EP 100: Ben Moon
January 3, 2022
Ben Moon is a famous rock climber from the UK. He was the first person to climb 5.14c (8c+) with his route ‘Hubble’. He is also the inventor of the MoonBoard. We talked about his early climbing experiences as a kid, his first road trip to Buoux in France in 1984, how training and sport climbing have changed, how Ben uses the MoonBoard, and much more. You can learn more about Ben at moonclimbing.com
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Show Notes:
Films Mentioned:
Ben Trying Northern Lights (Boreal film)
Ben doing the FA of ‘Voyager Sit’ V14
Moon Climbing:
Routes Mentioned:
‘Mutation’ 5.15a or b, Raven Tor, UK
‘Brandenburg Gate’ 9a+ (5.15a) (Will Bosi FA of old project right of Hubble)
‘Hubble’ 8c+ or 9a (5.14c or d), Raven Tor, UK
‘Statement of Youth’ 8a (5.13b) North Wales
‘Voyager Sit’ 8B+ (V14), Burbage, Peak District, UK
‘Rainshadow’ 9a (5.14d), Malham Cove, UK
‘Northern Lights’ 9a (5.14d),
‘Agincourt’ 8c (5.14b) Buoux, France
Ben’s Links:
Nuggets:
6:02 – Putting a face to the voice, Ben’s travels in the US back in the day, and feeling like he missed out on traveling
9:17 – A dry November in the UK, and Will Bosi doing the first repeat of ‘Mutation’
11:14 – How Ben first started to climb at age 7
14:38 – Being “bitten right away” by climbing, and breaking his wrist skateboarding
16:17 – Flopping out of school and living off the dole and climbing full time
18:57 – Hunter House Road
22:16 – Standards and climbing styles in the early 80s, and training on a brick wall
26:16 – Climbing equipment in 1984
27:53 – Buoux, meeting Jerry Moffatt, and Ben’s first-ever road trip
35:38 – Doing the FA of ‘Statement of Youth’
37:54 – Friendly competition
39:08 – Dreadlocks and punk rock
40:10 – Shifting to bouldering for its own sake
42:32 – From 8a to 8c+ (or 9a) in 6 years… what was happening?
45:28 – The School Room
46:36 – How Ben and Jerry were training in the School Room, how it compares to how people train now, and Ben’s thoughts on deadhanging (hangboarding) and campus boarding
51:00 – How the Moonboard first came to be
56:56 – Moon Climbing as a company
1:00:42 – Patron question from Griffin: Favorite Moonboard hold set? Best for training?
1:02:06 – Patron question from Rebecca: New hold sets coming? Have you thought about circuits?
1:03:28 – Patron question from Karl: Looking back, what would you change about the Moonboard holds or design?
1:05:22 – Why the Moonboard is a vastly more powerful training tool than Ben’s old cellar board
1:07:37 – Patron question from Will: How does Ben use the Moonboard, and what are some of his go-to session formats?
1:12:35 – Bouldering as Ben’s top training priority, and why he thinks variety is key
1:14:11 – How Ben structures his training throughout the year, and within a week
1:17:10 – What Ben and I would each change about our training if we could go back in time
1:21:21 – FA of ‘Voyager Sit’ 8B+ (V14)
1:24:07 – Quitting climbing after ‘Voyager Sit’, and coming back and climbing ‘Rainshadow’ 9a (5.14d)
1:27:59 – Training fitness on the route, and gaining fitness with age, but fighting to maintain strength
1:31:17 – Circuit training at the climbing gym
1:34:30 – Question from Steve McClure: Does Ben feel the age thing yet?
1:38:24 – Ben’s ongoing battle with ‘Northern Lights’, and thoughts on kneebars
1:45:38 – Patron question from Markham: Background on the Mini MoonBoard? Future plans for it?
1:47:07 – Ben’s thoughts on the MoonBoard gades (he thinks they’re hard!)
1:49:24 – How hard Ben climbs on the MoonBoard
1:50:11 – Patron question from Florian: Is the Mini MoonBoard the most relevant board for training for rock?
1:51:41 – Recommendations for people who train on a MoonBoard at home, and future tools that will help
1:54:29 – Patron question from PogoStickJoe: What is the definition of Dowsy Fuck? (turns out it was “Dozy Fuck”), and what it feels like for Ben to watch his old movies
1:56:45 – Patron question from Oskar: Where can I watch The Real Thing online? (It’s in the show notes!)
1:57:45 – Patron question from Andreson: Any expedition stories?
1:58:34 – Starting a clothing brand, and getting inspiration from Christian Griffith
2:00:28 – What is Ben’s legacy?
2:02:20 – Which of Ben’s climbing achievements stand out to him
2:02:37 – What’s next for Ben, and unfinished goals
2:03:40 – Where you can find Ben (@moonclimbing on Instagram)
2:03:59 – “Train hard, climb harder.”