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The Nugget Climbing Podcast — Education
The Nugget Climbing Podcast

Welcome to a podcast about performance climbing, self-improvement, and being a human being.

5M+ downloads.

“One of the best long-form interview podcasts in the outdoor space.” – Climbing Magazine

Copyright: © 2020 The Nugget Climbing, LLC

Latest Episodes:

EP 287: Domen Škofic — The Red Bull Plane Project, Rediscovering Passion in Flatanger, and Trying Silence 9c Nov 17, 2025

Show notes

Domen Škofic is a Slovenian professional climber and a 5x World Cup gold medalist. We talked about his Red Bull Plane Climb project, skydiving, building a climbing gym with his father, retiring from the competition circuit, taking up archery, rediscovering his passion for climbing, sending Move 9b/+ in Flatanger, trying Silence 9c with Sean Raboutou, training lessons, and much more.

Red Bull | The Plane Climb Video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vcxVao0G8c

The Nugget Training App | 14 Day Free Trial

training.thenuggetclimbing.com

The GRINDS Program | FREE Finger Training PDF

thenuggetclimbing.com/grinds

The NUG | Portable Hangboard

frictitiousclimbing.com/products/the-nug

Mad Rock (Shoes & Crash Pads)

Use code “NUGGET10” at checkout for 10% off your next order.

Rúngne (Chalk & Apparel)

rungne.info/nugget

Use code "FREEBUCKET99" for a free chalk bucket on any order over $99.

And use code “NUGGET" for 10% off storewide.

Become a Patron:

patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing

Show Notes:

thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/domen-skofic

Nuggets:

(00:00:00) – Intro

(00:02:15) – The Plane Climb

(00:10:15) – Skydiving

(00:19:53) – The Plane Climb continued

(00:31:48) – Domen’s father

(00:42:54) – Building his gym

(00:46:11) – Retiring from competitions

(01:01:26) – Archery

(01:05:21) – Rediscovering his passion

(01:11:51) – Move 9b/+

(01:25:45) – Flatanger

(01:28:06) – Trying Silence 9c with Sean Raboutou

(01:33:17) – Training

(01:39:38) – Wrap up

EP 286: Steve Moss — Why Discomfort Fuels Breakthroughs, Double V12 Days at Age 40, and 455 V-Points in 24 Hours Nov 03, 2025

Show notes

Steve Moss is a high-level boulderer and the co-founder of a brewery and pizzeria in Spokane, WA. We talked about finding climbing at age 24, his breakthrough season climbing three V12s in less than two weeks at age 40, why discomfort helps us grow, his training routine for the past year, building a successful brewery and pizzeria from the ground up, what matters most in climbing, gratitude for life, the connections we make through climbing, and much more.

The Nugget Training App | 14 Day Free Trial

training.thenuggetclimbing.com

The GRINDS Program | FREE Finger Training PDF

thenuggetclimbing.com/grinds

The NUG | Portable Hangboard

frictitiousclimbing.com/products/the-nug

Rúngne (Chalk & Apparel)

rungne.info/nugget

Use code “NUGGET" for 10% off and "SHIPPINGNUGGETS" for free shipping.

Mad Rock (Shoes & Crash Pads)

Use code “NUGGET10” at checkout for 10% off your next order.

Become a Patron:

patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing

Show Notes:

thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/steve-moss

Nuggets:

(00:00:00) – Intro

(00:02:21) – Steve’s climbing origin story

(00:07:30) – Life before climbing

(00:09:58) – His wife

(00:14:27) – Leavenworth

(00:18:41) – A resurgence of stoke

(00:23:37) – Passion & challenge

(00:26:36) – Why discomfort is beneficial

(00:34:21) – Building the brewery

(00:52:31) – Brewing beer

(00:56:56) – Steve’s nephew

(01:04:11) – Double V12 day

(01:11:46) – Gratitude

(01:14:37) – Protein & breakthroughs

(01:20:51) – Bodyweight

(01:24:17) – Crimping

(01:27:42) – The hardest part of training

(01:36:39) – Steve’s training

(02:03:30) – 455 V-point day

(02:20:31) – Century bike ride

(02:21:49) – Advice for a young Steve Moss

(02:27:48) – Baseball

(02:29:19) – The people

(02:36:21) – What’s next

EP 285: Tyler Stableford — Finding More Joy in Climbing, Breaking Plateaus, and Inputs Over Outcomes Oct 20, 2025

Show notes

Tyler Stableford is a lifelong climber and psychotherapist specializing in trauma resolution and treatment-resistant conditions. We talked about how to find more joy in our climbing, whether high performers are happier, controlling the inputs while releasing attachment to outcomes, what to do with anxiety before we climb, how to break mental plateaus, memory reconsolidation, why self-compassion will help you climb harder, and much more.

The Nugget Training App

training.thenuggetclimbing.com

Get a FREE Finger Strength Testing Session and Customized Report

The GRINDS Program

thenuggetclimbing.com/grinds

FREE Finger Training PDF

Mad Rock (Shoes & Crash Pads)

Use code “NUGGET10” at checkout for 10% off your next order.

Rúngne (Chalk & Apparel)

rungne.info/nugget

Use code “PRESEASON" for $100 off + free shipping on the Belay Down Jacket.

Become a Patron:

patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing

Show Notes:

thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/tyler-stableford

Nuggets:

(00:00:00) – Intro

(00:04:00) – Tyler’s upbringing

(00:09:12) – Discipline, joy, & wellness

(00:14:38) – Appreciation

(00:21:10) – What is your WHY?

(00:28:20) – Are high performers happier?

(00:31:08) – Will you lose your edge?

(00:42:32) – Identity

(00:49:07) – Constraints to joy

(00:53:39) – Controlling the inputs

(00:57:10) – Listening to our intuition

(01:07:49) – What CBT is missing

(01:11:22) – Memory Reconsolidation

(01:21:44) – Self-compassion

(01:29:49) – How to mentally break plateaus

(01:36:45) – Attachment to progress

(01:39:45) – Common stories we tell ourselves

(01:42:11) – Two phrases

(01:46:07) – What to do with anxiety

(01:49:47) – Our egos

(01:53:15) – Wrap up

EP 284: Four PTs — The Case for Taking a Break, Heel Hooking Injuries, & Off-the-Wall Strength Training Oct 06, 2025

Show notes

Dr. Jared Vagy returns to the podcast and is joined by three physical therapy students and graduates, Sarah Kremer, Dawson Freeze, and Michael Larson. We talked about three recent articles covering the benefits of seasonality for maximizing climbing performance, rehabbing and preventing common knee injuries while heel hooking, and off-the-wall strength training for climbers. See the show notes for the full articles here.

The Nugget Training App

training.thenuggetclimbing.com

Get a FREE Finger Strength Testing Session and Customized Report

The GRINDS Program

thenuggetclimbing.com/grinds

FREE Finger Training PDF

Rúngne (Chalk & Apparel)

rungne.info/nugget

Use code “NUGGET” for 10% off storewide, and use code “SHIPPINGNUGGETS” for free shipping.

Mad Rock (Shoes & Crash Pads)

Use code “NUGGET10” at checkout for 10% off your next order.

Become a Patron:

patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing

Show Notes:

thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/four-pts

Nuggets:

(00:00:00) – Intro

(00:04:16) – Overview

(00:07:52) – Sarah’s topic (the case for taking a break)

(00:10:24) – What Sarah’s research process looked like

(00:11:22) – Surprises in Sarah’s research process

(00:12:35) – Recommendations on when to take time off

(00:15:48) – How to sustain stoke

(00:18:04) – How climbing ability solidifies over time

(00:20:56) – If Sarah did a follow-up study

(00:28:38) – Dawson’s topic (heel hooking and knee injuries)

(00:33:22) – Common heel hook injuries

(00:35:20) – Go to hip mobility exercises

(00:39:00) – Heel hooking warm-ups

(00:41:01) – Surprises in Dawson's research

(00:43:27) – If Dawson did a follow-up study

(00:49:28) – Michael's topic (off the wall strength training)

(00:52:10) – How often should climbers weight train

(00:55:34) – At what point are you strong enough

(01:02:59) – Comparing athletes

(01:09:47) – Stability-focused exercises

(01:19:18) – Value in taking time off

(01:21:19) – Jared's final thoughts

NEW LAUNCH: The Nugget Training App is Live Oct 04, 2025

Show notes

The Nugget Training App is the ultimate hub for every training session I've discussed with my guests on the podcast. Get guided sessions, track your progress, schedule your training, and more. New features coming soon. Check it out at training.thenuggetclimbing.com

EP 283: Adrian Ballinger — The Mental and Physical Grind of High-Altitude Climbing, and Lessons for Every Climber Sep 15, 2025

Show notes

Adrian Ballinger is a renowned alpinist and mountain guide, and has summited Mt. Everest and K2 without supplemental oxygen. We talked about his childhood, misconceptions about what he does, what climbing Everest is actually like, skiing above 8,000 meters, risking his life to send K2, sending Fall of Man 5.13b, how mountaineering compares to projecting 5.13, meeting his wife Emily Harrington, how performance changes with age, lessons everyone should know, and much more. You can learn more about Adrian at adrianballinger.com

Mad Rock (Shoes & Crash Pads)

Use code “NUGGET10” at checkout for 10% off your next order.

Rúngne (Chalk & Apparel)

rungne.info/nugget

Use code “NUGGET” for 10% off storewide, and use code “SHIPPINGNUGGETS” for free shipping.

Chilipad (Don’t Lose Sleep this Summer)

Get 20% off any Chilipad sleep system

NADS (Organic Cotton Underwear)

Use code STEVEN for 15% off

Become a Patron:

patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing

Show Notes:

thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/adrian-ballinger

Nuggets:

(00:00:00) – Intro

(00:03:06) – Growing up

(00:06:08) – Connecting with adventure as a kid

(00:16:08) – Misconceptions about what Adrian does

(00:22:04) – Tech breakthroughs in mountaineering

(00:26:04) – Client pressure around summits

(00:30:04) – Alpenglow Expeditions

(00:33:09) – Regulations on Everest

(00:35:08) – What climbing Everest is really like

(00:41:04) – Climbing Everest without oxygen

(00:49:57) – Preparing for Everest without oxygen

(00:58:56) – Skiing accolades

(01:01:59) – Skiing above 8,000 meters

(01:05:00) – Skiing down vs. rappelling massive peaks

(01:08:58) – Fall of Man

(01:11:01) – Physically hardest climb

(01:12:56) – Mental hardest climb

(01:14:57) – Most dangerous climb

(01:18:01) – Why Adrian took a risk on K2

(01:21:01) – Meeting Emily

(01:32:45) – What’s left for Adrian in alpinism

(01:34:43) – Switching to hard sport climbing

(01:46:43) – Bouldering in Rocklands

(01:54:42) – Performance changes with age

(01:59:42) – Athletes Adrian looks up to

(02:02:40) – Lessons everyone should know

(02:05:40) – Adrian’s podcast

EP 282: Kerwin Loukusa — 4 Keys to Unlocking V13, Forecasting Perfect Conditions, & Embracing Beginner's Mind for Projects Sep 01, 2025

Show notes

Kerwin Loukusa lives in Leavenworth, WA, and sent his first V12 and V13 last year while juggling a full-time job, wife, and two young kids. We talked about how he improved his flexibility to send the Freerider in Yosemite, bouldering after having kids, home wall training, the key to building persistent strength, bodyweight manipulation, energy availability, beginner's mind, feeling vs. analysing, weather forecasting hacks, how dew point affects climbing conditions, and much more. A lot of nuggets in this one.

The GRINDS Program (FREE Training PDF)

thenuggetclimbing.com

Rúngne (Chalk & Apparel)

rungne.info/nugget

Use code “NUGGET” for 10% off storewide, and use code “SHIPPINGNUGGETS” for free shipping.

Mad Rock (Shoes & Crash Pads)

Use code “NUGGET10” at checkout for 10% off your next order.

Chilipad (Don’t Lose Sleep this Summer)

Get 20% off any Chilipad sleep system

NADS (Organic Cotton Underwear)

Use code STEVEN for 15% off

Become a Patron:

patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing

Show Notes:

thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/kerwin-loukusa

Nuggets:

(00:00:00) – Intro

(00:01:05) – Flexibility journey

(00:08:08) – Identifying limiting factors

(00:10:38) – Stemming flexibility continued

(00:16:39) – Freerider & Father TIme

(00:24:15) – Bouldering after kids

(00:26:56) – Mountain running & cardio

(00:40:00) – Leveling up to V12 and V13

(00:48:07) – Home wall training

(01:09:54) – Off-the-wall training

(01:11:28) – Building persistent strength

(01:16:45) – Pillars 1-3: Proximetry, Rest, & Nutrition

(01:32:23) – Know yourself

(01:35:06) – Bodyweight & energy availability

(01:48:13) – Pillar 4: Mindset

(02:01:35) – Slingblade V13

(02:10:03) – An obsessive brain

(02:14:25) – Obstacles & growth

(02:20:43) – Don’t get injured

(02:23:42) – Slow & steady gains

(02:32:46) – Ease into it

(02:37:32) – Intuition & beta iteration

(02:45:09) – Beginner's mind

(02:50:39) – Feeling vs. analyzing

(02:54:26) – Power spots

(03:00:30) – Weather forecasting

(03:18:03) – Dew point

(03:22:43) – Cold rock

(03:26:36) – Morning climbing

(03:38:36) – Upcoming goals

(03:40:50) – Mentorship & stewardship

(03:46:18) – Public vs. private land

Something Different | Robb Wolf — Vitamin D, Zone 2 Cardio Hacks, Strength & Conditioning Timing, & Never Giving Up On Your Health Aug 25, 2025

Show notes

Robb Wolf is a 2x NYT Best-Selling Author (The Paleo Solution, Wired to Eat) and a leading voice in health, fitness, and nutrition. In this short segment, we cover the benefits of Vitamin D and Zone 2 cardio, how to optimize your strength training, Robb’s recent health struggles, and why you should never give up on your health. You can listen to the full episode by searching for Something Different with Steven Dimmitt wherever you get your podcasts.

Robb’s Links

join.thehealthyrebellion.com

Other References:

The Nugget - EP 80: Robb Wolf (our first podcast)

Timestamps:

00:00:00 – Intro

00:02:30 – Vitamin D

00:06:21 – Separating strength & conditioning

00:14:58 – Zone 2 cardio

00:20:51 – Robb’s training schedule

00:24:56 – Recent health issues

00:32:46 – Never give up

00:34:06 – The Healthy Rebellion

00:35:26 – Don’t major in the minors

EP 281: Eryn Phelps — Healing Anxiety & Trauma, Navigating Time Scarcity, & Getting Clear on What You Want Aug 18, 2025

Show notes

Eryn Phelps is a licensed trauma counselor who specializes in helping outdoor athletes with anxiety, OCD, and PTSD. We talked about how EMDR helped cancer survivor and podcast guest Sol Wertkin, how to navigate time scarcity and get clear on what you want, overwhelm and panic attacks, grief and shame, labels and identity, and much more.

Rúngne (Chalk & Apparel)

rungne.info/nugget

Use code “NUGGET” for 10% off storewide, and use code “SHIPPINGNUGGETS” for free shipping.

Mad Rock (Shoes & Crash Pads)

Use code “NUGGET10” at checkout for 10% off your next order.

Chilipad (Don’t Lose Sleep this Summer)

Get 20% off any Chilipad sleep system

NADS (Organic Cotton Underwear)

Use code STEVEN for 15% off

Become a Patron:

patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing

Show Notes:

thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/eryn-phelps

Nuggets:

(00:00:00) – Intro

(00:01:26) – Partners

(00:05:56) – Sol Wertkin

(00:12:54) – EMDR

(00:27:19) – Sol continued

(00:34:00) – Pity, empathy, & compassion

(00:39:15) – Perception & victim mindset

(00:54:41) – Preventing negative beliefs from taking root

(01:00:08) – Mistakes, guilt, & shame

(01:05:21) – Trauma from injury

(01:10:21) – Grief

(01:15:23) – Accepting risk

(01:25:23) – Relationships

(01:31:27) – Time scarcity & OCD

(01:44:17) – Labels & identity

(01:48:58) – Anxiety

(01:51:53) – Overwhelm

(01:58:39) – Panic attacks

(02:04:06) – Curing anxiety, PTSD, & OCD

(02:09:28) – Getting clear on what you want

(02:24:02) – How Eryn makes decisions

(02:26:40) – A grass kinda day

(02:29:00) – Where to find Eryn

(02:32:11) – Complacency & communication

(02:36:44) – Dopamine

Follow-Up: Alex Bridgewater — 3 Sports Psychology Skills That Will Transform Your Climbing Aug 11, 2025

Show notes

Alex Bridgewater (M.S. in Sports Psychology) is back again to share three new sports psychology skills that have the potential to change your climbing forever. We covered how to practice these skills in your day-to-day life, as well as how to put them into practice in your climbing, and much more.

Become a Patron to get access to the full episode and support the podcast.

*The full version is 1:28:39.

patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing

Alex’s Other Episodes:

EP 276: Alex Bridgewater Returns

BONUS: Alex Bridgewater

Nuggets:

(00:00:00) – Intro

(00:00:58) – Word to the wise

(00:05:40) – Three skills overview

(00:06:44) – Skill 1: Values-Based Work

(00:28:17) – Skill 2: Dropping the Anchor

(00:43:32) – Skill 3: Diffusion/Unhooking

(01:01:49) – Putting the skills into practice

(01:10:23) – What do you want?

(01:18:02) – Expectations

(01:22:43) – Manhunt

(01:24:20) – Feeling vs. thinking

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