Ω POWERBAND PODCAST

Welcome to Episode 41 of the Ω Powerband Podcast - a podcast dedicated to rock climbing in Aotearoa New Zealand. In this episode, I speak with the most internationally famous Kiwi rock climber of all time, Mayan Smith-Gobat. Mayan needs no introduction. In her prime, Mayan was one of world's leading female adventure and big wall climbers. And her sport climbing game wasn't half bad either. From freeing the Salathe on El Capitan, to the first female ascent of Punks In The Gym at Arapiles, to nearly the first full free ascent of Riders On The Storm on Torre Central, to a speed record on The Nose, Mayan's climbing resumé is impressive by any measure. She has been on the cover of Rock & Ice magazine, been fully sponsored by Adidas and she even has her own Wikipedia page. How cool is that? Mayan grew up in the shadow of Aoraki Mt Cook and climbing and adventure were in her blood. However, it wasn't until Mayan suffered a jaw-shattering accident while extreme skiing that her passion for rock climbing emerged. Mayan was a natural and she had all the attributes necessary to climb at a very high level: she was athletic, adventurous and single-minded. In our conversation, we cover the formative years that Mayan spent climbing in New Zealand, we talk about the long, winding path to becoming a professional rock climber, we discuss the good, the bad and the ugly sides of being paid to climb, and we go deep as Mayan reflects on what has she learnt along the way - about climbing, about life and about her body and about herself. Enjoy!  

Welcome to Episode 40 of the Ω Powerband Podcast - a podcast dedicated to rock climbing in Aotearoa New Zealand. In this episode, I speak with climber, mother, designer and one half of castlehillbasin.co.nz, Erin Stewart. Erin is a born-and-bred Christchurchian but her path to climbing was not the usual one. By her own admission, Erin was not sporty or adventurous as a young person, preferring to read books and listen to music. She says her friends would have voted her as the least likely amongst them to become a rock climber. But that all changed after leaving school. As a young 'party girl', Erin found herself flatting with a couple, one of whom (Jamie Vinton-Boot) was a bad ass climber. And he had a lot of bad ass climber friends. And the rest is history. In our conversation, we cover Erin's journey to becoming a climber, from virtually no athletic background to a world of training, spreadsheets and redpoint tactics (#whatisgame).    We also discuss a few 'meaty' issues including: managing fear in climbing; parenting as a climber; and, perhaps the most topical topic, the place of women in New Zealand outdoor rock climbing (after Erin called out the Powerband Podcast for its notable interviewee gender imbalance). The discussion on women in New Zealand rock climbing flows from an article ('Mind The Gap') that Erin wrote for the New Zealand Alpine Journal, where she identified a large gap between the relative performance levels of leading male and female climbers in Aotearoa and explored some of the reasons why that might be. In our conversation, we pick up that thread and run with it and hopefully you find it thought-provoking. Enjoy!  

Welcome to Episode 39 of the Ω Powerband Podcast - a podcast dedicated to rock climbing in Aotearoa New Zealand. In this episode, I speak with coach and competition climber Cirrus Tan. You may know or recognise Cirrus as 'chicksnchalk' - the name on her Instagram profile. She is one of New Zealand's leading climbing coaches and competition climbers. Growing up in Christchurch, a renowned 'climbing city', Cirrus actually forged her own path into the climbing life, starting out on the little climbing wall at her secondary school. As a teen, she joined a climbing team at her local climbing wall and quickly became immersed in the indoor climbing scene. She dabbled in outdoor climbing too, although seemed to think that that was just about having fun (if only the Powerband Training Tips From The Bunker episodes had been available to her back then she would have realised that if you're having fun, you're doing it wrong). In our conversation, we cover her 'self-made climber' approach, her decision to combine her professional training in sports and climbing to become one of New Zealand's only professional climbing coaches, her love of competitions, her thoughts on many aspects of competition climbing, her Olympic qualification experience, her feelings about outdoor climbing and her brief stint as a reality television star. And more besides. Enjoy! You can find Cirrus on Insta here and her online training service here.

Welcome to Episode 38 of the Ω Powerband Podcast - a podcast dedicated to rock climbing in Aotearoa New Zealand. In this episode, I speak with child-prodigy-turned-off-the-couch-crusher, Zac Orme. With a natural aptitude for climbing, Zac was part of a wave of youth talent to emerge in the early 2000s from the dingy, dust-filled corners of Lower Hutt's finest (only) commercial climbing wall, Hangdog. Zac fell quickly into the competition climbing scene, where (more often than not) he  dominated - including being crowned national male open lead champion multiple times, winning the national bouldering championships and representing New Zealand at several youth world championships. But inevitably the rocks callled, and Zac answered. Often as one third of an awesome threesome (Zac, James Morris and Derek Thatcher), Zac quickly established himself as one of the top guys, with impressive ascents on the boulders of Castle Hill Basin, the granite walls of Fiordland, the limestone tufas of Fyfe River Gorge and the volcanic steeps of the Cave.  In our conversation, we cover all the usual stuff plus some exclusive insights into the life of a 165cm climber, the real reason why Zac Keegan is called Bob and the Lord Humongous project in the Fyfe. Enjoy.  

Welcome to Episode 37 of the Ω Powerband Podcast - a podcast dedicated to rock climbing in Aotearoa New Zealand. In this episode, I speak with economist, uber-volunteer and alpine rock enthusiast, Ross Cullen. Born in 1948, Ross came (relatively) late to climbing, at the tender age of 29. And he hasn't stopped since. On completing his education, Ross initially pursued a career as a young farmer. But after a few years of working on the family farm, Ross decided that a life as a climber and academic economist seemed more appealing. Perhaps not an obvious change of tack but it's hard to argue with his logic. In relatively short order, Ross found himself on a New Zealand expedition to the West Ridge of Everest, part of a team that included Sir Graeme Dingle. It was brief foray into the big league of Himalayan climbing.  On his return to New Zealand, Ross gravitated towards exploring the vast potential for alpine rock routes in the Southern Alps immediately south of the Aoraki Mt Cook region. What followed was several decades of exploration and first ascents, and two guidebooks to the area. His climbing partner for so many of those first ascents was the legendary and reclusive Bill McLeod. In our conversation, Ross paints a vivid picture of Bill and the traits that made him such a force of nature in the mountains. Throughout his climbing life, Ross has been a committed and highly productive volunteer, with stints in various New Zealand Alpine Club roles (including President), as a search and rescue volunteer, as a guidebook author and, more recently, as one of the founding trustees of the Tūpiki Trust. As Ross says himself, he has a strong sense of duty. Enjoy the chat. And if you want to know more about Ross, you can buy a copy of his book here.    

Welcome to Episode 36 of the Ω Powerband Podcast - a podcast dedicated to rock climbing in Aotearoa New Zealand. In this episode, I speak, via the magic of the information superhighway, with the one and only Charlie Creese. Here's a question: was there ever a time when a New Zealand rock climber was at the forefront of international climbing standards? Probably not. But if there was, it was in the late 1970s and early 1980s when Charlie, a teenage phenom, was establishing some of the hardest routes and boulders in Australasia. Indeed, perhaps his most famous climb - A Show Of Strength V8 - at Baring Head is reputed to have been one of the hardest problems in the world when he climbed it. Born and bred in Wellington, Charlie discovered climbing at the tender age of 13. Despite the truly awful quality of rock accessible from his house (climbing gyms hadn't been invented and he had no driver's license or car), Charlie progressed quickly. Before long, he was part of a cohort making regular trips to Titahi Bay and then Baring Head, where his steely strong fingers and love of a good sequence yielded many classic boulder problems (including the aforementioned A Show Of Strength). A little incongruously, the Quarry in Auckland was where Charlie really made his mark on a rope. In the late 1970s, the Quarry was home to most of the hardest rock climbs in Aotearoa. Charlie promptly dispatched them all, then set about adding such test pieces as Studio 54, Pet Cemetery and Blam Blam Blam (all pre-sticky rubber). Blam Blam Blam was among the hardest things going at the time.  And then he vanished from the scene. Or, more accurately, he had to walk away from climbing on account of debilitating chronic finger issues. Yet, as you will hear, he found his way back to the "coolest secret society in the world", albeit without a singular drive for hard ticks. And, decades later, firmly rooted in the climbing community he remains. We cover it all and the stuff in between. One last thing - in our conversation, frequent mention is made of the late Andy Pollitt and late Athol Whimp. If you want to know more, click here and here to read Charlie's excellent words about his two departed friends. Enjoy!  

Welcome to Episode 35 of the Ω Powerband Podcast - a podcast dedicated to rock climbing in Aotearoa New Zealand. In this episode, I speak with paddler, canyoneer, instructor, climber, father and lover of marine life, Keith Riley. Keith hails from Invercargill, one of four children in a 'typical' Kiwi outdoorsie family. Tramping, camping and riding inner-tubes on the local rivers led to a early passion for slalom kayaking. That gave way to 'free kayaking' (I just coined a new phrase) and other adventurous pursuits, including climbing. A stint in Dunedin as a 'year on, year off' university student led to more kayaking and climbing and, to fund those adventures, a move into outdoor instruction and guiding. He never really looked back.  In our conversation, we chat about a life of outdoor adventure, life working in the outdoor industry, building his own outdoorsie family and, no matter what the discipline or terrain, the endless search for that feeling of flow in the outdoors. Keith is a humble master of many trades, a man with a thirst for adventure (mostly of the 'prolonged suffering' type) and just an all-round good bugger. If you want to know more, just Google: 'Keith The Great'. Enjoy!  

Welcome to Episode 34 of the Ω Powerband Podcast - a podcast dedicated to rock climbing in Aotearoa New Zealand. In this episode, I speak with route setter, raver and ultra-talented climber Alec McCallum. Alec is a third generation climber and possibly the most fizzed-for-climbing person you could ever hope to meet. Born and raised on the notorious slippery slopers of the Castle Hill Basin, it sometimes seems like Alec has evolved special powers of adhesion, such is his preternatural ability to cling to the featureless features that make the basin the best climbing basin on earth. To say that Alec has a talent for climbing is like saying that the Engine Room is the crucible of hard bouldering in Aotearoa - so true that it needs not be said. In our conversation, as I desperately try to sound hip with the youth, we cover everything from drum'n'bass to deadhangs to death solos masquerading as boulder problems. Plus I learned that Jonty Francis (fellow Dojo'er) is New Zealand's leading trad climber. And that Alec is the sweetest guy in climbing. Enjoy the fizz that oozes out of every corner of this one. And if you're interested, check out The Dojo on Insta or YouTube.

Welcome to Episode 33 of the Ω Powerband Podcast - a podcast dedicated to rock climbing in Aotearoa New Zealand. In this episode, I speak with biogeography professor, father, guidebook author and climber Len Gillman. Len was a leading protagonist in the golden years of Whanganui Bay and, in this interview, we (unapologetically) talk about very little else. Just the Bay in the 1970s, the Bay in the 1980s, the Bay in the 1990s, the Bay in......you get the picture. Growing up in Auckland, Len cut his teeth at the Quarry. It was there that he forged new skills and forged new and productive friendships with local hotshots Robbie McBirney and Rick McGregor. With Rick in particular, Len found a strong and competitive companion with whom to push development of climbing standards at the Bay. Initially, the focus was on crack climbing, and many of the cracks climbed by the trio remain classics to this day. After a visit to Yosemite in the late 1970s, Len returned with not one but two bolts (!), which he placed at the Bay thereby ushering in a new era of face climbing for the North Island's premier crag. And the rest, as they say, is history. Key Bay characters, Camp Hog, the Two Car Raid and more. Something for everyone. Enjoy.    

Welcome to Episode 32 of the Ω Powerband Podcast - a podcast dedicated to rock climbing in Aotearoa New Zealand. In this episode, I speak with climber, photography and self-confessed 'climbing tragic' Eddie Fowke. Eddie was a young punk in the Auckland climbing scene in the early 1990s. Independent and keen to travel from a relatively early age, Eddie dived head first into the climbing lifestyle, pursuing performance both outdoors and at indoor climbing competitions. He was ambitious and "cocky", harbouring a desire to one day climb for New Zealand at a World Cup event. Unfortunately, a serious knee injury put paid to any prospect of realising that dream and, for a period, Eddie drifted away from climbing and from New Zealand. A passion for photography and a renewed enthusiasm for climbing found Eddie in the thick of a strong scene in Australia. A trip to Europe with Aussie strong man James Kassey resulted in a series of events and meetings that led to Eddie self-publishing a magazine dedicated to competition climbing (called The Circuit) and, later, a job as official World Cup photographer for the IFSC. In our conversation, we cover all of the above plus the unhappy demise of his connection with the IFSC. As you will hear, Eddie's had his fair share of ups and downs. We also talk about the Olympics, the state of competition climbing in New Zealand and about the future for the sport on a global scale. Enjoy!