The Ground Up Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

In this episode, we sit down with Boone local Sam Dospoy—woodworker, van builder, and climber deeply rooted in North Carolina’s High Country. Sam shares how a two year stint dirtbagging in a minivan sparked both his love of climbing and his custom van build business, Stand Up Vans. We dig into his early days of bouldering over couch cushions at Blowing Rock, the tight-knit and low-beta climbing scene in Boone, and his progression into bold trad climbing and first ascents.

Sam reflects on mentorship, the local ethics around development, and the draw of uncovering untouched rock. We also get into the nitty gritty of what it takes to repeat some of 221's most infamous and hardest trad routes, his futuristic project at Hawksbill, how bouldering has shaped his trad climbing, and what it looks like bolting steep routes ground up while hanging from sketchy hooks.

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Climbing in Boone with Sam Dospoy: https://youtu.be/rEkMJdHC4gs?si=yB0C2b23oQV64-Gc

The Castaway - Ship Rock: https://youtu.be/h6DG1F8K5qQ?si=IYFZRSrYfohA1NVV

Blowing Rock Boulders: https://youtu.be/rEkMJdHC4gs?si=yB0C2b23oQV64-Gc

Fire in the Hole: https://www.mountainproject.com/route/117126148/fire-in-the-hole

Hawksbill Project: https://www.instagram.com/p/B571Y-XD-gN/

Heirloom (Moon Rocks Corridor Project): https://www.instagram.com/p/CM7QCbtDzZo/

Ishmael (Stack Rock): https://www.instagram.com/p/BaJ61_CAQ-H/

Pyramid Scheme: https://www.instagram.com/reel/B8l_ZwUJ_Pc/

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Follow Joel on Instagram: @sam_ayye_am

Check out Stand Up Vans on Instagram: @standupvans

Find a Stand Up Van that's right for you!

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Check out our new website: https://www.thegrounduppodcast.com/

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Boone, North Carolina is where photographer Drew Mercer first discovered his passion for rock climbing, so it’s no surprise that his new coffee table book, In Season, is a love letter to the High Country. A modern champion of Southeastern climbing, Drew uses his lens to share the story of days spent at some of his favorite local, and arguably underappreciated, crags like Ship Rock, Grandmother Boulders, and The Dump.

We also cover Drew's dirtbag days in the Buttermilks and Hueco Tanks, an epic on the Linville Crusher, and ultimately what makes Boone the kind of place always worth coming home to.

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Get a copy of In Season through Kickstarter

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Follow Drew on Instagram

See more of Drew's work on his Website

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Follow along on Instagram: @listentogroundup 

If you tuned into the HBO reality series, The Climb, with Chris Sharma, Megan Martin and Jason Momoa, you probably recognize our next guest, Mario Stanley. A Texas based climber, Mario's impact on the local scene as a coach, guide, route developer and fellow podcast host can't be overstated. A wide ranging episode, we cover outdoor access in the Lone Star State, annual trips to Last Chance Canyon, deep water soloing in Mallorca and Mario's recent transition into documentary filmmaking. Mario then walks us through the mission of his latest film, Climb Malawi, and the impact he and guest of the Ground Up Genevive Walker had on equipping the local climbing community with the necessary skills for sustained organic growth.

You may have heard of Dad Strength before, but Erica Lineberry is making sure that you know all about Mom Strength. Better known as Cragmama, Erica is one of the Southeast's elite weekend warriors and has sent well over 100 routes of 5.12 or higher, all after having her first child! Whether she's pulling through roofs at Hidden Valley, jug bashing at the Red River Gorge or working her way down Endless Wall, it's always a family affair with Cragmama and her blog details exactly how she and her husband have kept sending while raising the next generation of young crushers. A wide ranging conversation, Erica sits down with the Ground Up crew to cover everything from her initial inspiration to start cragmama.com, sharing 5.12 projects with her son, tips & tricks for climbing with kids, and much, much more.

This one is for all the local North Carolina hardmen, the lovers of steep & spicy trad climbing, and anyone looking for a classic ground up adventure. The Mayor of Moore's himself, Tim Fisher, takes us through his 40+ year climbing career developing some of the region's best and boldest test pieces. We talk ground up ethics, adventures with other local legends like Doug Reed, Tim's shortlist of classic routes for the Southeast trad climber and route development at Moore's, Rumbling Bald, Linville Gorge and more.

One of only three participants to ever climb 300+ pitches during the 24 Hours of Horseshoe Hell, Genevive Walker is a true legend of the competition. Her commitment to performance is rivaled only by her involvement in the community and she's always the first one to bring the energy to the afterparty. Join The Ground Up crew for Episode 8 as Genevive walks us through her unexpected introduction to Hell, her impressive year over year progression and the astounding culmination of her efforts as she became the only female to break the elusive 300 barrier at 24HHH.

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 Horseshoe Hell. For Episode 7 of The Ground Up, The Goatbusters dive deep into their record smashing accomplishments at the Horseshoe Canyon Ranch, the tactics and strategy that went into each one and what other outrageous ideas they're cooking up for this year at Hell. Hard to not walk away inspired after a conversation with the GOATs 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 Horseshoe Hell. An annual affair that injects stoke into the veins of those that have participated, and bewilders those that haven't, this is truly an event worthy of the show's first miniseries. No guests this time, just Ari and Rob talking everything 24HHH, sharing their own own experiences at Horseshoe Canyon Ranch and previewing what's to come in the net few episodes. 

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's encountered bolting new lines on the sharp end. Nathan's interview takes us through his early climbing days at Stone Mountain, his vision for establishing hundreds of first ascents at Laurel Knob, the Linville Gorge, Rumbling Bald, and Looking Glass Rock, and his new projects in the front range of Colorado. Buckle up, this is a conversation you don't to want to miss.

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.