First Ascent Podcast Jay & Lee

One of the coolest things about climbing is the rich historical lineage behind each route. From cans on spires, to guide books and magazines, and now Mountain Project, documentation that traces the history of a climb is an inspiring thing that connects us to the past. Not every route has a pristine historical record, however. This has caused a rift in the community. A rift that has brought some older climbers to make the claim that there are no first accents left at all - which we think ...

Nadya Vorotnikova is on the pod today for an awesome talk about loving the process and breaking self limiting beliefs. Nadya grew up in Russia, moved to New Hampshire when she was 10, and now lives in Colorado - and she’s been climbing all along. This journey has exposed her to so many different mental approaches to training and climbing and has made her the absolute crusher that she is. Today, Nadya tells us what it was like to grow up a family of dedicated climbers (including her broth...

North Conway native and long time climber Chris Graham, or ‘Grammy’ as he’s affectionately known, is a familiar face on both sides of the mountains, both as a climber and as a guide. His climbing career goes so far back that he can boast that he climbed at Rumney before there were bolts! Today, Chris shares his experiences as a guide, gives his opinion on the longstanding bolt debate between North Conway and Rumney, tells us his philosophy on when to use bolts (and when to not), and shin...

Few people have done more for the development of climbing bolt technology than Dave Quinn. Dave is one of the original developers of Rumney, a core member of Team Tough, and an all around bolting expert. Today’s he’s returning to the podcast to share updates about The Team Tough Crossover Bolt, which just passed U.I.A.A. certification. In this episode, Dave walks us through the process of creating a new bolt product; from supply chains to certification requirements, and all the step...

Tom Bowker is the undeniable godfather of the climbing scene in Waterville Valley. Tom’s prolific number of first ascents over his 40 year climbing career make him one of the most well known names in the region. His first ascents include Peer Pressure, Journey to Lost World, and dozens more. Today, Tom shares awesome tales about how his routes came to be, why he still hand drills all of his bolts, why he thinks climbers are the most privileged users of public lands, and which first ascen...

It’s finally happening! Today’s conversation is all about bouldering. Boulderer extraordinaire Jake Perry is with us to answer all of your bouldering questions. We cover a wide range of bouldering topics, including grades, highballs, skin care, and the most important question: Why? Would you like to hear a bonus episode with Nate? Join us over on the First Ascent Patreon! For $5, $7 or $10 a month, you’ll get access to wide ranging bonus content from greats like Mark Hudon, Scott Stevens...