The Nugget Climbing Podcast

Will Anglin, expert boulderer and founder of Tension Climbing, discusses key principles of climbing hard, the most common confusion points about training, treating climbing like baseball, the evolution of Tension, the detail-oriented process of building the Tension Board 2 (TB2), and their harrowing experience of getting lost and stranded while climbing in the Black Canyon.

Mat Wright has quickly established himself as one of the best trad climbers in Britain and is a world-class all-rounder having climbed E11, 5.14c, and V15. We talked about his humble beginnings in low-income government housing, teaching himself how to rope solo as a teenager, reaching V13 and 5.14c in his first three years of climbing, pivoting to hardcore trad climbing, his upcoming film in the Brit Rock Film Tour, and much more!Get Your Tickets for Brit Rock! (Streaming Nov 9-13)britrockfilmtour.comBecome a Patron - 7 Day Free Trial!patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing Check out PhysiVantage!physivantage.com (link includes 15% off coupon)Use code "NUGGET15" at checkout for 15% off your next order!Check out Rhino Skin Solutions!rhinoskinsolutions.comUse code “NUGGET” at checkout for 20% off your next order!Check out Rumpl!rumpl.com/nuggetUse code "NUGGET" at checkout for 10% off your first order!Check out Wonderful Pistachios!WonderfulPistachios.com to learn more!Check out AG1!drinkAG1.com/NUGGETUse this link to get a free year's supply of vitamin D + 5 travel packs!We are supported by these amazing BIG GIVERS:Michael Roy, Craig Lee, Mark and Julie Calhoun, Yinan Liu, Zach Emery, and Alex PlutaShow Notes:  thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/mat-wrightNuggets:0:00:00 – Intro/Ads0:05:35 – Why Mat wears sunglasses when he climbs0:07:02 – Mat’s difficult upbringing, and growing up in a council estate (low-income government housing)0:11:41 – Meeting his dad at 13 and moving in with him, and how Mat got himself into rock climbing0:15:47 – Building a board in his mom’s back garden, and sending 8c+ and 8B (5.14c and V13) within his first 3 years of climbing0:17:21 – What climbing brought to Mat’s life0:19:51 – Neil Gresham’s masterclass videos, and setting his eyes on Hubble0:23:13 – Sending Hubble, and the negative side of punching the clock on projects0:29:39 – Being optimistic, and why Mat resonates with hard scary trad climbing0:32:39 – The line between optimism vs. recklessness0:35:17 – How Mat “caught up” with his education, and the appeal of climbing for someone with a busy mind0:39:39 – Mat’s partner Anna Taylor, and her role in The House of the Gods film (I said Argentina but it was in Venezuela)0:41:37 – Coasteering with Anna0:45:40 – Wildlife, nerding out, and how he and Anna relax0:47:28 – Living in a van, fingerboarding, and going with the flow with his climbing0:49:25 – Sprinting toward a goal, and spending 60-70% of his time chilling0:54:34 – What Mat’s training looked like early on, how it’s evolved over time, and addressing specific weaknesses0:57:34 – Understanding your climbing pace, and the dance of sport climbing1:00:24 – How Mat guides his clients with their climbing pace1:06:19 – Our tendance to overthink things, and not believe in ourselves1:08:29 – The power of specific goals, and asking yourself what you really want to get out of climbing1:12:35 – Balancing short-term and long-term goals1:16:51 – How to get coaching from Mat1:18:21 – Climbing his first V15 shortly after Hubble, and pivoting to trad and sending Lexicon E111:23:03 – The reaction to him sending Lexicon1:26:27 – Feeling desensitized to exposure, and early free soloing1:28:24 – The effect that online comments have on real people1:32:31 – Our brains’ negative bias, and trolling as an outlet for frustration1:35:21 – Anna’s harassment, and Mat’s controversial reputation1:40:29 – What happens when you respond to negative comments with kindness1:42:36 – Stepping into a protective role for his partner, and losing his sponsors1:44:29 – Mat as a Berghaus athlete1:49:19 – Mat’s film ‘Hard Git’ in the upcoming Brit Rock Film Tour1:55:49 – A deep dive into Mat’s FA of Magical Thinking E10, and finding flow on the send2:01:13 – Mat’s FA of Black Thistle E10, and converting E grades to the American YDS grades2:04:04 – The animalistic nature of trad, why the Brits don’t bolt everything, and the American healthcare system2:07:35 – Challenge vs. difficulty2:10:26 – James Pearson as the best trad climber in the world, and Mat’s kinship to Dave MacLeod2:12:25 – Mat and I each talk about our experiences trying the keto diet2:16:18 – I recap my story with disordered eating and recovery, and Mat describes his experience with burnout after Hubble2:22:05 – What happened with Rhapsody, and his thoughts on returning2:27:21 – Mat’s rope solo setup2:29:43 – Go-to music2:30:15 – Mat’s dream climbing expedition, the adventure and fun of climbing, and sending Gaia E82:34:46 – Think more about yourself and less about other people2:35:44 – Cycle touring, and Mat’s thoughts on taking long breaks from climbing2:42:36 – Where to connect with Mat, and details about the upcoming Brit Rock Film Tour

Alex Biale is an elite boulderer based in CO. We talked about his family legacy of bootlegging wine in Napa Valley, how he got into climbing, his legendary training with Jon Glassberg, pushing himself to the breaking point to send V14, seriously injuring his knee, working with Ollie Torr to overhaul his style and become stronger than ever, the keys to a balanced and happy life, and much more!Become a Patron - 7 Day Free Trial!patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing Check out Rhino Skin Solutions!rhinoskinsolutions.comUse code “NUGGET” at checkout for 20% off your next order!Check out Crimpd!crimpd.comOr download the Crimpd app!Check out Wonderful Pistachios!WonderfulPistachios.com to learn more!Check out Rumpl!rumpl.com/nuggetUse code "NUGGET" at checkout for 10% off your first order!Check out PhysiVantage!physivantage.com (link includes 15% off coupon)Use code "NUGGET15" at checkout for 15% off your next order!We are supported by these amazing BIG GIVERS:Michael Roy, Craig Lee, Mark and Julie Calhoun, Yinan Liu, Zach Emery, and Alex PlutaShow Notes:  thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/alex-bialeNuggets:0:00:00 – Intro/Ads0:05:34 – Steak and wine0:06:16 – Alex’s connection to the Jon Glassberg and Ollie Torr episodes0:07:37 – Alex’s upbringing in Napa, his family legacy of bootlegging wine, and the origin story of Black Chicken0:12:21 – Working in the vineyard as a kid, and growing up surrounded by family0:15:36 – Alex’s dad, and doing family backpacking trips to Tahoe0:20:02 – Getting into climbing0:21:59 – Parallels to the Josh Champion episode, looking up to CA climbers, getting into highballing, and putting V13 and V1 4 on a pedestal0:31:01 – Training with Jon Glassberg0:35:11 – Sending Mind to Motion V14, breaking from the training, and feeling lost after achieving his goal0:39:59 – Climbing classic V8s in Leavenworth, rediscovering his love for climbing, and adopting a beginners mindset0:47:58 – History, aesthetics, the amount of climbing in CO, and redefining challenge0:51:56 – Desiring to become a well-rounded climber0:58:23 – What gets people stuck, and being honest about what you want from climbing1:03:20 – Combining strengths and weaknesses1:09:32 – The perfect storm of training with Jon1:13:20 – Playing the long game, and drawing inspiration from Martin Keller1:17:33 – Why you shouldn’t train like a pro climber (unless you’re a pro climber)1:22:50 – The advice Alex got from Will Anglin, and climbing with rules1:34:42 – Why Alex hired Ollie Torr to coach him1:45:43 – What’s different about training with Ollie on a principle level1:52:24 – Injurying his knee, and transforming his climbing style2:00:26 – The keys to staying consistent with climbing and training, and the value of a spray wall2:16:12 – The keys to staying on top of things at work, and Alex’s business ventures2:23:47 – Carrying a load, hitting rock bottom, and adding value2:31:26 – The keys to maintaining a healthy relationship2:37:59 – Wrap up, and very kind words from Alex about the podcast

Jesse Firestone is back on the podcast! We talked about his injury this spring and finding silver linings, why he focused more on weight training than climbing this summer, shifting his priorities to spending more time on projects, biggest lessons from the past three years of coaching, Adam Ondra’s hip flexibility, how to become more flexible through climbing, why visualization is an excellent use of your time, and much more!The Nugget is sponsored 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!Check out Rumpl!rumpl.com/nuggetUse code "NUGGET" at checkout for 10% off your first order!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:Michael Roy, Craig Lee, Mark and Julie Calhoun, Yinan Liu, and Zach EmerySupport on Patreon:  patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing Show Notes:  thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/jesse-firestone-returnsNuggets:0:00:00 – Intro/Ads0:05:53 – Jesse’s Winter and Spring season, his wrist injury, and his trip to Fontainebleau0:11:53 – Losing muscle, falling into our own pitfalls, and a sales pitch for having a coach0:15:45 – Stoic philosophy, finding the silver lining, and why Jesse climbed a lot less than usual over the summer0:18:49  – Being stubborn about rock climbing, and plans to balance that with more weight lifting0:20:32 – Why Jesse is moving toward less volume and more projecting0:25:31 – Work capacity0:29:48 – My summer trip, and what I would do the same vs differently to prepare next time0:34:22 – Chasing the highs, and the reset of a bad injury0:37:29 – Being content with not sending my project in Rocklands, and Jesse and I talk about struggling to find inspiration there0:43:53 – What I’ve realized about active rest days in Rocklands0:47:57 – Why Jesse didn’t set any goals on paper in 20230:49:57 – Thai0:51:25 – How Jesse’s coaching business has evolved, and how he uses Instagram0:56:03 – “A good coach knows when to be a window and when to be a mirror.”0:56:33 – Lessons from Jesse’s first few years of coaching1:05:23 – How coaching has led him to being a more compassionate person1:08:43 – Summary of coaching lessons1:09:33 – Intent vs. content of training1:12:55 – Adam Ondra’s hip flexibility, writing a book, and how to improve flexibility through climbing1:22:10 – Having a positive attitude about your flexibility1:29:55 – 3 benefits of visualization for climbers1:39:53 – The nuts and bolts of visualization1:46:47 – Jesse puts his coach hat on and encourages me to climb faster1:51:47 – Visualization for onsighting, and Adam Ondra’s onsight of Just Do It1:54:20 – Wrap up

Josh Champion, MD and elite boulderer, discusses his journey of quitting climbing after sending V13 and finding a healthier relationship with the sport. Topics include intermittent fasting, burnout, motivation, comparison, filling the gap after quitting, unhealthy habits, seeking validation, finding other outlets for physical energy, pressure of sharing climbing experiences online, evolution of enjoyment and improvement in climbing, finding fulfillment, and challenges of building a climbing website.

Martin Keller, a professional climber and boulderer, discusses his send of Gateway V16/8C+, using video review to make breakthroughs, his simple training routine, and gaining 13 kgs to send his hardest boulder. They also talk about the importance of tracking climbing progress, building a solid base of climbing skills, the struggle and beauty of climbing, exploring challenging routes, and overcoming obstacles.

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.

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.

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.

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.