Fallon Rowe is a climber, coach, photographer, and writer. On today's episode we talk about climbing with chronic illnesses, being kind to yourself and your body, finding passions outside of climbing, and writing a memoir.

Skyler Mavor is an accomplished climber and geologist. We discuss basic geology, understanding rock types, tools you can use to find rocks and understand rock types, and how understanding the natural world can help you enjoy it.

Thanks patrons for the questions this month! Become a patron: https://www.patreon.com/innerfireclimbing 00:00:00 Intro00:01:19 Kyle - Visualization strategies, especially for better flashing00:05:53 Sam - What does it mean to be a better climber?00:13:26 Jake - Project shopping advice for overstokers00:15:53 Ethan - Using a sport climbing trip for pre-season endurance boost00:19:42 Jantina - Brushing holds00:24:41 Adit - "Stepping stone" pyramids for boulders/routes00:28:47 nadaladacourt - Home wall considerations 00:31:56 Foo - Testing & metrics00:37:21 Stephanie - What is dry firing?00:42:07 Brian - Expanding on my "V10 is closer to V5 than it is to V15" concept00:46:41 Nico - Longer term maintenance / thoughts on periodization00:51:12 Outro ramble 

Brian Antheunisse is a climber, dad, Hueco guide, and a few other things. We talk about his history in climbing, Hueco Tanks but especially the problem Esperanza, what his life looks like now, and how to keep finding the joy in climbing. I'll be back next week with the September AMA episode!

Ollie Torr is one of the founders of Lattice Training and a thought leader in climbing coaching. We discuss coaching philosophy, identity, lots of high-minded stuff but also lots of practical things. This was a fun and diverse chat!

Thanks Collin for joining me for a question this month! Questions:  00:00:00 Intro and updates00:03:44 Kenz - Training while on a sport climbing trip00:07:40 Kyle - Different headspaces for different risk levels00:13:52 Daniel - What to do when climbing with better climbers00:18:19 Kes - Shoe quiver00:23:39 Simon - Sequencing on climbs with multiple methods00:29:57 Jantina - Does climbing chalk matter?00:36:13 Jake - Can you train hard and climb hard at the same time? 00:40:31 Foo - Should a boulder or route last forever?00:45:16 Brian - How does resting work? feat. Collin McGee  

Marisa Michael is a credentialed and prominent figure in the climbing nutrition science space. We discuss the state of climbing nutrition science, and some recommendations for improved performance & progression.

Questions:  00:00:00 Intro & updates00:03:22 Stephanie - Training for sport and bouldering simultaneously?00:07:53 Duncan - Anti-flow flow state00:12:31 Jantina - How much do climbing shoes matter?00:19:47 Nico - Crimp capacity on redpoint attempts & how to train it00:25:27 Ting - When are you not strong enough?00:29:25 Joss - Maintaining psych & calories on trips00:34:30 Sam - Purity in the modern climbing world

Madeeha Drissi is a board-certified dermatologist and climber. We talk about all things skin – anatomy, wound healing, moisturizers, drying agents, and lots and lots of other stuff. A very geeky couple hours but there's not much surface contact between you and the rock – gotta make it count!

Questions:  0:00:00 Intro0:00:56 Nico - Solo bouldering0:05:25 Simon Pearson - What to do while watching climbing media0:11:00 Jantina - Should people of different sexes or sizes be coached differently?0:24:38 Briana - Free will and, also, donuts0:28:02 Daniel - Feeling lost in limit bouldering sessions0:33:28 Jeffrey - Programming low gear0:35:24 Angel Gonzalez - Caffeine for early morning sessions0:38:02 Sam - When is a problem worth your time?0:44:05 Jishnu - How to practice skills with a low density in your facility/area0:47:32 Jishnu - Toe training?

Tom Herbert is a nutrition coach and all around swell Brit. He joined me on the pod to talk about dance, flow, and climbing, and we took many (unsurprisingly) philosophical side quests. 

Questions from my Patrons and clients for April 2025.Support the show on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/jfireclimbingQuestions:   00:00:00 Intro   00:01:01 Daniel - Skills I’m working on    00:03:17 Daniel - What am I excited about this year?   00:05:17 Daniel - How long to rest for different kinds of boulders   00:08:02 Jake, Briana & others - Kingslayer takeaways, maintaining motivation   00:14:32 More Kingslayer takeaways, personal growth, social stuff   00:18:07 Briana - donuts in Leavy?? (pure disappointment)   00:19:02 Robin - circadian rhythm and projecting   00:22:20 Robin - Advice for setting circuits, cognitive strain   00:25:30 Olga - Making friends   00:28:14 Olga - Gaston training   00:30:56 Olga - One-movers, love em or hate em?   00:33:02 Sam - Youtube?   00:34:58 Jishnu - Skill training: improving focus   00:38:52 Skill training: measuring success/feedback (related to above question but separate answer)    00:40:53 Jishnu - Using rings/TRX for strength training  

Ethan Salvo is a Squamish-based climber. He's been climbing just over 7 years and has climbed some of the hardest boulders in North America. Last summer he broke out of his boulderer shell and climbed the Cobra Crack, a notorious 5.14 gear climb.   I had the chance to write some training for him late last year, and we reconnected to talk about his experience trying one of the hardest boulders in Bishop over the winter.   We talked about:   - Personal growth and trying Lucid Dreaming V15 - Doing all the best and hardest climbs in Squamish - Future projects in Squamish - Skin management & tactics - Northwest climbing conditions (kind of a Squamish conditions masterclass) - Why Ethan doesn't practice flashing - The ups and downs of dirtbagging - My general training advice for someone at Ethan's level   0:00:00 Intro 0:03:34 Ethan's trip to Bishop to try Lucid Dreaming 0:15:15 Summoning the try-hard in Bishop vs Squamish 0:23:24 Was Ethan "strong enough" to do Lucid right off the bat? 0:29:01 Is Ethan a physical outlier? (I put my foot in my mouth) 0:34:23 Penrose Step & the insane minutiae of hard grips 0:40:22 Skin management 0:45:09 Living in a 2002 Subaru for months (tips for unwelcome mouse friends) 0:53:00 Ethan's current climbing and upcoming plans 1:05:10 Weather 1:13:51 Maximizing time vs other variables 1:17:25 What to look for on the weather forecast & learning micro-climates 1:22:52 Ethan's flash of Mad Bush V12 (nuts) 1:26:40 Discussion on flashing/onsighting in general 1:34:00 Squamish weather details 1:36:10 Return to Lucid, skin management details 1:45:18 Manufactured condies and bouldering ethics 1:54:43 Strength training suggestions for Ethan 2:02:22 What do good genes get you? 2:03:37 Wrap up

In this episode I chat with Juliet Hammer and her dog Addy. Juliet is a climbing coach and an experienced boulderer and sport climber. She has a degree in biology and she's a certified strength and conditioning specialist. We talked about: Juliet's climbing history Differences between bouldering and sport in terms of preparation, mindset and tactics Being a short climber Board climbing Coaching philosophy and shop talk Personal grades Social media, content creation and voluntary hardship Value capture as both a coach and climber Dangers of focusing on dopamine hits 00:00:00 Intro00:02:43 Juliet's sport/bouldering identity & seasonality00:16:02 Proper introduction, comp/cordo climbing, coaching indoors vs outdoor clients00:25:27 Board climbing & being a short climber00:30:31 Strength training00:37:27 Coaching philosophy and shop talk00:48:07 More short climber tips, self-comparison00:54:43 Personal grades and the toxic wasteland of 8a.nu01:00:41 Motivations01:02:38 Jesse is ignorant about the southeast and complains about summer01:05:51 More seasonality / sport & boulder logistics questions01:08:08 Hot take 1, is climbing harder always more fun?01:12:28 Hot take 2, are sport climbers better climbers?01:13:56 Sport climbing vs bouldering popularity and value for progression01:16:37 Content strategy and value capture as a content creator and coach01:26:33 Dopamine hits, voluntary hardship, video beta and availability bias01:42:55 Addy01:45:09 Work with Juliet  

Questions from my Patrons and clients for April 2025. Thanks to Ryan Frecka for joining me for the weight management questions.Support the show on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/jfireclimbingQuestions:0:00:00 Intro0:00:45Jishnu - What is good footwork? 00:09:35Jishnu - Modern classics00:11:01 Nico & Giancarlo - Returning to a project after a tweak/injury00:16:28 Briana - Managing detraining on a long trip00:20:37 Victor - Indoor vs outdoor technique00:25:32 Caleb - Cycling between bouldering & sport climbing00:29:54 Jeffrey - Podcast update00:31:11 Brian - Motivation behind doing first ascents00:35:33 Stephanie - Strength to weight ratio (w/ Ryan Frecka)00:43:01 Stephanie - Body composition (w/ Ryan Frecka)00:47:46 Stephanie - When to put on more muscle (w/ Ryan Frecka)00:53:07 Stephanie - Signs of a strength deficit (w/ Ryan Frecka)00:58:42 Stephanie - Nutritional approach (w/ Ryan Frecka)01:06:02 Ryan's additional comments on set point theory01:09:02 Outro

In this solo episode, I do my best to explain the rules of bouldering: what some of them are, why they're arbitrary, how they're changing over time, and how we should all proceed. Support the show on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/jfireclimbing

I sit down with Ethan Pringle to catch up with him and his cat Snowflake. We talk about: Balancing stability and freedom Crag development in South Africa (AKA how to pivot when things don’t go your way) Not training Much discussion of highball strategy Risk perception, risk tolerance and age Jumbo Love, Realization, and self-doubt Advice for his younger self

Questions from my Patrons and clients for March 2025.

Sport & performance psychologist Zoe Sayetta joins the show for a discussion on mental performance in climbing.

Questions from my Patrons and clients for February 2025. Support the show on my Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/jfireclimbing Questions: 00:00:00 Intro 00:00:31 Kerwin: Concept/idea where I've shifted since coaching 00:04:50 Kerwin: Non-climbing book that's impacted my coaching 00:11:34 Olga: How to get more good tries on your project 00:15:59 Jack: Maximum recoverable volume 00:20:41 Luke: How language impacts performance and safety 00:26:38 Olga: Frustration when you're close to sending but not having fun 00:29:08 Jeffrey: Tips for switching to RPE 00:33:59 Jeffrey: Is there a time to stop progressing basic lifts? 00:37:01 Cursed Climbing: Awe-inspiring experiences