The Ground Up Podcast

The Ground Up
  • 4.9 (13)
  • WILDERNESS

Stories From the Steep | Climbing conversations with local legends and unsung crushers from hometown crags around the country.

  1. 09/23/2025

    Ground Up 28: Record-Setting Do's and Don'ts of Horseshoe Hell with Nadya Vorotnikova & Sean Vallefuoco

    Fresh off a record-breaking run at 24 Hours of Horseshoe Hell, Nadya and Sean sit down with Ari and Rob to share how they approached the legendary 24-hour climbing marathon. From Sean’s disastrous first year of Oreos, Gatorade, and brand-new shoes to the meticulous (and sometimes improvised) strategy that helped Nadya smash the women’s points record, we dig into what works, what doesn’t, and why the right partner makes or breaks your experience. They also talk about the upcoming rule changes for the 20th anniversary of “Hell,” what excites them about a clean slate, and how community and stoke fuel their endurance. - Follow Nadya on Instagram: @nadyavorotnikova Follow Sean on Instagram: @seanvallefuoco Follow along with all the Horseshoe Hell Fun: @therealtwofourhell - Interested in signing up for the event?! Check out more details at https://www.twofourhell.com/  - Follow along on Instagram: @listentogroundup  Check out our new website: https://www.thegrounduppodcast.com/ Sign up for the Mailing List!

    1h 27m

  2. 09/09/2025

    Ground Up 27: 24HHH Veterans Leather & Lace

    Most would call climbing for 24 hours straight crazy — doing it 20 years in a row is downright ludicrous. In the nearly two-decade history of 24 Hours of Horseshoe Hell, only one team has competed every single year: Dick and Natalie Dower, better known as Leather and Lace. Over time, they’ve become true legends of the 24-hour climbing scene at Horseshoe Canyon Ranch. In part one of this year’s Horseshoe Hell miniseries, we sit down with Dick and Natalie to trace the history of the event. From hand-written scorecards and early strategy missteps to record-breaking ascents and the evolution of the competition itself, they’ve been through it all. We cover what it was like in the early years, the tactics and grit it takes to keep climbing route after route, and their historic pushes that inspired new generations of climbers. With the 20th anniversary on the horizon, Dick and Natalie reflect on how far Horseshoe Hell has come — and what still keeps them coming back. - Follow Dick on Instagram: @dickdower Follow Natalie on Instagram: @nadneal Follow along with all the Horseshoe Hell Fun: @therealtwofourhell - Interested in signing up for the event?! Check out more details at https://www.twofourhell.com/  - Follow along on Instagram: @listentogroundup  Check out our new website: https://www.thegrounduppodcast.com/ Sign up for the Mailing List!

    1h 30m

  3. 08/19/2025

    Ground Up 26: Dream Destinations with the Climbing Backpackers

    What happens when an arborist and a dog walker swipe right and end up traveling the world on a shoestring budget? In this episode, Nettie and Dave, better known as the Climbing Backpackers, share their incredible journey climbing and dirtbagging across the globe. Hear how a ruptured Achilles and a spur-of-the-moment decision sparked two years of non-stop adventure, what it’s like living on £10 a day, and the wild experiences that come with climbing in places like India, Thailand, Laos, Turkey and beyond. From top-rope guiding in Badami to navigating crumbling crags and tuk-tuk rides, this conversation is full of stories, laughs, and insights into the nomadic climbing lifestyle most of us only ever dream about. - Follow along on Instagram: @Climbing_Backpackers Check out their adventures on YouTube: @TheClimbingBackpackers Learn more about the Climbing Backpackers and their "Climb & Chill Weekends": https://www.climbingbackpackers.com/  - Climbing Destinations Covered in the Episodes Badami, India Batu caves, Malaysia North wall, Thailand Perlis, Malaysia Thakhek, Laos Huu Lung, Vietnam Geyikbayiri, Turkey - Follow along on Instagram: @listentogroundup  Check out our new website: https://www.thegrounduppodcast.com/ Sign up for the Mailing List!

    1h 37m

  4. 08/05/2025

    Ground Up 25: 3,000 Feet of Psyche with Ethan Morf

    Making history in Yosemite Valley is no easy feat these days, especially if you can count the number of years you've been climbing on one hand. But on May 15th, at just 20 years old, Ethan Morf became the youngest person to free climb El Capitan in a day with an 18 hour ascent of Freerider. In this episode, Ethan recounts his rapid rise from Squamish gumby to Yosemite crusher — a journey fueled by a seemingly endless supply of psyche, long days on granite, and countless hours on the MoonBoard. We talk about learning to climb and place gear via Youtube, his early trad leads (and ground falls), dealing with injuries, and ultimately sending one of the most iconic free routes in the world. This is a story of momentum, partnership, and learning to dig deep when it matters most. - Follow Ethan on Instagram: @EthanMorf Watch Ethan's YouTube videos: @ETHANmorf Check out Ethan's climbing photography and videography: https://www.ethanmorfphoto.com/ Read more about his free ascent of El Capitan: https://www.climbing.com/culture/ethan-morf-youngest-climber-free-el-capitan-in-a-day - Follow along on Instagram: @listentogroundup  Check out our new website: https://www.thegrounduppodcast.com/ Sign up for the Mailing List!

    1h 33m

  5. 07/22/2025

    Ground Up 24: The Power of Partnerships with Eddie Begoon

    In this episode, we sit down with Southeast legend Eddie Begoon—lifelong climber, route developer, and storyteller with deep roots in the Shenandoah Valley and the golden age of Southeast climbing. From barnyard bouldering on a Virginia dairy farm to bold first ascents at Seneca Rocks, Looking Glass, and the New River Gorge, Eddie shares the story of a climbing life shaped by humble beginnings, a bare-bones rack of gear, and the power of partnership. Along the way, we hear about country store belays, legendary leads, and the friendships that defined a generation of ground-up development. - Follow Eddie on Instagram: @eddie.begoon Read more about the first ascent of Sea of Brows: https://carolinaclimbingmuseum.org/tales/2018/12/3/the-first-ascent-of-sea-of-brows Eddie and Chris Caldwell (CC) on Sea of Brows: https://www.mountainproject.com/photo/107650043/cc-starting-out-on-the-sea-of-brows-by-the-waste-side-2nd-pitch-with-eddie-begoo  - Follow along on Instagram: @listentogroundup  Check out our new website: https://www.thegrounduppodcast.com/ Sign up for the Mailing List!

    1h 38m

  6. 07/08/2025

    Ground Up 23: Breaking Barriers in the Valley with Kate Kelleghan and Laura Pineau

    Few endurance challenges rival the infamous Yosemite Triple Crown — a mega link-up of three iconic big walls in Yosemite National Park: the Nose on El Capitan, the Regular Northwest Face of Half Dome, and the South Face of Mount Watkins. Since its first completion in 2001, no women had managed to complete the feat... That is, until Kate Kelleghan and Laura Pineau showed up. With impressive climbing résumés built in very different corners of the sport, Laura and Kate connected via a simple Instagram DM — both with their sights set on the Triple Crown. In this episode of The Ground Up Podcast, we dive deep into the world of big wall speed climbing and the story behind Laura and Kate’s historic ascent. We begin in Boulder, Colorado, where the pair completed a brief training stint — including setting a new all-female fastest known time on the Naked Edge, a notoriously tricky route in Eldorado Canyon. Then we head to Yosemite Valley, as they walk us through their preparation, strategy, and the push that made them the first women to complete the Yosemite Triple Crown — in a blazing 23 hours and 36 minutes. - The Yosemite Triple Crown The Nose of El Capitan The Regular Northwest Face of Half Dome The South Face of Mount Watkins The Naked Edge - Edorado Canyon - Follow Kate on Instagram: @katekelleghan Follow Laura on Instagram: @laurapineau Read more about this historic ascent: https://uk.coros.com/stories/more-than-splits/c/yosemite-triple-crown-laura-pineau-kate-kelleghan  Read more about the new fastest female ascent of the Naked Edge: https://coros.com/stories/more-than-splits/c/naked-edge-womens-speed-record-kate-kelleghan-laura-pineau  - Follow along on Instagram: @listentogroundup  Check out our new website: https://www.thegrounduppodcast.com/ Sign up for the Mailing List!

    1h 44m

  7. 06/24/2025

    Ground Up 22: Five Decades of Climbing with Coach Eric Hörst

    In today's episode, we sit down with legendary climber, author, and coach Eric Hörst—an East Coast pioneer whose nearly five decades of climbing and route development have left an indelible mark on American climbing culture. Eric takes us back to the 1970s Gunks scene, where he cut his teeth on steep trad climbs before importing sport climbing ethics to the New River Gorge, helping transform it into the world-class crag it is today. We rewind the tape back to the ‘golden age’ of development at the New, where Eric, alongside notable first ascensionists, Rick Thompson, Doug Reed, Porter Jarrard, Eddie Begoon, Mike Artz, and several others started establishing the first sport routes on the blank walls of the NRG. Eric takes us through his pivotal first ascents like Diamond Life, the friendly competition that occurred during the 80s and 90s, and what drove him to drive 800-miles round trip weekend after weekend to hungry for that next first ascent. Lastly, Eric reflects on balancing family, career, and high-end climbing, shares why he eventually ‘switched allegiance’ to the Red River Gorge, and explains how his mindset—and the sport itself—has evolved over forty-plus years of routes, bolts, and hard-earned lessons. - The first 5.13 at the New River Gorge: Diamond Life  - Follow Eric on Instagram: @eric_horst Get the best training resources available at https://trainingforclimbing.com/  Check out Training For Climbing on Instagram: @training4climbing Level up you climbing with PhysiVāntage Nutrition Check out PhysiVantage on Instagram: @physivantage Use checkout code "Save10" to get 10% off your first order! - Follow along on Instagram: @listentogroundup  Check out our new website: https://www.thegrounduppodcast.com/ Sign up for the Mailing List!

    1h 36m

  8. 06/10/2025

    Ground Up 21: High Country Highlights with Sam Dospoy

    In this episode, we sit down with Boone local Sam Dospoy—woodworker, van builder, and climber deeply rooted in North Carolina’s High Country. Sam shares how a two year stint dirtbagging in a minivan sparked both his love of climbing and his custom van build business, Stand Up Vans. We dig into his early days of bouldering over couch cushions at Blowing Rock, the tight-knit and low-beta climbing scene in Boone, and his progression into bold trad climbing and first ascents. Sam reflects on mentorship, the local ethics around development, and the draw of uncovering untouched rock. We also get into the nitty gritty of what it takes to repeat some of 221's most infamous and hardest trad routes, his futuristic project at Hawksbill, how bouldering has shaped his trad climbing, and what it looks like bolting steep routes ground up while hanging from sketchy hooks. - Climbing in Boone with Sam Dospoy: https://youtu.be/rEkMJdHC4gs?si=yB0C2b23oQV64-Gc The Castaway - Ship Rock: https://youtu.be/h6DG1F8K5qQ?si=IYFZRSrYfohA1NVV Blowing Rock Boulders: https://youtu.be/rEkMJdHC4gs?si=yB0C2b23oQV64-Gc Fire in the Hole: https://www.mountainproject.com/route/117126148/fire-in-the-hole Hawksbill Project: https://www.instagram.com/p/B571Y-XD-gN/ Heirloom (Moon Rocks Corridor Project): https://www.instagram.com/p/CM7QCbtDzZo/ Ishmael (Stack Rock): https://www.instagram.com/p/BaJ61_CAQ-H/ Pyramid Scheme: https://www.instagram.com/reel/B8l_ZwUJ_Pc/ - Follow Joel on Instagram: @sam_ayye_am Check out Stand Up Vans on Instagram: @standupvans Find a Stand Up Van that's right for you! - Follow along on Instagram: @listentogroundup  Check out our new website: https://www.thegrounduppodcast.com/ Sign up for the Mailing List!

    1h 25m
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4.9
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About

Stories From the Steep | Climbing conversations with local legends and unsung crushers from hometown crags around the country.

Information

  • Creator
    The Ground Up
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2025
  • Episodes
    29
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2024 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    The Ground Up Podcast