Alpinist

In the film Guerreras, Alita Contreras is shown preparing for a long, traversing rock route on a cliff in Columbia. Her dog by her side, Contreras mimes the moves, headphones on, eyes closed, meditating on what she's about to climb. Contreras was born in Venezuela, but her Columbian father made sure to keep traditions from his home country alive during her upbringing. Today, she lives and climbs in Columbia and works as a translator and climbing coach. In this conversation, she discusses the challenges of navigating identity after living in seven countries, and speaks to the incredible biodiversity and climbing communities found in Columbia. We also talk about her involvement in the making of Guerreras, a documentary that takes an intergenerational look at women climbers in Columbia. Alita guides us through her tactics for visualization, and speaks to how being engaged in a climb is often the only way she can clear her mind of mental clutter. This episode brought to you by Patagonia Host: Abbey Collins Producer & Engineer: Mike Horn Guest: Alita Contreras Subscribe to Alpinist Magazine

New York City might seem like an unlikely place for a climber of Will Moss's caliber to hail from. And yet, he managed to find his way from the climbing gym, to boulders in Central Park, to runout trad routes in the Gunks and big walls in Yosemite. It was there that he recently made headlines as being the first person to flash a big wall free route on El Cap in just one day. Moss started climbing in his neighborhood gym when he was ten. For some perspective, that was only a decade ago. It was love at first climb, and he hasn't looked back since. At first, he mainly focused on indoor competition climbing. But when gyms closed during the COVID-19 pandemic he started getting outdoors more. A friend introduced him to the Gunks when he was sixteen, and, as he says, "that's where the dream of trad climbing began." Now twenty years old, Moss's 22-hour push on El Cap this May was the culmination of more than two years of planning. In this conversation, we talk in depth about the historic climbs Will is ticking off at a young age, and what he's planning next as he takes a semester off from pursuing a degree in mechanical engineering to chase his climbing dreams. This episode is brought to you with support from Rab Equipment. Host: Abbey Collins Producer & Engineer: Mike Horn Guest: Will Moss Subscribe to Alpinist Magazine

While growing up in Kentucky, Mary Eden was often bored. But it was that boredom, she recalls, that helped her find meaningful interests as she explored her world. It led her to art and to adventure. She didn't discover rock climbing until she moved to Moab in her early twenties. Even then, she says she wasn't a naturally-gifted climber. But, she was determined to learn, and did whatever she needed to do to find gear, mentorship and belayers. She always had the drive, and once she learned how to properly train, Eden progressed, fairly quickly, to being one of the best crack climbers in the world. Her climbing accomplishments include Necronomicon (5.14a) and Black Mamba (5.14b). Today, Eden is a professional climber and artist. She shared the story of her life and journey into climbing in Alpinist 89, and she's featured on the cover of that issue. In this conversation, Mary talks about her growth as a climber and the beauty she finds in the holds and heights of Western landscapes, especially around her home in Moab. She reflects on what she learns about herself through climbing, especially during moments of self doubt and explains why she encourages her friends to fail as often as possible. This episode is brought to you with support from Rab Equipment. Host: Abbey Collins Producer & Engineer: Mike Horn Guest: Mary Catherine Eden Subscribe to Alpinist Magazine

Kai Lightner is no stranger to the spotlight—or to this magazine. He's been climbing since he was six, when he joined the climbing team at a gym in North Carolina. Four years later Lightner won his first national title, and the wins just kept coming. In 2016, while still in high school, Lightner wrote an essay for Alpinist 55 about learning how to trad climb from Doug Robinson. A few years later, as a sophomore in college, he appeared on this podcast, in conversation with Paula LaRochelle. He had recently taken a step back from climbing and would soon found the nonprofit organization Climbing For Change. A lot has happened in Lightner's life since that last conversation. He spoke up about his struggles with eating and bodyweight as a competition climber, opening up a bigger conversation. Through Climbing for Change, he's been at the forefront of initiatives aimed at making climbing more diverse and inclusive. He traveled to Jamaica and helped build the country's first climbing wall. Lightner even tried trad climbing again, though he says it's still not really his thing. And, last year, Lightner climbed his first 5.15. In this episode, Lightner discusses the last six years, reflects on the importance of community and connection and considers the value of forgiveness. This episode is brought to you with support from the American Alpine Club. Host: Abbey Collins Producer + Engineer: Mike Horn Guest: Kai Lightner Nonprofit: Climbing for Change Subscribe to Alpinist Magazine

Rick Accomazzo came of age in the climbing world as part of the Stonemasters—a name adopted by a group of friends largely climbing in Yosemite, Tahquitz and Suicide Rocks in the 1970s. To become a Stonemaster, you had to send a 5.11 called Valhalla. Tobin Sorenson was a Stonemaster too. He was also, Accomazzo believes, the best all-around climber in the world at the time. Throughout the 70s, the Stonemasters branched out from rock to ice, and from California to the Canadian Rockies and Europe. Sorenson, Accomazzo recalled, took to alpine climbing just as well as he had to rock. It was an age of joy, fun and great physical challenges. But in 1980 Sorenson died in an accident on Mt. Alberta when he was twenty-five years old. The Stonemasters were deeply affected by the loss. They climbed on, but it was never the same. Accomazzo shares the story of his friend in his new book, Tobin, The Stonemasters, And Me: Remembering Tobin Sorenson, The Best Climber In The World. Accomazzo shares his personal experiences climbing with Sorenson and reflects on the ability, character and accomplishments that made him so singular in the climbing universe. Support for this episode of the Alpinist Podcast comes from Patagonia. Following our conversation with Rick Accomazzo, you can listen to Patagonia Ambassador Colin Haley chat with host Abbey Collins about his passion for innovation and product development, and in particular his role in developing the new M10 Storm pants. Host: Abbey Collins Producer + Engineer: Mike Horn Photo of Rick Accomazzo by Chris Van Leuven Subscribe to Alpinist Magazine at alpinist.com Buy the Book at stonemasterbooks.com

Beth Rodden established herself as one of the best rock climbers in the world at the height of her career. Through much of that time, Rodden was quietly struggling with her mental health as she tried to move forward after she and her climbing partners were kidnapped at gunpoint during a trip to Kyrgyzstan in 2000. Now Rodden's bravery appears in new ways—she's still a professional climber, but she's also using her platform to open up conversations about body image, motherhood and finding joy in climbing in a gentler way. Support for this episode of the Alpinist Podcast comes from Patagonia. Following our conversation with Beth Rodden, you can listen to Patagonia Ambassador Colin Haley chat with host Abbey Collins about his passion for innovation and product development, and in particular his role in developing the new M10 Storm pants. Alpinist Magazine: Website | Instagram | Facebook Host: Abbey Collins Guest: Beth Rodden Producer + Engineer: Mike Horn Photo by Ryan Moon

Dr. Len Necefer didn't grow up skiing steep slopes or topping out on summits like he does today. Instead, his connection to the outdoors began with golf—a fact he shares rather sheepishly. Necefer was an avid golfer from age five until he was eighteen, when he moved to the desert southwest and realized how water-intensive that sport is. Necefer is a member of the Navajo Nation, and is working to bring more Native voices and talents into the outdoor industry through his organization Natives Outdoors. He believes in the importance of engaging with the environment in a thoughtful, meaningful and respectful way. As a backcountry skier and climber, he cultivates connection with the mountains he visits and the people he visits them with. He is a regular Alpinist contributor. In this episode, Necefer reflects on why having a sense of humor is essential when trying to communicate about heavy subjects like climate change; what it was like teaching himself to ski; and why it's important for all of us to vote. Support for this episode of the Alpinist Podcast comes from the American Alpine Club. Alpinist Magazine: Website | Instagram | Facebook Host: Abbey Collins Guest: Len Necefer Producer + Engineer: Mike Horn

Steve House began venturing into the high mountains as a teenager, and has since built a career on climbing, guiding and coaching. By the time he published his book Beyond the Mountain in 2009, Reinhold Messner said House was "at the top of mountaineering." House's life in climbing has taken him all over the world. His most famous ascent may be the Central Pillar of Nanga Parbat's Rupal Face, a climb he completed with Vince Anderson. But he has compiled an impressive list of first ascents and new routes in Alaska, the Canadian Rockies, the Alps and the Karakoram. Steve has been a professional mountain guide since 1992, and in 1999 he became the ninth American to achieve IFMGA certification. But these days House lives in a small Austrian mountain town with his wife and two kids. In the mornings he spends time getting outside, while the later part of the day is dedicated to working with his company Uphill Athlete. He retired from professional climbing in 2020. In this episode, we revisit passages from Steve's book Beyond the Mountain, discuss fatherhood, and finding his way in his new home in Austria. We learn about the climb that drove him to focus more on training and preparation, and eventually led him to start his company, Uphill Athlete. And, we learn more about how he thinks about climbing and what it is to be human—to focus on the act of becoming rather than being. Support for this episode of the Alpinist Podcast comes from Osprey. Alpinist Magazine: Website | Instagram | Facebook Host: Abbey Collins Guest: Steve House Producer + Engineer: Mike Horn

David Smart's life and work seem to intersect with climbing at every turn. He's a lifelong climber, revered route developer and the editorial director at Gripped Publishing. He's a founding editor at Gripped Magazine and has been crucial to its success and longevity for more than 25 years. Smart has published five books, including a biography of Royal Robbins that recently won the Banff Mountain Book Award for climbing literature. He also actively contributes to Alpinist, including his mountain profile on Cima Grande in Alpinist 76 and a recent story on Kodak's Brownie camera and how it impacted the representation of climbing in the media and beyond. Smart has developed more than 300 routes in the Canadian Rockies and elsewhere around the world. At age 60, he continues to climb several days a week and revels in the ambiance of his home range. In this episode, we cover a lot of ground, from his new biography on Royal Robbins, to the state of publishing and climbing media, to his passion for route development and leaving something behind for others to experience. Support for this episode of the Alpinist Podcast comes from Osprey. Alpinist Magazine: Website | Instagram | Facebook Host: Abbey Collins Guest: David Smart Producer + Engineer: Mike Horn

For Alan Rousseau, the allure of mountaineering is in the unknown. When he looks up at a mountain and contemplates whether it can be climbed, he sees a mystery to be solved. Rousseau is an IFMGA guide who divides his time between pursuing his own goals in the mountains, and helping others do the same. His achievements in the Alaska Range, to which he has ventured more than twenty times, include first ascents of Ruth Gorge Grinder and Aim for the Bushes. In 2020, his first ascent of the west face of Tengi Ragi Tau with Tino Villanueva was recognized as one of the year's greatest climbing achievements and the pair won a Piolets d'Or. Villanueva wrote about the climb in Alpinist 81. In this episode, Alan reflects on more than ten years of climbing in the Alaska Range, and exploratory climbs like Aim For the Bushes that he and his partners established earlier this year. He talks about the difference between planning trips to Alaska and the Himalaya, and the mountains that act as his compass. This episode is brought to you by the American Alpine Club Alpinist Magazine: Website | Instagram | Facebook Host: Abbey Collins Guest: Alan Rousseau Producer + Engineer: Mike Horn

For Andrea Charest, climbing is entwined with community. She and her husband Steve own Petra Cliffs, a climbing gym and mountaineering school in Burlington, Vermont, where they also work as guides. She's volunteered much of her time over the years to Crag Vermont, a nonprofit organization dedicated to conserving, protecting and advocating for climbing access in the Green Mountain State. She empowers her fellow climbers to take the lead, and has a knack for enabling others to move past their perceived limitations. Earlier this year, Charest became an AMGA-certified ice climbing instructor, a hard-earned goal years in the making. In this conversation, we talk about her journey through the ice instructor exam, and how she balances business, play and parenthood. Charest shares her love for the global climbing community, her excitement around the continued growth of Petra Cliffs, and the importance of helping climbers make the transition from the gym to the crag. This episode is brought to you by Rab Equipment Alpinist Magazine: Website | Instagram | Facebook Host: Abbey Collins Guest: Andrea Charest Producer + Engineer: Mike Horn

Korean rock and ice climber Young Hoon Oh is a student of the mountains and the culture borne from them. While pursuing a PhD in anthropology, he spent two years living among Sherpa communities in Nepal and studying the outsized impact Sherpas have on Himalayan mountaineering. Today, Young Hoon represents Korea as a member of the International Climbing and Mountaineering Federation (UIAA), and is a lecturer in anthropology at Seoul National University. A father of two young children, he doesn't get to climb rock and ice as often as he used to, but he's found new ways to explore and experience South Korea's wild places with them in tow. Young Hoon also served as the editor of Alpinist Korea, before returning to his love of research, teaching and climbing advocacy. Young Hoon urges his fellow climbers to explore the unknown and pursue adventure, and to look past stories of western heroes, first ascents and summits conquered. He looks beyond the physical and mental wellness aspects of climbing, and reflects on what we can learn from facing danger and even confronting the possibility of death in the mountains. This episode is brought to you by Rab Equipment Alpinist Magazine: Website | Instagram | Facebook Host: Abbey Collins Guest: Young Hoon Oh Producer + Engineer: Mike Horn

When Doug Robinson speaks of a life spent climbing in the Sierra Range, his stories emanate joy rather than ego. He points to experiences and relationships, instead of his many contributions to climbing's legacy and lore. Robinson worked alongside Yvon Chouinard before Patagonia existed, forging some of the first pitons at Chouinard Equipment, and forming lifelong friendships. Robinson considers climbing a form of active meditation, and is most at home on rock. He was one of the leaders of the clean climbing revolution that took hold in the 1970s, and five decades later he remains a fierce advocate for wild places like his beloved Palisades, which he calls "the alpine heart of the Sierra." He's an accomplished and award-winning writer, and has published influential works on clean climbing, mentorship, and his home range. His Mountain Profile on the Palisades was published in Alpinist 48. In this conversation, Robinson reflects on the importance of mentorship during a time of explosive growth in climbing, and the pure joy he experiences on even the mellowest of climbs. This episode is brought to you by Rab Equipment Alpinist Magazine: Website | Instagram | Facebook Host: Abbey Collins Guest: Doug Robinson Producer + Engineer: Mike Horn Photo by Jim Herrington