The latest episode of Mountain Voices, the podcast series from the UIAA (International Climbing and Mountaineering Federation), is now available. Season 3 of the podcast, launched in 2024, has arrived with a bold new format: intimate, in-depth interviews with some of the most compelling figures in climbing and mountaineering today.
Caro North, Episode 15
Swiss climber and IFMGA mountain guide Caro North has spent a lifetime seeking out the unknown. She was on skis at two, climbing at eleven, and on Aconcagua at sixteen. Though she turned back just 100 metres from the summit on that first major expedition, the experience ignited a passion that has since taken her to the Himalaya, Alaska, Antarctica, Greenland, Iran and deep into Patagonia, where she has established an extraordinary 55 new routes in a remote area near Bariloche. Her episode includes the story of a sailing expedition across the North Atlantic to reach unclimbed objectives in Greenland, and the recent first all-female ascent of the South African Route on the Central Tower of Paine — a 13-day battle in demanding conditions. Caro’s conversation is a reminder of what exploratory climbing looks like at its finest.
Lara Neumeier, Episode 14
Episode 14 introduces one of Europe’s most exciting climbing talents. German climber Lara Neumeier grew up in the Allgäu mountains and was wearing a harness before she could barely walk — and she hasn’t stopped since. In 2023, alongside Babsi Zangerl, she completed the first female ascent of two legendary El Capitan routes, free climbing 35 pitches over six days on what was, astonishingly, her first big wall on El Cap. She returned the following year to free climb El Niño, and closer to home made the first female repeat of the ferocious trad route Psychogramm at 8b+. Now she has set her sights on completing a trilogy of Beat Kammerlander’s hardest alpine routes — two down, one to go. Lara’s episode is a masterclass in ambition, courage, and the joy of pushing limits.
Tom Livingstone, Episode 13
Season 3 opens with a guest Sir Chris Bonington once described as “one of the finest climbers in the world.” Tom Livingstone is a British alpinist whose CV reads like a tick-list from another dimension — trad routes at E9, Scottish winter at IX,9, and alpine objectives on the Grandes Jorasses and the Karakorum. In this episode, Tom reflects on what drew him into climbing, the lessons carved out on everything from UK crags to remote Himalayan ridgelines, and what still drives him now he’s in his mid-30s with ambitions very much intact. If you’ve ever wondered what it takes to operate at the absolute frontier of alpinism while staying grounded, this conversation offers rare and honest insight.
Kilian Jornet, Episode 12
Before Season 3 launched, Episode 12 of Mountain Voices delivered one of the most compelling interviews of the entire series: an exclusive sit-down with Kilian Jornet. This was somewhat of a precursor to the new format introduced for Season 3. The Catalan legend needs little introduction — multiple ski mountaineering world champion, trail and ultra-running icon, and the man who climbed all 82 UIAA-classified 4,000-metre peaks of the Alps in just 19 days. In this episode, Kilian discusses the logistics and physical demands of that incredible challenge, his thoughts on ethics in mountaineering, reflections on Everest, and the work of his foundation focused on the environment, youth engagement and inclusion.
Mountain Voices Season 3 is available now on Acast, Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Subscribe and join the conversation. New episodes are released monthly. Further details here.