The RunOut Podcast

Tag: Comp Climbing

The RunOut #161: The man who wants to reinvent comp climbing, Charlie Boscoe

Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: RSS | More

Just when you though you understood what a zone hold was … Hasn’t the comp climbing format already been “solved?” Some think there is room for improvement, including Charlie Boscoe, an alpinist turned World Cup commentator. He is the co-founder of the Professional Climbing League, a new comp series launching in London on February 28.

But first, Chris sings praise of a crag where people know how to operate, and the wheat is separated from the chaff. Unfortunately, it turns out the chaff is Andrew.

For our final bit, friend of the show Christopher Parker returns with the namesake track off his new album, Withered Roses, dropping January 30th.

Show notes

Professional Climbing League: https://www.proclimbing.com

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ProClimbingLeague

Follow the PCL: https://www.instagram.com/proclimbingleague/

Follow Charlie Boscoe: https://www.instagram.com/charlieboscoe1/

Western Sloper: https://www.wolverinepublishing.com/shop-all-guidebooks/p/western-sloper-4th-edition

Christopher Parker Music: https://christopherparkermusic.com

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6qZrlQIIBrZGDvx69AXmus?si=try9WEw7T86bNvCw770smQ

Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/christopher-parker/9258292

Become a RunOut Rope Gun! Support our podcast and increase your RunOut runtime. Bonus episodes, AMA, and more will be available to our Rope Guns. Thank you for your support! http://patreon.com/runoutpodcast

Contact us Send ideas, voicemail, feedback and more. andrew@runoutpodcast.com // chris@runoutpodcast.com

January 12, 2026
RunOut #144: Life After Competition: Hannah Schubert and Eating Disorders in Climbing

Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: RSS | More

Hannah Schubert is an Austrian climber who has podiumed at the World Cup and the World Championships. Now retired from professional competition, Hannah was recently profiled in Der Spiegel, one of Germanys’ largest publications, where she opened up about her struggles with eating disorders during the height of her competitive career.

Our conversation traces Hannah’s career, from climbing alongside her brother Jakob, to the hyper competitive world of Austrian climbing, and what it meant to stand on a World Cup podium. We look at how eating disorders can spread through taking silent cues, comparing yourself to others, and the comments made by coaches. We talk about how easy eating disorders are to hide from others, making it hard to talk about and address. And we hear about the ultimate breaking point for Hannah, and her years long recovery back to mental and physical health.

But first, Chris has a confession to make to Andrew … and needless to say, Andrew is NOT happy about it.

Our final bit is some classic Winona shit.

Show Notes

Follow Hannah Schubert on Instagram

Profile in Der Spiegel

Guest Blog by Hannah Schubert: Why I Think Vulnerability Matters

Young Women with Anorexia Nervosa Speak Out about Hospital Experiences

Michigan Ice Festival

Winona Ice Festival

Matthew Drazkowski rant

Become a RunOut Rope Gun! Support our podcast and increase your RunOut runtime. Bonus episodes, AMA, and more! Thank you for your support! http://patreon.com/runoutpodcast

March 19, 2025
RunOut 124: How Jesse Grupper is getting Psyched and Ready for the next Olympics

Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: RSS | More

Last fall, Jesse Grupper took home the gold medal at the Pan Am games, securing his spot on Team USA for the Paris Olympics in 2024. Now just a few months out from the Games, we caught up with Jesse to hear about how he is preparing and getting psyched to represent our country in lead and bouldering at the Olympics—all while balancing life as a mechanical engineer pushing the limits of soft robotics to improve people’s lives.

But first, yr sticky, sweet podcast hosts get into a debate about glue and when it’s appropriate to use it to fix boulder problems that break. This discussion comes after one of Colorado’s oldest and most historic boulder problems broke, and locals put the question to the community for a vote.

Buster Jesik, IFMGA / AMGA mountain guide, lays down a sick drum track for today’s final bit.

Show Notes

Jesse Grupper Wins PanAM

Watch Jesse flash Livin’ Astro

Follow Jesse Grupper on Instagram

Mental Standard Has Broken — Instagram

Mental Standard — Mountain Project

Mountain Project Thread

Follow Buster Jesik on Instagram, Youtube, or contact him for guiding buster@coloradomountainschool.com

Become a RunOut Rope Gun! Support our podcast and increase your RunOut runtime. Bonus episodes, AMA, and more will be available to our Rope Guns. Thank you for your support! http://patreon.com/runoutpodcast

Contact us Send ideas, voicemail, feedback and more. andrew@runoutpodcast.com // chris@runoutpodcast.com

April 30, 2024
RunOut 115: Jakob Schubert Goes B.I.G. (Plus Jared Leto’s big TR)

Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: RSS | More

Jakob Schubert is a four-time World Champion, an Olympic bronze medalist, and he has more IFSC gold medals than any other male competitor. He’s also sent some of the hardest routes in the world, including, most recently, a first ascent of Project B.I.G. in Flatanger, which he rated 9c, making it only the third route ever to be given this grade. Our interview with Jakob takes us behind the scenes on his livestream of sending B.I.G.; his ticklist of some of the hardest routes in the world, especially Chris Sharma lines; who he thinks might be a contender in the next Olympics; and his love of American football.

But first, we talk about Jared Leto’s toprope ascent of the Empire State Building, and try to figure out why everyone so mad.

Today’s final bit comes from OG local legend Joel Brady and his band d’Artagnan and the Banjoman.

Show Notes

Follow Jakob Schubert on Instagram.

Subscribe to Jakob Schubert’s YouTube Channel.

Climbing.com’s news report on Project B.I.G.

Jared Leto Climbs Empire State Building on BBC

Photo of Jared Leto climbing by Renan Ozturk on the NatGeo feed

Follow Joel Brady on Instagram

“I’m Dying” by d’Artagnan and the Banjoman

Become a RunOut Rope Gun! Support our podcast and increase your RunOut runtime. Bonus episodes, AMA, and more will be available to our Rope Guns. Thank you for your support! http://patreon.com/runoutpodcast

Contact us Send ideas, voicemail, feedback and more. andrew@runoutpodcast.com // chris@runoutpodcast.com

November 23, 2023
Bonus: Alannah Yip Sounds the Alarm on Eating Disorders

Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: RSS | More

Today, we’re releasing one of our bonus episodes from our Rope Gun feed on Patreon because the content is a PSA and super important for as many climbers out there to hear.

Our conversation is with Alannah Yip, an Olympic sport climber from Canada with an incredible career. This summer, Alannah started a conversation about the prevalence of eating disorders in high-end comp climbing, fears about RED-S afflicting athletes, and what many view as foot-dragging by the IFSC, comp climbing’s governing body, to do much about it.

After Alannah’s viral post on Instagram, she was joined by the likes of Janja Garnbret in adding her concerns to the conversation, and this topic has also resulted in two doctors resigning from the IFSC medical commission in protest over their inaction.

If you like this episode, and want to never miss important bonus episodes such as this one, please join us on Patreon! For as little as $5.14/month you’ll get bonus content and other perks and help us continue to cover the best sport in the world through this podcast.

Become a RunOut Rope Gun! Support our podcast and increase your RunOut runtime. Bonus episodes, AMA, and more will be available to our Rope Guns. Thank you for your support! http://patreon.com/runoutpodcast

Contact us Send ideas, voicemail, feedback and more. andrew@runoutpodcast.com // chris@runoutpodcast.com

Show Notes

IFSC Doctors Resign, Alleging Health Dangers in Competitive Climbing

Follow Alannah Yip on Instagram

Alannah’s IG post

September 6, 2023
RunOut #65: Beating the GOAT, Olympics Edition

Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: RSS | More

Ah, the Olympics: the time when GOATs will be made just as GOATs will be beaten. Do we really need to keep referring to the Greatest Athletes of All Time as a bunch of smelly, stubborn animals? Perhaps that’s fodder for a different discussion, as today, we stand in awe of the 40 climbers who’ve earned their spot in the Olympics alongside our knowledgable guest, John Burgman. John is the JOCK—the Journalist of Climbing Knowledge—at least when it comes to all things competition related. John gives us a deep and thorough run-down of what to expect for climbing’s debut in the Olympics, while we learn the basics—namely, who Colin Duffy is.

Kicking off the show, however, yer boys talk spray and the super spreader events that contribute to this epidemic of self-centered climbing culture (hint, it’s Instagram).

Finally, Vancouver-based climber and musician Harvey Wright closes out our greatest episode of all time with his song “Be Kind to Yourself.”

Show Notes

John Burgman on Twitter

“High Drama: The Rise, Fall, and Rebirth of American Competition Climbing”

The schedule for when and how to see climbing in the Olympics

Colin Duffy on Instagram

Harvey Wright on Spotify.

Crux: a documentary about Harvey Wright

Enormocast 222: Harvey Wright — Heart Like an Ocean

Become a RunOut Rope Gun! Support our podcast and increase your RunOut runtime. Bonus episodes, AMA, and more will be available to our Rope Guns. Thank you for your support! http://patreon.com/runoutpodcast

Contact us Send ideas, voicemail, feedback and more. andrew@runoutpodcast.com // chris@runoutpodcast.com

July 23, 2021