Tag: Trad climbing

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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

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Enormocast 256: Matt Segal – Florida Man Goes Climbing

Photos: Middle Keith Ladzinski Right Tim Kemple

On episode 256, climber, entrepreneur, and Florida man, Matt Segal, joins the Enormocast. Matt was born and raised in Florida, and this podcaster contends that he is the baddest climber to come out of that flat and swampy State (Matt demurs this accolade, BTW). Though he started as a proto gym-kid, and had a short but very successful indoor comp career, Matt pivoted in his early 20s to hardcore trad-climbing. For 15 solid years, he pretty much only trad-climbed and took down some gnarly R and X routes ground up. Along that dedicated path, Matt was not afraid to get uppity about how rad his cohort’s ethics were compared to whatever bullshit climbing you were doing. But in the end, a hard fought maturity prevailed, and now Matt looks at climbing with a much more encompassing view, though big adventures and fun with friends are still his compass. At 38 and with gas still in the tank, Matt is as happy with this moment as he’s ever been.

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Enormocast 254: Amity Warme – Putting the Hammer Down

Photos: Felipe Tapia Nordenflycht, Scott Eubank, Tempei Takeuchi

On Episode 254 of the Enormocast, I connect with former gymnast, now climber and nutritionist, Amity Warme. Though Amity grew up just down the road from the climbing mecca of Boulder, Colorado and under the shadow of the Diamond and Rocky Mountain National Park, she was too preoccupied as a child and teen gymnast to notice rock climbing. Then an injury ended her run in a leotard and sent her seeking a new place to pour her considerable energy. Enter climbing. Amity took to it immediately, but it was a dark three years mucking around in New Jersey with her husband that broke them loose to a life on the road and climbing. Soon, Amity was crushing hard 5.13 and wondering about big objectives in Yosemite and beyond. Since the 2020 pandemic shut in opened up, Amity has been on a tear with ground up ascents of Golden Gate, Corazon, and a one-day-self-supported Free Rider ascent*, making her only the 5th woman to climb El Cap in a day. Meanwhile, she eats 5.13 trad for breakfast wherever she goes.

*Brent Barghahn and Amity’s Self-Supported style.

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