The RunOut Podcast

The RunOut Podcast


The RunOut #155: The state of American bolts with Nate Liles

September 03, 2025

Nate Liles is a photographer, filmmaker, and development director at the American Safe Climbing Association. Today's conversation with Nate centers on the state of bolts and bolting in America today, and the tenuous landscape of route developers, local climbing organizations, land managers, and community-organized bolting events that keep the state of hardware at our crags in the best shape possible. We talk about best practices regarding how to maintain hardware, where we've inadvertently created issues, and the importance of supporting your local climbing organization—not to mention the ASCA itself—with your dollars.  But first, we talk about bad kids at the crags and reaching the threshold for when there are just too many of these rotten, no-good brats ruining our wilderness experiences. Last but never least, today's final bit comes from the talented photographer and musician Taylor Shaffer Show Notes Follow Nate Liles on Instagram Follow the ASCA on Instagram Donate to the ASCA SafeClimbing.org Orographic Creative Follow Taylor Shaffer and Taylor Shaffer Music on Instagram Taylor Shaffer on Spotify Taylor Shaffer interview