Written in Stone tells the (mostly) true stories of the most groundbreaking ascents in rock climbing history. Hosted by Kris Hampton, you’ll hear the narrated, sound designed stories about what led to new levels in climbing, alternated with conversations with today’s top climbers about what inspired them about what went down way back then. Season One is focused on the 1990’s, and will tell the stories of how sport climbing came to dominate, how women climbers made their mark, and explore the characters who made it all happen. Moon, Skinner, Gullich, Hill, Nicole and more! Like Todd Skinner always said, ”never let the truth get in the way of a good story.”

Learn more at www.plugtoneaudio.com/written-in-stone

Emily realized in February of 2020 that alcohol was no longer serving her, that it was actively getting in the way of the life she wanted to live. At the same time, she was learning to ski.

In this episode of Plug Tone Outdoors, Emily reads a blog post she originally wrote for the Nature Untold Community in February 2021. She shares her experience on her first real powder day, and not having a numbing agent to help her come down afterward.

You can learn more about Nature Untold, and read her full blog post on our website.

Music in this episode is from Blue Dot Sessions https://www.sessions.blue/

On PodBeta, we give you quick, actionable tips for your own podcasting journey.

On this episode of PodBeta, the host of the Climbing Advocate Podcast, Peter Horgan, joins us to share his thoughts on podcast preparation. Whether you’re a new podcaster or a veteran, in this episode, you’ll be prompted to create or revamp your preparation processes in order to have the best possible conversations with your guests and make things easier from a post-production standpoint.

For more information, links, and a full transcript, check out our website.

For some skiers, drugs and alcohol can be fun. That wasn't the case for Paddy O'Connell. He was using them to cope with something deeper and darker inside.

Paddy is a writer, host, creator, and podcaster. He also happens to have the best mustache on this side of the Mississippi. On this episode from Plug Tone Outdoors, Paddy reads an essay he originally wrote for Ski Magazine entitled "For Some Skiers, Drugs and Alcohol Are Fun, But For Me it Was Darker."

In this reading, Paddy touches on his own experiences with addiction in a ski town, as well as the overarching drinking and drug culture around skiing and snowboarding. At the end of the day, Paddy believes that it's not impossible to get sober in a ski town, after all, he did it himself.

TW: This episode features discussions of sexual abuse, mental illness, and suicidal ideations. If that's not something you can listen to right now, go ahead and skip this one.

Check out more from Paddy and the Plug Tone Outdoors team on our website.

Photo credit for image to Mike Thurk.

Music in this episode is from Blue Dot Sessions.

In the United States, we have over 120 national monuments. We’ve all heard about them in the news, and seen them designated and then undesignated over the past few presidencies. But what even IS a national monument? And who manages land that is designated as a national monument? What does it mean for our outdoor pursuits?

Writer McKenzie Long was asking herself similar questions when President Obama designated the Bears Ears area a national monument at the end of 2016. Her curiosity about her beloved climbing area, Indian Creek, which was technically inside of the Bears Ears National monument, and what this designation meant for her future climbing there, led her on a journey to visit many national monuments and speak to the people who were impacted by these sorts of designations.

In this episode, Kris and McKenzie sit down to discuss her book, This Contested Land: The Storied Past and Uncertain Future of America’s National Monuments, and how we should think about national monuments as stewards of outdoor recreation.

You can find more links and the full transcript on our website.

And if you want to hear about McKenzie’s climbing journey, check out her episode on the Power Company Climbing Podcast.

Music in this episode is from the album Kokura Station by Blue Dot Sessions.

What do you say when His Majesty The King of Bhutan wants to put on an ultra marathon through the Himalaya to show the impact of climate change, and invites you to participate? A high-altitude stage race over 5 days, 126 miles, and 33,000 total feet of climbing? Well, if you’re Gabe Joyes, you say YES.

In this episode, ultra runner, coach, and teacher, Gabe Joyes sits down with Kris Hampton to share his experience in running the Snowman Race in Bhutan in 2022. The race was put on partly in celebration of His Majesty The King’s birthday, but mostly, to show the world the impact of climate change on one of the most beautiful places in the world.

While it was technically a race, Gabe walked away with a deeper purpose and responsibility to be a vocal climate steward, as well as a deep appreciation for the Bhutanese people and culture.

For more links, videos, photos, and a full transcript check out the show page here.

In this episode of Strange Nature, we explore a disturbing discovery. 5 stories high and slowly seeping from the tongue of the glacier onto the frozen surface of Lake Bonney, is something strange. A thick, dark red liquid. A blood fall.

We dive into the weird phenomenon of the Blood Falls in Antarctica and what we've learned in the last 100+ years since Captain Robert Falcon Scott's expedition to the South Pole about ego and scientific discovery.

You can find links to videos, photos of expeditions and discoveries, and the full transcript on our website.

Music in this episode:

Kvelden Trapp, Gra Landsby, Crem Valle, Csjtl, and Kovd by Fjell from Blue Dot Sessions

Sarah Chase Fountain is a gem of a human being. Over on Nature Untold Podcast, part of the Plug Tone Collective, Sarah has shared her story of addiction and recovery, as well as her most recent musings on a challenging time in her past through a few short-stories-turned-short-episodes.

On her Medium bio, she states: “I have no filter and lots of emotions. Sometimes I combine the two and end up with a couple cohesive sentences.”

On this episode, Kris, who sound-designed and produced Sarah’s short episodes, sits down with Sarah to talk about that process. Sarah also shares her experience in writing these essays that were so full of emotion and reflection.

You can find all the links to read and listen to more of Sarah on our website.

Music in this episode is:

Palms Down by Blue Dot Sessions

Lament of the Ancients by Asher Fulero

Forest Lullaby by Asher Fulero

Spirit Landscape by Lexin Music

The Darkest Place by NaturesEye