Johnny Dawes is a legendary British rock climber known for his exceptional footwork and unique dynamic style. We talked about his first ascent of Indian Face (the first-ever E9) when it was likely the most dangerous route in the world, climbing 5.13b (8a) slabs without using his hands, tips for mastering footwork, his writing practice and current book project, and life lessons involving three-legged stools, omelets, pasta, icebergs, and more.
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Johnny's 7-Minute Video on The Guardian
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Show Notes:
thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/johnny-dawes
Nuggets:
0:04:22 – A couple of fun stories from our past lives
0:08:01 – Having a blue day, dicking about, and thoughts on what he wants to accomplish in his life
0:10:25 – The head, the heart, and the gut
0:11:22 – Knowing where you’re going, the water bottle, and the grannies
0:15:51 – Why I was so excited to talk with Johnny
0:17:24 – Crawling out the driver's window of his car with a brick on the accelerator
0:21:42 – Breaking down one of his legendary no-hand climbs (watch the Guardian video!)
0:26:35 – Johnny’s ideal staircase, and flattening the world to flatter our egos
0:30:07 – Bolts and baked potatoes
0:32:04 – Johnny’s thoughts about modern bouldering, and being impressed with Shawn Raboutou
0:33:38 – Chess problems, eyes bigger than tummy, and what brought the best out of Johnny in his climbing
0:37:55 – Sticking an 8A (V11) hang on two terrible holds
0:42:06 – What Johnny looks for in climbing, and the musicality of climbing
0:52:04 – Hank Pascal
0:53:27 – Watchin Jerry Moffatt climb Masters Wall, and why Johnny felt compelled to climb Indian Face, the world’s first E9
1:01:09 – North Wales, the apple tree, and wanting to be a part of the history of the sport
1:10:01 – Sending Indian Face, partying at the disco, trying The Meltdown 9a, and some of Johnny’s recent new routes at Cloggy
1:15:19 – Breakdown of the difficulty and gear on Indian Face, and how it got its name
1:20:36 – Kurt Albert on the escalator
1:23:59 – Patron comment from Artjom, and no-hands tips and exercises from Johnny
1:27:48 – The hardest things Johnny has climbed without his hands, and climbing 1600+ “walks” in Britain
1:31:15 – Spectacular Walks on British Rock
1:32:38 – Making grip
1:35:47 – How no-hands climbing applies to hard technical rock climbing
1:37:55 – How Johnny Dawes approaches improving footwork
1:41:19 – Writing the Footwork Handbook
1:43:38 – His autobiography, his writing practice, and the mysteries of consciousness
1:47:58 – Zen and the Art of Archery
1:51:03 – A window into being alive, and games that keep you present
1:53:12 – “Your enthusiasm tells you who you are”, and climbing in gardening gloves
1:55:19 – Patron question from Will: What climbers inspired Johnny early on?
1:57:50 – Music, writing, and artistic inspirations
1:58:40 – Who does Johnny pay attention to these days in climbing?
2:01:05 – Patron question from Nick: What do you think climbing will or should look like in another 30 years?
2:03:12 – Climbing shoe evolution, and the world’s strongest man
2:05:19 – Life lessons with Johnny Dawes, the three-legged stool, and making omelets and pasta
2:12:20 – Formative causation
2:14:19 – Go to bed when you’re tired, and treat people like icebergs
2:15:35 – “It is never too late to be who you might have been.”
2:19:37 – Roof man, and being useless
2:22:12 – Reading Jeff Smoot’s book, and why humans do dangerous things
2:25:22 – Wanting to do impossible things, and “modern life can go f*** itself”
2:26:57 – “Can I go?”
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
EP 175: Ady Wright — The Pressure of Opportunity, Acts of Rebellion, and Eating Oreos for Breakfast
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