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 120: Lea Volpe — The World of Paraclimbing Competitions, How We Perceive Wheelchairs, and Empathy in Coaching
EP 119: Carrie Cooper — Thinking of Ourselves as Athletes, Research in Climbing, and Mobility and Warming Up
EP 118: Chad Andrews Interviews Steven Dimmitt — Repost from the Clipping Chains Podcast
Follow-Up. Joe Kinder — Sending 'Mamajamma', and What I Learned from 5 Weeks of Projecting with Joe (Teaser)
EP 117: Yves Gravelle — Lessons From Grip Sports, Basing Your Training on the Demands of Your Goal, and Top 3 Finger Training Methods
EP 116: Paul Robinson — Coming Back From Injuries, Opening Up About Autism, and Working Boulders Top Down
Steven's Blog: Mar '22
Reflections: Mina
Announcing "Reflections" and "Steven's Blog"
Follow-Up: Steve Maisch — Hueco 2022 Debrief (Teaser)
EP 115: Jordan Cannon — The Triple Crown in Yosemite, Big Wall Pooping Stories, and How to Build the Skills to Climb El Capitan
EP 114: Q&A 5 — My Current Finger Training Routine, How to Deal With Bad Body Image, and Golden Nuggets for Newer Climbers
EP 113: Ned Feehally — Beastmaking, Long-Term Finger Training, and Climbing With Ankle Weights
Follow-Up: Steve McClure — Sending ‘Lexicon’ E11, Projecting Tips, and How to Enjoy a Long Life of Climbing (Teaser)
EP 112: Favia Dubyk — Specializing in Lowball Roof Bouldering, Surviving Cancer, and Learning How to Dyno
EP 111: Jerry Moffatt — Being a “Crag Rat”, Developing Your Mental Game, and What the Top Climbers Have in Common
EP 110: “The Verm” Returns — Life Lessons at Age 62, Fun Facts About Birds, and Injury Stories
Follow-Up: Josh Wharton — Attempting to Flash 'Freerider' on El Cap (Teaser)
EP 109: Martin Keller — How to Train on Rock, Your Subconscious Brain, and Lessons from 150+ Days on a Boulder
EP 108: John Sherman — Hueco Tanks in the 80s, Highballing Before Crash Pads, and Adding Layers to the Bouldering Experience
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