Circle Up!

In this final episode of the mini series The Mentorship Sessions, we are delighted to be joined by Emily Harrington and Hazel Findlay. Both of these women have accolades and accomplishments that speak for themselves, but let go ahead and name a few to start off. Emily was the fourth woman ever to free climb El Cap in a day, and the first woman to do so via the Golden Gate route, she's summited Mou...

In this episode—brought to you by OCUN, engineered for climbing—Kyra Condie and Freddie Kolwey dive into the numbers behind elite bouldering: how many women have climbed V14 or harder, how many men have climbed V16 or harder, and why climbing media still doesn’t give women’s achievements the attention they deserve. They unpack the shrinking space for stories that aren’t tied to being “the first,”...

CONTENT WARNING: Nothing too scandalous is talked about in this episode, but we do refer to the platform OnlyFans and if you are a parent, maybe listen to this episode first before letting someone under 18 listen! If you are under 18, please talk to your parent, guardian, or trusted adult before listening. With that said, this is our next episode in our series of "ethical debates" in climbing and...

Welcome back for another episode of the Circle Up! Podcast. In this episode, Kyra and Allison go over what Allison has been up to in the recent months since she hasn't been on the podcast for a while. She's mainly been in the "pain cave" focusing on training now that she's healthy and was able to have a proper "off" season. Allison shares what she's been focusing on and how that focus on improving...

The Glassbergs are no strangers to juggling chaos. Between running a production company (Louder Than 11), raising two-year-old twin girls, and traveling the world to capture some of the most impressive climbing of our time; their lives are full to the brim. Which is exactly why Kyra and Freddie thought they'd be a fantastic fit for the Mentorship Sessions Series. In this conversation, Jon and Jess...

In this episode Kyra Condie and Freddie Kolwey chat about how sometimes your mood (and let’s be honest) your self worth is tied to sending a rock. Kyra experienced this on her latest trip to Africa, talking about how projecting was wearing down on her and how she had a specific day where the goal was to stand on top of “anything”. Kyra and Freddie both share stories relating to how their mood has...

Welcome to the Mentorship Sessions, a Circle Up! mini-series where we share high-level mentorship insights through real conversations with pairs who’ve guided and learned from each other. In this episode, UK-based professional climber and full-time coach Mat Wright joins with his client and friend Sevan Mclean, an incredibly strong and enthusiastic climber from Montana. Together with hosts Kyra Co...

Welcome to the Mentorship Sessions! In this episode of the mini series, Kyra and Freddie interview long time friends, climbing partners, and extreme adventure multi-sport athletes Will Gadd and Tim Emmett. Tim is a professional climber, ex–base jumper, and freediver who’s pioneered deep-water soloing, pushed the limits of ice climbing, and thrown himself into the extremes of every sport he’s tried...

Welcome to The Mentorship Sessions! In this mini series, releasing throughout August and September 2025, usual host Kyra Condie paired up with Freddie Kolwey to interview pairs of mentors and mentees in order to shed light onto what makes a good relationship, why having a mentor helps in climbing and outdoor sports in general, and to just dig into the way people support one another. This idea was...

Ever wondered whether route‑setters should be throwing monos into competition climbs? Kyra and Allison had noticed an increase in the use of monos in competitions recently and so they dig into the great mono debate. Is it a legitimate test of skill or just an injury waiting to happen? Allison pulls from her own mono‑training journey, sharing what worked, what back‑fired, and whether she thinks tra...

In this episode, brought to you by OCUN, Allison talks about reconnecting with old passions and how they’re starting to blend into her climbing career, while Kyra shares how she’s feeling more self-assured and relying on her comp experience more than ever. They chat about what the last few weeks have looked like, and reflect on what they’ve learned with age—like how to train smarter, trust their i...

In this episode Kyra and Allison discuss multiple topics surrounding the "grey areas” of ethics within climbing. Things like, does a top rope ascent “count” as the first ascent of a climb? Can you down climb a climb to preserve the onsight? What about having an “oh shit” rope draped next to a highball top out as a safety net in case you panic? These are the important questions that we don’t have a...

In this episode, Kyra and Allison break down Kyra’s performance at the first World Cup of the season, where she made semifinals and finished tied for 11th—a strong start to the year. The following weekend brought the season’s first Lead World Cup, packed with fast-paced action and drama. From route setting and rule changes to performance mindset, they unpack it all with their insider perspective a...

In this episode, supported by OCÚN, Kyra is fresh off competing with the new scoring format at Team Trials. Kyra and Allison together unpack what they missed when they talked about it before actually experiencing it, and how it might change the sport moving forward. They wonder how World Cups will be impacted and get excited for the season to officially start with Kyra heading to China just a few...

In this episode, Kyra and Allison had the pleasure of going to the Tension Climbing shop in Denver, Colorado and chatting with Will Anglin before their flight home about how the Tension brand started and how he developed the Tension Board 2 (aka the TB2). It was fascinating to learn about the process, starting from learning from lessons with their first product (the TB1), to creating holds digital...

In this episode, Kyra chats with Jesse Grupper, her good friend, roommate, and fellow Olympian. Jesse and Kyra start off by sharing some insight into their house and their similarities and differences when it comes to training mindset and planning. Jesse shares his thoughts about being an "underdog" in the past and how its helped him push himself and his limits while achieving benchmarked goals al...

In this episode (episode 50!!) Kyra and Allison debate and explain the new scoring system being implemented in IFSC and many other international and national events. There are big changes this year, where the old tops and zones format was changed to purely be point based. Kyra and Allison lightly disagree about how they define the "best" climber in a round; is it the climber getting the most tops...

In this episode of Circle Up!, Kerry Scott shares her journey through the ups and downs of her climbing career. She talks about transitioning from competitions to outdoor climbing—and then back again—and how moving across the country to work in the climbing industry influenced her path. Kerry reflects on the pressure she felt to downplay her competitive side, something she realized wasn’t encourag...

In this episode of Circle Up!, Kyra and Allison revisit a conversation Kyra had with Dan about climbing with a romantic partner—this time, flipping the script and asking Allison for her take. The two dive into the nuances of sharing projects, time, and training with someone you’re dating, leading to a bigger discussion on how relationships intersect with high-level climbing. Then, Kyra breaks down...

In this episode, Kyra is joined by Dan Beall (who's stepping in for Allison while she's off crushing boulders in Vegas) and together they dive into the moments when they first saw major breakthroughs in their own climbing and talk about what they believe made the difference. Then, they explore a common challenge among climbers: truly trying hard. Many unknowingly hold themselves back in training,...

In this episode, Kyra is joined by returning guest Dan Beall to tackle some big questions: What are tactics, really? How can you best support your romantic partner while climbing? And how do you adjust expectations when health or life complications shift your plans? They bring up common mistakes to avoid both indoors and out while talking about tactics and both share how they focus when they find...

In this episode, Kyra sits down with Campbell Harrison, Australian Olympic climber and passionate advocate for athlete representation, to explore a wide range of topics. They discuss the impacts of social media on their careers and mental health, and how it can be especially challenging following the Olympic explosion in popularity. They talk about the outdoor industry as a whole, and how climbing...

In this episode, Kyra and Allison dive into their lesser known backgrounds as lead climbers and how it has shaped their skills as primarily boulderers. They share their favorite exercises and drills for training endurance and discuss why reflecting on your goals can help you modify your training to stay on track. They explore the challenges of climbing well while pumped, overcoming fear to push yo...

In this Episode, Kyra Condie and Dan Beall went into the recent top posts from r/climbharder and talked about some of the topics and themes they saw reoccur in recent hot posts. They talk about how, if you want to, to avoid "life as a mediocre climber" and what small changes and tweaks you can make to your attitude and everyday schedule to improve your climbing. Then, they break down the art of pr...

In this episode, Kyra and Allison dive into listener questions from their Patreon, covering everything from building finger strength and improving crimp endurance to valuable lessons learned from their youth competition days. The conversation meanders through a variety of related topics, including when to consult a PT—whether for an injury or strength training, current trends in climbing science,...