First Ascent Podcast
Jay and Lee have been friends for 20 years, and they've been chatting about climbing pretty much the whole time, be it in person, via text, or on social media. Now they take their witty conversation to the next frontier: a podcast. Join them as they discuss current events and trends in climbing, their recent climbing adventures, and whatever else that comes up. It's basically like crag spray, but recorded!
Episodes
135 episodes
Jay Knower is in the Hot Seat (with Guest Host Jim Lawyer)
Oh how the tables have turned! Jim Lawyer takes the interviewer’s mic and turns the spotlight onto Jay in an interview that will give you more insight into our host than ever before. You’ll learn about how Jay became obse...
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Episode 135
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1:11:18
The Best of Lee Hansche
Today at First Ascent we honor the incredible Lee Hansche on the one year anniversary of his passing. So many of us are missing Lee today, so we have compiled a highlight reel featuring some of Lee’s best moments from the 96 episodes that he co...
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Episode 134
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38:45
Challenging the Norms of Aging: The Importance of Doing Hard Things
Today Jay is joined by his mom Susan and his sister Suzanne to discuss Susan’s recent backpacking trip to Torres del Paine and Mt. Fitz Roy in Patagonia, and how challenging treks like this are central to her approach to aging. ...
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Episode 133
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47:08
Merriam Woods/Russell Crag - An Update on Access and Development!
Members of the Central New Hampshire Climbers Association are on the pod today to share full details about the current status of climbing and development at Merriam Woods/Russell Crag. Things are in full swing and we need your help! Jay is join...
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Episode 132
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38:11
Francis Sanzaro: Zen in Imperfect Conditions (in Life and Climbing)
Author, philosopher, and long time climber Francis Sanzaro is back on the pod to dive into how to manage your mindset (for both climbing and life) during times of loss, grief, overwhelm, or even just less than perfect conditions.
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Episode 131
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1:03:03
Conrad Anker: Exploring Legacy, Loss & Livelihood in Climbing
Few people have amassed a more impressive resume in the outdoors than climber, mountaineer, and author Conrad Anker. Just read his Wikipedia page, for starters! Included in Conrad’s accol...
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Episode 130
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1:10:59
Heroes and Tragedies of White Mountain Rescues with Ty Gagne
New Hampshire native and author Ty Gagne joins the pod today to discuss the harrowing and heroic history of rescues in the White Mountains. Ty shares his in depth knowledge on some of the most well known rescues in The Whites, and what we can l...
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Episode 129
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1:03:48
Balancing Grades on Your Climbing Menu with Miguel Lopez
Rumney climber Miguel Lopez has been racking up some major sends lately (check out his recents sends of Butt Bongo and
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Episode 128
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55:52
Historic FAs and Dirtbag Days: A Legendary Journey from Devil’s Lake to the World with Dave Groth
Dave Groth is one of the undisputed forefathers of Devil’s Lake climbing. With over 40 years of climbing under his belt, he joins me full of tales about the evolution of Devil’s Lake and his legendary climbing exploits across the US and the glo...
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Episode 127
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1:13:05
The Evolution of Climbing Culture, Climbing as a Parent + Downgrading with Andy Salo
Andy Salo is a longtime climber with roots in Niagara Glen, The Gunks, Rumney and most recently, Rifle. We’ll reminisce about bouldering at The Glen, and then dive into a wide ranging conversation about climbing with small children, how mentors...
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Episode 126
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1:24:47
Jim Lawyer Answers Your Questions
Jim Lawyer joins me today to answer your listener questions! Jim will tell us about his recovery journey from major back surgery, his experiences at S...
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Episode 125
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1:24:55
The Golden Days of Developing the Red River Gorge with Chris Snyder
I just got back from the incredible Red River Gorge and walked away with a new appreciation for the world class climbing there. When I was paging through the guidebook, one name kept popping up: Chris Snyder. Chris was deeply involved in the go...
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Episode 124
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50:31
The First Ascent of Middle Child + The Ethics of Developing Choss with Brian O’Leary
Brian O’Leary just did the first ascent of the hardest mixed climb in New England: Middle Child, an M-13 at the mica mine. We’ll talk about his process for sending the route and what M-13 means in the mixed climbing world. Then, we’ll discuss t...
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Episode 123
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57:19
Grades and Followers Don’t Define You with April Davidson
If you’re a climber on Instagram then you’re probably familiar with April Davidson of @yeahapril. With almost 100k followers and multiple brand partnerships, the word ‘influencer’ might i...
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Episode 122
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1:07:09
Climbing Hard Into Your Sixties and Beyond with Chuck Odette
For those of us who think of climbing as a way of life, it can be daunting to address the truth of aging. Chuck Odette, a 5.14 climber who is still cranking hard at 69 years old, is here today to help us get psyched on making climbing a lifelon...
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Episode 121
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49:08
Chasing the Ice on Scotland’s Ben Nevis with Chris Andrews
Jay just got back from a fantastic trip to climb Ben Nevis in Scotland! Of the many incredible climbers that Jay met while staying at the CiC Hut, Chris Andrews was a standout for his knowledge and wisdom ...
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Episode 120
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58:06
Balancing Your Physical and Mental Game with Joel Unema
Joel Unema is on the pod today for an insightful talk about training, mindset, and even finger skin care. Joel is a 5.14 trad and sport climber, v14 boulderer, a route developer, a coach for ClimbStrong
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Episode 119
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57:17
The Ins and Outs of Brand Sponsorship with Jenny Fischer
Jenny Fischer, CEO of Ocun North America, is here today for a great chat about running a business in the climbing industry, how sponsorship relationships work between climbers and brands, and her own climbing...
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Episode 118
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1:02:56
The Second Ascent of Reality Bath with Balin Miller
Balin Miller joins the pod today to talk about his incredible solo ascent of Reality Bath in the Canadian Rockies, a Wi5+/6- ice climb that hasn’t seen a repeat ascent the very first ascent by Mark Twight and Randy Rackliff in 1988.
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Episode 117
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47:55
The Blind Crusher: Justin Salas
Professional climber Justin Salas has many accolades under his belt, including six national championships and a 2018 world championship. He is a V11 climber outside, and he is also legally blind. Today, Justin shares how ...
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Episode 116
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1:01:15
Critique Jay’s Climbing with his Climbing Coach, Galina Parfenov
This is one you won’t want to miss - Jay’s climbing coach, Galina Parfenov, is on the show today to publicly critique Jay’s climbing! Galina Parfenov is a full time remote climbing coach that specializes in building indiv...
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Episode 115
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57:58
Mastering Ice Climbing with JC Dubeau
Ice climbing extraordinaire JC Dubeau joins me in the studio today for a fantastic conversation about his incredible career in ice climbing. He’ll share his thoughts on the mindset and training ...
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Episode 114
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59:52
The Best of First Ascent - Reboot Edition
We’ll be taking a break from the podcast for the holidays, but in the meantime, enjoy this special compilation episode celebrating all of the amazing guests who have joined us on First Ascent since the reboot. Thank you s...
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Episode 113
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37:09