First Ascent Podcast

In today’s episode, Jay and Lee share their picks for the best gear they’ve used in the last year. If you’re looking for (mostly) unbiased recs for new gear, this episode is for you! 

Plus, the guys share their most hated gear, as well. So you know you’re in for a treat. 

Check out the gear recommendations here: 

DMM Belay Master Carabiner: https://dmmwales.com/products/belay-master-2

Rab Capstone Pants: https://rab.equipment/us/capstone-pants

Edelrid Canary Pro Dry Rope: https://edelrid.com/us-en/sport/ropes/canary-pro-dry-8-6mm?variant=557160

Petzl Ange Finesse Quickdraw: https://www.petzl.com/US/en/Sport/Carabiners-And-Quickdraws/ANGE-FINESSE

Black Diamond Camalot Z4 Offset: https://www.blackdiamondequipment.com/en_US/product/camalot-z4-offset/

Edelrid mega jul belay device https://edelrid.com/us-en/sport/belay-devices/mega-jul

Black diamond crack gloves https://www.blackdiamondequipment.com/en_US/product/crack-gloves/

Ocun crack gloves

https://www.ocun.com/product/crack-gloves

Scarpa Meistro 

https://www.backcountry.com/scarpa-maestro-mid-eco-climbing-shoe-mens-scr006k

Kong Panic Draw 

https://epictv.com/kong-panic

Misty Mountain Harnesses -Cadillac (trad/ice)

https://mistymountain.com/products/cadillac-quick-adjust-men-s

Misty Mountain Harnesses -Bolt- Sport)

https://mistymountain.com/products/bolt-harness

Join us over on the First Ascent Patreon! For only $5 a month, you’ll get access to wide ranging bonus content from greats like Mark Hudon, Joe Kinder, 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.

High level climber Rollin Grimmett is with us today to talk about his recent send of the 5.14d climb, Life of Villians in Southern Utah. Rollin shares about how he tackled this send, and he walks us through the calculated training regimen he follows as an outdoor climber in order to push his grades. 

Rollin also has a great Instagram at @rrgrimmett, and in today’s episode he weighs in on last episode’s big question: how important is truthfulness in climbing? 

Join us over on the First Ascent Patreon! For only $5 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.

Happy New Year, First Ascent listeners! We’re back from our break and ready for 2024. Today we’re starting the year off with an episode all about New Year’s resolutions. We’re sharing ours, reading submissions from our listeners, and judging each resolution as we go. Plus, we discuss a hot topic: how important is it to be truthful about your climbing experiences? 

Links: 

Cold Fear Podcast. Ep #17 - Social Authenticity 

Race to the Summit on Netflix 

What are your new year’s resolutions? Let us know @firstascentpod on Instagram! Jay and Lee can be found at @jayknower and @xxleeweexx 

Join us over on the First Ascent Patreon! For only $5 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

What are your new year’s resolutions? Let us know @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.

It’s been an amazing year on the podcast! Incredible guests, fascinating conversations and more than a few bloopers have been had. In order to celebrate the end of the year, we’ve compiled a compilation of some of our favorite moments, plus a few of those bloopers. 

We’ll be taking our very first break over the holiday season, but be sure to tune back in in the new year for new episodes. In the meantime, join our Patreon community! For only $5 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.

Ice and mixed climber extraordinaire Pat Cooke is back on the pod to help us usher in a new season of ice climbing! Jay had the pleasure of joining Pat on a mixed climb of Fafnir on Cannon Cliff recently and today they’re here to talk all about the experience. 

The guys talk about how gear can make all the difference in an ice climb, the mantras and mental exercises they use in challenging moments, and the ephemeral nature of making plans for the winter season.

Plus! We finally get an ice climber to share his ice climbing goals! 

For a great intro to ice climbing, check out our first episode with Pat Cooke.  

Follow along with First Ascent on Instagram at  @firstascentpod. 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.

Our good buddy Jeremy Ballou is on the pod today! Jeremy is a long time friend of the pod who has never shied away from correcting us on our many mistakes. He is also the namesake of Jeremy’s Wall in Miriam Woods. 

Jeremy adds his candid hot takes to a new crop of listener questions, airs his grievances with the climbing world, and generally reminds us that we’re full of sh*t. 

Join us over on the First Ascent Patreon! For only $5 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.

Today we’re joined by Vance White! Vance has put up over a hundred routes in the Lander area, is the author of “Lander Rock: Rock Climbs of Central Wyoming”, and is simply one of the nicest climbers in the land.  

Our chat with Vance today covers bolting philosophy, the importance of generational mentorship, music at the crag, developing routes with an inclusive mindset and more! 

Join us over on the First Ascent Patreon! For only $5 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

Learn more about the Central New Hampshire Climbers Association here! https://www.centralnhclimbers.org/

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.

Thanksgiving is upon us, and we have so much to be grateful for in the climbing world. From our partners to our health, our gear, experiences and everything in between, we’re breaking down the things that mean the most to us in this incredible activity that we all share. 

One thing we’re so grateful for is our amazing First Ascent Patreon community! Join us! For only $5-$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.

Lee’s in Vegas, baby! So, there’s no better time to talk about how the Las Vegas climbing scene has absolutely exploded in the last decade. Lee shares what he’s been up to, and then the guys list some of their favorite things about the area. 

Plus, they explore how different the western mindset is when it comes to long approaches, and what we lose in New Hampshire when we’re unwilling to make a long approach to a crag. 

Join us over on the First Ascent Patreon! For only $5-$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.

Russ Clune joins Jay and Lee on the pod today to chat about his new book ‘The Lifer: Climbing Adventures in The Gunks and Beyond’. 

Russ is one of the best traveled climbers in the history of our sport. He has climbed and put up routes on every continent other than Antarctica, and he has the stories to prove it. Today he’ll share about his free solo of Supercrack, how he came to travel so extensively for climbing in a time before the internet, his close friendship with Wolfgang Güllich and so much more. 

Order your copy of “The Lifer: Climbing Adventures in The Gunks and Beyond” here: https://www.diangelopublications.com/shop/p/the-lifer

Join us over on the First Ascent Patreon! For only $5-$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.