Welcome to Wonderland - New Age Development with Tal Wanish
In this episode, we sit down with Tal Wanish to talk about what it really means to build a climbing area from the ground up.
Tal walks us through his evolution from a college climbing class at Clemson to becoming one of the most active route developers in Colorado’s South Platte, and eventually discovering what is now known as Wonderland—a massive, wild granite zone west of Denver that has grown into a true local playground. With over two dozen named formations and hundreds of routes, Wonderland is a case study in what happens when curiosity, persistence, and community-minded development collide.
We dig into Tal’s philosophy on developing areas rather than individual routes, how he evaluates new rock, and the technical and ethical considerations that come with bolting, re-bolting, and building something that will last beyond his lifetime. Tal also shares how mentorship shaped his path, and how he’s paying it forward by helping guide the next generation of route developers.
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Follow Tal on Instagram: @totalwanish
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