April 16, 2025

Luke Mehall: Starting Training at 40, Why Climbers Should Write, and the Power of Good Storytelling

1 hour 11 minutes

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Climber, writer, and podcaster, Luke Mehall of The Climbing Zine, joins to discuss:

Starting training at age 40 and unlocking big gains

Falling in love with sport climbing

What it means to have a dirtbag state of mind

Why all climbers should write and writers should climb

Developing hundreds of routes and what makes the process so special

Route development 101 for those interested in first ascents

The climbing scene in El Potrero

The Climbing Zine and why YOU should be getting it

Subscribe to The Climbing Zine and check out its podcast, Dirtbag State of Mind

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

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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

159159 ratings