PodcastsEducationThe Nugget Climbing Podcast

The Nugget Climbing Podcast

Steven Dimmitt
The Nugget Climbing Podcast
Latest episode

394 episodes

  • The Nugget Climbing Podcast

    EP 301: Matt Samet — Escaping Benzo Addiction, Rifle in the Early ‘90s, and Embracing the Moonboard in His 40s

    08/06/2026 | 2h 10 mins.
    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 the paradigm, embracing training to send his hardest routes, his new role with the American Alpine Club, and the inaugural American Climbing Journal coming later this year. You can learn more at americanalpineclub.org

    Free Masterclass (Unlock Your Full Potential in Climbing) 👉 http://masterclass.thenuggetclimbing.com

    Climb Accelerator (Direct Link to Course) 👉 http://masterclass.thenuggetclimbing.com/climb-accelerator

    Show Notes:

    http://thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/matt-samet

    Nuggets:

    (00:00:00) – Intro

    (00:02:27) – Teasing topics

    (00:05:34) – Panic attacks

    (00:10:19) – Benzos addiction

    (00:26:45) – Setback & self-care

    (00:36:32) – Matt’s biggest lesson

    (00:43:48) – Matt’s advice for anxiety & depression

    (00:48:36) – Rifle in the early '90s

    (01:08:07) – Sharma broke the paradigm

    (01:14:10) – Embracing the Moonboard

    (01:21:46) – Training results

    (01:30:24) – Matt’s climbing now

    (01:32:28) – Moonboard math

    (01:36:52) – An alternative to 4x4s

    (01:39:15) – Matt’s route projects

    (01:45:49) – Loving climbing more than ever

    (01:50:59) – The American Climbing Journal

    (02:04:59) – Adam Ondra appreciation riff

    (02:08:14) – Wrap up
  • The Nugget Climbing Podcast

    EP 300: Jeff Patterson — What Climbers Can Learn from Martial Arts (and How 20 Minutes of Meditation Could Change Your Life)

    25/05/2026 | 1h 1 mins.
    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 your life, breathing tips for climbers, how to regulate your nervous system, and much more. You can learn more about Jeff at theyieldingwarrior.com

    Free Masterclass (Unlock Your Full Potential in Climbing) 👉 http://masterclass.thenuggetclimbing.com

    Climb Accelerator (Direct Link to Course) 👉 http://masterclass.thenuggetclimbing.com/climb-accelerator

    Show Notes:

    http://thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/jeff-patterson

    Nuggets:

    (00:00:00) – Intro

    (00:01:30) – Jeff’s background in martial arts

    (00:04:26) – How Tai Chi helped his boxing

    (00:13:37) – The Meditative Arts

    (00:16:55) – What climbers can learn from martial arts

    (00:20:31) – 20 minutes per day for 1 year

    (00:23:58) – 3 considerations

    (00:33:35) – Nervous system regulation

    (00:45:01) – Tangible tips

    (00:51:06) – Make the commitment

    (00:52:56) – Comparing martial arts

    (00:55:33) – Letting go of the mask

    (00:58:35) – Where to find Jeff

    (00:59:20) – Final advice
  • The Nugget Climbing Podcast

    EP 299: Herm Feissner — A Unique Training Philosophy at Age 53, Understanding Hard Moves, and Balancing an Engineering Career with Travel & Climbing

    14/05/2026 | 2h 9 mins.
    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 climbing, discovering and understanding moves, the boulder he is most psyched to complete, and much more.

    Free Masterclass (Unlock Your Full Potential in Climbing) 👉 http://masterclass.thenuggetclimbing.com

    Climb Accelerator (Direct Link to Course) 👉 http://masterclass.thenuggetclimbing.com/climb-accelerator

    Show Notes:

    http://thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/herm-feissner

    Nuggets:

    (00:00:00) – Intro

    (00:01:38) – FA of The Practitioner V11

    (00:08:38) – Getting into climbing in 1987

    (00:22:18) – Climbing with stronger people

    (00:27:51) – Evolving through the disciplines

    (00:33:12) – CATS

    (00:37:11) – Herm’s training philosophy

    (00:44:32) – Aging & improving

    (00:55:22) – Avoiding the expiration date

    (01:01:05) – How Herm’s climbing has changed

    (01:07:35) – How hard Herm climbs

    (01:10:27) – Who will push bouldering to the next level?

    (01:20:27) – Herm’s grading criteria

    (01:27:25) – How his relationship with climbing has improved

    (01:30:35) – Relationships

    (01:38:22) – Boarding school & engineering

    (01:50:12) – How to be outside

    (01:58:57) – Discovering & understanding moves

    (02:02:59) – I Portici

    (02:08:02) – Wrap up
  • The Nugget Climbing Podcast

    EP 298: Sonnie Trotter — Gunning for 5.15, How He Trained as a Teen, and Stamina vs. Strength

    27/04/2026 | 2h 7 mins.
    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 his career, how he trained as a teenager, stamina vs. strength, what makes Dave Graham so strong, and his book, Uplifted: The Evolution of a Climbing Life.

    Free Masterclass (Unlock Your Full Potential in Climbing) 👉 http://masterclass.thenuggetclimbing.com

    Climb Accelerator (Direct Link to Course) 👉 http://masterclass.thenuggetclimbing.com/climb-accelerator

    Show Notes:

    http://thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/sonnie-trotter

    Nuggets:

    (00:00:00) – Intro

    (00:03:38) – Connor Herson’s 5.15a FAs

    (00:09:35) – Gunning for 5.15

    (00:11:49) – Meeting Sonnie at Smith Rock

    (00:20:37) – His life routine

    (00:24:43) – Sonnie’s kids

    (00:29:24) – Time warp

    (00:33:24) – Family history

    (00:39:35) – Life is a game

    (00:42:45) – The business side of Sonnie’s life

    (00:53:19) – Choices & constraints

    (01:03:07) – Cobra Crack

    (01:09:20) – The progression of climbing

    (01:16:24) – Getting sponsored

    (01:20:07) – The age of print media

    (01:24:34) – Rifle in the 90s

    (01:30:52) – How he trained as a teenager

    (01:36:04) – Stamina vs. strength

    (01:45:30) – Sticking to the basics

    (01:49:31) – What makes Dave Graham so strong

    (01:54:33) – Writing his book
  • The Nugget Climbing Podcast

    EP 297: Peter Mortimer (filmmaker) — Dean Potter’s Rivalry with Alex Honnold, His Inner Demons, and The Dark Wizard

    14/04/2026 | 54 mins.
    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 story of Dean in all of his human complexity—as a visionary, climbing legend, and a tormented soul.

    Free Masterclass (Unlock Your Full Potential in Climbing) 👉 http://masterclass.thenuggetclimbing.com

    Join Climb Accelerator (Earlybird Sale) 👉 https://masterclass.thenuggetclimbing.com/climb-accelerator

    Show Notes:

    http://thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/peter-mortimer

    Nuggets:

    (00:00:00) – Intro

    (00:01:21) – Peter’s film career

    (00:11:54) – Hustling

    (00:15:28) – The Dark Wizard

    (00:31:14) – Inside Dean’s mind

    (00:38:34) – Dean’s rivalry with Alex Honnold

    (00:49:42) – Everything on the table

    (00:51:25) – Where to watch

    (00:52:34) – Where to follow Peter
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About The Nugget Climbing Podcast
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
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