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
Follow-Up: Tom Randall — How to Program Your Training Like a Pro (Teaser)
EP 106: Hans Florine — Speed Climbing on ‘The Nose’, Big Wall Tips, and the Evolution of Speed Climbing Competitions
EP 105: Brent Barghahn — How to Retire Before Age 30, Extreme Unicycling, and How to Free Climb Big Walls By Yourself
EP 104: Amity Warme — Crushing in Yosemite, Growing up in Gymnastics, and Eating More to Do More
Follow-Up: Tyler Nelson — How to Train Based on Your Finger Anatomy (Teaser)
EP 103: Mina Leslie-Wujastyk — Chasing Flow State, The Role of Cleverness in Climbing, and Becoming a Mom
EP 102: Matty Hong — The History of ‘Flex Luthor’, Climbing Waterfalls in Japan, and the Camera as a Gift
EP 101: Nina Caprez — Being a Swiss Machine, Leaning into Womanness, and a Beautiful Story of Failing on ‘The Nose’
Follow-Up: Steve Maisch — My Training Plan for Hueco Round 2 (Teaser)
EP 100: Ben Moon — How Ben Moon Uses the MoonBoard, and the Evolution of Sport Climbing
Follow-Up: Paige Claassen — Dreamcatching, and Learning to Celebrate (Teaser)
EP 99: Q&A 4 — Goals for 2022, Dating on the Road, and What I’ve Learned from Nearly 100 Episodes
Follow-Up: Tyson Schoene — Building Champions, and Keeping Things Simple (Teaser)
EP 98: Kyra Condie — The Olympic Experience, Training With a Fused Spine, and Thriving in Organized Chaos
EP 97: Austin Hoyt — Favorite Zones in the Northeast, Rediscovering Old Projects, and Being a GUNKaholic
EP 96: Joe Kinder — The Love of Projecting, Leaving a Legacy, and the Other Side of Cancellation
EP 95: Tyler Algeo — Starting a Climbing Gym in Africa, Climb Malawi, and Raising Black Sons as a White Dad
Follow-Up: Steve Bechtel — When to Stick With It, and Climbing His First 5.14 at Age 47 (Teaser)
EP 94: Nathaniel Coleman — Preparing for the Tokyo Olympics, Climbing in a Sauna, and Kendama Training
EP 93: Tom Herbert (Part 2) —How to Relax to Improve your Passat Reserves, and Tom’s Life Story
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