Listener sentiment
The Struggle Climbing Show commands strong listener loyalty, with the vast majority of recent ratings enthusiastic and detailed. Ryan Devlin earns consistent praise as a naturally engaging host with strong interview technique—balancing technical training minutiae with humor and personal storytelling in a way that keeps episodes accessible without sacrificing depth. The show's guest roster is elite (Tommy Caldwell, Alex Honnold, Hazel Findlay, and others), and listeners particularly value his relatability as a weekend warrior juggling a day job alongside serious climbing ambitions, which makes the insights more applicable than elite-only interview formats. Production quality is a calling card; the structured format and professional editing set it apart in a crowded climbing podcast market. A recurring friction point, however, surfaces in multiple critical reviews: listeners feel the show has become increasingly commercial, with excessive advertising, clickbait titles, and aggressive product/protocol promotion that some feel undermines credibility and leans into the more toxic elements of climbing media. This tension between monetization and editorial integrity appears to be the primary source of the handful of lower ratings; the core product—host, guest quality, and informative-yet-entertaining format—remains highly regarded.
Apple4.8 · 71
Summary generated May 29, 2026
