EP 50: Jon Cardwell — Projecting 5.15, Pre-Training Modes, and Bouldering for Sport Climbing

Jon Cardwell is a professional rock climber who specializes in bouldering and sport climbing. Jon’s tick list includes V15, multiple 5.15a’s, and hundreds of 5.14s. We talked about lessons learned from ‘Biographie’ and ‘La Rambla’, about his off-season and pre-training modes, about bouldering for sport climbing, and about his current 5.15 project at The Fortress in Colorado.  

Support on Patreon:  

patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing  

Show Notes:  

http://thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/jon-cardwell  

Nuggets:  

4:05 – Training at home during quarantine, and forced time off from climbing  

5:44 – Taking time off over the holidays, and setting goals for the new year  

8:14 – How Jon trains for a goal route (broad strokes)  

10:45 – Tapering, the performance window, and incorporating hiking when preparing for ‘Biographie’  

14:04 – Jon’s typical climbing schedule when trying a 5.15 project, and differences between ‘Biographie’ and ‘La Rambla’  

15:46 – Sending ‘La Lambla’, and taking a step back to recharge for a hard project  

20:03 – Jon’s current 5.15 project, and how his training has changed vs. previous 5.15s  

23:24 – More details about Jon’s project  

28:50 – Running to circulate blood and aid recovery  

30:31 – Breakdown of project pitch 1  

33:32 – Skin cooling, and portable fans as the future of sport climbing  

37:48 – Using the tension board, Jon’s “pre-training” mode(s), and bouldering for sport climbing  

43:16 – Outdoor vs. indoor bouldering  

46:53 – Moderate days and enjoying climbing  

50:55 – Jon’s trips to Ten Sleep this summer  

53:06 – Memorable climbs/sends that didn’t make the headlines, and Carlo’s “Triple 14” day  

59:36 – ‘Misty Wall’  

1:09:40 – Patron Question: What are some of Jon’s favorite FiveTen shoes?  

1:12:43 – Patron Question: Do you have any takeaways from dealing with climbing finger injuries?  

1:19:16 – Thoughts on preventing finger injuries, and when to let go  

1:24:01 – Advice for newer climbers (first few years)  

1:28:06 – Advice for climbers with limited access to outdoor climbing, and coaching kids  

1:32:52 – Route setting  

1:36:06 – Moving toward a new career  

1:37:55 – One of the best decisions Jon has ever made  

1:39:55 – Photography, dog walking, and being in the mountains  

1:40:43 – Gratitude for health  

1:42:02 – Favorite post-climb meal  

1:42:52 – ‘The Wind-Up Bird’