That's Not Real Climbing

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
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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