EP 279: Andy Raether
July 21, 2025
Andy Raether is a prolific sport climber, boulderer, and developer based in Las Vegas, NV. He also owns a climbing hold company and created the Woods Board. We talked about his intro to climbing and making holds, bringing routes and crags to life, sending his hardest boulder (Midlife Crisis V14) at 40 years old, how he trains on The Woods Board, how to master terrible holds, and much more.
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Show Notes:
Related Episodes:
References:
30:30s Workout
30 seconds on 30 seconds off
6 reps or problems
15-minute rest between sets
4 sets
Andy’s Links:
Nuggets:
00:00:00 – Intro
00:01:49 – Climbing Magazine ad
00:03:52 – Andy’s origin story
00:09:44 – Legendary holds
00:13:49 – Making climbing holds
00:16:49 – Early rock climbing & development
00:23:54 – Menagerie
00:25:49 – Meeting his wife
00:28:33 – Moving to Vegas
00:32:07 – Dad Raether
00:39:00 – Vegas bolting potential
00:45:06 – Bringing crags to life
01:05:53 – Bouldering development
01:08:34 – Midlife Crisis V14
01:35:43 – Stronger at 40 than 20
01:40:15 – Dad Bod
01:45:04 – Grades
01:51:50 – Mithril
01:54:04 – James Litz
01:58:51 – The Woods Board
02:06:14 – The mentality of board climbing
02:10:58 – Monos
02:14:56 – How Andy trains on the Woods Board
02:27:30 – Where to climb on the Woods Board
02:29:08 – Iterating moves (“hangboard” boulder problems)
02:37:24 – Mirroring each try
02:41:57 – The Spot Battle
02:44:00 – Andy’s garage
02:46:02 – Gyms in Vegas
02:54:10 – Routesetter Unions
03:07:06 – Wrap up & EXTRA teaser