The Nugget Climbing Podcast

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We are supported by these amazing BIG GIVERS:

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thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/jeannie-wall

Show Notes:

Nuggets:

0:08:38 – Overview of our conversation, and growing up as the youngest of 11 children

0:14:22 – Baggage and benefits from her upbringing, and being competitive as a racer

0:16:52 – The chapter of life that Jeannie is in now, and learning patience

0:19:22 – Competing at the Olympic Trials for nordic skiing, and why she doesn’t miss competing and racing

0:23:58 – Shifting toward climbing, and how she has changed in her 50s

0:25:38 – Examples of people climbing hard in their 60s, and Jeannie’s hut ski trip

0:28:07 – Why Jeannie finally got hooked on climbing

0:34:12 – Getting Swine Flu, dealing with chronic fatigue for two years, and finding a different path in climbing

0:36:14 – “If you wanna go fast, you have to go slow most of the time.”

0:41:31 – How media influences us in climbing, and giving the last 10% to be excellent at something

0:47:02 – My inner tension with bouldering, the role of mentorship, and Jeannie’s story of climbing Fitz Roy

0:54:42 – Challenge and risk as key parts of the human experience

1:01:18 – “If we’re not learning are we really happy?”

1:05:25 – Engaging with the edge of our comfort zone

1:07:13 – The pressure to be someone other than who you are

1:12:33 – The value of pursuing your passion

1:15:05 – Wildness, and why Jeannie and Leslie started Broad Beta

1:24:20 – Heroes, looking at the whole person, and the stories of ordinary people doing extraordinary things

1:28:42 – Why stories are so powerful

1:33:02 – Sharing the whole story, and Jeannie’s menopause article

1:38:09 – Jeannie’s vision for Broad Beta

1:45:12 – Where to find Broad Beta

1:47:10 – Wrap up and final questions

EP 156: Fundamentals — How to Go on a Sport Climbing Trip Feb 13, 2023

Show notes

Fundamentals (Part 3 of 6) — In part 3 of this series, Jesse and I discuss tips and pitfalls for going on a sport climbing trip. Whether you are a weekend warrior, planning your first-ever sport climbing trip, or a seasoned veteran, we hope this episode will help you send your dream routes and enjoy your climbing along the way.

Listen to more Fundamentals episodes!

Jesse’s Original Episode:

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We are supported by these amazing BIG GIVERS:

Leo Franchi, Michael Roy, David Lahaie, Robert Freehill, Jeremiah Johnson, Scott Donahue, Eli Conlee, Skyler Maxwell, Craig Lee, Mark and Julie Calhoun, and Yinan Liu

Become a Patron:

thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/fundamentals-part-3

Show Notes:

Nuggets:

(00:00:00) – Intro

(00:03:29) – The worst sport climbing I’ve been on, destroying my rental car, and having too high of expectations

(00:09:16) – Jesse’s experiences making weekend trips to Smith Rock

(00:10:29) – Jesse’s Tip #1: Have a good partner or crew

(00:11:38) – Steven’s Tip #1: Try to sport climb as much as possible leading up to the sport climbing trip

(00:13:12) – My trip to Rifle in 2018, and why it was successful

(00:14:30) – Jesse’s Tip #2: Prioritize the right skills before the trip

(00:15:30) – Jesse’s endurance/money analogy

(00:16:14) – A tip for how to practice and train for sport climbing on a spray wall

(00:18:38) – Jesse’s Tip #3: Be mindful of crag’s ethics and history when you travel to a new sport climbing crag

(00:19:48) – Steven’s Tip #2: Be brutally honest with yourself about how much time you have

(00:22:27) – Steven’s Tip #3: Be intentional with what routes you try

(00:23:21) – Bonus Tip: Leave the ground with purpose

(00:23:57) – Jesse’s Tip #4: Think about links on your project as their own goal

(00:25:40) – Steven’s Tip #4: Have a goal or an intention for every try

(00:27:29) – Jesse’s Tip #5: Dial in your snack game

(00:29:02) – Steven’s Tip #5: Do mileage, or try something that is hard for you, but don’t try to do both

(00:31:59) – Bonus Tip: If you are a boulderer primarily, be open-minded and give the routes time to grow on you 0:31:50 – The sunk cost fallacy, being okay with recon tries, and why you’ll probably get better at sport climbing over time

(00:38:35) – Jesse’s Pitfall #1: Not having the right clothing layers

(00:40:47) – Steven’s Pitfall #1: Not being specific enough with preparation before the trip

(00:43:19) – Jesse’s Pitfall #2: Getting redpoint blinders

(00:45:45) – The value of not trying your project on the last day of your trip

(00:48:11) – Some thoughts and tips related to onsighting

(00:50:10) – Steven’s Pitfall #2: Letting the group derail your plans and keep you in your comfort zone

(00:51:31) – Jesse’s Pitfall #3: Not discussing your plans and intentions with your partner before the trip

(00:52:10) – Steven’s Pitfall #3: Having too high of expectations

(00:53:55) – Jesse’s Top Tip: Endurance is important, but it’s secondary to actual sport climbing skills

(00:54:25) – Steven’s Top Tip: Be brutally honest with yourself about how much time you really have, and make your tries count

EP 155: Caleb Robinson — Reaching V13 in Four Years, Biggest Lessons From Competitive Soccer, and the Power of Consistency Feb 06, 2023

Show notes

Caleb Robinson is an ex-competitive soccer player, elite boulderer, route setter, and photographer. He started climbing at age 17 and sent his first V13 in just four years. We talked about the biggest lessons he learned from competitive soccer, how deadlifting fixed his back, a typical week of training, his finger training journey, the power of consistency over time, finding his artistic expression in photography, and much more!

Check out The Nugget on YouTube:

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physivantage.com (link includes 15% off coupon)

Use this link to get a free year's supply of vitamin D + 5 travel packs!

Check out PhysiVantage!

Use code "NUGGET15" at checkout for 15% off your next order!

We are supported by these amazing BIG GIVERS:

Leo Franchi, Michael Roy, David Lahaie, Robert Freehill, Jeremiah Johnson, Scott Donahue, Eli Conlee, Skyler Maxwell, Craig Lee, Mark and Julie Calhoun, and Yinan Liu

Become a Patron:

thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/caleb-robinson

Show Notes:

Nuggets:

0:07:20 – A Thursday in the life of Caleb Robinson

0:08:55 – New Year’s Resolutions, and building habits over time

0:11:24 – Climbing V13 in the first few years of climbing, and how competitive soccer informed his climbing and training approach

0:16:05 – How deadlifting fixed Caleb’s back

0:21:08 – Being enamored with soccer, and why he quit soccer and started climbing

0:24:07 – There’s no middle ground in conventional team sports, and why climbing is so special

0:29:16 – Uncle —> karate gym —> climbing

0:34:00 – “The hard work that you don’t want to do pays off.”

0:36:04 – “Intelligence is just as important as physical prowess.”

0:36:45 – Quadzilla, and connecting between the upper body and lower body

0:40:42 – How “hard work pays off” applies to Caleb’s climbing

0:42:41 – Being a self-learner, and having intention

0:49:12 – Training resources and athletes that have guided Caleb’s approach

0:52:26 – Experimenting with training, focusing on being good at climbing, and avoiding common mistakes and pitfalls

0:59:24 – How Caleb developed his technique, and the importance of climbing with people who are better than you

1:02:57 – Having a mobility routine, dedicating time to recovery, and missing snowboarding

1:08:40 – Caleb’s finger-training journey

1:19:50 – The value of consistency + simplicity, and sticking with it when progress slows (and Caleb’s love affair with Dave MacLeod)

1:27:17 – What Caleb’s finger training progress looked like over the two years that he did max hangs

1:31:41 – Caleb’s grip positions for hangboarding

1:33:52 – How his finger training has changed in the past year, and learning to apply his finger strength to climbing

1:38:13 – What a typical training week looks like for Caleb

1:45:16 – Why Caleb started route setting

1:47:21 – A typical training week now as a route setter

1:49:31 – Caleb’s philosophy about skills, finger strength, and core strength, and his stable workouts right now (board climbing, campusing on the spray wall, etc)

1:52:32 – Caleb’s core training routine

1:58:01 – Why Caleb focuses on maximal effort training

1:59:12 – The importance of quality practice

2:00:32 – “Success comes with consistency over a long period of time”, and Caleb’s photography career

2:03:07 – Moody Russian painters

2:04:31 – Finding his own artistic expression in photography, and the collaborative side of taking portraits

2:10:42 – Taking the long view as an athlete and artist

2:13:32 – The one thing Caleb wishes people spent more time thinking about

2:19:24 – Wrap up and what’s next

Follow-Up: Aidan Roberts — Sending Alphane, Training for V18 Projects, and Listener Q&A (Teaser) Feb 02, 2023

Show notes

This full episode is available for Patrons right now! Aidan Roberts is back on the podcast for a proper geek-out about cutting-edge bouldering! We talked about sending Alphane V17, how he and Ollie tweaked his approach to focus on power over the winter, his plans to try futuristic (V18) projects back in Switzerland, and Aidan answered your questions about his training, finger strength, board climbing, flexibility, nutrition, lifestyle, and more!

Become a Patron to get access to the full episode! And support the podcast!

*The full version is 2:53:31.

*Watch the uncut video interview here!

Aidan’s Original Episode:

EP 142: Aidan Roberts (Oct 31, 2022)

Announcing YouTube + Win a Training Bundle! Feb 01, 2023

Show notes

The Nugget is now on YouTube! We'll be sharing top clips from the podcast along with never-before-seen content. Subscribe before Feb 28th to enter to win a Training Bundle from Chalk Cartel, Frictitious Climbing, and Rhino Skin Solutions!

Check out The Nugget on YouTube:

EP 154: Fundamentals — How to Go on a Bouldering Trip Jan 30, 2023

Show notes

Fundamentals (Part 2 of 6) — In part 2 of this series, Jesse and I dive deeper into specific tips and pitfalls for going on a bouldering trip. We covered a wide range of topics including training and preparation, crash pad and kit recommendations, how to manage skin and energy, good bouldering ethics, how to boulder in a group, and much more.

Listen to more Fundamentals episodes!

Jesse’s Original Episode:

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Check out Grasshopper Climbing!

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Use code “NUGGET” at checkout for 20% off your next order!

Check out Petzl!

petzl.com

Or shop for Petzl quickdraws at your local climbing shop!

We are supported by these amazing BIG GIVERS:

Leo Franchi, Michael Roy, David Lahaie, Robert Freehill, Jeremiah Johnson, Scott Donahue, Eli Conlee, Skyler Maxwell, Craig Lee, Mark and Julie Calhoun, and Yinan Liu

Become a Patron:

thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/fundamentals-part-2

Show Notes:

Nuggets:

(00:00:00) – Intro

(00:04:22) – A favorite memory from Jesse’s trip to Rocklands, and my week-long trip to Bishop in 2017

(00:11:12) – Top out views

(00:12:06) – Jesse’s Tip #1: Try to have a mix of crash pads

(00:16:55) – Steven’s Tip #1: Make your preparation as specific as possible

(00:20:21) – Bonus Tip: Two things that people miss in their bouldering training

(00:22:51) – Steven’s Tip #2: Decide really quickly whether or not the boulder you’re trying is important for you (and have an intention for the trip and each climbing day)

(00:24:56) – Bonus Tip: Be mindful of the language that you use with yourself (e.g. “I should be able to do this.”)

(00:25:35) – Jesse’s Tip #2: Organize your gear and car before your trip (and stash some emergency snacks in your bag!)

(00:30:01) – Steven’s Tip #3: Bring everything you think you might need to the boulders

(00:32:41) – Jesse’s Tip #3: Know basic bouldering ethics, and know how to move efficiently in a group (and be polite at the boulders)

(00:35:01) – Steven’s Tip #4: Take breaks to run around and look at cool stuff

(00:36:28) – Bonus Tip: Take your climbing shoes off between every try

(00:36:49) – Steven’s Tip #5: Sleep on a decent bed (and bring your pillow!)

(00:39:06) – Steven’s Pitfall #1: Blowing through all of your skin on day 1

(00:40:22) – Jesse’s Pitfall #1: Getting socially exhausted (i.e. be mindful of how much social energy you have)

(00:41:46) – Steven’s Pitfall #2: Spending the whole day “warming up” to do the hard thing

(00:42:59) – Bonus Tip: Learn how to warm up with minimal climbing (and be ruthlessly realistic about how much time you have and what you can do in a day)

(00:44:35) – Jesse’s Pitfall #2: Not being mindful of how much total energy you have

(00:46:45) – Steven’s Pitfall #3: Blowing it with timing when it comes to conditions and sun/aspect

(00:48:02) – Bonus Tip: Try to find out when your project goes into the shade

(00:48:26) – Jesse’s Pitfall #3: Not taking responsibility for your own safety

(00:52:40) – Jesse’s Top Tip: Know good bouldering ethics

(00:53:23) – Steven’s Top Tip: Decide quickly whether the bouldering you are trying is important to you

EP 153: Ollie Torr — The Secret to Finger Strength, How to Climb Like Aidan Roberts, and Staying on the Bus Jan 23, 2023

Show notes

Ollie Torr is an ex-gymnast, high-end rock climber, and co-founder of Lattice Training. We went deep in this conversation and covered Ollie’s top exercises for different types of climbers, how to climb more like Aidan Roberts, how to find your own superpowers and become a specialist, the secret to finger strength, balancing strength and fitness, overtraining vs. under recovering, taking action is six-week blocks, and much more!

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physivantage.com (link includes 15% off coupon)

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Check out Athletic Greens!

Use this link to get a free year's supply of vitamin D + 5 travel packs!

We are supported by these amazing BIG GIVERS:

Leo Franchi, Michael Roy, David Lahaie, Robert Freehill, Jeremiah Johnson, Scott Donahue, Eli Conlee, Skyler Maxwell, Craig Lee, Mark and Julie Calhoun, and Yinan Liu

Become a Patron:

thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/ollie-torr

Show Notes:

Nuggets:

(00:00:00) – Intro

(00:06:00) – Update on my bicep tendon injury and recovery

(00:09:55) – Ollie’s work with the GB Judo team on grip strength and injury recovery

(00:14:25) – Ollie’s thoughts on the final stage of recovering from an injury

(00:20:33) – My introduction to Lattice in 2016, and Ollie’s funny story about his first interview on Training Beta

(00:23:00) – Perfectionism, paralysis by analysis, and action breeds motivation and progression

(00:26:06) – “What got me here won’t get me there.”

(00:28:35) – Plans for a round two! Stay tuned for a listener Q&A!

(00:32:00) – Assessments, and gathering information from new clients

(00:39:54) – The key metrics that Lattice assesses with new clients

(00:46:10) – Flexibility testing for climbers

(00:49:59) – Trying to figure out what works for yourself and your body as an athlete, and Ollie’s process of examining movement, joint, and action

(00:56:25) – Coaching Aidan Roberts, Aidan’s approach to training for Isles of Wonder Sit (V16/8C+ FA), and the value of combining strength movements with replica training

(01:00:29) – Vacuum climbing, how to climb more like Aidan Roberts, and training with Toby Roberts

(01:13:24) – Specializing vs. working on weaknesses and rounding out your style, and finding your superpower

(01:21:00) – Limbic friction

(01:22:13) – What Ollie learned from Tom Randall, and training to “pass the exam”

(01:30:20) – Exercises for people who struggle with narrow climbing

(01:39:31) – Key exercises for all climbers

(01:43:43) – Dorsi flexion (ankle) test you can do at home

(01:45:03) – Do tight ankles help with climbing on small foot holds?

(01:51:59) – One exercise that Ollie wants every climber to do

(01:54:43) – Exercises for office workers to do throughout the day

(01:56:54) – “Safety comes through strength”, and the value of blood flow and daily movement

(02:02:17) – Having agency in your recovery

(02:03:51) – Leg kicks, staple exercises that climbers should do regularly, and playing around with your body

(02:07:05) – Setting the bar super low

(02:08:23) – Staying on the bus

(02:11:39) – Ollie’s gymnastics background, training his fingers after college, and climbing his first V10, V11, and V12 in a two-month period

(02:20:10) – Testing his fingers in Tom’s cellar

(02:21:41) – Switching training with Tom Randall, how he improved his fitness and efficiency to climb 5.14b (8c), and climbing his first V13 by combining fitness and strength

(02:28:22) – The secret to finger strength is….

(02:31:45) – Helping Tom get stronger, and why Tom was able to apply the strength quickly to his rock climbing

(02:35:16) – Why Ollie doesn’t think low volume all year round is a good strategy, and thoughts on prepping for a sport climbing trip as a boulderer

(02:40:58) – Writing yourself a letter

(02:43:12) – My (Steven’s) story of getting injured right after the best week of climbing of my life

(02:45:00) – 3 key lessons from Ollie

(02:51:49) – How to back off after a peak performance

(02:56:47) – “The main reason most of us can’t train like professional athletes is because of our headspace and not because of physical limitations.”

(03:01:45) – Two reminders that Ollie took away from a period of burnout, and overtraining vs. under-recovering

(03:09:41) – “Progression isn’t always the answer.”

(03:16:36) – Taking the pressure off, and Ollie’s story about his first 5.14b (8c)

(03:25:01) – My 2021 summer season in RMNP

(03:28:18) – Removing the friction in your life around climbing

(03:31:53) – Take action on something

(03:34:48) – Thankful for the Lattice Team

(03:36:42) – Wrap up

Follow-Up: Jordan Cannon — Sending ‘Wet Lycra Nightmare’ on the Leaning Tower (Teaser) Jan 19, 2023

Show notes

This full episode is available for Patrons right now! Jordan Cannon tunes in from Alex Honnold’s podcasting closet to chat about playing hockey in Las Vegas, how he is rethinking his training for 2023, and his recent send of ‘ Wet Lycra Nightmare’ (5.13d, 9 pitches) on the Leaning Tower in Yosemite. We hope you enjoy this geek-out!

Become a Patron to get access to the full episode! And support the podcast!

*The full version is 2:03:36.

*Watch the uncut video interview here!

Jordan’s Original Episode:

EP 115: Jordan Cannon (April 18, 2022)

EP 152: Fundamentals — How to Go on a Climbing Trip Jan 16, 2023

Show notes

Fundamentals (Part 1 of 6) — In this episode, Jesse and I each share our top tips and pitfalls for going on a climbing trip. Whether you are planning your first-ever climbing trip, or are a seasoned climber, we think you’ll find some helpful nuggets here. We learned these lessons the hard way. Hopefully, you won’t have to.

Listen to more Fundamentals episodes!

Jesse’s Original Episode:

Check out Athletic Greens!

Use this link to get a free year's supply of vitamin D + 5 travel packs!

Check out Rhino Skin Solutions!

rhinoskinsolutions.com

Use code “NUGGET” at checkout for 20% off your next order!

Check out Petzl!

petzl.com

Or shop for Petzl quickdraws at your local climbing shop!

We are supported by these amazing BIG GIVERS:

Leo Franchi, Michael Roy, David Lahaie, Robert Freehill, Jeremiah Johnson, Scott Donahue, Eli Conlee, Skyler Maxwell, Craig Lee, Mark and Julie Calhoun, and Yinan Liu

Become a Patron:

thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/fundamentals-part-1

Show Notes:

Nuggets:

(00:00:00) – Intro

(00:02:53) – Jesse’s story of breaking his toe in Thailand, and my first-ever bouldering trip to Bishop CA

(00:06:28) – Lessons from our first failed climbing trips

(00:09:11) – Jesse’s Tip #1: Set the tone for the trip early

(00:12:11) – Jesse’s Tip #2: On a week-long trip, always rest the second day

(00:13:58) – Patience, and taking a week or two to acclimate on longer trips

(00:17:55) – Steven’s Tip #1: Be open

(00:21:48) – Steven’s Tip #2: Climb some easy things

(00:23:47) – Bonus Tip: Pay some attention to what your climbing values are

(00:24:10) – Steven’s Tip #3: Go look at tons of stuff

(00:25:51) – Jesse’s Tip #3: Minimize the decisions you have to make right after climbing

(00:27:24) – Try to avoid survival mode

(00:29:09) – Steven’s Tip #4: Measure the success of the trip in experiences, and not in sends

(00:31:28) – Bonus Tip: Set process-oriented goals rather than achievement-oriented goals (and scrap the tick list)

(00:34:12) – How complicated it is to climb well on a trip

(00:37:34) – Jesse’s Pitfall #1: When people recommend climbs to you, keep in mind that they almost always recommend climbs that they had good experiences on, not things that are objectively good

(00:39:11) – My first trip to The Red, Jesse’s first trip to Hueco, and thoughts on training for your first trip to a new area

(00:41:55) – Jesse’s Pitfall #2: Don’t train right up until the trip, and don’t try to cram your training in at the last second (show up rested)

(00:45:10) – Steven’s Pitfall #1: Spending the entire trip on one climb

(00:46:07) – Steven’s Pitfall #2: Climbing way too much

(00:47:21) – Bonus Tip: Be genuinely interested in other people’s climbing

(00:49:01) – Bonus Tip: It’s ok to climb a lot on a trip, but be sure to rest appropriately afterward

(00:52:39) – Jesse’s Pitfall #3: Wrecking your skin

(00:54:47) – Steven’s Pitfall #3: Not getting the intensity right

(00:57:52) – The sunk cost fallacy on a trip

(00:58:57) – Jesse’s Top Tip: Set the tone early in the trip

(00:59:37) – Steven’s Top Tip: Be open

(01:00:31) – Wrap up

Announcing Fundamentals! Jan 16, 2023

Show notes

Welcome to a new mini-series called Fundamentals! My pal Jesse Firestone joins me for a six-part series that covers some of the fundamental elements of becoming a better climber. We hope these episodes answer common questions, and provide helpful nuggets for climbers of all ability levels. Stay tuned for more episodes coming soon!

Listen to Fundamentals episodes!

Jesse's Original Episode: