Dirtbag Climber

About Dirtbag Climber

A murder victim with multiple identities. A criminal on the run from his past. Dirtbag Climber is a five-part podcast series investigating the unsolved homicide of “Jesse James,” a “dirtbag” rock climber found dead in Squamish, British Columbia, Canada. Local reporter Steven Chua dives into the case, determined to find answers. Along the twisted way, he tracks a stranger-than-fiction story that criss-crosses North America, unveiling a stunning portrait of an enigmatic con artist — a troubling victim whose twisted life story foreshadowed the darkest digital undercurrents of our time. From CBC's Uncover.

Publisher

CBC

Category

true crime

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

28 Oct 2025

Latest episode

13 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

2 of 8 episodes have a transcript.

1. 

   13 Oct 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Dirtbag Climber Introduces: The Big Bet

   Host [Host Name] explores how a Supreme Court ruling fueled the rise of sports betting and a major scandal involving Jontay Porter.

2. 

   4 Mar 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Introducing: The Cult Queen of Canada from Uncover

   Host Rachel Browne investigates how a Saskatchewan town confronts a cult leader and the real-world dangers of online extremism in "The Cult Queen of Canada."

3. 

   28 Oct 2025

   EP 1: Welcome to Squamish

   Host [Host Name] investigates the mysterious death of a local rock climber in Squamish, uncovering a complex past of false identities and secrets.

4. 

   28 Oct 2025

   EP 2: Highlander

   Detective John Smith investigates the shocking true identity and disturbing past of the murdered climber Jesse James, revealing a dark childhood.

5. 

   28 Oct 2025

   EP 3: The Disappearing Nazi

   Host Andrew Britt Greenbaum explores his own white supremacist past and the scandal that complicates his plans for a major event.

6. 

   28 Oct 2025

   EP 4: Spam King

   Davis Wolfgang Hawke reveals how he built a lucrative spamming empire, exploring the consequences of his digital schemes.

7. 

   28 Oct 2025

   EP 5: Jesse James

   Host [Host Name] interviews historian [Guest Name] about the enduring mystery surrounding Jesse James' murder and the persistent legends of his hidden fortune.

8. 

   28 Oct 2025

   Trailer | Dirtbag Climber

   Investigator Sarah Miller uncovers the mysterious past of deceased climber Jesse James, revealing a landslide of secrets after his death.

Inside a recent episode

Dirtbag Climber Introduces: The Big Bet

Published 13 Oct 2026 · Transcript excerpt

[…] So coming from the UK, which is where I was at the time, the US was always this great anomaly. Here we had a country, economically the most successful country in the world, where the population loved sports, loved gambling, right? But it was completely illegal. And we just sort of thought, this is crazy. […]

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

4.2 / 5

51 ratings

Spotify

4.6 / 5

143 ratings

Contact Dirtbag Climber

Guest appearances

Does not typically book guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

Shows with a similar audience

• 

  Uncover

• 

  Sea of Lies

• 

  Hunting Warhead

• 

  Someone Knows Something

• 

  The Cult Queen of Canada

• 

  The Next Call with David Ridgen

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