Written in Stone: Climbing History

The First Boulderer and His Occultist Protégé: Oscar Eckenstein and Aleister Crowley

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People have likely climbed on boulders for all of human history, but in the late 1800's, one man began advocating for climbing on boulders as a way to become a better climber. His name was Oscar Eckenstein, and he fundamentally changed the way we climb. Was he the first boulderer?
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Music:
"Concerto No. 4 in F minor, Op. 8, RV 297, 'L'inverno' (Winter)" The Modena Chamber Orchestra (https://musopen.org)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
"String Quartet no. 2 in B minor - IV. Allegro furioso" Steve's Bedroom Band (https://musopen.org) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
"Nocturne in B flat minor, Op. 9 no. 1" Eduardo Vinuela (https://musopen.org)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
"String Quartet, Op.25 - II. Intermezzo. Andante con moto, quasi allegretto" Steve's Bedroom Band (https://musopen.org)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
"The Wand of Youth, Suite no. 1, Op. 1a - II. Serenade ( For String Quartet - Jones)" Steve's Bedroom Band (https://musopen.org)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
 

Season 3 | The History of Modern Bouldering

What is bouldering, really? What defines a "boulderer"? And how has that changed since the beginnings of the game? Are there rules, and if so, where did those "rules" start? 
Coming Soon: Season 3 of Written in Stone | The History of Modern Bouldering.
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Michael Kennedy on Access to Climbing Culture and the Photo of Edlinger That Defined the 80s

Michael Kennedy is a legend of climbing media. As the editor of Climbing Magazine from 1974 to 1998, he helped to bring climbing culture to tens of thousands of climbers who otherwise didn't have access to it. He also took the photo that I believe best defines climbing in the 1980s. 
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Written in Stone is co-created with Power Company Climbing.
 

BONUS: When Lynn Hill Proved That Women Can Beat Men In Competition

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In a recent Magnus Midtbo video, Janja Garnbret mentioned that she could do well against the men in a sport climbing competition. Lynn Hill may have helped prove Janja's point - all the way back in 1990.
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The Thumbs Up: Sharing Lanes And Circling Back in 1980s Climbing.

After a few weeks of thinking about it, I've put my finger on what I learned about climbing by looking back at the 1980s, and I'm ready to reveal where we go next season.
Check out our new book, Written In Stone: The 1990s!
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Season Two is generously supported by Rab. 
This episode is supported by Tension Climbing and The Tension Board 2.
Written in Stone is co-created with Power Company Climbing.
 

Jordan Cannon on The Free Salathe, How to Climb Pitch 19, and Why Style Matters

Check out our new book, Written In Stone: The 1990s!
Today, in the final interview of the season, we are talking to young legend in the making, Jordan Cannon, who is fresh off of an incredible season of big wall climbing. Most important for this conversation is his recent ascent of The Free Salathé, including the infamous Pitch 19, one of only a handful to do the route this way.
Jordan’s emphasis on aiming for the best style possible without letting that get in the way of having an incredible experience is refreshing. It’s not about rules. It’s just for the love of the game.
In this episode we get nerdy about some of the individual pitches, including Pitch 19, the roof and the headwall, and try to parse out some of the confusing history. We also discuss Jordan’s ascent, the style he aimed for, and the compromises he had to make. And finally, why Jordan isn’t yet finished with The Free Salathé.  
 
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Season Two is generously supported by Rab. 
This episode is supported by Tension Climbing and The Tension Board 2.
Written in Stone is co-created with Power Company Climbing.

Mark Hudon on Free As Can Be on the Salathé Wall, Skinner and Piana's Ascent, and Experience Vs. Trophies

Check out our new book, Written In Stone: The 1990s!
Mark Hudon is a bonafide climbing legend. One of the best free climbers of the 70s and early 80s, he and partner Max Jones looked past convention and moved hard free climbing to the big walls of Yosemite. His article Long, Hard and Free inspired a whole generation of climbers, including Todd Skinner and Paul Piana, and laid the groundwork for the game that is Yosemite big wall free climbing.
In this episode we discuss the idea that eventually led to the Free Salathe, how Mark felt about it finally getting done, and how his philosophy about climbing has changed over time. 
Find Mark online
Read Long, Hard and Free
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BIG WALLS, SIGNED BY PAUL PIANA: https://www.powercompanyclimbing.com/store/p/big-walls
Check out our website for related episodes, resources and more!
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Season Two is generously supported by Rab. 
This episode is supported by Tension Climbing and The Tension Board 2.
Written in Stone is co-created with Power Company Climbing.

Steve Bechtel on Skinner, Piana, Friendship, and Community

Check out our new book, Written In Stone: The 1990s!
Steve Bechtel is a Wyoming climbing legend who moved to Lander when the limestone at Wild Iris was discovered and helped to develop it alongside Todd Skinner and Paul Piana. 
In this episode we discuss the sides of Skinner and Piana that often get lost when listing accomplishments - their roles as friends and community builders. Their humanity.
Find Steve online.
 
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BIG WALLS, SIGNED BY PAUL PIANA: https://www.powercompanyclimbing.com/store/p/big-walls
 
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Season Two is generously supported by Rab. 
This episode is supported by Tension Climbing and The Tension Board 2.
Written in Stone is co-created with Power Company Climbing.

Paul Piana and Todd Skinner Free the Finest Rock Climb On Earth (Part 2)

Check out our new book, Written In Stone: The 1990s!
After causing a ruckus in Yosemite Valley and Index, Todd Skinner didn’t slink away. He looked up. Way up. At El Capitan.
He and Paul Piana had been dramatically influenced by an article written by Mark Hudon called Long, Hard and Free, and the dusty disappointment of the Valley Demi-Gods wasn’t going to hold them back. 
Using tactics borrowed from the future, Skinner and Piana got to work on their big objective, free climbing the Salathé Wall. Many great climbers had made free attempts. Each contributed to the mystique. Several claimed it would never go free. The two cowboys from Wyoming didn’t believe that - they had been collecting skills that made them uniquely suited for this route. The flaring cracks of Vedauwoo. The runouts of The Needles. The pin scars of City Park and The Renegade. The dynamic climbing of Hueco Tanks.
It would be, all at once, a notice of change and a love letter to the past.They weren’t going to take no for an answer, even if it killed them. It nearly did.
BIG WALLS, SIGNED BY PAUL PIANA: https://www.powercompanyclimbing.com/store/p/big-walls
Check out our website for related episodes, resources and more!
Join the Secret Stoners Club for FREE and get bonus episodes.
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Season Two is generously supported by Rab. 
This episode is supported by Tension Climbing and The Tension Board 2.
Written in Stone is co-created with Power Company Climbing.

Paul Piana and Todd Skinner Partner Up and Push the Boundaries (Part 1)

Check out our new book, Written In Stone: The 1990s!
By the middle of the 1980s, the shift to sport climbing was in full swing. Two Wyoming cowboys, Paul Piana and Todd Skinner, recognized that the strength they’d gained from sport climbing would give them an advantage on projects left behind by the previous generation. However, that previous generation wasn’t so quick to embrace the changes. Particularly in Yosemite Valley, resistance was massive – they wanted their walls preserved in a time that was already in the past.
It would take a new age maverick to push through the noise, but that maverick would need a calming and realistic voice beside him. 
BIG WALLS, SIGNED BY PAUL PIANA!
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Check out our website for related episodes, resources and more!
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Season Two is generously supported by Rab. 
This episode is supported by Tension Climbing and The Tension Board 2.
Written in Stone is co-created with Power Company Climbing.