The Nugget Climbing Podcast

Ron Kauk is a legendary Yosemite climber. He recently received a Lifetime Achievement Award for his many accomplishments, within and beyond climbing. We talked about life in Camp 4 in the 70s, climbing ‘Astroman’ with John Bachar, influential music and books, stories from a brief career in Hollywood, doing the FA of ‘Magic Line’, his non-profit Sacred Rok, daily practices, connecting with Mother Nature, and much more.Support on Patreon: patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing Show Notes: http://thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/ron-kaukNuggets:4:17 – Out of the blue, and reflecting on a life of climbing8:19 – Sylvester Stallone, Wolfgang Gulich, and a brief career in Hollywood18:48 – Doubling for Tom Cruise, and working on films in Yosemite20:14 – “We would do anything to make $1000.”23:24 – Ron’s first wilderness trip at age 14, and early rock climbing28:43 – Rattlesnake Ridge32:33 – Climbing ‘The Nutcracker'35:17 – Catching rides to Yosemite, and Dale Bards bakery van38:07 – ‘Outer Limits’ with Bridwell39:28 – Ron’s first summer in Yosemite, and “all I needed to do was get there.”42:55 – A day in the life in Camp 4, and climbing The Nose in a day48:23 – Jimmy Hendrix52:40 – ‘Midnight Lightning’57:41 – Playful training, and 100 fingertip pull-ups1:00:13 – Catching waves, and freeing ‘Astroman’ with John Bachar1:07:53 – Carlos Casteneda, ‘Tales of Power’, and ’Separate Reality’ 1:13:47 – The end of the 70s, ‘To Bolt’, and ‘Magic Line’1:18:27 – “I am that waterfall.”1:20:19 – Mother nature, nurture, and becoming better caretakers1:21:47 – Sacred Rok, and the universe as our university1:26:15 – Sponsorship and performing1:29:34 – Ron’s vision for what climbing could be1:35:44 – Taking time in nature, and getting back to the basics 1:39:45 – Barefoot standing1:49:12 – Slowing down1:54:11 – Words from Alan Watts (the climber)2:03:30 – Questions from Alan 2:12:12 – The photograph2:15:56 – “We really are all connected.”2:19:21 – Follow-Up teaser, and show notes

This full episode is available for Patrons right now! This is a teaser of a follow-up call with Ken Klein from the Climb Strong Team. We talked about Ken’s high school baseball coach, the documentary In Search of Greatness, and the 3 things we should be assessing as climbers.You can support the podcast and get access to follow-up conversations for $5 per month on Patreon at patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing. The full version of this follow-up call is 1:23:45.

Steve McClure is one of the best rock-climbers in the world, having made the FA of the hardest sport route in the UK at 9b (5.15b), at age 46. We talked about early hitchhiking stories, discovering sport climbing, the three parts of climbing ability, how to improve over the long haul, foot-on campusing, and much more.Support on Patreon: patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing Show Notes: http://thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/steve-mcclureNuggets:4:12 – Podcasts, and the desire to listen6:22 – Hitching13:58 – Growing up in the Northeast of England, and the climbing wall Steve built in his garage18:43 – Early climbing, and discovering sport climbing22:36 – Steve’s first E326:42 – Tenacity, and trying hard 29:22 – “It’s all down to motivation.” - Ben Moon34:16 – ‘Rainman’37:28 – Going with the flow vs. pursuing long-term goals 44:08 – ‘Mutation’, and Will Bossi 47:21 – “You make your own luck.”48:19 – Was ‘Mutation’ the first 5.15?49:54 – “You can’t have regrets.”52:32 – My (Steven’s) struggle with personal limits, how hard Steve was climbing at my age, and the good news for aging climbers56:17 – The mental and technical aspects of climbing57:42 – The three parts of climbing ability (technical, mental, and physical)59:46 – Foot-on campusing (aka laddering)1:08:30 – How Steve fits in foot-on campusing around other climbing and training1:12:27 – Question from Branko: How do you approach climbing at your local crag, after you’ve done everything? Do you only get on the hard stuff, or do you repeat any routes to continue building your pyramid?1:15:40 – How Steve approached each new season on Rainman, and adding more thought to his climbing gym sessions1:19:08 – Question from Adriel: One exercise to improve strength?1:22:00 – Question from Adriel: Who would win in an arm-wresting match between Steve and Dave MacLeod?1:23:34 – Question from Will: How does Steve balance training and recovery as he gets older?1:26:23 – Steve’s typical climbing schedule at age 50, and his routine for Rainman1:31:06 – Question from Anderson: Does Steve think his hardest climbing is ahead of him? What about his best?1:33:14 – Steve’s hardest climb (his onsight of ‘Nightmare’)1:34:26 – The best1:35:24 – Steve’s decision to move to Sheffield1:38:10 – Steve’s go-to breakfast1:39:49 – Writing, and Steve’s training diary1:45:26 – Gratitude1:49:29 – Frozen fingers, and Steve’s onsight attempt of ‘To Bolt or Not to Be’1:53:42 – The great equalizer1:56:52 – Steve’s Instagram and website1:58:52 – Pembroke, witnessing an accident, and rethinking risk

Heth Jennings is a Physical Therapist and Functional Medicine Practitioner who has been studying pain for over 20+ years. We talked about where pain comes from, how the brain uses pain to protect us, why chronic pain isn’t “just in our head”, how to rehab finger and elbow injuries, and other lifestyle interventions that help with recovery.Support on Patreon: patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing Show Notes: http://thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/heth-jenningsNuggets:4:10 – Heth’s background in physical therapy, functional medicine, and pain science6:55 – A new paradigm for understanding pain8:22 – “It’s all in my head.” and “It’s always real.”9:40 – Lorimer Moseley, and the hammer in the neck story14:50 – Red light blue light15:55 – The leg scratch 17:40 – Chronic vs acute pain21:09 – The mountain illustration of tissue capacity, the pain buffer, and how the brain’s overprotection leads to chronic pain24:19 – Rehabbing chronic elbow pain28:25 – Graded motor imagery using the Recognize App, visualization, and mirror therapy36:35 – “The point is always to get people back to moving.” 37:58 – Heth’s example of the brain loving us too much, and removing fear41:00 – The role of inflammation, assessing tissue damage, and rehabbing fingers and elbows47:28 – Heth’s recent finger injury, and how he rehabbed it50:35 – “Don’t flare up, but when you do, don’t freak out about it.”51:48 – What to do after a flare-up 53:31 – Heth’s protocol for rehabbing his finger injury56:02 – The theory behind eccentrics for tendon injury rehab57:04 – How do address different types of finger injuries59:27 – Heth’s thoughts on climbing open-handed while recovering from a pulley injury1:01:03 – Mirror therapy for amputees1:02:50 – Elbow rehab1:07:52 – Preventing recurring injuries, giving our bodies credit, and bioplasticity1:15:32 – What Heth has learned from his injuries, how he plans to move forward, and collagen + vitamin C1:19:50 – Heth’s thoughts on supplemental exercises for injury prevention1:23:57 – Heth’s thoughts on including finger ups or other isotonic exercises1:25:32 – Chronic inflammation, gut health, and stress1:28:35 – Why Heth recommends a low carb diet for many of his clients1:32:33 – Heth’s thoughts on carbs for metabolically healthy people and athletes1:38:37 – Carb backloading1:44:39 – Heth’s thoughts on counting macros and daily protein1:47:56 – Krispy Cream doughnuts, birthday cake, and popcorn and coke1:50:28 – Breathing and meditation, accepting where we are, and being kind to ourselves1:57:00 – Heth’s website, and social media2:00:26 – Gratitude

This full episode is available for Patrons right now! This is a teaser of a follow-up call with Mercedes Pollmeier. I asked for clarifications about the J-Curl and passive stretching, and we tackled Patron questions about individual bony morphology, improving the back bridge, when and how to stretch the hamstrings, whether it is ever too late to begin training flexibility, and Mercedes made a case for why flexibility training is as important as strength training for athletes. You can support the podcast and get access to follow-up conversations for $5 per month on Patreon at patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing. The full version of this follow-up call is 1:20:32.Resources:Kit Laughlin - Moving Pelvis in Pancake Position

Mercedes Pollmeier is a climbing coach with a master’s in human movement. We discussed key stretches for climbers, how to warm up for a limit session, whether or not static stretching reduces power, how to improve your flexibility in 6 minutes per day, and “food rules” from her recent book, Peak Nutrition.Support on Patreon: patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing Show Notes: http://thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/mercedes-pollmeierNuggets:5:14 – Wind and head colds8:29 – Mercedes trip to Red Rocks, and focusing on recovering 9:44 – Resting after a trip, deloading, and blood flow restriction (BFR) training13:30 – More about BFR and what it is used for22:34 – Mercedes background, current coaching practice, and programs25:12 – Masters in human movement 26:54 – How we learn to move better29:43 – Terminology: “mobility” and “flexibility”37:18 – Mobility prep/warmup for a climbing session40:51 – Warmup duration, and static stretching before climbing 48:14 – Appropriate intensity of warmup stretches49:59 – Breathing during stretching51:39 – Other warmup stretches54:52 – Side split, front split, and back bridge57:36 – Cycling flexibility and strength training, and variability1:01:47 – An example strength cycle, and changing accessory exercises1:04:29 – Flexibility as a skill, and where to start1:08:07 – Jefferson Curl (J-Curl)1:17:33 – Programming flexibility1:24:03 – Daily passive stretching/limbering session1:31:41 – Minimalist approach to the Side Spits in (6-minutes per day) 1:36:43 – Elevating hips and scaling flexibility exercises1:42:54 – How to fit flexibility in around other training1:47:36 – Time of day to stretch 1:50:08 – Does tightness make us stronger?1:53:27 – Calf stretching1:57:17 – Building strength in end ranges1:58:20 – Mercedes nutrition book: Peak Nutrition2:03:08 – Mercedes “food rules” (eat slow and eat until 80% full, and hydration)2:05:51 – How to connect with Mercedes2:07:16 – Gratitude

In this bonus episode, Matt Sparks joins me to celebrate Earth Day by talking about the environmental impacts of chalk, best practices, and by offering listeners a discount for Pika liquid chalk. Shop Liquid Chalk:pika.life/productsDiscount Code for 25% Off:NUGGETDISCOUNTMatt's Article:https://pika.life/the-environmental-impact-of-rock-climbing-chalk/

Natalie Duran is a “Proish Climber”, Ninja Warrior finalist, Guinness World Record holder, television host, actor, influencer, and scientist. We talked about her new rollerskates, growing up with the pressure to become a doctor, early YouTube fame, climbing structures, studying neuroscience, brain scans, overcoming fear, motorcycles, and making a TV show.Support on Patreon: patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing Show Notes: http://thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/natalie-duranNuggets:3:16 – “Today is Thursday!”5:04 – Natalie’s new roller skates6:46 – Learning in the shadows… 8:10 – Style transitions9:54 – Who is Ninja Natalie12:41 – Born to be a doctor, growing up with parental pressure, and discovering YouTube17:19 – The Cinnamon Challenge, sharing stories, and going viral21:40 – A day in the life25:02 – How to stay organized27:02 – “The theme parks are closed so I made my own.”29:09 – The police code31:46 – The swing33:27 – Natalie’s gym circuit35:22 – Maintaining ninja abilities, and Ninja Warrior gyms 37:50 – Coaching ninjas39:07 – Brain scans, fear, and breathing43:52 – Running across the South African desert, and “Just Keep Swimming”45:26 – Thinking about emotions analytically, the placebo effect, and mindset47:47 – Discovering climbing, Natalie’s first car, and early competitions52:04 – Current climbing, and integrating climbing into daily play53:27 – Partnership, sneaking into buildings, and climbing cranes55:22 – Natalie’s goal of producing her own reality TV show1:00:01 – Stunt motorcycle riding and skydiving1:01:32 – Keanu Reeves and Jason Momoa1:03:30 – Motorcycle playlist1:04:57 – Emotional growth1:07:31 – Alone time, and gratitude journaling1:09:45 – Grateful for not having covid, and not being arrested1:10:41 – Snowboarding1:12:06 – Mom’s fight with cancer1:13:53 – Kid’s movies1:15:13 – Reality TV shows1:16:30 – Wipeout, and meatballs1:19:26 – Superhero outfit1:20:33 – The tucked-in side braid1:21:23 – Ninja Natalie’s superpower1:21:59 – Excited to travel again1:22:43 – Current work on Ninja Warrior obstacles1:23:45 – Natalie’s Instagram @ninja_natalie and website ninjanatalie.com1:24:46 – “Live every day like you’re a superhero. You don’t know what you are capable of unless you attempt to push past your limits.”

This full episode is available for Patrons right now! This is a teaser of a follow-up call with Jon Glassberg. We talked about sending ‘The Nest’ (his first V15) and breaking down barriers as a “big” climber (6’3”, 190 lbs), we talked about some of Jon’s milestone’s over the years, how he trained his power endurance after sending the stand start’, projecting tactics, keys to success, washing his hands before tries, and more. You can support the podcast and get access to follow-up conversations for $5 per month on Patreon at patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing. The full version of this follow-up call is 1:00:20.

Christophe Bichet is a world-class rock climber and a motivational speaker. He was born with a rare blood disorder called Fanconi Anemia and is also a cancer survivor. We talked about climbing as a metaphor for life, finding your “why”, learning new skills, how to achieve world-class endurance without training endurance, and holding on and letting go.GoFundMe for Kyler:https://www.gofundme.com/f/throw-down-for-kyler-pallisterSupport on Patreon: patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing Show Notes: http://thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/christophe-bichetNuggets:6:55 – Christophe’s dimensions, and Fanconi Anemia8:50 – What I remember about Christophe, and why he doesn’t like knowing names and grades of routes12:14 – How Christophe relates to his accomplishments13:43 – ‘Big Mac’, Smith Rock, and why guidebook grades feel irrelevant to Christophe17:22 – How grades become limits18:49 – Growing up feeling different from his peers, feeling isolated, and regaining self-esteem through rock climbing20:59 – Living each day as if it was your first day vs. last day 23:59 – Christophe’s many eclectic interests26:34 – Gracefully saying no, and asking “Why”29:42 – Awaking people’s vitality, and the climbing metaphor: grabbing on to what is essential, and learning to let go32:13 – Cancer, and the grand piano bill37:14 – Letting go of his identity as a sick person38:34 – Approaching learning new skills like learning a new route41:50 – Learning from people who are better than us, and a common trap to avoid44:02 – How Christophe achieved endurance through training efficiency47:09 – Pretending to be someone you admire52:45 – Amy 55:33 – ‘Spank the Monkey’, and dedicating an ascent to a lost friend1:00:28 – “Stop and breath in the awe of being alive.” - Amy Frohnmayer Winn1:02:25 – Grateful to live in the mountains and have a daughter1:05:10 – Be light

Megan Mascarenas is a multiple-time World Cup gold medalist and the 2016 Open National Champion in bouldering. She is currently 23 years old. We talked about her fascination with puzzles, why she retired from competing in 2017, discovering a new self-identity outside of climbing, pole dancing, getting back to climbing, her goal to climb V14, and current training.Support the Podcast:patreon.com/thenuggetclimbingShow Notes:http://thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/megan-mascarenasNuggets:6:45 – Tuna sandwich and coffee9:19 – Whiskey (the dog, not the alcohol)10:35 – Sunday mornings11:07 – Rubiks Cubes15:20 – Megan’s cloud puzzle16:00 – The puzzle addiction, and becoming a climber at age 218:45 – Siblings and coaches22:33 – Retiring from competition and transitioning away from climbing26:04 – The two sides of freedom, and the path to medicine 29:26 – How Megan achieved a 4.7 GPA in high school, and getting an A- in Rock Climbing class 31:56 – Losing a chunk of herself when she stopped climbing, and getting back into climbing 33:26 – Hindsight is 20/2034:42 – Pole dancing39:46 – Applying pole strength to climbing40:52 – Megan’s current pole dancing “project”41:56 – Megan’s outdoor climbing goals in RMNP, and current training45:08 – Pole dancing = barndoor training45:51 – Preparing for ‘Jade’, and outdoor vs. indoor climbing48:10 – Advice for new/young climbers 49:26 – Advice new/young climbers should ignore, and what Megan wishes she had done differently50:44 – Magic Wood and ‘New Baseline’52:43 – Question from Jimmy: Any tips for calming nerves during competition finals?54:25 – Competition rituals55:42 – Megan’s self talk when she is getting shut down by a climb56:41 – Question from Jeffrey: What made you so dominant as a young female competitor?57:51 – Megan’s drive to improve, and dealing with growing expectations 1:00:04 – Question from Jeffrey: How do you view climbing vs. training, and has that changed as you have gotten older?1:01:17 – Board climbing1:03:39 – Making up boulders and working on weaknesses1:05:19 – Megan’s favorite pun1:06:10 – Dinner party guest1:07:41 – Singing in the car1:08:18 – The Golden Axe1:09:04 – Happiest climbing day1:09:45 – The ups and downs 1:11:24 – What Megan would want a new best friend to know about her1:12:13 – The Incredibles, mind reading, and superhero colors1:13:25 – Molecules1:14:26 – Gratitude1:15:02 – Math1:16:02 – Zion1:17:09 – Enjoying the path

This full episode is available for Patrons right now! This is a teaser of a follow-up call with Natasha Barnes. I asked for your questions for her on Instagram, and we tackled a wide range of topics including in-season training, shoulder mobility for climbers who lift weights, whether we should tape injured fingers, recommendations for aging climbers, why climbers shouldn’t be afraid of bulking, dealing with lower back pain, training “the position”, cactuses vs succulents, Moose the cat, printer issues, and maintaining the power mullet. You can support the podcast and get access to follow-up conversations for $5 per month on Patreon at patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing. The full version of this follow-up call is 2:06:41.

In this Q&A, I tackle some of my patron’s most burning questions about how we getting stronger, takeaways from my experiments with nutrition and intermittent fasting, dealing with injuries, favorite training playlists and climbing books, life on the road, patterns I’ve noticed among high performers, dream guests, recommendations for first-time trainers, and much more.Support on Patreon: patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing Learn more about Q&As:thenuggetclimbing.com/bonus-contentShow Notes: thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/qa-1Nuggets:00:00 – Q&A introduction, Patreon tiers, and format06:53 – Nico’s Question: Tactics for mini-projects/quick ticks?12:47 – Tony’s Question: Least favorite climbing shoe?14:15 – Tony’s Question: If you could do an episode with one deceased person, who would it be?14:49 – Tony’s Question: Favorite climbing-related book?15:50 – Tony’s Question: Worst climbing bodily function story? 17:00 – Emma’s Question: How does training work, and what is happening in our body when we get stronger?27:16 – Emma’s Question: Recommendations for training with a knee injury?30:34 – Emma’s Question: Should I train my good leg while my other leg is injured?31:44 – Katie’s Question: What inspires you the most aside from climbing?33:34 – Adrian’s Question: Why did you stop intermittent fasting?35:39 – Ted’s Question: Will carbs help me get stronger faster coming from a keto diet? And what changes have you made to your diet that have made a difference?41:16 – Jasna’s Question: How do you mentally deal with injuries? How do you redirect your psych when dealing with a climbing injury?50:35 – Darren’s Question: When are you going to tell us about anorexic Steven? And was it worth it?51:32 – Jimmy’s Question: 3-week or 5-week training cycles: have you tried both? Which do you prefer?54:58 – Jimmy’s Question: Favorite training playlist?56:07 – Adriel’s Question: Advice on working through mental blocks, like fear of falling? 1:00:23 – Adriel’s Question: How much can you train a month sustainably?1:03:24 – Adriel’s Question: Tips for hard finger cracks? (5.11 and up)1:06:07 – Heather’s Question: Advice for someone who is interesting in training for the first time?1:12:57 – Heather’s Question: What have you learned about yourself living in the van? And is this lifestyle sustainable for you?1:17:01 – Heather’s Questions: What are some of your biggest climbing takeaways? Where would you be without climbing, and what has made you the climber you are today?1:22:01 – Casey’s Question: Do you train on the road? If so, how?1:23:19 – Casey’s Question: How are you structuring your Hueco trip? 1:26:47 – Casey’s Question: Why does everyone say your van smells good even if they are vegan? Is it because everyone needs beef? (just kidding… kind of)1:27:32 – Casey’s Question: Bouldering diet vs. sport climbing diet? 1:28:35 – Casey’s Question: Favorite other podcasts?1:31:00 – Casey’s Question: Thoughts on flexibility?1:32:21 – Casey’s Question: Thoughts on warming up?1:34:20 – Casey’s Question: If you could press a button and go anywhere, where would you go each day of the week?1:37:11 – Steve’s Question: What patterns have you seen emerge among the high performers you’ve interviewed?1:40:04 – Steve’s Question: Living on the road full time, do you ever get sick of it and just want to settle somewhere for a year?1:41:13 – Jeffrey’s Question: Top 3 dream guests to interview?1:43:45 – Jeffrey’s Question: What’s the most common weakness you see among top climbers?1:45:40 – Ilkka’s Question: What about the ethical side of eating meat?1:49:08 – Wrap up

Chelsea Murn is a climbing and business coach, and the founder of Lady Beta Coaching. We talked about making 100k in her first year of climbing coaching, recommendations for new entrepreneurs, getting uncomfortable, investing in ourselves, scarcity vs. abundance, rewiring our limiting beliefs, money mindset, and Hogwarts letters.Support on Patreon: patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing Show Notes: http://thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/chelsea-murnNuggets:5:04 – Chelsea’s morning routines, and scheduling similar things on specific days8:45 – Batching, and Do Not Disturb mode12:20 – Creating boundaries, and making time to enjoy climbing13:33 – Having a coach 16:24 – Being empowered and validated by other women in her business school17:58 – Making $220k last year, and the story of climbing her first 5.13b at Deep Creek24:19 – Description of Deep Creek27:11 – Making $100k in her first year as a climbing coach, and getting started in business coaching32:59 – Example clients and businesses36:11 – How Chelsea thinks about investing in herself, scarcity vs. abundance mindset, and being uncomfortable39:40 – “I was uncomfortable every day of 2020”42:52 – Building a business and not a hustle47:33 – How much Chelsea works now50:12 – Working toward a 7-figure business, and the minimum effective dose52:05 – Coming up with bad ideas, fear of being seen, and having the courage to take the first step57:30 – Backpack full of rocks58:53 – My failed leaps before the podcast, fourth try is the charm, and playing the long game1:04:14 – Doing meaningful work, creating value for people, and getting paid enough to do it again and again1:07:22 – Patron Question from Kyle: Advice for someone getting started in the climbing industry, and moonlight vs. taking a big leap?1:10:21 – Money mindset1:18:03 – Looking for evidence for limiting beliefs, and scarcity mindset in relationships1:20:49 – Journaling, and writing down “opposite reasons”1:22:21 – Brain rewiring: what is it?1:24:47 – Chelsea’s experience with route setting, and rewiring her belief about her own worth and strength1:28:51 – Chelsea guides me through brain rewiring my money mindset1:32:34 – What brain wiring does, the mechanisms behind why it works, and my homework1:37:12 – Being open with goals, charging what you are worth, and redefining success1:42:09 – Patron Question from Curtis: What trends are you seeing in your clients who are having performance breakthroughs?1:44:02 – “Vanity metrics” vs. how you feel1:44:31 – Chelsea’s current brain rewiring practice, and what she is working on herself right now 1:47:18 – Why Chelsea doesn’t read business books, and my thoughts on how to navigate the information age1:51:14 – Chelsea’s favorite fantasy books1:53:16 – The Hogwarts Letter, and Chelsea’s Hogwarts house 1:55:25 – Grateful for sun and to be moving1:56:31 – Upcoming offerings from Chelsea1:58:11 – The LadyBeta Podcast2:00:32 – “If you know you were meant for something more, you were.”

This full episode is available for Patrons right now! This is a teaser of a follow-up call with Ben Herrington. We talked about the treasure hunters mindset and clues to look for when developing new boulders, go-to tools for cleaning a new line, how to suss out moves off the deck, building landings, Ben’s new gym in the Tri-Cities, WA, and setting himself boulders that attack his weaknesses.You can support the podcast and get access to follow-up conversations for $5 per month on Patreon at patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing. The full version of this follow-up call is 47:14.

Leif Gasch has been a climber for over 25 years and now works as a trainer and coach. We talked about his path from construction to coaching, balancing training with a physically demanding job, how to be a better weekend warrior, mini-goals, breaking into new grades, warming up for hard redpoints, and much more.Support on Patreon: patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing Show Notes: http://thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/leif-gaschNuggets:4:36 – “Back porch kind of a deal”5:28 – Living on the road during covid, and moving back to Lander8:06 – The pod, Leif’s first trip to Hueco with Scott Milton, and sending Frogger11:18 – Years of cherry-picking, new development in Hueco, and becoming a guide12:51 – Early carpentry, becoming an electrition, and building a house15:40 – Growing up on a ranch, hunting, and climbing Devils Tower17:54 – Climbing in Cody, ‘The Fuz’ climbing gang, teaching, and falling in love with climbing21:45 – “You come to Lander, you gotta bring your own job!”23:32 – Living with artists, ‘The Plague’, and Leif’s intro to training for climbing25:46 – Lifting weights in college, and the rocket ship analogy29:12 – Sticking with the training process, “it takes time”, and Leif’s first 5.14b35:57 – Learning to stick with it, mental carry over, and testing to be an electrition38:38 – Moving away from the trades, relating to blue collar workers, and starting SUBSTR842:04 – How Leif educated himself to become a better coach, remote vs. in-person coaching, and being receptive to critique45:42 – The PCC49:06 – The 75/25 rule, and designing skill drills54:40 – On the wall tension building, crunches, and the shortcomings of limit bouldering58:56 – Core tension, the posterior chain, and an example of building tension on the wall1:02:39 – The benefit of having a specific goal1:04:19 – The drill Leif learned from Kris Hampton at Power Company, and learning to create more tension through the feet1:07:10 – Patron Question from Donovan: What should I work on to break into 5.13?1:19:50 – Patron Question: How can I be a weekend warrior?1:31:53 – Mini goals1:34:31 – Patron Question from Tyler: Tips for non-professional climbers?1:39:03 – Patron Question from Matt: Recommendations for someone who works a physically demanding job in the trades?1:43:49 – Patron Question from Moritz: Leif’s weight when he climbed 5.14b?1:45:38 – My restricting eating story, training heavy, and being an opportunivore1:54:40 – Patron Question from Moritz: Can Leif do a front lever yet?1:56:43 – Patron Question from Nolan: What does your warmup look like for a hard redpoint?2:05:14 – Patron Question from Steve Bechtel: How did Leif deal with and get past a severe finger injury?2:16:01 – ‘Strawberry Roan’2:26:01 – Patron Question from Darren: Send goals or dream route in Lander?2:31:11 – Patron Question from Darren: Does it feel like a disadvantage being a big dude pulling on small monos in Lander?2:33:08 – Grateful for friends and family

In this solo episode, I share my experience with an eating disorder. I talk about how an inaccurate DEXA scan and a desire to climb harder spiraled into body dysmorphia, failure, and shame. I also talk about what led me out of it, reframing the way I think about weight, key lessons and takeaways, where I am at now with weight and diet, and how I plan to move forward.Support the Podcast:patreon.com/thenuggetclimbingShow Notes:thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/my-eating-disorder

Carlos Tkacz is a teacher, author, and lover of literature. He also lives in a van and climbs V13. We talked about many things, including a reading list given to him by his friend, impactful quotes, lessons learned from students, starting climbing in his 20’s and discovering training, writing a training book, self-publishing sci-fi novels, public speaking advice, and sharing ideas.Support on Patreon: patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing Show Notes: http://thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/carlos-tkaczInstagram Links:@boulderbushido@thenuggetclimbingNuggets:2:35 – The record button3:37 – Stickers and paintings6:37 – Books from the reading list11:16 – James Baldwin quote12:38 – How Carlos uses Instagram16:16 – ‘Turbulence’ and East of Eden 22:45 – Plans to go back to school for a Ph.D. in Literature, and living in a world of stories26:18 – The moment Carlos knew he wanted to be a teacher31:01 – Teaching Communication 10134:54 – Public speaking advice #1, and the fight or flight response38:38 – Public speaking advice #239:17 – “Drink deep or not at all.”43:02 – Zen Buddhism, and being skeptical of little enlightenments44:11 – “The sign of a true education is to be able to entertain an idea without believing it.”47:50 – Mr. Ruff, and writing an editorial about gay marriage49:33 – Two great stickers49:54 – Living on public land in Bishop and taking a year off52:05 – Quarentraining, and social connection through climbing56:20 – Sending ‘Diabolique’ and becoming a climber at age 2359:01 – Resonating with Patxi Usobiaga’s masochism in ‘Progression’1:02:43 – Carlos’ climbing progression, ups and downs, and the broken pinky story1:07:04 – Shifting to focusing on bouldering1:08:03 – Early training iterations, Taco Bell + bananas, and moving the pieces around 1:11:20 – Writing a training book on accident1:14:50 – The Japanese team, and top outdoor boulderers1:17:25 – Jimmy Webb, gymnastics, survivorship bias, and structure as a tool for resilience1:20:43 – Overview of ‘Training 102’ and Carlos training philosophy1:27:31 – Drills, and higher intensity core exercises 1:30:17 – Rotating exercises and addressing weaknesses, and programming1:32:39 – Training friends and testimonials1:35:33 – What a typical week of training looks like, climb outside, and how Carlos trains within a year1:38:35 – The nutrition chapter, eating disorders, Carlos’ experience with vegetarianism and veganism, and his current way of eating1:41:36 – Eating the same thing every day1:42:49 – Planning nutrition, eating more, and becoming more flexible1:45:37 – The food industry and the unique challenge of balancing a healthy outlook on food and weight1:46:25 – The ‘Light’ documentary, and finding the line1:47:47 – Scarcity vs. opulence, discipline as a path to freedom, and Carlos’ upbringing1:59:26 – Carlos’ Sci-fi novels, and writing a thousand words per day2:04:03 – Two different types of creatives, and using his first few books as practice2:05:05 – Plot overview of The Void Within2:10:07 – Star Trek vs. Star Wars, Captain Pips, and Carlos’ conversion story and swearing off violence2:11:51 – Losing the mental battle in Hueco, and making a trip to Roy2:14:52 – Gratitude2:17:00 – Excited with sharing ideas with students2:20:40 – Where to connect with Carlos

This full episode is available for Patrons right now! This is a teaser of a follow-up call with Emily Harrington. We talked about her send of ‘Golden Gate’ in a day, finding flow state after a minor head injury, using two pairs of TC Pros to climb the Monster Offwidth, her recent trip to the VRG, how she has trained Adrian (her partner) to climb his first 5.13b, and favorite pancake toppings. You can get access to follow-up conversations for $5 per month on Patreon at patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing. The full version of this follow-up call is 36:17.Learn more: thenuggetclimbing.com/follow-ups

This is part 2 of my conversation with Dave MacLeod. We talked about key points from Dave’s book 9 Out of 10 Climbers, how he uses flexible programming to train around the weather in Scotland, his current carnivore diet experiment, and listener questions about aging, piles of eggs, disordered eating, fatherhood, Scottish climbing, and more.Support the Podcast:patreon.com/thenuggetclimbingShow Notes:thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/dave-macleod-part-2Nuggets:(00:00:00) – Intro(00:04:10) – Why Dave wrote ‘9 out of 10 Climbers Make the Same Mistakes’(00:11:09) – Using ‘9 out of 10’ to discover your own individual pitfalls, and why Dave has become more and more interested in lifestyle(00:15:28) – Using your climbing partners as mirrors, changing your circumstances, and the shortcut to sending your project(00:21:00) – Dave’s common pitfall—quality recovery(00:22:25) – Productivity and the value of having a home wall(00:26:30) – “Bouldering is king”, and how Dave fits indoor bouldering sessions around outdoor climbing(00:31:47) – How Dave uses flexible programing for his training(00:37:01) – Periodization as a tool for introducing variety(00:38:52) – Fingerboarding on the same day as bouldering and Dave’s thoughts on which to do first(00:40:33) – The “one-minute-per-move” rule(00:42:40) – Patron Question from Adriel: Any advice for maintaining a positive growth curve as you age? What does Dave think the upper age limit is for hitting peak performance?(00:48:23) – Dave’s take on how much protein to eat per day(00:49:39) – Dave’s current carnivore diet experiment(00:57:10) – Sport climbing on a ketogenic diet(01:07:20) – Patron Question from Charizze: How many eggs make a pile of eggs?(01:10:17) – Patron Question from Maria: How do manage the strength to weight ratio through diet, while avoiding falling down the rabbit hole of energy deficiency and/or disordered eating?(01:16:42) – Patron Question from Mike: Dave, you’re a hero, but I’ll be honest, much of the climbing in Scottland looks chossy and overgrown. What crag should a climber from the US visit to correct that misconception?(01:19:07) – What time of year is best to visit Scottland to climb, and the “24/8”(01:22:23) – Patron Question from Laurent: How do you balance fatherhood and climbing? Any secret beta for a new father who’d like to keep improving at climbing while being present in his daughter’s life?(01:25:59) – Patron Question from Eric: Any recommendations for injury-prone climbers?(01:30:50) – Favorite discipline of climbing(01:32:05) – Last meal(01:32:39) – Recommended books(01:36:24) – Advice for his 20-year-old self(01:37:26) – Advice for his 30-year-old self(01:39:52) – Defining climbing moments(01:42:14) – One of the best decisions Dave has ever made(01:42:54) – Gratitude(01:44:21) – Excited to focus on climbing

Dave MacLeod is a professional climber from Scotland and might be the best all-around climber in the world. Dave also has two master’s degrees and has authored two books. We talked about improving from 13d to 14d in 18 months, the ritual of approaching the fingerboard, how to reduce the risk of tendon injuries, interpreting scientific research, nutrient density, and more.Support the Podcast:patreon.com/thenuggetclimbingShow Notes: thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/dave-macleod-part-1Nuggets: (00:00:00) – Intro(00:04:26) – The hardest thing Dave has ever downclimbed (00:09:06) – Downclimbing for climbing up?(00:09:57) – Going from 8b to 8c+ (13d to 14c) in 18 months as an experienced climber(00:17:06) – Dave’s thoughts on fingerboarding 6-days per week vs. 2-3 days per week with longer sessions(00:21:57) – Becoming less sure about things as time goes on, and the endurance study example(00:24:25) – Dave’s theory about level of effort as the key to finger strength gains(00:27:42) – The ritual of approaching the fingerboard, and pouring your passion for climbing into every set(00:29:23) – The binary nature of climbing(00:31:09) – How important each of the three ingredients (fingerboard, circuits, running) were to Dave’s jump from 8b to 8c+(00:34:58) – More details about Dave’s outdoor circuits(00:41:08) – Accounting for elite climbers who train vs. just climb(00:47:12) – Hanging straight arm vs. bent arm, and considerations for Golfer’s Elbow(00:50:54) – Learning about tendon injuries for ‘Make or Break’, theories on why tendons fail to adapt, possible environmental factors (sunlight, blood sugar, and linoleic acid), and what Dave is doing to reduce his own risk of tendon injuries(00:57:14) – Dave’s thoughts on linoleic acid and seed oils(01:02:06) – Epidemiological studies vs. interventional trials and experimental studies, and eggs and red meat as examples(01:15:58) – Looking at diet through the ancestral lens(01:20:10) – Dave’s recommendation to focus on nutrient density (regardless of dietary preference)(01:24:22) – Getting interested in nutrition because of weight and seeking simplicity(01:25:52) – Fingerboard grip selection, my recent half crimp assessment, and Chirs Sharma’s crimp grip(01:33:55) – Training difference edge sizes vs. sticking to a basic 20mm, and thoughts on small hold training (10mm and below)

In this bonus episode, I chat with Blake Cason about ClimbWell, and upcoming retreats for Spring 2021. Blake explains what ClimbWell is all about, who the retreats are for, what to expect from this 4-day experience, and talks about her fellow coaches and their vision for future events. 10% Discount Code:“NUGGET10” Learn More about Sign Up:climbwell.co/retreatRetreat Dates and Location:April 8-11 in Veyo, Utah(Second retreat has been canceled)

This full episode is available for Patrons right now! This is a teaser of a follow-up call with Blake Cason. We talked about sending her multi-season project ‘Joe SixPack’ at the VRG, transitioning in and out of training phases, embracing curiosity to overcome fear, and reflecting on lessons learned.You can support the podcast and get access to follow-up conversations for $5 per month on Patreon at patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing. The full version of this follow-up call is 33:57.

Kai Lightner is a professional climber and the founder of Climbing for Change. We talked about how Kai discovered climbing, his reflections on an eating disorder, the importance of flexibility for tall climbers, early racist encounters, starting a non-profit to help open doors for other people, and some of Kai’s favorite training music. Support Climbing for Change: donorbox.org/climbing-for-change-launch Support the Podcast: patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing Show Notes: http://thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/kai-lightner Nuggets: 2:53 – Tension boarding, creativity in climbing, and Kai’s first experience with hangboarding 6:55 – Kai’s go-to training music 8:01 – Halloween costumes, and the Tupac and T.I. quotes Kai shared in his graduation speech 10:39 – The Olympics, Kai’s early role models, Chris Brown’s music, and Kai’s mom 11:24 – Growing up climbing everything, the flagpole story, and Kai’s first day in a climbing gym 16:16 – Kai’s first climbing gym, climbing on the same route to prepare for nationals for five years, and driving 6 hours to get coaching 19:13 – Getting into competitions climbing, and most memorable competitions from 14 years of competing 22:15 – Going climbing outdoors at the New River Gorge, being the only black people in a 50-mile radius, and navigating unwelcoming areas 25:19 – Kai’s first racist encounter, and “the race talk” 28:25 – Outdoor climbing as a break from the pressure of competitions, and taking a break from competing to go to college on a full scholarship 31:01 – ‘Reflections on My Climbing Journey’, and Kai’s struggle with an eating disorder 36:33 – Quick vs. sustainable, and finding a better way to be better 38:10 – Thinking about food in a healthier way, climbing 5.14+ at 5’3” and 6’3”, and adapting to a grown-up body 40:27 – Kai’s feelings about projecting, and his longest project to date 41:59 – How Kai’s training has changed as an adult, a typical week of training, and Kai’s coach 45:40 – Looking up to Adam Ondra, stretching for one hour every morning, and Kai’s drop knee stretch 52:05 – Why being more flexible = being a better climber 53:38 – Why Adam Ondra is the best 55:00 – Feeling more complete as a person by helping people 56:04 – Kai’s thoughts on climbing pace 58:31 – Patron Question: What is it like being the tallest professional climber out there? Does Kai run into any situations in which he thinks, “Damn, I wish I were shorter…” If so, how often? 1:01:35 – Patron Question from Joe: I’m 6’5” and I wonder if Kai has any rules or beta for climbing through scrunchy moves that you can’t reach past? 1:02:42 – Volunteering with diversity and inclusion organizations, opening doors for others, and bridging gaps 1:07:29 – Climbing for Change (C4C), partnering with One Climb in Atlanta, and launching scholarships for individuals 1:10:47 – Patron Question from Nathan: What challenges have you faced in developing C4C? 1:12:18 – How to donate to C4C 1:13:03 – Patron Question from Nathan: What are the benefits of having your mom as a coach? What are some of the difficulties? 1:16:34 – Patron Question from Nathan: Do you think you will ever get into trad climbing? How about big walls? 1:18:11 – Kai’s (very impressive) trip to the Hurricave, and aspirations to climb 5.15 1:21:12 – Patron Question from Anna: Having grown up in the spotlight, how does Kai view his private life vs. his public life, and does he struggle to find a balance? 1:23:43 – Patron Question from Sarah: If you could get every young climber to internalize one message what would it be? 1:25:24 – Most recent meal, Asian food, Cheetos, favorite songs, and the crying laughing emoji 1:30:27 – Family 1:31:04 – Excited about Climbing for Change 1:31:57 – Instagram, outfits, and sharing experiences to help others

Matt Segal is a professional rock climber and the founder/owner of Alpine Start, a company that makes “Instant Coffee That Actually Tastes Good”. We talked about how Matt got started in climbing, his nickname ‘Miami Vice’, early mentors, losing friends in the mountains, recovering from a paragliding accident, starting a business, and innovating new products. Alpine Start Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/mikeycrouch/alpine-start-with-benefits Support the Podcast: patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing Show Notes: http://thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/matt-segal Nuggets: 2:49 – “Still starting at the bottom and trying to go to the top” 3:53 – Miami Vice, training at a young age, Tony Yaniro, and the PCA 7:19 – Matt’s first highball in Hueco 13:32 – Mentorship of Eric DeCaria, Micah Dash, and Jonny Copp 17:55 – Losing friends 20:13 – Yuji Hirayama, kids bicycles, and Beat Kammberlander 22:10 – Studying Tibetan Buddhism and Psychology in school 25:07 – The beginning of Alpine Start, and Matt’s role with the company 32:00 – “You should surround yourself with people that are smarter than you.” 34:12 – Hiring good employees 36:59 – Waterproof Mini Notebook 37:57 – Matt’s writing practice, and writing letters that you don’t send 39:13 – Fulfilment and focus 39:59 – Paragliding with Cedar Wright, and Matt’s accident 44:44 – Recovery, skiing, and building back up to 5.14 47:07 – Returning to trad climbing, and trying ‘The Path’ 49:06 – Calming his mind for a headpoint attempt 49:45 – Patron Question about Matt’s accident, dark times, and “My number had been called” 52:41 – Another Patron Question, and unfinished business 54:22 – Patron Question: Any tips for training for trad climbing specifically? 55:44 – Patron Question about small gear, and Matt’s story about ripping gear in China 59:16 – Sneaky ways to equalize gear 1:00:25 – Climbing ‘Primate’ in the Flatirons 1:01:33 – Cutting his hand open at a silent zen retreat, proving the doctors wrong, and teaching Ethan Pringle how to trad climb 1:03:46 – Takeaway from the Bugaboo saga, and “partnerships are way stronger than names and grades” 1:04:58 – Grateful for wine, and cooking 1:07:27 – New products from Alpine Start and the Kickstarter (link above in show notes) 1:10:49 – Matt’s upcoming St. George trip 1:13:08 – The project on Mt. Hooker, local projects, and Matt’s cooking/climbing mashup road trip 1:16:26 – Freedom of the Wheels …2?

This full episode is available for Patrons right now! This is a teaser of a follow-up call with Mike Doyle. We talked about some of the exercises that have helped Mike in his recovery from his elbow injury, working with Natasha Barnes and retraining his brain to reduce pain, and Mike shared his go-to hangboard protocol for maintaining finger strength throughout the year between training blocks. You can support the podcast and get access to follow-up conversations for $5 per month on Patreon at patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing. The full version of this follow-up call is 30:04.

This is part 2 of my conversation with Jon Glassberg. We talked about flexibility training, how Jon uses the MoonBoard and why he thinks it is such a useful tool, why how he structures a six-week training block, an example training day, the value of training with a partner, favorite Louder Than Eleven films, and foreign haircuts. Support on Patreon: patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing Show Notes: http://thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/jon-glassberg-part-2 Nuggets: 4:34 – Flexibility training, and the pain cave 10:34 – Jon’s improvement in the spits 13:30 – Why splits training probably isn’t that important, and practicing climbing in a small box 14:56 – The distinction between training vs. just bouldering in the gym, and the value of the training boards (MoonBoard, Tension, etc) 16:11 – Jon’s MoonBoard training, and the “Top 10 climbs in a day” system 21:20 – How MoonBoard gains transfer to outdoor bouldering, and learning to execute 22:46 – How Jon structures his training week 27:36 – An example training day, mock comps, and climbing with a weight vest 31:40 – Indoor projecting days, and how Jon structures a six-week training block, and resting 34:24 – Some of the testing Jon did with Steve Maisch 37:14 – Building up your training capacity, why it’s ok to suck some days, and seeing improvement after resting at the end of a training block 39:21 – Budgeting a week to relearn how to climb after getting strong 40:32 – How Jon’s six-week training blocks fit into a year, and the value of a training partner 42:58 – Forced time off, maintaining finger strength, and warming up with a hangboard in addition to climbing 46:14 – Skin 47:38 – Jon’s guidelines for warmup up 50:20 – More about one-arm max hangs, how to progress the load, and where to start out 54:54 – “Don’t go into training half-assed” 55:45 – Hangboard repeaters, and how Jon structures a six-week block 1:00:29 – Feeling like a boxer, and going to the gym to win 1:02:19 – Jon’s thoughts on MoondBoard vs. Tension Board vs. Kilter Board vs. Beastmaker Board 1:04:11 – Jon’s recommendations for my Hueco “training” trip 1:07:39 – Project shopping, the relativity of grades, and the value of throwing yourself at something hard 1:10:33 – Sean Rabatou and the value of projecting with other people 1:12:59 – How Jon’s climbing schedule has changed over the years, and needing more rest days 1:15:02 – FA of ‘King’s Landing’ 1:16:26 – Good food and haircuts 1:17:26 – ‘The Abyss’ film 1:18:23 – Recent and upcoming films from LT11 1:20:01 – Gratitude for family and friends 1:20:48 – What Jon hopes to accomplish with LT11, and with his own climbing

Jon Glassberg is the owner of Louder Than Eleven, a leading media production company in the Outdoor Industry. He is also a total crusher, having climbed 400+ boulders from V10 to V14. In part one we talked about filming Emily Harrington on her in-a-day ascent of ‘Golden Gate’, about Jon’s early climbing, about pursuing the goal of V15, and about his struggle with a bizarre injury. Support on Patreon: patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing Show Notes: http://thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/jon-glassberg-part-1 Nuggets: 2:54 – Coffee, intermittent fasting, and being more productive in the morning 4:24 – Jon’s go-to breakfast on a climbing day, and on an El Cap filming day, and caffeine 6:20 – Getting back from Yosemite, and Jon’s five-year film project with Emily Harrington 8:03 – Emily’s scary fall in November 2019 13:17 – Emily climbing ‘Golden Gate’ in a day, and her dramatic fall near the top 23:23 – Emily’s grit, and how Alex Honnold is different than everyone else 28:18 – Jon’s perception of free climbing El Cap in a day, and why Emily’s accomplishment is so impressive 32:47 – Jerrydoodleberg 35:41 – Jon’s month trip to Yosemite, balancing work with climbing, and learning to be better with your time 40:32 – Being in Yosemite during covid, and the previous government shutdown 41:45 – Jon’s bouldering highlights from this Yosemite trip 44:36 – Why Jon prefers bouldering over big wall free climbing 46:41 – Existing on the side of El Cap 49:51 – Learning new systems, and being obsessed with efficiency 50:33 – Working with Steve Maisch, how Jon maintains finger strength during a shoot, and training on the Moonbaord during covid 54:40 – Jon’s training philosophy and the value of hangboarding (both physical and mental) 57:43 – The one-arm hangboard protocol Jon learned from Steve Maisch 1:00:17 – 3F drag repeaters, Jon’s finger strength, growing from 5’2” to 6’3” in a year, and building log cabins 1:04:03 – Climbing back when V12 was “hard”, Boone NC, graphic design school, early filming, and the underpants gnomes 1:09:39 – Grad school, almost buying a gym, and starting LT11 1:12:14 – The evolution of LT11, and working on his first feature film 1:17:31 – Emily’s accomplishment in context, and the history of women free climbing El Cap in a day 1:19:21 – The new school approach to big wall free climbing on El Cap, and shooting with Jorg Verhoeven 1:27:11 – The process of putting together a feature film (after filming) 1:34:35 – Balancing commercial work with storytelling 1:38:01 – The roll of a line producer, and how Jon uses Google Drive to keep track of projects 1:42:59 – Jon’s to-do list for life 1:44:43 – Jon’s V15 goal, working with Steve Maisch, and joking about weight classes in climbing 1:48:11 – ‘The Island’, Jon’s crazy injury, and crutching all over Red Rocks 1:57:06 – Jon’s limited mobility, putting on socks, and Jon’s thoughts on the wear and tear of bouldering 2:00:53 – A new philosophy for projecting, and a sample of Jon’s iconic boulders list

This full episode is available for Patrons right now! This is a teaser of a follow-up call with Steve Bechtel. We talked about goal setting, how drinking more water can help with fat loss, the "Three Good Tries" rule, building skills vs. habits, three things to consider when choosing a training program, the value and limitations of training assessments, and why we shouldn’t necessarily depend on scientific research to tell us what to do. You can support the podcast and get access to follow-up conversations for $5 per month on Patreon at patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing. The full version of this follow-up call is 1:24:10.

Chris and Heather Weidner are a hardcore climbing couple, both with many 5.14s under their belt across multiple rock climbing disciplines. We talked about drink counting, New Year resolutions, current injuries, the steps to becoming a kneebar wizard, projecting tips, hard conversations, and balancing climbing goals with maintaining a healthy relationship. Support on Patreon: patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing Show Notes: http://thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/chris-and-heather-weidner Nuggets: 2:41 – How Heather broke her own finger climbing at Shelf Road, and being injured together 5:52 – Counting drinks 9:24 – New Year resolutions, goal setting, and the Green River trip 13:52 – Heather’s climbing origin story, her background in dance, and the choreography of projecting 18:48 – Chris’s climbing origin story, and being introduced to rock climbing and mountains 21:05 – Living in Boulder and maintaining roots in Vegas 21:50 – The art of becoming a kneebar wizard 29:35 – Philosophy of kneebaring, getting better vs. training, and beta tactics 35:06 – Tinkering with beta 38:35 – How Chris breaks down a new project, and training the rests 41:28 – Kneerbar training exercises 44:04 – How Chris broke his pinkie by kneebaring 45:44 – Sourcing kneepads, Send pads, and kneecap tape explanation 49:45 – Heather’s kneebar beta, and why women can handle pain better than men 51:35 – Go-to shoes for kneebars 53:20 – Adam Ondra is making kneebaring cool again 54:37 – Send pads, leg warmers, and man warmers 57:33 – ‘Gambler’s Fallacy’ 1:03:18 – How Chris hurt his shoulder 1:04:38 – Balancing climbing together with climbing with other people 1:09:14 – Chris’s passion for climbing (and ticking boxes), and Heather’s love for projecting 1:13:11 – Expectations going into a hard project, and being ok with not doing all of the moves the first day (or several days) 1:16:12 – ‘Stockboy’s Revenge’ 1:18:15 – “Ask Chris what it’s like for him to have Heather outperform him on his project?” 1:19:22 – Heather’s “bullheadedness” in projecting, and focus vs. adaptability 1:21:01 – Hitting rock bottom on ‘China Doll’, and addressing inner demons 1:23:28 – Getting mental coaching from Arno Ilgner, meditation, and therapy 1:25:23 – Heather’s meditation practice, and the flow state of climbing 1:26:53 – Breakdown of ‘China Doll’ 1:30:23 – What Chris learned from ‘Gambler’s Fallacy’ 1:32:53 – Heather’s mindset when tying in for a project burn, and how Chris’s projecting philosophy has changed 1:35:57 – Learning to adapt, and the power of letting go 1:37:04 – Why Heather is excited about bouldering 1:38:20 – Gratitude 1:41:17 – Kids and hard conversations 1:45:12 – Another decade of improvement

Jon Cardwell is a professional rock climber who specializes in bouldering and sport climbing. Jon’s tick list includes V15, multiple 5.15a’s, and hundreds of 5.14s. We talked about lessons learned from ‘Biographie’ and ‘La Rambla’, about his off-season and pre-training modes, about bouldering for sport climbing, and about his current 5.15 project at The Fortress in Colorado. Support on Patreon: patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing Show Notes: http://thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/jon-cardwell Nuggets: 4:05 – Training at home during quarantine, and forced time off from climbing 5:44 – Taking time off over the holidays, and setting goals for the new year 8:14 – How Jon trains for a goal route (broad strokes) 10:45 – Tapering, the performance window, and incorporating hiking when preparing for ‘Biographie’ 14:04 – Jon’s typical climbing schedule when trying a 5.15 project, and differences between ‘Biographie’ and ‘La Rambla’ 15:46 – Sending ‘La Lambla’, and taking a step back to recharge for a hard project 20:03 – Jon’s current 5.15 project, and how his training has changed vs. previous 5.15s 23:24 – More details about Jon’s project 28:50 – Running to circulate blood and aid recovery 30:31 – Breakdown of project pitch 1 33:32 – Skin cooling, and portable fans as the future of sport climbing 37:48 – Using the tension board, Jon’s “pre-training” mode(s), and bouldering for sport climbing 43:16 – Outdoor vs. indoor bouldering 46:53 – Moderate days and enjoying climbing 50:55 – Jon’s trips to Ten Sleep this summer 53:06 – Memorable climbs/sends that didn’t make the headlines, and Carlo’s “Triple 14” day 59:36 – ‘Misty Wall’ 1:09:40 – Patron Question: What are some of Jon’s favorite FiveTen shoes? 1:12:43 – Patron Question: Do you have any takeaways from dealing with climbing finger injuries? 1:19:16 – Thoughts on preventing finger injuries, and when to let go 1:24:01 – Advice for newer climbers (first few years) 1:28:06 – Advice for climbers with limited access to outdoor climbing, and coaching kids 1:32:52 – Route setting 1:36:06 – Moving toward a new career 1:37:55 – One of the best decisions Jon has ever made 1:39:55 – Photography, dog walking, and being in the mountains 1:40:43 – Gratitude for health 1:42:02 – Favorite post-climb meal 1:42:52 – ‘The Wind-Up Bird’

This full episode is available for Patrons right now! This is a teaser of a follow-up call with Lizzy VanPatten. We talked about her FA of ‘Make Me Sanguine’ 5.13a—a beautiful new trad route on some of Oregon’s finest columnar basalt. This was also Lizzy's first 5.13. We talked about the process of projecting the route, about the meaning behind the name, and about breaking down the arbitrary limits we create for ourselves. You can support the podcast and get access to follow-up conversations for $5 per month on Patreon at patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing. The full version of this follow-up call is 1:03:33.

This is a short clip that I shared at Darek Krol’s memorial service. I felt that this clip captured some of Darek’s philosophy of life, his spirit, and his humor. I wanted to share it here in case you don’t have a chance to listen through the full 3-hour episode. We will miss you, Darek. Full Episode: http://thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/darek-krol

Darek Krol was known by many as the “Mayor of Rifle”. He managed to climb 400+ of Rifle’s roughly 500 routes in his 23 years in the canyon. Darek was killed in an avalanche shortly after this interview. We talked about his love of climbing, about stewardship, and about his close friend, the late Dave Pegg. Darek was well-loved, and he will be deeply missed. Darek Krol Memorial Fund: http://www.gofundme.com/f/darek-krol-memorial-fund Show Notes: http://thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/darek-krol Nuggets: 4:07 – Discovering climbing in Poland 7:44 – Love at first rock climb, and climbing in his “whities” before harnesses 11:35 – ‘Philology’, and ‘The Conquerors of the Useless’ 17:04 – What defines us as human beings, and hugging the planet 26:00 – Balancing relationships with climbing 28:25 – Moving to America 32:58 – Parallel lives in America and Poland, telling stories, and connecting with people in Rifle 38:56 – Climbing as a social sport, Darek’s first trip to Spain in the mid-80s, and selling his sleeping bag to buy chalk and shoes 47:48 – Working for ‘Gory’ (‘Mountains’) magazine, and starting his own climbing magazine 52:25 – Discovering training, building an indoor climbing wall in Poland, and hosting a climbing competition in an arena 59:30 – Waiting to be recognized as climbers, and the quarry in downtown Krakow 1:01:40 – Why Rifle? 1:05:06 – Meditating on the drive to Rifle, and commuting to climb in Poland 1:09:28 – Darek’s “dope” psych-up music, and sharing music w/ Dave Pegg 1:12:45 – Encouragement and self-talk 1:15:14 – Memories of Dave Pegg, and the new Rifle guidebook 1:24:37 – Rifle in the 90s, and Dave’s dedication 1:27:06 – ’Sprayathon’ 1:31:28 – Rediscovering Lower Tier 1:38:16 – Movement vs. strength, and “there is always a way in Rifle” 1:41:45 – Kneebar pads and blue duct tape 1:48:58 – RendezSPEW event, and taking over duties from Dave 1:55:15 – Stewardship, and Dave’s legacy 2:04:28 – The bow and arrow 2:09:48 – Climbing his hardest route in his 50s, and excitement to push new ground 2:14:35 – Darek’s project during covid 2:17:38 – “What you eat matters” 2:25:30 – “It’s never too late”, and Stanislaw Lem 2:29:23 – “There is no good and bad” 2:32:38 – More about Darek’s project, and “Vitamin I” 2:41:16 – Trying the Anderson brother’s training program, feeling old injuries, and weighted pullups 2:49:15 – Homemade training weights (bolted rocks), and the magic of training 2:53:55 – Winter skiing and training plans 2:58:10 – Darek’s dry-tooling friend in Poland 3:05:05 – Gratitude 3:10:20 – “I am the mayor of Rifle, I know everybody!”

In this episode, Steven thanks listeners for an amazing year and for supporting the podcast. He also shares some Christmas karaoke that he recorded in his van...Feedback Form: thenuggetclimbing.com/feedback Support on Patreon: patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing

This is part 2 of my conversation with Alex Johnson. We talked about how she improved from 12b to 14a in her sport climbing, why she no longer does weighted pull-ups, isometric training for arm strength, a typical strength training session, performance vs. training vs. practice, and about Athletic Brewing and the Post-Send Lock-Off Challenge. Support on Patreon: patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing Show Notes: thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/alex-johnson-part-2 Athletic Brewing: Promo Code: “NUGGET25” for 25% off all orders for new customers Shop Athletic Brewing Beer Nuggets: 1:54 – Leveling up from 12b to 14a 5:11 – Testing with Dr. Tyler Nelson, fast hands, and pinpointing weaknesses (finger and arm strength) 12:52 – How Alex trained arm strength, and why weighted pull-ups are “moot” 16:27 – Breakdown of AJ’s isometric arm strength session 20:26 – AJ’s typical strength session layout (bouldering, arm strength, finger strength) 21:43 – Breakdown of AJ’s finger strength session 25:05 – “Snatches” on a campus board for contact strength 28:48 – Athletic Brewing and the Post-Send Lock Off Challenge 33:00 – Sending ‘The Muffler’ V12, and plans to go back to ‘The Swarm’ 34:30 – Highballs 37:28 – AJ’s parting thoughts for her team kids, and “never be afraid to stand up for what you believe in” 42:07 – Outro

This full episode is available for Patrons right now! This is a teaser of a follow-up call with Jasna Hodžić. We talked about the projecting process and Jasna’s notetaking process, what she learned from reflecting on ‘Voodoo’ 14b, and her considerations when choosing a new goal. We also talked about navigating climbing partnerships, and how to be honest upfront to avoid issues later.You can support the podcast and get access to follow-up conversations for $5 per month on Patreon at patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing. The full version of this follow-up call is 1:03:04.

Alex Johnson is a two-time world cup gold medalist and has been climbing at a professional level for a decade. We talked about sieging ‘The Swarm’ V13, her effort to qualify for the Olympics, telling an honest story, failing publicly, lessons from coaching, coming out as LGBTQ, learning about self-love from her partner Bree, and becoming a role model. Support on Patreon: patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing Show Notes: http://thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/alex-johnson-part-1 Athletic Brewing: Promo Code: “NUGGET25” for 25% off all orders for new customers Shop Athletic Brewing Beer Nuggets: 4:09 – Mr. Golden Sun 7:40 – Googly eyed elephant 8:36 – Fritz 10:50 – An amazing day in Yosemite with Fritz 13:06 – The 100 V10’s goal, and Alex’s approach to climbing 18:33 – Balancing hard projecting with volume 22:10 – Obsession over a single project, and volume bouldering games 26:06 – The Swarm, trying to qualify for the Olympics, and the vulnerability of failing publically 32:58 – Storytelling and sharing training ideas on social media, and starting to work with Dr. Tyler Nelson 39:45 – Comps vs. outdoor climbing, and “my heart is in rock climbing” 44:38 – Moving back home to coach, and how coaching lead AJ back to competing 49:36 – Practice vs. training vs. performance 52:26 – Balancing practice, training, and performance, and “going to the gym is practice” 55:00 – Practice drills, and working a boulder to learn vs. to send 1:00:13 – Combining training and practice sessions on the same day, 6x2s, and mock comp days 1:02:39 – “Always with intension”, lone-wolf garage sessions, and the vulnerability of training 1:06:40 – AJ’s go-to exercises on the home wall, and “You have to try hard to try hard” 1:09:47 – Coming out, Bree’s quote, and being a role model 1:19:04 – “Be who you needed when you were younger.” 1:19:19 – Gus Kenworthy 1:24:49 – Bree 1:28:56 – Learning about self-love

My friend Trevor made shirts for The Nugget Climbing Podcast, and I am giving them away to some of you! Well, sort of...Learn more and reserve your shirt at thenuggetclimbing.com/giveaway

Chris Kalous is the host of the Enormocast and has been immersed in climbing for more than thirty years. We talked about training to be a climber in high school gym class, climbing mountains in New Zealand, soloing El Cap in winter, the infamous “Aid Rant” and the mythical grade of A6+, the ‘Freerider’, old-guy training, raising a kid, and the future of the Enormocast. Support on Patreon: patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing Show Notes: http://thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/chris-kalous Nuggets: 2:41 – Election hangover and my visit to Bonfire Coffee 5:14 – Growing up in the Midwest and reading about John Bachar in Outside Magazine 6:34 – Training for climbing in high school gym class 9:53 – First day of outdoor climbing at Horsetooth Reservoir, and the Outdoor Adventure Floor at CSU 12:15 – Guiding at Colorado Mountain School 15:07 – Chris’s first big international trip to Australia 20:06 – Becoming interested in climbing history, reading ‘Climb!’ cover-to-cover, and idolizing climbers from the 70s 22:29 – Aid climbing in the Fisher Towers 23:30 – Doing an exchange to NZ in ’91, moving to LA, moving away from ice climbing, and starting to climb in Yosemite 27:29 – Climbing A4 in the Fisher Towers, and early aid climbing on El Cap 30:43 – Solo aid climbing ‘Lost in America’ in winter, and aiding through a waterfall 38:33 – Getting down the east ledges in the snow, breaking “the rule”, and the aid climber’s mindset 41:33 – The ‘Aid Rant’, and a breakdown of aid climbing grades (A0 through A5) 47:07 – Aid climbing as an engineering and mental challenge 50:24 – Patron Question: What exactly might constitute the mythical grade of A6+? 51:28 – Patron Question: What is the best way to train for hard aid in a gym? 52:19 – Why Chris moved away from aid climbing 56:30 – How Chris thinks about introducing his son Miles to climbing 57:36 – The ‘Freerider’ chapter 1:06:01 – ‘Learning to Fly’, Didier Berthod, “The bolts don’t make the sport climbing”, and traddy tendencies 1:12:16 – Embracing Rifle, climbing ‘Cantina Boy’, and the mental game of sport climbing 1:16:49 – Back to ‘Learning to Fly’, the advice Chris got from Peewee Ouellet, and taping for finger cracks 1:20:40 – The Canadian Rockies chapter and the FA of ‘Premonition’ 1:24:15 – Putting up a 10-pitch 13a in Wadi Rum 1:26:03 – Patron Question: How do you balance fatherhood and climbing? Any secret beta for a new father who would like to keep improving at climbing while being present in his daughter’s life? 1:29:22 – Navigating a relationship with kids, climbing with your partner, and date nights 1:34:08 – Training lessons from working with Kris Hampton (Odub) 1:36:53 – Training can be fun, and “you can do a lot less than you think and still see gains” 1:38:42 – A breadth of experiences, and how climbing harder opens up the world 1:41:11 – One wish about sponsorship and being a sponsored climber 1:43:24 – Hoping to go to Tagia in Morocco, getting shut down on ‘Golden Gate’, prioritizing friends and family in climbing 1:47:34 – The sale offer, and the future of the Enormocast 1:50:31 – The Runout podcast (Chris’s other podcast with Andrew Bisharat) 1:52:12 – Chris’s recommended Enormocast episodes 1:55:11 – Chris’s recommended Runout episodes 1:55:48 – Grateful for Carbondale, CO 1:57:35 – The gift of podcasting, and the guest wish list 2:02:14 – The Mobile Studio 2.0

This full episode is available for Patrons right now! This is a teaser of a follow-up call with Brittany Goris. We talked about her season in Vedauwoo and some of the top offwidth climbing techniques she learned, about onsighting her first 5.13 trad route in Indian Creek, about how she approaches gear selection and placement for hard splitter projects and onsight attempts, and about her growing finger sizes.You can support the podcast and get access to follow-up conversations for $5 per month on Patreon at patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing. The full version of this follow-up call is 30:50.

Dru Mack is a professional rock climber who spent his formative years in the Red River Gorge, and is now traveling full time pursuing hard sport climbing. Nat Gustafson sits in on our conversation to talk about hard projecting, tricks for maintaining power and finger strength, an update on “The List”, training recommendations, hype up songs, and Dru’s battle with ‘The Crew’ 5.14c in Rifle. Support on Patreon: patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing Show Notes: http://thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/dru-mack Nuggets: 4:12 – Send Frosties vs. sad Frosties, DQ Blizzards, and steak dinners 6:01 – One “health day” per week, and crunches for beach abs 7:17 – Battling ‘The Crew’ 9:14 – Project climbing vs. mixing it up, and “every project has a different process” 13:01 – ‘The Flame’, and going on bouldering trips to help his sport climbing 16:10 – Balancing performance climbing with Moonboard sessions, bouldering trips, and hangboarding 18:41 – Dru’s bouldering trip to Estes 19:55 – Bouldering sessions in the gym, and Is, Ys, and Ts 21:35 – Dru’s stretching practice 24:15 – The importance of fun 26:28 – My breathing challenge from Ethan Pringle 30:07 – The theme I’ve noticed in top climbers through the podcast 31:28 – Introducing Nat, the prospect of shoulder surgery, and “decisions are always easier when they’re made for you” 34:14 – Question for Nat: What are some of the cultural differences you noticed (related to climbing) between Spain and the US? What can you attribute to higher climbing standards in Spain? 38:28 – The Spanish warmup 39:37 – Lessons from climbing with the Pou brothers 41:15 – Nat’s progression from 12d/13a to 5.14 in 3.5 years in Spain 42:31 – Nat’s challenges with the language barrier in Spain and feeling emotionally blunted 44:01 – “You don’t get over the fears.” 46:11 – Learning from friends 49:15 – Social media and room for mistakes and growth 57:37 – Lee and mentorship 1:03:30 – ‘Middle Child’ 1:06:57 – Being “Lee” for some other kid someday 1:07:59 – Dru’s biggest weaknesses leaving the Red 1:09:45 – Dru’s first trip to Europe, climbing with J-Star, and doing ‘Fisheye’ 1:11:32 – Getting lowered off the end of his rope, and “always getting better.” 1:13:41 – Plans to move to St. George, and what Dru is focusing on to continue getting better 1:15:36 – Dru’s mantras, little victories, and staying positive 1:18:06 – Update on “The List” (from J-Star), and campusing slabs at the VRG 1:22:18 – Stiff shoes and calf raises for kneebars 1:23:48 – Plans to continue “The List”, and balancing volume climbing with projecting 1:28:07 – 5.15? 1:32:51 – Moving to St. George, community, and balancing connection with solo time 1:39:54 – The book ‘Exhalation’ 1:43:03 – Productivity vs. downtime, phones as a tool, and asking ourselves, “do I have the time to be entertained right now?” 1:46:37 – Shoutout to listeners! Thank you so much for your questions, seriously! 1:46:59 – Patron Question: What should I do to prepare for a trip to the Red? (given two to three months to prepare) 1:51:47 – Breaking down the “2x2” and the “3x3” 1:54:16 – Best angles to train on for the Red 1:55:03 – How to progress your training leading up to a trip to the Red 1:58:05 – Short summary of Red training 1:58:26 – Fingers and core, and Dru’s current approach to finger strength 2:01:18 – R&B and hype up music 2:03:16 – “Enjoy every second of it.” 2:05:44 – Gratitude for friends and supportive community 2:06:51 – “Would I be ok trying this route for a month and not doing it..?”, and last-ditch efforts on ‘The Crew’ 2:09:17 – More gratitude, blue-point-thumb-wrestling, and basketball 2:11:50 – Send Frosty and donuts

Steven Dimmitt is the host of The Nugget Climbing Podcast. In this reverse interview, Ethan Pringle takes over and asks Steven about his upbringing, his path through climbing, and about starting the podcast. This episode also features questions from past guests on the show, asking Steven about some of his biggest mistakes, lessons learned, climbing heroes, and inner life. Support on Patreon: patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing Show Notes: http://thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/steven-dimmitt Nuggets: 2:13 – Beef and veggie breakfast tacos 5:04 – Switching interview roles 6:49 – The early years and growing up in Wenatchee, WA 10:27 – Traveling as a kid, South America, and cockroaches 13:02 – Getting robbed in South America 15:22 – Parents, podcast hikes, and connecting through the podcast 20:40 – Piano lessons and threatening to cut my fingers off 22:13 – Music up through high school 26:01 – Going to college in Bellingham, majoring in music, and playing in (and living with) a band 29:30 – My first (and second) climbing experiences, and working at the climbing gym in college 34:01 – My first climbing trip to Bishop and climbing ‘The Hunk’ 35:47 – Connecting with climbing and moving away from music after college, and a new excitement for music now 38:50 – Summer jobs in the fruit warehouses 43:53 – Working for the Forest Service, bouldering my first V0 through V10 (except V6) in Leavenworth, and discovering I had weak fingers in Joe’s Valley 45:31 – Learning how to sport climb at Equinox, and resonating with sport climbing 49:45 – Living in my Subaru after college to climb, Ten Sleep, the first Climb Strong Training Camp, and the ‘Superman’ video 53:20 – Visiting Bend/Smith for the first time, lacking purpose on the road, and moving there to work for Entre Prises (EP) 57:31 – Making climbing holds for EP, and working in aerospace 59:57 – The Adventures of Sloth blog and my uneventful 25th birthday 1:02:28 – Smith Rock, “eating your vegetables (with sand in them)”, and working in the grind 1:05:31 – My approach to training while working in Bend, my ‘Grinding’ blog post, following the (altered) Rock Prodigy program, and changing my tune — [Guest Questions] — 1:11:45 – [Mike Doyle] What is the biggest mistake you’ve made in regards to training? 1:16:53 – [Drew Ruana] What inspired you to start the podcast? 1:24:32 – [Audrey Sniezek] What is the biggest challenge in producing a podcast? 1:25:51 – [Ian Yurdin] How has the podcast influenced your climbing? How is it a drain and/or boon for your climbing? Are you sending more since you started the podcast? 1:28:50 – [Bill Ramsey] When interviewing famous climbers how do you strike a balance between interviewing them for things they’re famous for and therefore have already been covered, and asking original questions that cover new ground? 1:30:37 – [Tonde Katiyo] You are a great listener. Do you think that is a personality trait or something that you’ve cultivated? 1:32:33 – [Charlie Manganiello] What’s the one thing you wish someone would have told you when you first started pursuing hard rock climbs? 1:36:09 – [Mike Kerzhner] If you could take a trip for a month with one climber, dead or alive, who would it be and where would you go? 1:37:11 – [Steve Bechtel] If you could only do one more hard route in your life, which one would it be? Why aren’t you trying it now? 1:38:59 – [Brittany Goris] If you could climb only on one type of rock (i.e. granite, sandstone, limestone, etc.) for the rest of your life, which one would it be and why? 1:39:59 – [Chad Andrews] What’s your ideal balance between meaningful work, travel, and climbing in the future? 1:42:11 – [Blake Cason] Describe a snapshot of a memorable climbing experience you’ve had. — [Ethan’s Questions] — 1:46:56 – What is your inner life like? And do you think there is a discrepancy between how you seem to others and how you seem to yourself? 1:52:23 – What have you been especially grateful for lately? 1:57:30 – What does the word “God” mean to you? 2:07:36 – “Be kind to one another.” 2:11:55 – “Is a whale a fish or a mammal?”

This full episode is available for Patrons right now! This is a teaser of a follow-up call with Jonathan Siegrist. We talked about chasing weather in New England, about Jaws II, about the FA of ‘Nu World’ 5.15a/b, about the ‘Event Horizon’ project (the direct finish to ‘Nu World’), and about some of the strategies and tactics Jonathan uses when returning for a new round of attempts on a multi-season project.You can support the podcast and get access to follow-up conversations for $5 per month on Patreon at patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing. The full version of this follow-up call is 26:42.

Emily Harrington is a professional climber whose accomplishments span the climbing spectrum. From winning National Championships, to summiting Mt. Everest, to free climbing El Capitan, Emily has done it all. We talked about projecting ‘Golden Gate’ in a day, partnering with Alex Honnold, embracing fear, eating to fuel your body, and cupcake batter ice cream. Support on Patreon: patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing Show Notes: http://thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/emily-harrington Nuggets: 3:14 – Being at home, the next round of tries, and “it’s been a long process” 5:29 – Why Emily chose ‘Golden Gate’ in a day as a goal 10:21 – Emily’s preparation for ‘Golden Gate’ this season 13:22 – Partnering up with Alex Honnold 16:36 – Emily’s accident last fall, and recalibrating for this attempt 19:36 – Breakdown of ‘Golden Gate’ and least favorite pitches (the Hollow Flake/ all fo the downclimbs and offwidths) 23:18 – Climbing the Monster Offwidth and bumping a #6 that she’d forgotten to clip 23:56 – Emily’s favorite pitches on ‘Golden Gate’ (Golden Desert and A5) 24:45 – Footwear for El Cap, and converting to the TC Pro 27:29 – Conquering fear vs. embracing fear and using it as fuel 30:41 – Patron Question: Any tips or tactics for working through fear in the moment? 34:37 – Emily’s strategies for working through anxiety, and letting go of perfection 40:25 – Eating to fuel your body 41:26 – Transitioning into trad and big wall free climbing and Emily’s rollercoaster of emotions 43:58 – Rappelling El Cap to try a 20’ downclimb 46:15 – What Emily hopes to accomplish in her career and in her climbing 50:23 – Grateful to have a home 52:12 – Reggaeton 53:05 – Non-functional earrings 54:09 – Skittles and pancakes 54:38 – Naan 55:04 – Cupcake batter ice cream

Hailey Franklin Fultz is a former competitive dancer, and a nutrition coach. For the past five years, she has used nutrition to help Matt Fultz (her husband) become one of the top boulderers in the world. We geeked out about all things nutrition: meal timing, protein synthesis, the role of carbs, supplements for climbers, strategies for fat loss, foods to avoid, navigating holidays, and Hailey’s favorite “healthified” treats. Support on Patreon:patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing Show Notes: http://thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/hailey-franklin-fultz Nuggets: 3:21 – Moving into the RV 6:34 – Travel plans, meeting in middle school, and holiday family time 8:16 – Rifle and potential plans to meet up 9:32 – Hailey’s background in dance, dabbling in climbing, and appreciating watching climbing 11:53 – Hailey’s history with ballet and dance, and growing a love for fitness and functional strength training 12:44 – Becoming interested in nutrition in college, starting OTG Strength with Matt, and every calorie as a “package of opportunity” 15:10 – Parallels between dancers and climbers in regards to nutritional needs 16:38 – Protein synthesis overview 20:22 – Strategies for optimizing protein synthesis, and planning meals around protein 21:45 – Hailey’s recommended daily protein amount (about 1.6 to 2.5 or 3 grams of protein per kg bodyweight per day—note 1 kg = 2.2 lbs) 25:57 – Hailey’s thoughts on supplements (the ingredient list should still look like food) 28:14 – Hailey’s pitch for people who feel reluctant to eat higher protein, and the many roles of amino acids 32:17 – Protein for pre-workout 33:58 – Hailey’s recommendations for peri-workout nutrition/crag food 36:40 – Alternatives to candy for quick energy at the cliff 40:31 – More recommendations related to food timing 43:46 – Shifting our eating around training blocks and energy needs 46:10 – Hailey’s supplement staples for climbers (fish oil and protein powder), and “supplements are meant to fill gaps” 48:23 – Herbs and adaptogens 50:08 – Vitamin D supplementation and food sources 53:18 – Hailey’s biggest bang-for-your-buck recommendations: more protein spread out throughout the day, and more fruits and vegetables 56:42 – Prioritizing complex carbohydrates and real food at the crag 57:51 – Hailey’s thoughts on individuality in nutrition 1:00:48 – Carbohydrate tolerance, the liver’s many jobs, and “carbohydrates are not evil” 1:06:25 – Foods/ingredients that everyone should avoid: artificial foods, food coloring, and trans fats (hydrogenated oils) 1:08:55 – Hailey’s thoughts on alcohol (she recommends keeping it to 1-2 drinks per week, and on rest days) 1:14:04 – Navigating holidays, proteinizing (or healthifying) desserts and treats, and prioritizing foods that are “worth it” 1:18:23 – “Guilt isn’t a topping”, and “If I don’t eat it all today, I can still have some of it tomorrow” 1:20:40 – “Weight has purpose”, Matt’s bulking/cutting/maintenance strategy, fat loss, and how to lose 5 lbs (of fat) to peak for a project (higher protein, slight calorie deficit, and fasted walks) 1:26:26 – Matt’s morning fasted walk (30-60 minutes at a fairly brisk pace, 2-3 times per week) 1:29:46 – How gradually to lose weight during a cutting phase 1:31:58 – Relaxing during “bulking” phases, and the beauty of building good nutrition habits 1:35:13 – Your taste palette changes 1:37:07 – Summary of the big nutritional takeaways and Hailey’s emphasis (“calories and not evil, and they’re not created equal…”) 1:38:36 – What Hailey would say to her 20-year-old self, letting go of perfection, and the importance of sleep 1:40:47 – More about sleep 1:42:52 – Prioritization, saying “yes” and “no”, and “our best is worth a lot” 1:45:50 – Moving from Idaho to Salt Lake City, working at Sprouts in the vitamin department, and “honor the stepping stones” 1:49:02 – Morning routines 1:50:33 – Hailey’s current book and favorite nostalgic/grounding music 1:52:15 – Gratitude for kind people 1:53:12 – RV life and a new learning curve 1:53:54 – OTG Strength and what clients can expect if they work with Hailey and Matt. 1:57:50 – Hailey’s favorite treats from the ‘Hypnotized Minds’ cheat day with Matt

This full episode is available for Patrons right now! This is a teaser of a follow-up call with Drew Ruana. We talked about his process of sending 'Box Therapy' and 'Creature From the Black Lagoon', as well his process projecting 'The Grand Illusion', and plans for summer training.You can support the podcast and get access to follow-up conversations for $5 per month on Patreon at patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing. The full version of this follow-up call is 18:34.

This is part 2 of my conversation with Tonde Katiyo. We talked about RIC (Risk, Intensity, Complexity) as a tool for communicating about difficulty, about the appropriate responses to different types of bouldering challenges, about the value and importance of route setting in a growing industry, about The Lab, and keeping training in perspective. Support on Patreon: patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing Show Notes: http://thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/tonde-katiyo-part-2 Nuggets: 2:18 – RIC (Risk, Intensity, Complexity) as a tool for communicating about difficulty, and athletic empathy 10:39 – More about RIC and the appropriate response/attitude for each 20:22 – “We need to do better for setters” 29:26 – Drawing comparisons between setting and the restaurant industry, and indoor climbing as a soon-to-be billion-dollar industry 37:56 – The Lab 48:40 – Gratitude for the partners who support us 51:07 – Excited about climbing 54:31 – Recent favorite music 57:44 – Climbing projects 1:04:43 – Tonde’s request, and keeping training in perspective

Tonde Katiyo is a professional route setter, a passionate climber, a father, and a coach. His mother is French and his father is Zimbabwean. We talked about the connection between route setting and coaching, about coaching Nathan Hadley, Sean Bailey, and Margo Hayes, about his discrimination and privilege resumés, about exposing his kids to risk, and about making better climbing to make a better world. Support on Patreon:patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing Show Notes: http://thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/tonde-katiyo-part-1 Nuggets: 3:10 – The joys of parenting 4:34 – Tonde’s shitty gym session, the ratio of “good” to “bad” sessions, and collecting bad sessions 7:01 – Getting back in shape, Tonde’s “Level 1” goals, and climbing with Nathan Hadley 8:50 – Tonde’s current role at the Bouldering Project 9:56 – Getting hired, Tonde’s dream world, and the happy accident of circuit setting 15:05 – The problem with treating climbing grades as a fixed measurement 17:50 – Being talked into coaching Nathan Hadley, Sean Bailey, and Margo Hayes 22:16 – Tonde’s inside joke, emotion and intention, and speculation as to why those three athletes saught coughing from Tonde 24:42 – Learning to apply the appropriate amount of effort, the complexity of climbing, the mental and emotional boxes, and tweaking dials on the switchboard 29:34 – Learning who people are, and learning to say exactly the right thing at exactly the right time 32:13 – Tonde’s competition background, and how his experience competing and route setting has informed his coaching 36:39 – Asking competitors interesting questions through route setting, and the hand jam scandal 40:44 – Tonde’s training camps, the role of route setting in coaching, and helping athletes work through frustration and other emotions 48:03 – “How do you feel?”, and answering that question with honesty 51:34 – Working with Nathan on his footwork 56:14 – “Your climbing should resemble your personality” 58:44 – When our personalities work against us, winning competitions on your weaknesses rather than strengths, and the inconveniences of competitions vs. those of outdoor climbing 1:03:16 – Tonde’s discrimination and privilege resumes (see show notes for links to his Instagram posts) 1:13:20 – Patron Question: With the BLM protests and social change going on right now, has Tonde seen climbers trying to be more inclusive? Could we get some examples of people employing some good tact and also some bad tact? 1:18:59 – Hoping for a more tolerant world for his kids, and “better climbing makes better people, and better people will make a better world.” 1:23:14 – Patron Question: I would love to hear Tonde talk about being a dad, and also someone that participates in a potentially high consequence past time. How does he manage progression and risk of injury? How does he look at risk for himself, and how does he prepare to take on more risk to move the bar up a notch? How does he manage risk for his kids, and how does he introduce them to it in a healthy way? 1:30:55 – How Tonde thinks about introducing his kids to climbing, and hoping they find passion (even if it’s crocheting)

This full episode is available for Patrons right now! This is a teaser of a follow-up call with Ethan Pringle. We talked about surfing, about the stories we tell ourselves about what we can and can’t do, about the biggest difference between Adam Ondra and everyone else, about Ethan’s projects in Northern California, and about my recent projects in Ten Sleep. You can support the podcast and get access to follow-up conversations for $5 per month on Patreon at patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing. The full version of this follow-up call is 51:13.