Climbing Gold

Jim Morrison, the pioneering ski mountaineer who made the first ski descent of Everest’s north side, recounts the years behind his ultimate objective. He describes failed expeditions, brutal conditions, and the four-hour descent from the summit. Morrison also reflects on grief, losing his partner Hilaree Nelson, filming with Jimmy Chin, and finding purpose through risk, preparation, and adventure.

Christina Koch, NASA astronaut, engineer, and the first woman to circle the Moon, traces her path from college climbing to spaceflight. She discusses how climbing prepared her for spacewalks, teamwork, fear, and life in extreme environments. She also compares the awe of mountains with seeing Earth from orbit and looks ahead to the future of lunar and Martian exploration.

Adrian Ballinger, an IFMGA-certified mountain guide, high-altitude climber, and founder of Alpenglow Expeditions, explores Everest’s rapidly changing future. He traces his path from New England crags to 8,000-meter peaks, the rise of commercial expeditions, and faster acclimatization. They discuss supplemental oxygen, climate-shifted routes, guiding’s hidden risks, and what more honest, sustainable Himalayan adventure could look like.

James Lucas, a climber, writer, photographer, and guidebook author, and Josh McCoy, a lifelong climbing adventurer and birder, defend dirtbag culture. They trade stories of caves, broken vehicles, unstable housing, hitchhiking, raw trout, and choosing climbing over financial security. The conversation explores whether modern technology has softened adventure, what commitment teaches, and why climbing still matters after decades.

Grades. Love them or hate them, they’re part of our sport. Today, we sit down with Summit Journal’s Owen Clarke, coach Juliet Hammer and professional climber Jonathan Siegrist to talk Darth Grader, what holds us back and how to break through. Watch Climbing Gold on YouTube Thanks to our sponsors The North Face Check out Summit Series at thenorthface.com  David Buy 4 cartons and get the 5th one for free at davidprotein.com/climbinggold AG1 Go to DrinkAG1.com/climbinggold to get a free AG1 Pro Yeti Shaker in your AG1 Pro welcome kit. LMNT Get your free LMNT Sample Pack with any purchase at www.drinklmnt.com/climbinggold.  Lattice Training Try Lattice free for a month. Go to latticetraining.com/climbinggold to get started. Kodiak Cakes Find Kodiak products at your local grocery store, they're the ones with the bear on the box or learn more at Kodiakcakes.com Want Climbing Gold ad free? Check out ⁠Unroped

Parker Michaels-Boyce, cinematographer and co-editor, helps shape the film's visuals. Chad Heddleston, documentary director, dug up archives and interviews. Jan Conn, longtime climber and musician, recounts a countercultural dirtbag life and pioneering climbs. They trace early road trips, bold first ascents, living on the road, and the philosophy of choosing passion over convention.

Asia Zughaiar, a Jerusalem climber and anthropology student who organizes gear drives. Faris Abu Gosh, a boulderer and physical therapist from Kalandiya who helped grow West Bank climbing. Tim Bruns, a long-term developer who co-founded the local gym and guidebook work. They discuss building a scene from scratch, crag culture and daily life at the crag, travel restrictions and lost climbing areas, and why climbing remains a source of joy.

Jordan Cannon, a Yosemite big-wall ace known for El Cap link-ups and bold free ascents. He traces his path from teen dreamer to van-life climber, discusses learning cracks in Joshua Tree and mentorship from legends, and talks about balancing climbing history, athletic training, and personal life after coming out. Short, reflective stories about Pakistan, Salathé ambitions, and an upcoming film round out the conversation.

Michael Vaill, a Yosemite-born endurance alpinist, and Tanner Wanish, a rapid-progress big-wall climber, describe their game-changing partnership. They talk about how they met, early haul-and-storm survival on the Nose, escalating multi-wall link-ups from triples to quads, the brutal Goliath traverse, recovering from a Chamonix fall, and why their team chemistry keeps pushing bigger, bolder objectives.

Pete Whittaker, elite trad climber famed for hard offwidths and big-wall ascents, discusses growing up on gritstone and shifting from short crags to Yosemite adventures. He talks rope-solo logistics, the Wide Boys influence, brutal roof cracks like the Crucifix, and balancing elegant thin lines with full-body jamming.