Tom Randall on Urban Climbing, Free Soloing, and Running From the Cops

Oct 9, 2024

Tom Randall, a climbing coach and urban climbing expert, shares exciting insights from his thrilling career. He discusses the unique challenges of buildering, including scouting urban climbs and the thrill of scaling buildings. Tom recounts his memorable climbs in cities like Berlin and London, while navigating the legal gray areas of urban climbing. He also dives into the mindset required for success and shares training tips for aspiring climbers. Listeners will love his anecdotes about the exhilarating highs and humorous lows of urban climbing adventures!

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Intro

00:00 • 6min

Urban Climbing Adventures

05:31 • 13min

Mindset and Gear in Urban Climbing

18:23 • 4min

Exploring Urban and Traditional Climbing

22:12 • 10min

The Thrills and Tranquility of Urban Climbing

32:21 • 3min

Urban Climbing Adventures

35:49 • 12min

The Psychology and Techniques of Climbing

47:22 • 20min

Reflections on Climbing Progress and Community Engagement

01:07:46 • 5min

Climbing Coach Tom Randall is back on the show to discuss:

The world of urban climbing (AKA buildering)
How to get into urban climbing
What's uniquely sketchy about climbing buildings compared to rock
Scouting tips and tricks to find an urban proj
The psyched buildering scenes in London and Berlin
Running from the law

Plus, Tom answers listener questions on all things training and performance.

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HERE is the flexibility video I mention during the Q&A

This show is produced and hosted by Ryan Devlin, and edited by Glen Walker. The Struggle is carbon-neutral in partnership with The Honnold Foundation and is a proud member of the Plug Tone Audio Collective, a diverse group of the best, most impactful podcasts in the outdoor industry.

And now here are some buzzwords to help the almighty algorithm get this show in front of people who love to climb: rock climbing, rock climber, climbing, climber, bouldering, sport climbing, gym climbing, how to rock climb, donuts are amazing. Okay, whew, that’s done. But hey, if you’re a human that’s actually reading this, and if you love this show (and love to climb) would you think about sharing this episode with a climber friend of yours? And shout it out on your socials? I’ll send you a sticker for doing it. Just shoot me a message on IG – thanks so much!