The Climbing Majority – Détails, épisodes et analyse

Randy Leavitt.

As a climber who grew up in Southern California, I’ve been hearing this name since the very beginning of my climbing career. Collaborative inventor of the wide-crack climbing technique so aptly named “Leavittation,” developer of thousands of routes — with around a dozen graded 5.14 or harder, including Jumbo Love at Clark Mountain, the first 5.15 in the United States — and long-time athlete manager for Maxim Ropes… Randy’s name has carried serious weight and inspiration for decades. A climbing legend if there ever was one.

I actually remember listening to his episode on The Enormocast way back in 2012, when I was just getting started as a climber. So to now be sitting down with Randy in person, over thirteen years later, felt surreal. While Randy is best known for his achievements in the sport climbing world, the life behind the headlines tells a much broader story — one built on creativity, discipline, and a blue-collar work ethic. He found climbing young and quickly cut his teeth in Yosemite, climbing The Leaning Tower at age sixteen, The Zodiac and The Ephemeral Tis-sa-ack at seventeen, The Pacific Ocean Wall at 18, AND the first person ever to climb up — and then BASE jump off — El Capitan at just twenty. Back then, all of this was part of his bigger vision: to become a high-altitude mountaineer. But as he would discover throughout his life, his passion for business and financial independence remained just as strong, ultimately leading him toward a more balanced existence where climbing fit into a much larger picture.

In our conversation, we explore Randy’s 1986 expedition to the Karakoram — including summit pushes on Gasherbrum IV and The Nameless Tower. We revisit his gripping ascent of The Stratosfear in the Black Canyon; we talk about the origins of his business, the freedom it’s given him, and his philosophy on route development, mentorship, and legacy. We also touch on a recent development in his health that has made climbing too painful to pursue — and how he’s learning to navigate that new reality. Later, we take a deep dive into the climbing industry itself: how it really works, how athletes are chosen, and what brand support actually looks like. And finally, we reflect on how climbing culture has evolved over the decades — and why Randy believes the rise of climbing gyms has changed the sport more than anything else in history.

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#firstascents #routedevelopment #livinglegends #proffesionalclimbers

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Resources

Randy's IG

Today I have the privilege to be sitting down with our previous guest Silas Rossi..Silas is an IFMGA Certified Mountain Guide and President of the AMGA organization. After Silas and I’s last conversation in April, I’ve been jotting down a list of questions and reflections in preparation for our inevitable next conversation. So simply put, this conversation is a culmination of that list. We dive into a wide variety of topics; including nuanced gear questions surrounding rappelling, anchor building, fixed point belays, and clipping cams in sequence. We also explore more thoughtful questions like what it means to move away from fear and towards joy in our climbing. Or how we can balance learning through our own experience vs learning from the experie nce of others. We also get to hear about a guided trip early in Silas’ career involving an epic with an older client in freezing whiteout conditions.

As many of you already know, Silas is such a wealth of knowledge and wisdom and being able to sit down with him to pick his brain on such specific nuanced topics… was just really special.

Watch The Climbing Majority on Youtube

#AMGAguides #climbingsafety

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Thanks to our sponsors!

LIVSN Designs

Checkout their Ecotrek Overalls HERE

Use Code "TCM15" At Checkout for 15% OFF Your Order

Hot Chillys Performance Base Layers

Checkout their Micro Elite Chamois Base Layer Systems HERE

Use Code "TCM15" At Checkout for 15% OFF Your Order

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Get 15% OFF Silas' Annual Ascend Membership HERE

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Today, we’re continuing our conversation with Dean Rosnau. If you haven’t listened to Part I yet, I highly recommend checking that out before diving into this episode.

We pick up with one of the most personal and tragic stories in Dean’s life: the loss of his close friend, Pete Schoerner, in an ice climbing accident. This part of the conversation is heavy—graphic at times—so please proceed with that in mind. But it’s also an important story, one that opens the door to a deeper conversation around grief: how it manifests, how we process it, and what it looks like to live on the other side of profound trauma.

From there, we shift focus to a more positive side of the SAR experience—a rescue that saved three skiers’ lives after a cornice collapse on Mt. Dana. We explore why, despite the complex technical skill required and the real risk involved, nearly all search and rescue work remains volunteer. What does that mean for the people who do it—and what drives them to keep showing up?

We also talk about the long-term emotional effect of saving a life. To witness someone you’ve rescued go on to live, have children, and impact the world—it changes something in the rescuer too.

We close the episode by talking about Matthew Greene, a missing climber Dean has been searching for over the past 13 years. We go into the details of his disappearance, the painstaking efforts to find him, and the difficult question: when is it time to stop searching?

You’ll hear both Dean and I reference a book throughout this conversation—The Shortest Straw: Search and Rescue in the High Sierra. It’s Dean’s memoir, filled with some of the most powerful stories from his 35 years in SAR. This podcast only scratches the surface. I encourage you to grab a copy and dive deeper.

 You can find the link to the book HERE

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Resources

Dean's Book "The Shortest Straw: Search and Rescue in the High Sierra"

Dean's Website

Dean's IG

Sweaty palms, rapid breathing, we know the beginning stages of fear and how quickly it can unravel into panic. Today Kyle and Max discuss the role that fear plays in our lives as climbers, which kind of fear you should listen to, and cover techniques and habits to help overcome it. They also talk about the superpowers that deep focus or flow state can bring you, including an example where Dean Potter used his superhuman abilities to cheat death. Finally, Kyle and Max talk about mitigating risk in order to help the everyday climber stay in the outdoors longer.

Resources:

Spot Device:

https://spotwx.com/

Follow Will Gad here:

https://willgadd.com/ @therealwillgadd

Rocky Talkies:

https://alnk.to/goVnTCp 

Mapping Tool:

https://caltopo.com/

Dean Potter's Story:

https://nationalpost.com/news/world/extreme-athlete-dean-s-potter-dies-during-failed-wingsuit-flight-in-yosemite-which-has-long-banned-the-practice

In Episode 6 Kyle and Max get personal about what it's like to cope with traumatic injuries. They cover the emotional and physical challenges, what you can and what you can't control, and the benefits of strength training for the recovery process. They also dive into the effects of depression and anxiety and how to stay positive when everything around you seems lost.

Max and Kyle check in and discuss their progress in healing post-surgery. They discuss topics ranging from pain management, post-surgery struggles, diet and nutrition, and manufacturing happiness when times are dark. Several months after surgery the co-hosts of The Climbing Majority Podcast discuss how they are coping with their traumatic injuries.

The first year of trad climbing can be a dangerous one, but it doesn't have to be! Listen in to hear from our own personal mistakes during this tumultuous time in every climber's life. From safety checks and rappelling nightmares to the critical benefits of hiring a guide; we cover a lot of things to help you succeed in your first year of trad climbing. 

A 30ft fall, failed protection, and a shattered calcaneus. This is the story of how Kyle Broxterman found himself upside down with two broken ankles. We discuss what went wrong,  go over specific gear placements, and cover how to avoid a situation like this from happening in the first place.

Max Carrier is a climber, triathlete and running guide that works for Mountain Equipment Company. He is one of the Co-Hosts of The Climbing Majority Podcast. In this episode Max Carrier recounts his fall while climbing the Chief in Squamish B.C. Co-Host Kyle interviews Max and they talk about risk, rescue and what it's like to sustain a traumatic injury. This injury left Max on the Chief with both ankles broken in several places and requiring helicopter rescue. This episode is a deep dive into the physical and psychological trauma of a major climbing fall. What are the lessons and takeaways from this experience and how has it affected his life, relationships and identity as a climber and athlete?

Most of today’s climbing media is focused on what happens at the edges of the sport involving the most experienced and talented climbers in the world. Your hosts Kyle Broxterman and Max Carrier believe that these stories and experiences do not directly relate to the majority of climbers that now exist. Thanks to gyms, the Olympics, and mainstream media coverage a vast growing group of people is now discovering this magical sport. As a part of this group, they are here to give this new Climbing Majority a voice and a place to share the experiences, stories, and lessons of the non-professional climber.