Wide Ponies and Offwidths
6/12/202653 min
Offwidths – for most climbers they are a necessary evil, but for a fringe fraction, hard, often inverted offwidth climbing is the main attraction. We talk with offwidth climbers Sam MacIlwaine and Pete Whittaker to discuss the dark art of fists stacks and wide ponies. Watch Climbing Gold on YouTube Thanks to our sponsors The North Face Check out Summit Series at thenorthface.com Kodiak Cakes Find Kodiak products at your local grocery store, they're the ones with the bear on the box or learn more at Kodiakcakes.com Lattice Training Try Lattice free for 30 days. Get started at latticetraining.com/climbinggold David Buy 4 cartons and get the 5th one for free at davidprotein.com/climbinggold AG1 Get an AG1 flavor sampler and a bottle of Vitamin D3 + K2 Free with your first AG1 subscription at DrinkAG1.com/climbinggold LMNT Get your free LMNT Sample Pack with any purchase at www.drinklmnt.com/climbinggold. Try the new Lemonade + Ice Tea flavor Want Climbing Gold ad free? Check out Unroped
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First 90 secondsFitz Cahall· Host0:00
I'm curious, Alex, whether you like the prep that happens before a big day out, like getting ready, like thinking about the gear, dialing it all in, like those sort of negotiations that happen.
Alex Honnold· Host0:10
Yeah, kind of. I mean, it's always exciting when you're like, "Oh, I'm putting the gear on the harness. I'm getting everything in the bag just right." Yeah, just knowing that something consequential is happening the next day and you are getting ready for it.
Fitz Cahall· Host0:21
There are, like, totally some missions where what you're wearing can make the difference between success and failure.
Alex Honnold· Host0:27
Definitely in the mountains, that is true, and in cold climates, and yeah. I mean, that is definitely true in a lot of places. Climbing big mountains are places where if you get wet and you get cold, it's kind of game over.
Fitz Cahall· Host0:36
You're going down.
Alex Honnold· Host0:37
Yeah, [laughs] exactly. You're going down. And so having the right layering, having the right... It's what, what one of my friends calls your, uh, action suit. That's like you always go to the same kit, 'cause you know it will hold up in the mountains, basically. Summit Series is the pinnacle North Face product. It's what you want for big days. It's what you want for missions that have consequence. Discover gear designed to take you to new heights at thenorthface.com.
Fitz Cahall· Host0:59
I remember a long time ago gabbing with a friend, we were, like, on a long drive or approach, about what it means when you say, "I'm a 5.12 or a 5.13, 5.14 climber." And, you know, we were bored, so it's like we weren't taking this too seriously, but we were talking about you, when you say that, you should sort of mean it to be that you're a well-rounded climber. Like, ideally, if you're, you say you're a 5.12 rock climber, you should be able to engage with all the styles, like sport, cracks, slab, steep climbing, offwidth. Yeah,