Queuing up the best climbing podcast is a fantastic way to start a road trip or help keep your psyche high when you’re commuting into work.
You can learn a ton from any of these climbing podcasts because they touch on climbing history by interviewing legends like Lynn Hill and getting stronger thanks to long talks with climbing trainers that have dedicated their lives to coaching and training rock climbing.
Climbing Gold with Alex Honnold
The Climbing Gold podcast is probably the heaviest hitter out of all the climbing podcasts. Alex Honnold, from the Oscar winning documentary Free Solo, now has his very own climbing podcast.
Thanks to the noterierty surrounding this show, it has been able to get interviews with famous pro rock climbers like Chris Sharma, Emily Harrington, and Tommy Caldwell. This is a well produced podcast and you can also get great insight into the professional climbing industry.
The early episodes of this show focus on the history of climbing, so it’s always one of the first podcasts I recommend to any beginner climber.
The Nugget Climbing Podcast
Nugget Climbing is hosted by Steven Dimmitt and it is one of the most comprehensive climbing podcasts available today. One of my favorite things about this show is that it features classic climbing stories from famous climbers. But Steven still treats any sorta famous climber like they’re a legend.
Just take a look at all the different episode categories featured on this show. I love listening to the guests talk about training, nutrition, and even the business side of climbing for professionals and photographers. Give this show a listen to get insight from elite climbers, professional athletes, and the weekend warriors that make up this sport.
Dirtbag Diaries
The Dirtbag Diaries is one of the original outdoor adventure podcasts. The show is a product from Duct Tape Then Beer, who you may recognize as the producer of the Climbing Gold podcast. Outdoor writer Fitz Cahall is the host of the show and has worked alongside his wife Becca in creating this show.
One caveat of Dirtbag Diaries is that it is not strictly about the climbing life. The show includes personal stories from people that are all across the outdoor industry. This is a great show to listen to if you want to not only hear rock climbers talk, but hikers, skiers, backpackers and everyone else involved in the great outdoors.
Training Beta Podcast
The Training Beta Podcast is focused on providing listeners with the best way to train for climbing and get stronger. The show is hosted by Neely Quinn who is a climber and a nutritionist. She uses her background as a great launchpad for talking points with guests on the show.
The show talks about training aspects for rock climbing. The best routines, diet advice, and injury rehab. But it also focuses on the mental side of climbing, touching on subjects of fear and how to push yourself when redpointing or onsighting. This is a comprehensive climbing podcast that you should keep in your rotation./
For the Love of Climbing
The first thing host Kathy Karlo will say about For The Love of Climbing is that “it’s not a climbing podcast”. Which is counterintuitive because this show always shows up on lists for climbing podcasts. She touches on everything that makes rock climbing, except for the climbing part.
If you’re interested in learning more about the climbing community and seeing just exactly who that consists of, then this is a perfect show for you. The interviews on this show are with the “regular” everyday climbers like you and me who love this support.
This show is also supported by Patagonia.
The Strong Mind Podcast
The Strong Mind Podcast is hosted by world class climber Hazel Findlay. She has put her lifetime of climbing experience to focus specifically on how crucial the mind is in climbing performance.
One of the first things she noticed as a young climber was just how much the mind was the biggest variable in a climbers performance. If you follow on her Instagram, you’ve probably noticed how much she has been posting on the mental side of climbing.
The show focuses on your well being and does its best to introduce new and disruptive approaches to the mental side of climbing. But she maintains that all of these approaches are evidence based and not just shots in the dark. The Strong Mind Podcast also offers climbing coaching if you’re interested in taking your game to the next level.
The Struggle Climbing Show
The Struggle Climbing show is a newer podcast in the climbing world, but it’s already featured great interviews with people like Jonathan Siegrist, Peter Croft, and Chris Sharma.
I love listening to this show because of the caliber of guests like we listed above, but also because the long form interviews give the guests a chance to touch on many topics and showcase their personality. The Struggle Climbing Show is one of the best climbing podcasts.
One of the cooler things about this show is that it’s hosted by Ryan Devlin and American movie and television actor. It’s only a matter of time now until Jason Momoa and Jared Leto start up their own climbing podcasts.
Alpinist Podcast
The Alpinist Podcast is one of the few climbing podcasts that focuses specifically on the alpine and alpinists.
This show is semi-regularly updated, but it has a ton of past interviews that will provide at on of value about your favorite sport. I love listening to its interviews with climbers like Young Hoon Oh because it gives me better insight to the international climbing scene. Sometimes it’s hard to get out of your immediate bubble and I appreciate listening to shows that help me break out of it.
Eric Horst’s Training for Climbing Podcast
Eric Horst has to be one of the most well known names in climbing training.
In addition to the guidebooks he has authored and the first ascents he has sent, he has dedicated a huge portion of his life to training better climbers. He has written books and created nutritional supplements to help you send.
Eric presents practical information to help you send harder routes. After seeing some of his first ascents at the New River Gorge, I also appreciate listening to him talk about the mental side of climbing. I saw one of his climbs at the Junkyard wall that looked like it was in the no fall zone the entire climb.
Power Company Podcast
If you want to climb harder, give the Power Company a listen.
The show is hosted by Kris Hampton and Nate Drolet who are incredibly experienced climbers. I was lucky enough to meet them at my climbing gym and they both gave me some incredible tips after watching me climb some boulders. I was still a beginner when I first met them and I still remember their advice about committing to moves and practicing falling.
They have over 300 shows created and have reached nearly 3 million downloads! The main focus is how to become a better climber and stay injury free. But they also focus on important aspects related to the climbing community.
Breaking Beta
Breaking Beta is another podcast that is hosted by the Power Company crew, Kris Hampton and Nate Drolet.
The whole purpose of this show is to breakdown the sports science related to climbing. If you’ve ever wondered if creatine is useful for climbers or what the best finger routine to build strength is, give this show a listen. This is one of the best climbing performance podcasts that focuses specifically on the science behind climbing.
The Cutting Edge – The American Alpine Club
The Cutting Edge Podcast is produced by the AAC, who also have a fantastic annual publication that covers everything from climbing accidents to other statistics.
This show covers every happening in the climbing world. One of my favorite things is to listen to the climbers who put up a first ascent. When I listen to this show and hear all the hard work goes in to a new route, it gives me a new appreciation for the routes I climb.
Chalk Talk
Chalk Talk is a rock climbing podcast that covers everything from outdoor rock climbing to indoor competition climbing. Unfortunately, the podcast hasn’t been updated since 2018, but that doesn’t mean the show isn’t able to provide any value. Many of the interviews are with famous climbers that still hold up to this day.
Some of the best episodes include the interview with legendary boulderer Jason Kehl and with the climbing doctor Dr. Jared Vagy. These interviews still hold up well and provide a lot of insight into the rock climbing world.
Another interesting facet of Chalk Talk is that the episodes provide a look at the sport before its massive blow up culminating in the Tokyo Olympics.
Bad Beta Podcast
The Bad Beta Podcast is a rock climber’s guide to everything. This show is about a group of friends talking about climbing and having a fun time doing it. We haven’t seen a new episode release on this show since the end of 2021, but luckily the episodes are still just as fun to listen to. Send them a note if you want to hear more soon.
Jam Crack: The Niall Grimes Climbing Podcast
Jam Crack is a climbing podcast based out of the UK. The host Niall Grimes has incredible interviews with famous climbers like Will Bosi, Dean Fidelman, and Ben Moon. I really enjoyed listening to the part two interview with Dean Fidelman because of the focus on the late Dean Potter.
Since I’m based in the United States, I don’t normally get too many updates on the climbing scene across the pond. But I do see crazy YouTube videos of British trad climbs that just seem like a free solo. Give Niall Grimes a listen and you’ll get to hear more about the crazy escapades going on in the UK!
The Sharp End
If you enjoy reading the annual North American climbing accident report from the AAC, then The Sharp End is one of the best climbing podcasts that you can listen to.
The Sharp End podcast is hosted by Ashley Saupe and she first started the show to help minimize outdoor accidents by learning from other’s mistakes. Listening to this is a great way to learn from accidents that happen while alpine climbing and sport or trad climbing.
Climbing is an inherently dangerous sport and one of the best things you can do to prevent accidents is to learn from accidents that have already happened.
Frequently Asked Questions
Alex Honnold has been interviewed on many climbing podcasts, but now he is also the host of his own show called Climbing Gold
