The Nugget Climbing Podcast

George Lowe, an acclaimed Colorado alpinist, physicist, and systems engineer, reflects on six decades in the mountains. He recounts a terrifying storm on North Twin and Latok I, his “magnificent failure.” He discusses climbing at 82, lifelong friendships, family, risk, problem-solving, and balancing adventure with work and a meaningful life.

Dr. Mohammad Ashori, a California-based family physician, health coach, and climber, explores the foundations of climbing for decades. They discuss building muscle, treating recovery as training, metabolic health, zone 2 cardio, and meaningful health tracking. The conversation also tackles misleading data, continuous glucose monitors, blood markers, body composition, and the difference between looking fit and being healthy.

Justen Sjong, the Climbing Sensei, is a renowned coach, movement specialist, and 5.14c climber with landmark El Capitan ascents. He explores how height affects leverage, injury risk, training volume, momentum, footwork, and route beta. Tall and short climbers get tailored movement ideas, mindset shifts, and a fresh perspective on grades, fairness, and finding your own path on the wall.

Adam Ondra is back on the podcast to discuss his incredible winter bouldering season, including four V15 (8C) flashes. We talked about why the best sport climbers can keep up with the bouldering specialists, his winter training in Arco, boards vs. spray walls, go-to bouldering circuits, tactics for hard flash attempts, catching the moment, and much more. Free Masterclass (Unlock Your Full Potential in Climbing) 👉 http://masterclass.thenuggetclimbing.com Climb Accelerator (Direct Link to Course) 👉 http://masterclass.thenuggetclimbing.com/climb-accelerator Show Notes: http://thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/adam-ondra-returns Nuggets: (00:00:00) – Intro (00:01:11) – Settling down in Arco (00:08:47) – Why are the best sport climbers also the best boulderers? (00:15:23) – Does sport climbing help bouldering? (00:18:35) – How the 8C flash goal evolved (00:24:05) – How little Adam warms up (00:27:26) – Board and spray wall training (00:33:37) – Adam’s off-the-wall training (00:36:19) – Stronger than ever (00:40:21) – Why Adam doesn’t train on a hangboard (00:43:43) – Edge lifting vs. climbing (00:48:40) – Interval bouldering (00:53:04) – How Adam’s indoor bouldering sessions have changed (00:55:04) – Interval bouldering continued (00:57:08) – Short routes vs. long boulders (01:01:21) – Boulder flashing tactics (01:05:30) – Visualization (01:08:48) – Choosing flash beta (01:11:08) – Adam’s weaknesses & strengths (01:16:34) – Catching the moment (01:20:20) – Flashing Emotional Landscapes 8C (01:25:11) – 8C+ flash goal? (01:29:54) – B.I.G. (01:36:22) – What’s next for Adam (01:40:11) – The Smith Rock project

Aaron Shamy has an inspiring story: he won the X Games in the ‘90s, took a 15-year hiatus from climbing, got out of shape, and then began a 6+ year comeback that culminated in sending the hardest route of his life. We talked about his early climbing and hiatus, the turning point, Project 127, living in the crescendo, balancing family life, his 33 days on Flight of the Conchords, the tactics that helped him send, and much more. Free Masterclass (Unlock Your Full Potential in Climbing) 👉 http://masterclass.thenuggetclimbing.com Climb Accelerator (Direct Link to Course) 👉 http://masterclass.thenuggetclimbing.com/climb-accelerator Show Notes: http://thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/aaron-shamy Nuggets: (00:00:00) – Intro (00:01:43) – Aaron’s early climbing (00:06:56) – The X Games in the '90s (00:12:05) – 15-year hiatus (00:16:08) – The turning point (00:20:43) – Starting his comeback (00:22:33) – Milliseconds and millimeters (00:24:17) – The rule of thirds (00:27:23) – Project 127 (00:41:00) – Living in the crescendo (00:44:12) – Balancing family life (00:50:24) – 33 days on Flight of the Conchords 5.14c (8c+) (00:57:32) – Why different routes require different strategies (01:01:48) – Mental strategies for reducing pressure (01:05:29) – Day 32 (the kneebar) (01:10:45) – Day 33 (the send) (01:14:11) – Playfulness & tactics (01:18:13) – Best climbing days (01:23:48) – Transformation (01:28:20) – Life of Villains 5.14d (9a) (01:32:29) – Supplements (01:34:29) – Who are you becoming?

Matt Samet is the former editor-in-chief of Climbing Magazine, a writer and author, and a sport-climbing pioneer. We talked about his decade-plus battle with benzo addiction, his advice for people who experience anxiety or depression, what Rifle was like in the early ‘90s, how Chris Sharma broke the paradigm, embracing training to send his hardest routes, his new role with the American Alpine Club, and the inaugural American Climbing Journal coming later this year. You can learn more at americanalpineclub.org Free Masterclass (Unlock Your Full Potential in Climbing) 👉 http://masterclass.thenuggetclimbing.com Climb Accelerator (Direct Link to Course) 👉 http://masterclass.thenuggetclimbing.com/climb-accelerator Show Notes: http://thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/matt-samet Nuggets: (00:00:00) – Intro (00:02:27) – Teasing topics (00:05:34) – Panic attacks (00:10:19) – Benzo addiction (00:26:45) – Setback & self-care (00:36:32) – Matt’s biggest lesson (00:43:48) – Matt’s advice for anxiety & depression (00:48:36) – Rifle in the early '90s (01:08:07) – Sharma broke the paradigm (01:14:10) – Embracing the Moonboard (01:21:46) – Training results (01:30:24) – Matt’s climbing now (01:32:28) – Moonboard math (01:36:52) – An alternative to 4x4s (01:39:15) – Matt’s route projects (01:45:49) – Loving climbing more than ever (01:50:59) – The American Climbing Journal (02:04:59) – Adam Ondra appreciation riff (02:08:14) – Wrap up

Jeff Patterson, martial arts instructor and meditative arts teacher with decades of practice and multiple black-belt equivalencies, shares how Tai Chi and meditation boosted his fighting and everyday performance. He discusses how 20 minutes a day for a year can transform your life. Short, practical breathwork and nervous-system regulation tips for climbers are featured, plus ways to build consistent practice and presence.

Herm Feisner, a Fort Collins engineer and lifer climber known for early bouldering firsts like The Practitioner, discusses his training at 53 and how aging changed his approach. He talks about balancing an engineering career with travel and climbing. Conversations cover discovering and understanding moves, managing motivation and decline, and the boulders he still dreams of sending.

Sonnie Trotter, Canadian pro climber and author of Uplifted, reflects on big objectives and iconic routes like Cobra Crack. He recounts training as a teen, seasonal routines and family life. Conversations cover stamina versus strength, evolving climbing standards, and what makes climbers like Dave Graham so relentless.

Peter Mortimer is an award-winning filmmaker (King Lines, Valley Uprising, The Dawn Wall, The Alpinist) and co-creator of the Reel Rock Film Tour. We talked about his latest project, The Dark Wizard, a new 4-part documentary series now streaming on HBO Max about Dean Potter, which shares the full story of Dean in all of his human complexity—as a visionary, climbing legend, and a tormented soul. Free Masterclass (Unlock Your Full Potential in Climbing) 👉 http://masterclass.thenuggetclimbing.com Join Climb Accelerator (Earlybird Sale) 👉 https://masterclass.thenuggetclimbing.com/climb-accelerator Show Notes: http://thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/peter-mortimer Nuggets: (00:00:00) – Intro (00:01:21) – Peter’s film career (00:11:54) – Hustling (00:15:28) – The Dark Wizard (00:31:14) – Inside Dean’s mind (00:38:34) – Dean’s rivalry with Alex Honnold (00:49:42) – Everything on the table (00:51:25) – Where to watch (00:52:34) – Where to follow Peter