Matty Hong is a professional rock climber, photographer, and filmmaker. We talked about what it was like to grow up in a climbing family, about making the first repeat of ‘Flex Luthor’ 5.15b as well as a history of the route and his thoughts on the grade, training for sport climbing projects on his home wall, climbing waterfalls in Japan, and balancing photography and filmmaking with climbing.
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Show Notes:
thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/matty-hong
Nuggets:
0:05:51 – How Matty listens to podcasts
0:08:53 – Growing up in a climbing family, and his connection with his parents
0:13:10 – What his parents have instilled in him as a climber, and keeping the ego in check
0:15:23 – Early milestones in Matty’s climbing
0:18:41 – Loving all of the challenges and variety to be found in climbing
0:20:41 – Second-guessing the path, being grateful for climbing, and having a beginner’s mindset with photography and filmmaking
0:24:43 – Trying ‘Flex Luthor’ for a year, and the history of the route
0:30:26 – Meeting Matty up at the Fortress, and his process on ‘Flex Luthor’
0:40:45 – Patron question from Landolini: How likely is it that Tommy climbed 9b (5.15b)?
0:48:51 – Matty’s thoughts on grading
0:51:55 – Matty’s most memorable climbing achievements
0:53:53 – Climbing waterfalls in Japan with Yuji Hirayama
1:01:31 – Thoughts on adventure climbing, and his trip to India
1:06:19 – Matty’s campus board and home wall
1:09:29 – How Matty trained for ‘Flex Luthor’ on his home wall, and his relaxed approach to training
1:19:46 – Patron question from Adriel: Any tips for using bouldering as training for sport climbing? (And more about his training for Flex)
1:24:02 – Why Matty thinks sport climbing in a gym (vs. bouldering) is a waste of time
1:25:54 – Sport climbing is a strategy-based puzzle
1:28:37 – Goals and challenges
1:31:09 – Patron question from Ben: Do you have any bouldering or trad goals?
1:35:08 – Patron question from One_rocky_boi: How does Matty balance photography and filmmaking with climbing?
1:43:14 – The camera as a gift
1:45:03 – Matty’s proudest photos, and the challenges in filmmaking
1:49:39 – What’s next?
1:54:11 – Nocturne Op 62 No 1 in B (Performed by Matty Hong)
EP 190: Josh Champion — Quitting After Sending V13, and Reengaging With Climbing in a Healthier Way
Follow-Up: Martin Keller — Sending V16 at Age 45, Getting More Out of Less, and the Skill of Delayed Gratification (Teaser)
EP 189: Lily Kral — Building a Board Climbing Gym, Exotic Dancing, and Being a Work in Progress
EP 188: Joey Jannsen & Rich Breuner — Underground Hip-Hop, Cage Fighting, and Hustling ‘Til You Make It
EP 187: Stefanie Myr — Miniature Carpentry, Becoming Polyamorous, and Finding “Church” at the Gym
Four Women Have Climbed V15
Follow-Up: Katie Lamb — Box Therapy V16, and the Willingness to Persist (Teaser)
EP 186: Q&A 7 (feat. Ethan Pringle) — Rocklands Wrap-Up, Bat Hang Shenanigans, and Challenging Your Perceived Limits
EP 185: Mattias Braach-Maksvytis — All Things Dynos, Why Boulderers Should Train Their Legs, and How to Enjoy Your Climbing
EP 184: Nic Rummel — Embracing Thickness, Lessons From 9 Years of Hangboarding, and Doing Whatever It Takes to Feel Like a Badass
EP 183: Jenn DeBellis — Chasing Dream Boulders, Turning Small Wins Into Big Wins, and Sustaining a Full-Time Job on the Road
EP 182: Carlos Tkacz & Steph Letourneau — Lessons From 7 Trips to Rocklands, Being Good at Being Consistent, and Writing Novels
EP 181: Charlie Schreiber, Adam Shahar, Noah & Benn Wheeler — Accidentally Flashing V13, Board Training, and Ultimate Dream Sends
EP 180: Troy Fauteux, Austin Hoyt, & Bryce Viola — Times We Almost Died, Toe Hook Training, and Laughs and Sends in Rocklands
EP 179: Cat Runner — Life After Winning The Climb, Embracing Trans Pride, and Sending Big at 5’0”
Follow-Up: Ollie Torr — How to Improve Your Critical Force, Training Endurance at Home, and Listener Q&A (Teaser)
EP 178: Ethan Pringle Returns — Two Things He Does Every Day, Taking Your Time, and Honoring His Dad
EP 177: Tiba Vroom — Confronting Fear of Failure, Being the 8, and Taking Responsibility for Your Life
Follow-Up: Dave MacLeod — Lessons From Recent Diet Experiments, the 9a+ Goal, and Getting Stronger After Age 40 (Teaser)
EP 176: Eric Hörst Returns — Top 7 Most Common Training Mistakes
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