The RunOut Podcast

Connor Herson is back. He needs no introduction, but he’s easily one of, if not the best, trad climber in the world at the moment. We talk about his 2025 climbing season in Yosemite, when he ticked the free Nose in a day, got a first free ascent of Triple Direct, and climbed many other major notable routes all while going to school.

But first, what’s next for Alex Honnold? We have some ideas.

Today’s final bit is from photographer and musician Cliff Ritchey, with the song “Patagonia.” Cliff teamed up with writer Kelsey Timmerman on a book called “Regenerating Earth,” by Patagonia Books, that documents regenerative farming practices around the world. During their travels, they visited Patagonia, and Cliff fell in love with the place, the people, and the culture. The result is this song, titled “Patagonia.”

Show Notes

Follow Connor Herson on IG: https://www.instagram.com/connor.herson

Did Connor Herson Just Have the Best 3 Days in Yosemite Climbing History? – via Climbing.com: https://www.climbing.com/news/connor-herson-nose-in-a-day-and-triple-direct/

Connor’s latest news: https://www.instagram.com/p/DUqlp18j6vL/?img_index=1

Follow Cliff Ritchey on IG: https://www.instagram.com/cliffritcheyart/

Cliff Ritchey photography / music: https://cliffritchey.com

“Regenerating Earth”: https://www.patagonia.com/product/regenerating-earth-farmers-working-with-nature-to-feed-our-future/BK935.html

Listen to “Patagonia” on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/track/7FI7MHOVpU75neTEUC3JIn?si=df8c08fae8c6469a

Become a RunOut Rope Gun! Support our podcast and increase your RunOut runtime. Bonus episodes, AMA, and more will be available to our Rope Guns. Thank you for your support! http://patreon.com/runoutpodcast

Mary Eden is known on Instagram as Trad Princess but in real life, she’s one of the sport’s best offwidth crack climbers. Recently she acheived the first female ascent of Century Crack, perhaps the world’s longest and hardest wide roof crack. 

But first, we talk about what everyone’s talking about. Alex Honnold and Taipei 101. To listen to the full intro bit, however, you’ll need to head over to Patreon.com/runoutpodcast to become a supporter of the show. With just a few more subscribers, we’ll make as much money as Honnold did free soloing Taipei.

Today’s final bit comes from the heavy metal band Bygone, with Canmore-based climber Noah Stachulski on guitar. When Noah’s not contemplating dry-tooling ethics, he’s debating his music bros on how to classify different genres of metal. Little surprise these the two worlds go together so well.

Show Notes

Mary Eden Becomes First Woman to Send ‘Century Crack’ (5.14b) https://www.climbing.com/news/mary-eden-trad-princess-first-female-ascent-century-crack/

Follow Mary Catherine Eden on Instagram https://instagram.com/tradprincess

Alex Honnold Completes Historic Live Climb of Taipei 101 https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/how-to-watch-alex-honnold-skyscraper-climb-live-netflix

Bygone on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/7ii5T8TaNV9XpG2mOkwslf?si=yqRUoJa3QzG11wC4oxoKKg

Follow Noah Stachulski on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/atthemountainsofradness/

Become a RunOut Rope Gun! Support our podcast and increase your RunOut runtime. Bonus episodes, AMA, and more will be available to our Rope Guns. Thank you for your support! http://patreon.com/runoutpodcast

Contact us Send ideas, voicemail, feedback and more. [email protected] // [email protected]

Just when you though you understood what a zone hold was … Hasn’t the comp climbing format already been “solved?” Some think there is room for improvement, including Charlie Boscoe, an alpinist turned World Cup commentator. He is the co-founder of the Professional Climbing League, a new comp series launching in London on February 28.

But first, Chris sings praise of a crag where people know how to operate, and the wheat is separated from the chaff. Unfortunately, it turns out the chaff is Andrew.

For our final bit, friend of the show Christopher Parker returns with the namesake track off his new album, Withered Roses, dropping January 30th. 

Show notes

Professional Climbing League: https://www.proclimbing.com

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ProClimbingLeague

Follow the PCL: https://www.instagram.com/proclimbingleague/

Follow Charlie Boscoe: https://www.instagram.com/charlieboscoe1/

Western Sloper: https://www.wolverinepublishing.com/shop-all-guidebooks/p/western-sloper-4th-edition

Christopher Parker Music: https://christopherparkermusic.com

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6qZrlQIIBrZGDvx69AXmus?si=try9WEw7T86bNvCw770smQ

Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/christopher-parker/9258292

Become a RunOut Rope Gun! Support our podcast and increase your RunOut runtime. Bonus episodes, AMA, and more will be available to our Rope Guns. Thank you for your support! http://patreon.com/runoutpodcast

Contact us Send ideas, voicemail, feedback and more. [email protected] // [email protected]

Lara Neumeier is a German climber known for her composure on demanding, heady terrain. Her notable ascents include a repeat of Psychogramm (5.14a trad), Silbergeier and End of Silence—two of the iconic multipitch alpine routes that form Europe’s so-called Alpine Trilogy—as well as El Corazón and the Pineapple Express on El Capitan.

Before diving into Lara’s climbing and approach to mental strength, we open with a conversation about the benefits—and potential pitfalls—of choosing a climber as your partner for life, both on and off the rock.

This episode’s final bit comes from Dave Pomeranz, a longtime climber balancing life as a dad and guitarist while roaming the American West. His band, Whale Fall, contributes the track “The Dawn Thief,” inspired by long night drives through deserts and mountains on the way to climb.

Show Notes 

Follow Lara Neumeier: https://www.instagram.com/laraneumeier/

Pineapple Express: https://www.planetmountain.com/en/news/climbing/lara-neumeier-nemuel-fuerle-repeat-el-nino-via-pineapple-express-el-capitan-yosemite.html

Psychogramm news: https://www.lacrux.com/klettern/lara-neumeier-zeigt-nervenstarke-erste-frauenbegehung-von-trad-route-psychogramm/

Thomas Huber: The Day I Sent End of Silence: https://eveningsends.com/thomas-huber-the-day-i-sent-the-end-of-silence/

Whale Fall on Bandcamp https://whalefall.bandcamp.com

Become a RunOut Rope Gun! Support our podcast and increase your RunOut runtime. Bonus episodes, AMA, and more will be available to our Rope Guns. Thank you for your support! http://patreon.com/runoutpodcast

Fallon Rowe is a climber, writer, coach, teacher, researcher, and many more things. Her new book is called Pay No Mind: A Memoir of Climbing, Abuse, and Survival. Beyond discussing the traumatic story that she tells in her book, we enjoyed listening to Fallon bring her always thoughtful, grounded perspective to the way she approaches movement, risk, and life on the rock.

But first, we sit down to talk about The Art of Suffering. No, not the kind of suffering we normally describe of getting to Rifle and finding nowhere to park. The kind of suffering that only one of alpinism’s most enigmatic and thoughtful philosophers could articulate: Voytek Kurtkyka, the legendary Polish climber. 

Our final bit comes from climber, listener, and drummer Todd Hammond, and the Utah-based band The Statuettes. This track is called The of End of Everything.

Show Notes

Follow Fallon Rowe: https://www.instagram.com/fallonclimbs

“Pay No Mind: A Memoir of Climbing, Abuse, and Survival” at DiAngelo Books: https://www.diangelopublications.com/shop/p/pay-no-mind

Voytek Kurtyka: “The Art of Suffering”: https://thefossilclub.blogspot.com/2012/07/art-of-suffering.html?m=1

More on Voytek: https://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/13201214642/The-Art-of-Freedom-The-Life-and-Climbs-of-Voytek-Kurtyka

The Statuettes on Bandcamp: https://michaelgross.bandcamp.com/music

Become a RunOut Rope Gun! Support our podcast and increase your RunOut runtime. Bonus episodes, AMA, and more will be available to our Rope Guns. Thank you for your support! http://patreon.com/runoutpodcast

Contact us Send ideas, voicemail, feedback and more. [email protected] // [email protected]