BoxTalks BoxTalks

Given the global conversation around amplifying diverse voices in climbing, we thought this would be an interesting chat. The idea was for two writers from very different climbing cultures - India and the United States - to exchange views on storytelling in climbing.

In this episode Dhillan chats with the remarkable Andrew Bisharat, one of the most renowned rock climbing writers in the world about:


What makes a good climbing story?
Has social media caused a decline in the quality of storytelling?
Why rock climbing doesn't have the body of literature that alpinism does?
Has outrage culture made journalism difficult?
Dealing with the backlash around his recent Rock & Ice article about renaming offensive routes
In India, is climbing linked to privilege?
How to tackle the lack of diversity in climbing media?

What does a model athlete's mind work like?  

In this episode, Dhillan Mowli talks to Kieren D'Souza, one of India's most accomplished trail runners and ultramarathon athletes about a variety of subjects ranging from dealing with failure through the tricky game of sponsorship.   

Here are some of topics discussed:  


Kieren's childhood His entry into running 
Dealing with failures 
Becoming a 'full-time' runner 
Experiences in Europe 
His yearly budget 
Working with sponsors   
Friendship peak speed record - making the video  

Kieren is open, especially about money and sponsorship, in a way few athletes are. We're extremely thankful for his willingness and insight. Hope this offers you value!

If Mohit Obeori had never climbed, where would the Indian climbing story be? To understand the magnitude of his influence, let's begin there.   

In this episode, Dhillan chats with ‘Mo’ about his rather colourful life in the sport:  

How he started climbing Climbing and development in the 80s 

Competing in Tokyo in 1991 

Pushing difficulty levels in Indian climbing 

Reconciling with a generation's reduced interest in rock 

Returning to climbing after an injury  

And, lots of other anecdotes along the way. 

Knocking on Air India's doors for flight tickets, which famous climbers were jumping on leftover sandwiches… we can't give away everything now, can we?

In India, it's no secret that authority is still used as a tool in sports coaching, often at the expense of empathy and support. 'Tough love', essentially.  

Dhillan Chandramowli chats with Madeleine Crane, founder of Climbing Psychology - a sports psychology company with a focus on climbing - about the old and new ways of training children.   

In this episode they talk about:  


Her entry into Psychology
The niche of 'Climbing Psychology'  
Is the older, authoritarian style of coaching valuable? 
Working with young athletes in age groups of 6-10 years and 10-12 years 
Overcoming the generation gap in coaching values  
Communicating with child athletes 
The positives of empathetic training 
Group dynamics when coaching 
Handling failure and separating self worth from performance 
Understanding the impact of Social Media on young athletes 
The importance of allowing athletes to talk about romantic feelings  
If we want more children 'climbing for life', these are thing we MUST pay attention to!   



Resources:  


https://www.climbingpsychology.com/ 
https://www.instagram.com/climbingpsychology/

Madeleine Cope, also known as Maddy gives us insight into the various aspects that involve training for climbing and how to approach it. How training can aid injury prevention, longevity in the sport & pushing hard grades. We talk about the differences in physiological markers, the inherent strengths that women possess and distribution of training around the menstrual cycle. Finally we talk about how to train for power and overcoming our fears to expand our comfort zone.

Topics of discussion

- Her journey as a climber

- How she became a coach

- What does 'training' mean

- When is a good time to start training

- How is training for climbing different for women

- Distribution of training around the menstrual cycle

- How can women train for power

- Overcoming fear and expanding your comfort zone

Resources:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/2109170175986354/?epa=SEARCH_BOX

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9PJ4b7xJHE&t=2s

https://rockandice.com/climbing-news/interview-maddy-cope-on-prinzip-hoffnung-5-14a-r-trad-route/

Can climbing truly heal? In this episode with Gaurav 'Gujju' Jagadish, that is the central question. Gujju opens up about a deeply traumatic life event - his wife Kala's suicide - and how climbing helped him cope.   

As a climber, Gujju brings a LOT to the table - he's an incredibly passionate boulderer; an example of someone around whom communities build themselves. He's been responsible for kickstarting bouldering activity in newer areas around Bangalore. He's also the founder of Bangalore's newest bouldering gym, Let's Play Climbing. Very importantly, he sees beauty in climbing in a deeper, redemptive way that has repeatedly been informed by his life's trajectory.   

Topics in this episode: 


His introduction to climbing 
Feeling isolated by the climbing community  
Meeting Kala, his wife 
The stigma against relationships 
Kala's suicide  
How climbing and the community helped him cope 
The impact of the event on Krishna, his son 
The story behind Let's Play Climbing, his bouldering gym  

What makes him a community figure?  Our deepest thanks to Gaurav for trusting us with such delicate and personal subject matter. We hope you find value in the episode.   Tell us what you think.