The Nugget Climbing Podcast

Christian Beckwith is the former editor of The American Alpine Journal and Alpinist Magazine, and the creator of the award-winning podcast, Ninety-Pound Rucksack. We talked about the formation of the 10th Mountain Division in WW2, the breaking of Hitler’s Gothic Line, stories of mountain gorilla warfare, gear innovations that changed climbing forever, and much more. You can listen to Christian’s podcast at christianbeckwith.comThe Nugget Training App | 3 NEW Bouldering Programs (14-Day Free Trial)thenuggetclimbing.com/app-boulderingMad Rock (Shoes & Crash Pads)madrock.comUse code “NUGGET10” at checkout for 10% off your next order.Rúngne (Chalk & Apparel)rungne.info/nuggetUse code “NUGGET" for 10% off and "SHIPPINGNUGGETS" for free shipping.Become a Patron:patreon.com/thenuggetclimbingShow Notes:  thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/christian-beckwithNuggets:(00:00:00) – Intro(00:01:48) – Ninety-Pound Rucksack(00:10:46) – Birth of the 10th Mountain Division(00:22:00) – Ghosts in the trees(00:35:23) – New ropes & belay techniques(00:49:45) – Boots(00:54:00) – New vs. old climbing gear(00:57:49) – The Ninety-Pound Rucksack Challenge(01:05:35) – Breaking Hitler’s Gothic Line(01:19:18) – Coal to diamond(01:25:05) – Writing the story of the 10th(01:34:32) – Teaching GIs to climb(01:41:45) – What’s next for this story(01:47:30) – Wrap up

In this engaging conversation, Carol Simpson, a longtime climber and yoga teacher, shares her inspiring journey into her 80s. She discusses her move to Salt Lake, the energy of the city, and the importance of staying active and healthy. Carol dives into her training for a grip strength world record, her daily routines influenced by Dr. Peter Attia's longevity research, and the surge of strong female climbers in the sport. She also highlights practical tips for balance and functional movement, reminding us that age is just a number when it comes to pursuing our passions.

Domen Škofic is a Slovenian professional climber and a 5x World Cup gold medalist. We talked about his Red Bull Plane Climb project, skydiving, building a climbing gym with his father, retiring from the competition circuit, taking up archery, rediscovering his passion for climbing, sending Move 9b/+ in Flatanger, trying Silence 9c with Sean Raboutou, training lessons, and much more.Red Bull | The Plane Climb Videohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vcxVao0G8cThe Nugget Training App | 14 Day Free Trialtraining.thenuggetclimbing.comThe GRINDS Program | FREE Finger Training PDFthenuggetclimbing.com/grindsThe NUG | Portable Hangboardfrictitiousclimbing.com/products/the-nugMad Rock (Shoes & Crash Pads)madrock.comUse code “NUGGET10” at checkout for 10% off your next order.Rúngne (Chalk & Apparel)rungne.info/nuggetUse code "FREEBUCKET99" for a free chalk bucket on any order over $99.And use code “NUGGET" for 10% off storewide. Become a Patron:patreon.com/thenuggetclimbingShow Notes:  thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/domen-skoficNuggets:(00:00:00) – Intro(00:02:15) – The Plane Climb(00:10:15) – Skydiving(00:19:53) – The Plane Climb continued(00:31:48) – Domen’s father(00:42:54) – Building his gym(00:46:11) – Retiring from competitions(01:01:26) – Archery(01:05:21) – Rediscovering his passion(01:11:51) – Move 9b/+(01:25:45) – Flatanger(01:28:06) – Trying Silence 9c with Sean Raboutou(01:33:17) – Training(01:39:38) – Wrap up

Steve Moss, a Spokane climber and co-founder of For the Love of God Brewing and Pizzeria, shares his late-start journey into climbing at 24. He discusses how discomfort drives personal growth and resilience, tackling two V12 climbs in a single day at age 40. Steve also reflects on the balance of maintaining a brewery and climbing while nurturing family ties. With insights into his training regime, community focus, and the joys of climbing, he emphasizes gratitude and the connections forged through the sport.

Tyler Stableford is a lifelong climber and psychotherapist specializing in trauma resolution and treatment-resistant conditions. We talked about how to find more joy in our climbing, whether high performers are happier, controlling the inputs while releasing attachment to outcomes, what to do with anxiety before we climb, how to break mental plateaus, memory reconsolidation, why self-compassion will help you climb harder, and much more.The Nugget Training Apptraining.thenuggetclimbing.comGet a FREE Finger Strength Testing Session and Customized ReportThe GRINDS Programthenuggetclimbing.com/grindsFREE Finger Training PDFMad Rock (Shoes & Crash Pads)madrock.comUse code “NUGGET10” at checkout for 10% off your next order.Rúngne (Chalk & Apparel)rungne.info/nuggetUse code “PRESEASON" for $100 off + free shipping on the Belay Down Jacket.Become a Patron:patreon.com/thenuggetclimbingShow Notes:  thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/tyler-stablefordNuggets:(00:00:00) – Intro(00:04:00) – Tyler’s upbringing(00:09:12) – Discipline, joy, & wellness(00:14:38) – Appreciation(00:21:10) – What is your WHY?(00:28:20) – Are high performers happier?(00:31:08) – Will you lose your edge?(00:42:32) – Identity(00:49:07) – Constraints to joy(00:53:39) – Controlling the inputs(00:57:10) – Listening to our intuition(01:07:49) – What CBT is missing(01:11:22) – Memory Reconsolidation(01:21:44) – Self-compassion(01:29:49) – How to mentally break plateaus(01:36:45) – Attachment to progress(01:39:45) – Common stories we tell ourselves(01:42:11) – Two phrases(01:46:07) – What to do with anxiety(01:49:47) – Our egos(01:53:15) – Wrap up

Dr. Jared Vagy returns to the podcast and is joined by three physical therapy students and graduates, Sarah Kremer, Dawson Freeze, and Michael Larson. We talked about three recent articles covering the benefits of seasonality for maximizing climbing performance, rehabbing and preventing common knee injuries while heel hooking, and off-the-wall strength training for climbers. See the show notes for the full articles here.The Nugget Training Apptraining.thenuggetclimbing.comGet a FREE Finger Strength Testing Session and Customized ReportThe GRINDS Programthenuggetclimbing.com/grindsFREE Finger Training PDFRúngne (Chalk & Apparel)rungne.info/nuggetUse code “NUGGET” for 10% off storewide, and use code “SHIPPINGNUGGETS” for free shipping.Mad Rock (Shoes & Crash Pads)madrock.comUse code “NUGGET10” at checkout for 10% off your next order.Become a Patron:patreon.com/thenuggetclimbingShow Notes:  thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/four-ptsNuggets:(00:00:00) – Intro(00:04:16) – Overview(00:07:52) – Sarah’s topic (the case for taking a break)(00:10:24) – What Sarah’s research process looked like(00:11:22) – Surprises in Sarah’s research process(00:12:35) – Recommendations on when to take time off(00:15:48) – How to sustain stoke(00:18:04) – How climbing ability solidifies over time(00:20:56) – If Sarah did a follow-up study(00:28:38) – Dawson’s topic  (heel hooking and knee injuries)(00:33:22) – Common heel hook injuries(00:35:20) – Go to hip mobility exercises(00:39:00) – Heel hooking warm-ups(00:41:01) – Surprises in Dawson's research(00:43:27) – If Dawson did a follow-up study(00:49:28) – Michael's topic (off the wall strength training)(00:52:10) – How often should climbers weight train(00:55:34) – At what point are you strong enough(01:02:59) – Comparing athletes(01:09:47) – Stability-focused exercises(01:19:18) – Value in taking time off(01:21:19) – Jared's final thoughts

The Nugget Training App is the ultimate hub for every training session I've discussed with my guests on the podcast. Get guided sessions, track your progress, schedule your training, and more. New features coming soon. Check it out at training.thenuggetclimbing.com

Adrian Ballinger is a renowned alpinist and mountain guide, and has summited Mt. Everest and K2 without supplemental oxygen. We talked about his childhood, misconceptions about what he does, what climbing Everest is actually like, skiing above 8,000 meters, risking his life to send K2, sending Fall of Man 5.13b, how mountaineering compares to projecting 5.13, meeting his wife Emily Harrington, how performance changes with age, lessons everyone should know, and much more. You can learn more about Adrian at adrianballinger.comMad Rock (Shoes & Crash Pads)madrock.comUse code “NUGGET10” at checkout for 10% off your next order.Rúngne (Chalk & Apparel)rungne.info/nuggetUse code “NUGGET” for 10% off storewide, and use code “SHIPPINGNUGGETS” for free shipping.Chilipad (Don’t Lose Sleep this Summer)Get 20% off any Chilipad sleep systemNADS (Organic Cotton Underwear)Use code STEVEN for 15% offBecome a Patron:patreon.com/thenuggetclimbingShow Notes:  thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/adrian-ballingerNuggets:(00:00:00) – Intro(00:03:06) – Growing up(00:06:08) – Connecting with adventure as a kid(00:16:08) – Misconceptions about what Adrian does(00:22:04) – Tech breakthroughs in mountaineering(00:26:04) – Client pressure around summits(00:30:04) – Alpenglow Expeditions(00:33:09) – Regulations on Everest(00:35:08) – What climbing Everest is really like(00:41:04) – Climbing Everest without oxygen(00:49:57) – Preparing for Everest without oxygen(00:58:56) – Skiing accolades(01:01:59) – Skiing above 8,000 meters(01:05:00) – Skiing down vs. rappelling massive peaks(01:08:58) – Fall of Man(01:11:01) – Physically hardest climb(01:12:56) – Mental hardest climb(01:14:57) – Most dangerous climb(01:18:01) – Why Adrian took a risk on K2(01:21:01) – Meeting Emily(01:32:45) – What’s left for Adrian in alpinism(01:34:43) – Switching to hard sport climbing(01:46:43) – Bouldering in Rocklands(01:54:42) – Performance changes with age(01:59:42) – Athletes Adrian looks up to(02:02:40) – Lessons everyone should know(02:05:40) – Adrian’s podcast

Kerwin Loukusa, a climbing dad from Leavenworth, WA, recently achieved his first V12 and V13 while balancing family life and a job. He discusses his journey to enhance flexibility for climbing, shares training tips, and talks about the importance of building persistent strength. Kerwin delves into weather forecasting for climbing conditions, highlighting how dew point affects performance. He also emphasizes embracing a beginner's mindset, the joy of exploration in climbing, and the balance between passion and parenting.

Robb Wolf, a 2x NYT Best-Selling Author and health expert, shares insights on optimizing fitness and nutrition. He discusses the crucial benefits of Vitamin D, balancing sun exposure and supplements, and the importance of Zone 2 cardio for performance. Robb also delves into his own health struggles, emphasizing resilience and the need for self-advocacy. He advocates for separating strength and conditioning training to enhance athletic performance, while also encouraging listeners to make cardio enjoyable through hobbies.