The Ground Up Podcast

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 c...

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 psyc...

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 po...

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 c...

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...

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 i...

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 ...

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 ...

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 competitio...

Speed climbing is the ultimate culmination of dozens, if not hundreds, of hours spent dialing in beta, trimming the rack, and pushing the body to move as quickly up the wall as possible. Few do it better than today's guest, Joe Kennedy, a speed climbing phenom who holds the record for the fastest bridge to bridge ascent of the legendary Naked Edge in Eldorado Canyon. He’s also known for blazing through the Flatirons, either solo or...

Finding first ascents and new potential link-ups in Yosemite Valley is a rare opportunity these days, especially when they're as monumental as the QUAD! In a mind-blowingly short one year between his first NIAD (Nose in a Day), Tanner Wanish and his partner Michael Vail not only broke the speed record on the infamous Yosemite Triple Crown, but also established the Quad, a mega link-up of El Capitan, Half Dome, Mount Watkins and Was...

While most climbers gravitate to El Potrero Chico when visiting Nuevo León, Karly Rager has spent the past five winter seasons learning the dark arts of kneebars in El Salto's tufa filled playgrounds. Fresh off her all female team's First Free Ascent of Guerreras on La Gloria, Karly reflects on what it took to achieve their FFA in the demanding Mexican alpine desert, her early years as a climber in Boulder, Colorado, and lessons le...

If you've pulled onto the perfect Nuttall Sandstone of the New River Gorge, odds are you've climbed a Doug Reed route. Boasting one of the most impressive list's of first ascents in Southeastern, and perhaps national climbing history, Doug was a true pioneer of pushing the standards for both difficult and high-quality climbing during the 80's and 90's. A true legend of the steep, Doug takes us through his journey putting up an almo...

The Western North Carolina climbing scene has been experiencing a recent flurry of hard ascents and Zack Mintz is certainly someone who's been at the heart of it all. A true guru of granite, Zack joins the Ground Up to cover everything from his rapid progression as a climbing guide, how "learning to fail" has helped him succeed, and his passion for capturing other climbers through the lens of his camera. He also walks us through hi...

Hailing from the great state of Georgia, our guest for this episode is the Southeast's latest climbing phenom, Armand La Douceur. It was only 18 months ago that Armand first tied into a rope, but he's since taken the climbing scene by storm, putting down many of the areas hardest test-pieces, including Western North Carolina's most iconic 5.13 multipitch, the Glass Menagerie at Looking Glass Rock. The boys dive into his wild introd...

If you tuned into the HBO reality series, The Climb, with Chris Sharma, Megan Martin and Jason Momoa, you probably recognize our next guest, Mario Stanley. A Texas based climber, Mario's impact on the local scene as a coach, guide, route developer and fellow podcast host can't be overstated. A wide ranging episode, we cover outdoor access in the Lone Star State, annual trips to Last Chance Canyon, deep water soloing in Mallorca and...

You may have heard of Dad Strength before, but Erica Lineberry is making sure that you know all about Mom Strength. Better known as Cragmama, Erica is one of the Southeast's elite weekend warriors and has sent well over 100 routes of 5.12 or higher, all after having her first child! Whether she's pulling through roofs at Hidden Valley, jug bashing at the Red River Gorge or working her way down Endless Wall, it's always a family aff...

This one is for all the local North Carolina hardmen, the lovers of steep & spicy trad climbing, and anyone looking for a classic ground up adventure. The Mayor of Moore's himself, Tim Fisher, takes us through his 40+ year climbing career developing some of the region's best and boldest test pieces. We talk ground up ethics, adventures with other local legends like Doug Reed, Tim's shortlist of classic routes for the Southeast ...

One of only three participants to ever climb 300+ pitches during the 24 Hours of Horseshoe Hell, Genevive Walker is a true legend of the competition. Her commitment to performance is rivaled only by her involvement in the community and she's always the first one to bring the energy to the afterparty. Join The Ground Up crew for Episode 8 as Genevive walks us through her unexpected introduction to Hell, her impressive year over year...