Should You Just Try Harder and Climbing Culture with Jonathan Siegrist - Testpiece Climbing #162
Jonathan Siegrist is one of the top sport climbers in the world, and he has been for at least a decade(s?). He recently sent anotherΒ ...
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Search every verified Jonathan Siegrist interview, podcast appearance, and on-the-record quote β each transcript cross-checked by AI and human review to confirm speaker identity. Jonathan Siegrist, a professional sport climber, has been active in discussing climbing technique, training philosophy, and the culture of the sport. In a July 2025 podcast, he emphasized the importance of eliminating hesitation and visualizing movement from the ground to the top of a route, stating that "every try is a redpoint try." He also discussed his role as Arcteryx climb team captain, advocating for athletes and guiding brand strategy. Siegrist noted that as he has gotten older, he has prioritized body work, better sleep, and nutrition, and has cut back on alcohol to aid recovery. He described using voice memos to record beta and details for projects, and said that he prefers focused 6β8 week season trips to France rather than living there long-term, citing differences in gym and therapy standards. In a December 2023 podcast, Siegrist addressed the grading of a route he had climbed, stating that he disagreed with the 15b grade and that "personally it's not there." He described grading as "more of an inner dialogue" and said he strives for honesty. In another December 2023 appearance, he discussed his nutrition, noting an "insatiable sweet tooth" and describing a typical diet of eggs, tortillas, fruits, vegetables, and protein smoothies. He also expressed the view that "we all should cut back on our meat intake for environmental reasons." In a separate December 2023 discussion, Siegrist debated rebolting old routes for safety, stating that he personally disagrees with bolting everything conveniently and that some routes are worth preserving their character. He also provided instructional tips on clipping technique and stick clip use in earlier appearances from 2016 and 2018.
“For me thereβs two things that are critically important to any climber that wants to climb things faster. One is if you can visualize the movement from the ground to the top of the route, every try is a redpoint try.”
“The best possible training you could do for a route is to climb on the route a mort β just go as hard as you can β and the sooner you can get to that phase the better; a lot of people delay actual tries until everything feels perfect and they waste time.”
“Eliminating hesitation is huge β Chris Sharma and Adam Ondra hesitate almost never; even if they put a foot in the wrong spot they stick with it and trust their gut, and often improvise on redpoints.”
“Two years ago my wife and I got French residency which has allowed us to stay and come and go as much as we want; France has a compelling residency program for people in science, sports or art if you can make a sound argument that you need to be in France to do the activity.”
“I tried living in France longer term but learned that for me it's better to do focused 6β8 week season trips and then return to the U.S. to recharge and use training and bodyβwork resources β gym and therapy standards abroad didn't always match what I rely on at home.”
“If I have a project and time, Iβll prep specifically: board training, outside simulation and targeted sessions β I use voice memos to record beta and details so that when I return the information is fresh.”
“As you get older you need body work, better sleep and nutrition β I see huge benefit from regular massage/PT and Iβve cut alcohol way back because recovery and consistent training matter more now.”
“If you want a career in climbing, athletic ability is the foundation but itβs not sufficient: show clear value to a brand (photos, communication, clinics, storytelling), be reliable and answer the email β consistency and authentic storytelling matter a lot.”
“As Arcteryx climb team captain I try to advocate for athletes and also for the brand β checking in with athletes, guiding strategy, and helping create opportunities beyond peak athletic years is part of the role.”
“I don't want to make too big of a deal out of this, but I do disagree with the 15b grade; personally it's not there.”
“To me grading is more of an inner dialogue β honesty is what I ultimately strive for, even though I'm not always that good at it.”
“I think we all should cut back on our meat intake for environmental reasons.”
“They make unquestionably the best vegan protein powder on the market.”
“I'm going to show you three nifty ways to use a stick clip β a stick clip is basically a really simple tool that I take with me sport climbing every day; it enables me to clip the first draw of a project I'm trying if I'm worried about a ground fall.”
“To put a draw and your rope on the first draw you load the draw into this little device β the device will hold the gate open and keep the draw sturdy, then reach the device up to the first draw so you're safe for the first few meters of your climb.”
Jonathan Siegrist is one of the top sport climbers in the world, and he has been for at least a decade(s?). He recently sent anotherΒ ...
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Pick Of The Week: https://goo.gl/CVeEqY Let's be honest, clipping and be a faff, especially when you are pumped out of your mindΒ ...
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