Today Chris Vaughan and Mike Gagnon join me on the pod to discuss the latest developments at Merriam Woods and Russell Crag!

We’ll talk about the history and future of Merriam Woods, how the development of a parking lot will majorly improve access, some of the best routes at the crag (for all skill levels!), the land management challenges in the area, the importance of community support to keep the crag accessible and thriving, and how you can get involved through The Central New Hampshire Climbers Association.

If you’d like to learn more about or donate to the Central New Hampshire Climbers Association, visit https://www.centralnhclimbers.org/

Join us over on the First Ascent Patreon. For $5, $7 or $10 a month, you’ll get access to wide ranging bonus content from greats like Mark Hudon, Scott Stevenson and many more. Plus you’ll get a Discord chat, exclusive beta, route info, and more. Check it out here: https://www.patreon.com/FirstAscentPodcast

Do you have a listener question or a topic idea? Let us know at @firstascentpod on Instagram! Jay can be found at @jayknower.

Disclaimer:

The information expressed in this episode is for entertainment purposes only, and is not intended as, nor should it be interpreted as, informational or instructional.

Dylan Connole, a longtime climber and tech rep for Trango Climbing, joins me on the pod today to talk about climbing Mainiac, a mythical 5.13d in the far reaches of northern Maine. Dylan shares some history about the climb before detailing his own experience climbing it in September (complete with some invaluable beta).

Plus, he’ll share what it’s like to work in the climbing industry and how he made the transition from climber to working at the center of the industry.

Check out Dylan on Instagram @dconnole8

Join us over on the First Ascent Patreon. For $5, $7 or $10 a month, you’ll get access to wide ranging bonus content from greats like Mark Hudon, Scott Stevenson and many more. Plus you’ll get a Discord chat, exclusive beta, route info, and more. Check it out here: https://www.patreon.com/FirstAscentPodcast

Do you have a listener question or a topic idea? Let us know at @firstascentpod on Instagram! Jay can be found at @jayknower.

Disclaimer:

The information expressed in this episode is for entertainment purposes only, and is not intended as, nor should it be interpreted as, informational or instructional.

Nadya Vorotnikova and Sean Vallefuoco are on the pod today to discuss their incredible performance at Horseshoe Hell, a grueling 24-hour climbing competition in Arkansas!

They’ll share how the event works, the challenges that can arise when climbing for 24 hours straight, the importance of community support during the event, and the strategies they employed to achieve some really impressive performance metrics.

Learn more about Horseshoe Hell here.

Follow Nadya on Instagram @nadyavorotnikova

Follow Sean on Instagram @seanvallefuoco

Join us over on the First Ascent Patreon. For $5, $7 or $10 a month, you’ll get access to wide ranging bonus content from greats like Mark Hudon, Scott Stevenson and many more. Plus you’ll get a Discord chat, exclusive beta, route info, and more. Check it out here: https://www.patreon.com/FirstAscentPodcast

Do you have a listener question or a topic idea? Let us know at @firstascentpod on Instagram! Jay can be found at @jayknower.

Disclaimer:

The information expressed in this episode is for entertainment purposes only, and is not intended as, nor should it be interpreted as, informational or instructional.