bigwall

October 15, 2021October 28, 2021

Enormocast 229: Steve “Shipoopoi” Schneider – Blonde Ambition

On Episode 229 of the Enormocast, Steve Schneider joins me from his home in Oakland, California. Though Steve’s resume is longer than almost any previous guest on the show, he seems to fly in the nether regions of the global climbing consciousness. Steve became a YOSAR member and Valley denizen in the early 80s and never looked back. Under the tutelage of John Bachar, Steve racked up hard free pitches all over Yosemite, El Cap, and Tuolumne Meadows including what was likely the first 5.14 in Tuolumne. Then he turned his sights in Patagonia with audacious routes and solos in the Paine region. Also a pioneer speed climber, Steve did the first one day solo of El Cap and was the first to do three El Cap routes in a day with Hans Florine. Not done yet, Steve continues to seek out new-for-him ground on El Cap whenever he can. In his 60s, he’s still the most psyched and restless climber around.

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April 30, 2021April 30, 2021

Enormocast 218.5: REBROADCAST Kalous Talks to Steven Dimmitt on the Nugget Podcast.

On this BONUS episode of the Enormocast, I rebroadcast an interview we did on Steven Dimmitt’s The Nugget Podcast where he interviews me. Steven and I decided it would be a nice addendum to the Enormcast feed. In the interview, we focus much more on my climbing than any interview I have done previously. If you didn’t listen at The Nugget already, or even if you did, this show fills in a bunch on my own 30-year climbing history.

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March 4, 2021March 4, 2021

Enormocast 215: Lauren Delaunay Miller – The Five Year Plan…

On Episode 215 of the Enormocast, I connect with climber, writer, former YoSAR member, Lauren Delaunay Miller. Lauren found climbing in the waiting room of a doctor’s office, and quickly made a plan to climb El Cap in 5 years despite not having any idea what rock climbing actually entailed. She pursued her goal not quite relentlessly, but nevertheless ended up in Yosemite a few years later. She did, indeed, climb the Nose in just under 5 years and then quickly pulled off a NIAD and a one day ascent of the Triple Direct with Quinn Brett and Josie McKee. In that same season, climbing lost some of its glow with a near fatal accident of Lauren’s mentor and a series of other tragedies in her tight-knit scene. Helplessness in the face of these accidents made Lauren resolve to learn more and finally qualify to join the feted YoSAR. Her latest challenge is completing a 78,000 word manuscript on some of the somewhat forgotten female legends of climbing.