EP 54: Matt Segal — ‘Miami Vice’, Coffee with Benefits, and a Brief Stint with Paragliding

Matt Segal is a professional rock climber and the founder/owner of Alpine Start, a company that makes “Instant Coffee That Actually Tastes Good”. We talked about how Matt got started in climbing, his nickname ‘Miami Vice’, early mentors, losing friends in the mountains, recovering from a paragliding accident, starting a business, and innovating new products.  

Alpine Start Kickstarter:  

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/mikeycrouch/alpine-start-with-benefits  

Support the Podcast:  

patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing   

Show Notes:   

http://thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/matt-segal  

Nuggets:  

2:49 – “Still starting at the bottom and trying to go to the top”  

3:53 – Miami Vice, training at a young age, Tony Yaniro, and the PCA   

7:19 – Matt’s first highball in Hueco  

13:32 – Mentorship of Eric DeCaria, Micah Dash, and Jonny Copp  

17:55 – Losing friends  

20:13 – Yuji Hirayama, kids bicycles, and Beat Kammberlander  

22:10 – Studying Tibetan Buddhism and Psychology in school  

25:07 – The beginning of Alpine Start, and Matt’s role with the company  

32:00 – “You should surround yourself with people that are smarter than you.”  

34:12 – Hiring good employees  

36:59 – Waterproof Mini Notebook  

37:57 – Matt’s writing practice, and writing letters that you don’t send  

39:13 – Fulfilment and focus   

39:59 – Paragliding with Cedar Wright, and Matt’s accident  

44:44 – Recovery, skiing, and building back up to 5.14  

47:07 – Returning to trad climbing, and trying ‘The Path’  

49:06 – Calming his mind for a headpoint attempt   

49:45 – Patron Question about Matt’s accident, dark times, and “My number had been called”  

52:41 – Another Patron Question, and unfinished business  

54:22 – Patron Question: Any tips for training for trad climbing specifically?  

55:44 – Patron Question about small gear, and Matt’s story about ripping gear in China  

59:16 – Sneaky ways to equalize gear  

1:00:25 – Climbing ‘Primate’ in the Flatirons  

1:01:33 – Cutting his hand open at a silent zen retreat, proving the doctors wrong, and teaching Ethan Pringle how to trad climb  

1:03:46 – Takeaway from the Bugaboo saga, and “partnerships are way stronger than names and grades”  

1:04:58 – Grateful for wine, and cooking  

1:07:27 – New products from Alpine Start and the Kickstarter (link above in show notes)  

1:10:49 – Matt’s upcoming St. George trip  

1:13:08 – The project on Mt. Hooker, local projects, and Matt’s cooking/climbing mashup road trip  

1:16:26 – Freedom of the Wheels …2?