The Careless Talk Climbing Podcast

It's a good episode for the Aidan fans this week as Aidan has sent his projects and has learnt a great deal in the process. Perfect time to stick a microphone in front of the chap and press go. Hope you enjoy!If you're enjoying the podcast and would like to support us please check out our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=70353823Support the show

It was great to be joined by Bernd Zangerl this week! A true legend of bouldering he's been involved in the development of loads of classic areas like Ticino and Magic Wood and has been climbing elite level boulders for over twenty years. In more recent times Bernd has been pouring everything he has learned into the development of Rakchham in the Indian Himalayas. We talked about that as well as a bunch of other things, I could write them here, but you could also just listen and that'd save me the trouble!If you're enjoying our podcast and would like to support us: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=70353823Support the show

Something very different for you all this week. Nettie & Dave a.k.a The Climbing Backpackers are on an adventure climbing across Asia. They might be on their dream climbing trip but they're also setting out to prove that just because you don't have a huge chunk of savings that doesn't preclude you from living an adventurous lifestyle. To prove the point they are living on a budged of just £10 ($12.5 or €11.7) per day! If you're enjoying the podcast and would like to support us: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=70353823If you fancy checking out their mono trainers which support their adventure: https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/1005689194/avocado-fingers?gpla=1&gao=1&&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=shopping_uk_en_gb_-toys_and_games&utm_custom1=_k_CjwKCAjw5ImwBhBtEiwAFHDZx5zG7aWJ6bYuGzChu3Q0hAadbKD3VpRCf_xGe4tycr_yLYSVHZSshhoC-FwQAvD_BwE_k_&utm_content=go_11073922980_109610251118_462914649514_aud-1410217292871:pla-314535279060_c__1005689194engb_102858184&utm_custom2=11073922980&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjw5ImwBhBtEiwAFHDZx5zG7aWJ6bYuGzChu3Q0hAadbKD3VpRCf_xGe4tycr_yLYSVHZSshhoC-FwQAvD_BwESupport the show

Simon Lorenzi on the pod this week! Simon is the first man to have climbed 3 9A boulders with Soudain seul, Alphane and Burden of Dreams. He's also a mainstay on the world cup circuit and has made finals on more than one occasion. Despite being one of the best boulderers in the world Simon is slightly more under the radar than most of his peers and so it was great to be able to sit down with him and hear a bit more about what makes him tick. If you're enjoying the podcast and would like to support us: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=70353823Support the show

The renowned coach and climber David Mason is back this week! This time we nerd out about some training ideas, talk about how he is mentally dealing with a recent serious knee injury and we ponder how much of climber's finger strength is really within their control at all. There's some interesting topics of conversation in there to wonder about! If you're enjoying the podcast and would like to support us: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=70353823Support the show

Neil is one of the original performance coaches in rock climbing, known for his elite level trad ascents as well as his efforts to demystify the obscure and hazy world of climbing training and his ability to deliver it in a way that makes sense. We chatted about a wide range of topics from social media, the online trad climbing mob, the stresses of grading and training for climbing. Perhaps one day I'll go through the whole thing and give links to every topic we discussed.... but not this day. He also tells us which discipline of climbing is the most physical, so stay tuned for that!If you're enjoying the podcast and would like to support us: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=70353823Support the show

Noah jumps on the pod this week! He's recently repeated some of the hardest test pieces the US has to offer and in relatively quick time whilst sporting at least 5 or 6 taped tips! We chatted a bunch about Sleepwalker and Defying Gravity, how the style in which he climbs lends itself well to flashing hard boulders, his training, how his meteoric rise in climbing grades might not be quite as fast as it appears from the outside and so much more. He came across as a really humble guy, but I guess when you're on this kind of form, you can just let the climbing do the talking!If you're enjoying the podcast and would like to support us, please consider checking out our Patreon page :)https://www.patreon.com/user?u=70353823Support the show

Oh yes, it's a grades pod. Aidan's least favourite subject, and it's hardly in Sam's top 10 either. We end up having a bunch of discussions relating to grades, getting a history lesson from Aidan for first of the grades (possibly all wrong) and we give some recommendations for climbs at each grade bracket... Or at least some that came to mind without thinking about it for all that long...There's an extended version of this podcast on the Patreon, so if you're enjoying the pod and would like to support us then please do check it out! https://www.patreon.com/user?u=70353823Support the show

It was a treat to have living legend Ben Moon on the pod this week. A lot of ground covered in an absolutely whistle-stop tour of Ben's career and replete with a fine selection of totally random tangents and rambles. Bailing from O levels because of too much physics, dossing in a cave, the birth of sport climbing, training and board climbing, how comps paid better in the 80s than they do today. It's a chat that goes all over and it was great fun for us so I hope it makes for a good listen. If you're enjoying the podcast and would like to support us: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=70353823Support the show

A follow-along survey for the role of climbing in our lives: Sam and Aidan are joined by Mimi White a climber and psychologist as she collects data and runs us through her recently published survey (now closed). Complex and thought provoking, we both had to really think hard to answer these and it really got us pondering as we tried to cobble together our thought processes. I hope you enjoy trying to answer these questions for yourselves as much as we did and perhaps you'll even learn something along the way (a bit of a shock on this podcast). If you're enjoying the podcast and would like to supports us: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=70353823Support the show

We're joined by the man Alex Megos described as the strongest on the world cup circuit! We had a great evening chatting with Yannick about rocks, comps and training. Give it a listen to hear some brilliantly quotable lines from one of the strongest climbers on the planet. Our personal favourite was 'bouldering is not a physical sport'. Top guy and really enjoyable to listen to, thanks for joining us Yannick! If you like our podcast and would like to support us please consider checking out our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=70353823Support the show

Something different this week! Toby Segar from Storror joins us to chat all things parkour and how they can all be related back to climbing. Toby is a big star in the Parkour world but has also been taking part in a lot of climbing recently as well! Storror is an incredibly successful YouTube channel with nearly 10 million subscribers so Toby knows a thing or two about content creation and we chat about what it's like to be on the other side of one of these huge channels, and also how and why a Parkour pro has ended up doing so much climbing. We loved chatting with Toby so I'm sure you'll enjoy it too. If you like our podcast and would like to support us: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=70353823Support the show

Matthew Phillips joins us this week! He's only young but he's already had a sparkling career in the sport. A world champion, but also an incredibly humble and laid back guy who's now getting more involved with the routesetting and coaching side of the sport. His pragmatism and fearlessness in the face of challenges is infectious and we really enjoyed having an opportunity to chat to him! If you're enjoying the podcast and would like to support us: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=70353823Support the show

Alex joins us this week! One of the UKs most experienced and best known setters as well as one of the brains behind Hardwood Holds, Alex has been on the UK scene for a really long time and he's an absolute font of knowledge when it comes to all things routesetting and holds (as well as I'm sure a many great other things but we weren't talking about them). Give it a listen if you like delving into the nerdy side of indoor climbing, I always enjoy hearing what he's got to say. He's also provided some beautifully made wooden holds to giveaway to our discord tier patrons, so that's another reason to join up! https://www.patreon.com/user?u=70353823Support the show

Happy New year everyone! Just Aidan and I back this week with some updates and some chat before we dive back into the guests again from next week! Aidan ponders finding the fun in projecting and Sam gives the story of his first 8C boulder. If you're enjoying the podcast and would like to support us: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=70353823Support the show

Yo ho ho!... Wait that's pirates... Ho ho ho Merry Christmas everyone! Aidan and Sam team up to shambolically attempt to give the 12 recommendations of Christmas. All pretty chaotic but we hope some of you have a journey home to kill or want to stave off the boredom of having to listen to your family for a few minutes! We're having a week off next week, but will be back, with a bunch of exciting guests in the New Year, so happy New Year to all of you as well. If you think we've been good this year, do check out our Patreonhttps://www.patreon.com/user?u=70353823Support the show

A big guest for us this week, Shauna Coxsey joins us for a chat. We cover a lot of ground from her competition days, her injuries, working with the IFSC and climbing post motherhood. Give it a listen, there's a lot in there!If you're enjoying the podcast and would like to support us: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=70353823Support the show

A fantastic story, and one the climbing community would do well to learn from. James Pearson joins us this week to tell us about how he tried to push trad climbing, and how severe a community kickback can be even over something as trivial as slightly inflated grading. We hear about what James learnt from the experience, and how he improved himself as a climber to be ready to be in more or less the exact same situation many years later... Glossary Headpoint - The art of practicing a climb on a top rope before attempting a conventional lead or solo.Equilibrium - An E10 (and I believe the first E10) in the peak district first ascented by Neil Bentley in 2000If you're enjoying the podcast and would like to support us: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=70353823Support the show

Very exciting episode for your listening pleasure this week as Alex and Billy, two previous guests, return to talk us through their fantastic adventure in Yosemite. Not many people believed two retired comp climbers who've barely done a multi-pitch between them could wander over to Yosemite and free climb a thing that has still to this day only seen a handful of free ascents. Come hear all about it!If you're enjoying the podcast and would like to support us please check out our Patreon page! : https://www.patreon.com/user?u=70353823Support the show

Taylor joined us this week for a typically wide ranging conversation. We joke a bit about Taylor being 'tall not strong' but it's all in an ironic way, he's clearly a beast! Lots of stuff on the agenda, first ascenting, climbing in the south east, living in a school bus in a commune, all standard fare. Taylor is a super humble guy and it was great to get a chance to chat to him, hope you enjoy!If you're enjoying our podcast and would like to support us: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=70353823Support the show

We were thrilled to have Ollie Torr this week. The guy really knows his stuff when it comes to coaching climbing. As well as being a strong climber himself, the people he coaches have enjoyed massive success. We got him talking about all kinds of stuff, and some of it might just be useful! If you're enjoying this podcast and would like to support us: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=70353823Support the show

All in the title really, just Aidan and I catching up about how his Finland trip has been going mostly, but also trying to assess boulders by way of their objective qualities not our experiences on them or their difficulty. If you're enjoying the podcast and would like to support us, please do check out our Patreon page! : https://www.patreon.com/user?u=70353823Support the show

We were excited to have Hazel join us this week, she's the head coach at Strong Mind, the company that is working to redress the balance by exploring the psychological side of our sport. It's pretty easy to talk about the physical side of climbing, hangboard protocols and shoulder conditioning or whatever, but it was a lot of fun to dive into the murkier waters of the mental side with someone who really knows their stuff. If you think you might benefit from a tune up to your mental game (to be honest we probably all could) then check out Strong Mind's online courses here: https://go.strongmindclimbing.com/webinarAnd if you're enjoying the podcast and would like to support us: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=70353823Support the show

Just the home team this week! Chatting about Aidan returning to Finland, being ill (as in the covid not being cool), battery powered planes and teasing Aidan with more ridiculous moral conundrums. You know, the usual drivel.If you're enjoying our podcast and would like to support us, check us out over on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/user?u=70353823Support the show

Orrin dropped in to join us this week. We know Orrin pretty well, he's a strong climber based in Leicester, which is not exactly the hub of UK climbing, but Orrin has definitely made the most of it! He's climbed up to 8C on the boulders and he's competed for Great Britain at world cups so he's had a great deal of success in the sport. That said he's been really open and honest with this struggles when things aren't all going his way. He has the ability to really confront his flaws and talk openly about them, which I think is very rare and I hope what he says resonates with some of you. If you're enjoying the podcast and would like to support us, please do check out our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=70353823Support the show

We were thrilled to have Isabelle join us for a chat this week. She is one of the best boulderers around and has been responsible for a large amount of boulder development. She has the hardest first ascent by a female to her name, and yet her accomplishments have often seemed to fly slightly under the radar, especially the ones that we thought would have been big news in the climbing world! We chat a little bit about why that might be and also a lot about boulder development, including how the groups she often climbs with keep their projects open and their reputation for being generous with showing others their projects. If you're enjoying our podcast and would like to support us please do consider checking out our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=70353823 Support the show

66 the number of the beast, and the beast in this case is Alex Megos. One of the world's greatest rock climbers, it was a right treat to have him on one of the world's podcasts. A nice chilled out chat about a range of topics, you know who he is, and you know we don't have a format, just give it a listen! (Thank-you for listening)If you enjoy our podcast and would like to support us: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=70353823Support the show

A classic ramble pod this week as we discuss a whole lot of absolute rubbish. Should you take your phone climbing? Should Aidan have a Nokia 3310 instead of an iPhone. If you could wear a pair of shoes that benefitted the rock but were rubbish would you wear them? You know, that kind of gubbins. If you're enjoying the podcast and would like to help us to keep it going, please do check out our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=70353823Support the show

This week we were joined by South-West crusher Solly. Solly has done a bunch of hard FAs and repeats in recent years so we've been meaning to get him on for a while. We had a really fun chat talking about all sorts of things, Solly has had his fair share of mishaps and misadventures to go along with the big successes so there's something for everyone. *Warning, this episode is slightly more sweary than usual so be prepared*If you're enjoying the podcast and would like to help us to keep it going, check out our Patreon page! https://www.patreon.com/user?u=70353823Support the show

Billy is back! Our very first guest returns with an update on all that's been going on since last we spoke.. And it's quite a lot! Billy is a top bloke and a good mate of both of ours so it's always a fun chat when he's around. We chat about him taking a step back from the comp scene (he's not actually officially retired but that made for a snappier title), some successful rock trips and he's got some big and exciting goals to chase on his upcoming Yosemite trip. If you enjoy our podcast and would like to help us to keep it going : https://www.patreon.com/user?u=70353823Support the show

Ravioli, he reminds me of that kid in school who everyone wanted to be friends with because he would beat up the bullies. I reckon he's the de facto leader of the Moonboarding community. Insanely strong but equally friendly, supportive and encouraging of everybody else. We don't just talk about the Moonboard though as he's no stranger to hard rock climbs, and Aidan doesn't know all that much about the Moonboard so that prevented us from spending the whole conversation nerding out about individual holds. If you enjoy our podcast and would like to support us : https://www.patreon.com/user?u=70353823Support the show

It's a peek into the near future this week as we discuss how artificial intelligence or 'AI' to us in the biz is going to change absolutely everything in climbing. As is traditional we don't know anything about AI so we had to get AI to tell us about itself. A bit like the plot of Ex Machina (one of my favourite films) but Chat GPT so far hasn't gone into a murderous rampage. If you're enjoying the podcast and would like to help us to keep it going : https://www.patreon.com/user?u=70353823Support the show

Louis AKA Captain Cutloose joins us this week. As one of the busiest people in climbing it took a few months to find a time but once we did it was a real treat. Louis' media persona is the incredibly energetic and enthusiastic climbing coach that you may have seen on Instagram or Youtube, but somehow he actually is just like that in real life too. He's effortlessly entertaining and manages to sneak profound suggestions and useful tips under the rug almost without you noticing. Thanks for listening! If you enjoy our podcast and would like to support us please do consider checking out our Patreon! - https://www.patreon.com/user?u=70353823Support the show

Ned joins us for a natter this week. One of the strongest climbers the UK has ever produced but he's tried his very best to keep a low profile. If he was a musician his music probably wouldn't be on spotify and only available via cassette. He's responsible for strengthening millions of meat hooks and his products quite likely sit above a doorframe in your house. His personal climbing has been put on the backburner a tad in recent years, as he's become a Dad and he's also supporting his wife Shauna to get a deserved stab at the rocks after having spent years on the comp circuit. It's a pretty standard relaxed chat, but there's some nice stuff in there. If you're enjoying the podcast and would like to support us : https://www.patreon.com/user?u=70353823Support the show

You wouldn't know when listening to this episode, but Hamish is a very talented climber, but one who hasn't taken the obsessive path and has left his mind open to experience life outside of climbing as well. As two climbing obsessives, Aidan and I wanted to explore that a bit! They say you can tell a lot about someone from the company they keep, well in this case I think you can. Hamish is one of Aidan's closest friends, and it's not hard to see the similarities in the way they think. Hamish & Aidan are two thirds of a print magazine about climbing called 'Spotter' so we chat a lot about the motivations behind that as well. Hope you enjoy, and if you like the podcast please consider checking out our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=70353823Support the show

Tom O'Hallaran on the pod this week and we had a great chat talking about the Olympic build up as well as the Australian climbing scene and lots of the bits and pieces that he gets up to. It's a long one and we had so much more to cover so hopefully we'll be able to persuade him to come back at some point!This podcast is solely supported by our fantastic community of patroons, if you enjoy the podcast then do consider checking out our Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/user?u=70353823Support the show

Jonny Kydd has recently climbed an 8C called The World is Yours at Biblins cave. It took him multiple seasons and over 110 sessions. Not the sort of siege many of us would be willing to take on but Jonny has demonstrated incredible mental resilience and tenacity and when listening to him speak it's infectious. He's also a Lattice coach with a sports science background so is able to provide some great takeaways for all listeners. I really hope you enjoy!If you are enjoying the podcast and would like to help us to keep it going, please consider joining our Patreon : https://www.patreon.com/user?u=70353823Also, a massive thank-you to our Patroons and everybody who has been kind enough to leave us a review! Support the show

A real home team ramble this week. Goes all over the place, mostly pretty light hearted but we do touch on the RED-S issue in climbing and mention the IFSC medical resignations so be aware if that's a sensitive topic for you. The main topic of the day was trying to define what success and failure is to us when it comes to climbing, it turns out to be a hell of a lot more difficult than we were expecting!If you enjoy our podcast and would like to support us, please consider checking out our Patreon page! https://www.patreon.com/user?u=70353823Support the show

*I'm away at the minute so the intro was recorded without a microphone but don't worry the rest of it is fine*Storytime is a bit of a format change and will appear on the thread every now and then, the concept is just anyone with a really good story comes on and tells it to us more or less, not exactly genius but it's fun!This week it's a friend of mine coming to help me provide proof of concept, Elliot White has a couple of loosely Trad climbing based stories and we end up chatting about what makes climbing so special and wondering what it is we're looking for in all of it.If you're enjoying the podcast and would like to support us: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=70353823Support the show

It was great to get an opportunity to chat to David this week. He has some great thoughts and perspectives about enjoying the ride as well as the destination. He's notorious for having some of the worlds strongest fingers and he gives us some of his pearls of wisdom, as is always the way it's more than just dangling off small edges.... well.. it is that, but there's nuance. Great guy, great chat.It was a chat that also made me value the climbing community, I was left thinking about how David moved to America and was so quickly welcomed into the community there. Climbing still retains the magic to draw people together from all round the world and I failed to really highlight it much in the podcast, but that's actually pretty special. If you're enjoying the podcast and would like to support us, please check out our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=70353823Support the show

It was an absolute pleasure to chat to Keenan Takahashi, he has lots of really well thought out views about the pursuit of climbing as well as the climbing industry as a whole. Is climbing more than chasing numbers and ascents? What can the climbing scene learn from that of skateboarding? Why are highballs so alluring? How can a man cultivate such a powerful moustache? You can find the answer to some but not all of those questions within!If you enjoy our podcast and would like to support us, please check out our Patreon page!: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=70353823Support the show

We put a Partridge amongst the pigeons this week as Jon joins us for a wide ranging and introspective chat. We cover his comp climbing, his regrets, his ever changing relationship with the sport and also the ups, downs and hard truths that come with building a climbing wall. Jon is a well known and universally well liked character on the British scene and it was a pleasure to have him. If you enjoy our podcast and would like to support us, please consider checking out our Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/user?u=70353823If you're in and/or around the London area, why not head over to Hounslow to have a climb at Hang. With a disproportionate amount of partridges on staff you might even be lucky enough to witness one roosting amid the boulders or giving a spreadsheet a peck down. Support the show

Tiba Vroom joins us this week for a wide-ranging chat with a lot of ground covered. As well as Tiba's own climbing we chat about Wildflower, her non-profit climbing gym in the Netherlands, route-setting, the benefits of learning to climb on a spray wall, women in boulder development and we also run through Tiba's desert island boulders!If you enjoy the podcast and would like to support us: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=70353823Support the show

Omar Bobat joins us for a general chat this week. Omar is the eponymous creator of the Bouldering Bobat YouTube series and co-owns a climbing wall but unlike many of our guests is not an obsessional climber and so brings a slightly different perspective which I hope you'll enjoy. We cover a lot of ground, definitely more of a pub chat with a fun and interesting guy. If you enjoy our podcast and would like to support us, please do check out our Patreon! : https://www.patreon.com/user?u=70353823Support the show

Beth has had one of the most dramatic careers in climbing. Competition and Rock success, being kidnapped in Kyrgyzstan as well as struggling with injuries and under fuelling. She is introspective and philosophical and she's learnt so much through climbing which I think will resonate with everybody. There's also a triumphant return for Desert Island Boulders which is now equipped with what I can only describe as a market leading jingle so listen out for that. We loved getting an opportunity to chat and learn from her and I hope you'll all get something out of it as well. If you enjoy our podcast and would like to help us keep the lights on: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=70353823Support the show

It's a special episode this week, and by special I mean something has been taken away. Brace yourselves everyone, Aidan isn't here for this one.... Right, who's still here? Don't be too disheartened because we have a great episode with my own dear brother Ben and we've got a mixture of advice and funny stories about opening climbing walls. Not a lot of actual climbing chat but I think it's a good episode nevertheless, big thanks to Ben for being game to record it! Thanks very much for listening and Aidan will be back next week.If you enjoy our podcast and would like to support us, please do check out our Patreon : https://www.patreon.com/user?u=70353823Support the show

Great chat with Jake Mason, a brilliant routesetter, rock climber, hold producer, content creator and most importantly an all round good guy! If you enjoy our podcast and would like to support us please check out our Patreon page, we're completely ad free so this whole house of cards is held aloft by our fantastic community of Patroons! https://www.patreon.com/user?u=70353823Support the show

Another set of rambles with just the home team. We discuss the beginnings of the IFSC season, Sam's project, Aidan returning to indoor mode and training with a parkour pro and whether climbing media is too number focussed. If you enjoy our podcast and would like to help it to keep going, please consider drafting yourself into the patroons! https://www.patreon.com/user?u=70353823Support the show

Just Aidan and Sam this week mostly chatting about Aidan's nearly 3 month climbing trip in Switzerland but also infused with the standard mishmash of rambles and tangents. If you enjoy our podcast and would like to help it keep afloat against the odds, then please consider drafting yourself into our fantastic community of Patroons! https://www.patreon.com/user?u=70353823 Support the show

Sofya Yokoyama joins us this week for a chat about the upcoming comp season and also about a post she recently made on social media where she opened up about some past struggles with disordered eating. Lots of tips and advice that will be relevant to all climbers. This chat was recorded a few weeks back, and since then Sofya has had a great start to the comp season, finishing 12th in Hachioji! That hadn't happened at time of recording but we'd still like to congratulate her on a great first comp of the season. If you're enjoying the podcast and would like to help us keep it going then please consider drafting yourself into the Patroons: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=70353823Support the show