The Broad Beta Podcast

We sit down with IFMGA-certified mountain guide Lyra Pierotti, a rare blend of international guide, avalanche professional, and strength and conditioning specialist, to unpack what it actually takes to build a long career in the mountains. Lyra shares how she found her way to the Sierra and the French Alps in early adulthood, her path into the guiding world, plus the honest realities of paying for...

Our guest is Anna Pfaff - an alpinist and expedition climber, and a critical care nurse. Anna has completed numerous expeditions and put up first ascents all over the world. Her resume includes the Great Trango Tower and The Nameless Tower in Pakistan, Shishapangma in Tibet, Holtana Peak in Antarctica, and most recently a new route on Mt. Providence in the Alaska Range. Anna became a nurse at 20,...

Frost bites the air at minus 28, the Lamar Valley glows with steam from bison herds, and we shoulder packs toward a line that might vanish tomorrow. Dancing on Ice is Jeannie Wall's love letter to Montana’s winter: Hyalite Canyon’s storied walls, Cooke City’s elusive test pieces, and the quiet codes that bind a small tribe of climbers who choose presence over comfort. This story was originall...

A moonlit push up Mount Hood lit a lifelong fire—and it didn’t stop at the summit. Arlene Blum opens up about how a strict, postwar childhood, overprotective grandparents, and one ecstatic first climb shaped her habit of choosing new routes when the obvious path was closed to women. From organizing the first all-women ascent of Denali and leading a death-defying rescue, to launching a 15‑month “En...

Amity Warme joined a short list of climbers when she free climbed the PreMuir Wall (33 pitches, 5.13c/d) on El Capitan in Yosemite National Park this November. She joins us as a follow up to her full length interview and tells us all about it. Check out her full bio in the show notes of her interview. In summary, she's a badass! Congratulations, Amity! www. broadbeta.com

Does anyone know how to give'r more than Amity Warme? For a lesson in try-hard, search Book of Hate, Amity Warme on Youtube...right after you listen to this inspiring interview. Amity oozes with love for climbing and love for her fellow climbers, and if you see her at the crag, she wants you to come talk to her. And we can guarantee that if you do, she won't disappoint, she won't in...

Cheyenne grew up in Shelby, Montana, and found climbing in Bozeman. She now calls Truckee home and spends her time chasing big linkups, trail running, skiing, and pursuing any adventure that asks her to dig deep. With roots in conservation and community, she leads with kindness and grit, always finding joy in good people and good company. This story was originally published on the Broad Beta websi...

In this episode you'll hear 93-year-old Roswitha "Ros" McIntosh read her story, which was originally published on the Broad Beta website in May of 2025 ( check it out here to see the photos of her skiing in Germany as a child ). Ros was born in Germany during the Hitler years, and when she was a child they spent most nights in cold damp cellars while bombs leveled the city. Eventual...

Kate Kelleghan is on the cutting edge of big wall speed climbing, and this spring she and Laura Pineau became the first female team to complete the Triple Crown in Yosemite. The Triple Crown consists of climbing El Capitan, Mt. Watkins, and Half Dome, all in under 24 hours. Prior to June of this year, only 10 parties of men (and Alex Honnold alone) had completed the Triple Crown which was establis...

The story on today's episode was written and read by Jenna Malone and published on the Broad Beta website in February of 2025 (originally published in The Avalanche Review 43.3). Check it out to see photos courtesy of Ben Vandenbos. Jenna sets an amazing example of an intelligent, driven, talented avalanche educator; we hope you'll enjoy her story which is chock full of interesting insig...

Steph Abegg has become well known in the alpine climbing world for her detailed trip reports and route overlays on high quality photos of multipitch rock climbs. She describes herself as a climber, photographer, adventurer, and a math and data nerd, with a passion for displaying data in creative ways. Steph's background in math and data analysis are evident in her well-organized trip reports,...

Szu-ting Ye, known as Ting Ting in the climbing community, moved to the US from Taiwan to attend grad school in computer science in Philadelphia. During grad school, she discovered trad climbing at the Gunks, which changed the trajectory of her life. She took a NOLS course, met her mentor who eventually became her husband, and went on to establish first ascents around the world. She has written ar...

Jan McDonald Bradley grew up in New York and ran away to Jackson, Wyoming, as a young adult. She shares her deeply personal journey as a woman in a man's world in the 1970's. She worked as the first female river guide in the Tetons and backcountry skied before it was cool, back when Jackson Hole was known for having "10 men for every 1 woman." Jan left a difficult family life a...

Brette Harrington does it all…extremely well. Her resume includes groundbreaking solos, 13+ trad climbs, and mind-boggling alpine and winter climbs, not to mention ski descents, big walls, and hard sport climbs. Only her heart and dedication to excellence match her versatility in the mountains. As you’ll hear today, Brette has undergone physical and mental hardships on her path to becoming one of...

Brittany has dedicated her life to climbing ever since the first time she walked into a climbing gym in Fort Collins, CO, at 9 years old. She went on to become a competition climber and podiumed at a number of comps, including a Canadian Tour de Bloc.  Over the past few years, Brittany has climbed some of the hardest trad routes in the United States, including East Coast Fist Bump (5.14a) in Sedon...

This story was written by Tory Dille and originally published on the Broad Beta website in September of 2024. It is a beautiful and vulnerable recollection of when Tory lost her mother to cancer. She later climbed Mount Olympus with two dear friends to spread her mother's ashes. Tory honors the unique landscape of the Olympic Peninsula with vivid descriptions, taking you back there with her....

Kelly Halpin is a professional mountain ultra runner and adventure athlete. She has a background in climbing, hiking, and snowboarding in the Tetons and surrounding wilderness. For the last 10 years, Kelly has merged her passions for running, climbing and exploring remote places by setting fastest known times (FKTs) around the world and establishing long technical routes in her home mountain range...

The story on today's episode was written by Kimber Cross and originally published on the Broad Beta website in May of 2024. Check it out to see photos of Kimber's mountaineering and ice climbing expeditions. Kimber Cross is an adaptive climber who uses a custom prosthetic ice tool to climb waterfall ice around the country. She climbs alpine ice routes in her home state of Washington and...

The one and only, the legend: Barb Eastman joins us on this episode. We're thrilled to hear her life story - and what a story it is. She began working in outdoor education at a young age, experienced trauma shortly into that career, and went onto become one of the most prolific climbers of her time. While living in Yosemite in the 1970s, she became a big wall specialist, climbing 15 Grade Vs...

In this story, originally published on the Broad Beta website in March of 2024, Alta Clark shares what it means to be an athlete - and what that means at mealtime. She articulates what so many women struggle with in sports: the impossible expectation to be both light and strong, both lean and unstoppable in the mountains. Alta bravely joins a growing number of influential female athletes at the fo...

Quinn Brett and Kim Givler join us to share the epic story of a hand cycling expedition in the Grand Canyon (link to article with photos here) . They encountered expected and unexpected challenges and triumphs during this inspiring trip. They make us laugh and captivate us with their resiliency and determination as they recount their group's attempt of the Rim to Rim to Rim. Quinn Brett needs...

This story was written by Zoe Holmes and originally published on the Broad Beta website in January of 2024. How to Climb As a Wuss takes us to the other end of the spectrum from Rock Warrior's Way. It walks us through embracing climbing as a freaked out, Elvis-legging wuss. We love Zoe’s toolkit for climbing as a wuss. Let’s be honest: her tactics are not only hilarious but all too relatable....

Katy Kelly is a physical therapist and injury rehab coach for mountain athletes. In this episode, we talk about building capacity for both sport progression and injury prevention; starting a business; tools for dealing with fear in mountain sports; and more. Katy's open-mindedness, intelligence, and application of her own lived experience as a mountain athlete make her an invaluable member of...

Our guest today is Darcy Chenoweth - a multitalented woman who grew up in Colorado and has spent much of her adult life thus far in and around Missoula, Montana. Darcy is one of those widely admired unicorns who combines pre-social media badassery and a mastery of good ole blue collar climbing with an authentic depth of character and genuine curiosity about the natural world around her. We love Da...

Ever dreamt of putting up first ascents in the alpine as an all female team? This story will inspire you to reach out to your favorite alpinista partner and make it happen. Irmeline de Sadeleer & Maren Salte Kallelid co-authored this story, which was originally published in Tidsskrift for Norsk Alpinklatring (Norwegian Alpine Journal) in 2021. It takes place in Northern Norway, in the pictures...