The Ground Up Podcast

Most would call climbing for 24 hours straight crazy — doing it 20 years in a row is downright ludicrous. In the nearly two-decade history of 24 Hours of Horseshoe Hell, only one team has competed every single year: Dick and Natalie Dower, better known as Leather and Lace. Over time, they’ve become true legends of the 24-hour climbing scene at Horseshoe Canyon Ranch.

In part one of this year’s Horseshoe Hell miniseries, we sit down with Dick and Natalie to trace the history of the event. From hand-written scorecards and early strategy missteps to record-breaking ascents and the evolution of the competition itself, they’ve been through it all. We cover what it was like in the early years, the tactics and grit it takes to keep climbing route after route, and their historic pushes that inspired new generations of climbers.

With the 20th anniversary on the horizon, Dick and Natalie reflect on how far Horseshoe Hell has come — and what still keeps them coming back.

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Follow Dick on Instagram: @dickdower

Follow Natalie on Instagram: @nadneal

Follow along with all the Horseshoe Hell Fun: @therealtwofourhell

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Interested in signing up for the event?! Check out more details at https://www.twofourhell.com/ 

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What happens when an arborist and a dog walker swipe right and end up traveling the world on a shoestring budget? In this episode, Nettie and Dave, better known as the Climbing Backpackers, share their incredible journey climbing and dirtbagging across the globe. Hear how a ruptured Achilles and a spur-of-the-moment decision sparked two years of non-stop adventure, what it’s like living on £10 a day, and the wild experiences that come with climbing in places like India, Thailand, Laos, Turkey and beyond. From top-rope guiding in Badami to navigating crumbling crags and tuk-tuk rides, this conversation is full of stories, laughs, and insights into the nomadic climbing lifestyle most of us only ever dream about.

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Follow along on Instagram: @Climbing_Backpackers

Check out their adventures on YouTube: @TheClimbingBackpackers

Learn more about the Climbing Backpackers and their "Climb & Chill Weekends": https://www.climbingbackpackers.com/ 

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Climbing Destinations Covered in the Episodes

Badami, India

Batu caves, Malaysia

North wall, Thailand

Perlis, Malaysia

Thakhek, Laos

Huu Lung, Vietnam

Geyikbayiri, Turkey

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Follow along on Instagram: @listentogroundup 

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Making history in Yosemite Valley is no easy feat these days, especially if you can count the number of years you've been climbing on one hand. But on May 15th, at just 20 years old, Ethan Morf became the youngest person to free climb El Capitan in a day with an 18 hour ascent of Freerider.

In this episode, Ethan recounts his rapid rise from Squamish gumby to Yosemite crusher — a journey fueled by a seemingly endless supply of psyche, long days on granite, and countless hours on the MoonBoard. We talk about learning to climb and place gear via Youtube, his early trad leads (and ground falls), dealing with injuries, and ultimately sending one of the most iconic free routes in the world. This is a story of momentum, partnership, and learning to dig deep when it matters most.

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Follow Ethan on Instagram: @EthanMorf

Watch Ethan's YouTube videos: @ETHANmorf

Check out Ethan's climbing photography and videography:

Read more about his free ascent of El Capitan:

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In this episode, we sit down with Southeast legend Eddie Begoon—lifelong climber, route developer, and storyteller with deep roots in the Shenandoah Valley and the golden age of Southeast climbing. From barnyard bouldering on a Virginia dairy farm to bold first ascents at Seneca Rocks, Looking Glass, and the New River Gorge, Eddie shares the story of a climbing life shaped by humble beginnings, a bare-bones rack of gear, and the power of partnership. Along the way, we hear about country store belays, legendary leads, and the friendships that defined a generation of ground-up development.

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Follow Eddie on Instagram: @eddie.begoon

Read more about the first ascent of Sea of Brows: https://carolinaclimbingmuseum.org/tales/2018/12/3/the-first-ascent-of-sea-of-brows

Eddie and Chris Caldwell (CC) on Sea of Brows: https://www.mountainproject.com/photo/107650043/cc-starting-out-on-the-sea-of-brows-by-the-waste-side-2nd-pitch-with-eddie-begoo 

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Follow along on Instagram: @listentogroundup 

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Few endurance challenges rival the infamous Yosemite Triple Crown — a mega link-up of three iconic big walls in Yosemite National Park: the Nose on El Capitan, the Regular Northwest Face of Half Dome, and the South Face of Mount Watkins.

Since its first completion in 2001, no women had managed to complete the feat...

That is, until Kate Kelleghan and Laura Pineau showed up.

With impressive climbing résumés built in very different corners of the sport, Laura and Kate connected via a simple Instagram DM — both with their sights set on the Triple Crown.

In this episode of The Ground Up Podcast, we dive deep into the world of big wall speed climbing and the story behind Laura and Kate’s historic ascent. We begin in Boulder, Colorado, where the pair completed a brief training stint — including setting a new all-female fastest known time on the Naked Edge, a notoriously tricky route in Eldorado Canyon. Then we head to Yosemite Valley, as they walk us through their preparation, strategy, and the push that made them the first women to complete the Yosemite Triple Crown — in a blazing 23 hours and 36 minutes.

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The Yosemite Triple Crown

The Nose of El Capitan

The Regular Northwest Face of Half Dome

The South Face of Mount Watkins

The Naked Edge - Edorado Canyon

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Follow Kate on Instagram: @katekelleghan

Follow Laura on Instagram: @laurapineau

Read more about this historic ascent: https://uk.coros.com/stories/more-than-splits/c/yosemite-triple-crown-laura-pineau-kate-kelleghan 

Read more about the new fastest female ascent of the Naked Edge: https://coros.com/stories/more-than-splits/c/naked-edge-womens-speed-record-kate-kelleghan-laura-pineau 

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Follow along on Instagram: @listentogroundup 

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In today's episode, we sit down with legendary climber, author, and coach Eric Hörst—an East Coast pioneer whose nearly five decades of climbing and route development have left an indelible mark on American climbing culture. Eric takes us back to the 1970s Gunks scene, where he cut his teeth on steep trad climbs before importing sport climbing ethics to the New River Gorge, helping transform it into the world-class crag it is today.

We rewind the tape back to the ‘golden age’ of development at the New, where Eric, alongside notable first ascensionists, Rick Thompson, Doug Reed, Porter Jarrard, Eddie Begoon, Mike Artz, and several others started establishing the first sport routes on the blank walls of the NRG. Eric takes us through his pivotal first ascents like Diamond Life, the friendly competition that occurred during the 80s and 90s, and what drove him to drive 800-miles round trip weekend after weekend to hungry for that next first ascent. Lastly, Eric reflects on balancing family, career, and high-end climbing, shares why he eventually ‘switched allegiance’ to the Red River Gorge, and explains how his mindset—and the sport itself—has evolved over forty-plus years of routes, bolts, and hard-earned lessons.

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The first 5.13 at the New River Gorge: Diamond Life 

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Follow Eric on Instagram: @eric_horst

Get the best training resources available at https://trainingforclimbing.com/ 

Check out Training For Climbing on Instagram: @training4climbing

Level up you climbing with PhysiVāntage Nutrition

Check out PhysiVantage on Instagram: @physivantage

Use checkout code "Save10" to get 10% off your first order!

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Follow along on Instagram: @listentogroundup 

Check out our new website: https://www.thegrounduppodcast.com/

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In this episode, we sit down with Boone local Sam Dospoy—woodworker, van builder, and climber deeply rooted in North Carolina’s High Country. Sam shares how a two year stint dirtbagging in a minivan sparked both his love of climbing and his custom van build business, Stand Up Vans. We dig into his early days of bouldering over couch cushions at Blowing Rock, the tight-knit and low-beta climbing scene in Boone, and his progression into bold trad climbing and first ascents.

Sam reflects on mentorship, the local ethics around development, and the draw of uncovering untouched rock. We also get into the nitty gritty of what it takes to repeat some of 221's most infamous and hardest trad routes, his futuristic project at Hawksbill, how bouldering has shaped his trad climbing, and what it looks like bolting steep routes ground up while hanging from sketchy hooks.

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Climbing in Boone with Sam Dospoy: https://youtu.be/rEkMJdHC4gs?si=yB0C2b23oQV64-Gc

The Castaway - Ship Rock: https://youtu.be/h6DG1F8K5qQ?si=IYFZRSrYfohA1NVV

Blowing Rock Boulders: https://youtu.be/rEkMJdHC4gs?si=yB0C2b23oQV64-Gc

Fire in the Hole: https://www.mountainproject.com/route/117126148/fire-in-the-hole

Hawksbill Project: https://www.instagram.com/p/B571Y-XD-gN/

Heirloom (Moon Rocks Corridor Project): https://www.instagram.com/p/CM7QCbtDzZo/

Ishmael (Stack Rock): https://www.instagram.com/p/BaJ61_CAQ-H/

Pyramid Scheme: https://www.instagram.com/reel/B8l_ZwUJ_Pc/

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Follow Joel on Instagram: @sam_ayye_am

Check out Stand Up Vans on Instagram: @standupvans

Find a Stand Up Van that's right for you!

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Follow along on Instagram: @listentogroundup 

Check out our new website: https://www.thegrounduppodcast.com/

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Boone, North Carolina is where photographer Drew Mercer first discovered his passion for rock climbing, so it’s no surprise that his new coffee table book, In Season, is a love letter to the High Country. A modern champion of Southeastern climbing, Drew uses his lens to share the story of days spent at some of his favorite local, and arguably underappreciated, crags like Ship Rock, Grandmother Boulders, and The Dump.

We also cover Drew's dirtbag days in the Buttermilks and Hueco Tanks, an epic on the Linville Crusher, and ultimately what makes Boone the kind of place always worth coming home to.

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Get a copy of In Season through Kickstarter

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Follow Drew on Instagram

See more of Drew's work on his Website

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Follow along on Instagram: @listentogroundup 

Training for trad climbing isn’t something most climbers think about—but Project Direct coach Dana Taylor is here to change that.

Originally from Chicago, Dana spent years sport climbing at the Red River Gorge before catching the trad bug on a trip to Wadi Rum. In this episode, she takes us through her journey into the world of limit trad climbing, what inspired her to pursue coaching, and how she’s helping clients take their trad climbing to the next level.

We also dive into some epic multi-pitch adventures at Mazama, wild mountain bike descents, and a few pivotal moments that shaped Dana’s climbing career.

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Interested in working with Dana: Project Direct Coaching

Follow Along: Instagram

From bolts to cams: My journey to trad climbing

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Mazama Multi-pitch: Flyboys

More Monkey than Funky

Separate Reality

Whether you know him as the Vampire Professor, the Banjo Man, or the founding president of the Southwestern Pennsylvania Climbers Coalition (SWPACC), you know that Joel Brady has the undeniable ability to crush nails hard rock climbs. Coming to us live from the Keystone State, Joel recalls his early days competing against legends like Chris Sharma, Dave Graham, and Tommy Caldwell in some of America's first major climbing competitions. We then get into some of his milestone contributions to the sport that have come from more than two decades of establishing and sending some of the Southeast’s hardest routes. Among them are Still Life, a benchmark 5.14b at Summersville Lake in the New River Gorge, which he first ascended at just 18 years old, and Green Magic in the Hills, a recently realized dead-vertical 5.14b at Seneca Rocks that Joel describes as his magnum opus.

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Still Life: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IEgbnWTMgmY ; 

Green Magic in the Hills: https://www.mountainproject.com/route/124323457/green-magic-in-the-hills 

South's Steepest: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uT-XWc9ybY 

Southwestern PA Climbers Coalition: https://www.swpacc.org/ 

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Follow Joel on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vampireprofessor/ 

Photo Credit: Caleb Hills: https://www.instagram.com/calebjhills/ 

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Follow along on Instagram: @listentogroundup 

https://www.instagram.com/listentogroundup/