Episodes

Jonathan Siegrist is a professional rock climber, widely regarded as one of the most prolific sport climbers in the world. He’s best known for pushing very hard sport routes, including numerous 5.15 ascents. This year he’s on track to reaching 100 routes rated 9a or harder. But first, we discuss the latest local drama, from price hikes to redtags, and what it all means when you have to watch some kid put down the hackysack long enough to hike your project Last, Kalous closes things out with hi...

What good is finger strength if you don’t know how to use it? Lillian Frances is a self-produced indie pop star based in LA who has written a new manual called Finger Banging For Climber Boys* (And Everyone Else). We discuss all things digital stimulation and and celebrate centering female pleasure. But first, what gets you stoked in climbing right now? Yer hyped-up hosts review some of the latest climbing news to surf the swell of stoke. For today’s final bit, of course, we’re bringing back ...

Matt Samet is a sport-climbing pioneer, climbing lifer, writer, editor, and literary icon. His new role at the American Alpine Club is launching the American Climbing Journal, an annual perfect-bound book documenting the biggest and most interesting ascents of the year. But first, what would it take to get you to quit climbing? Kalous briefly dreams of taking the easy way out before Bisharat knocks some sense into him, as per usual. Last but never least, our final bit comes from climber Stefan...

Melissa Strong is a climber, restaurateur, and writer. In 2017, she nearly lost her life in an electrical accident that left her with amputated and disfigured hands. Her new book is called Climbing Through: A Courageous Story of Grit, Healing, and Second Chances. But first, we talk (more) about Dean Potter, the late climbing and BASE jumping visionary who is the subject of a new documentary called The Dark Wizard. Today’s final bit is a listener-submitted homage to some climbing partners and c...

Ethan Salvo is a Canadian climber based in Squamish, who’s best known as the first Canadian to climb V16. That same week, he also climbed Dreamcatcher, Chris Sharma’s 5.14d. And this past he winter, he climbed Lucid Dreaming, the V15 in Bishop. But first, your lukewarm podcast hosts discuss a hot take: Was hang dogging a mistake? Our final bit is Jess Steven with a cover of “Black Flies” Show Notes Follow Ethan Salvo: https://www.instagram.com/ethansalvo Ethan Salvo on Substack: https://ethan...

Margo Hayes is a professional climber, model, musician, and artist — and she’s best known as the first woman to climb 5.15a, a grade she reached not just once, but three times: La Rambla, Biographie, and Papichulo. In recent years, a battle with Lyme disease has made climbing at her limit difficult, and she’s channeled her energy into art, music, and writing. Her new book, The Margo Method, outlines her approach to climbing and health. But first, we pore over the details of a very interesting, ...

Connor Herson is back. He needs no introduction, but he’s easily one of, if not the best, trad climber in the world at the moment. We talk about his 2025 climbing season in Yosemite, when he ticked the free Nose in a day, got a first free ascent of Triple Direct, and climbed many other major notable routes all while going to school. But first, what’s next for Alex Honnold? We have some ideas. Today’s final bit is from photographer and musician Cliff Ritchey, with the song “Patagonia.” Cliff te...

Mary Eden is known on Instagram as Trad Princess but in real life, she’s one of the sport’s best offwidth crack climbers. Recently she acheived the first female ascent of Century Crack, perhaps the world’s longest and hardest wide roof crack. But first, we talk about what everyone’s talking about. Alex Honnold and Taipei 101. To listen to the full intro bit, however, you’ll need to head over to Patreon.com/runoutpodcast to become a supporter of the show. With just a few more subscribers, we’ll ...

Just when you though you understood what a zone hold was … Hasn’t the comp climbing format already been “solved?” Some think there is room for improvement, including Charlie Boscoe, an alpinist turned World Cup commentator. He is the co-founder of the Professional Climbing League, a new comp series launching in London on February 28. But first, Chris sings praise of a crag where people know how to operate, and the wheat is separated from the chaff. Unfortunately, it turns out the chaff is Andre...

Lara Neumeier is a German climber known for her composure on demanding, heady terrain. Her notable ascents include a repeat of Psychogramm (5.14a trad), Silbergeier and End of Silence—two of the iconic multipitch alpine routes that form Europe’s so-called Alpine Trilogy—as well as El Corazón and the Pineapple Express on El Capitan. Before diving into Lara’s climbing and approach to mental strength, we open with a conversation about the benefits—and potential pitfalls—of choosing a climber as yo...

Fallon Rowe is a climber, writer, coach, teacher, researcher, and many more things. Her new book is called Pay No Mind: A Memoir of Climbing, Abuse, and Survival. Beyond discussing the traumatic story that she tells in her book, we enjoyed listening to Fallon bring her always thoughtful, grounded perspective to the way she approaches movement, risk, and life on the rock. But first, we sit down to talk about The Art of Suffering. No, not the kind of suffering we normally describe of getting to R...

On June 8 Kate Kellegan and Laura Pineau (aka Mademoiselle Fissure) became the first women to complete the Yosemite Triple Crown. That means the climbed El Capitan, Half Dome and Mt. Watkins in a day. Their time was 23 hours, 36 minutes, and 40 seconds. In this conversation, Kate and Laura share the tactics they used to achieve their big link-up, including tapping into the stoke and support of the community. But first, Kalous lays down on the therapy couch while Dr. Bisharat tries to diagnose w...

Danielle Sarli is a kindergarten teacher, musician, and passionate climber. She is the author of Little Climber, a new kids’ book illustrated by Amanda Joy Hogan. We discuss how to tap into that kid-like innate urge to climb, and kindle the joy that we all feel when stand on top of the world—or our own projects. But first, your inquisitive show hosts take a moment to ask each other anything. Literally, anything. Last, we’d be remiss not to share some of Danielle’s musical chops. Here she is pe...

In 2017, a climber was murdered outside of Squamish. His body was found with gunshot wounds, inside a smoldering, burnt vehicle. He was suspected to be the climber known as Jesse James, a Squamish dirtbag who made his mark on the scene, both in real life and online. In fact, it took three years for investigators to discover his real name and his incredible and sordid past. Who was this person really and what clues did his past reveal about who killed him—or why? Steven Chua is a freelance journa...

Nate Liles is a photographer, filmmaker, and development director at the American Safe Climbing Association. Today’s conversation with Nate centers on the state of bolts and bolting in America today, and the tenuous landscape of route developers, local climbing organizations, land managers, and community-organized bolting events that keep the state of hardware at our crags in the best shape possible. We talk about best practices regarding how to maintain hardware, where we’ve inadvertently creat...

Andrew Kornylak is a photographer, filmmaker, writer, and longtime climber. His new book is Spare These Stones. We speak about the rich culture of climbing in the. south, and how this place and its people have helped inform his work and inspire his latest book. But first, we talk about a climbing influencer who is using rage-bait free solo videos to gain attention on Instagram. Today’s final bit comes from Denver-based climber Logan Underwood and his punk band Moonshake. The song is Slipperscr...

Emily Weinstein is a New Yorker, radical activist, rabid Met’s fan, and climber who lives on a house boat in the San Francisco Bay. Her new book is called Turn to Stone: A Memoir. But first we catch up what’s happening in our climbing worlds, from stancing out out projects to taking a stance on fear. Our final bit is an excerpt from a standup comedy act from Ethan Newman. Show Notes Follow Emily Weinstein Turn to Stone: A Memoir from Simon & Schuster Follow Ethan Newman The One and Only Bar ...

Will Moss is a trad climber originally from New York. He recently flashed Free Rider on El Capitan, becoming the first to do it in a day and only the second person ever to flash an El Cap free climb. Will’s preparation to flash this route was insanely detailed, involving pouring over every video clip he could find, and person he could talk to. He even trained on simulators for the crux. Will shares the whole story of his groundbreaking ascent here. But first, what’s better than having a project...

Tanner Wanish and Michael Vaill are two of the best speed climbers in Yosemite today. They currently hold the record for the historic Yosemite Triple Crown with a time of 17 hours and 55 minutes, and they’re also the only climbers to also add in a fourth big wall on top of that feat—a linkup they dubbed the Quad. We spoke to Tanner and Michael about their partnership, the allure of linkups, the dangers of speed climbing and competition, and the real joy beyond what you see on social media of cl...

Jon Glassberg is a photographer and filmmaker, and Emily Harrington is one of America’s most prolific professional climbers, whose all-around feats span summits of 8,000 meter peaks, 5.14, National Comp podiums, and free ascents of El Capitan. Their new film is Girl Climber, which is profile of Emily and her quest to free climb Golden Gate on El Capitan in a day. But first, crack open a case of Send Lite and help us ponder whether we need way more terms for doing what we do with our rock-climbi...

Jordan Cannon is a professional climber, known for his free and speed-climbing feats on El Capitan. Mark Hudon is one of the fathers of big-wall free climbing, best known for making a very early and audacious free attempt of the Salathé Wall in 1979 with Max Jones, nearly a decade before El Cap was officially first free climbed by Todd Skinner and Paul Piana. Jordan and Mark’s partnership is legendary, best encapsulated in the film “Free As Can Be,” which documents Jordan’s ascent of Freerider i...

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Briana Mazzolini-Blanchard is the executive director of Urban Native Collective, the host of the Life on the Margins: An Urban Native Experience podcast, the co-founder of the Indigenous Field Guide, and a collaborator with the American Climbing Project. She recently stepped down from the Red River Gorge Climbing Coalition Board of Directors over their decision to discontinue their community programming: Climb L8, an initiative integral to their efforts to remove systemic and financial barriers ...

Mark Synnott is a professional big-wall climber, expedition sailor, and writer whose books have included The Third Pole and The Impossible Climb. His latest book is Into The Ice, an epic read about his recent voyage across the infamous Northwest Passage and the historical mysteries that lie within. The 6,736-mile journey takes 112 days, allowing Mark to give us his most personal memoir yet while weaving in the historical details of British explorer Sir John Franklin and the 128 men he led on an ...