The Nugget Climbing Podcast

Tommy Caldwell is the most accomplished big wall free climber alive. He is best known for having free climbed The Dawn Wall, the most difficult big wall free route in the world. We talked about his achilles injury, doing the FA of Flex Luthor, training for V12 boulder problems on The Dawn Wall, undone lines on El Cap, exploring the limits of human endurance, being vulnerable through writing a book...

Lynn Hill is a living legend. She is best known for being the first person to free El Capitan via The Nose in 1993. We talked about what it is like to be Lynn Hill in the modern climbing world, her upbringing, what sets her apart, the story of freeing The Nose, tips for shorter climbers, her mindset and affirmations, self-belief, how she makes a living these days, upcoming video projects, and much...

My close friend Taylor Fragomeni joins me for Q&A 6! We talked about ways to improve your climbing if your access to the gym or crag is limited, and we tackled Patron questions about bouldering at night, best bang-for-your-buck strength exercises, beta videos, daily hangboarding, how to warm up for max hangs on a lifting day, and route and boulder pyramids. We are supported by these amazing BIG GI...

This full episode is available for Patrons right now! I sat down with Ned Feehally to cover questions I wish I had asked him in our first episode. We talked about Ned’s three different protocols for Max Hangs, why he thinks 20-seconds hangs are best for long-term strength gains, when to use each of his different protocols, how I have incorporated his advice into my own finger training, and much mo...

Drew Ruana is back on the podcast and is joined by his friend Cameron Hörst , who is one of the best young sport climbers in the country. We talked about lessons they’ve each learned from recent sends, what it was like growing up as kid crushers, training for bouldering vs. sport climbing, how to stay strong while projecting, Drew’s thoughts on climbing V18, and Cam’s thoughts on climbing 5.15c. L...

Dan Varian is an elite boulderer from the UK and the cofounder of Beastmaker . We talked about a finger strength test that Dan had me do, how to measure the load distribution across our fingers, silver bullets in finger strength, how to activate lazy fingers, why Dan is focusing his training on high angle crimps, his recommendations for me, and wrist training for Fontainebleau. Check out Rhino Ski...

Alice Hafer is a climber, writer, and coach who specializes in mind power training . We talked about climbing her first 5.14s, her experiences with depression and anxiety and how she changed her own mind through mental training, finding an identity outside of climbing, tips for staying motivated, focusing on effort over outcomes, and using box jumps to train for climbing power. Listen to more top...

Sam Van Boxtel is a social media expert and the founder of Climbers Crag . We talked about the business side of being a content creator, why Instagram is the best platform for the climbing industry right now, the importance of having a strong “why”, why posts go viral, how to optimize for growth, creating value on social media, playing the game, and the balance between quality and success. Climber...

This full episode is available for Patrons right now! This is a teaser of a follow-up with Jonathan Siegrist. We talked about his recent trip to Spain, sending Event Horizon 5.15b, training on his home wall, his 50:50 rule for projecting, how to train for sustained crux sections on sport routes, thoughts about The Fins Project, plans to move to France, and much more. Become a Patron to get access...

Neil Gresham is a British climber and coach who has been at the cutting edge for over two decades. We talked about using ballet as part of his training for his FA of ‘Lexicon’ E11, the importance of developing your finishing game, extensor training for stronger fingers, go-to ring and TRX exercises, sticking our training in the bank, thumb crimping, climbing his first 5.14c (8c+) at age 45, and mu...

Dr. Rebecca Williams is a clinical psychologist, performance coach, and the author of Climb Smarter . We talked about the deeper fears that often underlie fear of falling, the underdeveloped self-soothing system, breathing exercises to reduce anxiety, pre-climb routines, meditation and mindfulness, and the benefits of shifting our focus from achievement to mastery. Climb Smarter: Buy on Amazon (be...

Ryan Devlin is a television actor, entrepreneur, philanthropist, rock climber, and host of his new podcast The Struggle Climbing Show . We talked about parallels between climbing and being a TV actor, the role of chemistry in dating, how to deal with rejection, progressing from 11b to 12c in a year in his 40s, and biggest takeaways from interviewing top climbers on his podcast. Listen to more top...

Stian Christophersen & Martin Mobråten are the coauthors of The Climbing Bible . We talked about their careers and proudest climbing achievements, their goal in writing their book, what holds back climbers at different levels, finger strength vs. general strength, mental strengths that separate climbers, strategies for improving technique, and the Play Box vs. the Think Box. The Climbing Bible: Bu...

This full episode is available for Patrons right now! This is a teaser of a follow-up is with Matt Fultz. We talked about his recent V16 sends, go-to training sessions on the spray wall, takeaways from his recent finger injury, how he incorporates hangboarding into his week, favorite hangboard protocols, why he does most of his finger training on 20mm edges, why he rarely trains on holds smaller t...

Dorian Evers is an individual and couples therapist in Boulder, CO. We talked about navigating different stoke levels in your relationship, how to create a safe space for your partner to be vulnerable, how to have difficult conversations, common insecurities and fears in relationships, tips for long-distance relationships, vanlife dating tips, and much more. Check out Petzl! petzl.com Or shop for...

Callie Joy Black is a strength coach who specializes in training during pregnancy and postpartum. We talked about the most common concerns she hears from pregnant women, falling risk while pregnant, returning to climbing postpartum, strength training during pregnancy, climbing hard with kids, being selfish and creating boundaries, and being your own project. Check out Rhino Skin Solutions! rhinosk...

This full episode is available for Patrons right now! This week we’ve got another Follow-Up with Steve Maisch! We talked about my summer training plan, how to get stronger on the Moonboard, combining board climbing with weight lifting and hangboarding, when to double down on strength vs. when to mix in endurance training, my plans to try a 5.14 this Fall, and much more! Become a Patron to get acce...

Jesse Firestone is an elite boulderer, a climbing coach, and a climbing philosopher. He’s also a good friend of mine from Oregon. We talked about quantum leaps in our progression as climbers, Jesse’s top 3 tips for climbers at different stages, non-physical factors that affect our performance, tips for flashing hard boulders, training changes after age 30, and much more. *If you liked my episodes...

In this short bonus episode, my friend Michelle LeBlanc joins me on the podcast to talk about Project Pride ! Project Pride is an upcoming outdoor bouldering event in Squamish, B.C, and is an opportunity for 2SLGBTQ+ individuals to connect and climb. Join us to learn more and check out the links below to reserve your spot! Preregister Here! https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/project-pride-tickets-3521678...

This is my favorite episode of The American Climbing Project so far, and Devin Dabney graciously offered up the audio from his podcast so I could share it with all of you. Enjoy! Check out more episodes of ACP! americanclimbingproject.com And support Devin on Patreon! patreon.com/americanclimbingproject

Devin Dabney is a rock climber, routesetter, rapper, music producer, writer, and creator of The American Climbing Project podcast. We talked about using humor to talk about uncomfortable subjects, inviting people into conversations, how climbing saved his life after considering suicide, breaking down barriers to climbing, how competition makes us better, and making a difference in the climbing com...

This full episode is available for Patrons right now! This is a teaser of a follow-up call with Alita Contreras. We talked about mental training and how Alita trains her mind every day, what it was like working with Lattice Training, exercises and drills for improving foot tension, dealing with frustration during projecting, what it felt like to send Ferrari 5.14a, goals to climb more 5.14s, and m...

Zofia Reych is a Polish climber and anthropologist and author of Born to Climb . We talked about renovating their mid-18th century house in Fontainebleau, researching the book, identifying as non-binary and directing the Women’s Bouldering Festival , what it’s like to be autistic, key chapters in climbing’s history, losing friends in the mountains, and much more. Check out Petzl! petzl.com Or find...

Karly Rager is a structural engineer turned climbing coach, and the founder of Project Direct Coaching . We talked about Karly’s background and what led her to start her own coaching business, being a female in two male-dominated industries, mental strategies for developing focus and overcoming fear, transitioning between climbing disciplines, using injuries as opportunities, cultivating longevity...

Magnus Midtbø is a professional climber turned YouTuber from Norway. He has climbed 5.15b (9b), and his YouTube channel recently hit 1M subscribers. We talked about burning out on competitions and starting his YouTube career, the hard work behind success, favorite collaborations, go-to climbing workouts, and takeaways from training with Adam Ondra. Check out Petzl! petzl.com Or find Petzl helmets...