Dispatch Radio

We partnered with Mountain Project to cover the second annual Women's Climbing Festival, an event where 300 women gather in Bishop, California, to take clinics, participate in open panel discussions, and climb together. From an interview with Shelma Jun, the event's founder, to clips from the media clinic, led by Julie Ellison, former editor-in-chief of Climbing magazine and current contributing editor at Mountain Project, and Natalie Siddique, co-founder and COO of Moja Outdoors, here's an inside look at the in-demand festival that sold out in a single minute.   Women and brands highlighted:

• Shelma Jun, founder of Flash Foxy and the Women's Climbing Festival: https://flashfoxy.com/wcf
• Never Not Collective, new all-female media crew that Shelma talks about: http://nevernotcollective.com/
• Moja Gear, one of the clinics led by co-founder: http://mojagear.com/
• Climbing mag, one of the clinics led by EIC who just left: http://www.climbing.com/
• Lindsey Hamm, guide for Kling Mountain Guides, interviewed: http://www.klingmountainguides.com/guides/
• Nina Williams—not featured, but was there on the panel and hosted a clinic: https://www.instagram.com/sheneenagins
• ^ Same with Kate Rutherford: http://www.katerutherford.com/
• Mountain Rambler Brewery hosted much of the festival: http://www.mountainramblerbrewery.com/

 

Time for another #KitchenSesh, where we hang out and chat with special guests in a chill setting. Competitive trail runners Bob Africa, Josh Stevens, and Peter Maksimow join us for this one. In part 1, BobAfrica talks about what it means to #SufferBetter, and Josh (who just got 4th at Rocky Raccoon 50-miler) tells us about overcoming his opiate addiction that stemmed from multiple injuries sustained in multiple IED explosions in the line of duty, which for Josh comprised 24 years of serving our country in the Army Special Forces. Fortunately Josh made it through that, and now is helping to fight the opiate epidemic by working with the Herron Project and SufferBetter. it's not all serious though, this is a #KitcenSesh after all (so we're not editing out all the beer can openings). Part 2 with peter in the hot seat will air next week!

#DrinkEveryTimeYouHear: #BobAfrica

Josh's crowdrise page (donate!): https://www.crowdrise.com/endurance-adventures-for-recovery The Herren Project: http://www.theherrenproject.org Bob's #SufferBetter: http://www.sufferbetter.com And a shout out to team Inov-8! 

On a summer day in 2014, Chris Brinlee Jr. walked away from his comfortable, well-paying job as an advertising art director to “experience something more,” as he puts it. Over seven months, Chris’s adventures have led him around the globe—he’s paddled remote fjords in Greenland, ridden motorcycles through Vietnam, sailed with a crew to Antarctica, and climbed 6,000m peaks in Nepal.  

He also recently started up a content generation company called Content Machine.

We talk with Chris from co-host Kelly's home in Boulder and hear about Chris' adventures and how he makes it all happen.

 

 

Listen as we talk conservation and public lands.  A few highlights from the show we recorded last night...  

Rebecca Schwagger tells us a bit about our venue, the Studio Boulder, and at 4m45s we get rolling.   

Lloyd Athearn and the Colorado Fourteeners Initiative bought part of a kickass mountain (Mt. Shavano) for $50k, so we can all hike it!

Hey, mountain bikers! #dontbeadick

Brady Robinson rocked a ponytail for 6 years too long; is on the fence whether Access Fund will attend Outdoor Retailer shows (it's complicated)

Doug Schnitzspahn really wants you to VOTE!

Aimee Ross answers the burning question about IMBA ... who the hell says "bicycling"? Offers great advice for those who want to get active protecting public lands.

We come up short looking for evidence that hunters and self-powered athletes are working together. But there's hope!

The Studio Boulder is one killer venue! Equipped with an Airstream and brewery next door. What more could you want in an office-share?!

Drink when you hear: bicyling #swagresponsibly#dismountandchat#dontbeadick Grayson Schaffer low energySpecial thanks to our crew and special guests: Cory Kelly Russ Melissa Wade Abby Robyn

And to our awesome hosts at The Studio (Boulder)! You guys rock!

When you write for Outside Magazine for 14 years, chances are you have some stories. From Lance Armstrong to Mount Everest to kayaking first descents and everything in between, Grayson Schaffer has covered it. We connect with him to discuss his latest piece, on psychedelics, and his other creative endeavors these days.

Topics discussed, with host Russ Rizzo:

His 14+ career writing for Outside Magazine

psychedelic drugs

His new creative firm, Talweg

psychedelic drugs

Lance Armstrong

psychedelic drugs

Big water boating

psychedelic drugs

An old fling

psychedelic drugs

Bareback riding (horses)

psychedelic drugs

Hunting elk with a bow and arrow

psychedelic drugs  

Links:

Grayson’s website: http://www.graysonschaffer.com/

Grayson’s creative agency, Talweg Creative: http://www.talwegcreative.com/

Grayson’s latest in Outside Magazine: https://www.outsideonline.com/2143036/are-psychedelics-new-prozac 

Recording live at the Gociety Adventure Fest 2016 in Denver, we talk with professional rock climber and yogi Olivia Hsu and Dr. Jon Kedrowski, an accomplished mountaineer, author and climatologist, about their pursuits in the mountains.

Professional explorer Dr. Jon talks to us about his successful project to be the first person to sleep on the summit of all of Colorado’s 14,000-foot peaks and the challenges he faced during his 2016 attempt to break the speed record for skiing all of Colorado’s 14ers.

Professional climber and yogi Olivia Hsu discusses her own Himalayan exploration as well as exploring the balance between rock climbing and yoga and how to keep your ego in check.

Both discuss how they overcame initial parental disappointment for their chosen paths to explore the outdoors as a full-time job. Spoiler: everything turned out just fine for these two legends of the Colorado outdoors.

This is a lively one!

Recording live at the Gociety Adventure Fest 2016 in Denver,  we talk with two adventurers with very different approaches to outdoor exploration. Strap in for a lively debate toward the end of this episode as JJ and Eric discuss ancient pyramids that may or may not be hidden in South America.

JJ Yosh is an adventure TV host who has travelled the world chronicling his adventures with Discovery Channel among others. He takes us behind the scenes to let us know what life is like for an adventure TV host and about his movie 10 years in the making.

Eric is a Polar adventurer, expedition guide, dog musher and educator who spent the past 15 years traveling in some of the most remote and wild places left on earth. He’s one of the few people to have skied both the North and South Poles. In 2010 he became the first person in history to reach the world's three 'poles' in one year: the North and South Poles and Mount Everest.  

Eric discusses how long, boring, cold expeditions became his thing, to the point where he skied the North Pole, South Pole and Mount Everest in a calendar year. And the impact of being a dad on his adventure lifestyle.

And they both join in on a lively debate about ancient pyramids that may or may not be buried under the South Pole.

Links

Eric’s book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LW6C1GG/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1

Eric’s website: http://www.ericlarsenexplore.com/

Cool article Eric wrote about being a dad of young ones on a dangerous Himilayan adventure: Dad Life

Eric discusses his book, “On Thin Ice”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZyL7DuSAPI

JJ’s website: http://www.jjyosh.com/

JJ’s film, “Ancient Tomorrow”: http://www.ancienttomorrow.com/

JJ’s videos: http://www.jjyosh.com/host-reel/

They are two of the most recognizable U.S. ultra runners out there, with countless media articles written both about them and by them, and even a couple of films documenting their outdoor exploration. They are also best friends living in Boulder, Colorado. We sit down with Anton Krupicka and Joe Grant to find out what it’s like to thrust oneself in the social media spotlight in the name of pursuing outdoor adventure full-time.  Listen in as we talk about:

• 2017 race plans (and rumors?)
• What they are really like, outside of the media spotlight
• Joe staring at a cat
• Anton’s open-door policy for the media (*excludes closet doors)
• Skimo racing
• Tennis

Here's some background info/reading/watching:

Anton will be at the Lakewood, Colo., Runner’s Roost Thursday, Feb. 2. Event link: https://www.facebook.com/events/398541773821112/

Anton’s new blog on La Sportiva’s site: http://www.sportiva.com/blog/anton-krupicka-supercanaleta/

Outside TV video of Anton’s home: https://www.outsideonline.com/2150111/inside-anton-krupickas-gear-shed?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=facebookpost

Joe Grant on our October show: http://www.dispatchradio.com/dispatch-6-self-propelled-adventure/

Video of Anton’s successful FKT record of Long Peak Triathlon: https://vimeo.com/185852037

Photo credit: Jarrod Wheaton

Photo credit: Joe Grant (meta!)

 

In this episode, we check in with Joel Gratz, founder of OpenSnow.com to talk ski season snow totals (late but wow!) and to hear about his three-week powder-hounding road trip across the rockies from Colorado to Canada. We get an insider’s tour of ski resorts off the beaten path (including Utah’s Powder Mountain) and do the math to figure out if heli-skiing is worth it. Give Joel a shout at [email protected] and find out if he really does answer every email. Insider hint: he’s a sucker for weather jokes.

Links:

Joel’s weather site Open Snow (also available as app)

Helicopter guide: Canadian Mountain Holidays (CMH)

Colorado climber/author/dirtbagger Brendan Leonard’s website, Semi-Rad.com

Powder Mountain, Lost Trail, Whitefish, Revel Stoke Mountain Resort, Ski Banff, Ski Louise

About Joel:

Joel Gratz is a snow-obsessed meteorologist based on Boulder, Colorado, who founded a company to help skiers, like him, to find the best powder. OpenSnow DOT com has local forecasters that cover the Rockies, California and lots of other places across the U.S.  

To kick off our day of recording at the first ever Gociety Adventure Fest 2016 in Denver we talk with key event organizers and partners about how the event came about and learn a little about the overall goals of the event and each organization’s unique approach to encouraging people to get outdoors.

Guests include a number of movers and shakers; Gociety co-founder and CEO Anna Thielke,  Big City Mountaineers Program Director Elizabeth Williams and Mike Lewis, director of brand activation and digital strategy for ZEAL Optics (who graciously kept us cool and comfortable in the “ZEAL Explorer” Airstream during the festival). A big thanks to all of them for their involvement and hospitality in what was an amazingly action packed day for Dispatch Radio.