Welcome to Vertical Thoughts Season 2. We missed you all so much and are very glad to be back! Today's episode will casually introduce the season to you all, as well as to share a bit about what we've been up to, as well as our goals for the new year. New episodes will be every OTHER Monday at 9:00am, with Live readings on the off weeks. We look forward to the new season and hope you all do as well!

Season 1 has officially come to a close! Thank you so much for your undying support, love and involvement in Vertical Thoughts. We are so excited for the future of the show, and for the future of the sport of climbing. We look forward to season 2, and can't wait to show you all that we have in store! Enjoy your holidays, and see you soon!

Wonder what's been going on in the world of Rock Climbing? Look no further, ye hordes of gumby trash. Today we are joined by Xavier Arias(@adobo_poseidon) to discuss and share some of our favorite stories, news and happenings within the world of Rock Climbing. Some topics of discussion include the @ifsclimbing season wrap-up, the scaling of the so called "Un-climbable" border wall our POTUS bragged about so voraciously on Twitter, and @dave_graham_ sending his long-term project, Hypnotized Minds. We also chat about the end of season 1! Better late than never, right? See you next week for the season 1 finale!

Today we interview Vital Climbing gym setter Max Klauss(@maxklauss) and discuss his roots in competitive climbing, and his journey from a competitive youth climber, to a casual gym climber, and now as a professional routesetter. Max shares with us the mental obstacles of being a youth competitor, and how your mindset has to change to think and perform more like a setter. We also talk indoor vs outdoor sport climbing, and our hot take: Rock Climbing is Dangerous?!?! See you next week!

Navigating everyday social interactions is not always easy, and may be even more difficult for some than it is for others. Being at the rock climbing gym or crag is no different. Some days you may not feel 100%, and you may not necessarily feel like being interactive with those around you. Sometimes all you need is a pair of headphones, the rock in front of you, and intense focus. Today we are joined by Liz Roush (@lizabizniz) and Nick Henson (@immaninjasoyeah) to tell you that there is nothing wrong with that. It's okay to have bad days. It's okay to feel anti-social. It's okay to be quiet and keep to yourself, so long as you are being self aware, and not affecting others negatively. It's important to learn when to give people the space that they need to mentally recoup. Do you feel social anxiety commonly? Do you feel it more or less when at the gym or crag? Let us know!

Relationships can be complicated, as can combining a lifestyle or hobby with romance. Navigating a relationship with another climber comes with it's own unique set of variables; but ultimately leads to sharing something beautiful and healthy. Today we share our own personal experience as a couple dating within the world of rock climbing, and discuss what some of the challenges and benefits are to dating someone who shares a passion for the sport of rock climbing.

Getting back on the wall after an injury or break is a constant mental and physical battle. Learning to trust yourself, your body and the rock again takes time, patience and sometimes outside inspiration. Last week we learned the back story to each of our absences from the sport we love. Today we share with you the intricacies of the journey back to a consistent, confident and healthy climbing lifestyle. Whether you are struggling with mental trauma from injury, being unable to climb due to financial or situational restrictions, or even losing your passion for the sport; through pacing, inspiration and community you too can find yourself being comfortable on the wall and on the rock once again.

Getting into rock climbing is extremely difficult, but sometimes returning to the sport after a hiatus can be even more challenging still. Life happens, and sometimes it's no longer physically or situationally practical to continue rock climbing on a consistent basis. Today we share our own accounts of being unwilling or unable to climb for a period of time in our lives, and why we stepped away from the sport. Tune in next week for part 2 to learn how we overcame these mental and physical obstacles and got back on the wall. Sorry for the short episode, it was a very hectic week, see you next week!

Wondering what's going on right now in the world of rock climbing? Look no further! Today's episode is the first in a series of monthly climbing updates; where we, joined by our friend Xavier(@adobo_poseiden) share with you our favorite news, stories, and updates in the world of rock climbing. Today we talk about the shocking results of the IFSC world championship bouldering event, discuss a recent tragic accident that occured resulting in the death of an experienced trad climber, we talk renting @JimmyChin's camper van for $250 per day, and share the recent news from @paulrobinson announcing his journey to completing 1000 climbs grade 8A(V11) and higher. Thanks for listening!

Learning to climb can be both intimidating and frustrating. It's a constant uphill battle, and even climbing at a higher level is a never-ending loop of several failures and singular successes. Today we are joined by Owen Dao(@owen_dao) and Zach Lane(@zachlane), who give us some tips that helped them get past the first few technical leaps that are required to reach the intermediate level of rock climbing. What helped you past your most recent plateau?