climbing podcast

Will Bosi is back to talk about sending ‘Return of the Sleepwalker, his third V17/9A! We talked about surprising himself by sending the stand start in three sessions, why ROTS suited his style better than he expected, how he trained during the bad weather breaks, his process, how he felt on the send, how ROTS stacks up against his other hardest boulders, plans to try Megatron V17 and return to Terranova V16 and Excalibur 5.15c, what he plans to try next, and more!

Will’s Original Episode:

EP 166: Will Bosi

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.org

Kai’s Original Episode:

EP 55: Kai Lightner

Nuggets:

(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

Warning: this episode contains graphic descriptions of violence that might not be suitable for all audiences, especially children. If you're not in a space to listen to this content, please consider saving this episode for another time.

On May 28th of 2018, Chad O’Melia was brutally stabbed to death in his own home by his girlfriend Bryn Spejcher after they had smoked marijuana together. The state-appointed forensic psychologist on the case, Kris Mohandie, wrote in a 37-page report that Spejcher appeared “possessed” and proceeded to repeatedly stab herself and her own dog despite being tasered multiple times. It wasn’t until the ninth blow from a police officer’s steel baton that the police were able to stop her.. She was arrested on scene and released on bail shortly afterward.

Now I am sure you all have seen the social media posts, and news articles that have recently come out…but if you haven’t… last Tuesday after almost 6 years …. the court finally sentenced Spejcher… to two years of probation and 100 hours of community service ... .for stabbing a man to 108 times... The court's argument here was that after smoking marijuana, Spejcher entered a state of acute marijuana induced psychosis, and therefore had no control over her actions that night. 

Today we revisit this tragic incident through the eyes of our previous guest Mike Tagg, rock climber and O’Melia’s roommate.. Mike was in the house that night, and we are resharing his personal account of what happened.

As you listen to this episode, we invite you to reflect…Do you feel that a person in a state of psychosis should be held accountable for their actions? 

Do you feel…as stated by Chad’s father that “the court just gave everyone in the state of California who smokes marijuana a license to kill”.

Lastly, Mike shares how his relationship with the sport of climbing allowed him to process the trauma and rebuild a sense of control over his own safety.

Please rate, review the show, and share this podcast with your friends. Word of mouth is one of the most powerful tools to help us out.

Contact us:
IG: @the.climbing.majority
Email: theclimbingmajoritypodcast@gmail.com

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 Cardwell

References:

Adam Ondra flashing ‘Super Crackinette’ 9a+

EP 169: Scott Johnston

Training 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

Welcome to the last episode of 2023. Thank you so much for being a part of our growing community…It means a lot to Kyle and I that you are here.  As climbers we've all seen videos and media depicting near impossible feats of physicality. You've probably seen these videos and thought “I could never accomplish something so hard”. But are these limitations we put on ourselves real? While our guest today is not a part of the Majority….. she once was. As a young spirited climber she never believed she could accomplish climbing 5.12. Fast forward to the present day, Mary Eden is one of the most accomplished crack climbers in the word. She recently just sent Necronomicon 5.14a and Black Mamba 5.14b on gear… These kinds of feats leave me simply speechless and in awe.  But what stood out most in our conversation was not how amazingly accomplished of a climber Mary is. It was her empowering message that we all can break through the arbitrary limitations we put on ourselves to achieve great things we once thought impossible. I'll leave you with a quote from Mary.

"I know that Necronomicon is not the peak of my physical or mental potential even though it was a beautiful dream. My advice for others is to pour energy into the people and activities that bring you joy as much as you can. Build yourself a genuine community and support system. Set your goals, and work towards them with intention, while enjoying the scenery along the way. And remember that at the end of the day it is just rock climbing, and you should be having fun." -Mary Eden

Please rate, review the show, and share this podcast with your friends. Word of mouth is one of the most powerful tools to help us out.

Contact us:
IG: @the.climbing.majority
Email: theclimbingmajoritypodcast@gmail.com

Resources:

Mary's IG

Mary's Youtube

Teamwork…Communication…and Trust…are all paramount characteristics of a successful climbing partnership. And our safety is based around our own humility, proficiency, and confidence in the mountains…. The perfect balance of all these attributes is a complicated equilibrium to achieve. Today’s story is about what can happen when these pillars start to fall apart. When the ego takes over confidence….and when communication fails to keep everyone on the same page. That is when you find yourself in over your head, unable to retreat, and unable to move forward…at 14000 ft. 

Today we sit down with Ethan Morris and Evan Geller. Two climbers from San Diego that found themselves rescuing the very people they were trying to distance themselves from on the East Buttress of Mt. Whitney. A 1000ft route up the tallest mountain in the lower 48. They had no idea they were about to embark on a 48 hr epic involving runouts, loose rocks, panic, and risk of hypothermia……all with no previous alpine experience.   

Please rate, review the show, and share this podcast with your friends. Word of mouth is one of the most powerful tools to help us out.

Contact us:
IG: @the.climbing.majority
Email: theclimbingmajoritypodcast@gmail.com

The Mountains test us, and shape us. We cannot lower the mountains. So we must elevate ourselves to their level. We should strive to choose goals in life that will challenge us, test us and that we think are impossible. Only through aiming at the highest peaks we can possibly envision will we truly transcend the suffering of the world to find meaning and purpose. For some this may be being a good life partner, having kids and enjoying the outdoors. For others it may mean climbing the wildest and gnarliest lines possible.

Our guest today at the age of 23 has managed to complete a lifetime of climbing accomplishments and he's just getting started. Nathan Longhurst is an endurance athlete and climber. In our conversation we discuss how he climbed the infamous Bulger's List at the age of 21. This consists of climbing Washington’s 100 highest peaks. As crazy as that is, it pales in comparison to his journey climbing the Sierra Peak Section (SPS) which involved climbing 247 peaks in 138 days. This accomplishment is mind blowing and a true feat of grit, endurance and logistics.

Finally we chat about Nathan’s solo ascent of Denali’s infamous Cassin Ridge. Nathan climbed this with skis and ski boots. A mind blowing accomplishment. Nathan is clearly a master in the mountains.

Please rate, review the show, and share this podcast with your friends. Word of mouth is one of the most powerful tools to help us out.

Contact us:
IG: @the.climbing.majority
Email: theclimbingmajoritypodcast@gmail.com

This full episode is available for Patrons right now! Martin Keller is back on the podcast! We met up in Magic Wood over the summer and recorded another great conversation. We talked about his send of Gateway V16/8C+, using video review to make breakthroughs, why you shouldn’t spend 50+ days on a project as he does, gaining 13 kgs to send his hardest boulder, his simple training routine, how he is still getting stronger at 45, and Martin gave me feedback and advice on my climbing.

Become a Patron to get access to the full episode! And support the podcast! 

*The full version is 1:54:13.

*Watch the uncut video interview here!

patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing

Martin's Original Episode:

EP 109: Martin Keller

Welcome back everyone! We are about 1.5 years into this podcast and you are currently listening to our 50th episode and are rapidly approaching 30k all time downloads and just wanted to say thank you for being a part of this growing community, Max and I are beyond pumped that your here, and are excited to keep sharing stories of climbers around the world. 

Today’s conversation is about my recent successful summit of Mt Russell via the Fishhook Arete in the Eastern Sierra in California. While, thankfully, nothing dramatic occurred, we talk about the new permit logistics found for the Whitney Portal area, the complications of professionally documenting a high alpine ascent, the benefits of radios in the alpine, and finally the play by play of our climb…which included a single nut rappel made after a route finding error.

Become a supporting member of The Climbing Majority to unlock the exclusive full length video of this episode

Please rate, review the show, and share this podcast with your friends. Word of mouth is one of the most powerful tools to help us out.

Contact us:
IG: @the.climbing.majority
Email: theclimbingmajoritypodcast@gmail.com

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!

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. excitement, and much more!

Become a Patron to get access to the full episode! And support the podcast! 

*The full version is 1:40:34.

*Watch the uncut video interview here!

patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing

Katie’s Other Episodes:

EP 145: Katie Lamb

Follow-Up: Katie Lamb (Apr 20, 2023)

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 support the podcast! 

*The full version is 2:49:54.

*Watch the uncut video interview here!

patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing

Ollie’s Original Episode:

EP 153: Ollie Torr

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 strength PRs after 18+ years of hangboarding, and much more!

Become a Patron to get access to the full episode! And support the podcast! 

*The full version is 2:13:42.

*Watch the uncut video interview here!

patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing

Dave’s Other Episodes:

EP 56: Dave MacLeod (Part 1)

EP 57: Dave MacLeod (Part 2)

As a budding trad climber, climbing hard and improving my grades is something I've struggled with the last several years. Time, energy, and life commitments can make it hard to focus on certain goals. As someone who is always looking to improve, sometimes I need help organizing and focusing on the correct things with my limited time.

You've probably found yourself in a similar situation? Maybe you want to just learn a little more or maybe you want to take your climbing to the next level. One thing is for sure is that a coach can help you ... .push you…. and mentor you ... not only to be a better climber but also to be the best version of yourself. In today's episode we’re sitting down with Charlie Schreiber, a professional boulderer, climber and coach.

Charlie has been coaching adults and climbing at a high level since the age of 16. On a fast track to sitting alongside the most elite climbers in the world, his career came to a sudden shift when he seriously injured his elbow. Now…while still projecting V14, his major focus is creating the next generation of climbers. Charlie now spends most of his time coaching young climbers that are headed to world cups and the olympics.

In this episode we get to hear about Charlie's experiences as a young competition climber, the difficulties of making it as a pro, and the nuances of route setting and training physiology. Finally we get to ask Charlie some tips and tricks that can help you improve your climbing.
 
Please rate, review the show, and share this podcast with your friends. Word of mouth is one of the most powerful tools to help us out.

Contact us:
IG: @the.climbing.majority
Email: theclimbingmajoritypodcast@gmail.com


Resources:

Charlie's Instagram

Book Virtual Coaching w/ Charlie (Now Accepting New Clients)

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 podcast! 

*The full version is 1:11:03.

*Watch the uncut video interview here!

patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing

Hazel’s Other Episodes:

EP 81: Hazel Findlay (Aug 9, 2021)

Reflections Series (for $10 and up Patrons!)

As we’ve seen on this podcast, there can be some serious consequences to playing in the mountains. But one thing that seems to stay consistent, is that no matter how traumatic the injury, how devastating the loss, we are always finding our way back to the mountains. Why is that? What calls us back to the activity and environment that caused the pain in the first place?

Our guest today is Steph Abegg. Climber—Photographer—Adventurer— and Math&Data Nerd. For as long as she can remember, she has been triply afflicted with an insatiable thirst for adventure, a persistent awe of the natural world, and a need to document the world around her. During her years of adventure and alpine climbing Steph witnessed a major accident and  sustained two major injuries herself that would have completely sidelined most athletes. But for her, not climbing, not being in the mountains just simply wasn’t an option. As she puts it, The Mountains are in my Blood…

In our conversation we dive deep into Steph’s past, chat about three major accidents, discuss her recent move to Estes Park, and finally we cover her website where she has meticulously documented over 750 routes with trip reports, photos, and route overlays. 

Please rate, review the show, and share this podcast with your friends. Word of mouth is one of the most powerful tools to help us out.

Contact us:
IG: @the.climbing.majority
Email: theclimbingmajoritypodcast@gmail.com


Resources:

Steph's Website

In today’s episode we sit down with Jacob Urban. Mountain athlete and Founder of The Jackson Hole Outdoor Leadership Institute. Climbing put Jacob on a path and in his words climbing is what “led him to himself”. Now with over 30 years in the industry of Outdoor Education he is here to teach us not only how to survive in the mountains, but how we view ourselves and our relationship with the world around us. We hear about Jacob’s story…. cover topics such as Risk and Ethics….and finally discuss what our subconscious’ role is in how we interact with the world.

Please rate, review the show, and share this podcast with your friends. Word of mouth is one of the most powerful tools to help us out.

Contact us:
IG: @the.climbing.majority
Email: theclimbingmajoritypodcast@gmail.com


Resources:

Jackson Hole Outdoor Leadership Institute

Jacob's Blog

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 common pitfalls to avoid.

Become a Patron to get access to the full episode! And support the podcast! 

*The full version is 1:30:02.

*Watch the uncut video interview here!

patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing

Steve’s Other Episodes:

EP 35: Steve Bechtel (Sept 14, 2020)

Follow-Up: Steve Bechtel (Jan 21, 2021)

Follow-Up #2: Steve Bechtel (Nov 11, 2021)

This full episode is available for Patrons right now! This is a teaser of a follow-up with Katie Lamb. We talked about her recent send of Spectre V14 in Bishop CA, breaking down crux moves into multiple pieces, how she trains on a spray wall, her top 5 go-to lifts in the weight room, projecting tricks, dopamine snacks vs. substance, what she learned from Spectre, having the travel bug, goals for 2023, and more!

Become a Patron to get access to the full episode! And support the podcast! 

*The full version is 1:12:49.

*Watch the uncut video interview here!

patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing

Katie’s Original Episode:

EP 145: Katie Lamb

This full episode is available for Patrons right now! Matt Heyliger is back on the podcast and joins me to talk about my bicep tendon injury back in December in Hueco, my rehab process, and how I was able to get back to climbing V10 in less than three months. We discuss the different stages of recovery, using BFR as part of my rehab, how to make the transition back to training, and how I am currently training for an upcoming bouldering trip to Magic Wood and Rocklands.

Matt's Website:

mattheyliger.com

Become a Patron to get access to the full episode! And support the podcast! 

*The full version is 1:31:47.

*Watch the uncut video interview here!

patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing

Matt’s Original Episode:

EP 143: Matt Heyliger