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Circle Up!

Kyra Condie, Allison Vest

Come Circle Up with Allison Vest and Kyra Condie. This podcast is the perfect length to get you psyched on your way to the gym or during a 30 min workout. Listen to some light hearted and deep diving talks into climbing, motivation, body image, mindset, and more! Great for climbers and non-climbers alike!

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20 episodes
Avg 48 min
English

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#66
Dec 16, 2025 · 1 hr 1 min
The Mentorship Sessions E5 Emily Harrington and Hazel Findlay
In this final episode of the mini series The Mentorship Sessions, we are delighted to be joined by Emily Harrington and Hazel Findlay. Both of these women have accolades and accomplishments that speak for themselves, but let go ahead and name a few to start off. Emily was the fourth woman ever to free climb El Cap in a day, and the first woman to do so via the Golden Gate route, she's summited Mount Everest, is a very accomplished comp climber, and has the first female ascent of a number of worl
#65
Dec 9, 2025 · 41 min
E61 Does Climbing Media Under-Hype Women's Accomplishments?
In this episode—brought to you by OCUN, engineered for climbing—Kyra Condie and Freddie Kolwey dive into the numbers behind elite bouldering: how many women have climbed V14 or harder, how many men have climbed V16 or harder, and why climbing media still doesn’t give women’s achievements the attention they deserve. They unpack the shrinking space for stories that aren’t tied to being “the first,” and how that pressure shapes which accomplishments make headlines. They also explore the frustratin
#64
Nov 18, 2025 · 50 min
E60 HOT TAKES: Athletes Endorsing OnlyFans, the Glorification of Free Soloing, and Sports-Washing
CONTENT WARNING: Nothing too scandalous is talked about in this episode, but we do refer to the platform OnlyFans and if you are a parent, maybe listen to this episode first before letting someone under 18 listen! If you are under 18, please talk to your parent, guardian, or trusted adult before listening. With that said, this is our next episode in our series of "ethical debates" in climbing and sport. We start with the apparent glorification of danger, specifically free soloing and highballin
#63
Nov 3, 2025 · 41 min
E59 The Art of Training Your Weaknesses and Board Climbing Basics
Welcome back for another episode of the Circle Up! Podcast. In this episode, Kyra and Allison go over what Allison has been up to in the recent months since she hasn't been on the podcast for a while. She's mainly been in the "pain cave" focusing on training now that she's healthy and was able to have a proper "off" season. Allison shares what she's been focusing on and how that focus on improving her weaknesses has actually helped hone in her training over the last couple months and make tangib
#62
Oct 7, 2025 · 1 hr 29 min
The Mentorship Sessions E4 with Jess and Jon Glassberg
The Glassbergs are no strangers to juggling chaos. Between running a production company (Louder Than 11), raising two-year-old twin girls, and traveling the world to capture some of the most impressive climbing of our time; their lives are full to the brim. Which is exactly why Kyra and Freddie thought they'd be a fantastic fit for the Mentorship Sessions Series. In this conversation, Jon and Jess open up about the challenges of parenthood, the exciting projects they’re working on, Jess’s crash
#61
Sep 30, 2025 · 38 min
E58 Finding Stoke in the Send and Climbing Partners with Varying Ability Levels
In this episode Kyra Condie and Freddie Kolwey chat about how sometimes your mood (and let’s be honest) your self worth is tied to sending a rock. Kyra experienced this on her latest trip to Africa, talking about how projecting was wearing down on her and how she had a specific day where the goal was to stand on top of “anything”. Kyra and Freddie both share stories relating to how their mood has improved after sending or how they’ve managed that, and whether that is an inherently “bad” thing or
#60
Sep 6, 2025 · 1 hr 9 min
The Mentorship Sessions E3 with Mat Wright and Sevan Mclean
Welcome to the Mentorship Sessions, a Circle Up! mini-series where we share high-level mentorship insights through real conversations with pairs who’ve guided and learned from each other. In this episode, UK-based professional climber and full-time coach Mat Wright joins with his client and friend Sevan Mclean, an incredibly strong and enthusiastic climber from Montana. Together with hosts Kyra Condie and Freddie Kolwey, they dive into the ways their coaching relationship has shaped both of them
#59
Aug 18, 2025 · 1 hr 22 min
The Mentorship Sessions E2 with Adventure Athletes Tim Emmett and Will Gadd
Welcome to the Mentorship Sessions! In this episode of the mini series, Kyra and Freddie interview long time friends, climbing partners, and extreme adventure multi-sport athletes Will Gadd and Tim Emmett. Tim is a professional climber, ex–base jumper, and freediver who’s pioneered deep-water soloing, pushed the limits of ice climbing, and thrown himself into the extremes of every sport he’s tried. Will is a climber, ice climber, paraglider, ex–base jumper, and kayaker with X Games gold medals
#58
Aug 4, 2025 · 41 min
The Mentorship Sessions E1 with Kyra Condie and Freddie Kolwey
Welcome to The Mentorship Sessions! In this mini series, releasing throughout August and September 2025, usual host Kyra Condie paired up with Freddie Kolwey to interview pairs of mentors and mentees in order to shed light onto what makes a good relationship, why having a mentor helps in climbing and outdoor sports in general, and to just dig into the way people support one another. This idea was sparked by Freddie, because as climbing grows in popularity, the number of new climbers is outpacing
#57
Jul 29, 2025 · 52 min
E57 The Great Mono Debate, Hangboarding Protocols, and Safety Concerns at World Cups
Ever wondered whether route‑setters should be throwing monos into competition climbs? Kyra and Allison had noticed an increase in the use of monos in competitions recently and so they dig into the great mono debate. Is it a legitimate test of skill or just an injury waiting to happen? Allison pulls from her own mono‑training journey, sharing what worked, what back‑fired, and whether she thinks training monos improved her normal crimping strength. From there, they compare their personal hang‑boa
#56
Jun 30, 2025 · 38 min
E56 Lessons in Maturity
In this episode, brought to you by OCUN, Allison talks about reconnecting with old passions and how they’re starting to blend into her climbing career, while Kyra shares how she’s feeling more self-assured and relying on her comp experience more than ever. They chat about what the last few weeks have looked like, and reflect on what they’ve learned with age—like how to train smarter, trust their instincts, and know when it’s time to push or pull back. It all ties into the kind of quiet confidenc
#55
May 31, 2025 · 27 min
E55 Does this Count? The Grey Areas in Climbing Ethics
In this episode Kyra and Allison discuss multiple topics surrounding the "grey areas” of ethics within climbing. Things like, does a top rope ascent “count” as the first ascent of a climb? Can you down climb a climb to preserve the onsight? What about having an “oh shit” rope draped next to a highball top out as a safety net in case you panic? These are the important questions that we don’t have answers to, but do have opinions on. Hopefully none of this is too hot of takes for anyone, we kept i
#54
May 4, 2025 · 38 min
E54 The Highs and Lows of the First Two World Cups of 2025
In this episode, Kyra and Allison break down Kyra’s performance at the first World Cup of the season, where she made semifinals and finished tied for 11th—a strong start to the year. The following weekend brought the season’s first Lead World Cup, packed with fast-paced action and drama. From route setting and rule changes to performance mindset, they unpack it all with their insider perspective as athletes.
#53
Apr 22, 2025 · 37 min
E53 Exciting Changes in the World of Rock Climbing
In this episode, supported by OCÚN, Kyra is fresh off competing with the new scoring format at Team Trials. Kyra and Allison together unpack what they missed when they talked about it before actually experiencing it, and how it might change the sport moving forward. They wonder how World Cups will be impacted and get excited for the season to officially start with Kyra heading to China just a few days after this episode was recorded. Then they dive into the latest Olympic announcement: three m
#52
Apr 14, 2025 · 36 min
E52 The Making of the Tension Board 2 with Will Anglin
In this episode, Kyra and Allison had the pleasure of going to the Tension Climbing shop in Denver, Colorado and chatting with Will Anglin before their flight home about how the Tension brand started and how he developed the Tension Board 2 (aka the TB2). It was fascinating to learn about the process, starting from learning from lessons with their first product (the TB1), to creating holds digitally, setting the board, and then working within constraints to finally get what we now see in gyms ac
#51
Apr 7, 2025 · 55 min
E51 Jesse Grupper: Antsy Rest Days, Underdog Mindset, and Making a Positive Impact
In this episode, Kyra chats with Jesse Grupper, her good friend, roommate, and fellow Olympian. Jesse and Kyra start off by sharing some insight into their house and their similarities and differences when it comes to training mindset and planning. Jesse shares his thoughts about being an "underdog" in the past and how its helped him push himself and his limits while achieving benchmarked goals along the way. They then talk about how that's changed throughout the years. Jesse shares insight into
#50
Mar 21, 2025 · 34 min
E50 Debating the New IFSC Bouldering Scoring System
In this episode (episode 50!!) Kyra and Allison debate and explain the new scoring system being implemented in IFSC and many other international and national events. There are big changes this year, where the old tops and zones format was changed to purely be point based. Kyra and Allison lightly disagree about how they define the "best" climber in a round; is it the climber getting the most tops or the climber consistently getting the farthest on all the climbs? Listen to find out! Comment to l
#49
Mar 10, 2025 · 1 hr 8 min
E49 It's Cool to Care: Finding Power with Kerry Scott
In this episode of Circle Up!, Kerry Scott shares her journey through the ups and downs of her climbing career. She talks about transitioning from competitions to outdoor climbing—and then back again—and how moving across the country to work in the climbing industry influenced her path. Kerry reflects on the pressure she felt to downplay her competitive side, something she realized wasn’t encouraged in young women the way it often is in men, something both Kyra and Allison heavily relate to. Sh
#48
Mar 4, 2025 · 32 min
E48: Get a Grip: Climbing Partners and Trying New Things
In this episode of Circle Up!, Kyra and Allison revisit a conversation Kyra had with Dan about climbing with a romantic partner—this time, flipping the script and asking Allison for her take. The two dive into the nuances of sharing projects, time, and training with someone you’re dating, leading to a bigger discussion on how relationships intersect with high-level climbing. Then, Kyra breaks down her experience at a recent grip competition in LA, what she learned, and why grip sport might actua
#47
Feb 20, 2025 · 38 min
E47 How to Try Hard
In this episode, Kyra is joined by Dan Beall (who's stepping in for Allison while she's off crushing boulders in Vegas) and together they dive into the moments when they first saw major breakthroughs in their own climbing and talk about what they believe made the difference. Then, they explore a common challenge among climbers: truly trying hard. Many unknowingly hold themselves back in training, stopping short of their full potential because unlocking 100% effort can be uncomfortable and . Kyra

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