Long before John Sherman was a crusader for the plight of the California Condor, he was a bouldering pioneer, brilliant writer, and creator of the bouldering V-scale. In this episode we sit down in Hueco Tanks to discuss his accomplishments as well as to argue about his most infamous creation.
John's list of strong opinions is nearly as long as his list of first ascents, and the only reason it hasn't doubled is because he holds onto an opinion for dear life. I admire that, and I love to argue it. Of course, Verm doesn't bat an eye in telling me how wrong I am. I drag Alex Puccio and Matt Wilder into the fray, because they happened to be in the room. At times, the audio was rough, but I did my best to make sure you get the full conversation.
One of John's strong opinions is in saving the California Condor. His photos of these majestic birds are incredible, and if you'd like to donate to the cause, you can do so at The Peregrine Fund. Be sure to choose "California Condor" for your gift.
Read a touching tribute from John to Condor 337 at http://www.vermphoto.com/blog/2016/6/in-memory-of-condor-337
We're all rooting for Verm as he makes an attempt to re-send the worlds most famous boulder problem... something like 100 years after he first rocked over on that spooky mantle. You can join him at www.oldmanlightning.com and root him on, heckle him, or whatever. After this next colonoscopy, there's no way he's not sending.
Thanks to Dawn Kish at www.dawnkishphotography for the cover photo.
You can find us at www.powercompanyclimbing.com
You can support the podcast at www.patreon.com/powercompanypodcast
We don't tweet. We scream like eagles.
A good climbing partner can be your greatest asset. If you dispute this, it's because you've never had a great partner, and you're just going to have to trust me.
This episode could easily have been categorized as a Not So Average Joe episode, or it could have damn near been one of our upcoming Power Couple episodes. This is because both of these guys still don't quite understand what their capable of, and it's unlikely they would have yet reached their current level without the other on the belay.
I've worked with both Scott and Tyler for quite some time, and I'm damned proud of the work we've done. We all sat down together in Cincinnati to discuss the ins and outs and ups and downs of being climbing partners. What it means, how to recognize it, and how to cultivate it. We walk through a season that for both of them has been paradigm shifting.
They are two opposites who have built something that both can stand on to reach further, and are eager to continue learning and improving. While Tyler is the more analytical of the two, both analyze every detail of their climbing days and talk it over.
For the comparison videos mentioned in the episode, go HERE.
To hear the rest of our conversation, and to support the podcast, become a Patron at www.patreon.com/powercompanypodcast
You can find us online at www.powercompanyclimbing.com
We don't tweet. We scream like eagles.
Aicacia Young believes that health begins in the gut, and she LOVES to talk about it. So much so that it almost makes me excited to do the same. Almost.
In this episode we get into the basics. How do we know we need to improve our gut health and how do we go about it? What products do we use, and how much is enough? And maybe the most fun, what exactly is going on in there that constitutes poor gut health?
Aicacia is a Registered Dietitian and owner of ClimbHealthy.com. She's also the Director of Scientific Affairs at Microbiome Labs, maker of some of her probiotic recommendations, which you can find below. At the time of this interview, she was a freelance copywriter for them.
Find Aicacia on Instagram HERE
Go HERE for Aicacia's probiotic recommendations.
You can find us at www.powercompanyclimbing.com
We don't tweet. We scream like eagles.
In this episode, in the midst of a gym tour, Nate and I sit down to discuss how we feel about climbing gym grades. Do they matter? Should they be taken seriously? How do they relate to outdoor grades? And possibly most important, what the hell do we do with them?
You can find us at www.powercompanyclimbing.com
You can support the podcast at www.patreon.com/powercompanypodcast
We don't tweet. We scream like eagles.
Perhaps the greatest attribute of any successful coach is their ability to effectively communicate with their athlete. Without buy in from the climber, no training plan can be effective. Without communication from the athlete, the right changes can't be made. Success is often directly proportionate to that relationship.
In this episode I talk with a successful coach/climber team: Taylor Reed and Bella Jariel. Taylor has helped coach Bella to big success on the international stage. She's the USA Climbing Youth National Champion in speed climbing, as well as a qualifier for the US Youth Team in all 4 disciplines - Sport, Speed, Bouldering, and the Olympic Combined Format.
In one of my favorite moments of the episode, Bella talks about the photos her mom takes of her, exhausted at the end of a drill prescribed by Taylor. She happily agreed to share those photos with us, and her reasoning is exactly why I wanted to have this conversation. https://powercompanyclimbing.com/blog/2018/4/16/episode-90-the-coachclimber-dynamic-with-taylor-reed-and-bella-jariel
Check out Taylor's Beta Angel Project, a site dedicated to making research and data available and accessible to coaches and climbers. If you're a regular listener, you know that I have an aversion to reading research, though I understand that it's a necessary evil. I'm happy to know that there is a place I can go where other climbers have already examined the research and thought through it. I truly believe this will end up being a go-to resource for the community.
www.beta-angel.com
You can find us at www.powercompanyclimbing.com
You can support the podcast at www.patreon.com/powercompanypodcast
We don't tweet. We scream like eagles.
Peter Bonamici is a midwest legend. He'll disagree with that, but it's my podcast, so I can make that statement if I want to. Not to mention, it's true.
This entire episode stems from a conversation with Peter in which he told me that he'd just learned to heel hook. After climbing his first V13. What?!
It's pretty simple, really. The reason that Peter, and so many other climbers, are legendary, is because they are good at climbing. Not just strong, but GOOD. They didn't get that way by accident. They got that way through a very intentional practice. One that many of us can learn from.
You can find us online at www.powercompanyclimbing.com.
You can support the podcast at www.patreon.com/powercompanypodcast
You've undoubtedly seen the book, the videos, or heard Dr. Vagy in other podcasts. In this 3 part series we're going to dig into the concepts behind the easy to follow system of prehab and rehab that Dr. Vagy has built.
In Part 1, we're tackling mobility, and how it relates to both avoiding injury and rehabbing from it. Dr. Vagy walks me through many of the mobility drills that he recommends for climbers, and makes it easy for anyone to follow along, which I suggest you do, no matter how silly you think you look. It doesn't look as silly as coming to the gym with an injured finger and a tweaked knee and sitting there spectating.
Find Dr. Vagy online and buy the book at www.theclimbingdoctor.com
Find the warmup mentioned in the episdode at https://youtu.be/B86QxHCDiM0
You can find us at www.powercompanyclimbing.com
Support the podcast at www.patreon.com/powercompanypodcast
We don't tweet. We scream like eagles.
Todays episode is Part 5 in a 5 part series exploring the concept that "Common Sense Isn't Always Common Practice.
Today we discuss Principles vs. Prescriptions. How do you know which is right for your situation?
You can find us at www.powercompanyclimbing.com
You can support the podcast at www.patreon.com/powercompanypodcast
We don't tweet. We scream like eagles.
Todays episode is Part 4 in a 5 part series exploring the concept that "Common Sense Isn't Always Common Practice.
Today we discuss Training Where You Are vs. Where You Want To Be. We all want to train like the pros... but should we? Is that even what got them there?
You can find us at www.powercompanyclimbing.com
You can support the podcast at www.patreon.com/powercompanypodcast
We don't tweet. We scream like eagles.
