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

Feb 19, 2024 • 2h 8min
EP 206: Building a Perfect Replica of ‘The Big Island’ V15, Training on Your Projects, and the Ideal Circuit — Charlie Schreiber Returns
Charlie Schreiber returns to the podcast! Charlie joins me from Fontainebleau to talk about the epiphany he had in Rocklands, leaving his job to focus on Paradigm Climbing, teaming up with Alex Johnson, getting obsessed with ‘The Big Island’ 8C/V15, building a perfect replica of the boulder, how to train on your limit projects, the concept of the “ideal circuit”, and much more!Become a Patron - 7 Day Free Trial!patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing The Nugget is sponsored by BetterHelp!betterhelp.com/NUGGETUse this link for 10% off your first month!Check out PhysiVantage!physivantage.com (link includes 15% off coupon)Use code "NUGGET15" at checkout for 15% off your next order!Check out Chalk Cartel!chalkcartel.comUse code "NUGGET" at checkout for 20% off your next order!Check out Crimpd!crimpd.comOr download the Crimpd app for free! We are supported by these amazing BIG GIVERS:Michael Roy, Craig Lee, Mark and Julie Calhoun, Yinan Liu, Zach Emery, Alex Pluta, and Matt WalterShow Notes: thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/charlie-schreiber-returnsNuggets:(00:00:00) – Intro(00:02:49) – Eating mangos in Fontainbleau(00:05:00) – Epiphanies from his Rocklands trip(00:09:15) – Capacity and the group psych(00:12:06) – Strategy and resting hard(00:15:22) – Sleep(00:16:58) – Partnering with Alex Johnson(00:20:45) – What is Paradigm Climbing?(00:23:11) – Solving coaching puzzles(00:25:22) – 9-week cycles(00:27:34) – Deloads(00:29:19) – The brain adapts faster than the body(00:31:12) – Looking back and ahead(00:36:46) – Stacking training programs(00:42:15) – “It’s not your last day”(00:45:31) – Having Martin Keller as a mentor(00:46:37) – The similarity between training and performing(00:48:13) – Supplemental training on trips(00:50:44) – Conditions in Font, and ‘Karma’ 8A+/V12(00:53:06) – ‘Getting psyched on The Big Island’ 8C/V15(00:57:59) – Blanancing trips with his marriage(01:00:15) – Building ‘The Big Island’ replica(01:11:34) – How much does the replica cost?(01:14:14) – Training on the replica(01:22:21) – How to train on your project(01:27:45) – How much progress did he make on the replica?(01:29:16) – Progress and time remaining on his trip(01:32:32) – How he is projecting the actual boulder, mobility, and sore ankles(01:35:45) – Will Charlie train this way on future projects?(01:38:40) – Will replicas unlock V18?(01:40:15) – Nalle’s FA of ‘Burden of Dreams’ 9A/V17(01:42:20) – The Ideal Circuit(01:46:43) – Setting specific comp boulders for Adam Shahar(01:51:32) – How you win comps vs. not lose comps(01:54:42) – How to create your own Ideal Circuit(01:56:30) – Creating your own boulders(01:59:08) – Imposing demands(02:01:48) – Wrap up and EXTRA teaser!

Feb 16, 2024 • 59min
SEND ALERT: Kai Lightner — ‘Life of Villains’ 9a, Not Rushing the Process, and Building Jamaica’s First Climbing Wall
Kai Lightner is back on to talk about his recent send of 'Life of Villains' 5.14d/9a at the Hurricave! We talked about the emotional rollercoaster of sending 'LOV', how it felt to send 9a in his current body, not rushing the process, his trip to Jamaica, bolting his first route, what's going on with Climbing 4 Change, and more!Donate to C4C:climbing4change.orgKai’s Original Episode:EP 55: Kai LightnerNuggets:(00:00:00) – Kai’s upcoming trip and project(00:03:41) – Self-preservation(00:05:11) – The emotional rollercoaster of ‘Life of Villains’ 5.14d/9a(00:07:57) – How it felt to send ‘LOV’ in his current body(00:13:40) – Not rushing the process(00:16:50) – Expanding his technical arsenal(00:18:15) – Bad weather, broken holds, and the send(00:23:07) – His trip to Jamaica(00:27:00) – Building a climbing gym in the National Training Center(00:28:42) – Bolting his first route(00:33:31) – The food(00:35:34) – What’s going on with C4C(00:37:49) – Paying it forward(00:41:35) – How to support C4C(00:45:47) – Testifying in Washington to get climbing gyms recognized as sports facilities(00:54:02) – Bouldering with Drew Ruana, and negative temperatures

Feb 12, 2024 • 3h 17min
EP 205: Adrian Vanoni — Finger Crack Wizardry, Blue Collar Sending, and Lucid Dreams About Beta
Adrian Vanoni is an up-and-coming finger crack wizard who has been on fire for the last few years. We talked about him breaking into 5.14, freeing El Cap ground up and then in a day, training for the famous ‘Cobra Crack’ using a campus board, doing the first free ascent of a 5.14 finger crack in the alpine, lucid dreaming about beta, going after hard routes that will force you to grow as a climber, and much more!Become a Patron - 7 Day Free Trial!patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing Check out KAYA!kayaclimb.comUse code "NUGGET" at checkout for 20% off your first year of KAYA PRO!Check out Mad Rock!madrock.comUse code “NUGGET” at checkout for 10% off your next order!Check out Tindeq!tindeq.comUse code “nugget” for $10 off your order!Check out Rhino Skin Solutions!rhinoskinsolutions.comUse code “NUGGET” at checkout for 20% off your next order!We are supported by these amazing BIG GIVERS:Michael Roy, Craig Lee, Mark and Julie Calhoun, Yinan Liu, Zach Emery, Alex Pluta, and Matt WalterShow Notes: thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/adrian-vanoniNuggets:(00:00:00) – Intro(00:02:04) – Mustaches, haircuts, and wired headphones(00:05:16) – Our conversation about trying to climb 5.14(00:07:42) – Geeking out about ‘Badman’ 5.14a(00:08:40) – Collecting unfinished business, and sticking with it on projects(00:11:04) – Little Si, and a new crag in WA(00:13:30) – Adrian’s lifestyle(00:16:04) – The glamorous life of an amateur climber(00:20:29) – His beginnings in trad climbing(00:23:29) – Developing the skills to free El Cap(00:24:16) – Freeing ‘Golden Gate’ ground up with Sam Stroh(00:26:14) – Comparing his and Sam’s tick lists(00:30:54) – Putting ‘El Corazon’ in a day into context(00:40:44) – Will’s impressive belay season(00:41:25) – Blue-collar sending(00:46:39) – ‘Mr. Chicken’(00:53:38) – Trying hard is trainable(00:58:50) – Anticipation, expectation, and redpoint stress(01:00:59) – Living in the present, and appreciating the journey(01:04:00) – Sending ‘Cobra Crack’ 5.14b(01:10:25) – Training for Cobra on the campus board(01:17:31) – Visualization and lucid dreaming(01:21:30) – More ‘Badman’ beta(01:25:01) – The nuance of resting on sport routes(01:29:09) – Beta depends on context(01:35:58) – Prusik Peak and ‘Prayer for a Friend’(02:00:24) – The style of big wall ascents(02:10:06) – Street credit(02:18:07) – Sending ‘Prayer for a Friend’ 5.14-(02:22:56) – Goal routes and boulders(02:31:42) – Social media vs. inspiration(02:39:41) – Not everything is for everyone(02:45:54) – My climbing as a more public person(02:49:26) – Growing to meet a route where it is(02:51:26) – Get on the hard thing you want to do(02:57:57) – ‘Freerider’ in a day(03:13:19) – Wrap up and EXTRA teaser!

Feb 5, 2024 • 2h 45min
EP 204: Anak Verhoeven — How to Build 9a Endurance, Why Motivation Trumps Fancy Facilities, and Being Public About Her Faith
Anak Verhoeven is a professional climber from Belgium and one of the most accomplished female sport climbers ever. We talked about growing up with her mom as coach and dad as trainer, why she quit competitions, dealing with a strange injury that plagued her for 3+ years, winning her first World Cup, building 9a+ endurance with mediocre training facilities, making up rules in the gym, her onsighting strategy, being public about her faith, 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 Green Chef!greenchef.com/60nuggetUse code "60nugget" at checkout for 60% off plus 20% off your next two months!Check out Crimpd!crimpd.comOr download the Crimpd app!The Nugget is sponsored by BetterHelp!betterhelp.com/NUGGETUse this link for 10% off your first month!We are supported by these amazing BIG GIVERS:Michael Roy, Craig Lee, Mark and Julie Calhoun, Yinan Liu, Zach Emery, Alex Pluta, and Matt WalterShow Notes: thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/anak-verhoevenNuggets:(00:00:00) – Intro(00:03:14) – Living in a small motorhome with her parents on long trips(00:06:40) – Anak’s 9a and harder resume, and her level of fame in Belgium(00:10:03) – How Anak makes a living(00:13:51) – The advantages of doing everything herself(00:15:48) – How her mom and dad became her coach and trainer(00:17:58) – Practicing her autograph as a kid(00:20:13) – Competing in her first international competition(00:22:34) – Struggling in early competitions, and navigating disappointment(00:25:54) – Setting the bar high(00:27:47) – Family meetings(00:31:24) – Rest days, exercises, and hair washing(00:37:04) – Leading her first route at age 4(00:41:08) – Getting injured and falling in love with climbing(00:44:19) – The variety within climbing(00:50:50) – Why Anak quit competitions(00:56:51) – Anak’s strange arm injury(01:06:46) – Working on her shoulder mobility(01:10:21) – Keeping her arm injury a secret(01:14:08) – Current status of her arm(01:17:05) – Understanding what folks with chronic illness go through(01:20:59) – What does Anak miss the most about competitions?(01:25:46) – Longer trips, and the stress of competitions(01:30:43) – Winning her first World Cup in Arco(01:34:05) – The satisfaction of sending Ciudad de Dios pa la Enmienda(01:42:15) – Getting fresh air during competitions(01:44:59) – Anak’s training shed(01:47:57) – Training on the same routes for 3 years, and motivation vs. fancy facilities(01:53:01) – Anak’s strategy for onsighting comp routes(01:57:11) – Making up rules at the gym(02:01:36) – How Anak built her endurance(02:07:15) – Mental endurance(02:11:27) – 9b and trad climbing goals for 2024(02:14:43) – Why she is open about her faith(02:22:33) – How do climbers react to her faith?(02:29:46) – The pressure I felt as a kid to spread faith, and moving away from religion(02:33:09) – How Anak thinks about sharing her faith, and her lack of judgment toward other people(02:34:57) – Choosing her faith for herself(02:37:57) – Wrap up and EXTRA teaser!

Jan 29, 2024 • 1h 39min
EP 203: Jakob Schubert — World Champion to 9c and 9A, Adam Ondra’s Risky and Efficient Style, and Failing on ‘Sleepwalker’
Jakob Schubert is one of the greatest competition climbers ever. In 2023 he won the World Championships in both lead and combined, secured his ticket to the Paris Olympics, sent his first 9c with his FA of ‘B.I.G.’, and sent his hardest boulder with ‘Alphane’ 9A. We talked about his incredible year, learning from Adam Ondra’s risky and efficient climbing style, what he learned from failing on ‘Sleepwalker’ V16, plans for more 9c’s, and much more!Become 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 KAYA!kayaclimb.comUse code "NUGGET" at checkout for 20% off your first year of KAYA PRO!Check out Tindeq!tindeq.comUse code “nugget” for $10 off your order!Check out Crimpd!crimpd.comOr download the Crimpd app!We are supported by these amazing BIG GIVERS:Michael Roy, Craig Lee, Mark and Julie Calhoun, Yinan Liu, Zach Emery, Alex Pluta, and Matt WalterShow Notes: thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/jakob-schubertNuggets:(00:00:00) – Intro(00:03:44) – Jakob’s best year ever(00:08:49) – Securing his ticket to Paris, and focusing on B.I.G.(00:10:40) – Inspiration for rock climbing(00:13:20) – Learning about efficiency from outdoor projects(00:16:28) – Less emphasis on winning the overall World Cup(00:18:55) – Giving away his trophies(00:20:08) – Why did Jakob choose ‘B.I.G.’ 9c and A’lphane’ 9A as projects?(00:24:16) – Teaming up with Adam Ondra and Stefano Ghisolfi(00:26:48) – Learning from Adam’s risky and efficient climbing style(00:36:13) – The quality of ‘B.I.G.’(00:38:13) – Breakdown and logistics of ‘B.I.G.’(00:43:46) – Breaking a hold on his send go of ‘B.I.G.’(00:45:29) – Did live streaming change the experience?(00:48:22) – Will Jakob do more live streams in the future?(00:50:26) – His project schedule on ‘B.I.G.’(00:53:45) – Logistics of traveling to Flatanger(00:56:26) – Is ‘B.I.G.’ the best hard route in the world?(00:59:36) – Plans to return to ‘DNA’ 9c(01:00:00) – What does ‘B.I.G.’ stand for?(01:01:45) – How Jakob prepared for ‘B.I.G.’, and revisiting the route with fresh eyes(01:09:16) – Tweaking beta to send ‘B.I.G.’(01:11:48) – Muscle memory, connecting hard moves, and repeating boulders with different beta(01:14:48) – “Waking up” his fingers for ‘Alphane’(01:17:14) – Analyzing videos of ‘Alphane’(01:18:28) – Speed training(01:20:02) – Recovery(01:21:09) – Failing on ‘Sleepwalker’ V16 (8C+) and what he learned from it(01:25:48) – Greedy(01:27:47) – What he plans to do differently for ‘Sleepwalker’ when he goes back(01:29:30) – Drew Ruana’s story about Jakob, and who Jakob has been the most impressed by(01:35:27) – Wrap up and EXTRA teaser!

Jan 27, 2024 • 1h 9min
SEND ALERT: Jon Cardwell — Establishing ‘Wind Up Bird’ 5.15b, and Uphill Athlete Training
Jon Cardwell is back on to talk about his new route ‘Wind Up Bird’ 5.15b at The Fortress of Solitude in CO, how moving away helped him send, what he learned from failing on ‘Super Crackinette’ in France, how he applied Uphill Athlete principles to his training for sport climbing, plans to go back for the extension, bolting 5.15 projects in New Mexico, and much more!Jon’s Original Episode:EP 50: Jon CardwellReferences:Adam Ondra flashing ‘Super Crackinette’ 9a+EP 169: Scott JohnstonTraining for the Uphill Athlete (book)Nuggets:(00:00:00) – Sending ‘Wind Up Bird’ 5.15b (9b)(00:17:40) – How moving away helped him find success(00:22:21) – Failing to climb ‘Super Crackinette’ 5.15a (9a+), and what he learned from it(00:27:29) – Adam Ondra’s flash of ‘Super Crackinette’(00:30:00) – Drawing inspiration from Scott Johnston, and training for ‘Wind Up Bird’(00:35:53) – Constantly learning(00:40:42) – More about his training(00:45:45) – Falling 50+ times on the same move, and building momentum(00:47:35) – Taking your foot off the gas, maintaining strength, and training plans for the extension(00:54:20) – Exhaustion and motivation(00:56:51) – The complexity of sport climbing(00:58:42) – Is V16 a goal for Jon?(01:01:23) – New 5.15 projects at The Tunnel in NM(01:03:00) – Is anyone trying ‘Wind Up Bird’?(01:05:21) – Will the extension be 5.15c (9b+)?(01:07:12) – Wrap up

Jan 22, 2024 • 2h 44min
EP 202: Tyler Nelson Returns — How to Get Stronger Fingers, Habits to Prevent Injuries, and Why Climbers Shouldn’t Train Like Gymnasts
Dr. Tyler Nelson returns to discuss finger strength and injury prevention in climbing. They cover topics such as warm-up routines, breakfast choices, using mirrored boards, different finger training methods, evaluating training, building capacity, avoiding finger injuries, changing opinions, training routines in Waco, the effectiveness of the campus board, the upcoming PCC summit, physiological changes in climbing, finding balance in finger training, effective training methods, testing and tracking progress, and trying new exercises.

Jan 15, 2024 • 3h 26min
EP 201: James Pearson — The Full Redemption Story, Proposing the Mythical Grade of E12, and Climbing Harder After Kids
Renowned trad climber James Pearson discusses a 15-year-old controversy, proposing the mythical grade of E12, his journey after meeting his wife Caroline, climbing his first 9a, the importance of grading 'Bon Voyage', his fears about becoming a dad, what kids taught him, and more in this entertaining podcast.

Jan 8, 2024 • 1h 54min
EP 200: Brooke Raboutou — An Olympian’s Mindset, Dancing on the Wall, and Competing Against Your Friends
Brooke Raboutou is an Olympian and a V15 boulderer from Colorado. We talked about growing up in a family of world-class climbers, balancing college with training for the Olympics, her mindset for competitions, why she meditates every day, her favorite hype music, working on her confidence, using pressure as fuel, focusing on the bigger picture, competing to win while supporting friends and teammates, how she balances competitions with sending hard boulders, and much more!Become a Patron - 7 Day Free Trial!patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing REGISTER NOW for the PCC!www.performanceclimbingcoach.comUse code "NUGGET" for 10% off Early Bird pricing until Jan 28th!Check out Crimpd!crimpd.comOr download the Crimpd app!Check out PhysiVantage!physivantage.com (link includes 15% off coupon)Use code "NUGGET15" at checkout for 15% off your next order!The Nugget is sponsored by BetterHelp!betterhelp.com/NUGGETUse this link for 10% off your first month!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, Alex Pluta, and Matt WalterShow Notes: thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/brooke-raboutouNuggets:(00:00:00) – Intro(00:01:35) – The first podcast in my cabin, and Brooke’s two-a-day training(00:04:03) – Why college felt so important, and balancing climbing with other interests(00:07:45) – Studying marketing and psychology(00:10:38) – Climbing as a lifetime sport, and pivoting within climbing(00:14:05) – Brooke’s family and upbringing, and balancing college with Olympic training(00:21:34) – Her parents starting ABC climbing, and what it was like having her mom as a coach(00:24:42) – What felt better: winning her first World Cup gold medal, or sending Box Therapy?(00:27:55) – Training for the Olympics, and her hype music for speed climbing(00:32:20) – Brooke’s favorite music(00:37:20) – Wanting to win while supporting your friends and teammates(00:44:17) – The mechanics of qualifying for the Olympics, and Brooke’s mindset for Paris(00:50:09) – How much longer will Brooke focus on competitions?(00:51:20) – Working on her confidence, using pressure as fuel, and focusing on the big picture(00:57:11) – The purpose we get from having a goal, and Brooke’s goal to mix psychology and climbing(01:01:41) – Brooke’s mindset approaching competitions(01:06:34) – Balancing fun and focus, different competitors' mindsets, and channeling good energy(01:10:15) – Meditation and breath(01:18:10) – Using her flexibility as a shorter climber, and growing up in gymnastics at CATS(01:23:52) – Dancing on the wall for her warmup(01:25:46) – How to use more flexibility in your climbing(01:26:45) – How did Brooke become so strong in 3F drag?(01:31:14) – Short pinkies and crooked fingers(01:31:53) – Working with her coach Chris Danielson(01:39:09) – Does Brooke train specifically for outdoor goals?(01:41:19) – How outdoor climbing feeds back into competitions(01:43:54) – More about Brooke’s training(01:46:06) – Why Brooke switched from one-arm hangs to weighted two-arm hangs, and using the hangboard for injury prevention(01:47:51) – Working on jumps and leg power, coordination, and mental game(01:49:08) – Wrap up and EXTRA teaser!

31 snips
Dec 18, 2023 • 3h 2min
EP 199: Will Anglin & Matt Jones — A Masterclass in How to Progress Your Climbing
Will Anglin and Matt Jones provide clear and in-depth guidance for climbers at all levels. They discuss topics such as the four stages of competence in climbing, off-wall interventions for beginners, building strength and skill, analyzing falls and learning from mistakes, attention to detail, proper skin care, strength training, movement progressions, and the growth and development of climbers. This episode is a gold mine for anyone looking to progress their climbing skills.