Jam Crack - The Niall Grimes Climbing Podcast

A super conversation with Zofia Reych, author of a forthcoming book, Born to Climb. We talk about her book, also about Fontainebleau, her Women's Bouldering Festival, the pandemic, autism and being gender queer. It's laugh-a-minute stuff!

Jerry Moffatt was widely considered to be the best climber in the world during his epic career spanning from the 1980s to the early 2000s. With hard first ascents and quick repeats on sport and trad and bouldering all round the globe, to epic soloing and competition success. Here hear some of his tales.

French climber, Alain Robert, has been one of the world’s most outrageous soloist for over 30 years. He has soloed numerous routes in the 8a – 8b range, most famously La Nuit du Lézards in Buoux in 1991 which stunned the climbing world. In the years since he has taken his skills and nerve to skyscraping heights by soloing many of the world’s tallest buildings. This lawbreaking pursuit has earned him great fame as well as his nickname, the French Spiderman.

He's an 80s trad boiler and Catwalk-walking sports cat. He's into telling you about his E7 when he's in the pub. He's got it in for Peakies. He's a right laugh. He's Mick Johnston.

Ed February tells his story of growing up in South Africa, finding climbing and the barriers he faced as a black climber in in the Apartheid era of the 1970s. Then how his world opened up in the 1980s and beyond.

Bernadette MacDonald reads another section from her book, Winter 8000. This time we look at the Polish mountaineer Maciej Berbeka's lethal affair with Broad Peak.

Another mix of tunes, a bit of a disco party vibe.

A random mix of some music

This 28-year-old Chicago/Colorado climber is one of the world's top female boulderers, with multiple 8B+/V14s to her credit. Yet she flies under the radar, deciding to avoid the harsh glare of self promotion on social media. Let's hear what she's all about!

Many laughs. Trad climbing lifer Sarah Jane Dobner talks about her self-published, award-winning book, A Feeling for Rock, and gives us a few readings.

Chris Kalman reads an extract from his book, Dammed If You Don't.

Legendary US climber and storyteller, major star of Yosemite climbing in the 1970s, the archetypical Stonemaster, John Long in conversation.  John was at the heart of some of the finest events in US climbing throughout the 1970s and went on to chronicle these in his short stories then to carve a career in literature and adventure writing. Big guy, big fun.

Artist and climber, Ed Drummond, is captured in this mesmerising audio piece by Hotaches. Grasp whisps of magic from this high striving poet.

Legendary 80s trad lizard, the Lion of Llanberis, helmet-boiler number one, Paul Pritchard in conversation.

Just me rambling on about myself, seacliffs, Welshmen and me dear friend Andy Scott. Probably not worth listening to.

Aiden Roberts is at the top of UK bouldering having done numerous 8C/8C+  first ascents. David Mason has been doing hard problems around the UK and the world for years. Together we take a look at top-end UK and world bouldering.

Anita talks about some of the work she has been doing to encourage diverse groups into climbing.

Natalie Berry reads Gordon Smith’s classic accounts of winter ice climbing on Ben Nevis and big routes in the Alps, both stories drenched in 1970s drizzle and hunger.

Achtung: Legend! The quiet king of the quiet kingdom. Seldom has an area been so associated with one climber as Northumberland is with Bob Smith. From the late 1970s Bob championed style, commitment and technicality to produce climbs whose beauty and challenge have diminished little over the years.

Coach and climbing philosophy through lived experiences. This podcast won't make you stronger, but it might help you climb better and love it more. She's the boss.