The Ground Up Podcast
Stories From the Steep | Climbing conversations with local legends and unsung crushers from hometown crags around the country.
During the golden era of rock climbing, going ground up was as much a tactic as it was a lifestyle. A commitment to embracing the unknown and earning the next challenge, this mentality was the catalyst for a generation of bold climbers and route developers to establish now classic crags and expand climbing access into our own backyards. The Ground Up Podcast is a celebration of this mantra, the legends it left behind and the adventures it continues to inspire for local crushers and weekend warriors alike.
- Update frequency
- every 10 days
- Average duration
- 88 minutes
- Episodes
- 28
- Years Active
- 2024 - 2025
Ground Up 07 - The GOATs of Horseshoe Hell: Vasya Vorotnikov & Rob D'Anastasio
They may not have the speed record on El Capitan, but Rob D'Anastasio and Vasya Vorotnikov have the arguably more coveted achievement of holding almost every team and individual record at 24 Hours of…
Ground Up 06 - The Greatest Climbing Event in the County: 24 Hours of Horseshoe Hell
Every year as the temps begin to drop and the leaves begin to change color, the Ground Up crew heads down to Jasper, Arkansas for the greatest climbing competition on the planet, 24 Hours of Horsesho…
Ground Up 05: Prolific First Ascents with Nathan Brown
One of North Carolina's most prolific route developers, Nathan Brown, sits down with The Ground Up crew to share stories from developing crags all across the country and the inevitable shenanigans he…
Episode 0 - Welcome to the Ground Up Podcast
Ari and Robert take a few minutes to introduce themselves and set the stage for what to expect from the Ground Up podcast and its guests in the episodes to come.
Ground Up 04: Lessons from Eric Marx's Headpoint Handbook
On Episode 4 the team welcomes notorious Gunks headpointer Eric Marx to the podcast. A regular in the New York climbing scene, Eric offers insight into his process of headpointing dangerous and diffi…
Ground Up 03: Appalachian Classics With Bennett Harris
In Episode 3 of the Ground Up Podcast, the crew sits down with a true veteran and living legend of the North Carolina climbing scene, Bennett Harris. The closest thing you might find to a walking gui…
Ground Up 02: Jacob Ward & The New Kids On The Rock
Western North Carolina's Jacob Ward joins the show for Episode 2 of the podcast to chat about his recent efforts to repeat some of the state's king lines. The boys dive deep to cover some of Jacob's …
Ground Up 01: Coast to Coast Climbing with Mike Palmer
In the their inaugural episode, the Ground Up crew sits down to speak with Mike Palmer, long time friend and climbing partner of Ari, about his climbing exploits across the continent. From cutting hi…