Nate Liles, the Development Director of the American Safe Climbing Association, is here today for an in depth talk about bolt replacement. The ASCA has been doing incredible work replacing old bolts and hardware on routes throughout the country. Since their inception, the ASCA has supported the replacement of 70,000 bolts!

In this episode, we talk about how the ASCA came to be, the sketchiest bolts Nate has replaced, Nate’s opinions on bolt types and permanent draws, and the best ways to get involved in bolt replacement and stewardship if you’re not personally skilled in the art of replacement. 

To learn more about the ASCA or to make a donation, visit https://safeclimbing.org/

Nate Liles is also a videographer and photographer with his company Orographic Visual. Check out some of his fantastic climbing media on Instagram @orographic_visual 

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 and many more. Plus you’ll get a Discord chat, exclusive beta, route info, and more. Check it out here:  https://www.patreon.com/FirstAscentPodcast

Do you have a listener question or a topic idea? Let us know at @firstascentpod on Instagram! Jay and Lee can be found at @jayknower and @xxleeweexx 

Disclaimer: 

The information expressed in this episode is for entertainment purposes only, and is not intended as, nor should it be interpreted as, informational or instructional.