New York climbing legend Jim Lawyer is on the pod today to talk about the art of writing a guidebook. Jim is the co-author of Adirondack Rock: A Rock Climber’s Guide, an extremely comprehensive guidebook that covers 3,100 routes on more than 320 cliffs within the Adirondacks.

Today, Jim and I cover what prompted him to tackle his huge project, the unique experiences that occur in the process of writing a guidebook, important priorities to keep in mind when writing a guidebook, and the importance of including the community in the guidebook writing process.

Check out the guidebook here!

Join us over on the First Ascent Patreon. For $5, $7 or $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 can be found at @jayknower.

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.

New England climbers Ryan Loiselle and Dan Knisell join Jay on the show today to talk about their very cool new business - Real Stone Holds.

The guys share the benefits of using stone holds when doing indoor climbing, the unique process they use to craft each stone hold, the experience they’ve had building a business in the climbing industry, and how they’re balancing their personal climbing goals with their business goals.

Check out Real Stone Holds full line of products here.

Join us over on the First Ascent Patreon. For $5, $7 or $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 can be found at @jayknower.

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.

Ladd Raine, President of the Rumney Climber’s Association, is on the pod today to talk all about Rumney and the upcoming AAC Craggin’ Classic on Sept 6-8.

Ladd and I talk about what a local climbing organization (LCO) does, the history of the Rumney Climber’s Association and The Craggin’ Classic, what to expect at The Craggin’ Classic, how to report if a bolt needs to be replaced at Rumney, and all of the ways to get involved in your LCO if you want to help with the stewardship of the crag.

The AAC Craggin’ Classic is coming to Rumney on Sept 6-8. Learn all about it here.

Get involved or donate to the Rumney Climber’s Association here.

Join us over on the First Ascent Patreon. For $5, $7 or $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 can be found at @jayknower.

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.

Nate Liles is back on the pod! If you watch climbing media, you’ve most likely seen Nate’s work as a videographer and photographer. Today he’ll take us behind the scenes to give us a glimpse of what it takes to create awesome climbing media.

We’ll talk about the challenging process of rigging equipment to capture the ascent, the considerations Nate keeps in mind when using drones for footage, the business side of climbing media, and a few tips and tricks he uses to create compelling final products.

Learn more about Nate’s work at Orographic.Studio or on Instagram @orographic.visual

Check out Nate’s first interview here, where he talks about his work with the American Safe Climbing Association.

Join us over on the First Ascent Patreon. For $5, $7 or $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 can be found at @jayknower.

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.

Certified Performance Climbing Coach Leif Gasch of Substr8 Climbing is on the show today for a deep dive conversation about the fundamentals of training.

We’ll talk about how to know when you’re ready for training, the importance of setting a strong foundation for your body, cultivating an open mindset toward climbing, and how to schedule training so that you don’t have to give up days at the crag.

To learn more about Leif’s personalized training plans, check out https://www.substr8climbing.com/ or visit @substr8_climbing on Instagram.

References:

The Rock Climber’s Training Manual by Mike Anderson

Join us over on the First Ascent Patreon. For $5, $7 or $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 can be found at @jayknower.

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.

We’re officially entering into a new phase of the First Ascent Podcast, and I could think of no one better to join me than my longtime climbing buddy, James Schroeder.

With over 27 years of climbing under his belt, James has a lot of insight to offer. So, we’ll tackle some recently submitted listener questions. You’ll hear our thoughts about the responsibilities of a guide, how to successfully progress with trad climbing, the best way to give back to the climbing community, and the ethics of developing routes if you’re a visitor to an area.

Join us over on the First Ascent Patreon. For $5, $7 or $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 can be found at @jayknower.

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.

On May 21st, First Ascent co-host Lee Hansche passed away while setting routes at the climbing gym while he worked. Today, Jay is releasing the final episode that they recorded together, as it reflects what a great man Lee was and what a joy it was to speak with him about climbing.

If you would like to donate in Lee’s name, please visit https://www.gofundme.com/f/lee-hansche. The proceeds will be split between the Rumney Climbers Association and the Central New Hampshire Climbers Association, two organizations that support climbing areas that Lee loved so much.

In this episode, originally titled Honnold & Midtbø Revisited + Lies on Action Direct, Jay and Lee share their thoughts on recent controversial happenings in the climbing sphere. They’ll rehash their opinions about Alex Honnold and Magnus Midtbø’s free solo in light of Magnus’s reaction video with his girlfriend. (Check out our first episode on that free solo here) Then, they’ll break down the controversy surrounding Said Belhaj’s claim that he sent Action Directe. And finally, they’ll bring it closer to home with a history of the ladder controversy at Waimea, since it has begun to heat up once again.

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.

One of the coolest things about climbing is the rich historical lineage behind each route. From cans on spires, to guide books and magazines, and now Mountain Project, documentation that traces the history of a climb is an inspiring thing that connects us to the past.

Not every route has a pristine historical record, however. This has caused a rift in the community. A rift that has brought some older climbers to make the claim that there are no first accents left at all - which we think is patently untrue.

Today, we lay out our defense for why first ascents are still possible, the historical reasons why it’s important to publicly acknowledge your first ascents, the importance of being open to learning about first ascents that were not originally recorded, and how we can work together to deepen the historical record for future climbers.

Plus, we’ll tell you about our most recent first ascent - Sudden Valley!

Join us over on the First Ascent Patreon! For $5, $7 or $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.