Show notes
🚀🚀 First episode! 🪨🍚I'm Tim — a passionate climber and a proud Filipino. I've met lots of Filipino climbers who have a lot to share. How dope would it be if there was a podcast that featured us?Rock and Rice is a podcast where Filipino climbers tell their story. Follow us on Instagram.For this first interview, we're talking to Al Amores. Al Amores has been a climber for 29 years. He sent his first 5.14a at forty five years old. He's climbed all around the US, Europe, and Southeast Asia, and now splits his time between the Philippines, Colorado, and West Virginia. He's also been developing a sport climbing area in the Philippines — Danao — for the last ten years.Al's LinksAl's InstagramDanao ClimbingCreditsPodcast logo by Pat Palacio.Intro music: Bruiser by WinchipThe "Rock and Rice" name comes from Julie De JesusInterview Notes00:00:16 — Why Tim Casasola started Rock & Rice. And what it's about.00:02:22 — Intro to Al00:03:38 — Al's interview00:08:28 — Being the only Filipino at the crag in the late 90's West Virginia00:10:49 — Starting as a trad climber, then branching out into bouldering00:13:34 — How the New River Gorge shaped Al00:17:50 — Pursuing limits in bouldering, sport, and trad00:21:34 — Meeting Julie De Jesus (and Chris Sharma) in Bishop00:22:40 — Al, Julie, and Norm were the only Filipinos in Bishop in the early 2000s00:28:23 — Style > Numbers00:34:35 — Sending Art & Sport 5.13c/8a+ in Tonsai after his highest send being a 5.12b00:38:24 — How Hidetaka Suzuki, a former pro from Japan, influenced Al00:45:01 — Julie De Jesus was and is a well-rounded climber too (trad, sport, bouldering)00:48:51 — The Lebron James approach to climbing00:52:30 — Good climbing is like Kyrie Irving's game01:00:40 — "The Temple Bouldering Cave in Tonsai is one of the best bouldering caves in the world."01:03:23 — Al sends Beastmaster V10/7c+ in Tonsai then easily onsighted 5.12b's01:05:00 — How Al discovered climbing potential in Danao01:09:55 — Buying tons of bolts despite while new to route development01:15:55 — First Ascent? Nah son, it's about the First Descent.01:19:13 — Danao's place in the Philippines' larger climbing context01:23:28 — Sending Jack Sparrow, a 5.14a in Cantabaco, Philippines01:29:42 — "Routes are like restaurants. Your opinion isn't valid until you try it"01:30:33 — If Al were to get after another 5.14a, it'd be Proper Soul at the New01:32:49 — Tim reads Al's historical writeup on Jack Sparrow01:38:13 — Veronica Baker Amores, the ED of Global Climbing Initiative and Al's wife!01:44:56 — One aspect of climbing culture Al loves and one aspect he'd change01:48:05 — Let's better support our route developers!01:58:48 — Al's advice to the Filipino climbing community