First Ascent Podcast

Today Jay and Lee revisit the 2002 classic climbing film “Uncommon Ground”. The guys will go through the featured climbs one-by-one, highlighting all the ways that this film absolutely nails the spirit of New England climbing.  This episode originated from an awesome chat on the First Ascent Patreon Discord! Do you want to be part of conversations like this? Then join us for only $5/month! You’ll...

Live from Rumney, it’s The First Ascent Podcast! We got to connect with so many climbers at the awesome AAC Craggin Classic this past weekend. The winds from Hurricane Lee kept the bugs away and made for perfect weather for a weekend of climbing and community.  We brought our recorder along with us to the crag so that we could bring you a slice of life from the Rumney climbing scene. Tune in and y...

Today Jay and Lee explore the rich history of climbers who have come out of New England and gone on to make their mark in the greater climbing world. The guys talk about the great waves of New England climbers; how timing, location and circumstance played into their ability to make waves; and what makes New England climbers uniquely able to push limits in other locations.  Plus, the guys give thei...

Today Jay and Lee tackle your latest crop of listener questions! Tune in for their take on route names, bolting techniques, what makes a ‘boulder problem’, and more. Plus, the guys go deeper on the stewardship they believe is necessary to truly be considered a local, whether that be through man-hours or donations.  Speaking of stewardship, if you’re local to Central New Hampshire make sure to chec...

Today 5.15 climber and world-renowned first ascentionist Joe Kinder joins Jay and Lee on the pod! Joe has put up routes all over the globe, but his roots lay right here in New Hampshire. Hear the tale of how he broke into the New Hampshire climbing scene as a teenager in the 90s, and how that led him to becoming a part of the next wave of Rumney climbers that pushed the boundaries of what was happ...

If you’ve ever wondered what we mean by ‘bonus content’ when we talk about all of the great perks you get inside the First Ascent Patreon, today’s your chance to find out! Last week, Eric Zschiesche joined us on the podcast for a great talk, and we continued on for some insider-only Patreon chat. That conversation is what you’ll hear today!  Eric goes deeper on his thoughts about the importance of...

Eric Zschiesche joins the pod today to share tales and wisdom from five decades of climbing.  A longtime idol of Jay’s, Eric’s name has been scrawled across climbing history from his feats at Devil’s Lake to Zschiesche’s Corridor in North Carolina and beyond. You might even remember Mark Hudon mentioning Zschieshe’s presence a couple episodes back when he was telling the tale about his free climb...

Today, Mike Gagnon joins Jay and Lee for some off the cuff chatter about all things climbing. Hear about their latest sends (and whippers), get updated on what’s going on at Miriam Woods, and get the guys’ takes on listener questions.  Do you have a listener question or a topic idea? Let us know at @firstascentpod on Instagram! Jay and Lee can be found at @jayknower and @xxleeweexx   You know what...

Today we’re honored to welcome climbing legend Mark Hudon to the pod! You’ll definitely recognize Mark’s name as one of the top climbers of the 70s, both in New Hampshire and in The West, along with his climbing partner Max Jones. Tune in to hear Mark’s fascinating stories, which include how he and Max Jones originally linked up and began climbing together, their exploits throughout the country, a...

Today Scott Stevenson, the man responsible for some of the most beloved routes at Rumney,  joins Jay and Lee on the pod!  Hear about his first ascent of the iconic route Technosurfing, and more incredible tales about developing Rumney in the 80s when it was just a little known crag off the beaten path.  The conversation doesn’t stop here! If you want to hear more stories from Scott, join our Patre...

Is #vanlife everything it’s cracked up to be on social media? Nick Nelson, the owner of Exploration Vans, says yes! Tune in for a chat about van buildout opportunities across a spectrum of price points, reasons why custom vans are a great option for climbers, what to expect when hiring someone to create a custom buildout for you, and more.  Plus, Nick gives his thoughts on his past profession of g...

Today, Jay and Lee are joined by Val Shao, an absolute crusher at the crag who is also the organizer of the 30th annual International Climber’s Festival in Lander, WY. Learn all about this year’s International Climber’s Festival and what makes Lander an excellent climbing destination. Plus, hear Val’s take on the hot button debates that continue to rage on the podcast.  Learn more about the Intern...

Today, Jay and Lee tackle one of the sacred cows of the climbing world: the irony inherent in some trad climbing ethics.  Hear their thoughts about when trad purity can go too far and starts contradicting itself. Then, the guys debate how to approach ethics for both trad and sport climbing areas.  How do you approach climbing ethics? Let us know at @firstascentpod on Instagram!  Jay and Lee can be...

Today avid climber Lindsey Mathewson joins Jay and Lee to talk about a wonderful underappreciated crag - and Jay’s home turf - Devil’s Lake in Wisconsin. If you’ve ever thought about making the trip out to this awesome quartzite crag, this episode is for you! Learn about the unique features of the rock, the abundant opportunities for trad climbing, and why Lindsey thinks that Devil’s Lake is one o...

This week Jay and Lee celebrate the 50th episode of First Ascent with a whole episode dedicated to listener questions. Hear the guys debate the ins and outs of route grading, sandbagging, the criteria for being considered a local, and more!  Do you have a listener question or a topic idea? Let us know at @firstascentpod on Instagram! Jay and Lee can be found at @jayknower and @xxleeweexx   You kno...

Today, Jay and Lee welcome Jesse Han onto the pod to talk about his fall which was caused by a freak broken bolt at Sundown Ledge over Memorial Day weekend. Jesse shares more about the accident, his injury, and his recovery.  Plus, hear everyone’s thoughts on how the culture needs to change in order to better educate climbers about the dangers that await them on routes.  Do you have a listener que...

Roadtripping is a quintessential experience in the life of a climber. This week, Jay and Lee conclude their trip to Wyoming by reflecting on the many amazing experiences they’ve had roadtripping to climb. Tune in for a chat about dirtbag culture, the role that privilege plays in roadtripping, and the challenge that every long term roadtripper experiences when it comes time to decide between the di...

This week, Jay and Lee discuss headpointing in all of its sketchy and risky glory. Hear Jay and Lee’s best headpointing tales as they talk about their love for the approach.  Want to see the intense headpointing that inspired this episode? Check out Fall Theory: https://watch.reelrocktour.com/videos/fall-theory Do you have a listener question or a topic idea? Let us know at @firstascentpod on Inst...

Jay and Lee are patching in from Wyoming this week, and they’ve come chock full of topics  to chat about! First, Jay asks if the community would accept retrobolting on a route from a classic era. Then, the guys discuss their ideas for managing crowding at Rumney.  This week we have a question for you! If you could stack pitches at Rumney to make a fun 5-pitch route, which pitches would you stack? ...

This week, Greg Pouliot joins Jay and Lee on the pod to chat about how his newfound sobriety has positively impacted his climbing experience. If you are questioning if it’s time to get sober, here are a few resources to help you get started:  https://www.aa.org/ https://al-anon.org/ https://al-anon.org/newcomers/teen-corner-alateen/ Links:  https://www.britannica.com/topic/asceticism You know what...

By popular demand, Jay and Lee finally share their thoughts on the art of bouldering. Hear why bouldering will make you a better climber, and learn how bouldering has changed over the years.  You know what you want to do? You want to join our Patreon! Support the First Ascent Podcast for just $5/month and get access to great bonus content like our live talks, route info, and exclusive beta. Learn...

It’s a full house on the pod this week! Jay and Lee are joined by the members of their development group, Team Scruff. Tune in for a fun chat about development with Greg Pouliot, Sam Johansson, Torie Kidd, Kayte Knower, Mike Gagnon, Jeff Cegan and Mike Zarnowski. We have a Patreon! We would be so grateful for your support of the First Ascent Podcast. Learn more here: https://www.patreon.com/FirstA...

Today, Jay and Lee are joined by a legend of Cannon Cliff - Jon Sykes. A prolific developer with many first ascents under his belt, Jon brings a wealth of wisdom, advice, and wild tales to today’s pod.  Check out Jon’s excellent climbing guides:  The Notches: A Rock Climber’s Guide to the Western White Mountains of New Hampshire https://www.amazon.com/Notches-Climbers-Western-Mountains-Hampshire/d...

Today, Jay and Lee face off in the toughest debate they’ve ever had on the pod: gates in or gates out on a harness. Hear each of their takes, why they are certain that the other is wrong, and learn where many of today’s best climbers land in this contentious debate.  Plus - drinking unfiltered water, the unexpectedly ephemeral nature of rock and what it means for grades, and the best routes for yo...

Few people in the world know more about bolting than Dave Quinn of Team Tough. We’re so lucky to have him join us this week to nerd out on all things bolts! Learn about how Dave came to realize that glue-ins were the way to go, his community-focused bolting philosophy, why bolts are such a hot commodity right now, and much more. Plus - stick around until the end to get an exclusive scoop on an inc...