Jam Crack - The Niall Grimes Climbing Podcast

40 Episodes
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By: Niall Grimes

Irish / Sheffield climber and author Niall Grimes in conversation with top dogs, cool cats and committed crag rats from the neighbourhood and the international climbing scene. Also classic climbing stories read aloud for your aural pleasure. Mmmmmmm! See more at http://www.niallgrimes.com

JCPC 182 Jason Kehl
#182
Yesterday at 2:41 PM

Artist, developer, shaper, traveller and all round baller, Jason Kehl, AKA Cryptochild, tells us about his quirks and works and his love of developing beautiful boulder problems in the American desert.


JCPC 181 Milena MĂźhlen
#181
07/11/2025

Good friend of the show Milena MĂźhlen reads a self-penned story, Climbing and Womanhood, telling of a recent experience.


JCPC 180 Andy Popp
#180
06/18/2025

My old mucker Andy chatting North Wales in 90s, soloing, freedom, grit, history and rambling. So warm.


JCPC 179 Carolyn Young
#179
05/23/2025

A journey through cancer for committed climber, Carolyn Young. One of the many stories from Marsha Belaeva's new book, We Are Subculture.


JCPC 178 Talking Crap with Matt Sparksy
#178
05/13/2025

Endless shit talking. Young Matt makes me listen to his opinions on all aspects of modern climbing. Funniest ever swear to god!


JCPC 177 Ricky Bell
#177
04/24/2025

Ricky Bell swept his paintbrush of adventure over Irish trad climbing to create so many beautiful leads of the highest quality in the Mournes, Burren and Fair Head. Outstanding! He documented his and his friends’ shenanigans in a bunch of fun and soulful films, full of joy and vibe. He’s a Celtic soul brother. Hear his crack.


JCPC 176 Chris Schulte Patience
#176
04/10/2025

Chris is the defininig voice and spirit of Jam Crack. He's back again with another reading, this time his own story, Patience. It's all about trying o be a climber and a person in the world. Beautiful.


JCPC 175 Steph Davis part 2
#175
03/28/2025

Part 2 of the amazing Steph Davis interview. Part 1 is episode 174


JCPC 174 Steph Davis part 1
#174
03/28/2025

This star of US adventure climbing shone brightly in the early 2000s with big free ascents on El Cap at a time when few ventured there without aid. Big solos, desert sandstone crack testpieces, expeditions to Kyrgyzstan, Baffin and Paragonia, amongst others, made her one of the most experienced adventureclimbers of her day. Later years saw the adventures continue with the embracing of base jumping and wingsuit flying.

Beyond all these has  lain a thoughtful and considered approach, always ready to self check and ask twice. Skills that surely came to the fore during tough times around l...


JCPC 173 Donegal Stories
#173
03/17/2025

Niall Grimes reads some of his own stories about Ireland's County Donegal in celebration of St Patrick's Day. Plus Mary Shiels' poetry and Brian's medley. Slainte!


JCPC 172 Magnus Midtbø
#172
02/23/2025

With well over two millions subscibers to his YouTube channel, Magnus Midtbø is one of the most famous climbers in the world. But what lies behind this Norwegian tough guy. Magnus joined Jam Crack in a live event at the KMF to find out.

Support from Summit Financial Services. Summit Financial Services have been providing Life Insurance, Income Protection and Critical Illness Cover for climbers for over 25 years. Speak to a climbing and mountaineering specialist today on 0345 565 0935 or click here for quote https://www.summit-fs.co.uk/


JCPC 171 Rob Matheson
#171
02/04/2025

Lifer, and then some! Lakes legend Rob Matheson was at the forefront of Lake District standards since the 1970s, rarely taking his foot off the gas of hard trad climbing. Skill, boldness and passion took him up the area’s classics. His fire burns just as bright today as he aims himself towards one of the UK’s most terrifying E7s. He's funny, kind and inspiring. Hear his crack!


JCPC 170 Xian Goh
#170
01/17/2025

London-based professional climbing coach Xian Goh has spent years observing climbers climb, paying attention to how they move and how they think. She has now converted her knowledge and experience into a book on climbing movementcalled Smooth. Let's listen up!


JCPC 169 Alex Huber part 3
#169
12/15/2024

He's had his dinner, he's met the Mexicans, and now he's back. German world shaker Alex Huber joins the Jam for the third part of his conversations. Amazing.

Support from Summit Financial Services. Summit Financial Services have been providing Life Insurance, Income Protection and Critical Illness Cover for climbers for over 25 years. Speak to a climbing and mountaineering specialist today on 0345 565 0935 or click here for quote https://www.summit-fs.co.uk/


JCPC 168 Julian Lines part 2
#168
11/22/2024

Second part of the Julian Lines interview. Part one is previous episode.


JCPC 167 Julian Lines part 1
#167
11/21/2024

Pure soul. Julian is one of the UK’s most extraordinary climbers, a stoic toejammer, a ramrod individualist, an aesthetic ascetic. Film star, prize-winning author, hermit. Get in!

 

Support (thank you) from Summit Financial Services. Summit Financial Services have been providing Life Insurance, Income Protection and Critical Illness Cover for climbers for over 25 years.

Speak to a climbing and mountaineering specialist today on 0345 565 0937 or click here for quote https://www.summit-fs.co.uk/

 


JCPC 166 A Lazy Saturday Mix
#166
11/09/2024

A chilled mix for a chilled day. Tracks: Be/Common, We Came Far/Paqua, Dominos/Donald Byrd, Black Gold of the Sunn/Minnie Ripperton/4Hero, Sometimes I'm Wrong/Curtis Mayfield/Luxxury, Talking Blue/Bob Marley, Heaven/Rolling Stones, Hungry for your Love/Van Morrison, Wish I Didn't Miss You/Angie Stone, Barry/T Markarkis, Swimming Places/Julian Jabre, Lazer Worshippers, Take me Higher/Fertile Griound, Only You/Nookie, Heartbreaker/Crazy P, Early in the Morning/Nilsson.

Enjoyyyy x


JCPC 165 Zoë Peetermans Interview
#165
11/09/2024

Competition beast Zoë Peetermans is current British Bouldering champ and lead vice champ. She climbs like she means it and is magic to watch and listen to. Check out her crack.


JCPC 164 Zoë Peetermans Intro
#164
11/08/2024

 NGL - I set out to do the intro to the Zoë Peetermans interview and just kept talking - sorry not sorry. The real interview is on its way ASAP Includes haikus from Anesu and Mike.


JCPC 163 Rick Accomazzo talks Tobin Sorenson
#163
10/17/2024

Tobin Sorenson was one of America's boldest and most gifted climbers of the 1970s. Tobin's friend Rick Accomazzo comes on the show to tell us about Tobin and why he chose to write a book about him.


JCPC 162 Siara Fabbri
#162
10/04/2024

With her ascent of New Base Line, Siara Fabbri joined the world elite of women climbing 8B+. A huge achievement for someone who started climbing at 21 and who works full time in cutting edge science. Antimatter, anyone?


JCPC 161 Alex Huber returns
#161
09/18/2024

He’s back! We got Alex Huber back on the show to chat about pushing sport climbs into 9a+, El Cap free routes, Wolfgang Güllich, controversial opinions and lot more. Go for your guns!

For BMC insurance click here https://bit.ly/3ZtcR2W

 


JCPC 160 Alex Huber
#160
09/06/2024

Alex Huber rose to prominence in the early 1990s with ascents of what were the world's hardest sport climbs, consolidating the 9a grade and pushing on into 9a+. He brought his power to freeing the walls of El Cap and changed that mighty golden landscape forever adding the most popular and beautiful climbs on the great faces.

At the same time, he brought his power and skill to much more serious and remote objectives in the Himalaya, Karakoram, Patagonia and the Arctic. Groundbreaking ascents followed in the Dolomites as well as top level free solos.

...


JCPC 159 James Pearson part 2
#159
08/28/2024

In episode 2 of the James chat we talk about big downgrades, the fallout, getting back up the E12 and his recent repeat of MacLeod’s mystical Echo Wall.


JCPC 158 James Pearson part 1
#158
08/27/2024

Trad-monster James Pearson reflects on the early days of marching through the numbers to the top of grade-mountain and finding himself eventually on the edge of the cliff. Powerful stuff, lots of fun.


JCPC 158 Caroline Ciavaldini
#158
08/20/2024

French-born ex-comp best turned lover of British hard trad mega-classics Caro sits down and answers some of her own questions - is that a thing? Super crack.


JCPC 157 Neil Gresham Part 2
#157
07/27/2024

In part 2 of the Neil Gresham chat we talk Indian Face, Hard Grit, travelling and exploration, DWS, training and professionalism. Brilliant!


JCPC 156 Neil Gresham Part 1
#156
07/26/2024

Neil Gresham has been chomping hard at the climbing bit for nearly forty years, always pushing hard and changing his focus. In part 1 we hear about Sheffield in the 1990s. Get in!


JCPC 155 Jim Pope reads Menlove
#155
05/31/2024

Jim Pope reads End of a Climb by John Menlove Edwards, widely regarded as one of the finest bits of pre-war climbing writing.


JCPC 154 Tom Bolger
#154
05/01/2024

Away from the spotlight, Yorkshire-born Tom Bolger has quietly been redpointing and creating sport climbs of the highest calibre and is one of the few British climbers who are solidly climbing into the ninth grade. We caught up with Tom in his home in the global heart of sport climbing, Catalunya, to see what makes him tick.


JCPC 153 Beth Rodden
#153
04/18/2024

Climbing royalty. Beth Rodden’s impact on climbing from the late 90s to the late 00s was huge. She pushed forward female standards in sport and trad, did early free ascents on El cap, and established a crack testpiece where ascents still make the news.

Injuries led to a stepping back, motherhood followed and she has now written her autobiography, A Light Through the Cracks.


JCPC 152 Remus Knowles
#152
03/30/2024

Me and Remus talk crap about climbing.


JCPC 151 Andrew Bisharat
#151
03/06/2024

Writer and podcaster Andrew Bisharat looks back on a life in journalism, creativity, climbing, being mbbed and his involvement in the Palestine-based film, Resistance Climbing.


JCPC 150 Jerry Moffatt Revelations
#150
02/25/2024

On the 15th anniversary of Jerry Moffatt Revelations, for which I was ghost writer, I read some sections, remember the creation and listen to some recordings.


JCPC 149 Mari Salvesen
#149
02/21/2024

Norweigan trad beast, crack shuffler and professional amateur Mari talks Troll Wall, local clubs, El Cap and always looking forward.


JCPC 148 Billy, Alex and The Nose Part 2
01/25/2024

Part 2 of the amazing tale of Billy Ridal and Alex Waterhouse's epic free ascent of The Nose on El Cap.


JCPC 147 Alex, Billy and The Nose Part 1
#147
01/24/2024

Having recently retired from a life of indoor comps, two plastic-hardened heroes declare to the world that they are off to free climb The Nose of El Cap, the world's greatest trad route. Get outta town. Part 2 follows tomorrow.


JCPC 146 Alistair Lee
#146
01/02/2024

Al Lee’s films have documented UK trad climbing and climbers for over a decade. Movies such as On Sight, Climbing Blind, Blocheads and The Prophet have made the screen shine. This week let’s hear Al’s crack.


JCPC 145 Jam Crack Christmas Disco
#145
12/23/2023

Your annual sermon from the disco pulpit where the Jesus of beats and the Devil of groove battle it out in an epic dance to the death. Hot dog! Love's a-winnin!


JCPC 144 Zoe Wood
#144
12/18/2023

23-year-old Zoe was born into climbing in the hills and homes of North Wales where the slopes of Eryri turn their eyes towards the sea, This world was sketched in a recent film, Adra, which captured too her love for her home. Hear about it and her current career as a routesetter and a move to Sheffield. Many Cackles are had.