The Cutting Edge

The American Alpine Club
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The Cutting Edge presents in-depth interviews with the world's best climbers, just back from great new climbs, along with historical perspective from the editors of the American Alpine Journal and local experts. This podcast is hosted by Jim Aikman and produced by the American Alpine Club. The Cutting Edge is generously supported by Feathered Friends.

  1. 4d ago

    Rachel Pearce Climbs the Indian Face, Britain's Storied Headpoint Route

    In August, Rachel Pearce braved the famed Indian Face on the north side of Wales’ highest peak, completing the first female ascent of this masterpiece of runout traditional climbing. First climbed by Johnny Dawes in 1986, the U.K.’s first E9 (E9 6c or 5.12+ X) has held its reputation as a fearsome benchmark for the past four decades. With sparse protection and continuously thin, off-vertical climbing along its 150-foot length, the storied route has only seen 10 ascents, the latest being Pearce’s. Cutting Edge host Jim Aikman sits down with Pearce to get into her climbing history and love affair with the route—and why she thinks no women had led this "no falls climb" until now. He also talks to Johnny Dawes about the influence of Indian Face on hard, heady British climbing and the shift—beginning in the 1980s—to the “headpoint” style of rehearsing dangerous routes prior to a lead attempt. Also joining Aikman is American Climbing Journal Editor Matt Samet, a sometime headpointer who's dabbled with the style himself in Colorado and has tracked its evolution from E9 up to the current standard of E12 (very serious 5.14+). It’s a style of climbing that’s definitely not for everyone, which might just be what makes it so fascinating. This episode of the Cutting Edge is sponsored by Feathered Friends, makers of exceptionally lightweight, warm, and packable down gear for more than 50 years. Photo of Rachel Pearce by Alex Riley.

    Rachel Pearce Climbs the Indian Face, Britain's Storied Headpoint Route

  2. Sep 2

    The South Face of Kichatna Spire

    The south face of Kichatna Spire in Alaska was one of the great unclimbed walls of North America. Until July. On their second attempt in two years, young American alpinists Eli Spitulnik and Michael Telstad climbed the 1,000-meter face with a blend of difficult aid and tricky mixed, placing no bolts. In a tight weather window, they blazed up and down the face in a little over three days, with only a four-hour bivy and some catnaps along the way, leading to a level of exhaustion that pushed them to the brink of delirium. In this episode, host Jim Aikman interviews Eli and Michael about their adventure, explores the rich, colorful history of the Kichatna Mountains with legendary alpinist Conrad Anker and American Alpine Journal Editor Dougald MacDonald, and shares recorded tales from Al DeMaria and Peter Geiser, two members of the very first climbers to enter the Kichatnas, way back in 1965. This episode of the Cutting Edge is sponsored by Feathered Friends, makers of exceptionally lightweight, warm, and packable down gear for more than 50 years.

    The South Face of Kichatna Spire

  3. Jul 6

    The Legendary Bombé Bleu Project, with Erwan Legrand, Ben Moon, and Matt Samet

    On February 11, Erwan Legrand—only 17 at the time, and barefoot!—took down one of the longest-standing open projects in the world: Le Bombé Bleu at Buoux, France. Bolted on the La Plage sector in 1991 by Marc Le Menestrel, the 100-foot route features a notoriously difficult precision dyno on its blue-streaked bulge, followed by ferocious tugging on tiny pockets, all clocking in at a lofty 5.15b. Famously, Le Menestrel had opened the route to the community as long as it was left in its natural state, a vision of what climbing might someday become and a challenge for future generations. Thirty-five years later, Legrand—the son of legendary French climber François Legrand—met that challenge with style. Join host Jim Aikman as he talks with Erwan Legrand about his remarkable barefoot redpoint, as well as U.K. icon Ben Moon—one of the route’s early suitors—and American Climbing Journal Editor Matt Samet, who interviewed Legrand about Le Bombé Bleu for the 2027 ACJ. Photo by Fred Ripert.

    The Legendary Bombé Bleu Project, with Erwan Legrand, Ben Moon, and Matt Samet

  4. Jun 19

    Trailer: This Season on the Cutting Edge

    Preview the Cutting Edge's eighth season, featuring interviews with climbing legends like Colin Haley, Sasha DiGiulian, Tommy Caldwell, Benjamin Védrines, and many more. Tune in for monthly episodes to hear the stories behind first ascents, first-person accounts of recent expeditions, and climbing history that puts each climb in context.

  5. Jun 4

    Torre Central All-Free in a Day, with Siebe Vanhee and Tommy Caldwell

    The east face of the Central Tower in Chile's Torres del Paine is one of the great walls of the world. The first route up the face, climbed in 1973 and 1974 by a South African team, had only been freed twice. In February, Belgian Siebe Vanhee (a veteran of two other free ascents on the Central Tower) and American Tommy Caldwell (a newcomer to Torres del Paine but not to Patagonia) completed the third free ascent in remarkable style. On their third attempt, the two climbers raced up the 1,200-meter 5.12 route in exactly 24 hours—in an area where most big-wall ascents take weeks. Host Jim Aikman interviewed both climbers, as well as American Ben Ditto, who was on the first free ascent of the South African Route back in 2009. It's an episode about risk, the ups and downs of multiple efforts on a serious objective, and a partnership that perfectly balances the strengths of two amazing climbers.

    Torre Central All-Free in a Day, with Siebe Vanhee and Tommy Caldwell

  6. May 1

    Katie Lamb: Becoming the First Woman to Do V16—Twice

    In March 2025, the Bay Area–based climber Katie Lamb snagged the fourth ascent of Yosemite's most difficult boulder problem, The Dark Side, an unrelenting V16 on small crimps and dire slopers on the Thriller Boulder in Camp 4. In so doing, she became the first woman to climb the grade, but there's a catch: Back in summer 2023, Lamb had already done a V16, a problem called Box Therapy in Colorado—it's just that it was later downgraded to V15. In a complex and nuanced discussion on the state of the art in bouldering—and the evolution of the grading scales we use to classify these ascents—host Jim Aikman talks with Lamb about the passion, hard work, and tactics that went into her ticks. And he interviews The Dark Side's first ascensionist Carlo Traversi, a driving force behind modern Yosemite bouldering, as well as American Climbing Journal Editor Matt Samet, who worked with Lamb on her feature in the upcoming journal, "A Walk on the Dark Side."

    Katie Lamb: Becoming the First Woman to Do V16—Twice

  7. Apr 3

    Benjamin Védrines: The First Ascent of Jannu East

    One of the highlights of last fall's Nepal season was the first ascent of 7,468-meter Jannu East by French climbers Nicolas Jean and Benjamin Védrines, on their second attempt in two years. In this special episode of the Cutting Edge, Ben Védrines shares the full story of his two expeditions to Jannu, the physical and mental preparation, a "warm up" first ascent on 6,800-meter Anidesh Chuli, and the rapid ascent of Jannu East itself. American alpinist Steve House, a leading protagonist of single-push alpine ascents in the early 2000s and a top coach today, gives his perspective on the training and psychological aspects behind the French climbs. American Alpine Journal editor Dougald MacDonald unpacks the history of climbing on Jannu. There's a lot to share, so we're offering a special extended episode....enjoy!

    Benjamin Védrines: The First Ascent of Jannu East

  8. Mar 2

    Massive Climbs and Wild Adventures in Mozambique

    The enormous granite peaks of Mozambique are among Africa's most impressive rock formations, yet fewer than a dozen climbing teams have ever explored them. In 2025, a Spanish and American trio put up a 17-pitch route in Mozambique, and for this episode we spoke with American Dakota Walz about what they encountered, including a seemingly inscrutable bureaucracy and a night in detention before they could even start the climb. Following the successful ascent, they suffered debilitating illness, thanks to ill-advised celebratory ice cream. In between were some glorious days on a unique African mountain, creating a route worth repeating. Host Jim Aikman also chats with Majka Burhardt, a veteran of two expeditions to Mozambique, about navigating the cultural and logistical challenges in a country struggling with a legacy of conflict. And AAJ editor Dougald MacDonald shares insights on southern Africa's extraordinary granite climbing.

    Massive Climbs and Wild Adventures in Mozambique
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4.4
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About

The Cutting Edge presents in-depth interviews with the world's best climbers, just back from great new climbs, along with historical perspective from the editors of the American Alpine Journal and local experts. This podcast is hosted by Jim Aikman and produced by the American Alpine Club. The Cutting Edge is generously supported by Feathered Friends.

Information

  • Creator
    The American Alpine Club
  • Years Active
    2017 - 2026
  • Episodes
    82
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © All rights reserved
  • Show Website
    The Cutting Edge

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