Climbing Gold

Duct Tape Then Beer

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When climbing was a fringe sport, the epic tales of achievement were told around the campfire. As the sport continues to grow, Alex Honnold and co-host Fitz Cahall grab the mic to share stories from the people who define climbing by pushing the boundaries and challenging the status quo of the previous generation.

#4 in the Top 100 Indie wilderness All time chart

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Top 10 Climbing Gold Episodes

Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best Climbing Gold episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to Climbing Gold for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite Climbing Gold episode by adding your comments to the episode page.

Introducing Climbing Gold

Climbing Gold

03/22/21 • 7 min

What connects the past, present and future of rock climbing?

In season one of Climbing Gold, the sport’s biggest star Alex Honnold and co-host Fitz Cahall take you on a tour through climbing, from the early days of the lunatic fringe where dirtbag climbers gambled with their lives to chase the edge of human imagination, to today’s new generation of athletes who have risen to the top of their sport without ever having touched the world’s most famous summits. Pushing the boundaries of climbing has always meant challenging the assumptions and status quo of the previous generation.

Athletes. Risk takers. Dirtbags. Pioneers. Community builders. Outsiders. Leaders. Please join us to hear the voices and stories of climbing’s past and future.

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Cheater Cheater

Climbing Gold

05/13/22 • 42 min

Far away from Yosemite’s spotlight on a crumbly backwater cliff, an unknown climber was about to change a sport by breaking some of its most sacred rules. Today, we are all very grateful he did. We talk with Alan Watts, pioneer of sport climbing in America, about the highs and lows of breaking the status quo. There’s an upside and a downside to every risk we take.

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Spotting The Gray Rhino

Climbing Gold

06/10/22 • 23 min

To manage risk, you first have to see the threat. Best-selling author Michele Wucker and Alex talk about how he evaluates risk, creating safety nets and his greatest fear.

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Chapter 1: More Bird Than Larry Bird

Climbing Gold

03/26/21 • 37 min

Climbing doesn’t have a rule book. So who decides how climbing changes and evolves? Peter Croft and Alex talk about their climbing heroes and pushing the mentality of possible. Discover how 1940’s bebop jazz connects to free-soloing Yosemite's famed Astroman.

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Coming Soon

Climbing Gold

03/18/21 • 1 min

It is coming. Climbing Gold. Stories from the past, present and future of climbing. Alex Honnold and co-host Fitz Cahall share stories from the people who define the sport of climbing by pushing the boundaries and challenging the status quo of the previous generation.

Episodes drop March 26th.

Learn more at www.climbinggold.com

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The Stuff Of Nightmares

Climbing Gold

05/06/22 • 44 min

British trad climbing might be the most unique flavor of all. Is it an audacious game of risk or merely a fast track to a Darwin award? In 2000, while following in the footsteps of his heroes, a young James McHaffie booted up in front of the famed Masters Wall and launched upwards. What followed was a four hour fight for survival. Hazel Findlay helps supply perspective on the strange craft of British trad.

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Chapter 3: This Is How You Spell Climbing

Climbing Gold

04/02/21 • 39 min

Cultural trends, new gear and community have powered the growth of climbing rather than individual athletes. Occasionally though, a generational talent comes along and blows the whole sport wide open. Chris Sharma was climbing’s first bonafide phenom and ushered in a new chapter of athleticism.

Watch Sharma climb Es Pontàs.

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Bit Of Gold Bonus: Crack Wars

Climbing Gold

04/09/21 • 9 min

In the 1980’s, a Wells Fargo parking garage in the San Fernando Valley became a clandestine climbing laboratory and pre-runner to climbing gyms. We talk with the legendary Randy Leavitt about how he and Tony Yaniro invented a climbing move that’s withstood the test of time.

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Chapter 2: Tap-Tap-Twist

Climbing Gold

03/26/21 • 48 min

The online climbing route database Mountain Project lists more than 200,000 routes in the U. S. alone. Behind each route is a person who took the time and energy to create something for their community. How do they do it? Why do they do it? We talk with prolific first ascensionist Joanne Urioste who pioneered some of the most popular routes in the world and helped bring climbing into the future.

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