EP 54: Matt Segal — ‘Miami Vice’, Coffee with Benefits, and a Brief Stint with Paragliding
Matt Segal is a professional rock climber and the founder/owner of Alpine Start, a company that makes “Instant Coffee That Actually Tastes Good”. We talked about how Matt got started in climbing, his nickname ‘Miami Vice’, early mentors, losing friends in the mountains, recovering from a paragliding accident, starting a business, and innovating new products.
Alpine Start Kickstarter:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/mikeycrouch/alpine-start-with-benefits
Support the Podcast:
Show Notes:
http://thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/matt-segal
Nuggets:
2:49 – “Still starting at the bottom and trying to go to the top”
3:53 – Miami Vice, training at a young age, Tony Yaniro, and the PCA
7:19 – Matt’s first highball in Hueco
13:32 – Mentorship of Eric DeCaria, Micah Dash, and Jonny Copp
17:55 – Losing friends
20:13 – Yuji Hirayama, kids bicycles, and Beat Kammberlander
22:10 – Studying Tibetan Buddhism and Psychology in school
25:07 – The beginning of Alpine Start, and Matt’s role with the company
32:00 – “You should surround yourself with people that are smarter than you.”
34:12 – Hiring good employees
36:59 – Waterproof Mini Notebook
37:57 – Matt’s writing practice, and writing letters that you don’t send
39:13 – Fulfilment and focus
39:59 – Paragliding with Cedar Wright, and Matt’s accident
44:44 – Recovery, skiing, and building back up to 5.14
47:07 – Returning to trad climbing, and trying ‘The Path’
49:06 – Calming his mind for a headpoint attempt
49:45 – Patron Question about Matt’s accident, dark times, and “My number had been called”
52:41 – Another Patron Question, and unfinished business
54:22 – Patron Question: Any tips for training for trad climbing specifically?
55:44 – Patron Question about small gear, and Matt’s story about ripping gear in China
59:16 – Sneaky ways to equalize gear
1:00:25 – Climbing ‘Primate’ in the Flatirons
1:01:33 – Cutting his hand open at a silent zen retreat, proving the doctors wrong, and teaching Ethan Pringle how to trad climb
1:03:46 – Takeaway from the Bugaboo saga, and “partnerships are way stronger than names and grades”
1:04:58 – Grateful for wine, and cooking
1:07:27 – New products from Alpine Start and the Kickstarter (link above in show notes)
1:10:49 – Matt’s upcoming St. George trip
1:13:08 – The project on Mt. Hooker, local projects, and Matt’s cooking/climbing mashup road trip
1:16:26 – Freedom of the Wheels …2?
