E100: Steven Dimmitt - Podcasting, training and changing perspectives
Jun 5, 2024
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Steven Dimmitt, host of The Nugget podcast, joins in for a chat on climbing motivations and the impact of podcasting on his climbing journey. They discuss training setups, personal growth, overcoming setbacks, and chasing challenging climbs. The conversation also delves into the evolution of climbing podcasts, personal resilience in the face of criticism, and balancing climbing with other passions like music.
The podcast emphasizes the importance of personal growth and emotional well-being in climbing.
Balancing hosting a podcast with personal climbing progression can lead to shifts in priorities.
Discussion on pursuing quality climbs based on personal inspiration rather than ticking off climbs.
Flexibility in climbing philosophy allows for adapting goals to changing sources of inspiration.
Finding a balance between pursuing climbing and other interests like playing guitar is challenging but possible.
Valuing climbing experiences over completed climbs and avoiding fixating on unfinished goals for personal growth.
Deep dives
Evolution of the Careless Talk Climbing Podcast
The Careless Talk Climbing Podcast, hosted by Sam Pryor and Aiden Roberts, evolved from their mutual interest in climbing philosophy and personal growth rather than focusing solely on training specifics. Initially driven by their unique perspective, the podcast has shifted towards holistic discussions, exploring climbers' mindsets, emotional growth, and personal journeys in climbing.
Starting a Podcast Journey
Sam Pryor and Aiden Roberts initially connected through mutual friends and shared a passion for climbing. Despite limited prior acquaintance, they found common ground in their climbing philosophies and deep interest in understanding the human aspect of climbing beyond training methodologies, which laid the foundation for starting their podcast.
Challenges in Personal Climbing Progression
Sam Pryor faced challenges balancing personal climbing progression and hosting responsibilities. The commitment to prioritize podcast content and guest interviews over personal training manifested in a shift towards considering a fulfilling climbing life and climbers' holistic development, moving away from training specifics.
Podcasting Evolution and Adaptation
The evolution of the podcast from a training-focused approach to a more introspective and comprehensive thematic discussion reflects Sam and Aiden's shared vision. The podcast aims to offer a broader perspective on climbers' experiences, personal growth, mindset, and emotional well-being, enriching the climbing community with diverse insights and conversations.
Navigating the Climbing Podcast Landscape
Sam Pryor's initial intention to create a climbing podcast stemmed from a perception of limited offerings in the climbing podcast landscape. However, as the podcast journey unfolded, the emergence of various climbing podcasts post-COVID highlighted the expanding podcast ecosystem, showcasing diverse insights and content within the climbing community.
Shift in Climbing Approach
The speaker discusses a shift in their climbing philosophy, moving away from completionism towards pursuing boulders that truly inspire them. They highlight a desire to focus on quality climbs that resonate with their aspirations, rather than being driven by a sense of ticking off as many climbs as possible. This change reflects a move towards pursuing climbs based on personal inspiration rather than external expectations.
Specific Climbing Projects
The speaker plans to embark on two specific climbing projects in Colorado, aiming to tackle Wildcat, a V-12 boulder in Upper Chaos Canyon, and work on the challenging BearToss, V13, a linkup climb on the hypnotized mines boulder. These projects symbolize a shift towards intentional, meaningful climbs that require extensive preparation and dedication, prioritizing depth over breadth in climbing pursuits.
Balancing Volume and Intensity
The speaker reflects on finding a balance between climbing volume and intensity, acknowledging different seasons of inspiration and adapting climbing goals accordingly. They share experiences from previous climbing trips where they balanced exploring a variety of climbs with focusing deeply on a specific challenging boulder, showcasing a willingness to honor their changing sources of inspiration throughout climbing endeavors.
Flexibility in Climbing Philosophy
The discussion reveals a growing flexibility in the speaker's climbing philosophy, recognizing the importance of aligning climbing pursuits with personal inspiration and growth. They highlight the value of intuition and shifting focus based on genuine motivation, moving away from rigid task completion towards a more intuitive and fulfilling approach to climbing. This adaptable mindset allows for a more enriching and gratifying climbing experience.
Balancing Climbing and Guitar Playing
Maintaining a balance between climbing and playing guitar can be challenging due to the impact of climbing on finger dexterity and thickness. Initially, climbing can stiffen fingers affecting guitar playing, but the body can adapt over time. Choosing a nylon string guitar with a wider neck can help accommodate thicker fingers. While prioritizing climbing may affect guitar playing, finding a balance and allowing the body to adjust can facilitate pursuing both activities simultaneously.
Reflections on Unfinished Climbing Goals
The concept of 'deathbed climbs' or regretting not attempting certain climbs is explored. The podcast discusses valuing experiences with climbs attempted, even if not completed, and shifting perspectives on unfinished goals. Rather than fixating on completing climbs, focusing on the journey and appreciating the role of climbs in personal growth is highlighted. The conversation emphasizes the importance of not feeling pressure to achieve all climbing goals, but rather acknowledging the significance of the climbing experiences themselves.
This week we're joined by a voice you'll probably recognise! Steven Dimmitt, the host of The Nugget joins us to chat about podcasting as well as his personal climbing and we all ramble on about our personal climbing philosophies and what motivates us. We get to hear how being the host of a successful climbing podcast has changed Steven's relationship with his own climbing and what he is working towards for the future. In classic CT style, the conversation is wide ranging and varied so there should be something in there for everyone. We really enjoyed the conversation and we reckon it'll make for some good listening.
Also if you want to hear Steven getting a chance to have our Aidan all to himself, then keep checking the Nugget's feed as there is a new episode with Aidan coming soon!
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