In this episode, longtime Nova Scotia climber Todd "The Bod" Foster (aka "Toddles") exposes ALL. He talks about his 25-year impact on the local scene through guidebooks, route and boulder development, and his award-winning film Eastern Tide. Foster explains how partnerships helped him produce multiple guides (rope climbing, Digby Neck, Halifax Region) and why he’s working on an Eastern Shore volume now, emphasizing knowledge transfer and community succession. He recounts learning to climb in the 1990s through top-roping at Eagles Nest, the Dal wall, and self-teaching from books, and later being inspired by early bouldering at Duncan’s Cove on homemade pads. We discuss the tradeoffs of beta videos, his preference for moderate climbing, an injury-averse approach focused on climbing rather than training. We also delve into his motivations for bolting accessible sport routes and his aversion to trad climbing - while also getting excited about the indoor gym scene and a growing generation of outdoor-focused climbers.

More Show Notes

⁠Icebox Sessions - All Links

Chapters

00:00 Welcome to the Icebox

01:58 Writing Guidebooks

10:01 Eagles Nest

16:34 Bouldering With Homemade Pads

21:46 Projecting and Beta Videos

34:24 Eastern Tide World Tour

41:37 Is V5 Harder Than V15?

46:18 Choose Easy

50:30 Training and Injury

56:40 Bouldering vs Roped Climbing

59:39 Lessons for Todd 2.0

01:05:18 Toddles Wants to Sport Climb

01:13:36 Is Trad a Thing Anymore?

01:20:52 Route Development

01:26:05 The Community

Heather Reynolds shares stories of 35+ years of contributing to the local climbing community, including route development, coaching, and releasing a book on performance rock climbing. Reynolds recounts starting climbing with Sean Willett, helping found Climb Nova Scotia in 1991 to protect access at Main Face, contributing to the Dalplex Fieldhouse wall (opened 1992) and later the Rock Court (opened 2002), and the importance of recognizing volunteers and first ascensionists. She describes years of road-tripping, researching and meeting elite climbers, emphasizing that mental approach and movement efficiency often matter more than raw strength. We discuss the differences between gym rats and outdoor climbing, route-setting, fear, flow state, and aging. She also explains how yoga, writing, and community connection shape her current life.

Icebox Sessions - Episodes Notes

⁠Icebox Sessions - All Links

Chapters

00:00 Entering Flow State

06:57 This is What Life is About

16:03 Kinesiology to Coaching

18:40 Grand Wall Epic

23:30 Five Years on the Road

30:32 Legends and Mental Game

36:48 Indoor vs Outdoor Climbers

45:32 Coaching Without Climbing Hard

50:08 Athlete Identity Shift

52:19 Fear Of Falling Lessons

54:40 Hueco Breakthrough

58:31 Working in the Gyms

01:02:33 Sending Tsunami

01:08:47 Mindset And Aging

01:20:00 Imposter Syndrome And Gender

01:28:27 The Community Now

Join us as we sit down with the legendary Greg Hughes, a seasoned climber and guide, for a deep dive into the world of rock and ice climbing. Greg shares his experiences climbing in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, discussing his early adventures, his insufferable ice climbing habit, and his passion for route development.

We also touch on his involvement with local climbing organizations like Ascent New Brunswick and his current life of chasing climbing adventures around the globe. This episode is packed with inspiring stories, practical climbing insights, and a glimpse into the bonds that build a climbing community. Listen up for Greg's tips on improving climbing skills and maintaining a lifelong passion for the sport.

Icebox Sessions - Episode Notes

Icebox Sessions - All Links

Chapters

00:00 I'm an Amanita

01:29 Ice Climbing Origins

02:33 Discovering Cape Clear

07:02 Get your "Free Pass" Now

09:31 Favorite Cape Clear Lines

10:44 Main Face Rendezvous

12:09 7 Skills Every Climber Should Know

14:47 NOLs and Teaching

15:59 Remember Why We Climb

18:07 Longevity Beyond Grade Chasing

24:52 Living the Climbing Life

27:30 Climbing Vagabond

28:51 Ascent New Brunswick

32:32 Hug a Route Developer Today

35:51 Ice And Mountain Highlights

38:19 Where to Next?