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Cait Horan has climbed just about everywhere! From Yosemite Valley, the Bugaboos, Red River Gorge, Joshua Tree, Bishop, Zion, the list goes on and on. Plus the list of places she has climbed in Australia is longer than the places she hasn't. The crazy thing is, she's done all this with a full time job and a brutal battle with cancer. Cait has been a major mentor for many climbers in the ACT community, coaching the Canberra Indoor Climbing team for many years in the early and mid 2000s as well as just being a positive roll model for everyone. Her perspective is inspiring and left Amanda and myself with a lot to think about after we switched the mics off. Follow Cait's adventures: Cait Horan The Rapp Climbing Podcast   

If you'd like to learn the basics of mountaineering or climb some incredible peaks around the world, check out Climbing the Seven Summits https://climbingthesevensummits.com/select-expedition/ Wild Magazine https://wild.com.au/ @baffledays  

Amanda Watts and Tom O'Halloran are back. So what's been happening in the Baffle House. The climbing froth has been going up and down. What has that looked like? The injuries have been coming and going and coming again. How have we navigated that? Trail running has been in and out the door a few times. There's a surprising amount of lessons we've drawn from running. How will it help our climbing?  Plus we've realised there hasn't been nearly enough adventures in our lives. We want some long days on bigger walls. We want to see new places and experience new things. We want a day, year and life we can look back on and think, 'that was pretty awesome.' We talk about all this and a bit more in this weeks episode.

Buster has been climbing since childhood. He competed for his country as a junior competitor where he made European Championship finals, World Cup semi finals and numerous domestic comp victories. Buster's main focus now is rock climbing. He's the second brit to climb 9a+/36 with his ascent of First Ley in Margalef. Buster has also climbed countless routes in the 8c+-9a 34-35 range including the historic test pieces Hubble and Action Directe. In this chat, we dig into Buster's preparation for Action Directe, the worlds first 9a/35. His pocket training, finger injury recovery and just a bit of froth about the route overall. We also talk about his coaching business, his approach to coaching and how it all works. When we spoke with Buster, he was preparing for a trip to Spain to try a crazy 9b/37 called First Round First Minute, put up by Chris Sharma in 2011. Buster started Kaizen Climbing, his coaching business, to share his knowledge and psyche for training with as many people as he could. If you're interested in connecting with Kaizen, head to their website and give them a follow on instagram. There really is some awesome information in there. Video of Buster on Action Directe Video of Buster on Hubble Buster's instagram Baffle Days' favourite training books can be found here For 15% off Awesome Woodys products use BAFFLEDAYS at checkout. Help you and help the show :)

Krystal's journey is an inspiring one. She knew what she wanted and went after it. Capturing moments in crazy locations of crazy people doing crazy things, all around the world. We covered some good ground in this conversation and I really appreciated Krystal's honesty to just dive in. You can follow Krystal on instagram here  Krystal's website Baffle Days books, coffee trays and other bits here

Steve is the founder of Climb Strong. He’s a climber for more than 30 years, and established over 300 new routes across the globe, from big wall free climbs to 25-foot sport routes on his home crags near Lander, Wyoming. An exercise science graduate of the University of Wyoming, Steve has been studying and experimenting with climbing training methods since his teens. After spending a few years as a full-time climber, Steve opened Elemental Performance + Fitness in 2002. Elemental is a full-service gym in Lander, but was built around the training needs of high-level climbers. We love Steve's ability to boil down the science to lay terms and give practical advice on how to apply it in life. To us, that’s the hallmark of a great coach. Steve’s new book Mettle was the catalyst for this chat. The book digs into the philosophical side of climbing and those softer skills which are so easily forgotten or overshadowed by going hard on strength. We dive into : Our approach to goals and the journey to them Openness to new ideas The evolution of training protocols and the big mistake many people make in their endurance training  Also, no hangs. Are they legit. What are they even? We have Steve’s new book in stock at baffledays.com.au (link in the show notes) along with a couple of Steve’s other awesome books. Unstoppable Force and Logical Progression 2. We also have copies of The Hard Truth by Kris Hampton aka Power Company Climbing and we also have Beastmaking – a fingers first approach to becoming a better climber. A book written by Mr Beastmaker himself, Ned Feehally one of the co founders of Beastmaker. It’s an absolute ripper. I’ve also been working on a little side project product which is now live on the store as well. Take a look and if you think it’s something which may be useful for you or someone you know. I think they’re pretty cool and an environmentally friendly alternative to the single use versions of what’s already out there. Grab one or a couple and let me know what you think. Could be an easy Christmas gift? Far out, we are already saying that word. Registration is now open for the Performance Climb Coach course. Courses content will go live on 14th November and you’ll have access to all the courses until 14th May 2023. Seriously, it’s so worth it. Link in the description. THE LINKS: Sign up for the new intake of PCC https://performanceclimbingcoach.com/ Check out Steve's new book and all the others we have. Plus the cool new product I made. https://www.baffledays.com.au/shop/ If you want to get in touch with Steve and the Climb Strong crew https://www.climbstrongcoach.com/ BAFFLEDAYS at checkout for 15% off at checkout https://awesomewoodys.com/

Maddy Cope has climbed Freerider 28/7c+ in Yosemite, La Scimma Nuda, (9 pitch) 29/8a in Switzerland and countless other hard multipitch/trad routes. She's also cranked out a couple 33/8c's, Mind Control and Bat Route, and smashed out 32/8b+ on gear! She's a true allrounder. We talk about her process on Freerider and desire to keep seeking adventure and exploration. We also dig into headspace and finding mental cues to focus the mind while climbing.  Perhaps the best part of our conversation is when we dive deep into the menstrual cycle. Amanda puts her science hat on as well here (Masters Degree in Nutrition and Dietetics + accredited Sport Dietitian) and both Maddy and her talk us through it all. They talk about their own  experiences as well as picking through the current research, discussing what it can tell us. They both have some awesome insights with how their cycle can effect their climbing, training and life and ways you can still get the most out of yourself.  There's some total gold in there for everyone to take home. Fellas, if you're still reading at this point and haven't yet listened to the whole episode, please do. There's a lot to learn and every bit is great. Do your part to understand what half the population experiences for four decades of their life.   Links we mention in the show. Female Climber Series part 1 Female Climber Series Part 2 Female Climber Series Part 3 An overview of the menstrual cycle Contraception Pregnancy and Postpartum Tracking Clue (good for diverse resources on the menstrual cycle, contraception and health   Follow Maddy Cope on Instagram Get in touch with Lattice Training See Amanda to help fuel your climbing life Check out Baffle Days website and on instagram Follow Amanda and Tom on instagram Don't forget BAFFLEDAYS at checkout to get 15% off your next Awesome Woodys training product!

Ollie Torr is one of the founders of Lattice Climbing, a Sheffield based training and research company. Perhaps best known for their research and accumulation of testing data to help predict performance. In doing so, they have helped answer the big question in climbing. How strong do I need to be? In this episode however, we don't get buried in the weeds of numbers and energy systems, rather, we dig into the real-life side of climbing. We get into mental fatigue, the benefits of having a team around you, being kind to yourself, a little about testing and much much more. It was a total pleasure to talk with Ollie and we can't wait to catch up again.   Lattice Training website Lattice Training YouTube Lattice Instagram Ollie Torr instagram Baffle Days   Don't forget BAFFLEDAYS at check out for 15% off Awesome Woodys

In December 2020 Oceana qualified to represent Australia at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic games. She did this proudly when climbing made its debut in Tokyo during August 2021. Oceana is a Bouldering World Cup Finalist, won basically every domestic competition she's ever entered, plus on the real rock front, shes bouldered V11!  Pretty impressive for someone who's  just 19 years old! In this episode we dig into the early years of Oceana's climbing life and her progression through the youth series. She talks about competition with other competitors (or lack there of), what it was like being in a World Cup final and the pressures and mindset while being there. We also talk about peanut butter, foot slips and her plans for 2022. Follow Oceana on instagram @oceana_climbing  Baffle Days www.baffledays.com.au - @baffle_days - Baffle Days Youtube

It’s hard to know where to start in telling this story. It’s been a wild journey. After qualifying for the Olympics in December 2020, we thought things were going to get a bit simpler. We have a date when the Olympics are going to run and a training plan to execute, easy. The reality was a fair bit different. We naively underestimated the path to getting prepared for the biggest sporting event in the world. Perhaps we needed a bit of that to get us to the start line though. We had big goals and put everything into making it happen. No stone was left unturned in getting Tom to Tokyo in the best shape possible. One of the biggest challenges was creating a training environment in Australia which had never existed. We were like the bow of a ship, breaking through the ice. This took a huge team effort to get Tom as prepared as we possibly could. We couldn’t be more grateful for the support. Thank you to everyone that helped along this journey, you’re all incredible. Thank you to those who donated to the ASF fundraiser and sent messages of support. It was truly humbling to see how amazing and psyched you all are. Thank you to everyone at Sport Climbing Australia for all the hard work behind the scenes. Thank you to Tom’s sponsors for all their support. Thank you to the climbing gyms for giving me the space to train and prepare. Especially Villawood Climbing gym, Skywood Climbing and Nomad Bouldering. Thank you to Lee Cossey and the Move Clinic for the training plans which took Tom’s climbing to another level. Thank you to Amanda Watts and Thrive Sport Nutrition for keeping Tom fuelled and recovered for seven of the hardest months of training he had ever done. Thank you everyone for everything. This is a team sport! The only thing left to do now, is decide where to get the tattoo. You can check out the story of the Olympic qualification here on Episode #24. Check out our chat with Sherro in Episode #15. He is a power lifting coach and runs Burley Strength in Canberra.   Follow us on Instagram: @baffledays @tom_ohalloran @a.mandawatts @justsherro   YouTube: Tom O’Halloran Baffle Days   www.baffledays.com.au      

Dave Jones is one of the rare ones. Growing up in Victoria, he quickly ended up spending many of his early climbing years making his way out to Arapiles and The Grampians. It wasn’t long before Dave started finding his own lines to climb, searching out unclimbed features which caught his imagination. Some of his notable First Ascents include Punks Addiction 32/8b+, Somoza 32/8b+, Academia 31/8b, Feather Boa 28/7c+ and Shai-Hulud 25X/7bX just to name a few. Dave also spent some time in England, checking out the infamous Gritstone, which landed him in one of the best climbing films of all time, Hard Grit.   Dave is also and artist, creating mind bending sculptures. He says the inspiration he found in finding new, improbable lines to climb is similar to what inspires him with his art. He wants to create pieces he isn’t actually sure he can pull off. To have to really problem solve and work out how to make it all come together.   Dave is also part of the Gariwerd Wimmera Reconciliation Network, a group formed to help bridge a gap between Traditional Owners in the area and climbers. The group is doing a fantastic job in opening communication between the two parties and hopes to continue to learn and build understanding. https://gwrn.org.au You can check out Dave's art via his website http://www.transience.com.au/wp/ As many of you may know, there is currently (June 2021) widespread climbing bans through the Gariwerd and Wimmera area. Please stay up to date with where you are and aren’t allowed to climb through this time. You can find out info at https://vicclimb.org.au as well as speaking with locals.   Check out more episodes, news and grab yourself some Baffle Days merch at www.baffledays.com.au  

You walk into a climbing gym, look around at all the nice fiberglass shapes, the funky volumes and order yourself a coffee. A coupe hours later you walk out having had a blast of a time with your friends and a few layers of skin down. In a few days time you'll be back and do the same thing again. You are a climber and the sport has taken over your life, even if its just for a few hours each week. How good is it! What really goes into making this sport and life so good though? Well a large part of it is the product of the setters and their creative flow. They dream, concoct and set the things that make you smile, drive you insane and keep you coming back. In the Baffle Days studio today we have Pat Banda and Dan Gordon two head setters from the uber massive Urban Climb. Dan's official roll is actually 'Head of Climbing,' how cool is that! Anyway in this ep we dig into the ins and outs of the indoor scene. We talk setting, comps, creativity, holds and much much more. It's a super interesting insight to a world we really only see the top layer of. www.baffledays.com.au   For 15% off Awesome Woodys goodies Use discount code BAFFLEDAYS at checkout  

I'm almost certain many of you  have done one or all of these things. A generation ago, employing some of these tactics may have resulted in being chased out of the crag. Perhaps there are still a few strong holds which keep the torch burning in a quest for pure ascents. The question is, do these tactics sit within the lines of fair play or have we pushed the boat out too far? Are those who shun these ideas just the beard stroking class of yesteryear, too lost in tearing people down to actually evolve with the times. Or is there legitimacy to their cries. Helping the Baffle Days team to unpack our chosen ethical quagmires is Lee Cujes and Helen Day. Check the Baffle Days website for training books from Climb Strong and Power company climbing, as well as Baffle apparel. https://www.baffledays.com.au/shop Check out more Baffle Days episodes https://www.baffledays.com.au   For 15% off Awesome Woodys goodies Use discount code BAFFLEDAYS at checkout    

On 19-20 December 2020 at Sydney Indoor Climbing Gym Villawood, the Oceania Climbing Championships were held, giving one last chance for a ticket to the Tokyo Olympic Games for one athlete per gender from the region. Tom O'Halloran qualified for the male category and talks to us  about his journey. Tom talks about his early climbing journey, (unknowingly) meeting Adam Ondra for the first time, competitions and transitioning from outdoor to indoor climbing. We also get into the decision making process to go for the Olympic spot, headspace in the lead up and during the competition. Tom went through a very dark mental headspace prior to the competition which nearly ended with him pulling out. We talk about what got him through it and how it turned around for competition day. Plus, what it will take for Australia to get onto the podium on the world stage. Oceana MacKenzie qualified for Australia in the female category. Tom is currently fundraising funds to help pay for the next 7 months. All donations are tax deductible https://asf.org.au/athletes/tom-ohalloran-tokyo-2021-olympics/ You can follow Tom's Olympic journey through Instagram @tom_ohalloran and YouTube. Check out Baffle Days on instagram and a find more content on our website. Music: Somerville and Wilson - Red Wasps   For 15% off Awesome Woodys goodies Use discount code BAFFLEDAYS at checkout  

Each one of us tells a story of a time we stuffed up a send. Hopefully through talking about a few of these things, you'll learn from our mistakes and navigate your way around them. If you have experienced them before, feel comforted that you're not alone. It happens to us all. Here's the video Tom references for his big dummy spit  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6H3OkmWqNCY Baffle Days https://www.baffledays.com.au   Follow the gang on Instagram Leah Dempsey - @leahmdempsey Matt Norgrove - @mnorgrove Amanda Watts - @a.mandawatts Tom O'Halloran - @tom_ohalloran Baffle Days - @baffledays   For 15% off Awesome Woodys goodies Use discount code BAFFLEDAYS at checkout