First Ascent Podcast

If you’re an ice climbing gearhead, then you’ve probably heard about the new picks by Beartooth Alpine Equipment. Cofounder Charlie Faust joins the pod today to tell us all about them. He’ll share how Beartooth Alpine came to be, how their picks differ from other brands on the market, the role gear advancement has played in changing the sport of ice climbing, and his personal pick sharpening tips. 

Plus, we’ll get philosophical in a talk about the light and dark motivations that lead people to climbing. 

Learn more about Beartooth Alpine Equipment here. 

Check out Mark Twight’s book Kiss or Kill. 

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 can be found at @jayknower. 

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.

James Schroeder (aka Fudd) is back on the pod today to talk about his recent health journey with a severe heart arrhythmia. He’ll share how the health issue came to light, the surgical processes he went through to correct the issue, what the recovery process has been like for him, and how it has changed his perspective on life, fitness, and climbing. 

Plus, Fudd and Jay reminisce about an epic ice climb, and the unforgettable rock prank Fudd played on Jay.  

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 can be found at @jayknower. 

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.

Ice climbing season is just around the corner! Today, avid ice and mixed climber Brian O’Leary is on the pod to answer your ice, mixed and dry tooling questions. 

We’ll talk about the best ways to train for ice and mixed climbing, how the design of the tools you use will affect your performance, Brian’s thoughts on the need for more dry tooling routes, where to dry tool year round, and our thoughts on route grading. 

Brian is the co-founder of Forecast Climbing Equipment. Learn more about Forecast Climbing Equipment here! 

Check out Brian’s first episode on the pod here.  

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 can be found at @jayknower. 

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.

Rusty Talbot, candidate for NH Senate District 1, joins me on the pod today for a discussion about public service - both in the state house and at the crag. Rusty is an avid climber, the owner of the North Country Climbing Center in Lisbon, NH, a firefighter, and a search and rescue leader. 

Today, Rusty shares how climbing informs his approach to politics, what inspired him to run for state senate, where he stands in regards to issues facing New Hampshire’s outdoor recreation scene, and the importance of community involvement in all aspects of our lives.  

To learn more about Rusty and his campaign, visit https://www.rustytalbot.com/

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 can be found at @jayknower. 

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.

Today Chris Vaughan and Mike Gagnon join me on the pod to discuss the latest developments at Merriam Woods and Russell Crag! 

We’ll talk about the history and future of Merriam Woods, how the development of a parking lot will majorly improve access, some of the best routes at the crag (for all skill levels!), the land management challenges in the area, the importance of community support to keep the crag accessible and thriving, and how you can get involved through The Central New Hampshire Climbers Association. 

If you’d like to learn more about or donate to the Central New Hampshire Climbers Association, visit https://www.centralnhclimbers.org/

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 can be found at @jayknower. 

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.

Dylan Connole, a longtime climber and tech rep for Trango Climbing, joins me on the pod today to talk about climbing Mainiac, a mythical 5.13d in the far reaches of northern Maine. Dylan shares some history about the climb before detailing his own experience climbing it in September (complete with some invaluable beta). 

Plus, he’ll share what it’s like to work in the climbing industry and how he made the transition from climber to working at the center of the industry. 

Check out Dylan on Instagram @dconnole8

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 can be found at @jayknower. 

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.

Nadya Vorotnikova and Sean Vallefuoco are on the pod today to discuss their incredible performance at Horseshoe Hell, a grueling 24-hour climbing competition in Arkansas! 

They’ll share how the event works, the challenges that can arise when climbing for 24 hours straight, the importance of community support during the event, and the strategies they employed to achieve some really impressive performance metrics. 

Learn more about Horseshoe Hell here. 

Follow Nadya on Instagram @nadyavorotnikova

Follow Sean on Instagram @seanvallefuoco

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 can be found at @jayknower. 

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.

Brian O’Leary of Forecast Climbing Equipment reached out with some questions about glue in bolts, so we’re gonna chat about it on the pod! We’ll talk about the benefits and challenges of glue in bolts vs. mechanical bolts, how the trend in bolting has moved towards glue ins in recent years, our thoughts on red tags, and the projects we’re excited about tackling this fall. 

Plus, Brian will tell us about the new tools coming to the Forecast Climbing lineup! 

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.

Check out Brian’s first episode on the pod here.  

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 can be found at @jayknower. 

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.

New Hampshire silent crusher Franky Lapatino is on the show today to talk about the completion of his impressive project: ticking every route on the lower parking lot area at Rumney. We’ll talk about what inspired him to take on the project and Franky will share opinions of the underrated and overrated routes he ticked during the project. 

Then, Franky will talk us through how he went about projecting the crack climb 357 (aka Angel) throughout 2022. You can check out a video of his send of 357 here. 

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 can be found at @jayknower. 

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.

New York climbing legend Jim Lawyer is on the pod today to talk about the art of writing a guidebook. Jim is the co-author of Adirondack Rock: A Rock Climber’s Guide, an extremely comprehensive guidebook that covers 3,100 routes on more than 320 cliffs within the Adirondacks. 

Today, Jim and I cover what prompted him to tackle his huge project, the unique experiences that occur in the process of writing a guidebook, important priorities to keep in mind when writing a guidebook, and the importance of including the community in the guidebook writing process. 

Check out the guidebook here! 

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 can be found at @jayknower. 

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.