Eryn Phelps is a licensed trauma counselor who specializes in helping outdoor athletes with anxiety, OCD, and PTSD. We talked about how EMDR helped cancer survivor and podcast guest Sol Wertkin, how to navigate time scarcity and get clear on what you want, overwhelm and panic attacks, grief and shame, labels and identity, and much more.

Alex Bridgewater (M.S. in Sports Psychology) is back again to share three new sports psychology skills that have the potential to change your climbing forever. We covered how to practice these skills in your day-to-day life, as well as how to put them into practice in your climbing, and much more. Become a Patron to get access to the full episode and support the podcast. *The full version is 1:28:39. patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing

Stevie Hochbaum is an elite boulderer who established the first V16, Obsidian, in Germany. We talked about nearly losing his finger to an infection, how he became obsessed with the project, what it feels like to spend 50+ sessions on a boulder, supportive friends, learning patience, training on the project, how losing weight affected his mental health, pacing and breathing, what’s next for Stevie, and much more.

Rebecca Tickell is an award-winning filmmaker, author, environmental activist, and regenerative farmer. We talked about the journey that led to her films Kiss the Ground and Common Ground, the history of our soil and pesticides, why conventional farming is a cycle of degredation, the corruption of the agrochemical industry, Monsanto whistleblowers, how to feed the world, the global movement of regeneration, how to eat, bees & pollinators, and much more.

Andy Raether is a prolific sport climber, boulderer, and developer based in Las Vegas, NV. He also owns a climbing hold company and created the Woods Board. We talked about his intro to climbing and making holds, bringing routes and crags to life, sending his hardest boulder (Midlife Crisis V14) at 40 years old, how he trains on The Woods Board, how to master terrible holds, and much more.

Jeremy Kiner is a Kentucky-based boulderer and sport climber. We talked about his journey to V10 and 5.13b, how he uses a board circuit as a training benchmark, his experience with the GRINDS finger training program, embracing double rest days, his diet and dealing with autoimmune issues, what he learned from working on two different regenerative farms, being a conscious consumer, and much more. Become a Patron for a chance to be featured in the next Patron Spotlight! 👉 patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing

Michelle LeBlanc returns to the podcast to talk about her annual Project Pride event in Squamish, B.C. (August 29-30, 2025). She shared her personal story and why she started Project Pride, and we talked about cultural and political pendulum swings, sensationalism in the media, and what to expect if you attend her upcoming event. You can buy tickets here: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/project-pride-squamish-2025-tickets-1415859827859?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAad_JFGfbgS_SEWNkjXVlG2Me2S_7YVmPskjfFcyihN-BBdKJmCPsrNv0NDu1w_aem_uC2R3rhGN0dtaZ3DICGmSw You can work with Alex at http://innersourceperformancepsychology.com/

Alex Bridgewater (M.S. in Sports Psychology) returns to the podcast to discuss tools that can help elevate your climbing performance. We talked about finding your values, the dark side of expectations, a framework for working toward goals, how to develop confidence, building awareness, whether climbing is separate from life, the cost of masochism, acceptance, unhooking, mindfulness practice, and much more. You can work with Alex at http://innersourceperformancepsychology.com/

What if you could eat the healthiest meat on the planet while helping the environment? Jake Muise is the CEO and founder of Maui Nui Venison, and joins me to talk about sustainable food and the future of nutrient density. We talked about the overpopulation of Axis deer in Hawaii, the cyclical die-off they experience without predation, solving complex problems, the secret to sustaining high-level output, harvesting at night, nutrition of place, sharing with community, and much more.

Yuji Hirayama is a Japanese professional climber and a living legend. We talked about visualizing his onsight attempt on The Salathe, channeling support into power, Daniel Woods, Mount Kinabalu, Japanese vs. Western culture, quitting school to climb, owning climbing gyms, how to stay 9a fit in your 50s, the secret to staying young, and much more.

Eric Edmeades is often referred to as the “Indiana Jones” of the professional speaking world. He has been traveling to Africa to visit the Hadza, one of the last remaining hunter-gatherer groups, since 2007. We talked about rites of passage, how ancestral living solved his health issues, lessons from his time with the Hadza, how to overcome evolutionary mismatch in Western society, founding WILDFIT, and much more. You can learn more about Eric at eric.ee

Seneida Biendarra is the 2023 US National Champion in the women’s B2 (severely blind) category. We talked about losing her vision as a teenager, her current visual experience, creating mental maps of the world, finding freedom in risk, designing outdoor gear, the world of paraclimbing and the adaptive community, sight guiding, the empathy gun, embracing chapters in life, and much more.

Brendan Baars is a boulderer from Grand Rapids, MI, who has spent the past seven years developing a new bouldering area called The Nooks in Ontario, Canada. We talked about what a day of developing looks like, his go-to gear, how his big toe saved his life, the untapped potential in Canada, the reward of establishing and sharing new climbs, undone projects, the logistics of visiting The Nooks, his upcoming film The Developer, and much more.

Steven Bergey started climbing at 31 and climbed his first V11 outside within four years. We talked about his projecting approach, the “outdoor gear”, suspending your disbelief until the magic happens, his diet and sleep routines, tips for climbing at night, the pivotal moments that change our lives forever, and more. Become a Patron for a chance to be featured in the next Patron Spotlight!

Justin Nault is a nutritional therapist who has helped thousands of clients escape our broken healthcare system and reclaim their health. We talked about his previous life as a professional musician and his own health journey, as well as the origins of allopathic medicine, seed oils and the hydroelectric dam analogy, what’s wrong with rodent studies and nutrition research, how to eat for optimal energy, leanness and performance, longevity in sports, setting 90 years of goals, the politicization of health, finding self-love, and much more. You can learn more about Justin at justinnault.com/steven

Facundo Langbehn is a Chilean-American boulderer and sport climber. We talked about sending his dream project The Nest V15, moving to Seattle, the WHY behind hard climbing, becoming the best version of yourself, his ideal training week, recovery tips, cardio, his optimistic view of climbing media, his goal to be intentional in all things, projecting tactics, hard projects in WA and Chile, and much more.

Old friends and climbing partners Tony Yaniro and Randy Leavitt join me for a nice, long listener Q&A and chat. This one was a blast.

Bob Wells (CheapRVLiving) is the ultimate vanlife guru. Bob has been living in vehicles full-time since 2008 and has helped thousands of others escape the 9-5 grind through his YouTube Channel and website. We talked about his life before the road, the vehicles he’s lived in, the best budget options he’s found, essentials for $100 or less, heating systems, bathroom options, cooking tips, and much more.

Sean Houchins-McCallum is the top-ranked climber on the Tension Board 2. We talked about growing up in Iowa, his obsession with board climbing, his insane training schedule, his ultimate board project, why we haven’t seen V15+ on the boards, projecting tactics, how changing his diet allowed him to jump up two grades, his home made pre-workout, TB2 vs. outdoor bouldering, dream lines, and much more.

Tess Driessens is a professional climbing coach and lives with chronic pain. We talked about getting diagnosed with five herniated discs from a cliff jumping accident, tools for chronic pain, why hope can be negative, finding true acceptance, meditation, Alexander Technique and Feldenkrais Method, finding happiness within, why love is the key to life, and three sentences she tells herself every day. You can work with Tess at motion-coaching.be