Ep. 139: Damage Control in Chaos with Lee Cossey

Photo by http://www.kamilsustiak.com/

If Australian Lee Cossey lived in North America, he’d be a name mentioned alongside Tommy Caldwell and Sonnie Trotter as one of the best all around climbers on the planet. That’s because he IS one of the best all around climbers on the planet. For some reason, despite the internet making information easy to share, we in the US are largely blind to what else - or who else - is out there.

Lee has not only established and climbed 5.14+ and hard double digits boulders, he’s also freed several El Cap routes - done in a single push with no fixed ropes - and climbed huge Patagonian walls (Riders on the Storm). He’s also a physio and climbing coach. And husband. And dad. Lee’s wife, Andrea Hah, who makes a cameo in this episode, is an exercise physiologist and bonafide badass herself - maybe Australia’s best female all around climber. She and Lee own and operate Move Clinic, a one stop shop for keeping and making athletes strong and healthy, as well as Camp Street Climbing, an adjoining climbing gym, both located in Katoomba.

I sat down with Lee at his home in the Blue Mountains to discuss some of his philosophies as both a coach and as one of Australia’s strongest (and best) climbers. He’s a legend around there - deservedly so - and like so many legends in this sport, you’d never know unless someone else pointed it out for him.

I’m here to point it out.

Photo by http://www.kamilsustiak.com