The Struggle Climbing Show

Dave MacLeod: Part I

Elite climber Dave MacLeod shares his struggles and breakthroughs in Training, Nutrition, Tactics, and Mental Game
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Hailing from the highlands of Scotland, Dave has methodically worked his way up to the highest levels of the sport, and sits at the very top when it comes to heady trad ascents on the notoriously poorly protected gritstone in his backyard. He has bouldered up to V15 (8C), climbed 5.14d (9a), free soloed up to 14a (8b+), and put up E11 trad. His First Ascents are too many to name, but most notably he put up the world’s first E11 trad route, Rhapsody, as well as Echo Wall which might even be harder. From boulders to big walls, rock to ice to mixed… Dave has a truly unique ability to zero in on very hard moves, with very scary exposure, and systematically break it down to a manageable process until the thing can be done. Beyond his performance on rock, Dave has been contributing to the sport for decades now, as a researcher, author, blogger, and YouTuber. He holds an undergrad degree in sports science and physiology, and dual masters, in exercise science and human nutrition. He knows his stuff and we dive deeeeep in this two-parter!
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CHAPTERS:
Struggle: 0:09:00
Training: 0:12:50
Nutrition: 0:30:22
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Follow along on Instagram @climbermacleod and @thestruggleclimbingshow
Check out Dave's books, blog, and other resources at www.davemacleod.com
Watch all of Dave's banger climbing content at youtube.com/@climbermacleod
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BIG THANKS TO THE AMAZING SPONSORS OF THE STRUGGLE:
PhysiVantage: the official climbing-nutrition sponsor of The Struggle. Use code STRUGGLE15 at checkout for 15% off your full-priced nutrition order. 
Frictitious Climbing: Check out their revolutionary doorway mount for hangboards (no drilling!) along with their amazing boards for training your fingers at home or on the road. Score 20% off a board when you purchase a doorway mount.
SCARPA: Whether you’re a climber, trail runner, skier, or hiker, SCARPA offers an array of adventure footwear for the adventure seeker in you. with a commitment to sustainability. Shop the whole collection at SCARPA.com. SCARPA, No Place Too Far.
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The Struggle is carbon-neutral in partnership with The Honnold Foundation, whose mission is to promote solar energy for a more equitable world.
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Want to be a podcast hero and gain access to extended and ad-free episodes, Pro Clinics with the sport's best, and rad swag? Support the show and the climbers who make it by becoming a Patron at www.patreon.com/thestruggleclimbingshow
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This show is produced and hosted by Ryan Devlin. The Struggle is a proud member of the Plug Tone Audio Collective, a diverse group of the best, most impactful podcasts in the outdoor industry.
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The struggle makes us stronger! I hope your training and climbing are going great.
 

Pro Clinic: Flash/Onsight Tactics with Kris Hampton

Kris Hampton takes us to rock school with this Pro Clinic focusing on flash/onsight tactics, and offers up clear and simple guidance for climbers of all levels to take our flash grade (as well as our redpoints) to new heights.
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This episode is sponsored by Patrons and Subscribers of The Struggle. Enjoy the full Pro Clinic, extended and ad-free episodes, and other perks by joining The Struggle Pro Access community. There's a level for everyone and this month you can join for FREE to check things out 🙌. Learn more at Patreon.com/thestruggleclimbingshow or if you listen on apple, you can subscribe right here in your pod app.
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Follow along on Instagram @thestruggleclimbingshow and @powercompanyclimbing
Check out Written In Stone, Kris's banger new climbing podcast, out now! 
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This show is produced and hosted by Ryan Devlin. The Struggle is carbon-neutral in partnership with The Honnold Foundation and is a proud member of the Plug Tone Audio Collective, a diverse group of the best, most impactful podcasts in the outdoor industry.
-
The struggle makes us stronger! Let's get out there and try hard. Thanks for supporting the show!
 

Jordan Cannon: Cowboy Direct

Elite climber Jordan Cannon takes us on the unbelievable adventures of tackling one of the toughest high-altitude big wall ascents in the world, the Cowboy Direct route of Trango (Nameless) Tower. 
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This is Jordan’s third appearance on the show and for good reason – just recently he and partners Matt Segal and Jesse Huey accomplished one of the most mind blowing and impressive high altitude ascents of recent memory– the second ascent of Trango (Nameless) Tower via the Cowboy Direct Route – a grade VII 5.13 big wall that reaches over 20,000 feet into the clouds of the Karakoram / Himalaya. If you’ve ever wondered what it was like to put together an expedition of this magnitude, get clipped in for one helluva ride. Jordan brings his storytelling A-game, covering:
How the trip came together
Breaking down the costs
Acclimatization hacks
Team dynamics
Risk assessment
The emotional and physical highs and lows
Assigning asterisks when it comes to high altitude big wall ascents
What happens to your body on an envelope-pushing adventure like this
And Jordan answers perhaps the biggest question of all… why do it in the first place. 
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Access the extended and ad-free version, video, and other bonus content by supporting the show as a Patron! Try it for 7 days at zero cost and see if you dig it. www.patreon.com/thestruggleclimbingshow
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Follow along on Instagram @cannonjtc and @thestruggleclimbingshow
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BIG THANKS TO THE AMAZING SPONSORS OF THE STRUGGLE:
SCARPA: Whether you’re a climber, trail runner, skier, or hiker, SCARPA offers an array of adventure footwear for the adventure seeker in you. with a commitment to sustainability. Shop the whole collection at SCARPA.com. SCARPA, No Place Too Far.
PhysiVantage: the official climbing-nutrition sponsor of The Struggle. Use code STRUGGLE15 at checkout for 15% off your full-priced nutrition order. 
KAYA Climb: 50+ bouldering guidebooks right on your phone, whether you have signal or not! Plus GPS-pinned boulders and over 300k community-uploaded beta videos. Download a free version, and get 20% the PRO version HERE
-
The Struggle is carbon-neutral in partnership with The Honnold Foundation, whose mission is to promote solar energy for a more equitable world.
-
This show is produced and hosted by Ryan Devlin. The Struggle is a proud member of the Plug Tone Audio Collective, a diverse group of the best, most impactful podcasts in the outdoor industry.
-
The struggle makes us stronger! I hope your training and climbing are going great.
 

Tom Randall: Preparing to Send + Q&A

Tom and Ryan explore how to give ourselves the best shot at sending on the day, and then Tom answers Patron questions. Topics include:
Setting expectations
Adjusting for uncontrollables
Warmup tactics
Calculating proper rest periods
Post Activation Potentiation
Routine
Learnings from training Alex Honnold
Training fingers with a force gauge 
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This episode is coming to you at zero cost thanks to these wonderful sponsors:
Friction Labs: Level up your grip game with the best in the biz, free of fillers, rosins, and drying agents so your skin stays healthier. Use code STRUGGLE20 for 20% off at frictionlabs.com. 
Frictitious Climbing: Check out their revolutionary doorway mount for hangboards (no drilling!) along with their amazing boards for training your fingers at home or on the road. Score 20% off a board when you purchase a doorway mount.
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Listen to this episode ad-free, and gain instant access to 20+ hours of exclusive content from Chris Sharma, Alex Honnold, Nina Williams, Ravioli Biceps and more by becoming a Patron.  Learn more at Patreon.com/thestruggleclimbingshow or if you listen on apple, you can subscribe right here in your pod app. 
-Follow along on Instagram @thestruggleclimbingshow and @tompaulrandall-
This show is produced and hosted by Ryan Devlin. The Struggle is carbon-neutral in partnership with The Honnold Foundation and is a proud member of the Plug Tone Audio Collective, a diverse group of the best, most impactful podcasts in the outdoor industry.
-The struggle makes us stronger!

Eddie Taylor

Elite climber Eddie shares his struggles and breakthroughs in Training, Nutrition, Tactics, and Mental Game
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Eddie pretty much does it all – boulder, sport, big wall, ice, alpine… he’s stoked, he’s driven, and he’s incredibly fit on vertical terrain. Just a few highlights from many, Eddie has freed Moonlight Buttress, the notoriously challenging Grade V, 12d multipitch in Zion. He’s done The Nose of El Cap in a day along with other big routes in the valley, and lately has been spotted linking up heinously long bike rides with fast and light multi-pitch climbing with his friend and recent guest of the pod, Nina Williams. He has also summited Mt Everest! And he has accomplished all of this while also holding down a full time job as a high school chemistry teacher, track and field coach, husband, and father. Eddie shows that we are ALL capable of greatness if we put our hearts and minds to it. 
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CHAPTERS:
Struggle: 0:07:20
Training: 0:09:43
Nutrition: 0:17:14
Tactics: 0:25:04
Mental Game: 0:34:07
Purpose: 0:40:48
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Follow along on Instagram @alldayeddie and @thestruggleclimbingshow
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BIG THANKS TO THE AMAZING SPONSORS OF THE STRUGGLE:
PhysiVantage: the official climbing-nutrition sponsor of The Struggle. Use code STRUGGLE15 at checkout for 15% off your full-priced nutrition order. 
Crimpd: The absolute best tool for self-coached climbers to stay on track with training. Visit Crimpd.com to download the app for FREE and take your training to the next level.
KAYA Climb: 50+ bouldering guidebooks right on your phone, whether you have signal or not! Plus GPS-pinned boulders and over 300k community-uploaded beta videos. Download a free version, and get 20% the PRO version HERE
Friction Labs: Level up your grip game with the best in the biz, free of fillers, rosins, and drying agents so your skin stays healthier. Use code STRUGGLE20 for 20% off at frictionlabs.com.
-
The Struggle is carbon-neutral in partnership with The Honnold Foundation, whose mission is to promote solar energy for a more equitable world.
-
Want to be a podcast hero and gain access to extended and ad-free episodes, Pro Clinics with the sport's best, and rad swag? Support the show and the climbers who make it by becoming a Patron at www.patreon.com/thestruggleclimbingshow
-
This show is produced and hosted by Ryan Devlin. The Struggle is a proud member of the Plug Tone Audio Collective, a diverse group of the best, most impactful podcasts in the outdoor industry.
-
The struggle makes us stronger! I hope your training and climbing are going great.
 

Pro Clinic: Advanced Bouldering with Allison Vest

Allison Vest, V14 boulder crusher, highlights advanced bouldering techniques and tactics, and offers up clear and simple guidance for climbers of all levels to take their bouldering to new heights.
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This episode is sponsored by Patrons and Subscribers of The Struggle. Enjoy the full Pro Clinic, extended and ad-free episodes, and other perks by joining The Struggle Pro Access community. There's a level for everyone 🙌. Learn more at Patreon.com/thestruggleclimbingshow or if you listen on apple, you can subscribe right here in your pod app.
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Follow along on Instagram @thestruggleclimbingshow and @allisonvest
Check out FLOAT Climbing on YouTube, and The Circle Up Podcast wherever you pod
HERE is the video referenced, featuring Aidan Roberts and Ollie Torr 
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This show is produced and hosted by Ryan Devlin. The Struggle is carbon-neutral in partnership with The Honnold Foundation and is a proud member of the Plug Tone Audio Collective, a diverse group of the best, most impactful podcasts in the outdoor industry.
-
The struggle makes us stronger! Let's get out there and try hard. Thanks for supporting the show!
 

Sasha DiGiulian

Elite climber Sasha DiGiulian shares her struggles and breakthroughs in Training, Nutrition, Tactics, and Mental Game
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Sasha is one of the most accomplished climbers in the world. She has been Female Overall World Champion twice, the undefeated Pan-American Champion for a 10-year span, and 3-time US National Champion. Sasha was just the third woman in the World to climb the grade 9a (5.14d), and she has more than 30 First Ascents and First Female Ascents to her name. Some of her sport FFAs include 14d/9a Era Vella in Spain, 14c/8c+ Southern Smoke and Pure Imagination at the Red River Gorge, and she has onsighted multiple 5.14a / 8b+ routes. She is the first woman to free the north face of the Eiger by way of Magic Mushroom, a technical 2,000 foot climb; she was the first woman to free Bella Vista, a big wall in the Dolomites with difficulty up to 5.14b / 8c; and Sasha was the first woman and only the second human to free the Trilogy in the Canadian Rockies - three separate climbs that feature 5.14 pitches and total 9000 vertical feet. With all of those groundbreaking wins one might assume things come easy for Sasha but let me assure you that she is no stranger to struggle. Just a couple years ago Sasha underwent double hip surgery where doctors cut through muscle and bone to such an extreme she had to learn how to walk again… and that’s just one example of many struggles that we explore in our chat. Sasha is as dedicated as they come, both on and off the wall, and is a tireless voice for climbing access, women’s rights, and the environment. 
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CHAPTERS:
Struggle: 0:16:20
Training: 0:19:23
Nutrition: 0:31:53
Tactics: 0:47:25
Mental Game: 0:56:12
Purpose: 1:07:16
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Follow along on Instagram @sashadigiulian and @thestruggleclimbingshow
-
BIG THANKS TO THE AMAZING SPONSORS OF THE STRUGGLE:
PhysiVantage: the official climbing-nutrition sponsor of The Struggle. Use code STRUGGLE15 at checkout for 15% off your full-priced nutrition order. 
Frictitious Climbing: Check out their revolutionary doorway mount for hangboards (no drilling!) along with their amazing boards for training your fingers at home or on the road. Score 20% off a board when you purchase a doorway mount.
SCARPA: Whether you’re a climber, trail runner, skier, or hiker, SCARPA offers an array of adventure footwear for the adventure seeker in you. with a commitment to sustainability. Shop the whole collection at SCARPA.com. SCARPA, No Place Too Far.
-
The Struggle is carbon-neutral in partnership with The Honnold Foundation, whose mission is to promote solar energy for a more equitable world.
-
Want to be a podcast hero and gain access to extended and ad-free episodes, Pro Clinics with the sport's best, and rad swag? Support the show and the climbers who make it by becoming a Patron at www.patreon.com/thestruggleclimbingshow
-
This show is produced and hosted by Ryan Devlin. The Struggle is a proud member of the Plug Tone Audio Collective, a diverse group of the best, most impactful podcasts in the outdoor industry.
-
The struggle makes us stronger! I hope your training and climbing are going great.
 

Tom Randall: Pre-Send Season Training + Q&A

Tom and Ryan explore how training should be adjusted in the 4-6 weeks before send-season, what exercises to cut as the season arrives, an often-overlooked red point tactic, and behind-the-scenes stories from when Adam Ondra was in the cellar. Plus, Patron questions! 
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This episode is coming to you at zero cost thanks to these wonderful sponsors:
Friction Labs: Level up your grip game with the best in the biz, free of fillers, rosins, and drying agents so your skin stays healthier. Use code STRUGGLE20 for 20% off at frictionlabs.com. 
 
KAYA Climb: 50+ bouldering guidebooks right on your phone, whether you have signal or not! Plus GPS-pinned boulders and over 300k community-uploaded beta videos. Download a free version, and get 20% the PRO version HERE
-
Listen to this episode ad-free, and gain instant access to 20+ hours of exclusive content from Chris Sharma, Alex Honnold, Nina Williams, Ravioli Biceps and more by becoming a Patron.  Learn more at Patreon.com/thestruggleclimbingshow or if you listen on apple, you can subscribe right here in your pod app. 
-Follow along on Instagram @thestruggleclimbingshow and @tompaulrandall-
This show is produced and hosted by Ryan Devlin. The Struggle is carbon-neutral in partnership with The Honnold Foundation and is a proud member of the Plug Tone Audio Collective, a diverse group of the best, most impactful podcasts in the outdoor industry.
-The struggle makes us stronger!

Michaela Kiersch

Elite climber Michaela Kiersch shares her struggles and breakthroughs in Training, Nutrition, Tactics, and Mental Game
 
 
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Michaela Kiersch has been crushing for decades. She’s the first woman to climb both 5.15a and V14 (9a+ / 8B+). The 5.15 was La Rambla, and as Michaela shares today, she doesn't feel like she has yet hit her limit in sport grades. Other notable sport sends for Michaela include the 14d/9a ascent of the Chris Sharma line Dreamcatcher in Squamish, a first female ascent of another classic Sharma route, Necessary Evil, and pretty much everything at the Red River Gorge, including the 14c FFA of The Golden Ticket. On the blocks she’s got a few V14 (8B+) sends to her name, including Tigris Sit and New Base Line, both in Magic Wood. And what’s perhaps more impressive than her ticklist is the fact that she’s done pretty much all of it while being a full-time student and youth coach. If you want to get psyched on what we’re all capable of accomplishing with busy lives and limited time to train… you’re in the right place. 
 
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CHAPTERS:
 
Struggle: 0:10:10
 
Training: 0:12:01
 
Nutrition: 0:26:52
 
Tactics: 0:36:33
 
Mental Game: 0:46:00
 
Purpose: 0:57:14
 
Takeaways: 1:03:22
 
 
Follow along on Instagram @michaelakiersch and @thestruggleclimbingshow. 
 
 
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The Struggle is on YouTube! Watch interviews with the sport's best climbers come to life with amazing footage and actionable takeaways that'll help you to level up your Training, Nutrition, Tactics, and Mental Game. Check it all out at YouTube.com/@thestruggleclimbingshow. 
 
 
-
 
 
BIG THANKS TO THE AMAZING SPONSORS OF THE STRUGGLE:
 
 
Crimpd: The absolute best tool for self-coached climbers to stay on track with training. Visit Crimpd.com to download the app for FREE and take your training to the next level. 
 
 
SCARPA: Whether you’re a climber, trail runner, skier, or hiker, SCARPA offers an array of adventure footwear for the adventure seeker in you. with a commitment to sustainability. Shop the whole collection at SCARPA.com. SCARPA, No Place Too Far.
 
 
PhysiVantage: the official climbing-nutrition sponsor of The Struggle. Use code STRUGGLE15 at checkout for 15% off your full-priced nutrition order. 
 
 
Frictitious Climbing: Check out their revolutionary doorway mount for hangboards (no drilling!) along with their amazing boards for training your fingers at home or on the road. Score 20% off a board when you purchase a doorway mount. 
 
 
-
 
 
The Struggle is carbon-neutral in partnership with The Honnold Foundation, whose mission is to promote solar energy for a more equitable world.
 
 
-
 
 
Want to gain access to 20+ hours of exclusive content featuring Chris Sharma, Alex Honnold, Nina Williams, Ravioli Biceps, Michaela Kiersch, Emil Abrahamsson and more? Support the show and the climbers who make it by becoming a Patron at www.patreon.com/thestruggleclimbingshow
 
 
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Still reading? You deserve a free sticker: Please rate and review the show -- it really helps us to reach a wider audience! Snap a pic of your review, post to IG, and tag @thestruggleclimbingshow so that we can find you, and we'll send you a sticker just because you're rad.
 
 
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This show is produced and hosted by Ryan Devlin. The Struggle is a proud member of the Plug Tone Audio Collective, a diverse group of the best, most impactful podcasts in the outdoor industry.
 
 
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The struggle makes us stronger. Let's climb hard and do good things in the world!
 

Dr. Tyler Nelson on Finger Strength

Dr. Tyler Nelson dives deep into all things finger strength training
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Tyler is bringing cutting edge science to the world of training for climbing and, in the process, he is blowing up myths of training that we’ve long thought to be true and helping climbers, from pros to everyday climbers, identify exactly what types of training will take their climbing performance to new heights. In graduate school Tyler completed a dual doctorate/masters degree in exercise science with an emphasis on tendon loading and rehabilitation. He is also a certified strength and conditioning specialist through the NSCA and teaches conferences worldwide on a host of topics. Get ready to get strong!
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Topics:
The difference between strength training protocols and hypertrophy protocols, and why many climbers are getting it wrong
How to balance off the wall finger strength training with on the wall climbing 
Exploring the various methodologies of finger strength training
Why using a fingerboard doesn’t make sense for training strength in experienced climbers 
Why most climbers are doing too many hang board reps that are too long for building strength
Proper set/rep schemes for building strength
Whether a no hang protocol like Emil’s viral routine is actually beneficial
Minimal edge training vs just climbing
The significant benefit of training fingers on an un-level edge
How to switch things up to build muscular endurance
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Follow along on Instagram @c4hp and @thestruggleclimbingshow. 
Get $10 off a Tindeq with code C4HP at https://tindeq.com/?ref=530
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THANKS TO THE SPONSORS WHO SUPPORT THE STRUGGLE:
 
PhysiVantage: the official climbing-nutrition sponsor of The Struggle. Use code STRUGGLE15 at checkout for 15% off your full-priced nutrition order. 
 
Fricition Labs is the official chalk sponsor of The Struggle. Level up your grip game with the best in the biz, free of fillers, rosins, and drying agents so your skin stays healthier. Use code STRUGGLE20 for 20% off at frictionlabs.com. 
 
KAYA Climb: Log your boulder sends and access 35+ GPS guidebooks and 300k community-uploaded beta videos. Download for free, and get 20% the PRO version HERE
 
-The Struggle is on YouTube! Watch interviews with the sport's best climbers come to life with amazing footage and actionable takeaways that'll help you to level up your Training, Nutrition, Tactics, and Mental Game. Check it all out at YouTube.com/@thestruggleclimbingshow. 
-
The Struggle is carbon-neutral in partnership with The Honnold Foundation, whose mission is to promote solar energy for a more equitable world.
-
This show is produced and hosted by Ryan Devlin. The Struggle is a proud member of the Plug Tone Audio Collective, a diverse group of the best, most impactful podcasts in the outdoor industry.
-
The Struggle makes us stronger. Thank you so much for supporting this show! And if you're still reading (wow!) would you take 10 seconds to rate/review the show? Thanks so much, it makes a big difference in reaching more climbers!