One of the coolest things about climbing is the rich historical lineage behind each route. From cans on spires, to guide books and magazines, and now Mountain Project, documentation that traces the history of a climb is an inspiring thing that connects us to the past.

Not every route has a pristine historical record, however. This has caused a rift in the community. A rift that has brought some older climbers to make the claim that there are no first accents left at all - which we think is patently untrue.

Today, we lay out our defense for why first ascents are still possible, the historical reasons why it’s important to publicly acknowledge your first ascents, the importance of being open to learning about first ascents that were not originally recorded, and how we can work together to deepen the historical record for future climbers.

Plus, we’ll tell you about our most recent first ascent - Sudden Valley!

Join us over on the First Ascent Patreon! For $5, $7 or $10 a month, you’ll get access to wide ranging bonus content from greats like Mark Hudon, Scott Stevenson and many more. Plus you’ll get a Discord chat, exclusive beta, route info, and more. Check it out here: https://www.patreon.com/FirstAscentPodcast

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

Disclaimer:

The information expressed in this episode is for entertainment purposes only, and is not intended as, nor should it be interpreted as, informational or instructional.

Nadya Vorotnikova is on the pod today for an awesome talk about loving the process and breaking self limiting beliefs. Nadya grew up in Russia, moved to New Hampshire when she was 10, and now lives in Colorado - and she’s been climbing all along. This journey has exposed her to so many different mental approaches to training and climbing and has made her the absolute crusher that she is.

Today, Nadya tells us what it was like to grow up a family of dedicated climbers (including her brother Vasya, also a well known climber), how a childhood in Russia gave her a unique understanding of training, the importance of falling in love with the process instead of the outcome, her recent experience climbing her first 5.14 - Primeval, and how Nadya learned to move past her limiting beliefs to achieve new challenges.

Join us over on the First Ascent Patreon! For $5, $7 or $10 a month, you’ll get access to wide ranging bonus content from greats like Mark Hudon, Scott Stevenson and many more. Plus you’ll get a Discord chat, exclusive beta, route info, and more. Check it out here: https://www.patreon.com/FirstAscentPodcast

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

Disclaimer:

The information expressed in this episode is for entertainment purposes only, and is not intended as, nor should it be interpreted as, informational or instructional.

North Conway native and long time climber Chris Graham, or ‘Grammy’ as he’s affectionately known, is a familiar face on both sides of the mountains, both as a climber and as a guide. His climbing career goes so far back that he can boast that he climbed at Rumney before there were bolts!

Today, Chris shares his experiences as a guide, gives his opinion on the longstanding bolt debate between North Conway and Rumney, tells us his philosophy on when to use bolts (and when to not), and shines a light on a bit of the history of the divide between the North Conway and Rumney climbing styles.

Plus, Grammy answers your listener question!

Would you like to hear a bonus episode with Nate? Join us over on the First Ascent Patreon! For $5, $7 or $10 a month, you’ll get access to wide ranging bonus content from greats like Mark Hudon, Scott Stevenson and many more. Plus you’ll get a Discord chat, exclusive beta, route info, and more. Check it out here: https://www.patreon.com/FirstAscentPodcast

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

Disclaimer:

The information expressed in this episode is for entertainment purposes only, and is not intended as, nor should it be interpreted as, informational or instructional.