E61 Does Climbing Media Under-Hype Women's Accomplishments?

In this episode—brought to you by OCUN, engineered for climbing—Kyra Condie and Freddie Kolwey dive into the numbers behind elite bouldering: how many women have climbed V14 or harder, how many men have climbed V16 or harder, and why climbing media still doesn’t give women’s achievements the attention they deserve. They unpack the shrinking space for stories that aren’t tied to being “the first,” and how that pressure shapes which accomplishments make headlines. They also explore the frustrating pattern where a climb seems to lose some of its perceived impressiveness once a woman does it, and how this dynamic can unintentionally pit women against one another. Later, they break down the recent World Championships in Seoul, South Korea, and Kyra shares her experience at a uniquely formatted competition in France. Join our Patreon for free or as little as $3 a month for extra members-only content! patreon.com/circleup And follow us on instagram to show support! https://www.instagram.com/crcleup/

CONTENT WARNING: Nothing too scandalous is talked about in this episode, but we do refer to the platform OnlyFans and if you are a parent, maybe listen to this episode first before letting someone under 18 listen! If you are under 18, please talk to your parent, guardian, or trusted adult before listening. With that said, this is our next episode in our series of "ethical debates" in climbing and sport. We start with the apparent glorification of danger, specifically free soloing and highballing and how it relates to the age of social media and click baiting. We then discuss how OnlyFans has been offering athletes contracts to endorse their platform and use it however they want to--we discuss whether this would change your career as a professional athlete or limit potential opportunities. That leads to a discussion about the use of athletes to garner positive public perception and how the "Enhanced Games" are doing just that for big pharma and venture capitol firms. We also go a bit more climbing specific and talk about whether it still counts as a "flash" if you've trained on a 3D printed replica before trying an outdoor boulder. This was spicier than our typical episodes so PLEASE let us know what you think!

Welcome back for another episode of the Circle Up! Podcast. In this episode, Kyra and Allison go over what Allison has been up to in the recent months since she hasn't been on the podcast for a while. She's mainly been in the "pain cave" focusing on training now that she's healthy and was able to have a proper "off" season. Allison shares what she's been focusing on and how that focus on improving her weaknesses has actually helped hone in her training over the last couple months and make tangible improvements, even if it costs some margin on her strengths. Her and Kyra then go on a long tangent about board climbing and how it can be helpful in anyone's training of any level. Kyra shares some big updates on her end, like how she's gotten into trail running, her new position on the IFSC Board, and what events she has coming up.

The Glassbergs are no strangers to juggling chaos. Between running a production company (Louder Than 11), raising two-year-old twin girls, and traveling the world to capture some of the most impressive climbing of our time; their lives are full to the brim. Which is exactly why Kyra and Freddie thought they'd be a fantastic fit for the Mentorship Sessions Series. In this conversation, Jon and Jess open up about the challenges of parenthood, the exciting projects they’re working on, Jess’s crash course into climbing, Jon’s own climbing journey, and Jess's PHD, among many other topics. Since recording, their feature length film GIRL CLIMBER—featuring Emily Harrington’s groundbreaking free ascent of El Cap Free in a day—has been released, so be sure to check it out. This episode also shines a light on how mentorship can look different within a partnership, highlighting the ways couples can mentor and support each other across all areas of life. Like what you hear? Join our Patreon! 👉 patreon.com/circleup Follow us on Instagram: 👉 instagram.com/crcleup

In this episode Kyra Condie and Freddie Kolwey chat about how sometimes your mood (and let’s be honest) your self worth is tied to sending a rock. Kyra experienced this on her latest trip to Africa, talking about how projecting was wearing down on her and how she had a specific day where the goal was to stand on top of “anything”. Kyra and Freddie both share stories relating to how their mood has improved after sending or how they’ve managed that, and whether that is an inherently “bad” thing or not. Then they talk about what it’s like to climb with a climbing parter who has a very different ability level than yourself, whether that’s much better or much worse. Freddie shares how she’s framed climbing with people who are stronger than her and Kyra shares how she sometimes finds it easier to climb alone when the social dynamics get too complicated or are taking away from the quality of her session. Like what you hear? Join our Patreon! 👉 patreon.com/circleup Follow us on Instagram: 👉 instagram.com/crcleup

Welcome to the Mentorship Sessions, a Circle Up! mini-series where we share high-level mentorship insights through real conversations with pairs who’ve guided and learned from each other. In this episode, UK-based professional climber and full-time coach Mat Wright joins with his client and friend Sevan Mclean, an incredibly strong and enthusiastic climber from Montana. Together with hosts Kyra Condie and Freddie Kolwey, they dive into the ways their coaching relationship has shaped both of them—showing that mentorship goes both directions. Mat and Sevan share how their late starts in climbing, unique backgrounds, and outlooks on life have influenced their approaches to the sport. Sevan, who has also coached a local youth team, talks about the thoughtful lessons he aims to pass on to the next generation, while Mat reflects on the joy he finds in helping others push their limits through focusing on improving their mental game, technique, and physical fitness. Like what you hear? Join our Patreon! 👉 patreon.com/circleup Follow us on Instagram: 👉 instagram.com/crcleup

Welcome to the Mentorship Sessions! In this episode of the mini series, Kyra and Freddie interview long time friends, climbing partners, and extreme adventure multi-sport athletes Will Gadd and Tim Emmett. Tim is a professional climber, ex–base jumper, and freediver who’s pioneered deep-water soloing, pushed the limits of ice climbing, and thrown himself into the extremes of every sport he’s tried. Will is a climber, ice climber, paraglider, ex–base jumper, and kayaker with X Games gold medals, Ice Climbing World Cup wins, Canadian sport climbing national titles, and the former world record for the longest paragliding flight, including gliding over the Grand Canyon. The two first met at an Ice Climbing World Cup and quickly bonded over a shared appetite for adventure and risk. We talk about how they met, how they approached big goals, like ice climbing Helmcken Falls, and how they assess risk, coming from two people who used to base jump but quit it before it "quit them". You wont want to miss this episode! Like what you hear? Join our Patreon! 👉 patreon.com/circleup Follow us on Instagram: 👉 instagram.com/crcleup

Welcome to The Mentorship Sessions! In this mini series, releasing throughout August and September 2025, usual host Kyra Condie paired up with Freddie Kolwey to interview pairs of mentors and mentees in order to shed light onto what makes a good relationship, why having a mentor helps in climbing and outdoor sports in general, and to just dig into the way people support one another. This idea was sparked by Freddie, because as climbing grows in popularity, the number of new climbers is outpacing the number of experienced climbers, and it can be harder for newer climbers to find a personal mentor. Ultimately, our hope is to facilitate conversations between the four pairings; Will Gadd and Tim Emmett, Matt Wright and Sevan Mclean, Jess Glassberg and Jon Glassberg, and Emily Harrington and Hazel Findlay, that illuminate the gifts they have each gained from their relationship and to share that with our community, providing mentorship and community from afar. In this intro episode Kyra and Freddie chat about their own journey in climbing and what worked and didn't work with their own experience with mentorship. They both share emotional stories and experience about starting in the sport, Kyra on a youth team and Freddie through the hobby of an ex-boyfriend. This episode should serve as a way to get to know Freddie more as a co-host of this mini series and understand why this topic is important to Kyra. Check out our Patreon at patreon.com/circleup ! And follow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/crcleup/ to know when new episodes are released. Special thanks to Ocun for supporting this podcast!

Ever wondered whether route‑setters should be throwing monos into competition climbs? Kyra and Allison had noticed an increase in the use of monos in competitions recently and so they dig into the great mono debate. Is it a legitimate test of skill or just an injury waiting to happen? Allison pulls from her own mono‑training journey, sharing what worked, what back‑fired, and whether she thinks training monos improved her normal crimping strength. From there, they compare their personal hang‑boarding routine tweaks: Allison has been adding lock-off hangs to her program while Kyra had to do more straight‑arm hangs because of an injury recently. They chat about whether switching up your program is a good idea to keep workouts fresh and muscles "confused" or if its better to only work on the things you're good or bad at. Next they dive into the various safety concerns that arose at recent competitions. Pad stiffness, sketchy moves, and why comp floors sometimes feel like hitting concrete. Kyra pitches her idea of a World Cup circuit that tests different skills at different stops, similar to how F1 or the Tennis circuit tests on different courses/court types. They then debate where “new‑school” setting crosses the line into just plain weird and what the actual job of competition routesetters is. Stick around till the end to hear about: Our new Tier on Patreon: Check out our latest member-only episode about doping in outdoor climbing at patreon.com/circleup Get excited for our upcoming special mini series "The Mentorship Sessions" with guest host Freddie Kolwey from Buddy Check Podcast! First episode featuring Kyra and Freddie will come out August 5th to introduce the series.

In this episode, brought to you by OCUN, Allison talks about reconnecting with old passions and how they’re starting to blend into her climbing career, while Kyra shares how she’s feeling more self-assured and relying on her comp experience more than ever. They chat about what the last few weeks have looked like, and reflect on what they’ve learned with age—like how to train smarter, trust their instincts, and know when it’s time to push or pull back. It all ties into the kind of quiet confidence that comes with experience: a deep movement bank, a better sense of what actually works, and a little more peace with not always needing to prove yourself. The muse over why some athletes choose to compete after the Olympics while others take a step back and how important the Olympic Quad cycle is to athlete mental health. Join our Patreon for free or as little as $3 a month for extra members-only content! patreon.com/circleup And follow us on instagram to show support! https://www.instagram.com/crcleup/