On Episode 287 of the Enormocast, I connect through to America’s hat with Swiss crack-master, Didier Berthod. You might have heard about Didier from his recent send of Cobra Crack. The media mentions Didier disappearing from climbing for 10 years, returning to slay the Cobra, yada, yada, but that Didier’s completion of the Cobra has … Continue read…

In the early 2000s, Didier Berthod was the best crack climber in the world, then he dropped out of climbing and essentially disappeared from the world. When we left Didier Berthod in Facing the World Part 1, he had emerged from monastic life, contacted the daughter he had never seen, and returned to climbing. In … Continue reading "Enormocast Tween…

Being present in God’s presence is vital for our hearts and souls to experience God’s love. In this podcast, we are honored to have our sister and Worship Circle mentor, Melodie Malone, share her story and heart for God’s presence and her desire for others to experience Him in intimacy and worship. Melodie’s new version of “Breathe” is on the Worsh…

On Episode 285 of the Enormocast, after long last, I connect with Belgian rock-climber and alpinist, Nico Favresse. Nico is certainly a contender for the most experienced expedition rock-climber of all time. Perhaps only rivalled by his ubiquitous partner, Sean Villanueva-O’Driscoll? Nevertheless, Nico is an all-arounder who has tackled the biggest…

In this podcast, we check in with our friend and Worship Circle mentor, Charlie Hall. Charlie’s pastoral heart, listening ear, and authentic way of life have blessed so many of the guys he’s led in small groups. Charlie’s classic song “Marvelous Light” will be released soon on our new “Foundations” project. http://www.worshipcircle.com…

In this podcast, we sit down with our sister and Worship Circle mentor, Laura Story, to talk about her new version of “Indescribable” from the Worship Circle “Foundations” project. We also discuss current tendencies and leanings in worship ministry in the Church and Laura’s experience leading her small group with us. http://www.worshipcircle.com…

In this podcast, we sit down with our friend and new Worship Circle mentor, Jill Phillips, to talk about her musical journey through the years as well as her path towards helping others move toward healing. http://www.worshipcircle.comBy jill phillips, todd fields

On Episode 284 of the Enormocast, we connect across the pond to North Wales in the U.K. and into the living room of Emma Twyford. Emma is a pioneering woman in that rarified air of hard, desperate trad that only the old country can serve up. She is the first British woman to climb 9a … Continue reading "Enormocast 284: Emma Twyford – Getting on Wit…

On Episode 283 of the Enormocast, I sit down in a hotel in Munising, Michigan at the Michigan Icefest with Alaska-based alpinist, Clint Helander. What with the Chris Kalous Dance Party and the last call nightcap(s) at a bar literally called Whisky Dick’s, it had been a long night and an early morning for both … Continue reading "Enormocast 283: Cli…

In this podcast, Paul shares the origin story and eventual worldwide impact of his song, "Open The Eyes Of My Heart." http://www.worshipcircle.comBy Paul Baloche, Todd Fields

On Episode 282 of the Enormocast, I sit down with US Olympic qualifier, Natalia Grossman. That’s right, Natalia is headed to Paris to represent the US in Lead and Boulder combined (speed is separate this time around). But this moment was caught during a bit of down time for Natalia as she ramps up for … Continue reading "Enormocast 282: Natalia Gro…

In this podcast, we discuss our good friend Meredith Andrew’s current season of life, her new project “Heaven’s Frequency”, as well as her experience as a Worship Circle mentor and song on the upcoming “Foundations” live album. http://www.worshipcircle.comBy Meredith Andrews, Todd Fields

On this in-between episode of the Enormocast, Harvey Wright from Episode 222 returns to discuss his ongoing treatment and recovery for addiction. But more importantly, Harvey is here to talk about his new album, Patio Pacifica, written almost entirely while in a Vancouver treatment facility. Also, we talk about the rough and dirty years since … Con…

In this podcast, former Worship Circle member Becky Ykema shares her journey from the stage of a megachurch to serving the local church as an all-hands-on-deck worship pastor in a context where responsibilities were added. We discuss the challenges and the rewards of leading a team, as well as the current state of worship ministry in the Church. ht…

On Episode 281 of the Enormocast, Jon Hawk and Tye Liggins from Memphis Rox join to discuss the mission of the famous pay-what-you-can gym, Memphis Rox, in the inner-city of Memphis, TN. Jon is director of operations, and Tye went from walk-in to head coach and course-setter. Memphis Rox, founded by Tom Shadyac in 2018, … Continue reading "Enormoca…

Programming is the best! We're chatting with Thorsten Ball (self-published author of Writing an Interpreter in Go and Writing a Compiler in Go) about all of our mutual favorite topics: learning new stuff, great textbooks, writing, and why bugs are actually great (a gift, even!). Shownotes Writing an Interpreter in Go (Thorsten's book): Writing a Co…

On Episode 280 of the Enormocast we present the 2024 Taps edition of the Enormocast. This is the annual episode where we lay to rest traditions, foibles, and notions in climbing that are either sadly going to sleep never to reawaken, or should be put to bed for good. The Enormocast is joined by our … Continue reading "Enormocast 280: Taps 2024 – Th…

On episode 279 of the Enormocast, we have an allt-ime double-header. First, David Smart joins from Toronto to talk about his life as a climber and his new book from The Mountaineers, Royal Robbins: The American Climber. Royal Robbins was one of the most influential climbers of all time, and David’s book is the most … Continue reading "Enormocast 27…

Zach Latta is the founder of Hack Club (hackclub.com). Zach's a high school dropout who's now helped 30k high school students around the world start their own coding clubs. He also helped build the much-beloved "yo" texting app in 2014. This is a fun conversation about coding in school, being a kid, the importance of friendship in learning, and rea…

On Episode 278 of the Enormocast, I connect with Thomas Bukowski from my home to his van sitting in Yosemite. Thomas had just completed three El Cap routes in three days, and was recovering. His next adventures in Patagonia were just on the horizon. Thomas is an American citizen, but is also half Chinese and … Continue reading "Enormocast 278: Thom…

Oz and Charlie brainstorm their "Stripe Press for kids" publishing idea! Shownotes: Klutz Press Charlie's blog post about Klutz Press Hacker News discussion about Charlie's Klutz Press blog Little Schemer: https://mitpress.mit.edu/978026256099... Abstract Algebra: A Student Friendly Approach: https://www.amazon.com/Abstract-Algeb... Computer System…

As we stare down into the howling void of Government regulation of our dear sport, let us give thanks and a listen to Armando Menocal from 2015. Armando has made it his life’s work to keep the simpering bureaucrats in Washington and elsewhere at bay. But lately, they have reared their heads in an attempt … Continue reading "Enormocast Rebroadcast: …

On Episode 277 of the Enormocast, we connect with the inimitable Kurt Smith. Kurt grew up in the 70s in Tahoe and through friendships with local climbers like Rick Lovelace and encounters with Yosemite Climber, Kurt found himself in Joshua Tree amongst the Stonemasters in the early 80s. Soon, Kurt and his crew were making … Continue reading "Enormo…

When we left the boys in the last Episode, they had just summited the Trango Tower via the 2nd ascent of Cowboy Direct. In this installment, the summit emotions and revelations come fast and furious as well as the realization that hits every alpinist on the summit: “Oh, shit, we still gotta get off this … Continue reading "Enormocast Tweener: A Can…

In this podcast, we sit down with Michael Jones of Worship Circle Pastors, along with David and Holly Jauregui of Winshape Retreats and spiritual directors Will Truesdell and Brenda Golden. We talk about the upcoming needs, the journey, and the offerings of Worship Circle Pastors. http://www.worshipcircle.com…

Brandon Hendrickson (creator of scienceisweird.com) says no one's ever asked him about the sabertooth tiger skull in his Zoom background - until now! Brandon's a teacher steeped in the ideas of Kieran Egan - a prolific educational theorist who believes the world is FASCINATING and that IMAGINATION is key to how we humans learn. We explore how Egan'…

On Episode 276 of the Enormocast, three guys dreamed big and got it done. Climbers Jordan Cannon and Jesse Huey hitched their wagons to Matt Segal‘s long standing dream of free climbing the second ascent of Todd Skinner et al’s master piece, Cowboy Direct, on Trango Tower in Pakistan (AKA Nameless Tower). What ensued was … Continue reading "Enormoc…

Our care is often the last thing we realize we need. To allow ourselves to be loved is risky. To come as we are and not as we should be, without allowing our accomplishments to define us. What if God just wants you to know how deeply loved you are? In this podcast, we hear stories from Worship Circle members who were skeptics but discovered God’s l…

On Episode 275 of the Enormocast, I sit down face to face with Finnish climber Anna Laitenin. After a youth in gymnastics, Anna found climbing and then almost accidentally found herself one of the best climbers in Finland. A life of competitions and pursuing hard climbs at home and beyond followed, as did becoming a … Continue reading "Enormocast 2…

Brit Cruise creates educational videos, learning experiments, and other amazing things that "connect young people with their futures as young as possible." He's worked with Khan Academy, Codecademy, Pixar, Disney, Unity, and more to conjure up magical educational experiences for kids. Shownotes: Brit Cruise's website Storyxperiential X in a Box Art…

On Episode 274 of the Enormocast, I connect over the Atlantic with Swiss alpinist, guide, and Eiger North Face aficionado, Roger Schaeli. Roger was born directly in the Swiss alps and learned to climb at an early age with his father. Surrounded by deep Swiss climbing culture, an early accident did not deter Roger, rather … Continue reading "Enormoc…

On Episode 273 of the Enormocast, I reconnect with Brette Harrington who appeared on the Enormocast in 2016. Just after that first appearance, Brette and Mayan Smith-Gobat left for an audacious attempt on free climbing Riders on the Storm on Torre Central on the Torres de Paine massif. Even though they failed in their ultimate … Continue reading "E…

On Episode 272 of the Enormocast, I connect with young trad-phenom, Connor Herson. Connor first burst into climbing’s collective consciousness with the 6th free ascent of the Nose at the tender age of 15. Connor had already climbed 14 5.14s by the age of 14 (say that ten times fast), and he went on to … Continue reading "Enormocast 272: Connor Hers…

On Episode 271, I am joined by climbing coach and former (maybe) competitor, Charlie Schreiber. Charlie coaches climbers of all ages, but the meat of this conversation is about youth climbing teams. Charlie has been a youth climbing coach since he was a youth himself. We discuss my own skepticism about the promise of youth … Continue reading "Enorm…

Charlie wants to talk about the latest Paul Graham essay "How to Do Great Work" and Oz wants to talk about jiu-jitsu (again). Show notes: How to Do Great Work - Paul Graham You and Your Research - Richard Hamming "Jozef Chen On Rapid Learning From Jiu-Jitsu Instructionals & Technique Tinkering" Jozef Chen recent competition victory Mikey Musumeci o…

In this podcast, we sit down with our friend Linda Harrington of Clarity Keys Ministry. Linda has ministered to the Worship Circle family over the years at our REST Retreats and has been with us online and provided personal ministry to our coaches and participants. Join us as we discuss this encouraging gift that has edified us and reminded us that…

On Episode 270 of the Enormocast, we are joined by Indigenous activist and climber, Briana Mazzolini-Blanchard. Though her path to accepting her heritage as a member of the CHamoru/Tugong Clan with origins in Guam was not without struggles, Briana has spent the last 6 years advocating for Indigenous peoples in Ohio and Eastern Kentucky. As … Contin…

On this in-between episode of the Enormocast, you get the outtakes from Episode 269 with climber, Tyler Karow. After the official interview ended, we kept talking about climbing in Jordan, the social cost of the itinerant climbing lifestyle, and a few more tidbits for your pleasure. And the cops showed up. Enjoy this free “bonus” … Continue reading…

We're joined by the co-founders of Warpstream Labs, Richie Artoul and Ryan Worl, to talk about how exploring your curiosity as a software engineer can lead to all sorts of interesting avenues and opportunities, like going from a coding bootcamp grad to building Warpstream - a Kafka-compatible data streaming platform. You may remember Richie from ou…

On Episode 269 of the Enormocast, I catch up with the elusive and prolific climber, Tyler Karow. Though Tyler has a popular presence on Youtube and Instagram, he still remained, for me, an enigma of sorts. Tyler burst on the national scene with a ground up free ascent of Golden Gate on El Cap (5.13) … Continue reading "Enormocast 269: Tyler Karow –…

Linda Liukas (author and illustrator of HELLO RUBY - "the world's most whimsical way to learn about computers, technology and programming") joins Oz and Charlie to discuss how and why we love our computers, lessons learned from teaching kids about computer science using paper and scissors and glue, and Linda's latest project - designing an outside …

We're joined by Jon Gertner (author of THE IDEA FACTORY: BELL LABS AND THE GREAT AGE OF AMERICAN INNOVATION) and Jimmy Soni (author of A MIND AT PLAY: HOW CLAUDE SHANNON INVENTED THE INFORMATION AGE) to discuss our favorite "house of magic" - Bell Labs! Can Bell Labs ever be recreated? What would Claude Shannon think of ChatGPT? What can we learn a…

On Episode 268, I connect across the northern border with former climber and current therapist, Lincoln Stoller. Lincoln came up climbing in the 70s, and his wide ranging career in climbing found him partnered with the likes of Fred Beckey, Dougal Haston, George Lowe, and John Stannard. When his interest in climbing waned, he found … Continue readi…

Steve Krouse is the founder of val.town, a social network where you write and run - and maybe poke - code? Steve's a fellow computer science education and developer tools enthusiast. We explore what makes programming fun - and how tools like val.town might just be able to recapture that joy we've all felt with computers before. Shownotes: val.town …

On the Episode 267 of the Enormocast, I sit down with alpinist and Exum guide, Mike Gardner. Mike was born to the mountains and a life in guiding with early summers in the Tetons and tagging along on expeditions with his father, George Gardner. But when George was killed in a climbing accident when Mike … Continue reading "Enormocast 267: Michael G…

On Episode 266 of the Enormocast, I sit down with stagehand, rigger, former BMXer, and “every-person” climber, Erik “Alleycat” Hingerty. Erik grew up underground street-riding on his BMX bike: ducking any fame, and trying to keep it real. But the accidents and injuries started to mount as he pushed his limits on a bike and … Continue reading "Enorm…

On Episode 265 of the Enormocast, I connect with climber and influencer, Drew Hulsey. Drew saw Free Solo and pretty much lost his mind for climbing. Despite the feats of Alex Honnold being at the most extreme end of the sport, Drew found himself wondering “Can fat people do this?” Not even sure that the … Continue reading "Enormocast 265: Drew Huls…

In this episode, we share info about our upcoming in-person REST Retreat happening October 23-26. We hear stories from leaders in our family who have been impacted by attending in years past. http://www.worshipcircle.comBy Todd Fields

On Episode 264 of the Enormocast, I connect with Alita Contreras – a Venezuelan/Colombian climber beaming in from…Georgia. Alita was born in Venezuela to a Colombian father who taught his child to love the traditions and legends of Colombia. At University while studying languages, Alita found climbing, and soon, she was pining to leave her … Contin…

Are we creating evil in the world with this podcast? Should Charlie feel guilty about playing Zelda? Do any Oz-approved video games exist? What's going on with Charlie's book? Can we use GPT-4 as an effective personal tutor? And should we stop doing this podcast? Shownotes: Khanmigo (Khan Academy) Silicon Zeroes Shenzhen I/O Human Resource Machine…