The RunOut Podcast Andrew Bisharat & Chris Kalous

Today’s guest is climbing coach Justen Sjong. Justen is known for his first free ascents of Magic Mushroom (VI 5.14a) and The PreMuir (VI 5.13c/d) on El Capitan, and redpoints of 5.14 sport climbs. His approach to improvement in climbing is far more cerebral than most standard training fare, and his intuitions and sensibilities as a coach have helped numerous climbers mine their untapped potential by clearly mental barriers and finding the present.







But first, your egotistical hosts talk about the infamous climbing ego: the ways it can hold us back, and how it might be embraced so as to fully excel.







Our final bit comes from a late evening in a dusty desert hill, as the campfire embers cooled and all the little boys and girls had already turned in to their sleeping bags. One of our favorite climbers and musicians, Lisa Hathaway, plays us a tune.







Show Notes







Climbing Sensei — Book a coaching session with Justen







Follow Justen Sjong on Instagram







Training with Justen, Part 2 — Evening Sends







Become a RunOut Rope Gun! Support our podcast and increase your RunOut runtime. Bonus episodes, AMA, and more will be available to our Rope Guns. Thank you for your support! http://patreon.com/runoutpodcast







Contact us Send ideas, voicemail, feedback and more. andrew@runoutpodcast.com // chris@runoutpodcast.com

Today we have a double-header. Two guests, same great show.







First up is Rajiv Ayyangar—an entrepreneur, CEO, and host of The China Beach podcast, a show about his obsession with arguably the best sport climb on earth (at least according to him!). Rajiv might have the most niche podcast on earth, and we dive into where his obsession with this one route comes from.







Next is OG Stonemaster Rick Accomazzo, who has just completed a new book on Tobin Sorenson. In the 1970s, Tobin completed some of the most audacious climbs, bringing a a kind of fearless courage that both left his partners in awe and shaking with fear. His 1977 season in Chamonix might just be one of the best seasons any climber has had in that range, ever. Tobin perished in the mountains at the young age of 25, but his legacy is now being told for the first time in a way that lives up to his achievements, skill, and vision.







Our final bit is a poignant but hilarious recording from our archive with the late, great Paul Nelson.







Show Notes







Follow Rajiv Ayyangar and the China Beach Podcast







China Beach Podcast







Watch Nina Williams climb China Beach







Stonemaster Books







Pre-order Tobin, The Stonemasters, and Me 1970-1980 by Rick Accomazzo







Read “The Day I Sent Colorblind” by Paul Nelson







Become a RunOut Rope Gun! Support our podcast and increase your RunOut runtime. Bonus episodes, AMA, and more will be available to our Rope Guns. Thank you for your support! http://patreon.com/runoutpodcast







Contact us Send ideas, voicemail, feedback and more. andrew@runoutpodcast.com // chris@runoutpodcast.com

After Rock and Ice and Climbing magazines stopped printing issues, a hole was left in the climbing media landscape. Enter Michael Levy, a writer based in New York City and a former editor at Rock and Ice. He has recently revived Summit Journal, and reimagined it as a heavy stock climbing magazine for climbers today. We talk about climbing media and the viability of print, and what it takes to make it in today’s digital world.







But first, yr crooked-helmet wearing hosts talk about Gumbies. What are they? Who are they? Why are they? And why does Alex Honnold think Gumby is such a joyous term. Strap in for the definitive lesson in how to not be such a Gumby—even though you’ll never not be one.







Last, we’re psyched to share the music of climber / producer Smith Curry, a session player and producer for Willie Nelson, Taylor Swift, Maren Morris, Dolly Parton, Pharrell Williams, Kid Rock, Jason Aldean and 200+ more.







Show Notes







Summit Journal







Follow Summit Journal on Instagram







Follow Michael Levy on Instagram







Follow Smith Curry on Instagram







Smith Curry







Become a RunOut Rope Gun! Support our podcast and increase your RunOut runtime. Bonus episodes, AMA, and more will be available to our Rope Guns. Thank you for your support! http://patreon.com/runoutpodcast







Contact us Send ideas, voicemail, feedback and more. andrew@runoutpodcast.com // chris@runoutpodcast.com

Last fall, Jesse Grupper took home the gold medal at the Pan Am games, securing his spot on Team USA for the Paris Olympics in 2024. Now just a few months out from the Games, we caught up with Jesse to hear about how he is preparing and getting psyched to represent our country in lead and bouldering at the Olympics—all while balancing life as a mechanical engineer pushing the limits of soft robotics to improve people’s lives.







But first, yr sticky, sweet podcast hosts get into a debate about glue and when it’s appropriate to use it to fix boulder problems that break. This discussion comes after one of Colorado’s oldest and most historic boulder problems broke, and locals put the question to the community for a vote.







Buster Jesik, IFMGA / AMGA mountain guide, lays down a sick drum track for today’s final bit.







Show Notes







Jesse Grupper Wins PanAM







Watch Jesse flash Livin' Astro







Follow Jesse Grupper on Instagram







Mental Standard Has Broken — Instagram







Mental Standard — Mountain Project







Mountain Project Thread







Follow Buster Jesik on Instagram, Youtube, or contact him for guiding buster@coloradomountainschool.com







Become a RunOut Rope Gun! Support our podcast and increase your RunOut runtime. Bonus episodes, AMA, and more will be available to our Rope Guns. Thank you for your support! http://patreon.com/runoutpodcast







Contact us Send ideas, voicemail, feedback and more. andrew@runoutpodcast.com // chris@runoutpodcast.com

Our guest today is #71 for the New York Jets: Wes Schweitzer, an offensive guard whose injuries sent him down a curious path of recovery: rock climbing. Since discovering the sport, Wes has fallen in love with climbing and uses it as a tool to improve his performance on and off the field. At 6’4” 330-pounds, Wes is considered one of the strongest lineman in the game, putting up 765-pound deadlifts well over twice his body weight. As a true professional athlete, Wes delivers some fascinating insights into how both football and climbing training mentalities could benefit from each other.







But first, yr favorite climbing podcasters play a game of Fuck, Marry, Kill with climbing gear.







Our final bit is a track from Harris Freif called “Tortillas and Peanut Butter” off his album Guitar 2.







Show Notes







Follow Wes Schweitzer on Instagram and Twitter







“Meet the 330-pound NFL Lineman Addicted to Rock Climbing”







Check out Harris Freif on Spotify















Become a RunOut Rope Gun! Support our podcast and increase your RunOut runtime. Bonus episodes, AMA, and more will be available to our Rope Guns. Thank you for your support! http://patreon.com/runoutpodcast







Contact us Send ideas, voicemail, feedback and more. andrew@runoutpodcast.com // chris@runoutpodcast.com

Will Moss is a comp climber turned traddie from New York City, who has been quietly ticking some of the hardest gear-protected routes in the country over the past couple of years. His most recent notable ascent is the FA of the Gunks hardest: The Best Things in Life Are Free (5.14d R).







But first, we wind our way into a discussion about the elusive “undercover crusher,” and whether this mythical beast actually climbed the thing before everyone else, or if this is just what some bro is saying in order to take you down a peg or two.







Last, we’re honored to feature the atmospheric music of climber and musician Jessica Kilroy, with her track “It’s Infinite.”







Show Notes







Follow Will Moss on Instagram







William Moss, 18, Establishes 5.14d R Trad in the Gunks via Climbing Magazine







R-Rated: 5.14 Climbing on Marginal Gear on YouTube







About James Litz







Nacho Sanchez on Instagram







Follow Jessica Kilroy on Instagram







Jessica Kilroy Bandcamp







Jessica Kilroy on Spotify







Become a RunOut Rope Gun! Support our podcast and increase your RunOut runtime. Bonus episodes, AMA, and more will be available to our Rope Guns. Thank you for your support! http://patreon.com/runoutpodcast







Contact us Send ideas, voicemail, feedback and more. andrew@runoutpodcast.com // chris@runoutpodcast.com







Will Moss on Brozone (5.14b) at the Gunks. Photo by Gregory Berg