Dave Thompson is a 5.14 and V14 first ascentionist, alpinist, and coach for Evoke Endurance. We talked about his early climbing in the North Cascade mountains of Washington State, doing the first ascent of some of the best hard boulders in Leavenworth (Beautification, God is in the Details, The Teacup), how he got so strong, how to apply your strength on the wall, the challenges of endurance training in climbing, and more.

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

Show Notes:

http://thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/dave-thompson

Nuggets:

(00:00:00) – Intro

(00:02:29) – Dave’s path to rock climbing

(00:07:31) – Bob Buckley

(00:10:42) – The Teacup FA

(00:14:54) – Dave’s coaching philosophy

(00:25:53) – How Dave got up to V14

(00:37:05) – A way of moving

(00:43:19) – How to improve your gym sessions

(00:48:11) – Training

(00:55:54) – Dave’s climbing and coaching

(00:58:53) – Dave coaches me on The Teacup

(01:02:48) – FAs in the Methow Valley

(01:06:59) – FAs in Leavenworth

(01:11:16) – How strong can adults get at climbing?

(01:13:18) – Personal agency

(01:20:34) – Catching a wave

(01:23:46) – Bouldering efficiency session

(01:30:32) – Evoke success

(01:36:47) – Training for sport climbing

(01:43:25) – Not thinking

(01:44:17) – How to connect with Dave

Sam Watson is the current world record holder in speed climbing (4.64 seconds) and an Olympic Bronze medalist. We talked about breaking the world record in Paris, how he makes a living, building a social media following in China, the future potential of speed climbing, recovery routines and tools, chess, favorite books, airport stoicism, and more.

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

Show Notes:

http://thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/sam-watson

Nuggets:

(00:00:00) – Intro

(00:01:38) – Winter Olympics

(00:05:48) – Breaking the World Record in Paris

(00:14:20) – Winning Bronze in Paris

(00:25:50) – LA Olympics

(00:30:11) – How Sam makes a living

(00:34:49) – Building a following in China

(00:38:40) – Different speed formats

(00:42:38) – Pro Climbing League

(00:51:15) – Sam’s intro to speed climbing

(01:12:35) – Sam’s future career arc

(01:20:48) – Recovery routines & tools

(01:24:15) – Journaling & Chris Sharma

(01:29:31) – The culture of speed climbing

(01:32:08) – The potential of speed

(01:38:43) – Speed Classic

(01:40:42) – Sam’s potential & the 0.1 rule

(01:46:03) – Sub 6 for the women

(01:47:33) – Hobbies & books

(01:51:23) – Sam’s upcoming goals

(01:52:08) – Airport stoicism

(01:53:34) – Where to find Sam

Melissa Strong is a boulderer and restaurateur based in Estes Park, CO, who nearly lost her life in an electrocution accident in April 2017. We talked about her accident, what she experienced on the other side of the veil, having her arms sewn together, what climbing was like before and after the accident, skin graft DNA, the healing process of writing Climbing Through, and much more. You can learn more about Melissa at melissaistrong.com

Buy Her Book:

Climbing Through: A Courageous Story of Grit, Healing, and Second Chances by Melissa Strong

Show Notes:

http://thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/melissa-strong

Nuggets:

(00:00:00) – Intro

(00:01:40) – Melissa’s hands

(00:04:54) – Life before her accident

(00:09:05) – The accident

(00:14:56) – The Forest & The Tunnel

(00:30:55) – Arms sewn together

(00:47:25) – Climbing before & after the accident

(00:58:29) – Skin graft DNA

(01:00:20) – The expiration date of climbing

(01:08:34) – What comes after climbing

(01:14:40) – Writing her book

(01:21:03) – What’s next

(01:24:46) – Where to buy the book

(01:26:13) – How Bird & Jim got its name