Connor Herson: Trad Phenom, 5.15 Without Hangboarding, and the Value of 'Easy' Days

Jan 22, 2025

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In this episode, elite climber Connor Herson explores:

What social media doesn't reveal about the process of hard climbing
Struggling with training, and avoiding hangboarding and weightlifting
How projecting 5.15 feels similar (and different) to projecting lower grades
Lighter is not better on big walls
His unexpected send of Magic Line, one of the hardest trad crack climbs in the world
Movement and technique vs strength and power
Creative gear placement strategies for trad climbing
The benefit of top rope sessions
The tradeoff between comp climbing and outdoor climbing
Why climbing easier routes is so important

CHAPTERS:

Struggle: (0:10:48)
Training: (0:29:10)
Nutrition: (0:47:05)
Tactics: (0:51:46)
Mental Game: (1:04:22)
Purpose: (1:06:13)

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

The struggle makes us stronger! I hope your training and climbing are going great.

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!