The Nugget Climbing Podcast

Mar 03 2025 346 ep. 101 mins 1k
The Nugget Climbing Podcast artwork

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

  Education  Health & Fitness  Sports
RSS feed Share
Copy RSS


Subscribe on Podcast Addict


EP 262: Max Didier — Quitting the Air Force to Climb, Enjoying the Process, and Projecting a Potential V17 in South America

Mar 03 2025 160 mins  
Max Didier is a Chilean big wall climber and alpinist turned boulderer. We talked about leaving the Air Force to climb, the value of exploration and adventure, his trip to India, maintaining simplicity in life, becoming a bouldering coach, the balance of strength and technique, his training routine, training with intention, mindset and motivation, enjoying the process, starting lat

EP 261: Chris Sharma & Ron Kauk — The Essence of Climbing, ‘Vision Quest’ FA, and Following Your Own Path

Feb 24 2025 120 mins  
Chris Sharma and Ron Kauk return to the podcast for a philosophical chat. We discussed early bouldering in Camp 4, the essence of climbing, the source of motivation, reinventing your climbing identity, Chris’ latest deep water solo ‘Vision Quest’ 9a, thoughts for future climbers, the key to good climbing technique, following your own path, and much more.

EP 260: Caroline Ciavaldini — The Magic and Selfishness of Competition, Becoming Adventurous, and Gentle Feminism

Feb 17 2025 150 mins  
Caroline Ciavaldini is a French professional climber specializing in sport, trad, and multi-pitch climbing. We talked about growing up in La Réunion, early climbing, her mother’s suicide, the magic and selfishness of competitions, eating disorders, becoming adventurous, trips with Yuji Hirayama, meeting her husband James Pearson, discussing hard things with your kids, the color

EP 259: Randy Leavitt — Developing 1000+ New Routes, the Anti-dirtbag Lifestyle, and Why the Best Day of Surfing Beats Climbing

Feb 10 2025 121 mins  
Randy Leavitt is a climbing pioneer, prolific route developer, pilot, and surfer. We talked about training on the Dune Cracks with Tony Yaniro, inventing the Leavittation offwidth technique, his journey from mountaineering to sport climbing, bolting Jumbo Love and other famous routes, why money equals freedom, his passion for surfing, reflections from almost drowning, aging gracefu

Follow-Up: Dave MacLeod — Mindset Shifts, Choosing Finger Training Protocols, & How to Be a Pro-environmental Carnivore

Feb 05 2025 38 mins  
Dave MacLeod is back to answer some of your most burning questions. We talked about notable mindset shifts that affected him, how to reconcile contradictory advice, how to balance longevity with pushing your max, whether prehab training is necessary, his thoughts on Emil Abrahamsson and Keith Baar’s study on “No Hangs”, his thoughts on active flexion or finger curls, how to c

EP 258: Louise Shepherd — “The Lynn Hill of Australia” on Her Dirtbag Days, Flying Breasts, & How to Save Arapiles Climbing

Feb 03 2025 105 mins  
Louise Shepherd is a living legend, and has been called “The Lynn Hill of Australia”. We talked about climbing in the late 70s, her formative experiences, dirtbagging in Arapiles, onsighting some of the first 5.12s in Yosemite, access issues threatening Aralipes climbing, putting cultural heritage into context, and how climbers can help save Arapiles climbing. How You Can Help

EP 257: Sol Wertkin — Surviving Cancer, a Richer Life After Climbing, and Saying Goodbye to Johnny G.

Jan 27 2025 188 mins  
Sol Wertkin is a former rock climber, cancer survivor, nurse, and avid mountain biker. We talked about new routing in the PNW, the “Golden Era” of Leavenworth climbing, the passing of Johnny Goicoechea, Sol’s cancer diagnosis in 2020, the long and difficult road to recovery, how e-biking saved his life, sailing, why life feels richer now that he doesn’t climb, and nuggets t

EP 256: Stian Christophersen Returns — Training Smarter, Pulley Rehab, & Japanese Precision: Secrets to Climbing Stronger & Healthier

Jan 20 2025 143 mins  
Stian Christophersen is a physiotherapist, coach, author, and world-class climber. He returns to the podcast to discuss his new book about managing injuries. We talked about why only two days of hard climbing per week is enough to get stronger, the Japanese method for building technique, load management, how to rehab a ruptured pulley, why optimist is important for recovery, traini

EP 255: Dave MacLeod Returns — Moving the Needle on Your Climbing, the Value of Daydreaming, & How to Thrive in Your 40s

Jan 13 2025 235 mins  
Dave MacLeod is one of the best all-around climbers in the world. He returns to the podcast to talk about his new book, Moving the Needle. We discuss the simple decisions that led to his success, getting the basics right, how to climb harder in your 40s, the value of daydreaming, writing books, how diet affects mood, Paul Saladino’s meat and fruit approach, how to thrive on a ket

EP 254: Best of 2024 (Including the Best of Patreon)

Dec 23 2024 152 mins  
This is a collection of my favorite moments of the podcast from 2024, including some of the best Patreon segments. Enjoy!