Ethan Salvo: V1 to V16 in 7 Years, Movement Mastery, and Capturing the Magic

Feb 11, 2026

Ethan Salvo, a pro climber who shot from V1 to V16 in seven years, shares his rapid progression and hard sends. He talks movement mastery, project tactics like Lucid Dreaming and Event Horizon, training tweaks for contact strength and hip mobility, mental shifts toward calm presence, journaling rituals, and slowing the projecting process to let the magic happen.

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ANECDOTE

Lucid Dreaming Became A Movement Puzzle

Lucid Dreaming was a multi-season emotional project; initial attempts failed on the iconic jump move despite strength gains.
After long stays, small technical tweaks (different grip, thumb hook) and perfect conditions produced the send.

ADVICE

Adapt Strength With Targeted Short Blocks

Do project-specific training to adapt strength rather than chase generic gains when time is limited.
With Jesse Firestone Ethan focused on contact strength, fast-twitch drills, and hip mobility in a two-month block before Bishop.

INSIGHT

Projecting Can Be Strength Training If Specific

Ethan prefers climbing itself as his primary training, treating low-rep, high-output projecting as strength work.
He admits poor isolated finger-edge hangs but excels when combining whole-body tension on steep granite.

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Pro Climber, Ethan Salvo, explores:

His rapid ascent from V1 to V16 in just 7 years
Specific training for Lucid Dreaming
Adapting strength for his style
Being weak on a 20mm edge
When to commit to beta on a project
Learning to control his temper
Pursuing perfection of movement
Slowing down the projecting process
The power of journaling
Letting the magic in

BIG THANKS TO THE AMAZING SPONSORS OF THE STRUGGLE WHO LOVE ROCK CLIMBING AS MUCH AS YOU DO:

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Shoutout to Aiden Schlatter for supporting at the Hero level on Patreon. A hero indeed!

Here are some AI generated show notes (hopefully the robots got it right)

00:00 Introduction to the Struggle Climbing Show

00:31 Meet Ethan Salvo: The Young Phenom

01:16 Ethan's Climbing Journey and Achievements

03:00 The Disappearance of Portable Boulder

03:59 Conversation with Ethan: Climbing Styles and Challenges

08:10 Ethan's Training and Nutrition Insights

36:54 Tactics and Mental Game in Climbing

42:03 Micro Beta and Climbing Style

44:12 Event Horizon: The Hardest Boulder in Canada

45:11 Tactical Insights and Gear Customization

54:51 Mindset and Mental Game in Climbing

01:02:57 The Joy of the Process and Achievement

01:11:29 Journaling and Embracing the Magic

01:22:44 Future Goals and Expanding Horizons

Follow along on Instagram @thestruggleclimbingshow and YouTube /@thestruggleclimbingshow

The Struggle is carbon-neutral in partnership with The Honnold Foundation, whose mission is to promote solar energy for a more equitable world.

This show is produced and hosted by Ryan Devlin, and edited by Glen Walker. The Struggle is a proud member of the Plug Tone Audio Collective, a diverse group of the best, most impactful podcasts in the outdoor industry.

The struggle makes us stronger! I hope your training and climbing are going great.

And now here are some buzzwords to help the almighty algorithm get this show in front of people who love to climb: rock climbing, rock climber, climbing, climber, bouldering, sport climbing, gym climbing, how to rock climb, donuts are amazing. Okay, whew, that’s done. But hey, if you’re a human that’s actually reading this, and if you love this show (and love to climb) would you think about sharing this episode with a climber friend of yours? And shout it out on your socials? I’ll send you a sticker for doing it. Just shoot me a message on IG – thanks so much!