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

Jon Cardwell is a professional rock climber who specializes in bouldering and sport climbing. Jon’s tick list includes V15, multiple 5.15a’s, and hundreds of 5.14s. We talked about lessons learned from ‘Biographie’ and ‘La Rambla’, about his off-season and pre-training modes, about bouldering for sport climbing, and about his current 5.15 project at The Fortress in Colorado.  Support on Patreon:  patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing  Show Notes:  http://thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/jon-cardwell  Nuggets:  4:05 – Training at home during quarantine, and forced time off from climbing  5:44 – Taking time off over the holidays, and setting goals for the new year  8:14 – How Jon trains for a goal route (broad strokes)  10:45 – Tapering, the performance window, and incorporating hiking when preparing for ‘Biographie’  14:04 – Jon’s typical climbing schedule when trying a 5.15 project, and differences between ‘Biographie’ and ‘La Rambla’  15:46 – Sending ‘La Lambla’, and taking a step back to recharge for a hard project  20:03 – Jon’s current 5.15 project, and how his training has changed vs. previous 5.15s  23:24 – More details about Jon’s project  28:50 – Running to circulate blood and aid recovery  30:31 – Breakdown of project pitch 1  33:32 – Skin cooling, and portable fans as the future of sport climbing  37:48 – Using the tension board, Jon’s “pre-training” mode(s), and bouldering for sport climbing  43:16 – Outdoor vs. indoor bouldering  46:53 – Moderate days and enjoying climbing  50:55 – Jon’s trips to Ten Sleep this summer  53:06 – Memorable climbs/sends that didn’t make the headlines, and Carlo’s “Triple 14” day  59:36 – ‘Misty Wall’  1:09:40 – Patron Question: What are some of Jon’s favorite FiveTen shoes?  1:12:43 – Patron Question: Do you have any takeaways from dealing with climbing finger injuries?  1:19:16 – Thoughts on preventing finger injuries, and when to let go  1:24:01 – Advice for newer climbers (first few years)  1:28:06 – Advice for climbers with limited access to outdoor climbing, and coaching kids  1:32:52 – Route setting  1:36:06 – Moving toward a new career  1:37:55 – One of the best decisions Jon has ever made  1:39:55 – Photography, dog walking, and being in the mountains  1:40:43 – Gratitude for health  1:42:02 – Favorite post-climb meal  1:42:52 – ‘The Wind-Up Bird’

11 Jan 20211h 45min

This full episode is available for Patrons right now! This is a teaser of a follow-up call with Lizzy VanPatten. We talked about her FA of ‘Make Me Sanguine’ 5.13a—a beautiful new trad route on some of Oregon’s finest columnar basalt. This was also Lizzy's first 5.13. We talked about the process of projecting the route, about the meaning behind the name, and about breaking down the arbitrary limits we create for ourselves.  You can support the podcast and get access to follow-up conversations for $5 per month on Patreon at patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing. The full version of this follow-up call is 1:03:33.

8 Jan 202115min

This is a short clip that I shared at Darek Krol’s memorial service. I felt that this clip captured some of Darek’s philosophy of life, his spirit, and his humor. I wanted to share it here in case you don’t have a chance to listen through the full 3-hour episode. We will miss you, Darek.  Full Episode:  http://thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/darek-krol

4 Jan 20218min

Darek Krol was known by many as the “Mayor of Rifle”. He managed to climb 400+ of Rifle’s roughly 500 routes in his 23 years in the canyon. Darek was killed in an avalanche shortly after this interview. We talked about his love of climbing, about stewardship, and about his close friend, the late Dave Pegg. Darek was well-loved, and he will be deeply missed.  Darek Krol Memorial Fund:  http://www.gofundme.com/f/darek-krol-memorial-fund  Show Notes:  http://thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/darek-krol  Nuggets:  4:07 – Discovering climbing in Poland  7:44 – Love at first rock climb, and climbing in his “whities” before harnesses  11:35 – ‘Philology’, and ‘The Conquerors of the Useless’  17:04 – What defines us as human beings, and hugging the planet  26:00 – Balancing relationships with climbing  28:25 – Moving to America  32:58 – Parallel lives in America and Poland, telling stories, and connecting with people in Rifle  38:56 – Climbing as a social sport, Darek’s first trip to Spain in the mid-80s, and selling his sleeping bag to buy chalk and shoes  47:48 – Working for ‘Gory’ (‘Mountains’) magazine, and starting his own climbing magazine  52:25 – Discovering training, building an indoor climbing wall in Poland, and hosting a climbing competition in an arena  59:30 – Waiting to be recognized as climbers, and the quarry in downtown Krakow  1:01:40 – Why Rifle?  1:05:06 – Meditating on the drive to Rifle, and commuting to climb in Poland  1:09:28 – Darek’s “dope” psych-up music, and sharing music w/ Dave Pegg  1:12:45 – Encouragement and self-talk  1:15:14 – Memories of Dave Pegg, and the new Rifle guidebook  1:24:37 – Rifle in the 90s, and Dave’s dedication  1:27:06 – ’Sprayathon’  1:31:28 – Rediscovering Lower Tier  1:38:16 – Movement vs. strength, and “there is always a way in Rifle”  1:41:45 – Kneebar pads and blue duct tape  1:48:58 – RendezSPEW event, and taking over duties from Dave  1:55:15 – Stewardship, and Dave’s legacy  2:04:28 – The bow and arrow  2:09:48 – Climbing his hardest route in his 50s, and excitement to push new ground  2:14:35 – Darek’s project during covid  2:17:38 – “What you eat matters”  2:25:30 – “It’s never too late”, and Stanislaw Lem  2:29:23 – “There is no good and bad”  2:32:38 – More about Darek’s project, and “Vitamin I”  2:41:16 – Trying the Anderson brother’s training program, feeling old injuries, and weighted pullups  2:49:15 – Homemade training weights (bolted rocks), and the magic of training  2:53:55 – Winter skiing and training plans  2:58:10 – Darek’s dry-tooling friend in Poland  3:05:05 – Gratitude  3:10:20 – “I am the mayor of Rifle, I know everybody!”

4 Jan 20213h 14min

In this episode, Steven thanks listeners for an amazing year and for supporting the podcast. He also shares some Christmas karaoke that he recorded in his van...Feedback Form:  thenuggetclimbing.com/feedback  Support on Patreon:  patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing

21 Dec 20205min

This is part 2 of my conversation with Alex Johnson. We talked about how she improved from 12b to 14a in her sport climbing, why she no longer does weighted pull-ups, isometric training for arm strength, a typical strength training session, performance vs. training vs. practice, and about Athletic Brewing and the Post-Send Lock-Off Challenge.  Support on Patreon:  patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing  Show Notes:  thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/alex-johnson-part-2  Athletic Brewing:  Promo Code: “NUGGET25” for 25% off all orders for new customers  Shop Athletic Brewing Beer  Nuggets:  1:54 – Leveling up from 12b to 14a  5:11 – Testing with Dr. Tyler Nelson, fast hands, and pinpointing weaknesses (finger and arm strength)  12:52 – How Alex trained arm strength, and why weighted pull-ups are “moot”  16:27 – Breakdown of AJ’s isometric arm strength session  20:26 – AJ’s typical strength session layout (bouldering, arm strength, finger strength)  21:43 – Breakdown of AJ’s finger strength session  25:05 – “Snatches” on a campus board for contact strength  28:48 – Athletic Brewing and the Post-Send Lock Off Challenge  33:00 – Sending ‘The Muffler’ V12, and plans to go back to ‘The Swarm’  34:30 – Highballs  37:28 – AJ’s parting thoughts for her team kids, and “never be afraid to stand up for what you believe in”   42:07 – Outro

14 Dec 202046min

This full episode is available for Patrons right now! This is a teaser of a follow-up call with Jasna Hodžić. We talked about the projecting process and Jasna’s notetaking process, what she learned from reflecting on ‘Voodoo’ 14b, and her considerations when choosing a new goal. We also talked about navigating climbing partnerships, and how to be honest upfront to avoid issues later.You can support the podcast and get access to follow-up conversations for $5 per month on Patreon at patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing. The full version of this follow-up call is 1:03:04.

10 Dec 202018min

Alex Johnson is a two-time world cup gold medalist and has been climbing at a professional level for a decade. We talked about sieging ‘The Swarm’ V13, her effort to qualify for the Olympics, telling an honest story, failing publicly, lessons from coaching, coming out as LGBTQ, learning about self-love from her partner Bree, and becoming a role model.  Support on Patreon:  patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing  Show Notes:  http://thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/alex-johnson-part-1  Athletic Brewing:  Promo Code: “NUGGET25” for 25% off all orders for new customers  Shop Athletic Brewing Beer  Nuggets:  4:09 – Mr. Golden Sun  7:40 – Googly eyed elephant  8:36 – Fritz  10:50 – An amazing day in Yosemite with Fritz  13:06 – The 100 V10’s goal, and Alex’s approach to climbing  18:33 – Balancing hard projecting with volume  22:10 – Obsession over a single project, and volume bouldering games  26:06 – The Swarm, trying to qualify for the Olympics, and the vulnerability of failing publically  32:58 – Storytelling and sharing training ideas on social media, and starting to work with Dr. Tyler Nelson  39:45 – Comps vs. outdoor climbing, and “my heart is in rock climbing”  44:38 – Moving back home to coach, and how coaching lead AJ back to competing  49:36 – Practice vs. training vs. performance  52:26 – Balancing practice, training, and performance, and “going to the gym is practice”  55:00 – Practice drills, and working a boulder to learn vs. to send  1:00:13 – Combining training and practice sessions on the same day, 6x2s, and mock comp days  1:02:39 – “Always with intension”, lone-wolf garage sessions, and the vulnerability of training  1:06:40 – AJ’s go-to exercises on the home wall, and “You have to try hard to try hard”  1:09:47 – Coming out, Bree’s quote, and being a role model  1:19:04 – “Be who you needed when you were younger.”  1:19:19 – Gus Kenworthy  1:24:49 – Bree  1:28:56 – Learning about self-love

7 Dec 20201h 33min