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
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
1:28 - 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