[sxrxg]

Agree with everything that has been said so far. A brilliant podcast that provide some real insight.

[edshakey]

Currently about halfway through, and loving it. Taylor has a lot to say, and it's all interesting so far

Finished it off today. As insightful and interesting as any I've heard, truly brilliant. I've never heard such an open account of what it's like to be trans, and I gained a great deal of perspective on it all. Can't think of anyone who wouldn't learn a similar amount really.

If you can persuade her to write a book, I'd definitely be buying it.

Couldn't agree more

[Duncan Disorderly]

If you can persuade her to write a book, I'd definitely be buying it.

  Absolute class Grimer....

[slab_happy]

Yep, great pod with Taylor. She's super open and honest, and it helped me understand a complex issue a lot more.

I was saying to someone recently that the issue gets much less complex in some ways as soon you actually know some trans or non-binary people, because you have to go: ah yeah right, these are ordinary human beings trying to get on with their lives, and what they're experiencing is real, even if I don't personally "get" some aspect of it. It stops being an abstract/theoretical debate topic.

Very often you get discussions of "The Transgender Issue" in the media which are completely disconnected from the realities of trans people's lives, or from any sense of trans people as real people (which is why Shon Faye's outstanding book nabs that as its title, because it's deliberately regrounding the conversation in those realities again -- top rec for anyone who wants to learn more, btw, it's amazing, one of the best things I've read this year).

Anyway, what an amazing interview, holy shit. Heart-breaking but I'm so so glad she's got to what sounds like a good place in her life.

Massive props to Taylor for being so open and eloquent, and to Niall for being that rare thing, an interviewer who can listen and respond to what they're hearing rather than just moving on to the next question on the list.

[Fiend]

Just caught up on this one, I needed something to pass the time on another dreary rehab day. I'm not usually one for the human stories and socials issues stuff, but this was brilliant and fascinating. Taylor is really eloquent and open and has a hell of a rollercoaster ride to talk about, and Grimer did a great job of not shying away from the issues and details with a person who was willing to share them (and the part about "not having the.....guts...." raised a real laugh in a dark context).

I think an interview like this does more to explain and encourage empathy with the situation than a thousand twitter rants or a hundred "issue articles" that jab_happy alludes to.

[mrjonathanr]

Niall for being that rare thing, an interviewer who can listen and respond to what they're hearing rather than just moving on to the next question on the list.

Totally.

[remus]

The latest one with Dan Varian is a corker, well worth a listen.

[tommytwotone]

Indeed, and I hope that a) the Jamcrack Nights thing happens in Leeds and b) that all of the Lancashire / Yorkshire / Other Northern Types heads get there if it does.

For anyone old enough to remember the old Ape Index lectures, they were brilliant and the new Jamcrack Nights sounds like it'll be similarly excellent.

[Duma]

The latest one with Dan Varian is a corker, well worth a listen.

Yeah this was excellent, especially the stuff about Christianbury. Felt it could have done with a lot less about Franco and more on beastmakers, font, Scotland, pushing him on the grading thing (IE if he insists on using Gaskins things as a ceiling for his own stuff, how do they compare with stuff outside the UK). To run out of time in a 2hr + podcast when you've spent a big chunk of it talking about someone else not doing two problems is a shame .

[SA Chris]

Agree on all the above. It's the second time I've heard / seen him mention Aidan's crimping method, but still not elaborate.

I like how he mentions his ultimate project was visible from his school and home, sort of like Jeff Clark and Mavericks.

[Bradders]

Loved the one with Dan Varian, really interesting. Please can we have a part 2? Agree with Duma, too much time spent on Franco (albeit it's clearly an important subject and I get why the conversation went there).

Particularly enjoyed hearing more about Bombadil, and what it represented to him. Perfectly named too in the sense of the Tolkien character being an enigma, clearly without meaning and yet simultaneously with all the meaning in the world. Sums up climbing really.

[Fultonius]

Tried yesterday to listen to the Franco one, but the background noise was just too distracting.

I hadn't got round to the Varian one yet, so back on that now. So far so good.

[Will Hunt]

I really struggled with the background noise on Franco's until I started listening on headphones which was much much better.

[edshakey]

I listened on headphones too and didn't mind it much at all. The only parts where it was particularly distracting was when it was loud enough for them to pause and chuckle about whatever chaos was going on near them.

Glad the first half stayed in - pretty awkward sounding but that's entertaining in itself.

Looking forward to JC Nights 

[spidermonkey09]

Aidan's crimping method

I don't think this is any big secret, from what I understand he crimps stuff with his fingers at a really acute angle, almost using the skin on the vertical plane between end of nail and start of the pad proper. Almost like you would fingernail crimp an edge on the slate or similar. As I understood it training this over many years had made him ridiculously strong on small crimps as he can get right over the top of them and exert maximum force. This might be complete balls but thats what I understood anyway; correction welcome

[jwi]

at a lower level, my better half also prefer the claw to the crimp. She can pull on holds that I cannot fathom holding, on the other than she cannot hold bigger sized hold very well.

[Wellsy]

I have a really high angle to my half crimp and it makes tiny sharp incut edges feel amazing. Sucks on slopey gritstone edges though. I have to force myself to open the angle and drag more. I wonder if Aidan uses it on those or if he drags too?

[edshakey]

Aidan's crimping method

I don't think this is any big secret, from what I understand he crimps stuff with his fingers at a really acute angle, almost using the skin on the vertical plane between end of nail and start of the pad proper. Almost like you would fingernail crimp an edge on the slate or similar.

At Ned's talk about his book at Kendal, he mentioned how Aidan has very little skin on the end of his fingers, after his nail ends. So there isn't much skin to roll off small holds. This, combined with the technique etc, means he's extremely suited to holds that others would struggle on, even with similar finger 'strength'.

[SA Chris]

so us fat handed twats have no chance. Thanks for the explanations.

[Fultonius]

Dang Chris, and here was me thinking you'd been sitting on an untapped mine of crimping power, and all the unclimbed projects in the NE were quivering at the thought of it....

[SA Chris]

more fat in my fingertips than a packet of Tesco own brand pork chipolatas.

[yetix]

Dan has mentioned some of the stuff aidan does elsewhere, pinky half crimp training etc, means he can half crimp with all 4 fingers at that angle, this must offer alot of strength and stability at higher angles as most people's pinky remains in a drag or isn't very trained at this angle.

Also I would imagine aidan is doing hangboarding at the different 15 degree finger angles Dan sort of mentions in the podcast, so if half crimp was 90 degrees then also 105,120, possibly more idk, would love to know more about this.

But I think Aidans strength isn't just his fingers, look at how he climbs he's always chicken winging (this blatently isn't because he's boxed) which allows him to take advantage of other strengths like his hamstrings etc which I would suggest are strength to weight wise are up there with anyone's

[Adam Lincoln]

Tried yesterday to listen to the Franco one, but the background noise was just too distracting.

I hadn't got round to the Varian one yet, so back on that now. So far so good.

Worst one yet (due to sound quality) and gave up trying to listen.

[highrepute]

I found sound fine on Franco's with headphones.

In terms of content, I thought Franco was the perfect antidote to Dan's intense seriousness.

Both compelling listens.

Thanks for putting these things together Grimer.

[moose]

I really enjoyed Dan's tales of crag development - heartening stuff on the joy of discovery (plus some bonus Northumberland history). But I'm still bemused by his grading philosophy, even though it was explained repeatedly. So far as I could tell,  he is well aware of general, worldwide standards but for his own FAs in the UK, he knowingly misgrades everything because... Gaskins!? Not that it really matters - the legacy is in the quantity of quality problems (and the greasy BM2000s in every doorway), and not a + or - grade here or there.. but it struck me as oddly incoherent and irrational from someone who was otherwise so precise and analytical.