Ice Ice Beta

I’m sure Carolyn Parker could have become a household name if she had wanted. In her 20s and 30s, Carolyn was one of the most talented all-around mountain athletes in the U.S. — she was one of the first women to become an AMGA certified Rock Guide, climbed 5.12 trad at altitude 🧗‍♀️, went on 8,000-meter peak expeditions 🏔️, sent M8, skied 50-degree couloirrs⛷️ and regularly ran mountain ultras. Or as Sarah Hudson, our co-host for this episode puts it, “Carolyn is a boss”.Climbing was only half the story, though. After flirting with the limelight, Carolyn found that she derived as much, if not more, satisfaction from helping others achieve their objectives as she did in accomplishing her own 🙌. As a result, climbing and guiding eventually transitioned into training and coaching. More than 35 years later, Carolyn has worked with 1,000s of athletes in the pursuit of their dreams.In this episode, we chat about:🧊 The life, times and challenges of being a female climber in the 90s🧊 Choosing to stay just under the radar🧊 Her philosophy and approach to running a coaching business🧊 Mental and physical aspects of strength training for female athletes🧊 How the hormonal cycle and nutrition impact athletic performance🧊 Navigating menopauseResources and links:If you’d like to learn more about Ripple Effect Athlete Training Center or coaching with Carolyn, you can visit their company website, rippleffectraining.com. To follow along with Carolyn’s latest endeavors, her IG account is @blitzkriegbarbie. To learn more about Carolyn’s coaching journey, there is a great article on Uphill Athlete. Further, UA has a lot of useful resources for training as a female athlete, including a general overview, strength training, and hormones.If you’d like to dive deeper, Carolyn has shared quite a few resources as well:Books:Dr. Stacy Sims: ROAR, Next LevelDr. Lisa Mosconi: The Menopause BrainResearch papers:Effect of Estrogen on Musculoskeletal Performance and Injury RiskThe Effect of Menstrual Cycle and Contraceptives on ACL Injuries and Laxity: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysisThe Effects of Oral Contraceptives on Exercise Performance in Women: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysisKelly McNulty also has a pdocast on the subject, “the period of the period.”Postmenopausal hormone therapy for cardiovascular health: the evolving dataArticles:Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport - A Cautionary TaleMore info on REDSHormones for menopause are safe, study finds. Here's what changed...📸: Cover photo by Angela Hawse (@alpinist007), courtesy of Carolyn.🙏 And a big thanks to Sarah Hudson (@sarahferocity) for joining as co-host!  Credits:Intro music by Hannah Noelle Enomoto (thanks, sis!).This episode was edited by Andrew Salomone of salomonesound.com.And of course, a big thanks to our sponsors, Aniiu  Gloves and Furnace Industries! Patreon:Thanks for listening! If you enjoyed the conversation and want to help us do many more, consider supporting us on Patreon.  (And for less than the price of a bougie beer per month!). 🗣️ Leave Us a Review!:If you enjoyed this episode, help us out by subscribing to the podcast and leaving us a review on your podcast platform of choice. Reviews are helpful for new listeners that come across the show, and a good rating means Shopify, Apple, and other platforms are more likely to recommend it to others. 

How many of you were inspired to start climbing because of a comic? I’m sure Masato Najakima is not alone, but he is the only person I can say with certainty that that's the case. (And if you’re curious, it was Gaku: Minna no Yama (in English, "Peak: Everyone's Mountain")).Anywho, Masato is a leading drytooler in Japan and was one of a contingent from the country who sent “A Line Above the Sky” last year. Masato is a bit of a late bloomer — at 43, he’s one of the older athletes on the UIAA World Cup scene — and has made great progress since he started competing in 2016.As one of the elder statesmen in his country, he’s trying to grow the sport locally. And despite 5 drytooling gyms in Tokyo — yes, you heard that right — it’s not easy… which we dive into in this chat.Along with that, in this episode, we discuss:🧊 Overcoming health issues and getting into climbing🧊 The history of drytooling in Japan🧊 Efforts (and challenges) to grow the sport locally🧊 Where to climb in the country and the strict no-drilling ethos🧊 Unique perspective from a Japanese expat living in Canmore...📸: Most photos are by @kazuhiro_kodaira, courtesy of Masato.Resources and links:If you’d like to learn more about drytooling in Japan, are thinking of visiting, or would like to help grow the community, you can reach out to Masato at @masato_drytooling. And here is the manga that inspired Masato.If you’d like to learn more about Takeshi, here is an article about one of his routes in the Himalayas, and if you’re interested in going out for a day of guided climbing in the Canadian Rockies, you can connect with him at @taniyan_8000. 🗣️ Leave Us a Review!:If you enjoyed this episode, help us out by subscribing to the podcast and leaving us a review on your podcast platform of choice. Reviews are helpful for new listeners that come across the show, and a good rating means Shopify, Apple, and other platforms are more likely to recommend it to others.  Credits:Intro music by Hannah Noelle Enomoto (thanks, sis!).This episode was edited by Andrew Salomone of salomonesound.com.And of course, a big thanks to our sponsors, Aniiu  Gloves and Furnace Industries! Patreon:Thanks for listening! If you enjoyed the conversation and want to help us do many more, consider supporting us on Patreon.  (And for less than the price of a bougie beer per month!). 🗣️ Leave Us a Review!:If you enjoyed this episode, help us out by subscribing to the podcast and leaving us a review on your podcast platform of choice. Reviews are helpful for new listeners that come across the show, and a good rating means Shopify, Apple, and other platforms are more likely to recommend it to others. 

Pavel Dobrinskiy is a leading figure within the drytooling community in Moscow and is one of the most prolific route setters on the Ice Climbing World Cup circuit 🌏.Maybe you’ve heard about the Russian style of setting — its high-tension ⚡️ moves are calculated for maximum kinetic energy like Ivan Drago in route form #sterotypingmuch? Perhaps. Anywho, Pavel’s had something to do with that. From his constant drive to create cutting-edge moves, which necessitated the development of new holds to make those possible, to his thoughtful and collaborative approach to planning routes, to his mentorship, Pavel has helped shape the comp routesetting many are familiar with today. In this episode, with Pavel’s particular brand of humor in tow, we chat about:🧊 The magic of Indian Creek🧊 History of comp climbing in Russia🧊 Russian-style training (rule number 1: never shake out)🧊 The importance of speed in competitions🧊 His routesetting philosophy, including a lot of “dos” and “do nots”🧊 Opinions on some of the hardest routes in the world Resources and links:Pavel is an an all-around climber, and has done everything from expeditions to places like Nepal, China, and Tajikistan to attempting to free “The Nose” to being the first person to flash “A Line Above the Sky” (D15). He doesn’t post regularly, but you can follow him on Instagram at @majorbobkov. 🗣️ Leave Us a Review!:If you enjoyed this episode, help us out by subscribing to the podcast and leaving us a review on your podcast platform of choice. Reviews are helpful for new listeners that come across the show, and a good rating means Shopify, Apple, and other platforms are more likely to recommend it to others.  📸 Cover photo courtesy of Pavel Credits:Intro music by Hannah Noelle Enomoto (thanks, sis!).This episode was edited by Andrew Salomone of salomonesound.com.And of course, a big thanks to our sponsors, Aniiu  Gloves and Furnace Industries! Patreon:Thanks for listening! If you enjoyed the conversation and want to help us do many more, consider supporting us on Patreon.  (And for less than the price of a bougie beer per month!). 🗣️ Leave Us a Review!:If you enjoyed this episode, help us out by subscribing to the podcast and leaving us a review on your podcast platform of choice. Reviews are helpful for new listeners that come across the show, and a good rating means Shopify, Apple, and other platforms are more likely to recommend it to others. 

Mixed climbing was always part of the alpinist’s bag of tricks 🪄, but the technical and impossibly steep style we know these days only started to come into its own in the ‘90s.The period has been referred to as the Modern M-Revolution — a period when grades advanced rapidly, from about M8 to M13 📈 — and lasted roughly from the mid-90s to the early 2010s. It was punctuated at the start by Jeff Lowe’s ascent of “Octopussy” (WI6 M8 R) in 1994 and perhaps came to its conclusion in 2012 when Robert Jasper climbed “Iron Man” in totally dry conditions and officially denoted it with a “D” grade (D14+), effectively spitting off a distinct discipline.Today, we chat with Raphael Slawinski, one of the leading mixed climbers during this time. Some of his accomplishments include sending some of the first M10s and M11s in Canada, climbing out the Stanley Headwall (including many routes he established), and topping out the unclimbed 7040m K6 West in Pakistan with Ian Welsted, for which they won a Piolets d’Or. I want to note that he managed all of this as a quote-unquote “weekend warrior”, since his full time profession is physics professor. In this episode, we discuss:🧊 The evolution of mixed climbing (and the role of bolts)🧊 Advancements in techniques and equipment🧊 His “honest introduction” and progression in the sport🧊 Desire vs. judgement🧊 Close calls and risk management🧊 His relationship with the Stanley Headwall🧊 Social media and climbing documentationResources and links:If you want to follow what Raphael is up to, you can’t. But you can help him reach 1,000 followers on instagram. His handle is @raphael.slawinski.There are a bunch of articles and resources mentioned in the interview:“Degrees of Freedom”, American Alpine Journal (2002)The follow up hubbub to Raphael’s article, “Mixed Messages, Is Hard M-Sport-Climbing Influencing High-Standard Alpinism?”Raphael’s ode to the Stanley HeadwallThe full report of the First Ascent of K6 WestRaphael’s blogColin Haley’s blogNick Bullock’s blog Leave Us a Review!:If you enjoyed this episode, help us out by subscribing to the podcast and leaving us a review on your podcast platform of choice. Reviews are helpful for new listeners that come across the show, and a good rating means Shopify, Apple, and other platforms are more likely to recommend it to others.  📸 Cover photo by Leif Godberson (@leifrdenby) Credits:Intro music by Hannah Noelle Enomoto (thanks, sis!).This episode was edited by Andrew Salomone of salomonesound.com.And of course, a big thanks to our sponsors, Aniiu  Gloves and Furnace Industries! Patreon:Thanks for listening! If you enjoyed the conversation and want to help us do many more, consider supporting us on Patreon.  (And for less than the price of a bougie beer per month!). 🗣️ Leave Us a Review!:If you enjoyed this episode, help us out by subscribing to the podcast and leaving us a review on your podcast platform of choice. Reviews are helpful for new listeners that come across the show, and a good rating means Shopify, Apple, and other platforms are more likely to recommend it to others. 

Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you’re right, or so goes the pithy expression. But at least in Angelika Rainer’s case, it does seem to bear out. During Angelika’s 20-year career, she helped set new world standards, becoming the first woman to send D15 ✅ and routinely finishing first or second on the Ice Climbing World Cup circuit 🥇. That’s a far cry from the kid whose favorite catchphrase was “I can’t do it”. What changed? Well, you’ll have to listen to find out.In this episode, we chat about:🧊 Struggling with confidence and how climbing helped🧊 Developing a love for the mountains thanks to her mom🧊 Going all in on drytooling and how the sport evolved🧊 The importance of an “off-season” for recuperation🧊 Her mental battle with “Iron Man” (D14+)🧊 The decision to retire from competitions🧊 Sending her first 9a🧊 The story behind a cappuccino-inspired routeResources and links:Angelika is spending a lot more time on rock these days, and to see what she’s working on, you can follow her on Instagram @angelika_rainer. She also regularly shares blog updates on her website: angelika-rainer.com Leave Us a Review!:Speaking of whether you can or can’t… you CAN help us out by subscribing to the podcast and leaving us a review. Reviews are helpful for new listeners that come across the show, and a good rating means Shopify, Apple, and other podcast platforms are more likely to recommend it to others.  📸 Cover photo courtesy of Jonathan White Credits:Intro music by Hannah Noelle Enomoto (thanks, sis!).This episode was edited by Andrew Salomone of salomonesound.com.And of course, a big thanks to our sponsors, Aniiu  Gloves and Furnace Industries! Patreon:Thanks for listening! If you enjoyed the conversation and want to help us do many more, consider supporting us on Patreon.  (And for less than the price of a bougie beer per month!). 🗣️ Leave Us a Review!:If you enjoyed this episode, help us out by subscribing to the podcast and leaving us a review on your podcast platform of choice. Reviews are helpful for new listeners that come across the show, and a good rating means Shopify, Apple, and other platforms are more likely to recommend it to others. 

What are those funny folks in tights doing on the YouTubez, kicking into the whozimiwuchits and spitting off those metal thingamajigs?If you, like me, have ever had questions about Ice Climbing World Cups, this is your episode of Ice Ice Beta… because today we chat with, Rob Adie, the man responsible for organizing the UIAA World Cup Tour.He’s sort of a one-man band. To help paint the picture, last year, Rob managed 12 events across 3 continents featuring over 150 athletes from 28 countries. (And I want to note, that’s considered a down year). There’s a lot that goes into putting something like that together, obviously, and you can bet your bottom dollar we’ll cover it today.In this episode, we chat about a range of topics, including:🧊 Rob’s journey from climbing wall designer to competition organizer🧊 The evolution of ice climbing comps🧊 All the intricacies of managing the World Cup Tour, especially in light of climate change🧊 Ice climbing's Olympic ambitions🧊 The ebb and flow of the sport’s growth🧊 And how the community spirit drives the success of ice climbing competitionsResources and links:The UIAA will be announcing their calendar for the upcoming World Cup Tour shortly. You can check in at iceclimbing.sport when it’s live. The org is also launching a YouTube series, “On Thin Ice”, which follows competitors from last year’s World Cup circuit. It should start at the end of the month, and if the trailer is any indication, it’ll be a fun watch.Lastly, if you’d like to follow along with all the World Cup going-ons, their IG is @uiaa_iceclimbing....📸 Cover photo by Sarah Lilley (@saralilleey) Credits:Intro music by Hannah Noelle Enomoto (thanks, sis!).This episode was edited by Andrew Salomone of salomonesound.com.And of course, a big thanks to our sponsors, Aniiu  Gloves and Furnace Industries! Patreon:Thanks for listening! If you enjoyed the conversation and want to help us do many more, consider supporting us on Patreon.  (And for less than the price of a bougie beer per month!). 🗣️ Leave Us a Review!:If you enjoyed this episode, help us out by subscribing to the podcast and leaving us a review on your podcast platform of choice. Reviews are helpful for new listeners that come across the show, and a good rating means Shopify, Apple, and other platforms are more likely to recommend it to others. 

Kevin Lindlau is one of the rare birds in drytooling who excels at both comp *and* outdoor climbing. In January, Kevin completed the second ascent of “Aletheia”, rated D16 ✅, becoming only the second person in the world to climb the grade. (There’s some nuance here since other routes have been proposed at D16, but this is the first route that has been repeated and the grade corroborated). Anywho, on the comp side, Kevin was the first American to ever make World Cup Finals in Lead in 2019, and he has regularly made Finals since. In this episode, we talk about: 🧊 How Kevin came to climbing after a gruesome accident that ended a promising bicycle racing career🧊 Overcoming self-doubt along the way🧊 The important role of mentorship in his development (shout out to Marcus Garcia)🧊 How to train for high-end roof climbing and competitions in the same year🧊 What most people get wrong about ARC training🧊 The future of drytooling routes🧊 And of course, latte art ☕️Just a warning that Kevin gives a graphic description of his accident. If you’re squeamish, you might want to skip that part. If you’re a sadist, well, enjoy, I guess.  Resources and links:If you’d like to follow along with Kevin’s latest latte creation, his ice axe juggling or climbing, you can follow him on Instagram @lindlaukevin. Other notes:We are also planning a training episode with Kevin and a few others, so if you have any questions from the episode, send me a DM and we’ll include it in that conversation.  ...📸 Cover photo by Kara Vogler (@mtnghoststudio) Credits:Intro music by Hannah Noelle Enomoto (thanks, sis!).This episode was edited by Andrew Salomone of salomonesound.com.And of course, a big thanks to our sponsors, Aniiu  Gloves and Furnace Industries! Patreon:Thanks for listening! If you enjoyed the conversation and want to help us do many more, consider supporting us on Patreon.  (And for less than the price of a bougie beer per month!). 🗣️ Leave Us a Review!:If you enjoyed this episode, help us out by subscribing to the podcast and leaving us a review on your podcast platform of choice. Reviews are helpful for new listeners that come across the show, and a good rating means Shopify, Apple, and other platforms are more likely to recommend it to others. 

It’s a tale old as time: Narrative is the vehicle that connects us to something greater. And for Christian Beckwith, he’s built a career on that foundation.You probably know of Christian, or have interacted with his work. He’s spent more than thirty years immersed in the world of alpinism, and in that time he was the editor of The American Alpine Journal, co-founded Alpinist — which Reinhold Messner once called “the greatest climbing magazine in the world” — and recently started a “hardcore history” podcast about the 10th Mountain Division called Ninety-Pound Rucksack.If you haven’t heard of it, you might be living under the rock… but since you're listening to a climbing podcast, that very well may be the case. Regardless, it’s great and I encourage you to give it a listen.In this episode, we don’t talk much about the podcast, instead, we hone in on:How to complicate seemingly simple projects by going deepClues to find the narrative in anything you doWhat can happen when you follow your curiosity Timestamps:05:18 - From New England to the Tetons14:45 - Building community through climbing22:38 - Narrative as a tool for connection and change27:25 - Exploring the awe 34:20 - Diving into the contribution of climbers on the 10th Mountain Division42:28 - How history is written47:56 - Climbing Riva Ridge to understand history Resources and links:To listen to Ninety-Pound Rucksack, head to your favorite podcast platform or learn more about it at christianbeckwith.com. If you love what Christian is doing and want to support longform narrative projects like this, I highly encourage you to become a patron at patreon.com/NinetyPoundRucksack. Find the rest of the notes on the episode page. Credits:Episode cover photo provided by Christian.Intro music by Hannah Noelle Enomoto (thanks, sis!). Patreon:That's it for Season 1! If you enjoyed the conversations and want to help us do many more for Season 2, consider supporting us on Patreon.  (And for less than the price of a bougie beer per month).  Credits:Intro music by Hannah Noelle Enomoto (thanks, sis!).This episode was edited by Andrew Salomone of salomonesound.com.And of course, a big thanks to our sponsors, Aniiu  Gloves and Furnace Industries! Patreon:Thanks for listening! If you enjoyed the conversation and want to help us do many more, consider supporting us on Patreon.  (And for less than the price of a bougie beer per month!). 🗣️ Leave Us a Review!:If you enjoyed this episode, help us out by subscribing to the podcast and leaving us a review on your podcast platform of choice. Reviews are helpful for new listeners that come across the show, and a good rating means Shopify, Apple, and other platforms are more likely to recommend it to others. 

What are the things in your life that have infinite complexity upon closer inspection?I’m betting you didn’t expect that question on a podcast about ice climbing.But that’s Jackson Yip for ya. An atmospheric researcher by training who specializes in cloud-microphysics, Jackson is also a deeply passionate climber and alpinist who has coupled his interests in a myriad of ways.Whether scrabbling through murky datasets or slogging to break trail, Jackson finds beauty in the mundane and labyrinthine.In this wide-ranging conversation, we talk about:Cloud physics and the complexity of turbulenceThe importance of first-hand experienceHow to develop mental modelsWhy we can and need to do better when evaluating ice conditionsThe mechanics of pillar collapseAnd moreHope you enjoy this chat, I certainly did. Timestamps:01:41 - The concept of heat death and its implications04:00 - Having perspective05:37 - The complexity of cloud micro-physics09:15 - Observing and first-hand experience11:30 - Engineering challenges in climate research17:58 - Predicting ice formations20:20 - The tragic consequences of misreading ice conditions23:10 - Mechanics of slip-out pillar collapse28:31 - The importance of patience in climbing and life35:38 - Accessible doesn't mean easy or safe41:13 - The seasons of life42:43 - Supporting socioeconomic equality Resources and links:If you’re interested in collaborating on one of the ice climbing models that Jackson mentioned, you can reach him at [email protected]. To connect with him on Instagram, he’s @jp_yip. You can learn more about his research on his website: jpyip.comFind the rest of the notes, timestamps, resources, and more on the episode page. Credits:Episode cover photo provided by Jackson YipIntro music by Hannah Noelle Enomoto (thanks, sis!). Patreon:For the price of a beer per month, you can help us produce episodes like this and much, much more. If you’ve been enjoying the podcast this season, consider supporting us on Patreon.  Credits:Intro music by Hannah Noelle Enomoto (thanks, sis!).This episode was edited by Andrew Salomone of salomonesound.com.And of course, a big thanks to our sponsors, Aniiu  Gloves and Furnace Industries! Patreon:Thanks for listening! If you enjoyed the conversation and want to help us do many more, consider supporting us on Patreon.  (And for less than the price of a bougie beer per month!). 🗣️ Leave Us a Review!:If you enjoyed this episode, help us out by subscribing to the podcast and leaving us a review on your podcast platform of choice. Reviews are helpful for new listeners that come across the show, and a good rating means Shopify, Apple, and other platforms are more likely to recommend it to others. 

It’s rare to find American-made climbing companies. The shortlist includes the likes of Metolius, Organic, Misty Mountain, UnParallel, and a handful of rope producers.It’s even rarer to find technical apparel made in the U.S., which makes NW Alpine so distinct. And by technical, I mean purpose-built clothing designed for the elements, not adventureleisure masquerading as such.Anywho, the idea for NWA was born out of the 2008 financial crisis. Founded by Bill Amos, a quote-unquote “climber dude” at the time, he wanted to understand what was happening and brushed up on economics. He concluded that basing the economy on financial shenanigans instead of manufacturing wasn’t the way to go.So, his solution to one of the worst recessions in the history of the country was to create a pair of pants. At its height, the company employed 75 people and put millions back into the local economy.In this episode, we talk about how NW Alpine is developing innovative apparel (in the true sense of the word), the economic and free trade factors that led to mass offshoring, and how many of your favorite brands are making huge profits off the back of exploited labor.NWA harkens back to an older ethos for climbing companies. I particularly enjoyed this chat and hope you do too. Timestamps:02:00 - Bill's climbing journey 05:57 - Adventures in the Cascades and Alaska20:10 - The birth of Northwest Alpine20:13 - Understanding the economic shift in the U.S.24:41 - The impact of offshoring on the U.S. manufacturing33:01 - Journey to Kachatna: Scaling manufacturing37:37 - Rise and fall of Kachatna Apparel40:59 - Innovation in apparel: The Fortis line and rainproofness post-PFAS50:36 - The reality of how products are made overseas58:03 - The Future of Northwest Alpine Resources and links:Bill is graciously giving away two Black Spider Hoodies for listeners — one men’s and one women’s. To enter, head to our Instagram @ice_ice_beta to find the details.If you’d like to follow along with what NW Alpine is up to, their Instagram is @nwalpinegear. To check out their products head to nwalpine.com. They have several new lines dropping this year.Here is the video of Sir James Goldsmith predicting the future impact of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) in an interview with Charlie Rose (which we reference in the episode). And NW Alpine's blog also has a lot of great trip reports from the past 14 years.This is the "contentious" IG post where Bill breaks down how much overseas workers are paid to make expensive outdoor apparel.Find the rest of the notes, timestamps, resources, and more on the episode page. Credits:Episode cover photo provided by the NW Alpine courtesy of GearJunkieIntro music by Hannah Noelle Enomoto (thanks, sis!). Patreon:For the price of a beer per month, you can help us produce episodes like this and much, much more. If you’ve been enjoying the podcast this season, consider supporting us on Patreon.  Credits:Intro music by Hannah Noelle Enomoto (thanks, sis!).This episode was edited by Andrew Salomone of salomonesound.com.And of course, a big thanks to our sponsors, Aniiu  Gloves and Furnace Industries! Patreon:Thanks for listening! If you enjoyed the conversation and want to help us do many more, consider supporting us on Patreon.  (And for less than the price of a bougie beer per month!). 🗣️ Leave Us a Review!:If you enjoyed this episode, help us out by subscribing to the podcast and leaving us a review on your podcast platform of choice. Reviews are helpful for new listeners that come across the show, and a good rating means Shopify, Apple, and other platforms are more likely to recommend it to others.