Sept. 1, 2026

44 - Cataloging the Classics with Steph Abegg

Steph Abegg has spent the better part of two decades exploring, climbing, and meticulously documenting some of the biggest and most adventurous routes across western North America. From her early days scrambling and mountaineering in the North Cascades to long days on remote multi-pitch routes, Steph has built a reputation not only for her ability to move quickly through big terrain, but for the incredibly detailed trip reports, route overlays, photos, and beta she creates along the way.

In this episode, we trace Steph’s climbing journey from growing up in a family of mountaineers to discovering rock climbing in college, and the mentorship that helped launch her into the world of long alpine routes. She shares the story of a devastating accident on the North Face of Vesper that nearly cost her her foot—and ultimately pushed her toward steeper, more solid rock climbing in the High Sierra and beyond. We also dive into the big-day mentality that has defined her climbing ever since, including her recent 19-hour ascent of All Along the Watchtower in the Bugaboos, a 35-hour car-to-car push on Bear Mountain, and her 10-hour ascent of the Matterhorn that put her more than an hour under the previous women’s FKT.
Along the way, we get deep into Steph’s unique approach to climbing documentation—how she researches an objective, builds route overlays before ever setting foot on the climb, records pitch-by-pitch beta, and turns each adventure into a polished visual story. She explains why the process of documenting a climb has become almost as important as the climb itself, and how that passion has evolved into her current project: 70 Select, a book highlighting her favorite multi-pitch rock climbs across western North America. It's clear from this conversation, that after nearly 20 years of climbing and documenting adventures, Steph still has no plans to slow down.

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.

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Visit Steph's website to see all of her latest adventures, topos and trip reports

Follow the Steph on Instagram: @stephabegg_com

Check out Steph's YouTube Channel @stephabegg

Read about Steph's recent ascent of All Along the Watchtower in the Bugaboos

Get a first hand look at Steph's recent FKT on the Matterhorn

Dive deep into Steph's 35-hour car-to-car push on Bear Mountain

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