Welcome back to part two of our chat with James Barrow! In our last episode, we heard about James' journey as a climber and what events ultimately lead to his most recent achievement: The Complete Towers of the Virgin Traverse. A link up that covers 20 distinct peaks, and 18.5k of elevation gain over 28 miles. The terrain involves runouts upon runouts, canyoneering, bushwacking, steep snow travel, soloing, and an abundance of massive full 70m rappels using a fiddle stick. At 5.9+R/M2R. Nothing of this length or technical difficulty has been done in Zion in over 20 years. 

Today, we're diving into a step-by-step trip report. We'll cover the major milestones, close calls, and all the intricate details of this massive desert alpine link up.

If you haven't already, I highly recommend doing a bit of homework on The Complete Towers of the Virgin Traverse. Check out the resources in the show notes to get a sense of the massive scale and seriousness of this objective.

I'll keep this intro brief since we've got a lot to cover. So, without further ado, let's jump back into our conversation with James Barrow.

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We are always looking for new guests. If you or someone you know would be a great fit for the show please don’t hesitate to reach out, just like James did. You can reach us on IG or email us directly @ [email protected]

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Resources

James Barrow's IG

The Complete Towers of the Virgin Traverse

When you hear "Zion National Park," what comes to mind? The Narrows, Moonlight Buttress, and some of the most stunning sandstone cliffs and peaks you’ll ever see, all packed into a canyon visited by over five million people each year. But what about the possibilities beyond the main canyon, beyond the classic hikes and climbs?

Today, we’re chatting with James Barrow. He's a father, climber, and electrician by trade. James quickly developed a knack for climbing, finding himself leading sport climbs in the 5.12+ range in under six months. But, after rushing his progression, he seriously injured his tendons, which pushed him to find a new kind of challenge. That's when he turned to adventure climbing.

James fell in love with exploring the uncharted, runout, loose, and complicated sandstone peaks and plateaus surrounding the main area of Zion National Park. His latest achievement? The Complete Towers of the Virgin Traverse—a feat that covers 20 distinct peaks, with 18,500 feet of elevation gain over 28 miles. The terrain involves runouts, canyoneering, bushwhacking, steep snow travel, soloing, and massive 70-meter rappels using a fiddlestick. The climb, rated 5.9+R/M2R, is one of the most challenging and technical routes done in Zion in the last 20 years.

I can't emphasize enough the magnitude of what James and his partner accomplished. After our conversation, he walked me through his route on Google Earth. The complexity of route-finding, the massive scale, and the varied conditions of rock, snow, and thick bushes left me amazed.

We’ve split this conversation into two parts. Today, we'll hear about the events that led James to set his sights on this massive sandstone alpine linkup, and essentially shape him as a climber. This will help us understand him better when he tells the full story of "The Complete Towers of the Virgin Traverse" in part two. We'll talk about his rapid progression to 5.12+, how he found adventure climbing, his view on risk, and what he did to prepare for this big linkup.

Resources

James' Instagram

Local News

What’s up everyone thanks for being here and for being a part of The Climbing Majority. Today we sit down with Martin Mora, co-founder and developer of Red- Point. Red-Point is a new app where you can use interactive 3d maps to explore and get detailed route information on boulders and crags. If you haven't already seen their social posts of their app in action…definitely go check them out. 

Martin is a unique individual who like many in the majority, found climbing later in his life. He found himself spending way too much time wondering where a specific route is at a new crag, and thought “There must be a better way”...Because of this h e and his business partner spent the last few years developing a process to scan and render 3 dimensional images of crags that can be explored virtually on your phone. Now they are traveling the globe to ultimately begin the overwhelming task of scanning the world's most prominent and popular rock walls.

Martin believes that the heavily detailed and  comprehensive nature of these 3D scans will soon make traditional apps like Mountain Project feel archaic. You will no longer need to stitch together subjective beta in the comments sections…. Martin even believes Red-Point is on track to become the Strava of climbing.

But Martin isn’t doing this alone; he's created a way for the entire climbing community to get involved. Through what he calls the 'Dirtbag Program,' climbers like you can contribute scans and even get paid up to $20 for each area or boulder you map. All you need is your phone.

So, whether you're a tech enthusiast, an avid climber, or just love a good story about passion fueled  innovation, you won't want to miss what Martin has to say. Let’s get started.

Resources

Red-Point

Instagram

In today's ever increasingly polarized world it can be difficult to have challenging conversations. Kyle and I are well aware that the issue of representation in sport is one that does not affect us personally.

However we were lucky enough to sit down with all around rad dude, climber extraordinaire and recent new father Eddie Taylor to learn about his ascents and what his thoughts were on the topic of representation. As a black climber in a predominantly white climbing climate Eddie gives us his perspective.

For those who don't know Eddie is a very accomplished climber. He has summited Denali, he summited Everest as a part of the first all black Everest expedition under Phill Henderson he climbed the Nose in a day and sent Moonlight Buttress to name a few of his accomplishments.

Talking with Eddie it was clear though that climbing was only part of the importance in his life. Eddie is a chemistry teacher, track coach and he expressed the importance of family and giving back to his community.

In this conversation we discuss some of Eddie's notable ascents, what to look for in climbing partners, representation in the climbing community and much more.

Please rate, review the show, and share this podcast with your friends. Word of mouth is one of the most powerful tools to help us out.

Contact us:
IG: @the.climbing.majority
Email: [email protected]

Today, we're diving into something that most of us are all familiar with - Mountain Project. It's the guidebook that's always at our fingertips, supported and enriched by our very own community. Yet, as revolutionary as it has been for sharing and discovering climbs, it brings up a few questions that we might easily overlook. Questions like, who actually owns the data we input? What happens to our contributions if we decide to bow out and delete our profile? And what do these practices mean for the future of climbing information? Honestly, these questions can really make you pause and think.

That's exactly why today, we're sitting down with Viet, a climber who's spotted the signs and decided to carve out a new path. He's one of the pioneering brains behind Open Beta IO, an initiative that’s rethinking our approach to how we share climbing data.

Viet’s vision? It's all about creating a space where information is not just shared but is open-sourced and accessible to all. As things stand, the data we openly donate to Mountain Project can't be repurposed or reused by others. To Viet, this lockdown of publicly sourced information is not just ethically gray; it's a blockade to the myriad of possibilities this data could unlock. But challenging the status quo and attempting to alter two-decade-old climber behaviors come with its own set of hurdles, questions to be answered, and ethical dilemmas to navigate.

So, get comfy and join us as we dive deep with Viet into the essence of Open Beta, the motivations driving it, and its potential to redefine how we, as climbers, connect with each other and the crags we cherish. At the very least, it's a chance for us to reflect on our complacency with surrendering our data, contributions, and creative outputs without much thought on how the way this data is being managed might actually be holding our community back.

Please rate, review the show, and share this podcast with your friends. Word of mouth is one of the most powerful tools to help us out.

Contact us:
IG: @the.climbing.majority
Email: [email protected]

Resources:

Openbeta.io

The mountains will try to kill us and yet they have no malice.
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They freeze us and yet warm our souls. 
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They fill our lives with joy and yet have nothing tangible to give. 
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The mountains deserve our respect. 
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They require meticulous preparation, mentally, spiritually and physically.

Today we are sitting down with a master of preparation. Scott Johnston is a world renown Endurance coach. Some of the athletes he has worked with over the years include Killian Jornet, Steve House, Alex Honold and Tom Evans to name a few. But Scotts true legacy and contribution to the climbing community lies with the everyday climber who he has equipped with the knowledge necessary to improve their health and wellbeing and to live a life full of adventure. In our conversation we discuss the allure of endurance sports, the nuance of endurance coaching, the future of ultra running, the importance of life beyond sport, the fragility of life and finally we discuss an accident that left Scott stranded and alone on the vast glaciers of Denali 

Please rate, review the show, and share this podcast with your friends. Word of mouth is one of the most powerful tools to help us out.

Contact us:
IG: @the.climbing.majority
Email: [email protected]

Resources:

Evoke Endurance

Training For The New Alpinism (Book)

Have you ever imagined what kinda person you have to be mentally and physically to climb some of the hardest routes in the world? Maybe how that person views themselves and their own accomplishment? Or even how they might view the everyday climber? 

In this conversation we wanted to move beyond what it's like to climb hard. What are the lessons of a 5.15 climber and how can we apply Jonathan's viewpoint and experiences to improve our own lives?

Jonathan helps us remember life is about private little victories. He suggests that it's important    be gentle on ourselves and to remember why we started climbing in the first place, the love of life and the outdoors.

In our chat, we talk about how Jonathan supports the community and what recreational climbers look like through pros’ eyes. We discuss how top climbers use their influence, what key traits make them successful, and finally how Jonathan plans to use his talents once he outlives his physical peak.

Please rate, review the show, and share this podcast with your friends. Word of mouth is one of the most powerful tools to help us out.

Contact us:
IG: @the.climbing.majority
Email: [email protected]

Today we are sitting down with my good friend Bryce. Funny enough, I met Bryce before either of us were climbers. We each found climbing separately, but inevitably we roped up and quickly became a great team. Recently, Bryce and I spent a weekend trad climbing in Red Rock Canyon. Despite not climbing together for several years, getting out on the rock in red-rocks felt just as fun, and natural as before. We may change and the environment changes but our friendships endure.

In our conversation, we talk about fatherhood and how it changed Bryce’s relationship with climbing, how he chooses his objectives, and the kind of partners he climbs with. We talk about the fine line between safety and total catastrophe, and how trust, mindfulness, and communication keep us alive. And finally we discuss the ethics involved in sharing classic climbs in super popular areas.

Please rate, review the show, and share this podcast with your friends. Word of mouth is one of the most powerful tools to help us out.

Contact us:
IG: @the.climbing.majority
Email: [email protected]

Warning: this episode contains graphic descriptions of violence that might not be suitable for all audiences, especially children. If you're not in a space to listen to this content, please consider saving this episode for another time.

On May 28th of 2018, Chad O’Melia was brutally stabbed to death in his own home by his girlfriend Bryn Spejcher after they had smoked marijuana together. The state-appointed forensic psychologist on the case, Kris Mohandie, wrote in a 37-page report that Spejcher appeared “possessed” and proceeded to repeatedly stab herself and her own dog despite being tasered multiple times. It wasn’t until the ninth blow from a police officer’s steel baton that the police were able to stop her.. She was arrested on scene and released on bail shortly afterward.

Now I am sure you all have seen the social media posts, and news articles that have recently come out…but if you haven’t… last Tuesday after almost 6 years …. the court finally sentenced Spejcher… to two years of probation and 100 hours of community service ... .for stabbing a man to 108 times... The court's argument here was that after smoking marijuana, Spejcher entered a state of acute marijuana induced psychosis, and therefore had no control over her actions that night. 

Today we revisit this tragic incident through the eyes of our previous guest Mike Tagg, rock climber and O’Melia’s roommate.. Mike was in the house that night, and we are resharing his personal account of what happened.

As you listen to this episode, we invite you to reflect…Do you feel that a person in a state of psychosis should be held accountable for their actions? 

Do you feel…as stated by Chad’s father that “the court just gave everyone in the state of California who smokes marijuana a license to kill”.

Lastly, Mike shares how his relationship with the sport of climbing allowed him to process the trauma and rebuild a sense of control over his own safety.

Please rate, review the show, and share this podcast with your friends. Word of mouth is one of the most powerful tools to help us out.

Contact us:
IG: @the.climbing.majority
Email: [email protected]

I would argue that our climbing community is mostly open, kind, and understanding. But I am sure we all have our own experiences with people who are not. The silent judgy squad that think they own the crag. The keyboard warrior that spreads hate, judgment, and negativity behind the protection of a screen. 

Today we sit down with Landon McDowell, a self proclaimed “Reformed Elitist”. Having started climbing at the age of 14 he quickly noticed a natural proclivity towards the sport.  Climbing soon became the source for Landon's identity, ego, and happiness. He noticed this and its effect on the people around him and quit rock climbing to work on himself and pursue his new passion of flight sports. Landon now has a calm, collected and positive outlook on life and is aiming to push the boundaries of alpine flight sports.

In our conversation, we chat about Landons rapid progression from a gym sport climber to projecting Desert Reality, an iconic and imposing roof crack in Red Rock Canyon. We get to hear what it might be like to be on the other side of the keyboard to the “yer gonna die” comment we all see online. And finally, we chat about Landons new passion of base jumping and speed flying and how he envisions mixing these disciplines with climbing and taking them into the mountains…

Please rate, review the show, and share this podcast with your friends. Word of mouth is one of the most powerful tools to help us out.

Contact us:
IG: @the.climbing.majority
Email: [email protected]