Alex Honnold Interview | The Tim Ferriss Show (Podcast)
Alex Honnold (@alexhonnold) is a professional adventure rock climber whose audacious free-solo (no ropes, no partner) ascents of America’s biggest cliffs have made him one of the most recognized and followed climbers in the world. Honnold is distinguished for his uncanny ability to control his fear while scaling cliffs of dizzying heights without a rope to protect him if he falls.
His most celebrated achievements include the first and only free-solo of the Moonlight Buttress (5.12d, 1,200 feet) in Zion National Park, Utah, and the Northwest Face (5.12a) of Half Dome (2,200 feet), in Yosemite, California.
Intro [00:00]
The origin story of Alex Honnold [5:21]
Different types of rock climbing [8:44]
Why Alex was studying civil engineering [11:06]
A favorite location [13:25]
To climb full-time or be a ‘dirt-bag climber’ [14:35]
Thoughts on the climbing industry and its popularity [17:43]
Self-talk for preparing for a challenging climb [20:41]
Philosophy and benefits of living simply [22:41]
A funny “soloing” story [24:26]
Eating habits [27:29]
What happens when you have to take a shit on a big wall? [29:01]
The surprising self-care that is available when free soloing [31:56]
Alpinism and what it was like to be a beginner climber again [33:54]
Alex’s climbing vs. Jimmy Chin’s? [35:51]
Biggest climbing mentors [36:56]
Important elements to becoming a good climber [37:36]
The main ways to conserve energy when climbing [39:59]
What do you worry about? [41:44]
At what point do you stop working to make more money? [42:41]
Do you get depressed? [47:16]
Is there always a “what’s next?" for Alex? [48:47]
Approaches to improving elbow health [51:16]
Impressive climbers [52:40]
Responsibility and influencing young climbers [55:05]
On deciding to turn around and climb down [57:31]
The real story about the Yosemite freak-out moment [59:25]
Best and worst jobs and deciding to stop attending Berkeley [1:02:44]
Favorite books [1:07:02]
On evaluating risk and managing fear [1:09:06]
Music for traveling and climbing [1:14:11]
When Alex hears the word "successful," who comes to mind? [1:19:16]
Food preparation and go-to dinners [1:22:26]
Morning rituals [1:23:38]
Benefits of living in a van [1:24:23]
A recent purchase with a very positive impact [1:28:52]
Lessons learned from climbing [1:29:56]
At what climbing grades have you plateaued the most? [1:33:05]
If Alex could no longer climb [1:35:42]
What else are you world-class at? [1:36:50]
Advice to your younger self [1:38:03]
How Alex keeps his training journal [1:39:34]
What would you like your life to look like in 10 years? [1:41:23]
Pee bottles and how to live without a bathroom [1:41:49]
Alex's billboard [1:43:28]
What have you changed your mind about in recent history? [1:44:36]
Connect with Alex Honnold:
Like Alex Honnold on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AlexHonnold
Follow Alex Honnold on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AlexHonnold
Follow Alex Honnold on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alexhonnold
Assessing Risk and Living Without a Rope – Lessons from Alex Honnold
Show Notes: https://tim.blog/2016/05/17/alex-honnold/
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About Tim Ferriss:
Tim Ferriss is one of Fast Company’s “Most Innovative Business People” and an early-stage tech investor/advisor in Uber, Facebook, Twitter, Shopify, Duolingo, Alibaba, and 50+ other companies. He is also the author of five #1 New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestsellers: The 4-Hour Workweek, The 4-Hour Body, The 4-Hour Chef, Tools of Titans and Tribe of Mentors. The Observer and other media have named him “the Oprah of audio” due to the influence of his podcast, The Tim Ferriss Show, which has exceeded 200 million downloads and been selected for “Best of iTunes” three years running.
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At a glance
🎯 WHAT IT’S REALLY ABOUT
Alex Honnold on Fear, Risk, Minimalism and Van Life
A.Honnold says he was never a gifted competition climber like Chris Sharma, and that his strengths are volume, endurance and big-wall and alpine-style climbing.
B.He explains that he prepares for free solos by memorizing sequences and mentally rehearsing how exposed positions will feel, and that he generally climbs hard routes only when he feels no fear and has some reserve in hand.
C.He lives minimalistically out of vans, saves and gives roughly a third of his income through the Honnold Foundation to environmental projects such as off-grid solar, and has shifted politically leftward and toward vegetarianism.
D.He describes ordinary struggles including recent injuries, feeling flat or somewhat depressed, and the stress of admin tasks, while pushing back on the idea that he has a death wish.
E.The conversation also covers practical details like technique for conserving energy, the injury risk of building muscle faster than tendons, food habits, training volume, books and entertainment tastes.
🧠 IDEAS WORTH REMEMBERING
5 ideas
1
Visualization replaces self-talk
Honnold says he doesn't use self-talk but memorizes sequences and imagines how scary positions will feel, so nothing unexpected happens on the wall.
2
Fear and risk are different things
He says fear is a warning that real danger exists, but climbing has taught him to separate justified fear from irrational fear and to register it without being controlled by it.
3
He solos only with a margin in reserve
Rather than using a checklist, he needs to feel he can climb a route in varied conditions with extra in the tank, and he backs off or prepares more when fear is high.
4
Technique beats raw strength
He advises focusing on movement, footwork and balance, keeping weight on the feet and arms straight, and warns that adults can build muscle faster than their tendons can handle.
5
Simplicity serves a single goal
He says minimalism cuts away everything other than climbing, which he enjoys most, and he lived in a van for years on roughly $10–15K a year.
💬 WORDS WORTH SAVING
5 quotes
I think that people have the wrong impression that free soloing a big wall is just like holding on for dear life the whole time.
— Unattributed
I know that it's supposed to be scary. I know that's gonna be the move. I know what it's gonna feel like, and I just do it.
— Unattributed
fear shouldn't necessarily control you any more than anything else.
— Unattributed
you kinda have to feel like a worthless piece of poop in order to get motivated enough to go do something that makes you feel less useless.
— Unattributed
I'm on a 20-year meditation retreat.
— Unattributed
Free soloing and fear managementRisk versus fear definitionsDirtbag and van-life minimalismHonnold Foundation and environmental givingClimbing technique and injury preventionAlpinism and rising climbersDiet, training journal and daily habits
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