Alison Osius on The Women of Climbing and Media in the 80s

Alison Osius is easily one of the most impactful people in climbing media. She helped to shape how so many climbers learned more about and engaged with the sport from the 80s into the 20s. She’s a former editor at Climbing, Rock and Ice and Outside, the first woman president of the American Alpine Club, wrote Second Ascent: The Story of Hugh Herr and has received the AAC Literary Award.  She's a climbing legend.  In this episode we discuss how she discovered climbing through journalism, her first times meeting the other top women of the 80s, and some of the first big competitions. We also get Alison's side of the rivalry with Bobbi Bensman that we heard about last season, and of course, because she's a media legend, I ask her theorize about the answers to impossible to answer questions. We start the conversation talking about a big event that had just happened before we recorded.  Power Company Climbing Anniversary Sale!  Check out our website for related episodes, resources and more! Join the Secret Stoners Club for FREE and get bonus episodes. ---------------------------------- Season Two is generously supported by Rab.  This episode is supported by Tension Climbing. Use code WRITTEN15 at checkout. Written in Stone is co-created with Power Company Climbing.

Om Podcasten

Written in Stone tells the (mostly) true stories of the most groundbreaking ascents in rock climbing history, one decade at a time. Hosted by Kris Hampton, you’ll hear the narrated, sound designed stories about what led to new levels in climbing, alternated with conversations with today’s top climbers about what inspired them about what went down way back then. Season Two is focused on the 1980’s. The birth of sport climbing as we know it, the struggles with changing rules and ethics, the women who paved the way for the superstars of the 90s and 00s. Patrick Edlinger, Jerry Moffatt, Wolfgang Gullich, Catherine Destivelle, Lynn Hill, and more. Like Todd Skinner always said, ”never let the truth get in the way of a good story.”