Episodes
-
EP 308: Dr. Matt Slavin (Clinical Psychologist) — The Limits We Invent for Ourselves, Why We Self-Sabotage, & How to Break Through to the Next Level
Dr. Matt Slavin is a clinical psychologist and climber. We discussed why we invent limits for ourselves, what to do when you feel stuck, our predictive brains, how to overcome limiting beliefs, why we self-sabotage, how to find your purpose in life, and much more. You can learn more about Matt at...
-
EP 307: Steven on The Climbing Majority — What I've Learned After 300 Conversations With the World's Best Climbers
New interview featuring Steven on The Climbing Majority podcast. I really enjoyed this chat with Kyle Broxterman. We talked about what I’ve learned from over 300 interviews with top climbers, the root of why I climb, my pivot to coaching, podcasting in 2026, and more. Kyle asked insightful...
-
EP 306: George Lowe — Getting Too Close to the Edge, His “Magnificent Failure”, and Climbing at Age 82
George Lowe is a Colorado-based climber and alpinist who was awarded the 2026 Lifetime Achievement Award by the Access Fund. We talked about his early life, what keeps him returning to the mountains at age 82, how his physics career paralleled his climbing, getting too close to the edge on the...
-
EP 305: Dr. Mohammad Ashori — The 5 Things That Will Keep You Climbing for Decades
Dr. Mohammad Ashori is a board-certified family medicine physician, health coach, and rock climber. We talked about the importance of putting on muscle, how much rest we need between training sessions, nutrition and metabolic health, zone 2 cardio, key metrics and blood markers to track…
more -
EP 304: Justen Sjong Returns — Unique Challenges for Tall & Short Climbers (And What Actually Helps)
Justen Sjong (The Climbing Sensei) returns to the podcast to discuss the unique challenges of being tall or short in climbing. We talk about the disadvantages tall climbers face, how injury risk and training volume change with size, mindset shifts for both tall and short climbers, why climbing is...
-
EP 303: Adam Ondra Returns — How He Prepares to Flash V15, and Why the Best Sport Climbers Are Also the Best Boulderers
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…
more -
EP 302: Aaron Shamy — The Epic Comeback: Sending 5.14c After a 15-Year Hiatus
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,...
-
EP 301: Matt Samet — Escaping Benzo Addiction, Rifle in the Early ‘90s, and Embracing the Moonboard in His 40s
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...
-
EP 300: Jeff Patterson — What Climbers Can Learn from Martial Arts (and How 20 Minutes of Meditation Could Change Your Life)
Jeff Patterson is a martial arts instructor with black belt equivalency in 6x different martial arts, including Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Muay Thai, and Tai Chi. We talked about how practicing the meditative arts helped his boxing, how 20 minutes of meditation per day for 1 year can permanently change...
-
EP 299: Herm Feissner — A Unique Training Philosophy at Age 53, Understanding Hard Moves, and Balancing an Engineering Career with Travel & Climbing
Herm Feissner is a lifer climber based in Fort Collins, CO. We talked about doing the FA of The Practitioner V11 in Leavenworth, WA, in the early 2000s, his training philosophy at 53 years old, how his relationship with climbing has improved, balancing an engineering career with traveling and...
-
EP 298: Sonnie Trotter — Gunning for 5.15, How He Trained as a Teen, and Stamina vs. Strength
Sonnie Trotter is a Canadian professional rock climber and one of the most accomplished and respected climbers of his generation. We talked about his goal to climb 5.15, my impression of meeting him at Smith Rock, our parallel family histories, treating life as a game, how the Cobra Crack changed...
-
EP 297: Peter Mortimer (filmmaker) — Dean Potter’s Rivalry with Alex Honnold, His Inner Demons, and The Dark Wizard
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...
-
EP 296: Dave Thompson — Early FAs in Leavenworth, Applying Your Strength on the Wall, and Personal Agency
Dave Thompson is a 5.14 and V14 first ascentionist, alpinist, and coach for Evoke Endurance. We talked about his early climbing in the North Cascade mountains of Washington State, doing the first ascent of some of the best hard boulders in Leavenworth (Beautification, God is in the Details, The...
-
EP 295: Sam Watson — The Fastest Climber in the World on His Routines, Mental Process, & the Olympics
Sam Watson is the current world record holder in speed climbing (4.64 seconds) and an Olympic Bronze medalist. We talked about breaking the world record in Paris, how he makes a living, building a social media following in China, the future potential of speed climbing, recovery routines and…
more -
EP 294: Melissa Strong — Dying and Coming Back to Life, Having Her Arms Sewn Together, and Returning to Climbing with 7 ¾ Fingers
Melissa Strong is a boulderer and restaurateur based in Estes Park, CO, who nearly lost her life in an electrocution accident in April 2017. We talked about her accident, what she experienced on the other side of the veil, having her arms sewn together, what climbing was like before and after the...
-
EP 293: Joel Unema — Unlocking V14 Finger Strength, the Key to Long Roof Boulders, and a Better Way to Train Power Endurance
Joel Unema is a high-performance rock climber and coach for Climb Strong, and has climbed V14 and 5.14b. We talked about how Tyler Nelson helped him unlock V14 finger strength, how Steve Bechtel helped him send a 20+ move roof boulder, how to optimize your power endurance for a sport climbing…
more -
EP 292: Tom Randall — How to Program Your Training Like a Pro (Repost from Patreon)
Today, I am resharing one of the most valuable episodes I have ever recorded. This episode with Tom Randall was originally aired on Patreon in Feb, 2022. We talked about how to use your friends to discover your strengths and weaknesses, how to work backward from goals, how long it takes to make...
-
EP 291: Charlie Boscoe — Pro Climbing League: Comps Are About to Change Forever
Charlie Boscoe is a former IFSC commentator, writer, and co-founder of the Pro Climbing League, a bold new head-to-head bouldering series debuting on February 28. We talked about his first experience in the outdoors, why Janja Garnbret and Adam Ondra are the G.O.A.T.s, and why climbing…
more -
EP 290: Chris Schulte — Developing Your Own Style, Age-Proof Motivation, and Redefining Progress Beyond Grades
Chris Schulte is an elite boulderer known for bold first ascents, compression mastery, and a thoughtful approach that prioritizes style over grades. We talked about his evolution as a climber, developing his own style, how Fred Nicole inspired him, redefining progress with age, tips for…
more -
EP 289: Christian Beckwith — The 10th Mountain Division, WW2 Guerrilla Warfare Stories, and the Birth of Modern Climbing Gear
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...
-
EP 288: Carol Simpson Returns — Life After 80 Years Old, Longevity Routines, and Training for a World Record
Carol Simpson returns to the podcast to talk about life after 80 years old, and everything she does to stay healthy and climb hard. We talked about making the move to Salt Lake, discovering Dr. Peter Attia, her health routines, training for a world record in grip strength, balance training,...
-
EP 287: Domen Škofic — The Red Bull Plane Project, Rediscovering Passion in Flatanger, and Trying Silence 9c
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...
-
EP 286: Steve Moss — Why Discomfort Fuels Breakthroughs, Double V12 Days at Age 40, and 455 V-Points in 24 Hours
Steve Moss is a high-level boulderer and the co-founder of a brewery and pizzeria in Spokane, WA. We talked about finding climbing at age 24, his breakthrough season climbing three V12s in less than two weeks at age 40, why discomfort helps us grow, his training routine for the past year…
more -
EP 285: Tyler Stableford — Finding More Joy in Climbing, Breaking Plateaus, and Inputs Over Outcomes
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…
more -
EP 284: Four PTs — The Case for Taking a Break, Heel Hooking Injuries, & Off-the-Wall Strength Training
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…
more -
NEW LAUNCH: The Nugget Training App is Live
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
-
EP 283: Adrian Ballinger — The Mental and Physical Grind of High-Altitude Climbing, and Lessons for Every Climber
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…
more -
EP 282: Kerwin Loukusa — 4 Keys to Unlocking V13, Forecasting Perfect Conditions, & Embracing Beginner's Mind for Projects
Kerwin Loukusa lives in Leavenworth, WA, and sent his first V12 and V13 last year while juggling a full-time job, wife, and two young kids. We talked about how he improved his flexibility to send the Freerider in Yosemite, bouldering after having kids, home wall training, the key to building...
-
Something Different | Robb Wolf — Vitamin D, Zone 2 Cardio Hacks, Strength & Conditioning Timing, & Never Giving Up On Your Health
Robb Wolf is a 2x NYT Best-Selling Author (The Paleo Solution, Wired to Eat) and a leading voice in health, fitness, and nutrition. In this short segment, we cover the benefits of Vitamin D and Zone 2 cardio, how to optimize your strength training, Robb’s recent health struggles, and why you…
more -
EP 281: Eryn Phelps — Healing Anxiety & Trauma, Navigating Time Scarcity, & Getting Clear on What You Want
Eryn Phelps is a licensed trauma counselor who specializes in helping outdoor athletes with anxiety, OCD, and PTSD. We talked about how EMDR helped cancer survivor and podcast guest Sol Wertkin, how to navigate time scarcity and get clear on what you want, overwhelm and panic attacks, grief and...
-
Follow-Up: Alex Bridgewater — 3 Sports Psychology Skills That Will Transform Your Climbing
Alex Bridgewater (M.S. in Sports Psychology) is back again to share three new sports psychology skills that have the potential to change your climbing forever. We covered how to practice these skills in your day-to-day life, as well as how to put them into practice in your climbing, and much…
more -
EP 280: Stevie Hochbaum — Sending Germany’s First V16, The Toll of Obsessive Projecting, and Transformation Through Climbing
Stevie Hochbaum is an elite boulderer who established the first V16, Obsidian, in Germany. We talked about nearly losing his finger to an infection, how he became obsessed with the project, what it feels like to spend 50+ sessions on a boulder, supportive friends, learning patience, training on…
more -
Something Different | Can Soil Save the World? Climate, Health, and Big Ag with Rebecca Tickell (Filmmaker, Kiss the Ground)
Rebecca Tickell is an award-winning filmmaker, author, environmental activist, and regenerative farmer. We talked about the journey that led to her films Kiss the Ground and Common Ground, the history of our soil and pesticides, why conventional farming is a cycle of degredation, the corruption…
more -
EP 279: Andy Raether — Bringing Routes to Life, How to Be Stronger at 40 than 20, & the Woods Board
Andy Raether is a prolific sport climber, boulderer, and developer based in Las Vegas, NV. He also owns a climbing hold company and created the Woods Board. We talked about his intro to climbing and making holds, bringing routes and crags to life, sending his hardest boulder (Midlife Crisis V14)…
more -
EP 278: Jeremy Kiner (Patron Spotlight) — The GRINDS Program, Embracing Double Rest Days, & Regenerative Farming
Jeremy Kiner is a Kentucky-based boulderer and sport climber. We talked about his journey to V10 and 5.13b, how he uses a board circuit as a training benchmark, his experience with the GRINDS finger training program, embracing double rest days, his diet and dealing with autoimmune issues, what he...
-
EP 277: Michelle LeBlanc — Project Pride 2025, the Political Pendulum Swing, and Meeting in the Middle
Michelle LeBlanc returns to the podcast to talk about her annual Project Pride event in Squamish, B.C. (August 29-30, 2025). She shared her personal story and why she started Project Pride, and we talked about cultural and political pendulum swings, sensationalism in the media, and what to expect...
-
EP 276: Alex Bridgewater — Sports Psychology Tools to Elevate Your Climbing Performance
Alex Bridgewater (M.S. in Sports Psychology) returns to the podcast to discuss tools that can help elevate your climbing performance. We talked about finding your values, the dark side of expectations, a framework for working toward goals, how to develop confidence, building awareness, whether...
-
Something Different | Jake Muise (CEO & Founder of Maui Nui Venison) — Sustainable Food for Peak Performance
What if you could eat the healthiest meat on the planet while helping the environment? Jake Muise is the CEO and founder of Maui Nui Venison, and joins me to talk about sustainable food and the future of nutrient density. We talked about the overpopulation of Axis deer in Hawaii, the cyclical...
-
EP 275: Yuji Hirayama — Japanese Focus, Improving Every Day, and the Secret to Staying Young
Yuji Hirayama is a Japanese professional climber and a living legend. We talked about visualizing his onsight attempt on The Salathe, channeling support into power, Daniel Woods, Mount Kinabalu, Japanese vs. Western culture, quitting school to climb, owning climbing gyms, how to stay 9a fit in…
more -
Something Different | Eric Edmeades — Unlocking Resilience Through Ancestral Living
Eric Edmeades is often referred to as the “Indiana Jones” of the professional speaking world. He has been traveling to Africa to visit the Hadza, one of the last remaining hunter-gatherer groups, since 2007. We talked about rites of passage, how ancestral living solved his health issues, lessons...
-
EP 274: Seneida Biendarra — Onsighting Without Sight, Designing Better Gear, and Wielding the Empathy Gun
Seneida Biendarra is the 2023 US National Champion in the women’s B2 (severely blind) category. We talked about losing her vision as a teenager, her current visual experience, creating mental maps of the world, finding freedom in risk, designing outdoor gear, the world of paraclimbing and the...
-
EP 273: Brendan Baars — Developing ‘The Nooks’, How His Big Toe Saved His Life, & Choosing Adventure Over Grades
Brendan Baars is a boulderer from Grand Rapids, MI, who has spent the past seven years developing a new bouldering area called The Nooks in Ontario, Canada. We talked about what a day of developing looks like, his go-to gear, how his big toe saved his life, the untapped potential in Canada, the...
-
EP 272: To Send Hard Boulders Outside… Go Try Them A Lot — Steven Bergey (Patron Spotlight)
Steven Bergey started climbing at 31 and climbed his first V11 outside within four years. We talked about his projecting approach, the “outdoor gear”, suspending your disbelief until the magic happens, his diet and sleep routines, tips for climbing at night, the pivotal moments that change our...
-
Something Different | Justin Nault — The Pitfalls of Nutrition Research, the Intersection of Health & Performance, & the Journey of Self-Love
Justin Nault is a nutritional therapist who has helped thousands of clients escape our broken healthcare system and reclaim their health. We talked about his previous life as a professional musician and his own health journey, as well as the origins of allopathic medicine, seed oils and the...
-
EP 271: Facundo Langbehn — The WHY Behind Hard Climbing, the Goal of Intention, & His Approach to Improving
Facundo Langbehn is a Chilean-American boulderer and sport climber. We talked about sending his dream project The Nest V15, moving to Seattle, the WHY behind hard climbing, becoming the best version of yourself, his ideal training week, recovery tips, cardio, his optimistic view of climbing…
more -
Follow-Up: Tony Yaniro & Randy Leavitt — Learning to Leavittate, the Equinox Photo, Near Death Experiences, & More
Old friends and climbing partners Tony Yaniro and Randy Leavitt join me for a nice, long listener Q&A and chat. This one was a blast. You can listen to the full thing by becoming a paid subscriber on Apple Podcasts or Patreon: patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing
-
EP 270: Bob Wells — The Ultimate Vanlife Guide: How to Live Cheap, Comfortable, and Free on the Road
Bob Wells (CheapRVLiving) is the ultimate vanlife guru. Bob has been living in vehicles full-time since 2008 and has helped thousands of others escape the 9-5 grind through his YouTube Channel and website. We talked about his life before the road, the vehicles he’s lived in, the best budget…
more -
EP 269: The King of the Board Lords on Projecting Tactics, Protein, & Climbing 4 Hours Every Day — Sean Houchins-McCallum (sean911)
Sean Houchins-McCallum is the top-ranked climber on the Tension Board 2. We talked about growing up in Iowa, his obsession with board climbing, his insane training schedule, his ultimate board project, why we haven’t seen V15+ on the boards, projecting tactics, how changing his diet allowed him…
more -
EP 268: Tess Driessens — Tools for Chronic Pain, Learning to Move Effortlessly, & Three Sentences That Will Change Your Life
Tess Driessens is a professional climbing coach and lives with chronic pain. We talked about getting diagnosed with five herniated discs from a cliff jumping accident, tools for chronic pain, why hope can be negative, finding true acceptance, meditation, Alexander Technique and Feldenkrais…
more -
EP 267: Keith Baar & Natalie Gilmore — The Secret to Strong & Healthy Fingers, & Exciting New Science
Dr. Keith Baar is a leading expert in tendon and ligament engineering and repair. Natalie Gilmore is a PhD student focused on climbing-specific research. We talked about the results of their recent retrospective study, exciting new science, why “Abrahangs” improve force transfer, why…
more
About this show
Welcome to a podcast about performance climbing, self-improvement, and being a human being.5M+ downloads."One of the best long-form interview podcasts in the outdoor space." - Climbing Magazine
Hosted by
Steven Dimmitt
Categories