
The Nugget Climbing Podcast
Welcome to a podcast about performance climbing, self-improvement, and being a human being.
4M+ downloads.
"One of the best long-form interview podcasts in the outdoor space." - Climbing Magazine
Latest episodes

17 snips
Oct 9, 2023 • 2h 16min
EP 189: Lily Kral — Building a Board Climbing Gym, Exotic Dancing, and Being a Work in Progress
Lily Kral, owner of Boardworks in Bend, Oregon, talks about her childhood and her mother's struggle with addiction, exotic dancing her way through college, finding an identity as a strong climber, challenges of managing a climbing gym, and training for 5.14 at Smith Rock.

13 snips
Oct 2, 2023 • 2h 4min
EP 188: Joey Jannsen & Rich Breuner — Underground Hip-Hop, Cage Fighting, and Hustling ‘Til You Make It
Joey Janssen and Rich Brunner, founders of Ocelot Grips, talk about starting a climbing hold company, the importance of small details, relationships with customers, the future of indoor climbing, and their experiences in underground hip-hop and cage fighting.

21 snips
Sep 26, 2023 • 2h 55min
EP 187: Stefanie Myr — Miniature Carpentry, Becoming Polyamorous, and Finding “Church” at the Gym
Stefanie Myr, head route setter at Climb Tacoma, discusses finding 'church' in the climbing community, being less certain and more curious, her polyamorous relationship, and doing what you can to make the world a little better.

Sep 23, 2023 • 3min
Four Women Have Climbed V15
Legendary climber Ashima Shiraishi, talented climber Kaddi Lehmann, skilled climber Mishka Ishi, and accomplished climber Oriane Bertone are the four women discussed in this podcast. The host recognizes his mistake about only one woman climbing V15, apologizes, and commits to better coverage of climbers' achievements.

Sep 22, 2023 • 49min
Follow-Up: Katie Lamb — Box Therapy V16, and the Willingness to Persist (Teaser)
Katie Lamb, the first woman to send a V16 boulder, discusses her groundbreaking ascent of Box Therapy V16. Topics include her projecting process, challenges faced, why she chose Box Therapy, the difference between joy and excitement, and her personal key to sending hard boulders.

Sep 18, 2023 • 2h 29min
EP 186: Q&A 7 (feat. Ethan Pringle) — Rocklands Wrap-Up, Bat Hang Shenanigans, and Challenging Your Perceived Limits
The final episode from Rocklands! Ethan Pringle joins me for a fireside chat on my last day in South Africa. We share a wrap-up of the trip, and tackle Patron questions about Ethan’s back injury and rehab, his favorite climbing areas in California, why I still do “No Hangs”, my send of Octopussy, projecting tips, how I use the Tindeq, Ethan’s most epic bat hangs, mental health struggles and setbacks, challenging your perceived limits, why Ethan thinks I should spend more time training on commercial gym sets, my thoughts about Rocklands overall, and much more!Check out Rocky Talkie!RockyTalkie.com/NuggetUse this link to get 10% off your first order of backcountry radios!Check out Crimpd!crimpd.comOr download the Crimpd app!Check out AG1!drinkAG1.com/NUGGETUse this link to get a free year's supply of vitamin D + 5 travel packs!Check out Wonderful Pistachios!WonderfulPistachios.com to learn more!Check out Green Chef!greenchef.com/60nuggetUse code "60NUGGET" at checkout for 60% off plus free shipping!We are supported by these amazing BIG GIVERS:Leo Franchi, Michael Roy, David Lahaie, Robert Freehill, Jeremiah Johnson, Scott Donahue, Eli Conlee, Skyler Maxwell, Craig Lee, Mark and Julie Calhoun, Yinan Liu, Renzollama, Zach Emery, and Brandt MickolasBecome a Patron:patreon.com/thenuggetclimbingShow Notes: thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/qa-7Nuggets:0:03:51 – Rocklands Recap:0:03:51 – My recap of being sick, and how fast time flies on a trip0:11:55 – Comparing my trips to Magic Wood and Rocklands, and my main takeaway0:13:07 – Ethan’s trip recap, and remaining goals0:18:22 – Recap of my journey on Black Shadow0:22:32 – Some of the other hard boulders I tried0:24:06 – The line between having a “bad” vs “good” trip0:25:29 – Expectations vs. reality, and resetting your reference points to find gratitude0:28:02 – Patron Questions:0:28:02 – Shawn’s Question: Ethan’s back injury/rehab, his plans to lift weights, and the rigors of bouldering in Rocklands0:34:04 – Shawn’s Question: No Hangs, finding your max load for training, and my current approach to finger strength0:38:40 – Rajiv’s Question: Top routes that have inspired Ethan, Connor Herson’s repeat of Black Beard’s Tears, and Ethan’s FA in Greenland0:41:47 – Rajiv’s Question: China Beach in Rumney0:43:05 – Rajiv’s Question: Chris Linder’s route Window of Opportunity0:47:59 – Travis’ Question: My send of Octopussy, the process, and projecting tips0:56:40 – Colin’s Question: Where Ethan developed his love for climbing, being a gym rat at heart, and his early climbing in CA1:00:10 – Colin’s Question: Go-to climbing areas near San Francisco, Ethan’s thoughts on Jailhouse, and areas in northern CA1:03:42 – Colin’s Question: Bouldering exploration in the Eastern Sierras, and unfinished business at Shuteye Ridge1:09:58 – Colin’s Question: Ethan’s thoughts on the bouldering near LA1:13:11 – Cody’s Question: Tindeq protocols, edge sizes, and some notes about my finger training on the trip1:19:40 – Patreon plug, and info about Q&As1:21:26 – Daniel’s Question: Ethan’s thoughts on bat hangs1:28:02 – Alan’s Question: Which climber’s superpowers we wish we had1:31:44 – Jacob’s Question: Ethan’s thoughts on mental health struggles, and how that plays into his climbing1:35:28 – Why loving yourself won’t make you lose your edge1:39:02 – Wren’s Question: My thoughts on sport climbing in the future, and meeting climbing partners on the road1:44:20 – Jacob’s Question: Favorite sport climbing destinations in the US1:46:25 – Unpacking the word “favorite”1:47:15 – Lars’ Question: Dealing with setbacks and mental struggles1:49:33 – The beauty of Rocklands1:51:07 – Connor’s Question: Most memorable boulders, and life list boulders1:57:03 – Cooper’s Question: Favorite home crags near the Bay that Ethan never gets tired of, and remaining highballs in Bishop1:59:13 – Luke’s Question: Challenging your perceived limits2:09:08 – More Thoughts About Rocklands:2:09:08 – Why Ethan thinks I should spend more time on commercial gym sets2:10:40 – My thoughts on the climbing in Rocklands, and why I was hesitant to talk about it2:19:28 – Sweet spot grades in different areas, and wanting to be good enough to enjoy weird or unpleasant climbs2:22:59 – We need that 18-year-old Moonboard energy2:24:32 – Wanting to come back, and wrap up

Sep 12, 2023 • 2h 22min
EP 185: Mattias Braach-Maksvytis — All Things Dynos, Why Boulderers Should Train Their Legs, and How to Enjoy Your Climbing
Mattias Braach-Maksvytis is an expert boulderer and a doctor of PhysioTherapy from Australia. This episode is all about dynos! Ethan Pringle joins us for another fireside chat as we talk about how Mattias became “the dyno guy” in Rocklands, categories of difficulty and how to grade dynos, how training his legs made him a better all-around boulderer, the key to having the best trip of your life, changing his mindset and enjoying his climbing more than ever, and much more!Check out The Nugget on YouTube:youtube.com/@thenuggetclimbingThe Nugget is brought to you by BetterHelp!betterhelp.com/NUGGETUse this link for 10% off your first month!Check out Wonderful Pistachios!WonderfulPistachios.com to learn more!Check out Rhino Skin Solutions!rhinoskinsolutions.comUse code “NUGGET” at checkout for 20% off your next order!And check out EP 22 with Justin Brown to learn more about how to use Rhino products!Check out PhysiVantage!physivantage.com (link includes 15% off coupon)Use code "NUGGET15" at checkout for 15% off your next order!Check out Rumpl!rumpl.com/nuggetUse code "NUGGET" at checkout for 10% off your first order! We are supported by these amazing BIG GIVERS:Leo Franchi, Michael Roy, David Lahaie, Robert Freehill, Jeremiah Johnson, Scott Donahue, Eli Conlee, Skyler Maxwell, Craig Lee, Mark and Julie Calhoun, Yinan Liu, Renzollama, Zach Emery, and Brandt MickolasSupport on Patreon: patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing Show Notes: thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/mattias-braach-maksvytisNuggets:0:05:26 – Exhales and accents0:08:02 – How Mattias and I first met outside a bathroom in Hueco0:11:26 – Becoming “the Dyno guy” in Rocklands, and his dyno resume0:18:16 – His first hard dynos, and early trips to Font0:21:06 – Hotspots for dynos around the world, and the new 8C/V15 dyno in Spain0:23:57 – Trying an obscure dyno in Bishop, and beta mining0:25:36 – ‘The End’ 8A in Rocklands, and what makes a good dyno0:28:08 – Dyno FAs in Rocklands, and dynos that are ahead of their time0:32:12 – ‘Industry of Cool’ 8A+, getting better at coordination dynos, which types of dynos hold their grades0:35:15 – How to grade a dyno, and categories of difficulty0:41:01 – Mattias’ 8C dyno project, and having his best year of climbing ever0:43:01 – Changing his mindset, and becoming more playful0:51:58 – Needing reference points to determine grades0:53:45 – Training for his 5-year dyno project1:00:10 – Dyno technique, and breaking down the move1:04:19 – Right-handed 8A dynos in Rocklands, and the morpho nature of dynos1:08:36 – Nobody trains legs, how much Mattias weighs, and how increasing his leg strength helped his overall climbing1:11:11 – Getting hit by a van, and how rehab made him stronger1:13:36 – Why he was so psyched to send ‘Caroline’ 7C+1:16:16 – Other trip highlights, and why lumbrical injuries have become more common1:23:55 – Being a sub-max comfortable guy, and not needing to do projects right now1:27:15 – Enjoying the chossy lowball, and letting go of pressure to send the mega1:32:43 – Coercing Mattias to try ‘Black Shadow’ on his last day, and his level of fatigue at the end of the trip1:36:41 – Why the Basecamp boulder took so long to get developed1:37:43 – Spraying the tick list1:42:45 – The key to having the best trip of your life1:43:49 – Aligning your inspiration with your ability1:46:27 – Is it possible to climb near your potential after 2 months in Rocklands?1:49:45 – Starting his business ClimberCare1:54:47 – Studying to become a doctor of PhysioTherapy, and his evolution as a climber1:57:46 – Wobblers2:03:34 – Ethan’s punt on ‘Rodan’ 33/8c/5.14b in Waterval Boven2:07:00 – Self-deprecation and kindness2:10:02 – Drawing inspiration from the mutants2:11:21 – V14 goals2:15:50 – Better yeet your meaties

Sep 4, 2023 • 3h 2min
EP 184: Nic Rummel — Embracing Thickness, Lessons From 9 Years of Hangboarding, and Doing Whatever It Takes to Feel Like a Badass
Nic Rummel is an applied mathematician and expert boulderer. Ethan Pringle joins as co-host for another fun episode from Rocklands. We talked about embracing his nickname “Thick Nic”, lessons from working with Matt Fultz, sending V13 crimp boulders at 185 lbs, epic math projects, taking ballet to practice movement, the keys to a good spray wall, go-to hangboard protocols for epic finger strength, how lifting weights led to his best trip ever, finding mentorship in an 80-year-old climbing legend, and much more!Check out Crimpd!crimpd.comOr download the Crimpd app!Check out AG1!drinkAG1.com/NUGGETUse this link to get a free year's supply of vitamin D + 5 travel packs!Check out Wonderful Pistachios!WonderfulPistachios.com to learn more!Check out Rocky Talkie!RockyTalkie.com/NuggetUse this link to get 10% off your first order of backcountry radios!Check out Rumpl!rumpl.com/nuggetUse code "NUGGET" at checkout for 10% off your first order!We are supported by these amazing BIG GIVERS:Leo Franchi, Michael Roy, David Lahaie, Robert Freehill, Jeremiah Johnson, Scott Donahue, Eli Conlee, Skyler Maxwell, Craig Lee, Mark and Julie Calhoun, Yinan Liu, Renzollama, Zach Emery, and Brandt MickolasBecome a Patron:patreon.com/thenuggetclimbingShow Notes: thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/nic-rummelNuggets:0:06:39 – Test, test, testing…0:08:24 – How Thique Nic got his nickname, and embracing the body you’re given0:15:02 – Viking-built, trucks vs. Mazdas0:17:43 – Working with Matt & Hailey (Franklin) Fultz, and the confidence that comes with hitting strength benchmarks0:20:39 – Everyone wants to be like someone else, and being proud of the climber you’ve become0:23:29 – I’m on one, training for his local project in Fort Collins CO, and why he had such a successful trip to Rocklands0:30:08 – Deloading, Nic’s job in missile tracking and detection, and going back to school for a graduate degree0:35:23 – Needing more rest now that he is in school0:36:14 – Nic’s longest boulder project vs. his math problem0:41:29 – Applied math vs. pure math0:46:00 – The math problem that took Nic the longest to solve0:49:01 – Finding better beta on the JABE problem0:54:06 – Mathing vs. bouldering, comparison, and balancing multiple passions0:58:49 – Having a physical goal, an artistic goal, and an intellectual goal1:00:04 – Artistic outlets, and making an art film1:02:13 – Ballet1:11:32 – Nic’s crimping journey1:16:29 – Beating Matt Fultz to the 200 lb OTG, doing 58 pullups in a minute, and getting confidence from metrics1:21:19 – Nic’s crimping journey continued, and long-term hangboard training1:24:32 – Nic’s key takeaways from reading Ned Feehally’s book Beastmaking1:26:07 – Doing a hangboarding workout before trying your project, and adapting over time1:27:53 – Nic’s go-to hangboard protocols1:32:09 – Nic’s top hangboard recommendation that he got from Will Anglin1:34:15 – Nic’s thoughts on training micros1:35:53 – When to do the Will Anglin workout, and doing long-duration hangs as part of his warmup1:37:34 – Being warmup kings, and training less than usual1:41:05 – Ethan’s feelings1:42:41 – Nic’s secret crimp project, and doing the stand to Andramada1:44:41 – Working on climbing movement, and how he set up his home wall to work on his weaknesses1:47:56 – How the home wall facilitated community, and buying his house in Fort Collins1:51:54 – The evolution of Nic’s home wall, and why he doesn’t like big holds on boards1:56:04 – Ethan tries to convince Nic to try Scorsese 5.14c in the Poudre1:57:45 – Setting as a creative outlet, and what he wishes he could change about his home wall2:00:07 – Why Nic doesn’t recommend using T-nuts on a home wall2:02:15 – Using electric scooters to get to Lincoln Lake2:09:06 – Ethan hates on CO alpine bouldering, and the boys compare it to Eldo and the Flatirons2:13:59 – How Nic ended up in Boulder, living on Paul’s land, and renovating his trailer2:23:22 – Showering, splitting time between the trailer and his house, and having Paul as a mentor2:28:54 – Wanting to feel like a badass, and finding balance2:32:30 – Feeling content with his trip, getting sick, and sending Sky V132:35:59 – Lifting weights to keep up with his sister2:38:02 – Taking measurements of his body, and how he’s changed over the years2:39:04 – Nic’s brother, his siblings’ climbing, and a lesson from powerlifting2:43:54 – Dream climbs, plans to try more V14s, and why he got hurt on his project2:47:58 – Music City Hot Chicken2:48:34 – Go-to breakfast2:49:37 – Go-to climbing shoes2:52:17 – Climbing in Red Feather2:53:07 – Trap music2:54:31 – Obtaining big goals2:56:55 – Ethan talks about Nic’s send of Airstar V132:58:41 – Wrap up

Aug 28, 2023 • 2h 23min
EP 183: Jenn DeBellis — Chasing Dream Boulders, Turning Small Wins Into Big Wins, and Sustaining a Full-Time Job on the Road
Elite boulderer and software engineer, Jenn DeBellis, shares her biggest lessons from gymnastics and athletics, trying V13s in Rocklands, embracing failure, and sustaining a full-time job on the road. They discuss warm-up routines, training cycles, and the importance of embracing different climbing styles. They also explore the challenges of living in a van and finding stability while constantly on the move.

Aug 21, 2023 • 3h 6min
EP 182: Carlos Tkacz & Steph Letourneau — Lessons From 7 Trips to Rocklands, Being Good at Being Consistent, and Writing Novels
Carlos Tkacz and Steph Letourneau discuss their diet habits, lessons from their trips to Rocklands, learning to try harder, balancing carbon footprint, making most of a climbing trip to South Africa, and writing novels.