That's Not Real Climbing

Bharath and Vishak are climbers from team India who now have experience at several world series events. In this episode, we’ll hear about the unique challenges they face climbing and training in India, some crazy stories about the worst bouldering nationals ever, why they think the average age for comp climbing will get older, and how they aim to grow climbing in India by routesetting and making climbing shoes.

Guest links:

Bharath's Instagram

Vishak's Instagram

Reference links:

Thank you Mad Rock for sponsoring this episode! Use code 'notrealclimber' for 10% off your ENTIRE order, even if you're a returning customer! https://madrock.com/

Learn more about the podcast at www.thatsnotrealclimbingpodcast.com

Follow on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/thatsnotrealclimbingpodcast

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Timestamps of discussion topics

0:00 - Intro

1:28 - Mad Rock Shoutout!!

2:19 - Training in Japan

7:01 - Getting into climbing and competing

15:10 - India climbing scene then vs now

16:57 - The state of setting in India

23:36 - The worst comp EVER

28:31 - Outdoor climbing in India

30:11 - What happens in World Climbing ISO

36:11 - Best tips from pro climbers

40:47 - Give Bharath some skin advice please!

44:00 - Team dynamics in ISO

47:21 - Crazy coaching practices in India

52:34 - Will comp climbing stop being so young??

1:00:54 - New school moves and coordination rock climbs?!

1:03:10 - Making climbing shoes

1:09:35 - Balancing training and setting

1:13:08 - Asia cup goal

1:17:57 - AUDIENCE Q: What do you wish you knew before you started?

1:21:37 - AUDIENCE Q: Dealing with plateaus and injury?

1:24:11 - AUDIENCE Q: Getting through tenosynovitis?

1:26:48 - AUDIENCE Q: What is your inspiration to keep going?

1:29:16 - AUDIENCE Q: Plans for a Youtube channel?

1:31:38 - AUDIENCE Q: Sneaking out of boarding school?

1:33:48 - Words of wisdom

1:39:37 - Where to find Bharath and Vishak

Lučka is a lead climber from Slovenia who recently won bronze at the European championships and came back to the world climbing scene after undergoing cancer-removing surgery in 2025. In this episode, we’ll hear about how her cancer diagnosis affected her climbing, training, and mental health, we’ll learn about the Slovenian team, and we’ll put together a tier list for the worst things that can happen in a lead comp.

Guest links:

Lucka's Instagram

Reference links:

Thank you Mad Rock for sponsoring this episode! Use code 'notrealclimber' for 10% off your ENTIRE order, even if you're a returning customer! https://madrock.com/

Learn more about the podcast at www.thatsnotrealclimbingpodcast.com

Follow on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/thatsnotrealclimbingpodcast

Join the FREE community in Discord! https://discord.gg/QTa668g8zp

Join Patreon for a welcome gift, deleted scenes, and question priority: www.patreon.com/thatsnotrealclimbingpodcast

Timestamps of discussion topics

0:00 - Intro

1:29 - Mad Rock Shoutout!!

2:24 - Finger injury before European champs

5:54 - Getting into climbing and competing

11:11 - Reading and memorizing the lead route

15:38 - Ranking the worst things to happen during a lead route

20:02 - Training plan

22:11 - Thyroid cancer diagnosis + emetaphobia

31:20 - How long it took to return to climbing

35:50 - The mental effect of returning to competition

38:56 - Does the Slovenian team train with Janja?

42:53 - Dating within the team

45:50 - 2028 Olympic hopes?

47:58 - Post-climbing plans?

53:12 - Future dog plans

56:53 - AUDIENCE Q: Are you afraid of falling?

1:00:15 - AUDIENCE Q: Previous Slovenian legends?

1:01:36 - AUDIENCE Q: How many routes and what difficulty in 1 session?

1:05:53 - Where to find Lucka

Ella is a lead climber on team USA who made her first world series finals earlier this year in Prague! In this episode, we’ll learn about how she climbs the same lead routes all year round to train in Arizona, why she doesn’t want to move to Salt Lake City despite that, how a simple vitamin deficiency wrecked her body for a whole year, and how she went from placing 40th in world cups to making semis and finals in 1 year.

Guest links:

Ella's Instagram

Reference links:

Check out https://comp.rocks for climbing competitions near you! (Currently USA only)

Thank you Mad Rock for sponsoring this episode! Use code 'notrealclimber' for 10% off your ENTIRE order, even if you're a returning customer! https://madrock.com/

Learn more about the podcast at www.thatsnotrealclimbingpodcast.com

Follow on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/thatsnotrealclimbingpodcast

Join the FREE community in Discord! https://discord.gg/QTa668g8zp

Join Patreon for a welcome gift, deleted scenes, and question priority: www.patreon.com/thatsnotrealclimbingpodcast

Timestamps of discussion topics

0:00 - Intro

1:42 - Mad Rock Shoutout!!

2:33 - Preparing for Koper

10:36 - Starting climbing at 3

14:03 - Getting coached by her dad

20:09 - Fitness is all that matters for lead?

24:42 - Why she doesn't want to move to SLC

30:14 - Beta video before lead quails!!!

34:36 - Seeing a dyno in a lead route

35:58 - First WS finals experience

41:33 - 40th place to making finals in 1 year

44:38 - Training routine

49:52 - Ella LOVES autobelays!

57:13 - Youth climbers don't need to hang board

59:41 - A year of health issues

1:10:08 - Upcoming goals

1:13:25 - Balancing training with coaching and college

1:19:40 - AUDIENCE Q: How do you deal with pressure?

1:21:46 - AUDIENCE Q: Do you do fantasy climbing league?

1:22:58 - AUDIENCE Q: Would you ever go back to Schwandorf?

1:29:33 - Where to find Ella

Robby is a speed climber from Indonesia who has already gotten 2 silver medals in the world series season this year! In this episode, we’ll learn about the climbing scene in Indonesia, speed climbing rituals and whether they’re actually helpful, we’ll hear this thoughts on the 4 lane and speed relay formats, and we’ll get insight into how he got so good at speed climbing after only training it consistently for 3 years.

Guest links:

Robby's Instagram

Reference links:

Robby's favorite speed moment - Sam's WR

Thank you Mad Rock for sponsoring this episode! Use code 'notrealclimber' for 10% off your ENTIRE order, even if you're a returning customer! https://madrock.com/

Learn more about the podcast at www.thatsnotrealclimbingpodcast.com

Follow on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/thatsnotrealclimbingpodcast

Join the FREE community in Discord! https://discord.gg/QTa668g8zp

Join Patreon for a welcome gift, deleted scenes, and question priority: www.patreon.com/thatsnotrealclimbingpodcast

Timestamps of discussion topics

0:00 - Intro

1:37 - Mad Rock Shoutout!!

2:28 - Getting medals in Europe

3:51 - Only been seriously speed training for 3 years?!

10:33 - Breaking plateaus

15:26 - Ritual before each speed run

21:15 - What's more important: Speed or consistency?

22:58 - What speed training looks like

28:57 - Opinion on relay format

31:40 - How team selection works

37:23 - The surprises that come with 4 lanes

39:27 - Indonesia climbing scene

45:44 - 2027 goals and lessons from Sam Watson + Zhao Yicheng

51:17 - Olympic dreams

52:15 - Hobbies and studying

53:39 - AUDIENCE Q: How do you handle burnout?

56:57 - AUDIENCE Q: How did you improve so fast?

59:11 - AUDIENCE Q: Do you breathe during a speed run?

1:00:21 - AUDIENCE Q: Do you train other sports?

1:01:30 - AUDIENCE Q: Describe your previous coach?

1:03:48 - Where to find Robby

Meagan Knecht and C Lad are both level 5 belayers in the USA who are also helping out with belay training videos for World Climbing. In this episode, we’ll debunk the myth that women can’t belay men or heavier climbers, we’ll learn about the problems with Assisted Braking Device (ABD)requirements in gyms, and of course, we'll talk about how to get into high level belaying and how they became SPONSORED belayers thanks to Trango.

Guest links:

USA Belay Instagram

C Lad's Instagram

Meagan's Instagram

USA Belay YouTube

Reference links:

Wujiang 2025 Belayer Aiding Climber

Thank you Mad Rock for sponsoring this episode! Use code 'notrealclimber' for 10% off your ENTIRE order, even if you're a returning customer! https://madrock.com/

Learn more about the podcast at www.thatsnotrealclimbingpodcast.com

Follow on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/thatsnotrealclimbingpodcast

Join the FREE community in Discord! https://discord.gg/QTa668g8zp

Join Patreon for a welcome gift, deleted scenes, and question priority: www.patreon.com/thatsnotrealclimbingpodcast

Timestamps of discussion topics

0:00 - Intro

1:29 - Mad Rock Shoutout!!

2:19 - Excitement for Pan-American series

4:21 - Getting into climbing and belaying

14:02 - AUDIENCE Q: Difference between an avg vs elite belayer?

20:26 - Work that allows the flexibility for travel

22:48 - How to get into belaying at a high level

27:43 - Setting the standard for World Climbing

34:36 - ATC vs ABDs in gyms

39:06 - The belayer's unique pivotal role

43:41 - Snugroping?

45:28 - Athlete interactions

48:00 - Dual-belay system

52:44 - Is it too late to become an Olympics belayer?

56:42 - Being sponsored as belayers

1:01:54 - Why is belaying para the best?

1:08:46 - Routesetting that makes belaying harder

1:14:25 - AUDIENCE Q: What's it like to walk up to an Olympian and belay them?

1:16:59 - AUDIENCE Q: Favorite venue to belay at?

1:18:33 - Where to find the beladies and words of wisdom

Max is a World Climbing routesetter from Great Britain who most recently set for the bouldering world series in Bern 2026 and will be setting for Salt Lake in October as well. In this episode, we’ll learn about hold shaping, what happened when the Bern finals boulders got leaked early online, whether world cup routesetters can actually climb the boulders they set, and we’ll hear about his extremely hot take on “alternative” climbing moves...I had no idea that he was the infamous cartwheel boulder setter.

Guest links:

Max's Instagram

Reference links:

Bern Women's M3

CWIF Cartwheel Boulder

Thank you Mad Rock for sponsoring this episode! Use code 'notrealclimber' for 10% off your ENTIRE order, even if you're a returning customer! https://madrock.com/

Learn more about the podcast at www.thatsnotrealclimbingpodcast.com

Follow on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/thatsnotrealclimbingpodcast

Join the FREE community in Discord! https://discord.gg/QTa668g8zp

Join Patreon for a welcome gift, deleted scenes, and question priority: www.patreon.com/thatsnotrealclimbingpodcast

Timestamps of discussion topics

0:00 - Intro

1:21 - Mad Rock Shoutout!!

2:28 - Climbing, competing, setting background

7:00 - World climbing setting levels

10:44 - Bern Finals boulders got leaked

15:24 - AUDIENCE Q: Is it easier setting in a climate-controlled venue?

18:24 - What is the perfect round?

22:02 - AUDIENCE Q: What guidance does world climbing give for setters?

24:19 - Forerunning process

29:26 - Setting "unconventional" moves

34:46 - OMG!! This is the OG cartwheel guy!!

38:00 - The divergence of indoor/comp climbing from outdoors

42:34 - Zones vs tops point change

44:53 - Starting Contact Holds with Alex Waterhouse

52:55 - AUDIENCE Q: What's Alex Waterhouse up to?!

54:26 - AUDIENCE Q: Is there any consideration for the belayer when setting?

59:21 - AUDIENCE Q: Planning vs improvising problems?

1:00:45 - AUDIENCE Q: Will the Christmas Yule log comp be on this year?

1:02:29 - AUDIENCE Q: Favorite member of house 51?

1:03:21 - Words of wisdom and where to find Max

Sam is an 18 year old French boulderer who just recently won bronze at the 2026 Madrid world climbing series. You may also know him as the youngest person to ever do v17. In this episode, we’ll get insight into the world of new school climbing, how regimented routines and being locked in could push climbing further than ever before, and how he may want to just give up climbing one day.

Guest links:

Sam’s Youtube

Sam’s Instagram

Reference links:

Thank you Mad Rock for sponsoring this episode! Use code 'notrealclimber' for 10% off your ENTIRE order, even if you're a returning customer! https://madrock.com/

Learn more about the podcast at www.thatsnotrealclimbingpodcast.com

Follow on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/thatsnotrealclimbingpodcast

Join the FREE community in Discord! https://discord.gg/QTa668g8zp

Join Patreon for a welcome gift, deleted scenes, and question priority: www.patreon.com/thatsnotrealclimbingpodcast

Timestamps of discussion topics

0:00 - Intro

1:26 - Mad Rock Shoutout!!

2:17 - Reflecting on Madrid World Series

6:40 - Can you see results in ISO?

9:31 - Starting climbing at age 2

12:46 - Climbing strengths and weaknesses

16:17 - Fearlessness for new school climbing

22:05 - French team training and powering out

24:30 - French Team Selection

29:36 - Qualis is the most physical round

31:37 - "Sam Richard" as a persona

35:19 - Getting energy from the audience

38:41 - Climbing journal

43:49 - Hot take: outdoor climbing is better than indoor?

51:35 - Youngest person to climb v17?

53:08 - Climbing optimization

57:13 - Quitting climbing for running...

1:01:39 - AUDIENCE Q: How's the transition from youth to senior?

1:05:13 - AUDIENCE Q: How to hype yourself up?

1:07:05 - AUDIENCE Q: How's the bromance between you, Mejdi, and Manu?

1:10:05 - Words of widsom and where to find Sam

Andy is a climbing PT and this is his second time on the podcast. This time, he’s here with new research to talk about why youth climbers are maybe overdoing it with the climbing training, what early arthritis looks like, and the surprising dangers of outdoor climbing when it comes to competition climbers.

Guest links:

Website

Instagram

Reference links:

Thank you Mad Rock for sponsoring this episode! Use code 'notrealclimber' for 10% off your ENTIRE order, even if you're a returning customer! https://madrock.com/

Learn more about the podcast at www.thatsnotrealclimbingpodcast.com

Follow on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/thatsnotrealclimbingpodcast

Join the FREE community in Discord! https://discord.gg/QTa668g8zp

Join Patreon for a welcome gift, deleted scenes, and question priority: www.patreon.com/thatsnotrealclimbingpodcast

Timestamps of discussion topics

0:00 - Intro

1:05 - Mad Rock Shoutout!!

1:45 - Spain trip and watching PCL

4:44 - Getting into climbing and PT

8:00 - Youth getting into competing more?

9:10 - Are youth climber overtraining?

11:28 - Outcome of growth plate fractures

16:43 - Youth Climbers very rarely get injured

21:28 - Youth climbers should not specialize in climbing

32:03 - What does arthritis look like?

37:00 - Is synovitis a sign of future arthritis?

38:55 - Injuries are actually coming from outdoor climbing....

46:32 - Max Milne's Foot Injury

49:53 - Are injury rates increasing within comp climbers?

52:53 - AUDIENCE Q: Common adult injuries breaking into the comp scene?

59:48 - AUDIENCE Q: Can you even climb with hyper mobility?

1:06:54 - Words of wisdom and where to find Andy

You likely know Emil from being one of the OG climbing Youtubers who has also competed in a few world cups for Sweden. With his brother, Felix, they have started a new Fantasy Climbing League platform! In this episode, we’ll learn about how the Fantasy Climbing League works, how they feel about sports gambling in climbing, who their top picks are for their teams, and their predictions for all things competition.

Guest links:

Fantasy Climbing League Site

Emil’s Youtube

Felix’s Instagram

Emil’s Instagram

Reference links:

Boardclimbs App

Thank you Mad Rock for sponsoring this episode! Use code 'notrealclimber' for 10% off your ENTIRE order, even if you're a returning customer! https://madrock.com/

Learn more about the podcast at www.thatsnotrealclimbingpodcast.com

Follow on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/thatsnotrealclimbingpodcast

Join the FREE community in Discord! https://discord.gg/QTa668g8zp

Join Patreon for a welcome gift, deleted scenes, and question priority: www.patreon.com/thatsnotrealclimbingpodcast

Timestamps of discussion topics

0:00 - Intro

1:21 - Mad Rock Shoutout!!

2:01 - Living in Arco

5:22 - Starting climbing and competing

14:26 - Existential AI talk

17:14 - Fantasy Climbing League overview

21:10 - They've never played fantasy sports before!!

22:47 - Drafting strategy

25:37 - Are fantasy leagues gambling-adjacent??

33:36 - Top picks of the season

42:07 - Are injury comebacks good picks?

45:13 - Janja vs Ai debate

52:26 - Will Tomoa have a downfall?!

1:00:03 - Tomoa v Meichi?

1:02:37 - AUDIENCE Q: What style of comp climbing would change the results the most?

1:10:21 - AUDIENCE Q: What will the future of comp climbing look like?

1:13:38 - AUDIENCE Q: What expectations should a comp beginner have?

1:18:04 - AUDIENCE Q: What's your favorite WoW dungeon?

1:19:05 - Join Fantasy Climbing League ASAP!!!

Sam is a French boulder and lead climber who has medals from several world cups and competed alongside his sister, Zelia at the Paris Olympics! In this episode, we’ll learn more about what it’s like growing up in a climbing family, tips for climbing as a short king, why he struggled in the 2025 season, and how he self-coaches.

Guest links:

Sam’s Instagram

Guitar Instagram

Reference links:

Thank you Mad Rock for sponsoring this episode! Use code 'notrealclimber' for 10% off your ENTIRE order, even if you're a returning customer! https://madrock.com/

Learn more about the podcast at www.thatsnotrealclimbingpodcast.com

Follow on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/thatsnotrealclimbingpodcast

Join the FREE community in Discord! https://discord.gg/QTa668g8zp

Join Patreon for a welcome gift, deleted scenes, and question priority: www.patreon.com/thatsnotrealclimbingpodcast

Timestamps of discussion topics

0:00 - Intro

1:24 - Mad Rock Shoutout!!

2:34 - His mother still competing at 42 years old

7:45 - Getting into climbing and competing

9:31 - AUDIENCE Q: Did growing up in a climbing family add pressure?

12:52 - Struggling between youth and senior circuits

16:51 - Rough 2025 season

22:53 - 2028 Olympics strategy

26:37 - Being a short king

31:34 - AUDIENCE Q: Tips for short kings?

35:41 - Training with the French team

37:51 - AUDIENCE Q: how do you self coach?

41:21 - Training only with climbing

45:21 - Gyms worth visiting in Paris

47:05 - Secrets to French slab

51:37 - AUDIENCE Q: What are you thinking about when climbing?

56:06 - Mental game

58:41 - 2026 goals

1:01:22 - AUDIENCE Q: Playing guitar?

1:04:58 - AUDIENCE Q: Can you make a living climbing?

1:08:40 - AUDIENCE Q: How to gain finger strength?

1:12:23 - AUDIENCE Q: Recovery routine?

1:15:56 - Where to find Sam