Jam Crack - The Niall Grimes Climbing Podcast

A lame account of how I went to the North Face's DWS event in London the other week and failed to corner anyone for the Jam. Sorry. But at least I survived.

Tom Livingstone is a hugely driven mountaineer, alpinist and rock climber. He has redpointed up to 8b+ and trad E9 and is best-known internationally for a first ascent on Latok 1 for which he won the acclaimed Piolets d'Or.

She may be small but she likes to go tall! At 5 foot 2, Tina Breslin has to get creative to solve the sequences on the stunning highballs on remote gritstone crags of North Yorkshire. But when she does, she find a peace and silence of mind that is impossible to find in everyday life. Let's hear her crack.

Anthony King talks about his book, Ascent, which weaves his personal experiences with the rise and change of rock climbing in Britain over a century.

Part 2 of this incredible chat. Part 1 in previous show.

Jason Pickles spent the best part of a decade in Yosemite hanging with the fabled Stone Monkeys. Here we hear about Jason's times there and time spent ith Dean Potter, Leo Houlding, Alex Honnold and others. Banging.

As official photographer for World Climbing, Lena gets to witness the action we don't. Let's hear about what she sees when she looks outside and in.

Just me, folks. Reflecting on some of the lessons climbing has taught me and playing some beautiful music x

Welsh-born Eben is passionate about wild places and his and others' rights to be there. We chat about his Welsh childhood and how that and the outdoors have shaped him. Together we look to understand the cultural and social world of North Wales in the face of it's huge popularity with visitors.

Second part of this lovely chat with the greatest climber who has ever lived. In this one we dig deep into his flashing of 8C boulder problems, thoughts on going harder again and about climbers who really impress him.

The world's greatest climber returns to the show to talk Olympics, B.I.G, YouTube, bouldering and more.

Part 2 of the Ben Bransby chat. Talking about losing his dad on an expedition, Patagonia, Leeds, Chris Wentworth, family and mental illness, not climbing all of Stanage. Brilliant.

Trad master, old-school hone and all out legend Ben Bransby spills his bean. Ben pushed the cutting-edge of trad climbing, going ground-up on E9 when E9 was top of the pops. His easy attitude and spirited approach made his ascents so much more then numbers alone could tell. Cool guy, check it out.

Elite climber Mat Wright is cut from a different cloth than your average professional crimp-jockey. We hear about Mat's journey from a sometimes-fractious childhood all the way to 9a, 8C and E11 (not really). Mat opens up about some frisky situations along the way to enlightenment. Much crack.

A classic Jam Crack story episode from 2016. Chris Schulte reads the classic tale of climbing exploration in the American desert. Pure gold.

Scottish winter climbing activist and photographer Hamish Frost traces his career in the outdoors, thinks about his art and delves into his experience of coming out in the world of climbing.

One from the vaults of 2021. Taylor Parson's incredible story of transition from world-class boulderer to mum of three and the trauma and passion that mapped the way. Trigger warning: suicide references.

Part two of this double. Hear about the origins of speedy aid and how the pair got on on their expedition to this beautiful mountain.

In 1995 two of UK trad climbing's brightest stars left Llanberis for Pakistan's Trango Tower. Paul Pritchard and Adam Wainwright honed their skills and boldness on the sea cliffs of North Wales. Their lives led them onto bigger things. In part one of this two-parter we trace a line through their friendship, what climbing was like in the early 1990s and their motivations to go to Pakistan.

I set off to introduce the Pritchard wainwright podcast but accidentally talk crap for 50 minute. Apologies all round. Big love x