Tag: crack climbing

Posted on

Enormocast 286: Didier Berthod – Facing the World (Part 1)

Photos: Fred Moix, Thomasina Pidgeon, Pim Shaitosa

On Episode 287 of the Enormocast, I connect through to America’s hat with Swiss crack-master, Didier Berthod. You might have heard about Didier from his recent send of Cobra Crack. The media mentions Didier disappearing from climbing for 10 years, returning to slay the Cobra, yada, yada, but that Didier’s completion of the Cobra has a much deeper significance and symbolism than most can imagine. Didier and I go way back, but even I only knew a fraction of his story from the last 20 years. However, Didier comes clean in this episode about his religious journey, his poor decision to leave his partner and their unborn child, his redemption arc in Squamish, and finally sending the route the denied him so many years ago. This is one of the wildest stories ever told on the Enormocast. Part 2 in your feed soon.

My own prostrations to a route that Didier and I put up together: The Day I Sent Learning to Fly

Didier and Cobra from FIRST ASCENT

Crack of Destiny

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Posted on

Enormocast Tweener: Didier Berthod – Facing the World (Part 2)

Photos: Fred Moix, Thomasina Pidgeon, Pim Shaitosa

In the early 2000s, Didier Berthod was the best crack climber in the world, then he dropped out of climbing and essentially disappeared from the world.

When we left Didier Berthod in Facing the World Part 1, he had emerged from monastic life, contacted the daughter he had never seen, and returned to climbing. In this episode, Didier is back in Squamish climbing hard again. But he is also facing the music with his former partner (the mother of his child), the climbing community, and his abandoned daughter. Find out where Didier sits in his return to the world in this second part of his story.

Also, we get the story of Didier’s historic return to Cobra Crack, the FA of Crack of Destiny, and more on his return to form in climbing.

Jesus is a Friend of Mine by Sonseed

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Posted on

Enormocast 221: Lor Sabourin – Being Themself

On Episode 221 of the Enormocast, I manage to sit down face to face and maskless with Lor Sabourin. Lor’s recent send of East Coast Fist Bump in Northern Arizona piqued my interest and a tip from Mary Eden got them in the room. Originally from Detroit, Michigan, like so many kids before, Lor started out in the gym. They quickly progressed to climbing and then guiding in the Red River Gorge. After a fateful trip to Indian Creek where they fell in love with crack climbing, Lor now calls Flagstaff, AZ home. During most of Lor’s climbing career, they have wrestled with being open about their non-binary gender, but in recent years, Lor has been open about gender, climbing, and advocacy for trans people and kids which has lead them to a healthier relationship with both themself and climbing.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS