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EP 163: Johnny Dawes — Legendary No-Hands Climbs, How to Master Footwork, and Life Lessons From Omelets to Icebergs
Description
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 – H