ISSUE 42 | VERTICALLIFEMAG.COM
Listen CIRCLE UP! WITH KYRA CONDIE AND ALLISON VEST
two of the USA’s strongest professional climbers, Kyra Condie and Allison Vest. Launched in December 2022, the series covers topics relevant to both professional and recreational climbing. If you think a podcast from these two would only be for competitive climbers, I’d say give it a chance to prove otherwise. Kyra and Allison openly discuss a range of issues including mental health and keeping a good mental space for competitions, ways to keep motivated, body image and nutrition—plenty that would apply to athletes and casual climbers across the board.
Like a light-hearted chat with friends over pre-climb coffees, “Circle Up!” is an engaging new podcast co-created by
Perfect for pre or post (or even during) a training session, the dialogue is open, friendly and honest. Despite their impressive achievements, Kyra and Allison come across as warm and relatable. Their personal stories give insight
into professional climbing beyond the competition results. Kyra shares how her spinal fusions have required her to adapt her training, climbing and her approach to boulder problems. Hearing a story as simple as that helped me to connect with her as a person as well as an athlete. The title references the matching tattoos that Allson and Kyra have, but also the concept of athletes coming together before a game or event to connect, psych each other up and be ready to go out and compete—the classic football huddle . Even this shows just how dedicated these women are to engaging with and supporting the sporting community. And don’t switch off before the blooper reels at the end—they’re sure to give you giggle. Check out their first 10 episodes on Spotify.
Watch ARC’TERYX PRESENTS: OUT ON A LIMB Ever wondered what it would be like to design the perfect foot (or feet) for climbing? In the short film Out on a Limb, Craig DeMartino—an American climber with a lower limb difference and the first amputee to climb El Cap in under 24 hours—and inventive industrial designer Kai Lin do exactly that. There’s plenty of comedic content that compares climbers to the fearless mountain goat, but this film takes it a step further. The story follows a partnership between Craig and Kai, who set out on a quest to create the perfect climbing prosthetic. Typically, prosthetics are created to reflect a specific range of human movement, but these two crazy kids decided to break the mould and create a climbing foot inspired by the stability of the humble mountain goat.
As a parathlete, this reviewer might be biased towards paraclimbing content, but this is truly a testament to the diversity of universal and accessible design—and the creativity that comes with solving problems as a person with a disability.
friends, the entire process takes place virtually through video calls, recorded outdoor climbing tests and design reflections. It’s heartwarming to watch the friendship develop alongside the design prototypes.
You’ll see the process from design to test phase (and retest phase, and retest phase, because whoever gets it right the first time?) I watched in fascination as Craig and Kai worked to evolve a typically static prosthetic ankle joint into a mobile, responsive one.
Produced by Arc’teryx, this movie is one to watch if you’re looking for a little creative inspiration. It’s a welcome reminder that if you can’t find a solution to your problem, you can always try making one.
With Craig and Kai never actually having met, but rather introduced by mutual
Head to the Arc’teryx Youtube or Vimeo channels for the full film.
AUTUMN 2023 17
