In this impromptu episode, I talk with Ward Smith, the author of the Rumney guidebook. Ward put up iconic routes like Predator 13b, Feeding Frenzy 13c/d, and Parallel Universe 14a.

He shared stories from the early days of Rumney, how he approached training, and his take on what makes China Beach special.

It was a free-form conversation, so check out the timestamps in the description to jump to specific topics, but I'd really encourage you to listen to the whole episode. You’ll get a picture of Ward, the climber and person. He was ahead of his time - putting up 5.14 first ascents in the '90s!

This should be an exciting Spring season at Waimea! Follow @chinabeachpodcast on Instagram for updates.

ABOUT THE PODCAST

We’ve had a decade-plus obsession with China Beach 5.14b - possibly the best route in the world. This podcast series is about that route - what makes it unique and special. Video episodes on YouTube and Spotify. Hosted by Rajiv Ayyangar and Michael Penn.

TOPICS

00:00 start

01:38 intros

03:09 podcasts Ward likes

05:18 keto and intermittent fasting

07:08 Rajiv's story

10:30 Ward's early climbing at Rumney

11:50 working on Barracuda 13d

16:54 Getting on China Beach

17:47 Reinforcing key holds

20:32 Why is CB so hard?

21:36 Giving up CB to Dave Graham

24:17 How close did Ward get?

25:53 How did Ward climb so hard?

29:22 Parallel Universe 14a

32:43 Reflections on training

35:52 Digression: John Mallery and Dave, Joe, and Luke

39:18 "I knew my time was limited" - Feeding Frenzy 13d

41:12 Open projects at Rumney

43:14 What makes China Beach so good?

46:52 Will there be a round 2?

51:42 Ward's current training and the Kilter Board

55:55 Surprised more pros haven't done CB

01:00:54 What's Ward's height and ape index?

01:04:15 Nina Williams' beta

01:06:32 Who else should we have on the Podcast?