While working on an upcoming 2-part series, I stumbled onto this interview with Alaskan author and adventurer, Roman Dial. We recorded this back in November 2017 and for some reason, I never got around to publishing it. Roman is a natural storyteller, so I’ve decided to leave this pretty raw with minimal editing. If you enjoy stories of adventure and unique characters from Alaska, this episode is for you.
Will Stanhope is a Squamish-based rock climber, who is known for his free solos, big adventures, and witty sense of humor. All of those avenues are explored in this conversation. We talk about his inspirations as a kid, how he got into climbing, who inspired him as a young climber, his most memorable free solo climbs, his memories of the late Marc Andre Leclerc, and more.
Call me old school, but nothing gets me more fired up than adding a new adventure, climbing or mountaineering book to the collection. So I was excited last month, when Valley Of Giants: Stories From Women at The Heart of Yosemite Climbing, arrived at my doorstep. This anthology, edited and curated by Lauren DeLaunay Miller, is a collection of 39 stories – written and told by the trailblazing, often-times under the radar, women who have been at the center of Yosemite climbing over the past century.
While the book of course features stories by well-known valley climbers such as Lynn Hill and Steph Davis, DeLauney Miller has gone to painstaking lengths to include older, more obscure – but equally important stories – as well. The result is a rich and inspiring history of female climbing and adventure in Yosemite Valley.
I recently spoke with DeLaunay Miller, to talk about her process for putting this important anthology together. What struck me was the amount of work, and dogged determination required – just to find the stories for the book: Basically a combination of internet sleuthing, scouring the white pages of physical phone books, writing and sending hand-written letters, and cold-calling strangers across the country. It’s an impressive feat, and left me feeling that DeLaunay Miller is equal parts climber, librarian, and investigative journalist.
So i hope you enjoy my conversation with Lauren DeLaunay Miller – talking about her new anthology Valley Of Giants: Stories From Women at The Heart Of Yosemite Climbing.
Miranda climbing at a crag developed by Tim Bruns and Will Harris who founded Wadi Climbing, the climbing Gym in Ramallah, Palestine. This area is in Area A of the occupied Palestinian territory. Photo Credit: Julie Ellison.This is the only photo of MIranda from when she soloed the Nose the second time. This photo was taken from the top. I made it there in about 21:50Miranda teaching at the workshop/climbing get together in Wadi Rum, Jordan, with some locals from the area. Photo credit: Julie EllisonMiranda's first time I soloed the Nose in a push in 2015. This time the climb took me almost 27 hours. This photo is from the last pitch. Probably hour 26. Photo creidt: Taylor Sincich
On today’s episode of The Firn Line, we’ll get to know rock climber, big-wall soloist and AMGA certified rock climbing guide, Miranda Oakley.
Growing up in Maryland, Miranda learned from a young age the values of compassion, teaching, and working with others. Born to a Palestinian mother, and an American father, Miranda grew in a family that cared deeply about social justice issues, whether it was participating in peaceful anti-war rallies, or attending meetings of the Palestine Aid Society with her mother.
Later, in her teens, Miranda started rock climbing at the local gym – and it was during that time, she discovered the calling that would begin to shape her life. In college, she started a climbing club and began making her first road trips with friends. But it wasn’t until she headed west in 2006, to the big walls of Yosemite Valley, that her life’s vision truly came into focus.
Since that time, Miranda has become a force in the climbing world. With the support of her longtime sponsor, Mountain Hardware, She’s established herself as a seasoned guide with the Yosemite Mountaineering School, while simultaneously becoming one of the most prolific female trad climbers in the United States. Some of her remarkable ascents include linking Half Dome and El Cap in a day, as well as becoming the first female to rope-solo The Nose on El Cap in under 24 hours.
I recently caught up with Miranda, to talk about her remarkable life journey. Our conversation begins during Miranda’s college years – the formative time when her passion for climbing became the driving force in her life.
Miranda climbing at a crag developed by Tim Bruns and Will Harris who founded Wadi Climbing, the climbing Gym in Ramallah, Palestine. This area is in Area A of the occupied Palestinian territory. Photo Credit: Julie Ellison.This is the only photo of MIranda from when she soloed the Nose the second time. This photo was taken from the top. I made it there in about 21:50Miranda teaching at the workshop/climbing get together in Wadi Rum, Jordan, with some locals from the area. Photo credit: Julie EllisonMiranda’s first time I soloed the Nose in a push in 2015. This time the climb took me almost 27 hours. This photo is from the last pitch. Probably hour 26. Photo creidt: Taylor Sincich
Photo: Jason Gebauer // https://jasongebauerphotography.wordpress.com/
If you’re a climber, who consumes climbing related media like writing, video and podcasts – well, chances are, you’ve heard of Kathy Karlo.
Kathy is the creative force behind For The Love Of Climbing, an entertaining and insightful blog that combines honest, to the point writing about life on and off the walls, mixed with a good dose of self-deprecating humor.
I had heard of Kathy’s blog probably sometime in 2017. Although I perused thru some of her stories and photos, I have to admit, I never really took the time to sit down and actually delve into her work. But when I heard she was starting a new podcast, I eagerly awaited her first episode. Let’s just say, I was not let down.
For me, listening to Kathy’s podcast for the first time was an emotional gut punch that had me laughing one minute, crying the next and at the end of it all – feeling astonished at the level of creativity and production quality. A true lesson in the power of audio.
That’s why I was stoked to connect with Kathy a few months ago when she came thru Alaska on assignment with her job with the No Man’s Land Film Festival. We got to sit down for an engaging conversation about the ups and downs of life on the road, how she first started writing a blog, and how that eventually led to her starting a podcast.
On today’s episode of The Firn Line, we’ll get to know world-renowned and visionary alpinist, David Lama.
The son of Nepalese and Austrian parents, David was was born with an affinity for movement over natural terrain, and a deep reverence for the high places. As a youngster, Lama excelled at indoor and sport climbing, dominating the competition circuit, and honing his rock climbing skills to the highest standards. But eventually, a natural progression to the mountains occurred – which has culminated in a multitude of ground-breaking ascents in Patagonia, The Himalaya and beyond.
I recently got a chance to sit down with David in Anchorage, Alaska – to have a candid conversation about his life as a climber, and the vision he follows as an alpinist. We talked about everything, from his early days as a competition climber, to a life-changing experience on the southeast ridge of Cerro Torre, to his meaningful relationship with fellow climber and friend Conrad Anker, to the limitless ideas and projects that lie ahead.
We started our conversation by talking about David’s natural inclination to climb as a youngster, and how a fateful meeting with famous Austrian mountaineer, Peter Habeler, helped steer the trajectory of David’s life – from the confines of rock gyms, to the limitless arena of the mountains.
In March 1999 I found myself wedged in a sandy chimney, fully-gripped and trembling, five hundred feet off the deck.
Me and my partner Scott were attempting to climb The Thunderbird Wall, a grade VI backcountry behemoth in Zion National Park’s Kolab Canyon. The face, which is among the highest sandstone walls in the world, had only been climbed twice since Jeff Lowe and Cactus Bryan made the first attempt in 1971. Scott had been to Zion once before. I had never stood in a pair of aiders. In hindsight, I can only blame the ignorance of youth for leading me to believe I had any business being on The Thunderbird Wall.
Music
• Always Came Back To You / Easton Stagger Phillips / Resolution Road (2014) • Stay /Easton Stagger Phillips / Resolution Road (2014) • Lost Again / Evan Phillips / Goodnight My Dearest Stranger (2012) • Thru The Clouds / Evan Phillips / Unreleased (2017) • Lonely Mountain / Evan Phillips / Silhouettes (2015) • Stormy / Easton Stagger Phillips / One For The Ditch (2009) • Denali Dreams /Evan Phillips / Unreleased (2017) • Infinite Spur / Evan Phillips / Unreleased (2017) • Waterman / Evan Phillips / Unreleased (2017) • Fairbanks 1975 / Evan Phillips / Unreleased (2017) • Red Bandana / Easton Stagger Phillips / One For The Ditch (2009) • The Fox / Evan Phillips /Silhouettes (2015)
On December 2, 2017, I had the great privilege to sit down in front of a live audience at the Alaska Rock Gym, and talk with renowned Alaskan alpinist and explorer, Roman Dial. We had a candid and highly-entertaining conversation that spanned topics including his early years in Fairbanks, his ambitious climbs in The Hayes Range in the 80’s, as well as his forays into hell-biking, tree climbing, and packrafting in the 90’s and beyond.
In some ways, Roman is a larger than life character, with a list of jaw-dropping outdoor achievements to his credit. But as you’ll soon hear, it’s the characters, friends and partners that have helped shape Roman’s life, and ultimately meant the most to him.
Music
• Space Song / Evan & Molly / Evan & Molly (2012) • Augusta / Evan Phillips / Unreleased (2017) • Lonely Mountain / Evan Phillips / Silhouettes (2015) • Space Walker / Evan Phillips / Silhouettes (2015)
On episode 18, we’ll delve into the first of a two-part series with the venerable North American alpinist, Jack Tackle. With his unmistakable baritone and classic unassuming style, Jack is the epitome of a true Alaskan “hardman”. His gutsy first ascents up climbs like the Isis Face on Denali, the Diamond Arete on Mount Hunter, and the Elevator Shaft on Mount Johnson, have cemented his place in the storied history of Alaskan alpinism.
Recently, I got to sit down with Jack at his Castle Valley yurt, to talk about his forty-year career as an alpinist, and the lessons he’s learned along the way. We discussed everything from his early forays in the woods, to his most intense experiences in the mountains and in life. It was an enlightening and meaningful conversation that I felt privileged to be a part of.
Music
• Space Song / Evan & Molly / Evan & Molly (2012) • Augusta / Evan Phillips / Unreleased (2017) • Isis / Evan Phillips / Unreleased (2017) • Northeast Face / Evan Phillips / Unreleased (2017) • Ode To Easton / Evan Phillips / Unreleased (2017) • The Fox / Evan Phillips / Silhouettes (2015) • The Cave / Evan Phillips / Unreleased (2017) • Isis / Evan Phillips / Unreleased (2017)
A few weeks ago I got to sit down with outdoor educator and host of the excellent ‘Sharp End’ podcast, Ashley Saupe. We talked about her upbringing in Alaska, her experiences teaching as an Outward Bound instructor as well as discussing what it takes to produce a monthly podcast about accidents in North American climbing.
Music
• Space Song // Evan & Molly // ‘Evan & Molly’ (2012) • Augusta // Evan Phillips // unreleased (2017) • Sharp End // Evan Phillips // unreleased (2017) • Traveller // Evan Phillips (written by Leeroy Stagger) // ‘Lonely Mountain’ (2017)
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