January 22, 2025

Connor Herson: Trad Phenom, 5.15 Without Hangboarding, and the Value of 'Easy' Days

1 hour 22 minutes

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In this episode, elite climber Connor Herson explores:

What social media doesn't reveal about the process of hard climbing

Struggling with training, and avoiding hangboarding and weightlifting

How projecting 5.15 feels similar (and different) to projecting lower grades

Lighter is not better on big walls

His unexpected send of Magic Line, one of the hardest trad crack climbs in the world

Movement and technique vs strength and power

Creative gear placement strategies for trad climbing

The benefit of top rope sessions

The tradeoff between comp climbing and outdoor climbing

Why climbing easier routes is so important

CHAPTERS:

Struggle: (0:10:48)

Training: (0:29:10)

Nutrition: (0:47:05)

Tactics: (0:51:46)

Mental Game: (1:04:22)

Purpose: (1:06:13)

BIG THANKS TO THE AMAZING SPONSORS OF THE STRUGGLE WHO LOVE ROCK CLIMBING AS MUCH AS YOU DO:

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The Struggle is carbon-neutral in partnership with The Honnold Foundation, whose mission is to promote solar energy for a more equitable world.

This show is produced and hosted by Ryan Devlin, and edited by Glen Walker. The Struggle is a proud member of the Plug Tone Audio Collective, a diverse group of the best, most impactful podcasts in the outdoor industry.

The struggle makes us stronger! I hope your training and climbing are going great.

And now here are some buzzwords to help the almighty algorithm get this show in front of people who love to climb: rock climbing, rock climber, climbing, climber, bouldering, sport climbing, gym climbing, how to rock climb, donuts are amazing. Okay, whew, that’s done. But hey, if you’re a human that’s actually reading this, and if you love this show (and love to climb) would you think about sharing this episode with a climber friend of yours? And shout it out on your socials? I’ll send you a sticker for doing it. Just shoot me a message on IG – thanks so much!

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By Ryan Devlin

4.7

161161 ratings