David Smart’s life and work seem to intersect with climbing at every turn. He’s a lifelong climber, revered route developer and the editorial director at Gripped Publishing. He’s a founding editor at Gripped Magazine and has been crucial to its success and longevity for more than 25 years.
Smart has published five books, including a biography of Royal Robbins which recently won the Banff Mountain Book Award for climbing literature. He also actively contributes to Alpinist, including his mountain profile on Cima Grande in Alpinist 76 and a recent story on Kodak’s Brownie camera and how it impacted the representation of climbing in the media and beyond.
Smart has developed more than 300 routes in the Canadian Rockies and elsewhere around the world. At age 60, he continues to climb several days a week and revels in the ambiance of his home range.
In this episode, we cover a lot of ground, from his new biography on Royal Robbins to the state of publishing and climbing media to his passion for route development and leaving something behind for others to experience.
Support for this episode of the Alpinist Podcast comes from Osprey.
Alpinist Magazine: Website | Instagram | Facebook
Host: Abbey Collins
Guest: David Smart
Producer + Engineer: Mike Horn
A Life of Adventure and Positive Impact: Timmy O’Neill
The Self Motivator: Chantel Astorga
Balancing Risk and Reward: Mike Gardner
From Pebbles to the Himalaya: Pete Takeda
The Novelty Seeker: Madaleine Sorkin
Not in Ohio Anymore: Anna Pfaff
Alpinist Aloud: “To Look the Bear in the Eye”
Alpinist Aloud: "Less Rich Without You"
Alpinist Aloud: “Melting Giants”
Fire and Ice: Scott Coldiron
A Visit with Mark Twight
Alpinist Aloud: “Life Compass” by Brette Harrington
"All that Glitters": Margo Talbot
Alpinist Aloud: “The Raven at the Door” by David Stevenson
Alpinist Aloud: “The Force of the Soul,” by James Edward Mills
The Lifestyler: Chris Weidner
Climber, Transcending: Kai Lightner
Rethinking Mountaineering Histories: Amrita Dhar
From the Gunks to Desert Towers: Jeff Achey
Perspective: Robbi Mecus
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