Action in Solitude

Joe Grant is a professional mountain athlete that has completed some of the hardest endurance races in the world, like the Hardrock 100, UTMB 100, Iditarod Invitational, and The Colorado Trail Race. But Joe's achievements go far beyond the races he has competed. He has also completed some mind-bending self-supported adventures like the Tour of 14ers, where he biked to and summited all 57 of Colorado's 14ers, and the Nolan's 14, which links 14 14ers over 100 miles in Colorado's Sawatch Range. Before leaving for Europe to compete in the Tor des Géants, a 200-mile endurance race in the Aosta Valley, Italy, Joe stopped by the house in Boulder, Colorado and we chatted about what it was like growing up in France, his love for rollerblading, working on child education while living in Kenya, how he got into ultra running and endurance sports, how he ended up in Colorado, what he thinks about self-support adventures vs. supported adventures, what it's like to be an ambassador for Scarpa and Black Diamond, why he decided to attempt the Tour of 14ers, and a whole lot more. Enjoy!

On this episode I got to speak with Becca Droz, a rock climber, beatboxer, and The Amazing Race contestant. I first met Becca a couple years back when we went climbing with @TheIanKingExperience at the Black Wall on Mount Evans. Her enthusiasm was infectious and it was there that I learned she was a contestant on the Amazing Race. I ran into Becca a couple weeks ago at Outdoor Retailer in Denver, CO and she told me that she's working on a film project called Hip Hop Gone Wild for No Man's Land Film Festival where she's combining her loves for rock climbing and beatboxing to help promote diversity and creativity in the community. I was intrigued and wanted to know more. She stopped by my place in Boulder and we talked about her upbringing in Pittsburg, not to be confused with Philadelphia, how she was on the Mr. Rogers show as a kid, the time she spent in Israel and how it impacted her, going to Warren Wilson College, what it was like to be a contestant on The Amazing Race, how she came up with the Fun-O-Meter, and what Hip Hop Gone Wild is all about. She even freestyles a bit at the end of the show. It was a fun chat, and I hope you enjoy it.

I'd like to thank my nephew Conner for his amazing questions for Becca. He's a big fan of Amazing Race and Team Fun and I was glad we could include him on the show.

 

Recently, I ran into Patrick Hardy while scrambling in the Flatirons. It reminded me of the time I first met him a couple years ago during the Stay Local Tour at Shelf Road where we sat around a campfire drinking beers and playing guitar. The next morning I passed by his campsite while he and some friends (bandmates, maybe?) were tearing up some bluegrass tunes. Thinking about that made me wonder what he's up to. And I wanted to hear him play some more guitar. So I got on Instagram and asked if he'd like to play a few songs on the podcast. Turns out he's playing bluegrass and folk music with a band out of Longmont called The High Road Home and records occasionally with Hoss and The Drum. In addition to playing some songs, Patrick and I talked about  existentialism, Walden Pond, climbing at Shelf Road, and how he learned to play guitar.

Music starts at 23:00. In this set Patrick plays Take Me Back (original), Gonna Travel (original), Working on a Building (traditional),  and Any Mountain (original).

This episode is brought to you by:

Misty Mountain (mistymountain.com) – Misty Mountain is a combination of climbers and local craftspeople working together to design and manufacture the finest climbing harnesses and sewn climbing gear. Our Misty Mountain label means your product is designed and made in the USA, in our folksy, world-class specialty textile operation in the High Country of Western North Carolina.

 

 

 

I first met Alton Richardson when he interned at Climbing Magazine a number of years back. He was a quiet person and we didn't talk much. So I learned quite a bit about him when he stopped by my old apartment in Boulder. We talked about his upbringing outside Oakland, CA as a skater-punk kid that also participated in Boy Scouts (an unusual combination), how interning at Climbing Magazine helped his career, what he enjoys about his route setting job at Ascent Studio in Fort Collins, what it takes to be a freelance photographer and videographer, what's going on with California Climber, which he started with Dean Fleming, and vanlife. Enjoy!

Can you imagine graduating from Harvard University. then getting an MBA at Harvard School of Business, only to give it all up for vanlife and a career of adventure and storytelling? Sunny Stroeer (sunnystroeer.com) did just that when she caught the bug, like many of us have, and decided that the 9 to 5, high-stress career wasn't for her. She needed to be running long stretches of trail, scaling massive, granite walls and capturing those awe-inspiring, difficult, joyous, stunning, heart-breaking moments and stories for others to experience. Over a number of years Sunny lived out of an Astrovan, visiting America's great parks. This is when she learned advanced rock climbing skills, practiced her photography, and trained for harder objectives, occasionally leaving for international adventure. About a year ago Sunny gave up permanent vanlife for a place in Boulder, where she lives with her husband Paul. But you won't find Sunny in Boulder much. She tends to spend most of her time in the nearby mountains or traveling for adventure. Currently, Sunny holds FKT (Fastest Known Time) records on Aconcagua and the Annapurna Circuit, and has plans to attempt more FKTs in the future. She is also a photographer for Aurora Photos, and many of her photos have been featured in outdoor publications, like National Geographic, Outside Online, and TrailRun Mag.

WIN AN ORIGINAL PARTY VISOR - simply go to iTunes and leave a rating and review for the Action in Solitude Podcast and you'll automatically be entered to win an Original Party Visor, produced by Grassroots Colorado and designed by me (Kevin Riley). Winner will be picked in July 2018.

This episode is brought to you by:

Misty Mountain (mistymountain.com) – Misty Mountain is a combination of climbers and local craftspeople working together to design and manufacture the finest climbing harnesses and sewn climbing gear. Our Misty Mountain label means your product is designed and made in the USA, in our folksy, world-class specialty textile operation in the High Country of Western North Carolina.

 

Unlike a lot of other ultramarathoners, Darcy Piceu got into running later in life. She didn't run track in school. It wasn't until around 2001 when Darcy began pacing races for friends that she got drawn into the world of ultrarunning. Since then Darcy has accumulated  an impressive list of achievements that designates her as one of the top female ultrarunners. She has won the Hardrock 100 three times, has set a number of the FKT (Fastest Known Time) records, including the John Muir Trail (supported), and won the Rocky Mountain Slam (Bighorn 100, Hardrock 100, Wasatch Front 100 Endurance Race, Leadville Trail 100 Race, and The Bear 100). Darcy and I met at the East Boulder Community Center to talk about managing time as a mother and ultrarunner, growing up on Pine Lake in a suburb outside Detroit, Michigan, her favorite trails around Boulder, Colorado, how she got introduced to running during her College years, her ultrarunning achievements, and what's on her ultrarunning tick list.

This episode is brought to you by:

Misty Mountain (mistymountain.com) - Misty Mountain is a combination of climbers and local craftspeople working together to design and manufacture the finest climbing harnesses and sewn climbing gear. Our Misty Mountain label means your product is designed and made in the USA, in our folksy, world-class specialty textile operation in the High Country of Western North Carolina.

Header photo by  Jared Vilhauer / Highline Running Adventures.

You may have seen some of Rob Kepley's work in Climbing Magazine or other outdoor publications. He's a photographer from the Front Range that has spent a lot of time climbing, exploring, and shooting Eldorado Canyon and the Flatirons. You could say it's his home turf. I met Rob last year when I helped as a belayer on a shoot. Ian King, the Rubber Rambler, was the climber. He brought beers for us and had the most delightful demeanor. Ever since than when I've seen his work in magazines or on Instagram (@robkepley_photography) I've thought to myself, I want to talk to this guy. Well, I got my chance. Rob stopped by my month-to-month apartment in Boulder, CO to talk about his upbringing in North Carolina, why he moved out to Colorado, how he got introduced to climbing, and about his passion for climbing photography.

This episode is brought to you by:

Misty Mountain (mistymountain.com) - Misty Mountain is a combination of climbers and local craftspeople working together to design and manufacture the finest climbing harnesses and sewn climbing gear. Our Misty Mountain label means your product is designed and made in the USA, in our folksy, world-class specialty textile operation in the High Country of Western North Carolina.

 

 

Tracy Martin is a guide, artist, and graphic designer that lives in Las Vegas, Nevada. She is one of the most fun people I know and I absolutely loved getting the chance to sit down with her in the van to ask about how she got into climbing, how her guiding career has evolved over the years, and about her graphic design days at Climbing Magazine. It's a fun conversation. Enjoy!

Jonathan Siegrist has built up an impressive tick list over the years. I first remember hearing about Jonathan in 2009 when he went on a tear in the Red River Gorge and redpointed seven 5.14 routes, sent three 5.13d routes, onsighted three 5.13c routes, and climbed 11 more routes ranging from 13a to 13b - all in a two week trip. Not bad. That year Jonathan got a ton of attention from the climbing media and won a Golden Piton Award for Breakaway Success from Climbing Magazine. Since then Jonathan has continued to put up and repeat many of the hardest lines in the country, if not the world. I met up with Jonathan at his place in Las Vegas and we talked about growing up in Madison, WI and Boulder, CO, why Las Vegas is such a great climbing city, and what being a professional climber means to him. Enjoy the podcast.

Chris Weidner is a writer and rock climber from Boulder, Colorado that spends part of the year in Las Vegas where he and his wife, Heather, have a condo. He writes a bi-weekly column about rock climbing for the Daily Camera (Boulder) and has written for Climbing and Rock & Ice. Currently, he is working on a new guidebook for Boulder Canyon. Chris is also a well respected rock climber that has put up many first ascents and repeated many hard lines. I met with Chris at his place in Las Vegas and we talked about his upbringing outside of Seattle, his experience  as a school bus driver in Boulder, and about the majesty of Dream Canyon. Enjoy!