54 | The Seven Volcanic Summit Infinity Loops w/ Jason Hardrath

The mountains will try to kill us and yet they have no malice.
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They freeze us and yet warm our souls. 
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They fill our lives with joy and yet have nothing tangible to give. 
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The mountains deserve our respect. 
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They require meticulous preparation, mentally, spiritually and physically.

Today we are sitting down with a master of preparation. Scott Johnston is a world renown Endurance coach. Some of the athletes he has worked with over the years include Killian Jornet, Steve House, Alex Honold and Tom Evans to name a few. But Scotts true legacy and contribution to the climbing community lies with the everyday climber who he has equipped with the knowledge necessary to improve their health and wellbeing and to live a life full of adventure. In our conversation we discuss the allure of endurance sports, the nuance of endurance coaching, the future of ultra running, the importance of life beyond sport, the fragility of life and finally we discuss an accident that left Scott stranded and alone on the vast glaciers of Denali 

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Contact us:
IG: @the.climbing.majority
Email: theclimbingmajoritypodcast@gmail.com

Resources:

Evoke Endurance

Training For The New Alpinism (Book)

Have you ever imagined what kinda person you have to be mentally and physically to climb some of the hardest routes in the world? Maybe how that person views themselves and their own accomplishment? Or even how they might view the everyday climber? 

In this conversation we wanted to move beyond what it's like to climb hard. What are the lessons of a 5.15 climber and how can we apply Jonathan's viewpoint and experiences to improve our own lives?

Jonathan helps us remember life is about private little victories. He suggests that it's important    be gentle on ourselves and to remember why we started climbing in the first place, the love of life and the outdoors.

In our chat, we talk about how Jonathan supports the community and what recreational climbers look like through pros’ eyes. We discuss how top climbers use their influence, what key traits make them successful, and finally how Jonathan plans to use his talents once he outlives his physical peak.

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Email: theclimbingmajoritypodcast@gmail.com

Today we are sitting down with my good friend Bryce. Funny enough, I met Bryce before either of us were climbers. We each found climbing separately, but inevitably we roped up and quickly became a great team. Recently, Bryce and I spent a weekend trad climbing in Red Rock Canyon. Despite not climbing together for several years, getting out on the rock in red-rocks felt just as fun, and natural as before. We may change and the environment changes but our friendships endure.

In our conversation, we talk about fatherhood and how it changed Bryce’s relationship with climbing, how he chooses his objectives, and the kind of partners he climbs with. We talk about the fine line between safety and total catastrophe, and how trust, mindfulness, and communication keep us alive. And finally we discuss the ethics involved in sharing classic climbs in super popular areas.

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Email: theclimbingmajoritypodcast@gmail.com

Warning: this episode contains graphic descriptions of violence that might not be suitable for all audiences, especially children. If you're not in a space to listen to this content, please consider saving this episode for another time.

On May 28th of 2018, Chad O’Melia was brutally stabbed to death in his own home by his girlfriend Bryn Spejcher after they had smoked marijuana together. The state-appointed forensic psychologist on the case, Kris Mohandie, wrote in a 37-page report that Spejcher appeared “possessed” and proceeded to repeatedly stab herself and her own dog despite being tasered multiple times. It wasn’t until the ninth blow from a police officer’s steel baton that the police were able to stop her.. She was arrested on scene and released on bail shortly afterward.

Now I am sure you all have seen the social media posts, and news articles that have recently come out…but if you haven’t… last Tuesday after almost 6 years …. the court finally sentenced Spejcher… to two years of probation and 100 hours of community service ... .for stabbing a man to 108 times... The court's argument here was that after smoking marijuana, Spejcher entered a state of acute marijuana induced psychosis, and therefore had no control over her actions that night. 

Today we revisit this tragic incident through the eyes of our previous guest Mike Tagg, rock climber and O’Melia’s roommate.. Mike was in the house that night, and we are resharing his personal account of what happened.

As you listen to this episode, we invite you to reflect…Do you feel that a person in a state of psychosis should be held accountable for their actions? 

Do you feel…as stated by Chad’s father that “the court just gave everyone in the state of California who smokes marijuana a license to kill”.

Lastly, Mike shares how his relationship with the sport of climbing allowed him to process the trauma and rebuild a sense of control over his own safety.

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Contact us:
IG: @the.climbing.majority
Email: theclimbingmajoritypodcast@gmail.com

I would argue that our climbing community is mostly open, kind, and understanding. But I am sure we all have our own experiences with people who are not. The silent judgy squad that think they own the crag. The keyboard warrior that spreads hate, judgment, and negativity behind the protection of a screen. 

Today we sit down with Landon McDowell, a self proclaimed “Reformed Elitist”. Having started climbing at the age of 14 he quickly noticed a natural proclivity towards the sport.  Climbing soon became the source for Landon's identity, ego, and happiness. He noticed this and its effect on the people around him and quit rock climbing to work on himself and pursue his new passion of flight sports. Landon now has a calm, collected and positive outlook on life and is aiming to push the boundaries of alpine flight sports.

In our conversation, we chat about Landons rapid progression from a gym sport climber to projecting Desert Reality, an iconic and imposing roof crack in Red Rock Canyon. We get to hear what it might be like to be on the other side of the keyboard to the “yer gonna die” comment we all see online. And finally, we chat about Landons new passion of base jumping and speed flying and how he envisions mixing these disciplines with climbing and taking them into the mountains…

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Email: theclimbingmajoritypodcast@gmail.com

We are celebrating two years of podcasting and taking a look back at the growth and development of the show. We've covered a wide range of topics in the past year including recreational climbers and professional athletes involved in tragic accidents, huge accomplishments,  and much more. We are excited to continue exploring new conversations in the coming year and are also excited to announce some updates to the show, including a new website, sponsorship opportunities, and live events. We are grateful to all our guests who have shared their stories and experiences on the show, and to all of our listeners you are the foundation of this show. Thank you for your support! Finally, we end this conversation with a montage of soundbites from each of the twenty-five episodes of 2023

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Contact us:
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Email: theclimbingmajoritypodcast@gmail.com

Welcome to the last episode of 2023. Thank you so much for being a part of our growing community…It means a lot to Kyle and I that you are here.  As climbers we've all seen videos and media depicting near impossible feats of physicality. You've probably seen these videos and thought “I could never accomplish something so hard”. But are these limitations we put on ourselves real? While our guest today is not a part of the Majority….. she once was. As a young spirited climber she never believed she could accomplish climbing 5.12. Fast forward to the present day, Mary Eden is one of the most accomplished crack climbers in the word. She recently just sent Necronomicon 5.14a and Black Mamba 5.14b on gear… These kinds of feats leave me simply speechless and in awe.  But what stood out most in our conversation was not how amazingly accomplished of a climber Mary is. It was her empowering message that we all can break through the arbitrary limitations we put on ourselves to achieve great things we once thought impossible. I'll leave you with a quote from Mary.

"I know that Necronomicon is not the peak of my physical or mental potential even though it was a beautiful dream. My advice for others is to pour energy into the people and activities that bring you joy as much as you can. Build yourself a genuine community and support system. Set your goals, and work towards them with intention, while enjoying the scenery along the way. And remember that at the end of the day it is just rock climbing, and you should be having fun." -Mary Eden

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Resources:

Mary's IG

Mary's Youtube

This podcast is no stranger to traumatic life altering accidents. It is easy to let these events cripple us, and hard to allow them to transform us. Jason Hardrath, PE teacher from Klamath Fall, OR and competitive endurance athlete who’d just qualified for the Ironman 70.3 World Championships. Found himself ejected from a moving vehicle. He suffered a broken shoulder, collapsed lung, torn ACL and multiple internal injuries. Its fair to say the Jason is lucky to be alive. Just Three years later, Jason became the first person ever to establish 100 FKTs and currently sits with 121 under his belt. Now he is chasing a new objective: the Seven Volcanic Summits done in a style dreamed up by renowned climber Chad Kellogg called “The Infinity Loop”, which involves two summits and circumventing the entire base of each of the world's tallest volcanoes.

In our conversation we also discuss Jason’s predisposition for H.A.P.E and how it affects his safety in high altitude environments, his goals, and the partners who choose to join him on his dream of establishing the Seven Volcanic Summit Infinity Loops. 

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Contact us:
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Email: theclimbingmajoritypodcast@gmail.com

Resources:

Jason's Personal Website

Jason's IG

Journey to 100 Film

Journey to Infinity Film

Teamwork…Communication…and Trust…are all paramount characteristics of a successful climbing partnership. And our safety is based around our own humility, proficiency, and confidence in the mountains…. The perfect balance of all these attributes is a complicated equilibrium to achieve. Today’s story is about what can happen when these pillars start to fall apart. When the ego takes over confidence….and when communication fails to keep everyone on the same page. That is when you find yourself in over your head, unable to retreat, and unable to move forward…at 14000 ft. 

Today we sit down with Ethan Morris and Evan Geller. Two climbers from San Diego that found themselves rescuing the very people they were trying to distance themselves from on the East Buttress of Mt. Whitney. A 1000ft route up the tallest mountain in the lower 48. They had no idea they were about to embark on a 48 hr epic involving runouts, loose rocks, panic, and risk of hypothermia……all with no previous alpine experience.   

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Contact us:
IG: @the.climbing.majority
Email: theclimbingmajoritypodcast@gmail.com

The Mountains test us, and shape us. We cannot lower the mountains. So we must elevate ourselves to their level. We should strive to choose goals in life that will challenge us, test us and that we think are impossible. Only through aiming at the highest peaks we can possibly envision will we truly transcend the suffering of the world to find meaning and purpose. For some this may be being a good life partner, having kids and enjoying the outdoors. For others it may mean climbing the wildest and gnarliest lines possible.

Our guest today at the age of 23 has managed to complete a lifetime of climbing accomplishments and he's just getting started. Nathan Longhurst is an endurance athlete and climber. In our conversation we discuss how he climbed the infamous Bulger's List at the age of 21. This consists of climbing Washington’s 100 highest peaks. As crazy as that is, it pales in comparison to his journey climbing the Sierra Peak Section (SPS) which involved climbing 247 peaks in 138 days. This accomplishment is mind blowing and a true feat of grit, endurance and logistics.

Finally we chat about Nathan’s solo ascent of Denali’s infamous Cassin Ridge. Nathan climbed this with skis and ski boots. A mind blowing accomplishment. Nathan is clearly a master in the mountains.

Please rate, review the show, and share this podcast with your friends. Word of mouth is one of the most powerful tools to help us out.

Contact us:
IG: @the.climbing.majority
Email: theclimbingmajoritypodcast@gmail.com