Uphill Athlete Podcast

On the latest episode of Voice of the Mountains, Steve is joined by one of the most accomplished young climbers on the planet, Sasha DiGiulian. Sasha fell in love with the sport at her older brother's birthday party at a climbing gym when she was six years old. Within a year, she was competing and by the time she graduated from high school, she was red, pointing 5.14. She continued climbing while a student at Columbia University and rattled off several U.S. and Pan-American sport climbing championships, adding a world championship gold medal in the all around in 2011. Sasha has dozens of first free ascents around the world to her name and however impressive Sasha is on the rock, she may be even more impressive off of it. She's a filmmaker, an activist and an author. Like so many climbers, Sasha has firsthand knowledge of the sport's inherent dangers and tragedies, which she bravely shares. And like too many women in our sport, Sasha has had unfortunate firsthand experiences with some of the chauvinistic gatekeeping, which sadly is still prevalent in climbing as well as in our wider culture. Steve and Sasha explore Sasha’s unique role in the climbing world and the dualities she has discovered throughout her career.

If you'd like to learn more about Voice of the Mountains, check out the website: https://uphillathlete.com/voiceofthemountains/

Or visit us at uphillathlete.com

In the latest Uphill Athlete episode, Alyssa and Chantelle discuss the most commonly asked questions from Uphill Athletes. The topic of their discussion revolves around training zones, what they are, how to use them, and how to set them up for your training. They break down the procedures of establishing aerobic and anaerobic thresholds and why you might need training zones. Lastly, they touch on Rate of Perceived Exertion and Aerobic Deficiency Syndrome in regards to the evolution of training principles and guidance. If you’ve ever wondered about training zones, this episode will answer all your questions.

Useful articles: https://uphillathlete.com/aerobic-training/aerobic-anaerobic-threshold-self-assessment/

https://uphillathlete.com/aerobic-training/heart-rate-drift/

Steve welcomes long time climbing partner, extremely accomplished mountain athlete, IFMGA guide, Piolet d‘Or winner, owner of Skyward mountaineering, dad, and husband, Vince Anderson, to the podcast. They discuss their groundbreaking ascent of the Rupal face on Nanga Parbat in 2005 and work to find meaning and understanding of the origin of thoughts, feelings, and motivations in the mountains. They connect those findings back to established schools of thought and the experience they had on Nanga Parbat. With the framework of the climbs, Steve and Vince try to unpack the meaning of suffering and the undying belief in the meaning and importance of their actions. On the 19th anniversary of their landmark climb, these two legends of the sport share their wisdom and learnings from years of hard earned experience.

Check out more information on this episode at: https://uphillathlete.com/voiceofthemountains/

On this episode of the Uphill Athlete podcast, book club edition, Steve dives into the minds of today's most inspiring authors and helps listeners to learn from the mountain world's most important thought leaders. In this book club episode, Steve welcomes Luis Benitez to the podcast to discuss his new book, Higher Ground. Luis is a mountain guide, government worker, executive leadership development expert, and professor among many other positions. Steve and Luis break down the impetus for Higher Ground and the main thesis of the book, the human potential within the mountain community at large. You can find out more about the book at www.highergroundbook.com.

If you would like to learn more about Uphill Athlete, please visit us at uphillathlete.com

The Uphill Athlete podcast returns with a special episode discussing the newest training plans release, the Uphill Athlete Skyrunning plan. Alyssa welcomes mountain athlete and influencer Lukas Mann to the podcast to discuss his experiences working with Alyssa as she developed the skyrunning plan around his training for the Minotaur Skyrace. The two discuss Lukas’ background in mountain sports and his transition to adding trail running as a staple to his mountain toolbox. They break down Lukas’ training cycle, the challenges and growth he felt using the plan, and his experience in the Minotaur Skyrace. Tune in to learn more about the background of building training plans and to hear about a fantastic mountain athlete challenging himself in a new discipline. You can check out the plan in the Uphill Athlete Training Peaks store and hit the link in the bio to learn more.

https://www.trainingpeaks.com/training-plans/running/trail/tp-488866/trail-running-skyrunning

In the latest episode of Voice of the Mountains, Steve welcomes an icon of mountain sports and artistic genius. Cory Richards went from homeless kid to Nat Geo Adventurer of the Year. From depression and bi-polar diagnoses to one of the best spokesmen and advocates for mental health, particularly men’s mental health. Cory and Steve discuss difficult transitions, how certain beliefs, such as how a certain unhealthy relationship is good for them, become convictions. How they spent years living in the confines of those beliefs despite the seemingly obvious damage to themselves and others. So in this episode, they unpack what this looks and feels like and they hope others will recognize themselves in that and seek positive change. Cory and Steve step in to the difficult conversations and use vulnerability to lead an enlightening discussion between two mountain greats. Check out Cory’s new book, The Color of Everything or visit his website: https://www.coryrichards.com/

See more episodes and companion essays at: https://uphillathlete.com/voiceofthemountains/

On the third episode of Voice of the Mountains, Steve welcomes the pioneering climber Lydia Brady, who created a life of climbing through windows when the doors were slammed. She became the first female climber to summit Everest without oxygen in 1988 along with many first ascents worldwide. From big walls, to alpine climbs, Lydia has made her mark on the climbing world as a leader in her own climbing and a mountain guide. Unfortunately she faced tremendous doubt and scrutiny with her ascent and faced a ten year ban from climbing in the Himalaya. Steve and Lydia tackle the questions of whether the harder the journey, the greater the shift good journeys end with your understanding of yourself shifted? They also discuss how Lydia wishes to be remembered and what goals she has for her future. Tune in, sit down, and get ready to listen to both Lydia's humility and a lifetime of hard earned wisdom.

Visit the Voice of the Mountains website at: https://uphillathlete.com/voiceofthemountains/

The Uphill Athlete podcast is back to answer your questions on all things altitude. Director of Coaching, Chantelle Robitaille and host Alyssa answer a range of questions from altitude and Vertical Kilometer races, coming from sea level to race at altitude, and the benefits and challenges of using a hypoxic tent vs mask. They also touch on the effects of altitude on men vs women as well as considerations aging athletes should take when planning for altitude adventures. The two wrap up the conversation with a discussion on the need for individualized planning when it comes to balancing normal training and acclimatization protocols and the direction Uphill Athlete is headed in supporting athletes for their altitude training needs.

Check out more information here: https://uphillathlete.com/mountaineering-training/

Or write to us at [email protected]

In the latest episode of the Uphill Athlete Podcast season on altitude, Alyssa welcomes IFMGA guide and Uphill Athlete coach, Jerome Sullivan, on to the podcast. Jerome has spent significant time climbing technical objectives in high to extreme altitudes and has found much success in being awarded a Piolets d’Or in 2016. Jerome and Alyssa discuss the risks and challenges of not only existing, but performing at high altitudes. They dive into the mental and physical preparations as well as the deep partnerships needed to stay safe in difficult objectives. They also discuss Jerome’s memorable experiences at altitude and when to choose between continuing forward and turning back. Join us for an exciting conversation about what it takes to perform at altitude.

Check out more information here: https://uphillathlete.com/mountaineering-training/

Or write to us at [email protected]

Voices of the Mountains welcomes all-round action hero Will Gadd who is legendary in the climbing world. Year after year, Will has continually pushed the boundaries of ice and mixed climbing. He leaned into competition climbing and with other visionaries like Jeff Lowe, pushed mixed climbing forward. Will is a veteran of mountain sports, and not only does he continue to seek new adventures but he seems to have boundless energy.

Will tells the listeners how just ten short years ago, he was quick to call out younger climbers for their inexperience, and the dumb risks they took—only to be met with dismissal as an outdated voice from a previous generation. Today, Will no longer calls people out. He calls them in. And in making that shift discovers how this profound change opened the floodgates to learning; learning which now flows freely in both directions.

 Will and Steve discuss the culture of ex-communication of older, wiser athletes in the mountain community.  How we all need a new model for aging athletes where we value the elder wisdom, insights, and experiences and not just an athlete’s mere physical prowess.

 Join Will and Steve as they challenge one another to unpack a lifetime of lessons from the peaks, and help one another to embrace the wisdom that there is far more to life than facing the external challenges of ice, rock, and gravity, and together they level up to be able to navigate the internal terrain that defines us as human.

Visit us at https://uphillathlete.com/voiceofthemountains/ or write to us at [email protected]