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Enormocast 314: Sam MacIlwaine – The Way of the Offwidth Warrior

Photos: Sam MacIlwaine, Sav Cummins, Becca Aist
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On Episode 314 of the Enormocast, I sit down with climber Sam MacIlwaine. Sam is a sport climber, trad climber, bigwall climber, but perhaps is most well-known for her invert offwidth jones. Somewhere in her kinda “normal” ascension as a climber, Sam ended up in Mary “Tradprincess” Eden’s Offwidth clinic and the two women became fast friends. Soon Sam was right next to Mary sending some of the hardest Offwidths out there including Mechanical Bull, Supreme Manliness, and Belly Full of Bad Berries. As climbing took over her life, here tech job was simply too time consuming so Sam took her love of writing and parlayed that into a freelance career and scored a position as associate editor of Climbing Magazine. As we speak, one more OW project is in the offing as Sam journeys to the underworld of Monument Basin to throw herself at Century Crack. Then maybe, just maybe, she’ll cool it on the OWs for a bit and start sport climbing like a normal person.

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Enormocast Tweener: Matilda Söderlund Live in Squamish

Photos: Bill Hamilton
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On this Tweener Enormocast, we rebroadcast a live interview with Swedish climber Matilda Söderlund captured in front of a smart well-dressed audience at the Arc’teryx Academy in Squamish, BC. Matilda has become a bright star of Swedish climbing progressing from a tween competitor to hot shot sport climber, big route climber, trad climber, and gyn owner. She’s climbed 9a, complete the first all female ascent of Rayu 8c, and fearsome E8 in trad. Her gym Moumo was the first in Stockholm and is a hub for outreach to women climbers. Listeners may remember mentions of Matilda’s prowess on the rock in Episode 309 with Anna Hazlenutt.

Matilda’s Website

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Enormocast 313: Dave Groth and Leo Hermacinski – Giving Devil’s Lake Its Due

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On episode 313, I sit down in the Enormocast headquarters in Carbondale, CO with two OG Devil’s Lake climbers: Dave Groth and Leo Hermacinski. Groth is a veritable legend amongst the purple quartzite walls and blocs of DL, and Leo was there to witness many of his finest moments. As members of the infamous DLFA, they both dipped into to the merry debauchery that went along side the rough and tumble ascents of the late 70s and early 80s. More than that, they travelled the world as climbers and soaked up the traditions of Sheffield, Arapiles, Czechoslovakia, Boux, and beyond. Leo wrote the guidebook, and Dave etched in some of the boldest ascents. Though they both rambled out, Dave and Leo’s hearts and minds were always returning to Devil’s Lake.

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