38 episodes

Written in Stone tells the (mostly) true stories of the most groundbreaking ascents in rock climbing history. Hosted by Kris Hampton, you’ll hear the narrated, sound designed stories about what led to new levels in climbing, alternated with conversations with today’s top climbers about what inspired them about what went down way back then.

Season One is focused on the 1990s, and will tell the stories of how sport climbing came to dominate, how women climbers made their mark, and explore the characters who made it all happen. Moon, Skinner, Gullich, Hill, Nicole and more!

Like Todd Skinner always said, ”never let the truth get in the way of a good story.”

Written in Stone: Climbing’s Most Important Ascents Plug Tone Audio

    • Sports
    • 4.9 • 82 Ratings

Written in Stone tells the (mostly) true stories of the most groundbreaking ascents in rock climbing history. Hosted by Kris Hampton, you’ll hear the narrated, sound designed stories about what led to new levels in climbing, alternated with conversations with today’s top climbers about what inspired them about what went down way back then.

Season One is focused on the 1990s, and will tell the stories of how sport climbing came to dominate, how women climbers made their mark, and explore the characters who made it all happen. Moon, Skinner, Gullich, Hill, Nicole and more!

Like Todd Skinner always said, ”never let the truth get in the way of a good story.”

    Eva Lopez on Women in Sports, Rivalries, and What Josune Means to Climbing History

    Eva Lopez on Women in Sports, Rivalries, and What Josune Means to Climbing History

    Eva Lopez is one of the top Spanish climbers in history. While she is largely known as one of the world’s foremost researchers on training for climbing, she’s also a crusher. She was the 5th woman to to climb 8c and in 2013, at 42 years old, climbed her first 8c+, a route she bolted called Potemkin. 
    In this episode, Eva and Kris discuss the state of Spanish climbing in the 1990’s and what it was like watching Josune Bereziartu come into her own during those years. They also dig into the woman vs. woman rivalries that are often played up by the media and why it’s less common to see that happen today, and what Josune and her incredible accomplishments mean to climbing history.
    Check out more here!
    Join the Secret Stoners Club for FREE.
    ----------------------------------
    Thank you to our partner, Tension Climbing. Tension creates tools to help you elevate your climbing experience. Check out the goods here and use code STONE for 10% off anything but the full Tension Board set-ups, hardware, and gift cards. When you support Tension, you're supporting the team at Plug Tone creating this show. 
    Written in Stone is co-created with Power Company Climbing. Use code STONE at checkout for 20% off. Details at www.powercompanyclimbing.com/stone

    • 57 min
    Josune Bereziartu Goes Honky Tonkin'

    Josune Bereziartu Goes Honky Tonkin'

    Basque superstar Josune Bereziartu first tied in as the 80’s were changing into the 90’s, after seeing a documentary showing two women climbing in the Verdon. Within those first few months of Josune learning to climb, Lynn Hill did the first 14a ever climbed by a woman.
    By the middle of the 90’s Josune became the 5th woman to equal the feat, which had yet to be surpassed. Her friends suggested she could be the first to climb harder, so she started training to make it a reality. Before the decade would change again, with the performance gap in climbing widening, Josune would push through the pressure and become the first woman to climb 8c, or 5.14b. 
    And she wouldn’t stop there.
    Check out more here!
    Join the Secret Stoners Club for FREE.
    ----------------------------------
    Thank you to our partner, Tension Climbing. Tension creates tools to help you elevate your climbing experience. Check out the goods here and use code STONE for 10% off anything but the full Tension Board set-ups, hardware, and gift cards. When you support Tension, you're supporting the team at Plug Tone creating this show. 
    Written in Stone is co-created with Power Company Climbing. Use code STONE at checkout for 20% off. Details at www.powercompanyclimbing.com/stone

    • 33 min
    Chris Schulte on the Magic of Fontainebleau, Climbing Lifelist Boulders and Catherine Miquel

    Chris Schulte on the Magic of Fontainebleau, Climbing Lifelist Boulders and Catherine Miquel

    Chris Schulte is a boulderer who is obsessed with the lines and shapes of climbing. He fell in love with Fontainebleau many years ago based on a photo of Fred Nicole climbing Karma and has cultivated a relationship with the forest and climbed many life-list boulders there.
    In this episode, Kris asks Chris to describe the forest in his poetic way, and to tell stories of his best memories of Bleau and the special connection he has to some of the boulders, specifically Karma and Duel. They try to unpack why Catherine Miquel isn’t as well known in the US despite her incredible accomplishments, and discuss traverse grades, eliminates, and how to be a good steward of climbing and the places we climb.  
    Check out more here!
    Join the Secret Stoners Club for FREE.
    ----------------------------------
    Thank you to our partner, Tension Climbing. Tension creates tools to help you elevate your climbing experience. Check out the goods here and use code STONE for 10% off anything but the full Tension Board set-ups, hardware, and gift cards. When you support Tension, you're supporting the team at Plug Tone creating this show. 
    Written in Stone is co-created with Power Company Climbing. Use code STONE at checkout for 20% off. Details at www.powercompanyclimbing.com/stone
     

    • 1 hr 15 min
    Catherine Miquel Wins the Duel

    Catherine Miquel Wins the Duel

    Throughout the 90s, Catherine Miquel was the undisputed queen of bouldering. Surprised you haven’t heard her name? I was too, but we aren’t alone. Not many of the people I’ve talked to know of her or her incredible resume. 
    Climbing in Fontainebleau, she entered the decade as the only woman to climb V8, and then it was off to the races. Again and again, she pushed the limits, culminating in an ascent of one of the most famous slabs in the world. Duel.
    Check out more here!
    Join the Secret Stoners Club for FREE.
    ----------------------------------
    Thank you to our partner, Tension Climbing. Tension creates tools to help you elevate your climbing experience. Check out the goods here and use code STONE for 10% off anything but the full Tension Board set-ups, hardware, and gift cards. When you support Tension, you're supporting the team at Plug Tone creating this show. 
    Written in Stone is co-created with Power Company Climbing. Use code STONE at checkout for 20% off. Details at www.powercompanyclimbing.com/stone

    • 31 min
    Josie McKee on Curiosity and the Mindset of Climbing Freerider

    Josie McKee on Curiosity and the Mindset of Climbing Freerider

    Josie McKee is a climbing guide, former YOSAR member, all-around big wall super badass and a climbing coach through her company Mind Athlete. She’s climbed El Cap over 20 times, set several speed records, has free climbed damn near every Valley classic, and her Yosemite resume rivals just about anyone’s.
    In this episode, Josie walks Kris through each pitch of Freerider and what it takes to climb the route - most importantly the changing mindsets required throughout, shifting from dread to curiosity, and finding joy where most think only of fear. 
    Check out more here!
    Join the Secret Stoners Club for FREE.
    ----------------------------------
    Thank you to our partner, Tension Climbing. Tension creates tools to help you elevate your climbing experience. Check out the goods here and use code STONE for 10% off anything but the full Tension Board set-ups, hardware, and gift cards. When you support Tension, you're supporting the team at Plug Tone creating this show. 
    Written in Stone is co-created with Power Company Climbing. Use code STONE at checkout for 20% off. Details at www.powercompanyclimbing.com/stone

    • 2 hr 9 min
    Chris Kalous on Freerider, Big Wall Climbing Rules, and How the Hubers Shifted History

    Chris Kalous on Freerider, Big Wall Climbing Rules, and How the Hubers Shifted History

    If you were following Chris Kalous and The Enormocast in the early days, then you are well aware that he’s climbed Freerider. And if you follow his new show, The Runout, you know how interested he is in the history of one specific pitch of The Free Salathe - Pitch 19 - the pitch that Alex Huber subverted by climbing the Monster Offwidth, thus laying the foundation for Freerider.
    In this episode, Kris and Chris go deep into the history of pitch 19, the ethical rules of big wall aid and freeclimbing, and discuss how one pitch of Freerider changed the course of big wall freeclimbing history.
    Check out more here.
    Join the Secret Stoners Club for FREE.
    ----------------------------------
    Thank you to our partner, Tension Climbing. Tension creates tools to help you elevate your climbing experience. Check out the goods here and use code STONE for 10% off anything but the full Tension Board set-ups, hardware, and gift cards. When you support Tension, you're supporting the team at Plug Tone creating this show. 
    Written in Stone is co-created with Power Company Climbing. Use code STONE at checkout for 20% off. Details at www.powercompanyclimbing.com/stone

    • 1 hr 12 min

Customer Reviews

4.9 out of 5
82 Ratings

82 Ratings

Fotograf4 ,

Fontainebleau

Great show, I just wish Kris would learn how to pronounce Fontainebleau. (Hint: rhymes with plateau, chateau, bureau and Jacques Cousteau).

Crimpysteve ,

Great climbing stories

A climbing history 101. I love the focus by decade and by route with the bonus episodes that take deeper dives into specific stories. Also, Kris is the master of the guest intro. I love listening for how people respond to how Kris introduces them. Kris and the crew have clearly worked their butts off on this. Thanks y’all!

P-Dawg99 ,

Very good

Current favorite podcast. Disproportionally chill.

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