Best Trad Climbing Podcasts (2024)

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EP 230: Emma Hunt (Olympian) — Why Speed Climbing is Legit, the Mental Game & Strategy of Racing, & Chasing World Records 2:12:13

1d ago2:12:13

2:12:13

Emma Hunt is the US speed climbing record holder and will compete in the Paris Olympics. We talked about her intro to speed climbing, how strong you have to be for speed climbing, speed training, how speed shoes compare to other climbing shoes, her mental game and strategy in comps, prejudice against speed in the climbing world, whether the speed r…

1
70 | Ordinarily Extraordinary Part II w/ Evan Wisheropp 59:56

3h ago59:56

59:56

Today, we are continuing our conversation with Evan Wisheropp. If you missed part one, I highly recommend checking it out first. It provides a foundation for understanding who Evan is as a climber and how he achieved the objectives we’re discussing today. In this episode, we’ll dive into Evan’s two main passions: desert offwidth splitters and route…

1
EP 229: Shauna Coxsey (Olympian) — Climbing Harder After Pregnancy, Motivation vs. Commitment, and Letting Kids Be Themselves 1:50:04

9d ago1:50:04

1:50:04

Shauna Coxsey is the most successful competition climber in the UK and the first British woman to climb V12, V13, and V14. We talked about becoming a mom, sitting in and sharing our emotions, human nature and the joy of climbing, inspiration vs. aspiration, motivation vs. commitment, competing in Tokyo, retiring from comps, sending Hazel Grace V14 …

1
Welcome to Not Your Typical Climber 2:08

2d ago2:08

2:08

Not Your Typical Climber is a podcast that speaks to pro climbers, amateur climbers, hobby climbers, and anyone who finds joy in the sport. With a particular focus on the things that make us different and unique, the podcast uplifts the voices of those who have been underrepresented within climbing. Every climber has a unique story to tell, and we'…

1
EP 228: How to Easily Improve Your Flexibility for Climbing — Josh Hadley (Lattice Training) 2:30:40

5d ago2:30:40

2:30:40

Josh Hadley is a leading flexibility coach in climbing and the face behind the Lattice YouTube Channel. I’ve struggled with stretching routines over the years, and this episode completely changed my flexibility training. In this episode, Josh shares his top 4 stretches for inflexible climbers and introduces key concepts like chasing horizontal, wei…

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EP 227: Nature Climbing — How to Prep Your Skin for a Trip, Hangboarding on Granite, and Building a Brand You Are Proud Of 1:35:46

23d ago1:35:46

1:35:46

How are granite climbing holds made? Are there benefits to training on rock? In this episode, I am joined by Mads Bulow Duus and Pawel Rogowski from Nature Climbing. We go behind the scenes on the origin story of their brand, the craftsmanship behind their beautiful products, how to build a successful brand, training and skin conditioning on granit…

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69 | Ordinarily Extraordinary Part I w/ Evan Wisheropp 41:12

14d ago41:12

41:12

Today, we are sitting down with Evan Wisheropp, a part-time professional photographer with a full-time passion for climbing. Evan's climbing journey began like many of ours—in a gym. From there, he explored various climbing disciplines until he found his true passions: desert offwidths and route development. Off-width climbing, takes Evan to Indian…

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EP 226: Justen Sjong — How to Master ANY Technique, Send Faster, & Float on the Wall With ‘The Climbing Sensei’ 2:36:12

30d ago2:36:12

2:36:12

Justen Sjong (The Climbing Sensei) is a world-class climber and coach who specializes in technique and mental game. This episode is a technique masterclass. We talk about the four stages of technique, how to practice any new skill, how to send faster, his goal to climb 9a before 60, and Justen coaches me on how to float on the wall using his drop-d…

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EP 225: Steven Gets His Dream Home Wall! | ft. Tony Bell and David Bress, Founders of Revival Climbing Coalition 1:15:42

1M ago1:15:42

1:15:42

In this episode, I crack open a beer with Tony Bell and David Bress, the two founders of Revival Climbing Coalition. The two of them installed my dream home wall in 2.5 hours and I was blown away by the craftsmanship and elegance of the design. We talked about their backgrounds, how they bootstrapped a climbing wall business, what sets their produc…

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68 | Seven Years of Silence Part II w/ Myles Moser 1:14:46

26d ago1:14:46

1:14:46

Hey everyone, thanks for tuning in and for being a part of The Climbing Majority. Today, we're diving into part two of our conversation with Myles Moser. If you missed part one, I highly recommend going back to the previous episode before continuing. This episode is PACKED with stories that will keep you on the edge of your seat. So I will keep thi…

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EP 224: Jana Švecová — Pushing the Limits of Female Bouldering, Finding Silver Linings When Injured, and Chasing a Lifetime Goal 2:16:50

1M ago2:16:50

2:16:50

Jana Švecová is a professional rock climber from the Czech Republic who has emerged as one of the top female boulderers in the world. We talked about her upbringing and her early success in competitions, her pivot to outdoor bouldering, her inspiration for choosing ‘Terranova’ 8C+/V16 as a project, making the first ascent of ‘Nova’ 8C/V15, using he…

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EP 223: Aidan Roberts — Navigating Pro Climbing, Establishing His Two Hardest Boulders, and Glimpsing Mastery 3:35:25

1M ago3:35:25

3:35:25

Aidan Roberts returns to the podcast! Aidan is at the cutting edge of bouldering and is one of the most genuine people I’ve had the pleasure of talking to. We talk about professional climbing and today’s media landscape, and he brings us up to speed on the last year and a half of his climbing and shares the full stories of ‘Spots of Time’ and ‘Arri…

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67 | Seven Years of Silence Part I w/ Myles Moser 44:26

1M ago44:26

44:26

In today’s world, where social media, technology, and commercialism are at the forefront of our minds, the reasons why we climb can sometimes get a bit confusing. Professional climbers often need an “audience” for brands to market their products to, and climbers everywhere, myself included, share videos and photos of our recent ascents. It makes yo…

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EP 222: Paul Houghoughi — How to Bulletproof Your Knees, Strengthen Your Shoulders, and Maintain a Happy Neck 2:15:41

2M ago2:15:41

2:15:41

Paul Houghoughi (The Climbing Physio) returns for our promised part 2! This was every bit as good as our first episode. In part 2 we focused on how to build bulletproof knees and hamstrings for heel hooks, how to prevent shoulder injuries, how to strengthen and mobilize your neck and back, some of the most common changes to climber’s bodies as we a…

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EXTRA: Keenan Takahashi — Mustache Q&A, Highballing Near Misses, and Japanese Climbing Culture 16:15

2M ago16:15

16:15

Keenan betrays his mustache by revealing its deepest secrets, and then talks about his experience with 'Insomniac' V16, his trips to Japan, what stood out to him about the Japanese climbing culture, favorite anime, home wall dreams, footwork tips, and his nearest misses while highballing and how they changed his feelings about future highballs. Bec…

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EP 221: Keenan Takahashi — ‘The Gold Standard’, Learning From Limit Moves, and the Origin Story of ANTIGRAV 2:36:29

2M ago2:36:29

2:36:29

Keenan Takahashi is one of the top boulders in the world. We talked about the origin story of his clothing company ANTIGRAV, the importance of carving out space for creativity, establishing his latest V15 FA ‘The Gold Standard’, watching Sean Bailey send ‘Devilution’, unclimbed king lines in Bishop, shifting his focus to meaningful hard climbs, his…

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66 | The Sandstone Alpinist Part II w/ James Barrow 1:49:57

2M ago1:49:57

1:49:57

Welcome back to part two of our chat with James Barrow! In our last episode, we heard about James' journey as a climber and what events ultimately lead to his most recent achievement: The Complete Towers of the Virgin Traverse. A link up that covers 20 distinct peaks, and 18.5k of elevation gain over 28 miles. The terrain involves runouts upon runo…

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EP 220: Alannah Yip (Olympian) — Alopecia, Finding Power Beyond Hair Loss, and Her Fight Against Disordered Eating 2:07:50

2M ago2:07:50

2:07:50

Alannah Yip is a professional climber from Canada who competed at the Tokyo Olympics. We talked about getting diagnosed with alopecia and the emotional journey of losing her hair, taking back her power, preparing for the Olympic Qualifying Series, lessons from Tokyo, mantras for slab boulders, her involvement with IFSC policies to prevent eating di…

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EP 219: Fitz Cahall (The Dirtbag Diaries, Climbing Gold) — A Lifetime of Storytelling, Taking Authorship of Your Time, and Being Pro But Not Fancy 2:31:59

2M ago2:31:59

2:31:59

Fitz Cahall is the cofounder of Duct Tape Then Beer, and the creator of The Dirtbag Diaries and Climbing Gold with Alex Honnold. We talked about the early days of the internet, what podcasting was like in 2007, being on the fringe, storytelling, virtual reality, spending your time on the right things, the unglamorous parts of our work, results vs. …

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EP 218: Mat Wright — Sending One of the World's Hardest Trad Climbs, 'Rhapsody' E11 1:30:59

2M ago1:30:59

1:30:59

Mat Wright returns to the podcast to talk about his send of ‘Rhapsody’! We talked about the emotional dip after a hard send, the power of letting things come to you, making your own luck, patience as a tactic, top-down projecting, feeding our internal climbing algorithms, his process and how it felt to send, his next project, learning how to take t…

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We're staying off that Wagon 1:37:53

3M ago1:37:53

1:37:53

Wagons? In this economy? Support the Show.By Crisp Shawarma

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65 | The Sandstone Alpinist Part I w/ James Barrow 1:00:05

2M ago1:00:05

1:00:05

When you hear "Zion National Park," what comes to mind? The Narrows, Moonlight Buttress, and some of the most stunning sandstone cliffs and peaks you’ll ever see, all packed into a canyon visited by over five million people each year. But what about the possibilities beyond the main canyon, beyond the classic hikes and climbs? Today, we’re chatting…

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EP 217: A Masterclass in Relieving Stress, Sleeping Better, & Improving Focus Using Self-Hypnosis — Dr. David Spiegel (Stanford Psychiatrist) 2:00:23

3M ago2:00:23

2:00:23

Dr. David Spiegel is a Stanford psychiatrist and one of the world’s most respected experts in the field of hypnosis. We talked about how our minds can make our bodies feel better, how hypnosis has helped his clients, why hypnosis is a good fit for climbers, breathing exercises for relaxation or focus, his new Reveri App, and much more. Dr. Spiegel …

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EXTRA: Maddy Cope — A Masterclass in Endurance Training 1:02:42

2M ago1:02:42

1:02:42

This is a full bonus episode for Patrons! Maddy and I catch up about our weekend sends, Maddy shares a few key nuggets from our main episode, and then gives us a 2-hour masterclass in endurance training! Listen to the end for three free endurance protocols from Lattice's new online course that you can use in your training. *Use the timestamps below…

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EP 216: Maddy Cope — Erase Your Bucket List, Embrace Discomfort, and Discover the Joy of Missing Out 2:39:36

3M ago2:39:36

2:39:36

Maddy Cope is a world-class rock climber and the head of education for Lattice Training. We talked about Maddy’s transition from dancing to climbing, living in a shack in the woods in Chamonix, and lessons from her personal reflections on climbing. We also talked about Lattice’s new online training course that Maddy was in charge of creating and ga…

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64 | Get Paid To Make 3D Climbing Maps w/ Martin Mora 59:09

3M ago59:09

59:09

What’s up everyone thanks for being here and for being a part of The Climbing Majority. Today we sit down with Martin Mora, co-founder and developer of Red- Point. Red-Point is a new app where you can use interactive 3d maps to explore and get detailed route information on boulders and crags. If you haven't already seen their social posts of their …

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EP 215: Nathan Williams — Lessons From 100+ Days on a V17, the Simplest Way to Get Strong Fingers, and Static Shenanigans 2:16:58

3M ago2:16:58

2:16:58

Nathan Williams is obsessed with ‘Return of the Sleepwalker’ 9A/V17, and estimates he has spent 100+ days trying it. We talked about getting mentored by Jimmy Webb and Kasia Pietras and sending his first V10 within one year of climbing, why he took a year off, falling in love with ROTS, how to stay psyched after bad days, friction control, climbing…

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EP 214: How to Find Contentment in Your Climbing, Banish Shame, and Send Harder Than Ever — Neely Quinn (TrainingBeta, Life Coach) 1:59:50

3M ago1:59:50

1:59:50

Neely Quinn returns to the podcast! We talked about how doing mindset work with Hazel Findlay changed her life, why she decided to become a life coach herself, simple tactics for working through negative emotions and banishing shame, why working on your mindset will make you climb harder, and much more! Neely also gives Steven a life coaching sessi…

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63 | Climbing Isn't Just White People Sh*t w/ Eddie Taylor 1:11:02

3M ago1:11:02

1:11:02

In today's ever increasingly polarized world it can be difficult to have challenging conversations. Kyle and I are well aware that the issue of representation in sport is one that does not affect us personally. However we were lucky enough to sit down with all around rad dude, climber extraordinaire and recent new father Eddie Taylor to learn about…

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EP 213: Simon Lorenzi — Three V17s, the Fascinating Story Behind ‘Soudain Seul’, and Dream V18 Projects 1:49:13

4M ago1:49:13

1:49:13

Simon Lorenzi is a world-class climber from Belgium and the first person to climb three boulders graded 9A/V17. We talked about lessons from his three hardest boulders, tactics for trying ‘Burden of Dreams’ in -13°C, the projecting bubble, the goal of struggling, dealing with bad weather on ‘Alphane’, facing frustration with optimism, using a book …

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EP 212: Filmmaker Carlos Mason on Creating SENDING — A Look Behind the Scenes at One of My Favorite Climbing Films 1:35:53

4M ago1:35:53

1:35:53

Carlos Mason is a filmmaker and the creator of SENDING, a new film featuring Ethan Pringle, Anna Hazelnutt, and Dan Beall. We talked about how a car commercial inspired this unique film, why he chose Bishop as the primary location, writing the poem that became the narrative for the film, the connections we form through climbing, how the in-between …

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62 | Mountain Project vs. Open Beta | A Fight For Data Rights w/ Viet Nyguen 57:35

4M ago57:35

57:35

Today, we're diving into something that most of us are all familiar with - Mountain Project. It's the guidebook that's always at our fingertips, supported and enriched by our very own community. Yet, as revolutionary as it has been for sharing and discovering climbs, it brings up a few questions that we might easily overlook. Questions like, who ac…

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EP 211: Davis Ngo (dr.climb) — Blowing Up on Instagram, Why Pro Climbers Deserve to Get Paid, and Overcoming Fear After Injury 2:07:39

4M ago2:07:39

2:07:39

Davis Ngo (dr.climb) is a climber, Doctor of Physical Therapy, and Instagram personality. We talked about his upbringing as a first-generation Vietnamese American, blowing up on Instagram, why Sean Bailey deserves to make a living from climbing, breaking his back while highballing, overcoming fear after his injury, his dream of creating a boulderin…

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EP 210: Stefano Ghisolfi — Chasing the Impossible, Using Humor to Send, and Two Drills for Legendary Endurance 1:37:52

4M ago1:37:52

1:37:52

Stefano Ghisolfi is an Italian professional climber and one of the most accomplished sport climbers in the world. We talked about racing bikes growing up, discovering climbing, using humor in his YouTube videos, how having fun helps him send, why he loves projecting limit routes, chasing the impossible, trying ‘Silence’ 9c, sending ‘Excalibur’ 9b+,…

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61 | Injured & Alone in Alaska, a Coach's Journey w/ Scott Johnston 1:17:19

4M ago1:17:19

1:17:19

The mountains will try to kill us and yet they have no malice. . They freeze us and yet warm our souls. . They fill our lives with joy and yet have nothing tangible to give. . The mountains deserve our respect. . They require meticulous preparation, mentally, spiritually and physically. Today we are sitting down with a master of preparation. Scott …

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EP 209: Graham Zimmerman — Going to the Mountains to Learn, the 100-Year Plan, and Imperfect Advocacy 1:58:27

4M ago1:58:27

1:58:27

Graham Zimmerman is an award-winning alpinist, writer, filmmaker, and climate advocate. We talked about his harrowing ascent of Mt. Bradley in his early 20s, getting injured in New Zealand, how his relationship with risk has evolved, losing friends in the mountains, the mystery of passion, the 100-year-plan, falling in love with his wife Shannon, g…

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EP 208: Jesse Grupper — Optimistic Training, Last Place to Olympian, and Leveling Up His Bouldering 1:39:03

5M ago1:39:03

1:39:03

Jesse Grupper is a 27-year-old American who will be competing at the 2024 Olympics. We talked about his nomad lifestyle, the idea of “training trips”, climbing as an art form, the concept of optimistic training, thinking of ourselves as bodies of water, how he turned around his bouldering after placing last in his first World Cup, balancing Olympic…

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SEND ALERT: Will Bosi — ‘Return of the Sleepwalker’ V17, and What He Plans to Try Next! 42:29

5M ago42:29

42:29

Will Bosi is back to talk about sending ‘Return of the Sleepwalker, his third V17/9A! We talked about surprising himself by sending the stand start in three sessions, why ROTS suited his style better than he expected, how he trained during the bad weather breaks, his process, how he felt on the send, how ROTS stacks up against his other hardest bou…

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60 | Beyond Climbing Hard w/ Jonathan Siegrist 1:05:14

5M ago1:05:14

1:05:14

Have you ever imagined what kinda person you have to be mentally and physically to climb some of the hardest routes in the world? Maybe how that person views themselves and their own accomplishment? Or even how they might view the everyday climber? In this conversation we wanted to move beyond what it's like to climb hard. What are the lessons of a…

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EP 207: Paul Houghoughi (The Climbing Physio) — How to Rehab Finger Injuries, Build Bulletproof Wrists & Elbows, and Never Get Injured Again 1:45:11

5M ago1:45:11

1:45:11

Paul Houghoughi (The Climbing Physio) is one of the top physiotherapists in the world for climbing injuries. We talked about how to rehab lumbrical injuries, training with hypermobile fingers, wrist strengthening exercises, causes of synovitis and capsulitis, why stretching your fingers is important, blood work for stiff joints, tennis and golfers …

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EP 206: Building a Perfect Replica of ‘The Big Island’ V15, Training on Your Projects, and the Ideal Circuit — Charlie Schreiber Returns 2:08:03

5M ago2:08:03

2:08:03

Charlie Schreiber returns to the podcast! Charlie joins me from Fontainebleau to talk about the epiphany he had in Rocklands, leaving his job to focus on Paradigm Climbing, teaming up with Alex Johnson, getting obsessed with ‘The Big Island’ 8C/V15, building a perfect replica of the boulder, how to train on your limit projects, the concept of the “…

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SEND ALERT: Kai Lightner — ‘Life of Villains’ 9a, Not Rushing the Process, and Building Jamaica’s First Climbing Wall 59:08

5M ago59:08

59:08

Kai Lightner is back on to talk about his recent send of 'Life of Villains' 5.14d/9a at the Hurricave! We talked about the emotional rollercoaster of sending 'LOV', how it felt to send 9a in his current body, not rushing the process, his trip to Jamaica, bolting his first route, what's going on with Climbing 4 Change, and more! Donate to C4C: climb…

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59 | The Timeless Nature of Climbing Partnerships w/ Bryce Ungersma 1:03:54

5M ago1:03:54

1:03:54

Today we are sitting down with my good friend Bryce. Funny enough, I met Bryce before either of us were climbers. We each found climbing separately, but inevitably we roped up and quickly became a great team. Recently, Bryce and I spent a weekend trad climbing in Red Rock Canyon. Despite not climbing together for several years, getting out on the r…

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EP 205: Adrian Vanoni — Finger Crack Wizardry, Blue Collar Sending, and Lucid Dreams About Beta 3:16:41

5M ago3:16:41

3:16:41

Adrian Vanoni is an up-and-coming finger crack wizard who has been on fire for the last few years. We talked about him breaking into 5.14, freeing El Cap ground up and then in a day, training for the famous ‘Cobra Crack’ using a campus board, doing the first free ascent of a 5.14 finger crack in the alpine, lucid dreaming about beta, going after ha…

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EP 204: Anak Verhoeven — How to Build 9a Endurance, Why Motivation Trumps Fancy Facilities, and Being Public About Her Faith 2:44:30

6M ago2:44:30

2:44:30

Anak Verhoeven is a professional climber from Belgium and one of the most accomplished female sport climbers ever. We talked about growing up with her mom as coach and dad as trainer, why she quit competitions, dealing with a strange injury that plagued her for 3+ years, winning her first World Cup, building 9a+ endurance with mediocre training fac…

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58 | The Night Bryn Spejcher Fatally Stabbed Her Boyfriend 108 Times w/ Mike Tagg 51:51

6M ago51:51

51:51

Warning: this episode contains graphic descriptions of violence that might not be suitable for all audiences, especially children. If you're not in a space to listen to this content, please consider saving this episode for another time. On May 28th of 2018, Chad O’Melia was brutally stabbed to death in his own home by his girlfriend Bryn Spejcher a…

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EP 203: Jakob Schubert — World Champion to 9c and 9A, Adam Ondra’s Risky and Efficient Style, and Failing on ‘Sleepwalker’ 1:39:23

6M ago1:39:23

1:39:23

Jakob Schubert is one of the greatest competition climbers ever. In 2023 he won the World Championships in both lead and combined, secured his ticket to the Paris Olympics, sent his first 9c with his FA of ‘B.I.G.’, and sent his hardest boulder with ‘Alphane’ 9A. We talked about his incredible year, learning from Adam Ondra’s risky and efficient cl…

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SEND ALERT: Jon Cardwell — Establishing ‘Wind Up Bird’ 5.15b, and Uphill Athlete Training 1:09:01

6M ago1:09:01

1:09:01

Jon Cardwell is back on to talk about his new route ‘Wind Up Bird’ 5.15b at The Fortress of Solitude in CO, how moving away helped him send, what he learned from failing on ‘Super Crackinette’ in France, how he applied Uphill Athlete principles to his training for sport climbing, plans to go back for the extension, bolting 5.15 projects in New Mexi…

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EP 202: Tyler Nelson Returns — How to Get Stronger Fingers, Habits to Prevent Injuries, and Why Climbers Shouldn’t Train Like Gymnasts 2:44:26

6M ago2:44:26

2:44:26

Dr. Tyler Nelson is back on the podcast! We talked about the biggest takeaways from all of his years of finger strength experimenting, how he warms up for a limit bouldering session, how to gain finger strength while minimizing risk, the value of wrist and hand training, common causes of climbing injuries, his advice for my trip to Hueco, what he l…