The Nugget Climbing Podcast - podcast cover

The Nugget Climbing Podcast

Steven Dimmittthenuggetclimbing.com
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

Episodes

EP 188: Joey Jannsen & Rich Breuner — Underground Hip-Hop, Cage Fighting, and Hustling ‘Til You Make It

Joey Jannsen and Rich Breuner are the founders of Ocelot Grips . We talked about their “why” for starting a climbing hold company, why the small details matter, how to make dual tex, why you can’t buy their holds online, building relationships with your customers, being fans of sports, the future of indoor climbing, the entrepreneurial spirit, producing underground hip-hop concerts, cage fighting, and much more! Check out Ocelot Grips! ocelotgrips.com *Not a paid endorsement, I just think they'r...

Oct 02, 20232 hr 4 min

EP 187: Stefanie Myr — Miniature Carpentry, Becoming Polyamorous, and Finding “Church” at the Gym

Stefanie Myr is the head route setter, manager, and team coach at Climb Tacoma in WA. We met up in Leavenworth and talked about our similar upbringings in Christianity, why we both moved away from religion, finding “church” in the climbing community, confidence and self-belief, unique challenges as a short climber, being less certain and more curious, Stef’s polyamorous relationship with her husband and partner, compersion, honest communication, doing what you can to make the world a little bett...

Sep 26, 20233 hr 55 min

Four Women Have Climbed V15

In this short episode, I correct a mistake from my latest episode with Katie Lamb and talk about the four women who have climbed V15. Thanks to Katharina for bringing this to my attention, and all the respect and admiration to Ashima Shiraishi, Kaddi Lehmann, Mishka Ishi, and Oriane Bertone. You are legends!

Sep 23, 20233 min

Follow-Up: Katie Lamb — Box Therapy V16, and the Willingness to Persist (Teaser)

This full episode is available for Patrons right now! Katie Lamb is back on to talk about her groundbreaking ascent of Box Therapy V16. In case you’ve been living under a rock (or haven’t been) Katie recently sent the hardest boulder of her life and became the first woman to send a V16. We go in-depth into her projecting processes, why she picked Box Therapy as a project, her greatest challenges, why she only tried the boulder once per week, her personal key to sending hard boulders, joy vs. exc...

Sep 22, 202349 min

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 commerc...

Sep 18, 20232 hr 29 min

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 ...

Sep 12, 20232 hr 22 min

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,...

Sep 04, 20233 hr 2 min

EP 183: Jenn DeBellis — Chasing Dream Boulders, Turning Small Wins Into Big Wins, and Sustaining a Full-Time Job on the Road

Jenn DeBellis is an elite-level boulderer and software engineer. We sat down in Rocklands and talked about her biggest lessons from childhood gymnastics and collegiate athletics, trying V13s in Magic Wood and Rocklands, getting comfortable with failure, learning to embrace her style, her elaborate warmup routine, how she plans her 6-week training cycles, her role with KAYA , tips for sustaining a full-time job on the road, and much more! Check out The Nugget on YouTube: youtube.com/@thenuggetcli...

Aug 28, 20232 hr 23 min

EP 182: Carlos Tkacz & Steph Letourneau — Lessons From 7 Trips to Rocklands, Being Good at Being Consistent, and Writing Novels

Carlos Tkacz returns and is joined by his partner Steph Letourneau for a sitdown here in Rocklands. We talked about their diet habits, lessons from their 7 trips to Rocklands, learning to try harder, comparison games, respecting the difficulty of climbing, being good at being consistent, balancing your carbon footprint, making the most of a climbing trip to South Africa, writing novels, and much more! Check out AG1! drinkAG1.com/NUGGET Use this link to get a free year's supply of vitamin D + 5 t...

Aug 21, 20233 hr 6 min

EP 181: Charlie Schreiber, Adam Shahar, Noah & Benn Wheeler — Accidentally Flashing V13, Board Training, and Ultimate Dream Sends

It’s another Northeast takeover in Rocklands! Charlie Schreiber returns to the podcast and is joined by Adam Shahar , and brothers Noah and Benn Wheeler . Ethan Pringle joins us and keeps the fire stoked for this unhinged six-person podcast. The lads gave us the tick list from their first ten days in Rocklands, and we geeked out about board training, favorite FAs, and ultimate dream boulders and routes. Tune in for a dose of fun and inspiration with these young crushers! Check out The Nugget on ...

Aug 14, 20233 hr 36 min

EP 180: Troy Fauteux, Austin Hoyt, & Bryce Viola — Times We Almost Died, Toe Hook Training, and Laughs and Sends in Rocklands

It’s a Northeast takeover here in Rocklands! Austin Hoyt returns to the podcast and is joined by Troy Fauteux and Bryce Viola . The boys sat down with me and Ethan Pringle for a fireside chat at our cabin. These guys are all total crushers and most importantly, they have a lot of fun. Join us for a crackling good time! Huge thank you to Liam Andrews-Bancroft for the incredible music at the end of this episode. Troy's Video: Pawtuckaway Bouldering - Warrior V3 Check out Crimpd! crimpd.com Or down...

Aug 07, 20232 hr 10 min

EP 179: Cat Runner — Life After Winning The Climb, Embracing Trans Pride, and Sending Big at 5’0”

Cat Runner is the winner of the HBO show The Climb . Cat sat down with me and Ethan Pringle at our cabin here in Rocklands to talk about what his life has looked like after The Climb, his experience filming the show, the stereotypical trans narrative in the media, why he chooses to be visible, his ungendered childhood, gender roles in sports, why people feel threatened by trans or queer identities, dealing with trolls, owning your accomplishments, building the Queer Climber’s Network , Rocklands...

Jul 31, 20233 hr 53 min

Follow-Up: Ollie Torr — How to Improve Your Critical Force, Training Endurance at Home, and Listener Q&A (Teaser)

This full episode is available for Patrons right now! Ollie Torr returns to answer questions from Patrons! If you enjoyed my first episode with Ollie, don’t miss this Follow-Up. We discussed critical force and how to measure and improve it, tips for training endurance at home, training for overhangs with limited resources, the power of expectations, balancing multiple sports, BMI and performance, identifying weaknesses, and much more! Become a Patron to get access to the full episode! And suppor...

Jul 27, 202338 min

EP 178: Ethan Pringle Returns — Two Things He Does Every Day, Taking Your Time, and Honoring His Dad

Ethan Pringle is back on the podcast! We talked about our first few weeks in Rocklands, the style of climbing here, his plans to try Monkey Wedding 8C, nemesis boulders, micromanaging holds, two habits that Ethan does every day, taking your time while executing hard moves, adjusting on holds, and Ethan talked about his dad’s life after his stroke, his final weeks, and his passing on November 6, 2022. Check out The Nugget on YouTube: youtube.com/@thenuggetclimbing Check out AG1! drinkAG1.com/NUGG...

Jul 24, 20232 hr 27 min

EP 177: Tiba Vroom — Confronting Fear of Failure, Being the 8, and Taking Responsibility for Your Life

Tiba Vroom is a Dutch professional climber and cofounder of Wildflower Climbing Gym . We talked about the pressure that comes with early success, her first trip to Magic Wood and sending Riverbed 8B, confronting fear of failure, separating self-worth from performance, being the 8, starting a non-profit gym in the Netherlands, taking responsibility for your life, dream climbs in Fontainebleau, and more! Check out The Nugget on YouTube: youtube.com/@thenuggetclimbing Check out Crimpd! crimpd.com O...

Jul 17, 20232 hr 38 min

Follow-Up: Dave MacLeod — Lessons From Recent Diet Experiments, the 9a+ Goal, and Getting Stronger After Age 40 (Teaser)

This full episode is available for Patrons right now! Dave MacLeod is back on the podcast! We talked about lessons from his latest diet experiments, his motivation for only eating Mcdonald's patties for two months, the effects that nutrition has on mental health, common nutrient deficiencies, LDL cholesterol and cardiovascular risk, his favorite tea, what he learned from doing the Lattice Assessment with Ollie Torr, his goal to climb 9a+ sport, why he no longer travels abroad, setting finger str...

Jul 15, 202356 min

EP 176: Eric Hörst Returns — Top 7 Most Common Training Mistakes

Eric Hörst is back on the podcast! We talked about his upcoming road trip, fitting in training around work, sending Kaleidoscope 5.13c at age 59, motivation as the ultimate wildcard, autoregulation and tracking how you feel, what to do when you have a bad training day, and the top 7 most common training mistakes climbers make. Listen to Eric’s original two-part episode: EP 71: Eric Hörst (Part 1) EP 72: Eric Hörst (Part 2) Check out The Nugget on YouTube: youtube.com/@thenuggetclimbing The Nugge...

Jul 10, 20232 hr 56 min

EP 175: Ady Wright — The Pressure of Opportunity, Acts of Rebellion, and Eating Oreos for Breakfast

Ady Wright is a climbing instructor and routesetter based in New York. We met up in Red Rock and recorded a nice long chat in the van, covering her introduction to climbing and routesetting, why she pivoted from veterinary science, being raised by a cautious father, analyzing risk, the benefits of meal prepping, losing her grandmother to cancer, the pressure that comes with opportunity, the rebellious act of existing, and much more! Check out The Nugget on YouTube: youtube.com/@thenuggetclimbing...

Jul 05, 20233 hr 41 min

EP 174: Bernd Zangerl — Developing World-Class Bouldering in the Himalayas, Entering the Easiness, and the Power of the Mind

Bernd Zangerl a bouldering legend from Austria. We talked about his early climbing and making the 2nd ascent of Dreamtime, some of his proudest FAs, how he recovered from a career-ending injury in 2016, his mindset for highballs, meditation and the power of the mind, believing in love, our impact as climbers, sustainability, and discovering world-class bouldering in the Himalayas. Check out The Nugget on YouTube: youtube.com/@thenuggetclimbing Check out Crimpd! crimpd.com Or download the Crimpd ...

Jun 26, 20233 hr 31 min

Follow-Up: Hazel Findlay — Top 3 Performance Hacks (Teaser)

This full episode is available for Patrons right now! Hazel Findlay is back on the podcast to talk about her new course, Performance Hacks. We talk about her top 3 performance hacks, the goal of the course, and Patrons can get a 10% discount code and hear Hazel share some recommendations for me as I try to send my project here in Switzerland. Join the Early-Bird Waitlist for Performance Hacks: go.strongmindclimbing.com/early-bird Become a Patron to get access to the full episode! And support the...

Jun 19, 202351 min

EP 173: Louis Parkinson — How to Break Down Dynamic Movements, the Benefits of Indoor Climbing, and Cultivating Confidence

Louis Parkinson is a London-based climber and coach and is one of the best in the world at teaching dynamic movement. We talked about the benefits of indoor climbing, how practicing comp-style boulders can help your rock climbing, sending his first 8B in Magic Wood, timing your breathing with hard moves, skill drills for experienced climbers, how to break down dynamic movements, cultivating confidence, and much more! Apply for a job at Easy Expense! Click Here to Apply Learn more: easy-expense.c...

Jun 12, 20232 hr 10 min

EP 172: Brittany Leavitt — Seeking Change in Climbing, Unmasking, and Top Lessons From Teaching Kids

Brittany Leavitt is a climber, backpacker, educator, and the co-founder and CEO of Brown Girls Climb (BGC) . We talked about Brittany’s climbing origin story, her unique family upbringing, unmasking and educating about race, teaching kids at the Smithsonian, the mission of BGC, creating more accessible spaces, lessons from her first road trip, using TikTok to stay informed, climbing goals, inspiration, and much more. Check out The Nugget on YouTube: youtube.com/@thenuggetclimbing Check out Athle...

Jun 05, 20232 hr 13 min

EP 171: Leo Houlding — A Life of Adventure, Climbing Big Walls With Kids, and Epic Stories From El Cap

Leo Houlding is one of the greatest adventure climbers of all time. He’s put up new free routes worldwide from the Amazon Rainforest to the remote regions of Antarctica. We talked about his upcoming trip to Baffin Island, his childhood in the UK, using the fix-and-follow system to climb 2000’ big walls with his kids, epic stories from his El Cap days, what he learned from his worst injury, and much more! Check out The Nugget on YouTube: youtube.com/@thenuggetclimbing Check out PhysiVantage! phys...

May 29, 20233 hr 30 min

BONUS: Ron Kauk — Spiritual Revolution for Evolution

An interesting conversation with Ron Kauk. Enjoy :) Donate to Sacred Rok: sacredrok.org Support the Nugget and Sacred Rok: patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing Ron's Other Episodes: EP 69: Ron Kauk (May 17, 2021) Follow-Up: Ron Kauk (Jul 29, 2021)...

May 25, 20231 hr 18 min

EP 170: Karly Rager & Casey Elliott — What the Data Says About Weight, Height, and Ape Index, and Which Metrics Matter for Climbing Performance

Karly Rager is back on the podcast and is joined by Casey Elliott to talk about the factors that affect climbing performance. We’ve got three engineers in one podcast, and we geek out on the data! Do things like weight, height, and ape index affect how hard you can climb? Is max finger strength more important than days spent climbing outside? Listen to find out! Check out The Nugget on YouTube: youtube.com/@thenuggetclimbing The Nugget is brought to you by BetterHelp! betterhelp.com/NUGGET Use t...

May 22, 20232 hr 59 min

Follow-Up: Steve Bechtel — Active Recovery: Everything You Need to Know (Teaser)

This full episode is available for Patrons right now! Steve Bechtel is back on the podcast for a deep dive into active recovery. We discuss what the research says about active vs. passive recovery, what methods work best, why it’s better than sitting on the couch on your rest days, and we also tackle the practical side of things and discuss realistic options for active recovery between burns at the crag, how to have active rest days without doing too much, what deload weeks should look like, and...

May 18, 202334 min

EP 169: Scott Johnston — A Masterclass in Training Principles, and Why Boulderers Should Train Their Aerobic System

Scott Johnston is a world-class coach who specializes in mountain endurance sports. This episode is a masterclass in training principles and is packed full of nuggets for climbers, including boulderers. We talked about why it’s a mistake to mimic top athletes, tips for balancing climbing with other sports, capacity vs. utilization, why to back off after a personal best, developing layers of endurance, the flaw with HRV, how to test your recovery before training, how to fail successfully, the fut...

May 15, 20233 hr 5 min

EP 168: Don McGrath — Rewriting Unhelpful Scripts, How to Tackle Fear of Falling, and Playing as We Age

Don McGrath is the author of Vertical Mind and an expert on mental training for climbing. We talked about the two simple diet changes he made to get back in shape in his 60s, our untapped potential in mental training, debunking and rewriting unhelpful scripts, how to tackle fear of falling and fear of failure, pre-climb rituals, how to use your climbing partner as a coach, how to stay in love with climbing as we age, duct tape and baling wire, embracing the suck, and much more! Check out The Nug...

May 08, 20232 hr 12 min

Climbing Gold — Hot Henry

Have you listened to Climbing Gold ?! The new season is here! Check out the first episode of the new season, and subscribe to Climbing Gold on your favorite podcast app for more great climbing stories. Enjoy :) In the 1970’s, no flame burned brighter than Hot Henry Barber. Often heralded as the first traveling climber, Henry redefined standards for free climbing and free soloing not just the US, but every country he visited. Along the way, he shattered egos before learning to check his own. Chec...

May 04, 202342 min

EP 167: Alex Honnold — Epic Solos That Nobody Heard About, Near Misses, and Sh*tting His Pants While Free Soloing

Alex Honnold is on the podcast! Who? The guy that free handed Yellowstone? Close enough. Seriously though, this was such a great interview. We talked about his two most epic solos that nobody heard about, near misses, lessons from other climbing legends like Tommy Caldwell, Jonathan Siegrist, and Peter Croft, pooping while free soloing stories, how the film Free Solo exceeded his hopes and dreams, the commitment to excellence, and much more! The Nugget is on YouTube! youtube.com/@thenuggetclimbi...

May 01, 20232 hr 45 min