Aug. 18, 2026

42 - A Noob's Guide to Horseshoe Hell (Rebroadcast from The Struggle Climbing Show)

What happens when two Horseshoe Hell veterans sit down with the podcast legends Ryan Devlin & Chris Kalous and try to explain what they've gotten themselves into?

For this special rebroadcast, we joined Ryan on the Struggle Climbing Show and his Hell partner Chris (host of The Enormocast) for a crash course in all things 24 Hours of Horseshoe Hell—the legendary Arkansas climbing event where teams spend 12, 24, or even 36 hours climbing as many routes as they can.

We break down the basics of Hell, from how the event works and how to qualify, to the biggest mistakes first-timers make and the tactics that can save your skin, energy, and sanity when the clock keeps ticking. We also get into the questions everyone has before their first Hell: Why aren't there more injuries? What does it actually take to survive 24 hours? And, perhaps most importantly, how do you choose the right costume?

Whether you're thinking about signing up for Horseshoe Hell, curious what makes the event so uniquely chaotic, or just want to hear four climbers convince themselves that climbing through the night is a good idea, this episode is your crash course in Hell.

A huge thank you to our sponsor, Misty Mountain, for supporting The Ground Up Podcast. Since 1985, Misty Mountain has been handcrafting climbing harnesses and equipment in North Carolina, building gear that's trusted by climbers no matter the challenge.

As a listener of The Ground Up Podcast, you can save 15% on harnesses, gear, and apparel with the code GROUNDUP at checkout.

Follow Ryan & The Struggle on Instagram: @thestruggleclimbingshow

Follow Chris & The Enormocast on Instagram: @enormocast

Check out the Struggle Climbing Show

Check out the Enormocast

Get prepped for 24 Hours of Horseshoe Hell with our previous Hell guests