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Climbing Gold: Unroped
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Ms. 5.15 – that was the moniker the climbing world bestowed on Margo Hayes after she became the first woman to climb the grade. Two more 5.15’s followed and Margo seemed poised to be a defining climbe...
· 1 hr 7 min 3 sec
While most of the elite climbing world has turned its attention to raw difficulty in sport and bouldering, Babsi Zangerl and Jacopo Larcher have been carrying the torch for hard, sometimes dangerous,...
· 47 min 12 sec
Beth Rodden started climbing in 1995, and it wasn’t long before she radically changed the sport. Within three years, she’d become the first woman to climb 5.14; within five, she established a still un...
· 38 min 56 sec
After a protracted battle over bolts and sport climbing, American climbers nearly lost the ability to climb on public lands in the early 1990s. It would have completely altered the course of our sport...
· 43 min 11 sec
In 1986, a rag-tag group of dirtbags including Beth Wald, Russ Clune and Todd Skinner came up with a scheme to go behind the Iron Curtain with the goal of competing in the Soviet Union's speed climbin...
· 30 min 38 sec
Adieu Paris. After a week at the Olympic games, Alex and the team reflect on an incredible moment for climbing and its brightest competitors. Watch Climbing Gold on YouTubeThanks to our sponsorsThe N...
· 1 hr 1 min 15 sec
The Tomoa Skip. The Chinese Top. Records are falling and what is fast this year will be middle of the pack next year. For competitors Emma Hunt, Piper Kelly, and Sam Watson, they are in the midst of a...
· 49 min 3 sec
Records are falling. Beta is getting tweaked. We’ve entered the sub five second era of speed climbing. The athleticism is off the charts and the format is friendly to the viewing public. Despite that,...
· 40 min 47 sec
Paris here we go. Today, we dive into what to expect, the stories that will define the games, and the Olympics’ impact on our sport. Plus we make our picks and learn what the deal is with Team Japan. ...
· 1 hr 1 min 12 sec
The weight of expectations is real. Today, Olympians Natalia Grossman and Jesse Grupper share their journey through the highs and lows of winning and losing. Even when you're winning, the road to Pari...
· 49 min 3 sec
At only 23, Brooke Raboutou has established herself as one of the best climbers indoors and out. While that’s taken an extreme amount of talent and dedication, Brooke and two other Olympians, Natalia...
· 49 min 6 sec
Yes, the Olympics are entertainment, but they can also transcend sport. Ukrainian climber Jenya Kazbekova carries a weight few competitors have to shoulder. Two years into Russia’s unprovoked attack o...
· 45 min 16 sec
What’s Ashima Shiraishi been up to? Since she was eight, Ashima made waves with staggering ascents beyond her years. In 2021, Ashima helped bring us into the mind of a competitor walking us through in...
· 33 min 29 sec
When we think of cutting edge climbing, we think of cutting edge athleticism. But what about the mental side? The true test of finishing the world’s most difficult routes may not come down to strength...
· 50 min 22 sec
Kai Lightner is on a tear. When we last spoke with Kai, his path in professional climbing was unclear. He’d struggled with disordered eating, injuries, and growing into his adult body after a decade o...
· 50 min 44 sec
A decade ago, climbing’s most controversial figure wasn’t someone who’d lied, chopped routes, or chipped holds. It was a young woman who’d savvily harnessed the internet and social media to power her...
· 34 min 29 sec
Sometimes we all need healthy competition. Last summer Alex, Tommy Caldwell, and Sonnie Trotter hatched a plan – each would attempt to climb 9a in the coming year. Climbing at your limit demands atten...
· 41 min 47 sec
When Kris Hampton launched the Power Company, training for climbing was in an awkward adolescence. Research and tactics were woefully behind adjacent sports like gymnastics. Gym sessions were a stop g...
· 53 min 50 sec
News flash: having kids changes things. Paige Claassen and Emily Harrington join Alex to discuss the new normal, reaching limits while sleep deprived and the calculus of risk as they move into parenth...
· 48 min 4 sec
For the last decade, no climber has moved our sport closer to the future than Adam Ondra. While he’s known for his visionary sport routes, he’s excelled in every aspect of rock climbing from competiti...
· 54 min 42 sec