The RunOut Podcast

Tag: corona virus

  • Runout #42: Climbers in Iso: Kelly Cordes

    Runout #42: Climbers in Iso: Kelly Cordes

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    Hello friends. It’s time for another edition of Climbers in Iso, our pandemic podcasting mini-series in which Chris Kalous and I, Andrew Bisharat, reach out to our fellow climbers to check in and see how life under lockdown is going.

    To quote Cormac McCarthy from his book The Road, “Nobody wants to be here and nobody wants to leave.” That just about sums up what a full month of self-quarantine feels like for many of us.

    But not today’s guest, who is just now really hitting his stride.

    Today, we’re speaking to one of the saltiest bastards in climbing, Kelly Cordes—a distinguished alpinist, writer, and online provocateur. I say salty bastard … but he’s also salt of the earth. Few people in climbing possess the authentic charm and charismatic delight of Kelly Cordes, even when he is in one of his notoriously misanthropic moods.

    I hope you enjoy this conversation, and please reach out with feedback. For one, Kelly loves seeing people write comments about him on the Internet, so don’t be shy. And if you have any suggestions for who we should be talking to next for our Climbers in Iso mini-series, we’re taking names and numbers now.

    Let the games begin. Here’s Kelly Cordes.

  • RunOut #40: Will Climbing Gyms Survive Covid-19?

    RunOut #40: Will Climbing Gyms Survive Covid-19?

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    OK, so America right now is, basically, the second season of The Walking Dead. We know how to kill the enemy, but somehow we still keep getting eating by the zombies. Welcome to the apocalypse, fuckers, only this apocalypse means, no more Moon Boarding at your local gym, and no more climbing at your favorite crag.

    Climbing is canceled.

    This is Andrew Bisharat, and I’m here as always with my smoking hot albeit remote cohost Chris Kalous, and today we’re practicing our social distancing podcasting etiquette while speaking to Fabrizio Zangrilli, a climber, mega alpinist, and, most importantly, the founder and owner of The MonkeyHouse climbing gym in Carbondale, Colorado.

    Fabrizio agreed to speak to us today to share some insight into the real struggles that climbing gyms are going through amid Covid-19. Climbing gyms, of all the outdoor businesses, are getting hammered by this virus. And so Chris and I wanted to hear from the source about what that actually means.

    Times are tough, people. No one knows what the future holds. Except that Glen dies. We totally know that Glen absolutely dies.

    So now, without further ado, Fabrizio Zangrilli.

  • RunOut #39: Will Climbers Actually Stay Home Amid the Coronavirus Pandemic?

    RunOut #39: Will Climbers Actually Stay Home Amid the Coronavirus Pandemic?

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    If your podcast diet looks anything like mine, you’re probably oversaturated on coronavirus content. Alas, it’s hard not to talk about covid-19 given it’s a fucking global pandemic and all.

    Climbing gyms around the country are shutting down, and climbers are being advised by the American Alpine Club to not even go climbing outside, particularly in areas surrounding rural communities. Moab has a tourist and camping ban for the next 30 days, Miguel’s Pizza is shut down, and communities from Bishop to Fayetteville are more or less requesting that climbers do not use their newfound time off by traveling to these areas to climb.

    And yet, if there’s one thing I know about climbers, it’s that they will give up their climbing and training when you pry it from their dead, cold hands … perhaps an unfortunate metaphor given the state of affairs.

    This is Andrew Bisharat, and I’m virtually here with my co-host Chris Kalous to talk about the pandemic and its effects on our sport. I fear this is all just the beginning, to be honest. I think we may well see a cancelation of the Olympics, a shut down of National Parks, and other draconian measures soon. It’s all very anxiety-inducing.

    Some of you may have seen that I have been planning to put together a writing and climbing workshop in Mallorca this fall. All those details are on my site Evening Sends. But I just made the decision to postpone the workshop till next spring. Like everyone else, I’m hoping this thing burns out quickly, but given the uncertainty with travel, I just don’t need to be worrying about this right now.

    Simplifying life is a good approach, I think. It helps with the anxiety of the moment. So settle in, folks. Commit to just being home for a while, and you may find a sense of ease in not questioning yourself over whether you could be out sending the gnar. Your project will still be there next fall.

    Photo by Ryan Tetz