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.
Watch This Video!
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?”
EP 161: Sam Stroh — Botching It and Sending Anyway, and Biggest Lessons from Hard Boulders to Free Climbs on El Cap
EP 160: Fundamentals — How to Pick a Project
EP 159: Tom Randall & Sam Van Boxtel — Why YouTube is the Future of Climbing Media, and How Much $$ YouTubers Make
EP 158: Fundamentals — How to Improve Your Technique
Follow-Up: Tim Emmett — Lessons From 80+ Days on Era Vella 9a, and Changing His Diet to Thrive at Age 48 (Teaser)
EP 157: Jeannie Wall — Getting Stronger in Her 50s, the Value of Doing Challenging Things, and Slowing Down to Go Fast
EP 156: Fundamentals — How to Go on a Sport Climbing Trip
EP 155: Caleb Robinson — Reaching V13 in Four Years, Biggest Lessons From Competitive Soccer, and the Power of Consistency
Follow-Up: Aidan Roberts — Sending Alphane, Training for V18 Projects, and Listener Q&A (Teaser)
Announcing YouTube + Win a Training Bundle!
EP 154: Fundamentals — How to Go on a Bouldering Trip
EP 153: Ollie Torr — The Secret to Finger Strength, How to Climb Like Aidan Roberts, and Staying on the Bus
Follow-Up: Jordan Cannon — Sending ‘Wet Lycra Nightmare’ on the Leaning Tower (Teaser)
EP 152: Fundamentals — How to Go on a Climbing Trip
Announcing Fundamentals!
EP 151: Anna Hazelnutt — Toe Training for the World’s Hardest Slabs, and Giving Others Permission to Be Real
Follow-Up: Tyler Nelson — Cutting Edge Finger Training Ideas, and the Difference Between Active Recruitment vs. Passive Tension (Teaser)
EP 150: Luke Mehall — How Climbing Gave Him His Life, Creating The Climbing Zine, and Sustaining Creative Work
EP 149: Steven on Kegels and Coffee — We Are Not Robots, As It Turns Out
EP 148: Alan Watts (Repost) — A Life at Smith Rock, Eating Every Other Day, and Meeting Adam Ondra
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