Episode #49: Elaine Elliot
On today’s episode we head south with Elaine Elliott. Elaine is one of the founders and writers of Steep South, a climbing media company. Elaine aspired to find a way to share the rock climbing treasures of the Southeast while also blending in themes of conservation and advocacy. With her history in writing, she found a sweet spot, linking up with local filmmakers in Chattanooga to produce two beautiful climbing films that share conservation success stories from Tennessee and North Carolina.
These films bring conservation to life and paint a picture on how much work goes into the success of these kinds of projects. Conservation is a delicate balancing act, and climbers prove time and time again that they have the skills and know how to complete these projects.
Elaine and her team at Steep South provide an amazing and unique resource to learn more about climbing conservation, so tune in to learn more and be sure to check out the Filling the Void series on YouTube.
Timestamps
3:38- Elaine’s intro
10:59- The origins of Steep South
20:49- What’s required to make a film
27:55- Where the “Filling the Void” title came from
31:05- Themes of the films
38:22- Takeaways from making the films
42:17- Raising money for conservation
45:52- Filling the Void Chapter 1: Denny Cove
53:39- Filling the Void Chapter 2: Rumbling Bald
1:01:25- Broadening the regional perspective of Steep South
1:03:25- Filmmaking’s impact on climbing advocacy