That's Not Real Climbing

by Jinni Xia

Season 7

Season 6

Emil + Felix Abrahamsson - ANNOUNCING Fantasy Climbing League!

You likely know Emil from being one of the OG climbing Youtubers who has also competed in a few world cups for Sweden. With his brother, Felix, they have started a new Fantasy Climbing League platform! In this episode, we’ll learn about how the Fantasy Climbing League works, how they feel about sports gambling in climbing, who their top picks are for their teams, and their predictions for all things competition. Guest links: Fantasy Climbing League Site Emil’s Youtube Felix’s Instagram Emil’s Instagram Reference links: Boardclimbs App 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!! 2:01 - Living in Arco 5:22 - Starting climbing and competing 14:26 - Existential AI talk 17:14 - Fantasy Climbing League overview 21:10 - They've never played fantasy sports before!! 22:47 - Drafting strategy 25:37 - Are fantasy leagues gambling-adjacent?? 33:36 - Top picks of the season 42:07 - Are injury comebacks good picks? 45:13 - Janja vs Ai debate 52:26 - Will Tomoa have a downfall?! 1:00:03 - Tomoa v Meichi? 1:02:37 - AUDIENCE Q: What style of comp climbing would change the results the most? 1:10:21 - AUDIENCE Q: What will the future of comp climbing look like? 1:13:38 - AUDIENCE Q: What expectations should a comp beginner have? 1:18:04 - AUDIENCE Q: What's your favorite WoW dungeon? 1:19:05 - Join Fantasy Climbing League ASAP!!!

S6 · E10

Apr 27, 2026

1:20:37

Sam Avezou - The SECRETS to French Climbing

Sam is a French boulder and lead climber who has medals from several world cups and competed alongside his sister, Zelia at the Paris Olympics! In this episode, we’ll learn more about what it’s like growing up in a climbing family, tips for climbing as a short king, why he struggled in the 2025 season, and how he self-coaches. Guest links: Sam’s Instagram Guitar 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 1:24 - Mad Rock Shoutout!! 2:34 - His mother still competing at 42 years old 7:45 - Getting into climbing and competing 9:31 - AUDIENCE Q: Did growing up in a climbing family add pressure? 12:52 - Struggling between youth and senior circuits 16:51 - Rough 2025 season 22:53 - 2028 Olympics strategy 26:37 - Being a short king 31:34 - AUDIENCE Q: Tips for short kings? 35:41 - Training with the French team 37:51 - AUDIENCE Q: how do you self coach? 41:21 - Training only with climbing 45:21 - Gyms worth visiting in Paris 47:05 - Secrets to French slab 51:37 - AUDIENCE Q: What are you thinking about when climbing? 56:06 - Mental game 58:41 - 2026 goals 1:01:22 - AUDIENCE Q: Playing guitar? 1:04:58 - AUDIENCE Q: Can you make a living climbing? 1:08:40 - AUDIENCE Q: How to gain finger strength? 1:12:23 - AUDIENCE Q: Recovery routine? 1:15:56 - Where to find Sam

S6 · E9

Apr 13, 2026

1:17:10

Jackie Hueftle - The MASTERMIND Behind PCL Routesetting

Jackie was the routesetting director at the Pro Climbing League (PCL) comp and is also the co-founder of Kilter! In this episode, we’ll learn more about the unique challenges that came with setting for PCL, why she thinks it’s important to have more women setting for women’s comps, and how YOU could maybe try climbing the same exact boulders set at PCL. Guest links: Kiter’s Website Jackie’s Instagram Pro Climbing League Website Kilter Youtube Reference links: Underrated hold 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 1:20 - Mad Rock Shoutout!! 2:00 - Still cleaning up from PCL 5:42 - Interesting Kilter free-standing option 7:34 - Getting into climbing, setting, and Kilter 13:38 - The political path to becoming an IFSC setter 15:34 - Starting the Woman Up Comps 20:00 - What grade do you need to climb to be a route setter? 22:31 - AUDIENCE Q: How did you build the PCL routesetting team? 28:46 - What made setting different for PCL 32:09 - How to get separation 36:30 - AUDIENCE Q: Was this speed bouldering, was women's setting too easy? 41:57 - Is sanding down holds fair?! 43:47 - Why it's hard to calibrate for female competitors 51:16 - How boulder changeover worked 55:37 - The slab that didn't get shown 58:24 - Different competition strategies 1:03:27 - AUDIENCE Q: Harder to gauge setting than World Cup? 1:04:18 - AUDIENCE Q: Did the setting matter more than a World Cup? 1:07:04 - AUDIENCE Q: Mixed gender events in the future? 1:09:13 - AUDIENCE Q: idea - 2 betas per boulder? 1:11:12 - AUDIENCE Q: Are setters more impressed or annoyed by beta breaks? 1:17:23 - AUDIENCE Q: What makes Kilter stand out? 1:22:30 - Underrated hold? 1:25:02 - Shoutouts and long work hours 1:26:51 - YOU can reset the PCL climbs and experience them!

S6 · E8

Mar 30, 2026

1:29:52

Mickael Mawem - An HONEST talk about money in climbing

Mickael is a french boulderer and he is the bouldering world champ from Bern 2023. In this episode, we have an extremely honest conversation about how growing up poor motivated him to make money as a climber, why he stuck with climbing despite the lack of financial prospects, what his training looks like which includes warming up with 80 pull-ups, and of course, what happened during the Bern world champ finals. Shoutout to Madrock for hosting this interview at their headquarters! Guest links: Mickael’s Instagram Reference links: Climbing with Jonathan Sin Video 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 Timestamps of discussion topics 0:00 - Intro 1:30 - Mad Rock Shoutout!! 3:46 - Starting climbing with his brother Bassa 7:45 - AUDIENCE Q: Being one of the few black climbers in the IFSC 13:39 - Affording climbing when growing up poor 24:31 - Pro climbing only pays enough for the present 28:10 - Why he would not choose climbing in hindsight 30:51 - Why he still chose climbing 34:34 - AUDIENCE Q: Will you ever compete again in the IFSC? 38:33 - The goal: be rich 45:25 - Bern World Champs finals boulders 53:26 - Encountering no-tex for the first time ever 1:01:59 - Mickael's crazy pull up training 1:06:12 - How to work on your technique 1:11:47 - The secret to French slab 1:14:28 - Why he trains alone 1:21:59 - Keeping up with the evolution of climbing 1:25:44 - His future in climbing? 1:31:01 - New climbing goal 1:33:38 - AUDIENCE Q: Who were your role models growing up? 1:34:46 - AUDIENCE Q: What's your family like? 1:39:28 - AUDIENCE Q: How to maintain strength without getting injured? 1:44:50 - Where to find Mickael

S6 · E7

Mar 16, 2026

1:45:56

Mo Beck - UNRETIRING for the Paralympic Dreams

Mo is a paraclimber in the AU2 class, and she is trying to qualify for the 2028 Paralympics! She has been climbing for over 22 years and had actually retired from competing…until hearing about the Paralympics. In this episode, we’ll learn more about what it’s like climbing with a stump, whether outdoor, indoor, or comp setting is most friendly to her impairment, we’ll talk about petty drama in the community, and what sport shopping is in the Paralympics. Guest links: Mo’s Instagram Mo’s Website 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 Timestamps of discussion topics 0:00 - Intro 1:18 - Mad Rock Shoutout!! 1:59 - Lifting at a bro-y gym 3:28 - The 'stump' impairment 7:40 - Getting into climbing and competing 13:39 - Thoughts on gym setting for her stump 22:10 - Becoming a real sport means drama 28:16 - "Training" back then vs real training now 29:29 - World Cup appearances 2026 and 2027 30:55 - What we know about Paralympics qualifications 32:18 - How the Paralympics have changed paraclimbing 35:49 - Paralympic "Sport shopping" 38:09 - Heartbreak over which sport classes got chosen for the Paralympics 42:17 - What her training will look like to qualify at 39 years old 46:44 - Audience Q: What does the process look like to qualify for Paralympics? 48:59 - Dealing with comp nerves 50:49 - Is outdoor climbing more friendly for her stump? 52:38 - Outdoor projects and first ascents 58:00 - AUDIENCE Q: Favorite comp memory? 1:01:02 - AUDIENCE Q: Podium cupcake story? 1:03:20 - AUDIENCE Q: Getting sponsored by North Face and tips for getting sponsors 1:06:20 - Words of wisdom and where to find Mo

S6 · E6

Feb 23, 2026

1:08:58

Rachel Carr - No high-level FEMALE COACHES??

Rachel is a Team GB coach and also Erin McNeice’s personal coach! She started as an athlete and competed in youth worlds, but moved down the coaching path shortly after. In this episode, we’ll talk about performance anxiety as an athlete, the difficulties she faced being taken seriously as a young female coach, and we’ll get insight into team GB’s training as well as Erin’s insanely huge team of coaches. Guest links: Rachel’s Instagram Rachel’s Youtube 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 Timestamps of discussion topics 0:00 - Intro 1:23 - Mad Rock Shoutout!! 2:03 - Getting ready for British Bouldering Champs 4:41 - Performance anxiety as an athlete 8:59 - Being "realistic" on your performance 13:46 - Becoming a coach 15:44 - AUDIENCE Q: Difference between coaching youth vs senior? 20:48 - Weirdness of coaching your past competition 23:47 - Lack of trust in female coaches 31:44 - AUDIENCE Q: What advice would you give to aspiring female coaches? 34:29 - Erin's crazy huge team of coaches! 40:23 - Team GB's philosophy on training style 43:48 - Erin's 1 weird weakness... 45:47 - Overrated and underrated training techniques? 50:17 - Climbing goals 53:57 - What's better than coaching at the Olympics? 56:44 - AUDIENCE Q: Why was GB Climbing funding so bad? 58:43 - AUDIENCE Q: Team GB is so strong right now, how has that impacted camaraderie amongst athletes? 1:03:05 - AUDIENCE Q: How do you coach the mental side of competition? 1:07:53 - AUDIENCE Q: How do you think new comps like PCL will impact the scene for athletes and coaches? 1:10:05 - AUDIENCE Q: Tips for new coaches? 1:12:47 - Where to find Rachel

S6 · E5

Feb 2, 2026

1:14:03

1 of 7

That's Not Real Climbing

Antasyafi Robby Al Hilmi - Indonesian Speed Climbing DOMINANCE

Meagan + C Lad - SPONSORED belayers?!

Max Ayrton - "Alternative" Climbing Moves Are SO In

Samuel Richard - New School Climbers are LOCKED IN

Emil + Felix Abrahamsson - ANNOUNCING Fantasy Climbing League!

Sam Avezou - The SECRETS to French Climbing

Jackie Hueftle - The MASTERMIND Behind PCL Routesetting

Mickael Mawem - An HONEST talk about money in climbing

Mo Beck - UNRETIRING for the Paralympic Dreams

Rachel Carr - No high-level FEMALE COACHES??