The RunOut #159: Fallon Rowe Climbs Through Trauma and Into Strength

Lara Neumeier is a German climber known for her composure on demanding, heady terrain. Her notable ascents include a repeat of Psychogramm (5.14a trad), Silbergeier and End of Silence—two of the iconic multipitch alpine routes that form Europe’s so-called Alpine Trilogy—as well as El Corazón and the Pineapple Express on El Capitan. Before diving into Lara’s climbing and approach to mental strength, we open with a conversation about the benefits—and potential pitfalls—of choosing a climber as your partner for life, both on and off the rock. This episode’s final bit comes from Dave Pomeranz, a longtime climber balancing life as a dad and guitarist while roaming the American West. His band, Whale Fall, contributes the track “The Dawn Thief,” inspired by long night drives through deserts and mountains on the way to climb. Show Notes  Follow Lara Neumeier: https://www.instagram.com/laraneumeier/ Pineapple Express: https://www.planetmountain.com/en/news/climbing/lara-neumeier-nemuel-fuerle-repeat-el-nino-via-pineapple-express-el-capitan-yosemite.html Psychogramm news: https://www.lacrux.com/klettern/lara-neumeier-zeigt-nervenstarke-erste-frauenbegehung-von-trad-route-psychogramm/ Thomas Huber: The Day I Sent End of Silence: https://eveningsends.com/thomas-huber-the-day-i-sent-the-end-of-silence/ Whale Fall on Bandcamp https://whalefall.bandcamp.com Become a RunOut Rope Gun! Support our podcast and increase your RunOut runtime. Bonus episodes, AMA, and more will be available to our Rope Guns. Thank you for your support! http://patreon.com/runoutpodcast

Fallon Rowe is a climber, writer, coach, teacher, researcher, and many more things. Her new book is called Pay No Mind: A Memoir of Climbing, Abuse, and Survival. Beyond discussing the traumatic story that she tells in her book, we enjoyed listening to Fallon bring her always thoughtful, grounded perspective to the way she approaches movement, risk, and life on the rock. But first, we sit down to talk about The Art of Suffering. No, not the kind of suffering we normally describe of getting to Rifle and finding nowhere to park. The kind of suffering that only one of alpinism’s most enigmatic and thoughtful philosophers could articulate: Voytek Kurtkyka, the legendary Polish climber.  Our final bit comes from climber, listener, and drummer Todd Hammond, and the Utah-based band The Statuettes. This track is called The of End of Everything. Show Notes Follow Fallon Rowe: https://www.instagram.com/fallonclimbs “Pay No Mind: A Memoir of Climbing, Abuse, and Survival” at DiAngelo Books: https://www.diangelopublications.com/shop/p/pay-no-mind Voytek Kurtyka: “The Art of Suffering”: https://thefossilclub.blogspot.com/2012/07/art-of-suffering.html?m=1 More on Voytek: https://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/13201214642/The-Art-of-Freedom-The-Life-and-Climbs-of-Voytek-Kurtyka The Statuettes on Bandcamp: https://michaelgross.bandcamp.com/music Become a RunOut Rope Gun! Support our podcast and increase your RunOut runtime. Bonus episodes, AMA, and more will be available to our Rope Guns. Thank you for your support! http://patreon.com/runoutpodcast Contact us Send ideas, voicemail, feedback and more. [email protected] // [email protected]

On June 8 Kate Kellegan and Laura Pineau (aka Mademoiselle Fissure) became the first women to complete the Yosemite Triple Crown. That means the climbed El Capitan, Half Dome and Mt. Watkins in a day. Their time was 23 hours, 36 minutes, and 40 seconds. In this conversation, Kate and Laura share the tactics they used to achieve their big link-up, including tapping into the stoke and  support of the community.   But first, Kalous lays down on the therapy couch while Dr. Bisharat tries to diagnose why redpointing projects isn’t bringing him the kind of joy you might otherwise expect. Last, the Pink Rope Club from Atlanta performs their anthem. Show Notes Triple Crown News on UK Climbing: https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2025/06/kate_kelleghan_and_laura_pineau_on_completing_the_yosemite_triple_crown-73998 Follow Kate Kellegan: https://www.instagram.com/katekelleghan/ Follow Laura Pineau: https://www.instagram.com/laurapineau/ Become a RunOut Rope Gun! Support our podcast and increase your RunOut runtime. Bonus episodes, AMA, and more will be available to our Rope Guns. Thank you for your support! http://patreon.com/runoutpodcast Contact us Send ideas, voicemail, feedback and more. [email protected] // [email protected]

Danielle Sarli is a kindergarten teacher, musician, and passionate climber. She is the author of Little Climber, a new kids’ book illustrated by Amanda Joy Hogan. We discuss how to tap into that kid-like innate urge to climb, and kindle the joy that we all feel when stand on top of the world—or our own projects.  But first, your inquisitive show hosts take a moment to ask each other anything. Literally, anything. Last, we’d be remiss not to share some of Danielle’s musical chops. Here she is performing Beauty Land.  Show Notes Follow Danielle Sarli: https://www.instagram.com/danielle_climbs/ Order “Little Climber”: https://littleclimberbook.com/shop Watch “Beauty Land” music video: https://youtu.be/y1Jc2xvI_oo?si=eVUstBI6i_k1ONJ_

In 2017, a climber was murdered outside of Squamish. His body was found with gunshot wounds, inside a smoldering, burnt vehicle. He was suspected to be the climber known as Jesse James, a Squamish dirtbag who made his mark on the scene, both in real life and online. In fact, it took three years for investigators to discover his real name and his incredible and sordid past. Who was this person really and what clues did his past reveal about who killed him—or why? Steven Chua is a freelance journalist based in Vancouver. He’s a rock climber, and the host of Dirtbag Climber, a new true-crime podcast from the CBC’s Uncover. This riveting new podcast peels back the layers of Jess James, a former neo-nazi turned crypto king dirtbag climbing outlaw. But first, your well-intentioned hosts try to breathe a bit of positivity into the world by shining our lights on several climbing stories that are all good and about which nothing negative can be said. Today’s final bit comes from climber, OG Stone Monkey, public speaker and purveyor of joy, just like us, Timmy O’Neill. He is also the sometimes touring drummer for the Surf Rock Duo, Par Avion. Featured is the track Bikini Beach Bash recorded live at the Eldorado in downtown Carbondale CO. Show Notes Listen to “Dirtbag Climber” from Uncover https://link.mgln.ai/dc-therunout Follow Steven Chua on X Michaela Kiersch announces first ascent of Mad Lib (5.14d) https://www.instagram.com/p/DOvxvhZkWXF/?hl=en&img_index=1 “Cerro Torre Winter Solo” on Colin Haley’s blog Tim Emmett is pretty fired up Dave Graham climbs V16 Walton Goggins – Batso Become a RunOut Rope Gun! Support our podcast and increase your RunOut runtime. Bonus episodes, AMA, and more will be available to our Rope Guns. Thank you for your support! http://patreon.com/runoutpodcast Contact us Send ideas, voicemail, feedback and more. [email protected] // [email protected]

Nate Liles is a photographer, filmmaker, and development director at the American Safe Climbing Association. Today’s conversation with Nate centers on the state of bolts and bolting in America today, and the tenuous landscape of route developers, local climbing organizations, land managers, and community-organized bolting events that keep the state of hardware at our crags in the best shape possible. We talk about best practices regarding how to maintain hardware, where we’ve inadvertently created issues, and the importance of supporting your local climbing organization—not to mention the ASCA itself—with your dollars.  But first, we talk about bad kids at the crags and reaching the threshold for when there are just too many of these rotten, no-good brats ruining our wilderness experiences. Last but never least, today’s final bit comes from the talented photographer and musician Taylor Shaffer Show Notes Follow Nate Liles on Instagram Follow the ASCA on Instagram Donate to the ASCA SafeClimbing.org Orographic Creative Follow Taylor Shaffer and Taylor Shaffer Music on Instagram Taylor Shaffer on Spotify Taylor Shaffer interview

Andrew Kornylak is a photographer, filmmaker, writer, and longtime climber. His new book is Spare These Stones. We speak about the rich culture of climbing in the. south, and how this place and its people have helped inform his work and inspire his latest book. But first, we talk about a climbing influencer who is using rage-bait free solo videos to gain attention on Instagram. Today’s final bit comes from Denver-based climber Logan Underwood and his punk band Moonshake. The song is Slipperscree. Show Notes Spare These Stone — Available at The Mountaineers. Pre-order a signed copy! Andrew Kornylak homepage Follow Andrew Kornylak  Lincoln Knowles Follow Moonshake  Moonshake on Spotify Moonshake on Apple Music

Emily Weinstein is a New Yorker, radical activist, rabid Met’s fan, and climber who lives on a house boat in the San Francisco Bay. Her new book is called Turn to Stone: A Memoir.  But first we catch up what’s happening in our climbing worlds, from stancing out out projects to taking a stance on fear.  Our final bit is an excerpt from a standup comedy act from Ethan Newman. Show Notes  Follow Emily Weinstein Turn to Stone: A Memoir from Simon & Schuster Follow Ethan Newman The One and Only Bar in St George Become a RunOut Rope Gun! Support our podcast and increase your RunOut runtime. Bonus episodes, AMA, and more will be available to our Rope Guns. Thank you for your support! http://patreon.com/runoutpodcast

Will Moss is a trad climber originally from New York. He recently flashed Free Rider on El Capitan, becoming the first to do it in a day and only the second person ever to flash an El Cap free climb. Will’s preparation to flash this route was insanely detailed, involving pouring over every video clip he could find, and person he could talk to. He even trained on simulators for the crux. Will shares the whole story of his groundbreaking ascent here. But first, what’s better than having a project? Sharing a project with your partner. We talk about all the ways that working on a route together can bring you closer to your friend—until it doesn’t. Today’s Final Bit is courtesy of Rob Seaver and his band FOND, based out of Alexandria, Virgina. This climbing-inspired song is called Hooking Up. Show Notes Follow Will Moss on Instagram Will Moss’s first appearance on The RunOut, episode 122. Will Moss Becomes First Person to Flash El Cap in a Day Babsi Zangerl flashes Free Rider Can Beetroot Powder Improve Athletic Performance? Effect of tadalafil (Cialis) on anaerobic performance indices in healthy athletes Follow FOND on Instagram Listen to FOND on Apple Music / Spotify — Links on Bandcamp  Become a RunOut Rope Gun! Support our podcast and increase your RunOut runtime. Bonus episodes, AMA, and more will be available to our Rope Guns. Thank you for your support! http://patreon.com/runoutpodcast Contact us Send ideas, voicemail, feedback and more. [email protected] // [email protected]

Tanner Wanish and Michael Vaill are two of the best speed climbers in Yosemite today. They currently hold the record for the historic Yosemite Triple Crown with a time of 17 hours and 55 minutes, and they’re also the only climbers to also add in a fourth big wall on top of that feat—a linkup they dubbed the Quad.  We spoke to Tanner and Michael about their partnership, the allure of linkups, the dangers of speed climbing and competition, and the real joy beyond what you see on social media of clocking big walls for breakfast. But first, bolts be pulling out, yo. What’s the best way to address aging crags? Your fixed podcast anchors weigh in. Last, the infamous Tall Jonathan, of the podcast formerly known as TAPS call-in fame, AKA Jonathan Sides, delivers Something More. Show Notes Forget the Yosemite Triple… These Guys Just Did the Quad How Two Lesser-Known Rock Climbers Smashed a Fabled Yosemite Record Follow Tanner Wanish Follow Michael Vaill Listen to “Something More” by Jonathan Sides on Spotify Follow Jonathan Sides on Instagram Enormocast 302: Last Rites  Increase your RunOut runtime. Become a RunOut Rope Gun!  Bonus episodes, AMA, and more are available on Patreon. This is the best way to support the show! Thank you for your support! http://patreon.com/runoutpodcast