The Nugget Climbing Podcast

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 trip, and much more. Buckle up for a good old-fashioned training chat.

The Nugget Training App (14-Day Free Trial) 👉 http://training.thenuggetclimbing.com

FREE Finger Training PDF 👉 thenuggetclimbing.com/grinds

The NUG 👉 https://frictitiousclimbing.com/products/the-nug

Show Notes:

http://thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/joel-unema

Nuggets:

(00:00:00) – Intro

(00:02:00) – Hurricave

(00:04:37) – Dirtbike crash

(00:07:22) – Balance vs. compromise

(00:12:30) – The bigger picture

(00:16:22) – Joel’s breakthrough season

(00:22:43) – Finger Training with Tyler Nelson

(00:37:20) – Roof Training with Steve Bechtel

(00:46:51) – Ice cube moments

(00:58:58) – Hi-Low

(01:05:53) – Training for a sport climbing trip

(01:11:54) – Pacing & metabolic specificity

(01:15:45) – Training for a sport climbing trip continued

(01:18:10) – Riding the rollercoaster

(01:26:18) – Floor & ceiling

(01:35:55) – Achievement to experience

(01:39:00) – Strength training

(01:45:39) – My Hueco goals

(01:49:03) – Joel’s goals

(01:52:13) – The Teacup

(01:56:03) – Wrap up

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 major changes in your climbing, like switching from bouldering to sport climbing, and much more. Don’t skip this episode if you are a self-coached climber.
The Nugget Training App (14-Day Free Trial) 👉 http://training.thenuggetclimbing.com
The NUG 👉 https://frictitiousclimbing.com/products/the-nug
Key Takeaways PDF 👉 https://thenuggetclimbing.squarespace.com/s/Key-Takeaways_Updated.pdf
Full Show Notes  👉 thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/tom-randall-repost-from-patreon

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 competitions are about to get a lot more exciting. You can learn more at proclimbing.com
The Nugget Training App 👉 http://training.thenuggetclimbing.com
Show Notes:  
thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/charlie-boscoe
Nuggets:
(00:00:00) – Intro
(00:02:48) – The perfect phrase
(00:10:55) – Hooked on climbing
(00:15:49) – The impermanence of achievements
(00:22:56) – Commentating
(00:26:01) – Janja Garnbret & Adam Ondra
(00:30:39) – IFSC Broadcasting
(00:34:11) – Pro Climbing League
(00:45:50) – Adjustable comp walls
(00:48:44) – Can two climbs be identical?
(00:53:59) – The viewing experience
(01:02:07) – Goals for PCL
(01:06:22) – Logistical challenges
(01:11:04) – The first comp (London, Feb 28)
(01:13:06) – Broncos, Seahawks, Mariners
(01:17:29) – Wrap up

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 compression problems and wide cracks, and the state of elite bouldering and cutting-edge grades.
Increase Your Finger Strength by 10% 👉 http://training.thenuggetclimbing.com
Download My Finger Training PDF 👉 http://thenuggetclimbing.com/grinds
Support on Patreon 👉 http://patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing
Show Notes:  
thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/chris-schulte
Nuggets:
(00:00:00) – Intro
(00:01:13) – Being an introvert
(00:13:49) – Becoming a boulderer
(00:24:56) – First ascents vs. repeating
(00:37:09) – Climbing in Yosemite
(00:47:00) – How Chris developed his climbing style
(00:51:28) – Fred Nichol's inspiration
(01:11:25) – Putting brakes on grades
(01:33:02) – What drives Chris & what progress looks like
(01:40:20) – How climbing has changed with age
(01:50:37) – The Big Island
(01:51:56) – Pairing projects
(01:55:31) – Compression climbs
(01:59:16) – Elbow tendonitis
(02:03:08) – What makes for a beautiful line
(02:08:51) – Best V10+ compression in the Front Range
(02:14:28) – Tips on wide cracks
(02:18:43) – Where Chris would like to climb next

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 warfare, gear innovations that changed climbing forever, and much more. You can listen to Christian’s podcast at christianbeckwith.com
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Show Notes:  
thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/christian-beckwith
Nuggets:
(00:00:00) – Intro
(00:01:48) – Ninety-Pound Rucksack
(00:10:46) – Birth of the 10th Mountain Division
(00:22:00) – Ghosts in the trees
(00:35:23) – New ropes & belay techniques
(00:49:45) – Boots
(00:54:00) – New vs. old climbing gear
(00:57:49) – The Ninety-Pound Rucksack Challenge
(01:05:35) – Breaking Hitler’s Gothic Line
(01:19:18) – Coal to diamond
(01:25:05) – Writing the story of the 10th
(01:34:32) – Teaching GIs to climb
(01:41:45) – What’s next for this story
(01:47:30) – Wrap up