has exposed her to so many different mental approaches to training and climbing and has made her the absolute crusher that she is. Today, Nadya tells us what it was like to grow up a family of dedicated climbers (including her broth...

North Conway native and long time climber Chris Graham, or ‘Grammy’ as he’s affectionately known, is a familiar face on both sides of the mountains, both as a climber and as a guide. His climbing career goes so far back that he can boast that he climbed at Rumney before there were bolts! Today, Chris shares his experiences as a guide, gives his opinion on the longstanding bolt debate between North Conway and Rumney, tells us his philosophy on when to use bolts (and when to not), and shin...

Few people have done more for the development of climbing bolt technology than Dave Quinn. Dave is one of the original developers of Rumney, a core member of Team Tough, and an all around bolting expert. Today’s he’s returning to the podcast to share updates about The Team Tough Crossover Bolt, which just passed U.I.A.A. certification. In this episode, Dave walks us through the process of creating a new bolt product; from supply chains to certification requirements, and all the step...

Tom Bowker is the undeniable godfather of the climbing scene in Waterville Valley. Tom’s prolific number of first ascents over his 40 year climbing career make him one of the most well known names in the region. His first ascents include Peer Pressure, Journey to Lost World, and dozens more.  Today, Tom shares awesome tales about how his routes came to be, why he still hand drills all of his bolts, why he thinks climbers are the most privileged users of public lands, and which first ascent...

It’s finally happening! Today’s conversation is all about bouldering. Boulderer extraordinaire Jake Perry is with us to answer all of your bouldering questions. We cover a wide range of bouldering topics, including grades, highballs, skin care, and the most important question: Why?  Would you like to hear a bonus episode with Nate? Join us over on the First Ascent Patreon! For $5, $7 or $10 a month, you’ll get access to wide ranging bonus content from greats like Mark Hudon, Scott Stevenson...

Last week we opened the floor to our Instagram followers - they hit us with all of the questions, comments, criticisms and praise that they wanted to throw our way. Today we’re digging through the comments and sharing our replies. Hear our thoughts on everything from cracked ribs, to peregrine falcons, to bouldering, to square roots and everything in between.  Do you have a burning question or a topic idea? Let us know at @firstascentpod on Instagram!  Jay and Lee can be found at...

The guys are getting worked up in today’s episode as they each share their five biggest crag annoyances. Life is all about balance, though! So you’ll also learn about their five favorite things at the crag.  What is your biggest crag annoyance? Or your favorite thing? Let us know on Instagram at @firstascentpod!  Join us over on the First Ascent Patreon! For only $5 a month, you’ll get access to wide ranging bonus content from greats like Mark Hudon, Scott Stevenson and many more. Plus...