The Nugget Climbing Podcast

Bill Ramsey is a professor of philosophy at the University of Nevada Las Vegas and at 59-years-old, still climbs 5.14. We talked about his coffee addiction, his legendary training days and how he uses the treadwall, replicas, and the fingerboard, his two-part climbing career, favorite articles he’s written, and the crossover between philosophy and climbing.  Support on Patreon:patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing  Show Notes:  http://thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/bill-ramsey  Nuggets:  1:47 – Skipping breakfast, one big meal per day, and red meat  3:35 – Fueling for a big training day  4:12 – How Bill’s legendary big training days came to be  7:20 – Shocking the body, and building the stamina to go all-day   9:03 – Coffee in bed  11:02 – Bill’s two-stage climbing career, how he started training for climbing, and self-coaching for the Marine Core Physical Fitness Test  15:01 – Climbing through the existing routes at the Red River Gorge, his first 5.14, climbing Omaha Beach and Transworld Depravity and playing a roll in the development of the Red and Smith Rock  19:39 – Feeling sorry for Alan and the wrongest Bill has ever been  22:32 – Climbing at the columns, Chris Jones, the contrivance rating system (C1-C4), and some of Alan’s one-handed ascents  26:44 – Focusing on academics and missing climbing and the climbing community  28:47 – What drew Bill to study philosophy  32:45 – Moving to Vegas and why Bill has never regretted making the move  37:20 – How Bill climbed all but one of his 26-27 5.14s after age 40 and   39:23 – Bill’s warmup and stretching routines  42:28 – How Bill combines training with projecting  43:58 – Bills hangboard routine  45:37 – Replicas, practicing the crux as the warmup, and comparing to gymnastics  47:51 – How Bill builds his replicas and makes custom holds  50:43 – Training on the treadwall, and why Bill thinks the treadwall is the most underutilized training tool for route climbers  55:31 – Targeting route lengths and ARCing with the treadwall  56:39 – Using the treadwall to work on climbing faster, and keeping a training journal  58:11 – Similar ingredients in each training day, Bill’s thoughts on training different energy systems, energy system training order, and why Bill doesn’t bother with skill training  1:01:33 – Training and simulating rest positions  1:03:07 – Opposition training and why Bill thinks ~85% of your training time should be climbing-specific  1:05:06 – Fingertip pullups and “finger ups”, and why Bill thinks both are beneficial  1:07:40 – Long duration (density) hangs  1:08:48 – An example of one of Bill’s legendary training days  1:09:35 – Being a local at 6 different crags, and trends and variation that Bill has noticed  1:12:09 – How Bill thinks about balancing building his route pyramid and quick ticks with big projects, his process on Jumbo Pumping Hate, and climbers as nerds trapped in athlete bodies  1:17:47 – The hidden secrets that routes have, Apollo 13, and problem solving  1:20:13 – Tinkering with new beta, and committing to trying 100% every try  1:23:44 – Bill’s writing, his article defending chipping, ‘The Day I Sent Golden’ and writing the forward to the new Smith Rock guidebook  1:28:16 – What Bill is most grateful for  1:29:38 – Crossover between philosophy and climbing  1:30:24 – ‘The Truth and Lies of Climbing’, climbing Separate Reality, and realizing they weren’t that far off from the top  1:35:52 – Bill and Alan’s influence on one another, why Bill feels so fortunate for his path through life and climbing, and feeling like Forest Gump  1:38:52 – Plans for a round 2 interview with Bill and Alan and the welcoming Vegas climbing community

13 Apr 20201h 40min

Mike Doyle is an elite-level rock climber who balances climbing with a career as a software engineer. He also has a long history of competition climbing and coaching. We talked about lessons learned from 10+ years of coaching, his training philosophy, onsighting tips, go-to climbing shoes, surfing, and the best breakfast he’s ever had.  Support on Patreon:patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing  Show Notes:  http://thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/mike-doyle  Nuggets:  2:06 – Mike’s go-to breakfast, and the best breakfast he’s ever had  3:09 – My climbing gym trip  3:25 – Mike’s early climbing and first (and last) experience with mountaineering  5:58 – Moving to Vancouver for college, coaching at the North Vancouver gym, and the stacked field of young climbers that came out of that program  8:29 – The culture that lead The Edge climbing team to be so successful  9:50 – Mike’s competition career and why he transitioned away from competitions  11:16 – Mike’s evolution as a coach, early coaching mistakes, the importance of building relationships with the kids on the team, and finding individual triggers   17:55 – Enjoying coaching, fear of falling, the story behind ‘Spank the Monkey’, and setting up a top rope on ‘Rude Boys’  21:58 – Flexibility training, and why Mike wouldn’t pay himself to be his own coach  23:25 – The best piece of coaching advice Mike ever got, and the importance of making the training environment fun  25:45 – More time in the gym, and “That’s when you learn technique is when you’re tired.”  26:49 – “Strength training is simple.”   28:13 – How Mike thinks about block training vs. integrating training with climbing   31:14 – Some of the nuts and bolts of Mike’s hangboard training—specifically how he prepared for ‘Necessary Evil’ (reference the TrainingBeta podcast episode linked above for the exact workout he was doing)  32:29 – Mike’s struggle with one-arm hangs  34:46 – Doing a single 10-second full crimp hang for recruitment  37:30 – Mike’s lineup of holds and the importance of sticking to a program  38:09 – Why strength = endurance, and training yourself to recruit less (i.e. relax your grip) on a hangboard  40:09 – Climbing tired to improve efficiency/movement economy  40:50 – Mike’s thoughts on the Moonboard, and “Every tool has its applications.” 42:00 – Nagging injuries and thoughts on climbing hard in the future and what that means  43:06 – Mike’s ‘Remote Controlled Climbing Life’, dreams of traveling and climbing, and the story behind ADATO   46:43 – Why Mike still works 60+ hours per week  49:32 – Creating boundaries around work, “ride or die”, and the balance that Mike hopes to achieve with his current company and work life  52:28 – Working “extra remotely”, two-month trips, and needing a change of scenery  54:54 – A few things Mike looks for in a potential “extra remote” work space  55:32 – Mike’s keyboard and mouse recommendations (Kinesis–link in show notes)  57:06 – The Canadian Alpine Trilogy  1:06:32 – “It’s the Rockies.”  1:07:33 – Mixing in other climbing with the trilogy and plans to go back this summer  1:08:40 – Necessary Evil and necessary diligence  1:11:47 – Climbing as an escape vs. having a focusing project, takeaways from projecting Necessary Evil, and support from the climbing community  1:15:15 – Why Mike’s process on Necessary Evil resonated with so many people  1:16:04 – Mike’s (lack) of unfinished business, ‘Just Do It’, and how he goes about onsighting and redpointing on road trips  1:18:54 – Onsighting tips  1:20:38 – Why Mike love the La Sportiva Genius and why it has become his go-to onsight shoe  1:23:50 – Mike’s favorite stiff shoe for face climbing and the shoes he wore on To Bolt  1:25:01 – The advice Mike would give himself at age 18, climbing standards when Mike climbed his first 14a vs now, Adam Ondra’s onsight attempt on Necessary Evil, and why I think ‘Just Do It’ is in the bag for Mike ;)  1:29:51 – Surfing and Mike’s recent trip to Costa Rica   1:33:30 – What’s next for Mike, his elbow injury, running for fitness, and the one thing about running that translates most to climbing   1:35:34 – Upcoming trips  1:36:31 – Woodford story

6 Apr 20201h 39min

Shanjean Lee is an orthopedic surgeon and a badass climber whose accomplishments range from V10 boulders, to 5.14a sport, to 5.13+ trad and multi-pitch climbs. We talked about how SJ trained to climb ‘City Park’ during her residency, some of her biggest challenges, differences between men and women, dating your climbing partner, and the importance of self-belief.   Support on Patreon:patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing  Show Notes:  http://thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/shanjean-lee  Nuggets:  2:28 – I need a back massage  3:14 – Bouldering in Bishop for the winter  5:36 – SJ and Mikey’s shared goal of climbing V10, getting feedback from Nina Williams and James Lucas, and building the pyramid  8:59 – Bouldering projects, night sessions  10:36 – Moving to Reno, access to a wider variety of climbing, and climbing options while being on call   13:24 – Planning vs going with the flow, and why SJ has learned to plan in more broad strokes  14:35 – A wide ranging resume, and why SJ chose ‘City Park’ as a project  17:59 – The gear for ‘City Park’  19:01 – SJ’s process of projecting ‘City Park’, safety insight from Luke, and beta from Brittany  22:50 – A lesson that SJ learned from climbing ‘Mr. Yuk’, her first 5.14a  28:25 – Instagram post of Mikey doing bicep curls, and “you have to get your strength training in whenever you can.”  29:24 – Why SJ decided to reach out to Justen Sjong  for a training plan  32:01 – SJ’s training plan, her short pinkie, Lattice Lite, and the Crimpt App  36:50 – Takeaways from the Lattice Training assessment  38:51 – Moonboarding, no Moonboards in Reno, and SJ’s (very attainable) life goal  41:32 – Making the first team free ascent of ‘Dark Side of Liberty’ with Mikey and finding the line  47:58 – Breakdown of the route, debating the grade, recruiting Nathan Hadley for the second ascent, and SJ’s hardest boulder problem  54:20 – Pitch by pitch breakdown  57:00– SJ and Mikey’s style for team free ascents and the style they used to redpoint ’Dark Side of Liberty’  1:00:51 – How this climb ranks among SJ’s top achievements and what made it extra special  1:02:55 – Navigating a relationship with your climbing partner, why SJ jokes that “it’s a work in progress”, and the give and take of supporting one another’s goals  1:09:21 – “Climbing heightens your emotions” and the importance of communication in a climbing relationship  1:10:27 – The biggest challenge SJ faced when becoming a doctor-climber  1:16:16 – Adjusting goals to make both climbing and her career work  1:18:15 – What SJ wishes she’d know when she was starting her residency  1:22:07 – What SJ is reading right now (‘Roar’), experimenting with intermittent fasting with Mikey and getting very different results, and timing birth control around climbing   1:26:06 – What her intermittent fasting looked like, stress as a factor, and why she decided it wasn’t for her  1:30:31 – SJ’s favorite recent purchase that dramatically improved her life (Casper light link in show notes), caffeine addiction, and why SJ switched to (mostly) drinking decaf coffee  1:35:39 – Regarding past projects and routes: “They’ve all kinda taught me something.”   1:36:18 – Advice for women trying to break into 5.14 or hard trad, shoulder girdle strengthening, and being aware of and training your weakest link  1:38:53 – Shoulder girdle exercises  1:40:40 – The importance of believing in yourself (especially for women), and the pattern SJ noticed during residency  1:43:02 – SJ’s thoughts on whether an assessment could be used to give someone confidence to try harder  1:44:14 – Working on flexibility and SJ’s yoga subscription  1:45:19 – Yosemite plans, ‘Freerider’, and why the easier parts can feel like the hard parts to a lot of climbers  1:48:55 – What SJ is most grateful for   1:51:29 – Excited for this time in life and to be in Reno  1:52:41 – Work-life balance now vs. back in residency  1:53:58 – SJ’s social media handle (@shanjean on Instagram)  1:54:28 – Shanjean vs. SJ, and the councilor to the emperor  1:56:52 – Hustling, trying hard, and (almost) always smiling :)

30 Mar 20201h 58min

Peter Croft is an absolute legend in climbing. We talked about ‘The Shadow’ in Squamish and how his ascent became a climbing game, lessons from spending time alone, experimenting with burning fat for fuel, how he trains for big solos and linkups, some of his most memorable climbs, long johns vs. lycra, and the magic of inspiration.  Support on Patreon:patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing  Show Notes:  http://thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/peter-croft   Nuggets:  2:39 – Morning person, taking more rest days, learning about resting from John Bachar, and linking up The Nose and Half Dome in a day  6:59 – “Climbing is a process.”  7:51 – “Peter Croft is my spirit animal.”  8:43 – The friendly introvert, the honesty that comes from spending time alone, doing vs. sharing, and why Peter prefers smaller more intimate groups  14:33 – Shadow games, Peter’s onsight of ‘The Shadow’, and the power of inspiration    18:05 – The video of Jesse Huey climbing ‘The Shadow’, “There’s no place in the world I’d rather be than right here and right now”, and Peter’s transition from Squamish to CA  19:29 – So many new crags, early FAs up in Squamish, and Peter the fun hog  21:18 – Escaping to Leavenworth, a little bit of heaven, and increasing competitiveness in Squamish  24:39 – Soloing up and down Castle Rock, Peter’s Squamish circuit, and how down climbing improved his crack climbing  28:15 – Why Peter hasn’t spent much time projecting  30:51 – Peter’s progression, climbing his first 3-4 5.13s first try, and training by soloing tons of 5.10s and 5.11s  32:21 – Peter’s current training and fingerboarding, current projects, and working on weaknesses   34:15 – Soloing ‘The Rostrum’ and ‘Astroman’ in a day, preparation, and how Peter thinks about training for big solos (“Fitness shouldn’t be a factor.”)  36:08 – Soloing ‘ROTC Crack’ in Leavenworth, testing  fat for fuel, traversing the Stuart Range with a single water bottle and a banana, and the handgun story (“This is how I die.”)  43:44 – Fat for fuel, Peter’s thoughts on (super) high-carb diets, bonking from too much sugar, and “if in doubt, go with less.”  45:55 – The ‘University Wall’  48:03 – Alex Honnold’s free solo of ‘University Wall’, and why Peter never considered doing it himself  49:11 – Why Peter moved to California and why he stayed  51:29 – Exploring the Sierras, ridge traversing, and what makes The Hulk “wonderfully peculiar”.  54:20 – The ‘The Venturi Effect’, and the best stemming corner Peter has ever climbed  55:09 – The gripping free soloing story Peter told on the Enormocast (linked in show notes), and why Peter has survived while so many legendary soloists have died  1:01:41 – Adventure, reading ‘I Chose to Climb’ by Chris Bonington, how Peter got into climbing, and why he never got sucked in to big expedition climbing  1:04:26 – More of the Enormocast free-soloing story, polypropylene long johns, and climbing wet 5.8 friction scoops on his knees  1:09:45 – Tights vs. long johns, an egocentric era, why Peter never wore bright colored lycra, and wearing long johns on rainy days  1:15:00 – Advice Peter would have for himself when he was young (warming up, taking rest days, and picking goals more carefully while being spontaneous) and inspiration as a superpower  1:17:29 – Stumbling on inspiration, and onsighting a hard roof crack after failing on a 5.11   1:19:32 – How inspiration can raise the ceiling from 100% to 150%  1:21:03 – Rare is special, how aesthetics speak to Peter, and the benefits of traveling  1:22:57 – What Peter hopes his 80-year-old self would say to him, health scare, and why climbing for Peter is so much more than just the climbing  1:25:13 – Why Peter is so grateful for his friends, community, the growth of the climbing community in Bishop, and being surrounded by good energy  1:26:56 – Why the increased popularity of Bishop has been a good thing  1:27:57 – Writing, telling stories, and Peter’s current writing project  1:29:51 – Peter’s thoughts on writing a book  1:32:05 – Meeting Alan Watts at Smith Rock in 1981, the one-arm pull-up show, and not putting labels on different types of climbing  1:35:56 – What’s next for Peter, and his thoughts on bouldering as an impact sport  1:38:16 – Feeling like a kid in a candy store, gratitude for finding climbing, and having “the thing”  1:39:46 – Peter’s final thoughts for younger climbers, why he recommends traveling a lot, and the old Greek lady with the baby goats  1:42:04 – Peter’s upcoming trips, flow state with writing, and writing advice from John Long

23 Mar 20201h 45min

Will Stanhope is a professional rock climber with many notable ascents in the realm of single and multi-pitch trad climbing, free-soloing, and cutting edge first ascents. We talked about Will’s recent freak accident and broken finger, the injury process, trad climbing tips, pushing through fear vs. listening to fear, and a case for more climbing/less training.  Support on Patreon:patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing  Show Notes:  http://thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/will-stanhope  Nuggets:  2:14 – The cruxes of dating internationally as a Canadian  3:00 – Freedom of the Wheels  4:35 – Will’s recent accident and finger injury, modern medicine, and getting the hardware removed  6:56 – “It’s the easy ground that gets you.”  7:14 – Running, rehab, flow state, and a day of easy soloing  9:15 – Having goals and listening to the body, numb scar tissue and Will’s freak accident, and Will’s finger X-Ray  11:03 – Filling the void while injured, “There’s more to life than climbing”, and fly fishing plans  14:09 – FFA of the ‘Tom Egan Memorial Route’ in the Bugaboos, and lots of rainy tent time  15:59 – History of the ‘Tom Egan Memorial Route’ and the pretties crack Will has ever seen  17:06 – “The perfect training recipe” (i.e. manual labor + hangboard repeaters), Will’s thoughts on hard tips crack climbing, and why the rest of us should exercising caution when it comes to hard crack climbing  20:56 – Soloing as a part of Will’s training, and a case for climbing more  22:03 – Guiding and getting recognized for past accomplishments  23:28 – Shifting away from hardcore projecting, and the Howzer Tower linkup w/ Leo Holding  26:30 – Simulclimbing, finding the right partner, and (contrived) climbing games  30:18 – Future projects, getting into mountain climbing, and “wielding all the swords”  32:03 – Headpointing vs. soloing, pushing through fear vs. listening to fear, and backing off  34:16 – Keeping soloing “safe”  35:09 – Downclimbing: “The lost art”   36:37 – Free soloing in Froggat (10+ years ago), trying ‘Parthian Shot’ and breaking his foot, and climbing ‘Muy Caliente’  39:07 – The E-grade system   40:33 – What Will learned from climbing with Leo  42:00 – “You can’t skip learning”, and why Will keeps his goals to himself nowadays  44:12 – Bouldering   45:02 – Will’s trad climbing tips for racking up, and polysporin (or neosporin) for gobies  47:15 – “More climbing, less training”  49:19 – Will’s hangboarding protocol  50:22 – Pushups and training opposing muscles and core stability  51:59 – What Will wishes he’d known at age 20 (he’s currently 33 years old) “Trust your own instincts”  52:44 – What Will wishes he’d known at age 30 - “Always really clean your climbing shoes”  53:22 – Will’s Anthony Bourdain kick  55:20 – Grateful to be alive  55:51 – Excited to get back in the game  56:31 – Will’s Instagram, ‘Freedom of the Wheels’ sequel, wrap up

16 Mar 202058min

Brittany Goris is a rock climber, graphic design artist, and self-proclaimed dirtbag. Her recent obsession has been projecting hard single-pitch trad climbs. We talked about her recent ascent of ‘Stingray’ 5.13d in Joshua Tree, the allure of dirtbagging, training on the road, finding community, tips for onsighting, free WiFi, and learning patience.  Support on Patreon:patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing  Show Notes:  http://thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/brittany-goris   Nuggets:  2:23 – Deciding to go to Joshua Tree, becoming infatuated with “The Dirtbag Thing”, and Brittany’s four goal-routes    5:17 – Racking up attempts on ‘Stingray’ and comparing it to ‘City Park’   6:57 – ‘City Park’ and ‘Stingray’ compared to Brittany’s other hardest climbs   8:02 – Flirting with an overuse injury and her swollen right index finger   10:39 – The breakdown of ‘Stingray’   14:33 – The weather as a factor, ideal conditions, and added sending pressure   16:55 – Thriving on pressure   17:59 – Brittany’s process working on ‘Stingray’, dealing with tendonitis, ring workouts, and supplemental training   22:24 – On or off mode, and Brittany’s life over the holidays, and vacation mode vs. projecting mode    26:42 – Brittany’s endurance base and why she didn’t need to focus on endurance for ‘Stingray’   28:36 – Making an effort to get more sleep and drinking too much climber coffee   29:53 – The different catalysts that help Brittany find the “on mode”   31:22 – Embracing the “off mode”, and balancing the two modes   34:15 – Being discipline in specific ways, and being all in vs. moderation   35:34 – How Brittany chooses her objectives and where she travels to next and finding a sense of place   39:45 – Brittany’s thoughts on whether dirtbagging makes recovery harder, living in a CRV, and cooking meals in a JetBoil for a year   42:32 – Brittany’s beta for camp chairs and working remotely   45:54 – Favorite rest day activities, playing games, spending time with the people, and running and stretching to relax and Brittany’s version of meditation   48:32 – Writing and journaling, writing one sentence per day, and tracking time spent in each location   52:19 – How Brittany got into climbing and why she never fell in love with Bishop   54:36 – How Brittany thinks about bouldering vs. route climbing and her plans to get in shape for Yosemite   58:48 – Building on community from place to place, and the best thing about climbing   1:01:50 – Brittany’s approach to onsight climbing, onsighting tactics, and why it might be her favorite style of climbing   1:07:10 – Always going for the onsight, getting on ‘Weekend Whipper’, getting into sketchy situations, and Brittany’s close call this summer   1:10:14 – Balancing onsight climbing with redpointing and projecting, Brittany’s thoughts on (not) warming up, and sussing out a route for a 2nd go redpoint    1:16:53 – Creating art, making her van feel like home, and tips for feeling grounded on the road, van life, showers, remote working, and fast internet   1:21:51 – Early road rage and practicing patience   1:24:58 – Brittany’s struggle with self patience, and chasing her best self   1:25:43 – Reading, most impactful books, and dropping everything to pursue the love of climbing  1:28:26 – Developing routes vs. engaging with history and writing yourself into a pre-existing story  1:30:24 – Dreaming of Yosemite, unknowns, and learning mindset  1:32:57 – Plans for ‘The Stigma’ (aka ‘The Renegade’), ‘The Phoenix’, and ‘Cosmic Debris’  1:34:53 – Brittany’s dream of climbing 5.14 on gear, sharing goals vs. the “pre-spray”, and bouldering on gear  1:36:43 – The thing Brittany is most grateful for lately  1:38:19 – The dirtbag dream—has it lived up to it?

24 Feb 20201h 41min

Mark DeJohn is a licensed massage therapist who specialized in Active Release Technique (ART). I began seeing Mark after suffering from Carpal Tunnel Syndrome for six years. Mark was able to fix me using ART. We talked about the root cause and how overly tight muscles can become an injury, how Mark thinks about overuse injuries and his tips to avoid them, and two stretches every climber should do.  Support on Patreon:patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing  Show Notes:  http://thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/mark-dejohn  Nuggets:  2:03 – What is Active Release Technique (ART)?  3:48 – My (Steven’s) Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) and how and overly tight muscle can become an injury  10:19 – Homework vs. compliance  12:18 – ART as a standalone treatment, and ART paired with Chiropractic treatment  14:59 – The body as a system, and working up and down the chain  17:19 – Other climbing related injuries Mark has treated  18:47 – How climbers should be stretching, and two stretches every climber should do  20:37 – Timing, when to stretch, Mark’s thoughts on isometric vs. dynamic stretches, and how tight muscles can lead to tendonitis  24:13 – Scar tissue and Mark’s “gum in the carpet” theory  25:20 – Mark’s thoughts on tightness vs. strength, and whether “too flexible” is a concern  28:21 – How Mark got started with ART and becoming an ART instructor  32:14 – How Mark got involved with triathlons, being on support teams, and his trip to China  36:50 – Mark’s size (6’3”, 240lbs) and the difficulty of working on NFL players  38:10 – What Mark does for his own treatment, and Mark’s experience trying climbing  39:45 – Mark’s thoughts on going to muscular failure in the forearms every session vs. varied training  43:51 – A case for variability in your workouts and the root cause that lead to me developing CTS  45:49 – The recipe for overuse injuries: Doing too much of the same stuff too often  46:20 – How (bad) posture can lead to injuries and what Mark is working on for himself  48:17 – Working with people from all walks of life and the 90-year-old Canasta player  48:51 – Why Mark loves working with athletes and helping people get back in the game  50:45 – How to find a good ART practitioner  51:54 – Advice I needed to hear, stress vs. eustress, and Mark’s advice to keep getting outside if you’re injured  53:49– My recommended tools for self-care (Armaid, Theracane, Wave Tool) and Mark’s usage tips  56:15 – The Deep Muscle Stimulator and why Mark thinks it would be a good addition to a climbers kit  58:39 – How Mark got into bikes, racing, and why he prefers to get out and enjoy open spaces  1:04:07 – Mark’s plan to grow his business into something he can sell, and the benefits of K laser treatment  1:09:39 – One thing Mark would have done differently if he could go back in time  1:10:18 – Mark’s construction business, how he transitioned to ART, and Mark’s uncle Spencer   1:13:36 – Why Mark has changed his mind about the psychological component of treatment  1:17:05 – The links between brain, gut, body, pain, and everything else   1:17:50 – Diet and genes as potential factors   1:23:38 – Some of the best decisions Mark has ever made, learning new things, and keeping an open mind  1:26:47 – Something Mark is grateful for  1:28:04 – Something Mark is excited about right now  1:30:14 – Mark’s final advice for climbers: be proactive, cross-train (do other stuff), and hydrate like crazy  1:31:43 – Electrolytes  1:33:41 – How Mark’s other athletes use cross-training and options for climbers  1:34:48 – What’s next for Mark  1:36:30 – How to connect with Mark  1:36:53 – The review I left for Mark back in June 2019

17 Feb 20201h 38min

Alan Watts is widely regarded as the founding father of Smith Rock, and was a key player in the development of sport climbing in America. He established the first 5.13d in America with ‘East Face’ in 1985—just shy of the world standard. We talked about eating every other day, his paradigm shift from freeing aid climbs to face climbing, wearing Wolfgang’s shirt, meeting Adam Ondra, and his “little slice of contribution” to the sport of climbing.  Support on Patreon:patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing  Show Notes:  http://thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/alan-watts  Nuggets:  2:21 – The evolution of dirtbagging, early road life, Smith as a safe zone, “there were no routes”  7:12 – Eating every other day  19:52 – Abstainers vs moderators  24:07 – Bill Ramsey, UO, and climbing “every variation imaginable” at the Columns  29:08 – Connecting with the people you need  31:45 – Inferiority complex and pushing to improve  33:09 – Paradigm shift from freeing aid climbs to climbing faces  39:16 – Stumbling upon sport climbing and going from being a decent climber to a really good climber  41:34 – Redpoint tactics, ethics, and borrowing from the Europeans  45:44 – ‘Corner No. 1’, how ‘Chain Reaction’ got its name, and reaching the world standard at Smith Rock  47:33 – 11b to 13d in six years, ‘Punks in the Gym’, and pushing world standards  48:49 – Meeting Heinz Zak and Wolfgang’s t-shirt  51:57 – Pioneering Smith Rock film by Hydro Flask, and going back to the summer of ’85, and ‘East Face’ 5.13d  57:06 – Other hard crack climbs and ‘Double Stain’  58:30 – 7 days prepping ‘Sunshine Wall’ and the story of ‘To Bolt or Not to Be’  1:04:39 – Climbing ever day, injuries, and killing the goose that laid the golden eggs  1:15:20 – Hip surgery and meeting Adam Ondra  1:24:05 – Adam’s post about meeting Alan, and Adam’s onsight of ‘Just Do It’ 5.14c  1:29:57 – Adam’s photo book (Alan-“What the hell? How did I make the cut?”)  1:31:22 – The Awl project, “I do not want to FAIL!”  1:33:49 – Bolting futuristic projects, thinking anything was possible, and bolting ‘Just Do It’ for a TV show in 1989  1:41:28 – “I used to visualize before that was what you were supposed to do”  1:45:05 – “Fucking hard green route”  1:47:20 – Alan’s finger strength, hanging from one hand for (almost) a minute, and gym vs. outdoor climbing  1:54:23 – The updated Smith Rock guidebook  1:55:31 – Alan’s box of tights  1:58:25 – The 100 book list and projecting difficult books  2:03:32 – Working on the guidebook and connecting with the people  2:08:24 – The (lack of) ways to connect with Alan  2:10:06 – A slice of contribution in a little tiny sport  2:12:58 – “He’s cheating”, and Alan’s funny recurring dream

10 Feb 20202h 17min