EP 21: Ethan Pringle
June 8, 2020
Ethan Pringle is one of the best all-around rock climbers in the world. We talked about practice vs. training, lessons learned from 50 days projecting ‘The Nest’, taking care of his dad and his experience with chronic grief, the gift of heartbreak, discovering a new depth of love, projecting highballs, and the coolest rock climbing move he has ever done.
Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Stitcher, Google Podcasts
Check out other episodes with Ethan:
Follow-Up: Ethan Pringle (Oct 2020)
EP 44: Steven Dimmitt (feat. Ethan Pringle) (Nov 2020)
A Call from Ethan (Jul 2021)
EP 178: Ethan Pringle Returns (Jul 2023)
Patreon:
Follow-Ups:
thenuggetclimbing.com/follow-ups
Podcasts:
Training Beta Podcast EP 45: Ethan Pringle on Jumbo Love, The Nest, and Depression
Route Videos:
3 Days With Ethan Pringle (attempting Jumbo Love)
‘Jumbo Love’ 5.15b (uncut send)
‘Jumbo Love’ 5.15b (uncut send w/ commentary)
‘Everything is Karate’ 5.14c/d FA
Articles:
Books:
9 out of 10 Climbers Make the Same Mistakes by Dave MacLeod
Other Mentioned Routes:
‘El Bon Combat’ 5.15b/c, Cova De l’ocell, Spain
‘Perfecto Mundo’ 5.15c, Margalef, Spain
‘Evilution Direct’ V11, Bishop, CA
‘La Rambla’ 5.15a, Siurana, Spain
‘Lee Majors’ 5.14d, Dry Canyon, AZ
Meditation Resources:
Headspace (Guided Meditation App)
Vipassana Meditation (info and courses)
Ethan’s Links:
Nuggets:
2:22 – The Pistol Squat challenge
5:58 – Practice vs training, and feeling plateaued in strength
9:18 – Improving strategy for projecting, getting really good at making climbs easier, and admiring climbers who try 100% every time they pull on the wall
12:24 – Wanting to flow vs. trying as hard as possible, learning to climb efficiently, and the game of sport climbing
16:14 – 50 days on ‘The Nest’
24:38 – Psychological vs. physical limitations on The Nest, holding on to belief, and the decision to send
27:23 – Ethan’s main takeaway from ‘The Nest’: “Crappy days are totally fine and totally normal.”
29:15 – Trying different beta, lightbulb moments, ‘El Bon Combat’, and “master beta”
33:59 – ‘Kintsugi’, the ninja-toe-catch, and the coolest rock climbing move Ethan has ever done
38:47 – His dad’s stroke, finding him on the floor, life’s pivotal moments, caregiving, and Michael Peña
49:39 – Lessons from grief, heartbreak as a gift, and a new depth of love
59:30 – Compassion, acceptance, growth
1:01:05 – Self-compassion, the ‘La Reina Mora’ story, and the debilitating combo of emotional baggage and bad beta
1:07:47 – Overextending and creating boundaries
1:13:15 – Knowing yourself and communicating boundaries
1:16:30 – Why the word “depression” doesn’t really resonate with Ethan, his own brand of internal darkness, and becoming more at peace with himself
1:21:14 – Seeing a grief counselor and why Ethan is a proponent of therapy
1:23:29 – 10-minute sits, mindfulness meditation, and Ethan’s experience and takeaways from a 10-day vipassana course
1:35:35 – Doing the second ascent of Jason Kehl’s ‘Evilution’, and why highball bouldering is such an amazing type of climbing
1:39:47 – Ethan’s highball projects in Yosemite
1:42:18 – Ethan’s approach to highballs and the effect of pulling the rope
1:44:27 – The “Brown Point”
1:46:26 – Plans for Yosemite in the Fall
1:47:12 – Dreams of finding all-natural 5.14+ or 5.15 projects
1:51:50 – Ethan’s dream van
1:54:55 – Gratitude
1:56:09 – Hugs
1:56:37 – Ethan’s Instagram and plans for a new website
1:57:32 – The gift of vulnerability, plans for a round 2, and reversing interview roles