EP 111: Jerry Moffatt — Being a “Crag Rat”, Developing Your Mental Game, and What the Top Climbers Have in Common

Jerry Moffatt is one of my all-time climbing heroes. He is a British legend and was arguably the best rock climber in the world during the mid to late 80s. We talked about his early days, wanting to be a “Crag Rat”, living for free before sponsorship, pushing world standards, writing his book on mental training, and what the top climbers have in common when it comes to their mental game.

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Show Notes:

thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/jerry-moffatt

Nuggets:

0:08:43 – Wanting to be a “crag rat”, and living off of white rice and curry mix

0:13:32 – Reading Master or Rock, and climbing every day and bouldering in the evenings

0:14:49 – Going to boarding school, and climbing on his parents' brick wall and on the limestone blocks at school

0:16:57 – Using talcum powder as “chalk”, and climbing in massive mountaineering boots

0:19:14 – No safety instruction

0:20:23 – Looking up to Ron Faucet and Pete Livsey

0:21:31 – The barn at Eric’s Cafe

0:24:00 – Climbing at Tremadog, and learning proper ethics and reclimbing ‘Strawberries’

0:27:11 – Climbing in France, and transitioning from yo-yoing to redpointing

0:29:07 – Starting to get recognition for climbing, and Jerry’s first trip to the US to climb ‘Psycho’ and ‘Genesis’

0:35:08 – A night of free drinks, and surviving off of happy hour food and free bagels

0:36:55 – Onsighting ‘Supercrack’, and climbing ‘Psycho’ and ‘Genesis’

0:38:36 – Meeting John Bachar, burning people off, and being a rock star

0:42:12 – Running cross country and playing rugby, and ditching them for climbing

0:43:42 – Some of the biggest milestones in the progression of climbing

0:47:32 – Patron question from Chris: What do you see climbers doing today as far as training goes that you wish you had known about?

0:50:46 – “You’ve gotta enjoy it”, and always changing things around

0:53:30 – Living in a cave at Pentruin, and other dossing accommodations

0:57:10 – Hitching to the crag

0:59:39 – Climbing ‘Liquid Amber’

1:01:17 – Elbow injuries, feeling like he’d never climbing again, and the beginning of climbing competitions

1:05:58 – Stepping back from climbing to do other things, gaining financial independence apart from sponsors, traveling to surf, and building the first indoor climbing wall in the UK in 1991

1:12:01 – Writing Revelations with Neil Grimes, and being interested in sport psychology

1:13:56 – Writing Mastermind, and interviewing the top climbers about their mental game

1:16:55 – Narrowing your focus, process goals, and confidence

1:21:05 – Patron question from fdclimbs: Does Jerry have any tips for maintaining a cool head and dealing with fear of failure when approaching a project?

1:23:46 – Getting nervous for climbing competitions, learning to switch it on from Ron Kauk

1:25:00 – The book that helped Jerry turn things around with competitions, changing his mindset, and being pessimistically optimistic

1:28:55 – What sets the best climbers apart when it comes to their mindset

1:31:25 – Using mindset work and visualization in work and everyday life

1:32:45 – The recipe analogy

1:34:10 – Winning Leads in 1989 (the first indoor climbing competition in Britain), and other favorite days of climbing

1:36:38 – “If you are a climber you found a great sport.”

1:38:01 – Backing off from being a “try hard”, and trying to be mellow and enjoy things

1:39:50 – Breaking his neck surfing, and recovering

1:41:48 – What Jerry is up to now, and where to get the book Mastermind

1:45:18 – Wrap up

1:31:18 – Backing off from being a “try hard”, and trying to be mellow and enjoy things

1:33:07 – Breaking his neck surfing, and recovering

1:35:05 – What Jerry is up to now, and where to get the book Mastermind

1:38:35 – Wrap up