Climbing Gold

Guide, climber and ski mountaineer Adrian Ballinger’s life centered around the world’s biggest mountains. His company pioneered new tactics and Adrian helped bring the mountain to a new generation via social apps. Climbing big mountains may seem like a well trodden path these days, but when Adrian looks off the top of an 8,000 meter peak he sees generations of possibility.

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The North Face Check out Summit Series at thenorthface.com 

LMNT Get your free LMNT Sample Pack with any purchase at www.drinklmnt.com/climbinggold.

Kodiak Cakes Find Kodiak products at your local grocery store, they're the ones with the bear on the box or learn more at Kodiakcakes.com

AG1 Go to DrinkAG1.com/climbinggold to to get a free Immune Support bundle

David Buy 4 cartons and get the 5th one for free at davidprotein.com/climbinggold

Lattice Training Try Lattice free for a month. Go to latticetraining.com/climbinggold to get started.

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Passion before comfort. It’s arguably the defining ethos of dirtbag culture. While there is handwringing and consternation in the online world about whether climbing has lost its way from its origins in Camp Four, we sit down with James Lucas and Josh McCoy to put an end to the speculation that the dirtbag is dead. 

Watch Climbing Gold on YouTube

Thanks to our sponsors

The North Face Check out Summit Series at thenorthface.com 

Kodiak Cakes Find Kodiak products at your local grocery store, they're the ones with the bear on the box or learn more at Kodiakcakes.com

LMNT Get your free LMNT Sample Pack with any purchase at www.drinklmnt.com/climbinggold. 

Factor Eat smart at FactorMeals.com/ClimbingGold50OFF and use code CLIMBINGGOLD50OFF to get 50% off plus 1 free breakfast item per box for 1 year while supplies last until 10/31/2026.

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Grades. Love them or hate them, they’re part of our sport. Today, we sit down with Summit Journal’s Owen Clarke, coach Juliet Hammer and professional climber Jonathan Siegrist to talk Darth Grader, what holds us back and how to break through.

Watch Climbing Gold on YouTube

Thanks to our sponsors

The North Face Check out Summit Series at thenorthface.com 

David Buy 4 cartons and get the 5th one for free at davidprotein.com/climbinggold

AG1 Go to DrinkAG1.com/climbinggold to get a free AG1 Pro Yeti Shaker in your AG1 Pro welcome kit.

LMNT Get your free LMNT Sample Pack with any purchase at www.drinklmnt.com/climbinggold. 

Lattice Training Try Lattice free for a month. Go to latticetraining.com/climbinggold to get started.

Kodiak Cakes Find Kodiak products at your local grocery store, they're the ones with the bear on the box or learn more at Kodiakcakes.com

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Who was the first dirtbag? In collaboration with filmmakers Chad Heddleston and Parker Michels-Boyce, we go back in time to meet Jan Conn. Jan and Herb Conn took what might have been the first climbing road trip, created one of the first climbing magazines and films and pioneered first ascents across the country. Their greatest contribution to our sport though might be their commitment to utilizing their time to follow their passions. In 1945, that was about as radical as it gets. 

Catching Pinecones Trailer

Chad's Roanoke Star Climb

Watch Climbing Gold on YouTube

Thanks to our sponsors

The North Face Check out Summit Series at thenorthface.com 

Kodiak Cakes Find Kodiak products at your local grocery store, they're the ones with the bear on the box or learn more at Kodiakcakes.com

Turtlebox Take your music anywhere turtleboxaudio.com

Factor Eat smart at FactorMeals.com/ClimbingGold50OFF and use code CLIMBINGGOLD50OFF to get 50% off and free daily greens per box

LMNT Get your free LMNT Sample Pack with any purchase at www.drinklmnt.com/climbinggold 

Want Climbing Gold ad free? Check out ⁠Unroped

Climbing feels like freedom. It’s a sentiment that most of us can relate to. In the midst of war and violence in the Middle East, we return to the climbers of Resistance Climbing and learn how they’ve kept finding joy and hope even as the walls close in. We talk with Asia Zughaiar, Faris Abu Gosh and Tim Bruns.

Got gear? Asia is looking for climbing gear donations to help get local climbers out to the crags. Reach out via Instagram @asia.zughaiar

Watch Climbing Gold on YouTube

Thanks to our sponsors

The North Face Check out Summit Series at thenorthface.com 

Lattice Try Lattice free for a month. Go to latticetraining.com/climbinggold to get started.

LMNT Get your free LMNT Sample Pack with any purchase at www.drinklmnt.com/climbinggold.

David Buy 4 cartons and get the 5th one for free at davidprotein.com/climbinggold

AG1 Go to DrinkAG1.com/climbinggold to  get a free AG1 Pro Yeti Shaker in your AG1 Pro welcome kit. 

Kodiak Cakes Find Kodiak products at your local grocery store, they're the ones with the bear on the box or learn more at Kodiakcakes.com

Want Climbing Gold ad free? Check out ⁠Unroped

What’s the Venn diagram on Indiana Jones, El Cap and climbing history? Jordan Cannon. Jordan walks us down the path from hyper-stoked teenager to professional climber and El Cap ace. Arguably, it’s what Jordan’s done away from the wall that’s been his most recognizable contribution to our sport. 

Watch Climbing Gold on YouTube

Thanks to our sponsors

The North Face Check out Summit Series at thenorthface.com 

LMNT Get your free LMNT Sample Pack with any purchase at www.drinklmnt.com/climbinggold. Try the new LMNT Lemonade Ice Tea.

Kodiak Cakes Find Kodiak products at your local grocery store, they're the ones with the bear on the box or learn more at Kodiakcakes.com

Factor Eat smart at FactorMeals.com/ClimbingGold50OFF and use code CLIMBINGGOLD50OFF to get 50% off plus a free box of green with each box (new subscriptions only through 9/27/2026)

Want Climbing Gold ad free? Check out ⁠Unroped

Michael Vaill and Tanner Wanish found the cheat code to adventure climbing – each other. Since they linked up on Mountain Project, it’s looked like they’ve been playing the climbing game on easy mode. We dive into one of the most incredible partnerships we’ve ever encountered. 

Watch Climbing Gold on YouTube

Thanks to our sponsors

The North Face Check out Summit Series at thenorthface.com 

Kodiak Cakes Find Kodiak products at your local grocery store, they're the ones with the bear on the box or learn more at Kodiakcakes.com

LMNT Get your free LMNT Sample Pack with any purchase at www.drinklmnt.com/climbinggold.

Lattice Try Lattice free for a month. Go to latticetraining.com/climbinggold to get started.

AG1 Get a free AG1 Travel Case with 7 free AG1 Travel Packs in your Welcome Kit with your first AG1 subscription order, while supplies last, at DrinkAG1.com/climbinggold

David Buy 4 cartons and get the 5th one for free at davidprotein.com/climbinggold

Want Climbing Gold ad free? Check out ⁠Unroped

Pete Whittaker may have captured climbing’s hearts through his and fellow Wide Boy Tom Randall’s quest to complete the hardest offwidth on the planet, but he’s also quietly become one of the best traditional climbers of his generation. After the offwidth roundtable, we knew we had more to talk about with Pete. 

Watch Climbing Gold on YouTube

Thanks to our sponsors

The North Face Check out Summit Series at thenorthface.com 

Turtlebox Take your music anywhere turtleboxaudio.com

Factor Eat smart at FactorMeals.com/ClimbingGold50OFF and use code CLIMBINGGOLD50OFF to get 50% off plus a free daily greens per box with new subscriptions

LMNT Get your free LMNT Sample Pack with any purchase at www.drinklmnt.com/climbinggold. Try the new Lemonade + Ice Tea flavor

Kodiak Cakes Find Kodiak products at your local grocery store, they're the ones with the bear on the box or learn more at Kodiakcakes.com

 Want Climbing Gold ad free? Check out ⁠Unroped

Offwidths – for most climbers they are a necessary evil, but for a fringe fraction, hard, often inverted offwidth climbing is the main attraction. We talk with offwidth climbers Sam MacIlwaine, associate editor for Climbing Magazine, and Pete Whittaker of Wide Boyz fame to discuss the dark art of fists stacks and wide ponies. 

Watch Climbing Gold on YouTube

Thanks to our sponsors

The North Face Check out Summit Series at thenorthface.com 

Kodiak Cakes Find Kodiak products at your local grocery store, they're the ones with the bear on the box or learn more at Kodiakcakes.com

Lattice Training Try Lattice free for 30 days. Get started at latticetraining.com/climbinggold 

David Buy 4 cartons and get the 5th one for free at davidprotein.com/climbinggold

AG1 Get an AG1 flavor sampler and a bottle of Vitamin D3 + K2 Free with your first AG1 subscription at DrinkAG1.com/climbinggold

LMNT Get your free LMNT Sample Pack with any purchase at www.drinklmnt.com/climbinggold. Try the new Lemonade + Ice Tea flavor

Want Climbing Gold ad free? Check out ⁠Unroped

Last year, Will Moss became the first person to onsight El Cap in a day. It might not have happened though if the food and coconut water in his haul bag hadn’t gone bad, forcing him to make a game time decision to go for it. Will possesses a preternatural talent for the big stone and his tactical skills are catching up.

Watch Climbing Gold on YouTube

Thanks to our sponsors

The North Face Check out Summit Series at thenorthface.com 

Beastmaker Use code GOLD to get 20% off your 1st order at beastmaker.co.uk

Kodiak Cakes Find Kodiak products at your local grocery store, they're the ones with the bear on the box or learn more at Kodiakcakes.com

LMNT Get your free LMNT Sample Pack with any purchase at www.drinklmnt.com/climbinggold. Try the new LMNT Sparkling — a bold, 16-ounce can of sparkling electrolyte water.

Factor Eat smart at FactorMeals.com/ClimbingGold50OFF and use code CLIMBINGGOLD50OFF to get 50% off plus a free daily greens per box with new subscriptions

Want Climbing Gold ad free? Check out ⁠Unroped