John Sherman is a bouldering legend. His nickname “Verm” (short for “Vermin”) is where the “V” in our bouldering grade system came from. We sat down in a cave in Hueco Tanks and talked about what bouldering was like 30+ years ago, early climbing shoes, highballing before crash pads were invented, out-of-body experiences, and how some of the boulders got their provocative names.
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Show Notes:
thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/john-sherman
Nuggets:
0:08:00 – Recording in a cave in Hueco Tanks, and the Triple Crown of roof cracks
0:12:54 – Experiencing what climbing was like 30 years ago, and early climbing shoes
0:19:24 – What brought John to Hueco for the first time, falling in love with the bouldering there, and Mike Head
0:27:30 – John Gill, the legitimization of bouldering, and four technological advances in gear that changed climbing forever (sticky rubber, cordless drill, crash pads, and cams)
0:35:35 – What Hueco was like in the winter of 1982
0:39:42 – A day in the life back then, and making the first “crash pads”
0:45:14 – Chalk, and why sport climbing was the end of climbing as Verm learned it
0:47:47 – Using the same terminology to describe different ethics, and doing ‘See Spot Run’ ground up without crash pads
0:55:03 – Geckskin
0:57:15 – Historical tidbit (the Swiss guides)
0:58:04 – More context about ‘See Spot Run’
1:02:24 – Adding layers to the bouldering experience
1:07:49 – The definition of “Kehl-geling”, and John’s out-of-body experience when climbing ‘The Thimble’
1:20:00 – Why John wears two chalk bags when he climbs, and wanting to climb like Alex Sharp and Andy Parkin
1:23:59 – Wearing a helmet bouldering, and John’s New Jersey story about hitting his head
1:35:00 – Patron question from Aiden: What inspired you to write Stone Crusade?
1:41:57 – The Fiesta XXX Drive-In, and getting boulder problem names from a sex toy magazine
1:47:36 – How ‘Daily Dick Dose’ got its name, and living in the Quonset hut
1:52:44 – How John got the name “Verm” (short for “Vermin”)
1:53:46 – Patron question from Carmelo: Are we ever going to see Old Man Lightning?
1:54:54 – Patron question from Craig: Which bird most represents your personality?
1:56:32 – Why California Condors are John’s favorite birds, and individual personalities
EP 133: Neil Gresham — Using Ballet to Climb Harder, Developing Your Finishing Game, and Extensor Training for Stronger Fingers
EP 132: Rebecca Williams — A Deep Dive Into Fear of Falling, the Self-Soothing System, and Climbing Smarter
EP 131: Ryan Devlin — Life as a TV Actor, Progressing From 11b to 12c in a Year, and How Pro Climbers Relate to Struggle
EP 130: Stian Christophersen & Martin Mobråten — Writing The Climbing Bible, Finger Strength vs. General Strength, and Strategies for Improving Technique
Follow-Up: Matt Fultz — How to Train for the Hardest Crimp Boulders in the World (Teaser)
EP 129: Dorian Evers — How to Navigate Different Stoke Levels in Your Relationship, and Getting Vulnerable with Your Partner
EP 128: Callie Joy Black — Training During Pregnancy, Climbing Hard with Kids, and Being Your Own Project
Follow-Up: Steve Maisch — My Summer Training Plan, and How to Get Stronger on the Moonboard (Teaser)
EP 127: Jesse Firestone — Bouldering Tactics, Quantum Leaps, and Non-Physical Factors That Affect Our Performance
BONUS: Michelle LeBlanc — An Upcoming 2SLGBTQ+ Pride Event in Squamish
S1E2: The Great Equalizer (Repost from The American Climbing Project)
EP 126: Devin Dabney — Getting Uncomfortable, How Climbing Saved His Life, and How Competition Makes Us Better
Follow-Up: Alita Contreras — Sending Her First 5.14a, and Training With Lattice (Teaser)
EP 125: Zofia Reych — The Heritage of Climbing, Breaking Down Gender Roles, and What It’s Like to Be Autistic
EP 124: Karly Rager — Mental Strategies for Developing Focus, Learning vs. Performing, and Building a Coaching Business
EP 123: Magnus Midtbø — The Hard Work Behind Success, Go-To Climbing Workouts, and Takeaways from Training with Adam Ondra
Follow-Up: Chad Andrews — The Pros and Cons of Living on the Road to Climb, and Having a Healthier Relationship with Money (Teaser)
EP 122: Jared Vagy — How to Prevent Knee, Shoulder, Elbow, and Finger Injuries as Climbers
EP 121: Carol Simpson — Being a Girl in the South in the 1950s, Yoga as the Fountain of Youth, and Ageism in Climbing
EP 120: Lea Volpe — The World of Paraclimbing Competitions, How We Perceive Wheelchairs, and Empathy in Coaching
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