The Careless Talk Climbing Podcast E174: Aidan's experience with Mount Doom and various rambles
Nov 12, 2025
Aidan shares his journey tackling Mount Doom, exploring what motivates him and how his mindset evolves. Intriguing discussions about ancient Egypt and the Tutankhamun exhibition reveal their fascination with history. They delve into climbing training, debating wood versus resin holds, and the effects of skin issues on performance. Aidan reflects on the disparity between failure and success, emphasizing the lessons learned from setbacks. They also touch on intrinsic motivation versus external validation, and upcoming projects in Yosemite.
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Mount Doom Is Long, Technical And Skin-Heavy
- Aidan describes Mount Doom as long, technical, and position-dependent with poor feet and a knee-bar crux.
- He found the holds bomber but skin-taxing and the route demanded precise body positions rather than raw power.
Early Link, Then A Painful Degloving
- Aidan did big links early, then tore his fingertip degloving a blister during an attempt.
- He taped, rested, and rebuilt skin but still faced painful tips on later tries.
Process Confidence Can Outweigh The Feather
- Despite capability, Aidan felt surprisingly un-attached to completing Mount Doom.
- He gained confidence from the process itself, not solely from projecting the final send.