1 00:00:20,411 --> 00:00:24,850 [wind] 2 00:00:38,255 --> 00:00:43,086 [deep breathing] 3 00:00:54,706 --> 00:01:00,886 ♪ 4 00:01:15,379 --> 00:01:19,557 ♪ 5 00:01:23,474 --> 00:01:28,000 HELEN: Our next guest is a free soloing phenomenon, please welcome Alex Honnold. 6 00:01:31,830 --> 00:01:34,703 Here is what I don't understand. 7 00:01:34,746 --> 00:01:39,011 One little mistake, one little slip, and you fall and die. 8 00:01:40,535 --> 00:01:43,712 ALEX: Yeah, I mean, uh, you seem to understand it well... 9 00:01:43,755 --> 00:01:46,280 -Yeah. -Yeah. 10 00:01:47,368 --> 00:01:50,980 ALEX: And I feel like anybody could conceivably die on any given day. 11 00:01:52,286 --> 00:01:56,464 Soloing makes it feel far more immediate and much more present. 12 00:01:58,901 --> 00:02:02,600 DAVE: Does it feel different to be up there without a rope? 13 00:02:03,471 --> 00:02:05,690 ALEX: When you're climbing without a rope, it's obviously like 14 00:02:05,734 --> 00:02:08,302 much higher consequence, much, much higher level of focus. 15 00:02:08,345 --> 00:02:11,653 You know, it's a whole different experience. 16 00:02:13,176 --> 00:02:15,613 So it's not like I'm just pushing and pushing and pushing 17 00:02:15,657 --> 00:02:17,485 until something terrible happens. 18 00:02:17,528 --> 00:02:20,401 I don't look at it, like, with that perspective. 19 00:02:21,663 --> 00:02:24,579 But maybe that's why it's dangerous for me. 20 00:02:24,622 --> 00:02:28,800 Maybe I'm too close to it and I can't tell that I'm speeding towards a cliff. 21 00:02:45,469 --> 00:02:47,732 Okay. 22 00:02:58,700 --> 00:03:01,181 I like to differentiate between risk and consequence. 23 00:03:01,224 --> 00:03:04,227 You know, when I'm doing these hard free solos I like to think that the risk, 24 00:03:04,271 --> 00:03:05,924 you know, the chance of me falling off is 25 00:03:05,968 --> 00:03:08,231 quite low even though the consequence is extremely high. 26 00:03:08,275 --> 00:03:10,625 And that's kind of like one of the appeals of free soloing, you know, 27 00:03:10,668 --> 00:03:14,281 to take something that seems difficult and dangerous and make it feel safe. 28 00:03:14,542 --> 00:03:18,589 -So, do you think that, uh, being a rock climber has been a positive or negative 29 00:03:18,633 --> 00:03:20,330 for your dating life? 30 00:03:20,374 --> 00:03:21,810 -My dating life? 31 00:03:21,853 --> 00:03:23,290 -Yeah. 32 00:03:23,333 --> 00:03:25,814 -I think, uh, I think overall it's been a negative. 33 00:03:25,857 --> 00:03:28,860 Um, I just travel too much and I live in a car. 34 00:03:35,345 --> 00:03:38,522 BETH: Let's talk through some of the climbing adventures you've had. 35 00:03:38,957 --> 00:03:41,569 The historic free solo climb, Moonlight Buttress. 36 00:03:41,612 --> 00:03:44,702 ALEX: When I did it, it was like, "Oh," you know, kind of groundbreaking, 37 00:03:44,746 --> 00:03:46,748 kind of extreme. 38 00:03:46,791 --> 00:03:50,186 But for me it always felt quite easy and pretty secure. 39 00:03:50,491 --> 00:03:53,537 BETH: Well, that wasn't where you stopped, because that next challenge then 40 00:03:53,581 --> 00:03:55,844 was free soloing Half Dome. 41 00:03:56,845 --> 00:04:00,283 ALEX: Half Dome was a huge step for me because it was twice as big as anything 42 00:04:00,327 --> 00:04:02,329 I'd ever soloed. 43 00:04:03,504 --> 00:04:06,855 REPORTER [over TV]: Free soloing is so dangerous that less than 1% of people 44 00:04:06,898 --> 00:04:08,900 who climb attempt it. 45 00:04:09,640 --> 00:04:13,949 Alex has done more than 1,000 free solo climbs, but none were tougher than this one. 46 00:04:16,473 --> 00:04:19,737 ALEX: I got quite scared in some places, and then you start to panic a little bit. 47 00:04:20,172 --> 00:04:23,219 And then you have to, like, reel it all back in. 48 00:04:25,352 --> 00:04:28,442 -What is next in free solo climbing? 49 00:04:28,746 --> 00:04:31,009 -Well, I don't know, I mean, I've thought about El Cap, like, 50 00:04:31,053 --> 00:04:33,011 for years and every year I look at it and I'm like, 51 00:04:33,055 --> 00:04:35,100 "That's really scary." 52 00:04:35,144 --> 00:04:37,755 Um, well, I've never even wanted to really, or I've always wanted to but then 53 00:04:37,799 --> 00:04:40,541 I've always been like, "That's too scary." 54 00:04:44,371 --> 00:04:48,157 I'm aiming towards the most beautiful valley on earth. 55 00:04:49,245 --> 00:04:52,509 I remember coming to Yosemite as a little kid and my dad would always have a little 56 00:04:52,553 --> 00:04:55,338 cooler in the back of the car, and have our cookies in the cold milk, 57 00:04:55,382 --> 00:04:58,776 and we'd sit on these slabs above Tunnel View, which is, like, 58 00:04:58,820 --> 00:05:01,605 the most epic view of Yosemite. 59 00:05:01,910 --> 00:05:06,088 As soon as you see El Cap it's like, "Oh, there it is, pretty exciting." 60 00:05:08,960 --> 00:05:13,313 El Cap is the most impressive wall on earth. 61 00:05:25,107 --> 00:05:28,110 [theme music plays]. 62 00:05:55,790 --> 00:05:58,401 ALEX: Yeah, I mean I love, I love being in the van. 63 00:05:58,445 --> 00:06:01,012 I probably feel extra comfortable in the van now because I've lived 64 00:06:01,056 --> 00:06:03,450 in it for nine years. 65 00:06:03,493 --> 00:06:06,888 My first van, well, I actually stole the family minivan. 66 00:06:06,931 --> 00:06:10,282 My dad died when I was 19 and I, I quit school. 67 00:06:10,326 --> 00:06:12,633 There was some life insurance. 68 00:06:12,676 --> 00:06:15,549 I had just enough to dirt bag. 69 00:06:15,592 --> 00:06:19,422 Six years ago I was living in a Walmart parking lot and spending eighty-eight cents 70 00:06:19,466 --> 00:06:22,382 on dinner every night. 71 00:06:22,643 --> 00:06:25,472 Living in a van is great but, you know, at a certain point it'd be nice to have a 72 00:06:25,515 --> 00:06:29,214 bathroom and have, like, a shower at least. 73 00:06:35,960 --> 00:06:37,571 PRODUCER: So you have a girlfriend now, I heard. 74 00:06:37,614 --> 00:06:39,921 -Hmm, trending towards one. -Trending towards? 75 00:06:39,964 --> 00:06:44,665 -Hmm, I mean, she's very supportive about, like, you know, you have to do you. 76 00:06:45,405 --> 00:06:47,232 Yeah we'll, we'll see. 77 00:06:47,276 --> 00:06:50,410 But yeah, there probably will be plenty of girlfriends in my life, 78 00:06:50,453 --> 00:06:52,803 you know, in terms of, like, big climbing, 79 00:06:52,847 --> 00:06:56,372 lifetime achievement deals, where you're just like, well, 80 00:06:56,416 --> 00:07:00,115 like I will always choose climbing, over, over a lady. 81 00:07:00,158 --> 00:07:02,422 At least, you know, so far. 82 00:07:04,989 --> 00:07:07,383 -How many times have you climbed El Cap? 83 00:07:07,427 --> 00:07:09,341 -Probably like 40 something maybe. 84 00:07:09,385 --> 00:07:13,911 -You ever free solo? -No and nobody has. -Why haven't you done it yet? 85 00:07:13,955 --> 00:07:17,393 -Um, look at it, like, I mean, you know, think about it, it's freaking scary. 86 00:07:18,612 --> 00:07:22,398 I don't know, so I mean I've thought about this since 2009, like, each year since 2009, 87 00:07:22,442 --> 00:07:24,835 I've been like, "This is the year," and each year I climb it and I'm like, 88 00:07:24,879 --> 00:07:27,534 "This isn't the year, like, this is fucked," you know. 89 00:07:27,577 --> 00:07:30,188 So I'm like, "Uh." But the thing is I'll never be content, 90 00:07:30,232 --> 00:07:32,234 unless I at least put in the effort. 91 00:07:32,277 --> 00:07:34,454 Because, like, if I do all the work and I'm still like, "This is messed up," 92 00:07:34,497 --> 00:07:37,935 then maybe it's just not for me, maybe its future generation, you know. 93 00:07:37,979 --> 00:07:41,156 Or maybe just somebody who has nothing to live for. 94 00:07:51,427 --> 00:07:55,170 When I thought about El Cap years ago, there were question marks all over the walls. 95 00:07:56,214 --> 00:07:58,303 It's like I don't know about this pitch, I don't know about that pitch, 96 00:07:58,347 --> 00:08:00,828 like I don't know about this particular slab, there are all these things that 97 00:08:00,871 --> 00:08:04,092 seem pretty crazy to me. 98 00:08:04,135 --> 00:08:10,011 If the ultimate dream is to solo El Cap, then I need a good map of what that will 99 00:08:10,054 --> 00:08:15,146 take, you know, like a, a mental image of what the hard parts are, where they are, 100 00:08:15,190 --> 00:08:18,062 what they will entail. 101 00:08:18,715 --> 00:08:21,936 If I'm going to do it, Free Rider seems like the best route. 102 00:08:27,158 --> 00:08:28,420 Oh, hi. 103 00:08:28,464 --> 00:08:30,248 TOMMY: What's up, dude? 104 00:08:30,292 --> 00:08:32,207 ALEX: Oh, hey. 105 00:08:32,250 --> 00:08:35,166 Oh, actually, I might as well just rack it straight onto my harness. 106 00:08:35,906 --> 00:08:37,995 So, do you wanna lead the Freeblast or do I? 107 00:08:38,039 --> 00:08:41,564 -I feel like we should do what we did before which would be you lead the, yeah, 108 00:08:41,608 --> 00:08:43,653 you lead the Freeblast. 109 00:08:43,697 --> 00:08:45,786 ALEX: So, basically I'll just try to take it, like, as far as I can. 110 00:08:45,829 --> 00:08:47,831 TOMMY: Yeah. 111 00:08:52,575 --> 00:08:55,273 JIMMY: So Tommy just got here and they're going up Freerider. 112 00:08:55,317 --> 00:08:57,101 -Okay. 113 00:08:57,145 --> 00:08:59,800 -I'm just gonna try to shoot this pitch and the traverse pitch and then 114 00:08:59,843 --> 00:09:01,976 I'm gonna jug out like a maniac. 115 00:09:02,454 --> 00:09:03,717 -Okay. 116 00:09:03,760 --> 00:09:05,196 -Do we have enough line up there to do all this? 117 00:09:05,240 --> 00:09:07,547 -Yeah. -Okay. 118 00:09:16,338 --> 00:09:18,688 ALEX: The idea of going up on El Cap with Tommy Caldwell 119 00:09:18,732 --> 00:09:21,604 is to get a feel for the route and just visualize it. 120 00:09:21,909 --> 00:09:24,564 To see what feels scary and what doesn't. 121 00:09:24,607 --> 00:09:26,609 Oh, God. 122 00:09:26,653 --> 00:09:29,133 TOMMY: Look at those fixed ropes [inaudible] the first climb. 123 00:09:32,746 --> 00:09:36,053 ALEX: Tommy's been a hero of mine since I was a kid. 124 00:09:36,097 --> 00:09:38,447 I didn't technically have posters of him up in my room as a kid, 125 00:09:38,490 --> 00:09:41,363 but it was like the same deal, you know, where I was like, "Tommy's the man." 126 00:09:44,279 --> 00:09:47,674 Tommy really showed what was possible, free climbing on El Cap. 127 00:09:48,588 --> 00:09:51,808 Tommy is the one that explored every aspect of the wall. 128 00:09:51,852 --> 00:09:55,203 And most of the routes that he's put up on El Cap haven't been repeated because they're, 129 00:09:55,246 --> 00:09:57,814 they're basically too hard. 130 00:09:59,033 --> 00:10:01,818 And then, ultimately culminated with the Dawn Wall which was his 131 00:10:01,862 --> 00:10:03,994 multi-year project. 132 00:10:04,038 --> 00:10:07,258 I mean possibly the hardest big wall in the world. 133 00:10:17,529 --> 00:10:19,923 TOMMY: I've been obsessed with El Cap for years. 134 00:10:21,969 --> 00:10:25,929 El Capitan is unbelievably huge, kind of unfathomably huge. 135 00:10:27,714 --> 00:10:30,847 It's 3,200 feet of sheer granite. 136 00:10:30,891 --> 00:10:33,067 Looking at it, it doesn't seem right, it doesn't seem like you 137 00:10:33,110 --> 00:10:36,636 should be able to climb it. 138 00:10:37,724 --> 00:10:40,161 I understand why Alex is obsessed. 139 00:10:40,204 --> 00:10:43,381 El Cap has obsessed generations of climbers. 140 00:10:43,686 --> 00:10:48,691 I think it was first climbed in 1958 by Warren Harding, and it took them 46 days 141 00:10:48,735 --> 00:10:51,781 over 16 months because they couldn't do it continuously. 142 00:10:56,830 --> 00:11:00,398 They had to drill bolts into the granite and pull themselves up. 143 00:11:00,660 --> 00:11:04,838 And then ever since then, it's been the center of the rock climbing universe. 144 00:11:09,799 --> 00:11:13,455 I've spent 20 years of my life climbing El Cap but I'd never do it without a rope. 145 00:11:14,717 --> 00:11:17,241 There's no margin for error. 146 00:11:17,502 --> 00:11:23,639 Imagine an Olympic gold medal level athletic achievement, that if you don't get that 147 00:11:25,119 --> 00:11:27,251 gold medal you're gonna die. 148 00:11:27,295 --> 00:11:30,646 That's pretty much what free soloing El Cap is like. 149 00:11:30,690 --> 00:11:34,084 You have to do it perfectly. 150 00:11:37,784 --> 00:11:41,352 ALEX: Today I am playing through a lot of different scenarios, 151 00:11:41,396 --> 00:11:44,529 so thinking about the moves, thinking about the body position, 152 00:11:45,922 --> 00:11:48,925 and more than anything just thinking about what it would feel like to, 153 00:11:48,969 --> 00:11:52,189 to be in that position without a rope. 154 00:11:53,625 --> 00:11:55,932 There are a lot of things that you can physically do on a rope. 155 00:11:55,976 --> 00:11:57,673 Oh, God. 156 00:11:57,717 --> 00:11:59,631 But then the idea of taking the rope away, you're just like, 157 00:11:59,675 --> 00:12:02,112 "I don't know if I'd wanna trust that little foothold. Oh, my God, 158 00:12:02,156 --> 00:12:06,334 my feet hurt so bad and I'm so pumped and my hand hurts. 159 00:12:06,377 --> 00:12:07,901 I just feel pooped. 160 00:12:07,944 --> 00:12:10,730 We're kind of getting worked. 161 00:12:11,948 --> 00:12:14,603 When you've been thinking about something for years, that's a long time to be, 162 00:12:14,646 --> 00:12:18,563 like, sort of considering an idea without, like, really talking to anybody about it. 163 00:12:19,129 --> 00:12:22,132 Especially someone like Tommy. 164 00:12:22,872 --> 00:12:25,527 TOMMY: When I was climbing, like, up the endurance corner and across the traverse, 165 00:12:25,570 --> 00:12:28,791 I was just looking down thinking about, I was like, "Dude, this seems so scary." 166 00:12:28,835 --> 00:12:30,271 ALEX: I don't know. 167 00:12:30,314 --> 00:12:32,360 TOMMY: That part is just so exposed and it's pretty. 168 00:12:32,403 --> 00:12:33,796 ALEX: See, that part again is like, at least you have holds though, you know. 169 00:12:33,840 --> 00:12:35,537 TOMMY: Yeah. 170 00:12:35,580 --> 00:12:38,192 ALEX: The Freeblast slabs have like several moves where it's like, 171 00:12:38,235 --> 00:12:40,760 your whole life just depends on one foothold, you know. 172 00:12:40,803 --> 00:12:43,675 Soloing is like such a weird personal activity. 173 00:12:43,719 --> 00:12:45,590 You never talk about soloing projects. 174 00:12:45,634 --> 00:12:49,159 I mean, I've done all my soloing without telling anybody, 175 00:12:49,203 --> 00:12:53,294 because I don't want any extra pressure. 176 00:12:53,337 --> 00:12:56,645 The idea of climbing El Cap, obviously I get interview questions about it all the 177 00:12:56,688 --> 00:12:58,299 time, like, "Oh, would you like to do that?" 178 00:12:58,342 --> 00:12:59,735 And I've always been like, 179 00:12:59,779 --> 00:13:01,563 "No, well maybe, we'll see. You know, who knows?" 180 00:13:01,606 --> 00:13:04,653 But like in the back of your mind you're like, "Yes, for sure." 181 00:13:13,531 --> 00:13:16,491 I used to be like a super picky eater. 182 00:13:16,534 --> 00:13:21,801 When I was like 19 or 20 or, well, between like, 20 and 24, I basically decided that I had 183 00:13:22,584 --> 00:13:25,500 to start eating vegetables, and then sort of, like, systematically introduced 184 00:13:25,543 --> 00:13:29,765 myself to vegetables, like one at a time, which worked pretty well, 185 00:13:30,940 --> 00:13:33,203 now I pretty much eat anything. 186 00:13:38,165 --> 00:13:41,342 I stopped eating meat maybe three or four years ago, um, 187 00:13:41,385 --> 00:13:43,474 mostly for environmental reasons. 188 00:13:43,518 --> 00:13:46,956 Then once I stopped I also kind of got into the ethics of it a little bit more. 189 00:13:51,656 --> 00:13:54,224 We'll just see how this comes out. 190 00:13:54,442 --> 00:13:56,879 Yeah, I mean there are plenty of folks who probably think that this is, like, terrible. 191 00:13:56,923 --> 00:14:00,578 I'm eating, like, canned chili and eggs. 192 00:14:03,277 --> 00:14:05,670 Growing up, I mean, I didn't like eating weird foods, 193 00:14:05,714 --> 00:14:09,326 I didn't like bugs, you know, I was just like a total tweeker. 194 00:14:09,370 --> 00:14:12,199 I guess I was quite a shy child. 195 00:14:13,069 --> 00:14:15,158 Bit of a dark soul, I think. 196 00:14:15,202 --> 00:14:17,857 Maybe melancholic is the word. 197 00:14:18,292 --> 00:14:22,992 I remember really liking to play with my Legos and play computer games and, 198 00:14:23,036 --> 00:14:25,995 uh, and then obviously once I started rock climbing I was going to the 199 00:14:26,039 --> 00:14:27,910 climbing gym all the time. 200 00:14:27,954 --> 00:14:31,653 But I didn't really have a whole lot of hobbies or interests. 201 00:14:31,696 --> 00:14:34,221 I definitely wasn't cool, you know. 202 00:14:34,264 --> 00:14:36,919 I grew up in Sacramento and the high school I went to, I was, uh, 203 00:14:36,963 --> 00:14:40,053 in an international baccalaureate program, so we were all sort of 204 00:14:40,096 --> 00:14:42,316 the intellectual kids. 205 00:14:42,359 --> 00:14:45,710 So, in a way it was fine to be sort of a dorky loner cause, you know, 206 00:14:45,754 --> 00:14:48,670 the whole program was focused around that. 207 00:14:49,714 --> 00:14:52,630 There was definitely a time when I started climbing outside more and I was just 208 00:14:52,674 --> 00:14:54,763 starting to road trip and go to campgrounds, 209 00:14:54,806 --> 00:14:57,244 but I was too afraid to talk to strangers. 210 00:14:57,287 --> 00:15:00,421 So, I was doing a lot of soloing, or just a lot of climbing by myself just 211 00:15:00,464 --> 00:15:03,903 because I didn't know anybody and I didn't wanna talk to anybody. 212 00:15:05,121 --> 00:15:07,732 It's freaking good, I've outdone myself. 213 00:15:11,171 --> 00:15:13,913 Spicy chili really adds something. 214 00:15:20,484 --> 00:15:23,270 As a kid I just love climbing trees and climbing buildings and, like, 215 00:15:23,313 --> 00:15:25,620 playing on things. 216 00:15:25,663 --> 00:15:27,796 And when I was going to school here I was also climbing on all the roofs and stuff here. 217 00:15:28,101 --> 00:15:29,972 Uh, and, uh, yeah. 218 00:15:30,016 --> 00:15:32,409 It's actually kind of intimidating talking to groups of kids. 219 00:15:32,453 --> 00:15:35,325 Like, when I was in high school I was mortified of standing in 220 00:15:35,369 --> 00:15:37,240 front of the class. 221 00:15:37,284 --> 00:15:38,807 But, like, you kind of get through it and, like, eventually you feel 222 00:15:38,850 --> 00:15:40,069 more and more comfortable. 223 00:15:40,113 --> 00:15:41,418 I don't know. 224 00:15:41,462 --> 00:15:43,159 -There's a question. -Um, yeah. 225 00:15:43,203 --> 00:15:45,466 -How do you feel about being famous, just for, like, 226 00:15:45,509 --> 00:15:47,555 turning your hobby into your career? 227 00:15:47,598 --> 00:15:50,123 -I mean, I think it's the best thing in life to be able to take the one thing 228 00:15:50,166 --> 00:15:53,300 you love most and have it, like, work out that you can make a living that way. 229 00:15:53,343 --> 00:15:55,606 You know, so it's nice that I now get paid to do that, yeah. 230 00:15:55,650 --> 00:15:57,913 -How much money do you have? 231 00:16:00,307 --> 00:16:03,614 -I've got, I've got, I've got probably like 40 bucks in my wallet, you know. 232 00:16:04,528 --> 00:16:06,313 Um, but no, like, a, a fair amount. 233 00:16:06,356 --> 00:16:11,579 Um, like, like, you know, say, like, a moderately successful dentist 234 00:16:11,622 --> 00:16:13,842 or something, probably. 235 00:16:14,190 --> 00:16:16,279 Mr. K? 236 00:16:16,323 --> 00:16:18,325 MR. K.: Alex, could you talk about your foundation a bit and what you're doing? 237 00:16:18,368 --> 00:16:21,893 ALEX: Yeah, so, I started a non-profit, um, I guess maybe four years ago. 238 00:16:22,372 --> 00:16:25,375 TEACHER: Let's watch this piece of video so you're gonna get a little taste of that. 239 00:16:27,682 --> 00:16:30,728 ALEX: Climbing has allowed me to travel all over the world, which has really opened my 240 00:16:30,772 --> 00:16:32,992 eyes to how the rest of the world lives. 241 00:16:33,905 --> 00:16:36,256 I mean, I see all these people, I mean they're like a billion people on Earth 242 00:16:36,299 --> 00:16:38,040 without access to power. 243 00:16:38,084 --> 00:16:39,911 And so I started my foundation sort of as an attempt to, like, 244 00:16:39,955 --> 00:16:42,001 balance the cosmic scales. 245 00:16:42,044 --> 00:16:45,265 So, I've been giving, maybe, like, a third of my income every year through the 246 00:16:45,308 --> 00:16:47,267 foundation to, like, environmental non-profits. 247 00:16:47,310 --> 00:16:49,486 I mean, so, like off-grid solar projects, things like that, like, 248 00:16:49,530 --> 00:16:52,881 things that lift people out of poverty, but also help the Earth. 249 00:17:07,896 --> 00:17:09,506 SANNI: Ah, you get out. 250 00:17:09,550 --> 00:17:12,031 -Oh, hi. -Hi. 251 00:17:15,947 --> 00:17:18,341 ALEX: I met Sanni, book touring in Seattle. 252 00:17:19,081 --> 00:17:22,389 And then we just have been hanging out ever since. 253 00:17:22,650 --> 00:17:25,566 I think, I think this is our very first date in Las Vegas, and I think we're climbing, 254 00:17:25,609 --> 00:17:27,698 like, a very easy multi-pitch together. 255 00:17:27,742 --> 00:17:30,745 Um, you know I just took her up this big tall route because then, 256 00:17:30,788 --> 00:17:33,052 I kind of knew it would blow her mind. 257 00:17:33,095 --> 00:17:34,357 CHAI: Is she a climber? 258 00:17:34,401 --> 00:17:37,099 ALEX: Um, Sanni's like a little bit of a climber. 259 00:17:37,143 --> 00:17:41,538 She, she's just starting but I'd hardly characterize her as a climber. 260 00:17:43,236 --> 00:17:46,108 You see straight in front of us, there's like an depression that looks like a heart. 261 00:17:46,152 --> 00:17:47,327 -Yeah. 262 00:17:47,370 --> 00:17:49,372 -To the left of that, that's Freerider. 263 00:17:49,416 --> 00:17:52,071 This is like the whole valley, like, we're driving in this highway. 264 00:17:52,114 --> 00:17:53,768 -Uh-hmm. 265 00:17:53,811 --> 00:17:55,248 -And then this is, like, the valley loop from here to here, 266 00:17:55,291 --> 00:17:56,771 the main rocks are all, like, between here and here. 267 00:17:56,814 --> 00:17:59,991 SANNI: Okay, oh, maybe I should read this. 268 00:18:00,775 --> 00:18:02,951 ALEX: No. 269 00:18:03,256 --> 00:18:06,476 SANNI: Alex was giving a talk in Seattle, in December last year. 270 00:18:06,781 --> 00:18:09,610 I didn't know anything about him and I showed up. 271 00:18:09,653 --> 00:18:11,742 Wait, you're wearing the same shirt in half these photos. 272 00:18:11,786 --> 00:18:12,961 ALEX: I know. 273 00:18:13,004 --> 00:18:14,919 SANNI: Oh, Alex. 274 00:18:14,963 --> 00:18:16,660 ALEX: Well, because I don't have anybody to help me with my wardrobe. 275 00:18:16,704 --> 00:18:21,012 SANNI: Oh and then, when I got my book signed, I gave him my number. 276 00:18:24,407 --> 00:18:27,758 Which was sort of a joke with a friend but then evolved. 277 00:18:28,846 --> 00:18:33,199 I just thought he was really cute but also brutally honest, 278 00:18:33,416 --> 00:18:35,592 but I'm really drawn to that. 279 00:18:35,636 --> 00:18:38,073 ALEX: Whoa, look how precariously balanced it is. 280 00:18:38,117 --> 00:18:40,423 SANNI: But he's also just a funny guy, he's weird. 281 00:18:40,467 --> 00:18:43,557 You know, a weird dude, and I find it interesting. 282 00:18:44,340 --> 00:18:45,994 ALEX: Oh, we tree pose on the tree? 283 00:18:46,037 --> 00:18:47,561 SANNI: It's not wobbling. 284 00:18:47,604 --> 00:18:49,693 ALEX: It's totally wobbling, what are you talking about. 285 00:18:49,737 --> 00:18:51,869 Just for you. 286 00:18:51,913 --> 00:18:54,916 SANNI: I'm waiting. ALEX: Oh. SANNI: Okay. 287 00:18:59,486 --> 00:19:01,052 ALEX: When you start getting eaten by mosquitoes, 288 00:19:01,096 --> 00:19:02,663 feel free to just start climbing. 289 00:19:02,706 --> 00:19:04,752 Just keep the Grigri on. 290 00:19:04,795 --> 00:19:06,449 SANNI: I'll wait. 291 00:19:06,493 --> 00:19:09,148 ALEX: Okay, whatever you're comfy with. 292 00:19:11,541 --> 00:19:13,630 Having the girlfriend in the van is awesome. 293 00:19:13,674 --> 00:19:17,460 I mean, she's cute and small and, like, livens the place up a bit, 294 00:19:17,504 --> 00:19:19,897 doesn't take up too much room. 295 00:19:19,941 --> 00:19:23,423 I mean, it's, pretty much makes life better in every way. 296 00:19:25,599 --> 00:19:28,471 SANNI: Alex, you got me tight? 297 00:19:30,734 --> 00:19:33,476 This is nerve-racking. 298 00:19:41,267 --> 00:19:46,837 When I was lowering Alex, I was watching him come down the final section and the rope 299 00:19:46,881 --> 00:19:48,665 went right through the Grigri, right through my hands, 300 00:19:48,709 --> 00:19:51,712 and right through the Grigri and he dropped to the ground. 301 00:19:51,755 --> 00:19:54,193 It was my fault that I didn't watch the end of the rope. 302 00:19:55,411 --> 00:19:58,545 It was just like, "Oh, my gosh, what have I done?" 303 00:20:00,634 --> 00:20:03,071 ALEX: The x-ray didn't show much, but then they took the CAT scan and then they 304 00:20:03,114 --> 00:20:04,986 said it was, like, two compression fractures and. 305 00:20:05,029 --> 00:20:07,162 -But they only focused on [inaudible] they didn't focus on the lower. 306 00:20:07,206 --> 00:20:11,122 ALEX: Right after it happened I wanted to break up with her. 307 00:20:11,384 --> 00:20:15,257 I was like, "Oh, this is bad for my climbing." But she said, 308 00:20:15,301 --> 00:20:17,781 "Is that really gonna make your life any better?" 309 00:20:17,825 --> 00:20:20,262 I was like, "No, probably not." 310 00:20:20,306 --> 00:20:24,005 -This is gonna feel a little uncomfortable. 311 00:20:24,571 --> 00:20:26,355 SANNI: I said, you know, 312 00:20:26,399 --> 00:20:28,879 "I think we can move past this and I think you could have it all. 313 00:20:28,923 --> 00:20:32,840 I think that you could have a steady girlfriend and climb." 314 00:20:33,710 --> 00:20:35,712 -Exhale. 315 00:20:35,930 --> 00:20:38,933 ALEX: As it turns out, compression fracture isn't too serious. 316 00:20:38,976 --> 00:20:41,762 They said that I could climb and just be careful about pain management and 317 00:20:41,805 --> 00:20:44,765 all that stuff. 318 00:20:45,026 --> 00:20:47,768 But it's just a little bit rattling. 319 00:20:47,811 --> 00:20:50,814 Because I definitely know some people who have fallen super far and survived or, 320 00:20:50,858 --> 00:20:53,382 like, gone through a tree and sort of been okay. 321 00:20:53,426 --> 00:20:57,256 And now I'm like, "I don't know, like, I don't think I'd be okay." 322 00:20:57,299 --> 00:21:00,824 And so I imagine falling free soloing or something from 50 meters up, I mean, 323 00:21:00,868 --> 00:21:03,566 I realize that my body would just explode on impact. 324 00:21:20,714 --> 00:21:23,891 In 2012, I was here for the first time and it was right before I went to 325 00:21:23,934 --> 00:21:27,721 Yosemite for the season, and that was like my best Yosemite season ever. 326 00:21:39,559 --> 00:21:41,517 TOMMY: What was that, Alex? 327 00:21:41,561 --> 00:21:43,214 ALEX: I said you just passed halfway and, uh, the rope's actually looking 328 00:21:43,258 --> 00:21:46,000 pretty good now. 329 00:21:47,044 --> 00:21:49,917 TOMMY: Yeah, pretty nice rock. 330 00:21:49,960 --> 00:21:53,312 I think the climbing here in Morocco, it's good training for El Cap. 331 00:21:55,575 --> 00:21:58,665 It's gonna make him strong, it's gonna get him good at moving through the mountains, 332 00:21:58,708 --> 00:22:01,624 it's gonna make him feel fit. 333 00:22:07,500 --> 00:22:11,982 Flowing through the mountains in the ways that you do with Alex is addicting. 334 00:22:15,551 --> 00:22:20,077 His attitude towards risk, it makes you feel kind of invincible, 335 00:22:24,343 --> 00:22:29,870 which is emotionally appealing, but for me I don't think it's the smartest thing. 336 00:22:33,439 --> 00:22:35,049 Ah! 337 00:22:35,092 --> 00:22:38,618 Climbing with Alex is, it's like a vice in a way. 338 00:22:40,010 --> 00:22:42,883 It's like smoking cigarettes with beer or something. 339 00:22:42,926 --> 00:22:46,103 It's like, I don't really wanna do it but I just, like, let myself do it sometimes 340 00:22:46,147 --> 00:22:47,366 because it's kinda nice. 341 00:22:47,409 --> 00:22:50,760 -Yeah, buddy! -Yo! 342 00:22:56,679 --> 00:22:59,595 Can you read me your journal entry for today? 343 00:22:59,639 --> 00:23:03,294 -It says, "Bey wall 7C+, one fallen crux, two pumped, need more fitness." 344 00:23:06,036 --> 00:23:09,866 -Do you ever put things like "Saw the biggest juniper tree of my life"? 345 00:23:09,910 --> 00:23:12,173 -No, not in the climbing journal. 346 00:23:12,216 --> 00:23:15,611 -Miss my dog. -No. 347 00:23:15,655 --> 00:23:17,657 -And my mom. I don't know, none? 348 00:23:17,700 --> 00:23:20,355 -No, no. -No. -All right. 349 00:23:32,628 --> 00:23:36,937 -Alright, Jim's gonna follow you guys down partway, Clair's gonna pick you guys up at 350 00:23:36,980 --> 00:23:38,852 the bottom of the gully going into the base. 351 00:23:38,895 --> 00:23:40,419 -Okay. 352 00:23:40,462 --> 00:23:42,812 -And then we'll be shooting on the wall. 353 00:23:42,856 --> 00:23:45,946 ALEX: So, once we pass you guys, you guys wrap and then hike to the summit basically? 354 00:23:45,989 --> 00:23:47,426 -Yeah. 355 00:23:47,469 --> 00:23:49,776 ALEX: Jimmy and I have worked together for 10 years. 356 00:23:49,819 --> 00:23:51,778 We've climbed all over the world. 357 00:23:51,821 --> 00:23:53,867 MIKEY: We are doing the triple link up too, right? 358 00:23:53,910 --> 00:23:55,956 JIMMY: I mean, by the time we get to Yosemite we're gonna be 359 00:23:55,999 --> 00:23:58,393 as Cheyne says, "Yoked." 360 00:24:02,092 --> 00:24:05,095 ALEX: The team that Jimmy assembled are all professional climbers. 361 00:24:05,139 --> 00:24:07,750 The best possible crew for this kind of thing. 362 00:24:08,142 --> 00:24:10,013 And so in a way, I'm like, "This is kinda awesome." You know, 363 00:24:10,057 --> 00:24:13,452 it's kind of just like I get to go climb with all my friends. 364 00:24:17,499 --> 00:24:20,981 JIMMY: Mikey, we should put someone right here because if you lean out you can see the 365 00:24:21,024 --> 00:24:22,809 entire freaking route. 366 00:24:22,852 --> 00:24:25,376 MIKEY: Then let's just put the 100 meter there and the 400 footer here. 367 00:24:25,420 --> 00:24:27,291 Doubled up. 368 00:24:27,814 --> 00:24:32,862 I've known Alex since he pretty much started climbing in Yosemite, 2008 or 2009. 369 00:24:33,907 --> 00:24:38,389 I've filmed Alex a handful of times, free soloing. 370 00:24:38,433 --> 00:24:41,697 And then we've also spent a couple of winters together down in South America. 371 00:24:41,741 --> 00:24:44,439 So, uh, we, the time's added up. 372 00:24:44,483 --> 00:24:46,702 Uh, I spend a lot of time with him now. 373 00:24:46,746 --> 00:24:50,924 So, I'm scared because I don't wanna see anything happen to Alex. 374 00:24:50,967 --> 00:24:53,622 I mean, it's one of the reasons that I almost said no to this job, and, I mean, 375 00:24:53,666 --> 00:24:56,016 I think Jimmy went through the same stuff of being like, 376 00:24:56,059 --> 00:24:58,627 "Do we really wanna be part of this?" 377 00:25:00,368 --> 00:25:02,849 JIMMY: I've always been conflicted about shooting a film about free soloing 378 00:25:02,892 --> 00:25:06,069 just because it's so dangerous. 379 00:25:06,287 --> 00:25:11,510 It's hard to not imagine, your friend, Alex, soloing something that's extremely 380 00:25:11,553 --> 00:25:15,818 dangerous and you're making a film about it, which might put undue pressure on him 381 00:25:16,471 --> 00:25:20,301 to do something, and him falling through the frame to his death. 382 00:25:24,958 --> 00:25:31,181 And we have to work through that and understand that what we're doing is something that 383 00:25:31,225 --> 00:25:33,488 we can live with even in a worst-case scenario. 384 00:25:40,626 --> 00:25:43,716 TOMMY: It's a funny thing, people who know a little bit about climbing, they're like, 385 00:25:43,759 --> 00:25:46,849 "Oh, he says he has it, he's, he's totally safe." 386 00:25:46,893 --> 00:25:51,506 And then people who really know exactly what he's doing are freaked out. 387 00:25:51,985 --> 00:25:54,640 My dad was always like, "I don't want you to go ice climbing. 388 00:25:54,683 --> 00:25:57,730 I don't want you to free solo," you know. 389 00:25:58,295 --> 00:26:00,167 ALEX: Just not, I wonder if your dad had been like. 390 00:26:00,210 --> 00:26:02,952 TOMMY: When he was my age, he had had like 20 or 30 friends that had 391 00:26:02,996 --> 00:26:04,824 died in the mountains. 392 00:26:04,867 --> 00:26:07,000 And now I'm at that point where I've had, you know, 30 or 40 friends 393 00:26:07,043 --> 00:26:08,654 that have died in the mountains. 394 00:26:08,697 --> 00:26:10,351 ALEX: That many? 395 00:26:10,394 --> 00:26:11,831 TOMMY: Yeah, I counted them a while ago. 396 00:26:11,874 --> 00:26:13,876 I mean, like not friends but people in our community. 397 00:26:13,920 --> 00:26:16,792 ALEX: Yeah, people, yeah, yeah, totally, like Kyle Dempster and Scott recently. 398 00:26:16,836 --> 00:26:19,186 TOMMY: People that I have met, yeah, I'm like, no, yeah. 399 00:26:19,229 --> 00:26:21,971 I haven't had anybody die who I was, like, really, really, close to yet. 400 00:26:22,015 --> 00:26:25,584 ALEX: Uh-hmm. Uh-hmm. I don't know. 401 00:26:26,280 --> 00:26:31,024 TOMMY: I think everybody who has made free soloing a big part of their life, 402 00:26:31,067 --> 00:26:33,113 is dead now. 403 00:26:34,157 --> 00:26:37,378 REPORTER [over TV]: John Bachar was a pioneer of so-called free solo climbing, 404 00:26:37,857 --> 00:26:41,948 he fell to his death this past week at the age of 52 from a cliff. 405 00:26:41,991 --> 00:26:44,037 REPORTER 2 [over TV]: And we're sorry to have to report on the death of 406 00:26:44,080 --> 00:26:46,474 U.S. Climber Sean Leary. 407 00:26:46,517 --> 00:26:49,651 Sean was killed in Utah and was found a couple of days ago. 408 00:26:49,695 --> 00:26:52,262 REPORTER 3 [over TV]: Derek Hersey was climbing in Yosemite Valley. 409 00:26:52,306 --> 00:26:54,700 His body was found Saturday morning. 410 00:26:55,135 --> 00:26:58,486 Hersey climbed, as usual, alone without ropes. 411 00:26:58,529 --> 00:27:00,488 TOMMY: Most people that are pushing the limits, 412 00:27:00,531 --> 00:27:04,840 they have this mentality of "Screw it, whatever happens, happens." 413 00:27:27,776 --> 00:27:31,562 I think all the soloing he's done has trained his mind. 414 00:27:31,867 --> 00:27:36,045 He doesn't get emotionally affected by it the way that a lot of people do. 415 00:27:37,046 --> 00:27:39,701 And not knowing about the science of that is that's probably a product 416 00:27:39,745 --> 00:27:43,618 of your past more than it is just a genetic thing. 417 00:27:46,447 --> 00:27:49,319 ALEX: There's been a lot of speculation about, like, how I deal with fear and, 418 00:27:49,363 --> 00:27:51,539 like, how I'm able to free solo. 419 00:27:51,582 --> 00:27:54,324 People are just like, "Oh, well, he must be a thrill seeker. 420 00:27:54,368 --> 00:27:56,979 There must be something defective." 421 00:28:00,243 --> 00:28:01,984 So when a writer contacted me about doing an 422 00:28:02,028 --> 00:28:05,945 MRI, I thought it's kind of cool just to go and get an MRI and, like, 423 00:28:05,988 --> 00:28:07,903 see what's actually going on. 424 00:28:07,947 --> 00:28:10,906 You know, scan your brain and then see if it's all there structurally. 425 00:28:13,953 --> 00:28:15,998 DOCTOR: We're gonna start the task now. 426 00:28:16,042 --> 00:28:19,480 Remember to press the button every time you see a new picture come up, okay? 427 00:28:19,523 --> 00:28:21,351 ALEX [over computer]: Okay. 428 00:28:23,832 --> 00:28:27,053 We'll see maybe it turns out I'm some kind of freak creature or something. 429 00:28:27,096 --> 00:28:29,533 I've had several ex-girlfriends said that I have personality 430 00:28:29,577 --> 00:28:31,448 disorders or things like that. 431 00:28:31,492 --> 00:28:33,189 That there's something wrong with me. 432 00:28:33,233 --> 00:28:35,322 Emotionally stable? 433 00:28:35,365 --> 00:28:36,715 Agree. 434 00:28:36,758 --> 00:28:39,065 Ingenious, a deep thinker? 435 00:28:39,108 --> 00:28:40,849 Disagree. 436 00:28:40,893 --> 00:28:42,372 Tends to find fault with others? 437 00:28:42,416 --> 00:28:44,113 Agree somewhat. 438 00:28:44,157 --> 00:28:46,812 Climbing a steep mountain would be too scary for me? 439 00:28:46,855 --> 00:28:49,031 I have trouble controlling my impulses? 440 00:28:49,075 --> 00:28:52,121 Is depressed? 441 00:28:52,165 --> 00:28:55,429 Hmm. 442 00:28:56,169 --> 00:28:57,866 Is my, is my brain intact? 443 00:28:57,910 --> 00:29:00,564 JANE: Your brain's intact and it's, it's quite interesting. 444 00:29:00,608 --> 00:29:04,438 Those little two dots that are further towards the top of the screen, 445 00:29:04,481 --> 00:29:06,875 that's the amygdala. 446 00:29:08,747 --> 00:29:13,664 So an interesting thing, do you have no activation in your amygdala? 447 00:29:13,708 --> 00:29:16,580 ALEX: There's just not much going on in my brain, it seems. 448 00:29:17,756 --> 00:29:20,889 Um, do you think my amygdala actually just doesn't work or something? 449 00:29:20,933 --> 00:29:25,764 JANE: Your amygdala works, it's just that it needs a much higher level of stimulation. 450 00:29:27,635 --> 00:29:31,813 Things that are typically stimulating for most of the rest of us are 451 00:29:31,857 --> 00:29:33,815 not really doing it for you. 452 00:29:33,859 --> 00:29:36,078 ALEX: Maybe my amygdala's just tired, you know, 453 00:29:36,122 --> 00:29:39,255 from too many years of being all gripped. 454 00:30:07,718 --> 00:30:11,766 I'm feeling quite fit, but, um, there's such a mental component to free soloing. 455 00:30:13,289 --> 00:30:17,293 The big challenge is controlling your mind, I guess. 456 00:30:17,337 --> 00:30:19,818 Because you're not, you're not controlling your fear, you're sort of just trying 457 00:30:19,861 --> 00:30:22,646 to step outside of it. 458 00:30:25,084 --> 00:30:28,087 SANNI: Oh, no, woo, sorry, Alex! 459 00:30:28,522 --> 00:30:31,699 ALEX: And when people talk about trying to suppress your fear, I mean, 460 00:30:31,742 --> 00:30:34,180 I look at it in a different way. 461 00:30:34,223 --> 00:30:38,401 I try to expand my comfort zone by practicing the moves over and over again. 462 00:30:38,619 --> 00:30:41,796 I work through the fear, until it's just not scary anymore. 463 00:30:44,103 --> 00:30:45,713 SANNI: Oh, no, no, no, no. 464 00:30:45,756 --> 00:30:48,890 Oh, so slippery. 465 00:30:49,238 --> 00:30:53,634 ALEX: But, um, for years Freeblast has given me the heebie-jeebies. 466 00:30:54,983 --> 00:31:00,423 You're standing on tiny edges, small variations in the texture of the rock. 467 00:31:01,555 --> 00:31:04,950 If you slip, your hands can't hold you. 468 00:31:04,993 --> 00:31:09,171 It's just the two tiny points of contact that keep you from falling, and 469 00:31:09,215 --> 00:31:12,871 when you step up, there's only one. 470 00:31:13,393 --> 00:31:15,874 Oh. 471 00:31:23,794 --> 00:31:30,018 It's like, it looks so much better today than yesterday, but we'll see. 472 00:31:33,065 --> 00:31:36,416 I probably fell about 30 feet. 473 00:31:36,459 --> 00:31:40,811 We're up there, we're roped up, Sanni's belaying me, and then I just fell off, 474 00:31:40,855 --> 00:31:42,335 I don't know. 475 00:31:42,378 --> 00:31:44,641 I just, I don't even know how, I just, like, fell off. 476 00:31:44,685 --> 00:31:46,339 DOCTOR: Show me how much you can go up and down on your own. 477 00:31:46,382 --> 00:31:49,342 -It's, it's like, you know. 478 00:31:49,385 --> 00:31:51,692 -I think this looks to me just like your straightforward ankle sprain. 479 00:31:51,735 --> 00:31:53,476 -Okay. 480 00:31:53,520 --> 00:31:55,261 -So, you know, we say ankle sprain, but more or less an ankle sprain 481 00:31:55,304 --> 00:31:56,436 is torn ligaments. 482 00:31:56,479 --> 00:31:58,264 -Yeah. -That's what it is. 483 00:31:58,307 --> 00:32:00,048 --So what does that mean in terms of, uh, like hiking and stuff? 484 00:32:00,092 --> 00:32:02,529 I mean, if I just, like, immobilize it and then, uh, still just hike. 485 00:32:02,572 --> 00:32:04,574 -Yeah, I mean, you gotta' get yourself through the first few days. 486 00:32:04,618 --> 00:32:06,185 -Yeah. 487 00:32:06,228 --> 00:32:07,926 -Um, but after that and it's just strengthening and rehab. 488 00:32:07,969 --> 00:32:09,971 -Well, and actually, can I make it worse really, through activity? 489 00:32:10,015 --> 00:32:14,584 -Um, you could probably do too much too soon. 490 00:32:21,940 --> 00:32:24,246 -Wait, you don't need to keep that right. 491 00:32:24,290 --> 00:32:26,988 SANNI: I can worry as much as I want internally, 492 00:32:27,032 --> 00:32:30,992 but if he doesn't do this stuff he'd regret it. 493 00:32:31,036 --> 00:32:35,736 If Alex and I got married and had kids, I would feel a lot more willing to say 494 00:32:35,779 --> 00:32:40,436 what I thought about what was acceptable risk or not. 495 00:32:40,480 --> 00:32:42,830 He should have put his shoe on. 496 00:32:45,659 --> 00:32:48,618 PRODUCER: Stubborn. SANNI: Stubborn. 497 00:32:55,799 --> 00:32:59,455 I thought you were, you know, walking and stuff now, I thought you're fine. 498 00:32:59,499 --> 00:33:01,153 ALEX: Oh, I am, but what. 499 00:33:01,196 --> 00:33:03,111 SANNI: Doctors said you were supposed to push it, Alex, come on. 500 00:33:03,155 --> 00:33:05,157 ALEX: Don't you want some watermelon? 501 00:33:05,200 --> 00:33:08,029 SANNI: Oh, well, good thing you have a personal slave to do that for you. 502 00:33:08,073 --> 00:33:10,205 ALEX: Uh-huh, I know, I'm pretty stoked about that. 503 00:33:10,249 --> 00:33:13,078 SANNI: All right, um, is it gonna be that no matter how I do this, you're like, 504 00:33:13,121 --> 00:33:14,775 "Why did you do it that way?" 505 00:33:14,818 --> 00:33:16,298 ALEX: I just want watermelon. 506 00:33:16,342 --> 00:33:18,257 I kind of wanted to blame Sanni to some extent because 507 00:33:18,300 --> 00:33:20,128 you're just like, "Whatever." 508 00:33:20,172 --> 00:33:22,130 I haven't been injured in, like, seven years and then it's like I'm 509 00:33:22,174 --> 00:33:24,089 hanging out with this girl that doesn't climb and I suddenly start getting 510 00:33:24,132 --> 00:33:25,655 injured all the time. 511 00:33:25,699 --> 00:33:28,136 It's like you just cut down a tree. 512 00:33:36,884 --> 00:33:41,628 DIERDRE: When they say "active recovery," no, that doesn't mean you're walking 513 00:33:41,671 --> 00:33:44,544 all over the place. 514 00:33:44,805 --> 00:33:48,722 I would be happy if he didn't free solo. 515 00:33:50,028 --> 00:33:54,119 I've always appreciated that he never told me beforehand that he was gonna 516 00:33:54,162 --> 00:33:56,077 free solo or anything. 517 00:33:56,121 --> 00:33:59,167 I could come down on him and say, "You shouldn't be doing that," 518 00:33:59,211 --> 00:34:02,214 and alienate him, and, uh, it would've alienated 519 00:34:02,257 --> 00:34:04,999 him because that's his, uh, whole life. 520 00:34:05,043 --> 00:34:08,350 I think when he's free soloing, that's when he feels the most alive, 521 00:34:08,394 --> 00:34:10,657 the most everything, the most. 522 00:34:10,700 --> 00:34:12,659 Feels the most. 523 00:34:12,702 --> 00:34:16,532 And how can you even think about taking that away from somebody, you know? 524 00:34:16,576 --> 00:34:18,665 I wouldn't. 525 00:34:28,762 --> 00:34:31,504 ALEX: I've been able to stand on one foot while I put my harness and my shoes and 526 00:34:31,547 --> 00:34:34,855 stuff on, and getting' this like kind of, a minor victory. 527 00:34:37,162 --> 00:34:40,600 Um, I haven't put on my climbing shoe basically since I did it. 528 00:34:40,643 --> 00:34:43,690 So swollen. So tender. 529 00:34:47,737 --> 00:34:52,177 Unfortunately, crack climbing is all ankle-dependent. 530 00:34:52,220 --> 00:34:58,096 And Freerider is 3,000 feet of crack climbing. 531 00:34:58,313 --> 00:35:00,707 All my friends that have sprained their ankles in serious ways have 532 00:35:00,750 --> 00:35:05,929 all been like, "Oh, it's gonna be at least six months until it's normal." 533 00:35:06,843 --> 00:35:08,671 If I can't get this done in the next month 534 00:35:08,715 --> 00:35:12,501 then the weather will change and I'll have to wait until next year. 535 00:35:23,991 --> 00:35:27,212 TOMMY: You know, a couple years ago, I remember him telling me that he had never 536 00:35:27,255 --> 00:35:31,607 fallen unexpectedly in his life, and now I've seen it happen twice 537 00:35:31,651 --> 00:35:33,957 in the past, like, month. 538 00:35:34,001 --> 00:35:37,047 But when you hear stuff like that, you start to wonder a little bit. 539 00:35:38,701 --> 00:35:41,878 I had this dream the night before he called me that he had, like, 540 00:35:41,922 --> 00:35:44,881 wandered into our house and asked us, and, like, started crying, 541 00:35:44,925 --> 00:35:47,145 which really freaked me out 'cause Alex doesn't cry. 542 00:35:47,188 --> 00:35:50,800 And then he had told me that he fell free soloing and started, like, 543 00:35:50,844 --> 00:35:54,239 revealing all of his injuries, like he pulled up his sleeve on his arm, 544 00:35:54,282 --> 00:35:57,894 and in my dream a bone just, like, fell out of his arm and it was all messed up. 545 00:35:57,938 --> 00:36:02,682 And that, and it was this really, like, kind of vivid, but super freaky dream. 546 00:36:02,725 --> 00:36:06,642 And, uh, and then the next day he called me and told me he hurt himself. 547 00:36:07,600 --> 00:36:09,341 SANNI: Hi, hi, Ingrid. 548 00:36:09,384 --> 00:36:11,560 REBECCA: Sometimes, one at a time. 549 00:36:11,604 --> 00:36:13,214 Hi, hello, how's it going? 550 00:36:13,258 --> 00:36:16,217 -Hi, guys. -What's up, Fitz! -So we got Fitz. 551 00:36:16,261 --> 00:36:18,393 -Hi, Tommy, hi, Fitz! Are you gonna carve a pumpkin? 552 00:36:18,437 --> 00:36:20,265 Nice, that's good. 553 00:36:20,308 --> 00:36:22,005 -That seems off. 554 00:36:22,049 --> 00:36:23,659 [inaudible]. 555 00:36:23,703 --> 00:36:25,357 -Eww. 556 00:36:25,400 --> 00:36:27,359 SANNI: Alex said, "I want nothing to do with the pumpkin carving, 557 00:36:27,402 --> 00:36:29,143 and I won't carve anything and I hate holidays." 558 00:36:29,187 --> 00:36:30,840 ALEX: I like having fun when I have fun. 559 00:36:30,884 --> 00:36:34,279 I don't like being told that it's time to have fun. 560 00:36:34,540 --> 00:36:37,630 JIMMY: Yeah, I think we need to [inaudible] a little more. 561 00:36:38,065 --> 00:36:39,458 Whoa, she's squirming. 562 00:36:39,501 --> 00:36:41,242 I don't know. Do you have a good grip on there? 563 00:36:41,286 --> 00:36:44,071 ALEX: You put that in my eye again, I'm gonna drop you. 564 00:36:44,114 --> 00:36:46,378 -Why does it not want to see us? 565 00:36:46,421 --> 00:36:47,509 -Just kidding, I won't. 566 00:36:47,553 --> 00:36:49,163 -He keeps. 567 00:36:49,207 --> 00:36:50,425 -You gotta lift him up more, you need to. 568 00:36:50,469 --> 00:36:52,122 -Bye, Tom. 569 00:36:52,166 --> 00:36:53,689 -Oh man, you should have a lot of fear right now. 570 00:36:53,733 --> 00:36:55,517 ALEX: Okay, 'cause' I feel a lot of anxiety. 571 00:36:55,561 --> 00:36:58,651 No one in any part of my family has hugged during all my formative years. 572 00:36:58,694 --> 00:37:02,132 I had to teach myself how to hug when I was, like, 23 or something. 573 00:37:02,176 --> 00:37:03,873 'Cause I was like, "Everyone seems to hug, 574 00:37:03,917 --> 00:37:05,353 that seems like something I should get into," 575 00:37:05,397 --> 00:37:07,660 and then I started, like, practicing. 576 00:37:07,703 --> 00:37:09,183 Now I'm quite a good hugger. 577 00:37:09,227 --> 00:37:10,576 -Yes. 578 00:37:10,619 --> 00:37:12,099 -You see that the pumpkin is a van? 579 00:37:12,142 --> 00:37:13,753 -I did see it. That's a precious van. 580 00:37:13,796 --> 00:37:15,015 Is it a cat? 581 00:37:15,058 --> 00:37:16,712 -I did the cat. -That's good. -Look at that. 582 00:37:16,756 --> 00:37:18,279 -Um, I did it all by my. 583 00:37:18,323 --> 00:37:19,759 -Honestly, it does look good like this. 584 00:37:19,802 --> 00:37:21,500 It looked terrible. 585 00:37:21,543 --> 00:37:23,589 -I think, yeah. 586 00:37:23,632 --> 00:37:26,418 ALEX: Part of the thing with the L word, you know, is saying love and stuff, 587 00:37:26,461 --> 00:37:29,856 is that, like, in my entire life no one in any part of my family has ever used, 588 00:37:29,899 --> 00:37:32,032 you know, that word. 589 00:37:36,166 --> 00:37:38,691 My Mom has only spoken French to my sister and I our whole lives. 590 00:37:38,734 --> 00:37:41,346 She's a French teacher, so she says, "Je t'aime" or whatever, 591 00:37:41,389 --> 00:37:45,437 and then my dad didn't talk about anything. 592 00:37:45,828 --> 00:37:49,223 DIERDRE: Nobody had an emotional bond with Charlie. 593 00:37:49,267 --> 00:37:52,792 Charlie was probably what we call nowadays Asperger's. 594 00:37:55,490 --> 00:37:58,276 Charlie's obsession, what everyone called monomania. 595 00:37:58,319 --> 00:38:00,016 He loved to travel. 596 00:38:00,060 --> 00:38:02,280 He lived to travel like Alex lives to climb. 597 00:38:03,411 --> 00:38:06,240 When he wasn't traveling, things were not good. 598 00:38:07,415 --> 00:38:10,026 Alex would do something and we'd call him stupid names, 599 00:38:10,070 --> 00:38:13,987 "Hey, bozo, don't do it like that," just demeaning things. 600 00:38:14,640 --> 00:38:18,383 If you learn that about your self-worth when you're this big, 601 00:38:18,426 --> 00:38:21,603 I don't think that goes away. 602 00:38:22,474 --> 00:38:25,912 ALEX: I have no recollection of that. 603 00:38:26,391 --> 00:38:28,436 I don't think my dad put down anybody. 604 00:38:28,480 --> 00:38:32,919 I think my dad is like a teddy bear, but dad was pretty morose. 605 00:38:35,400 --> 00:38:37,837 And then the thing is once they got divorced, then they both were, like, 606 00:38:37,880 --> 00:38:41,101 so much happier and it all seemed great, but he died the next summer. 607 00:38:42,668 --> 00:38:47,237 It's really kind of too bad that he doesn't get to see how it all played out, 608 00:38:47,281 --> 00:38:51,329 'cause he put so much effort into nurturing my climbing. 609 00:38:54,027 --> 00:38:55,811 But who knows? 610 00:38:55,855 --> 00:38:59,293 Maybe mom thought that he was, like, holding us back or, like, you know, 611 00:38:59,337 --> 00:39:02,383 not pushing us to achieve our full potential or, like, whatever, 612 00:39:02,427 --> 00:39:04,603 you know what I mean? 613 00:39:04,994 --> 00:39:08,041 My Mom's favorite sayings are, "Presque ne compte pas," 614 00:39:08,084 --> 00:39:11,958 "Almost doesn't count," or, uh, "Good enough isn't." 615 00:39:12,437 --> 00:39:14,961 No matter how well I ever do at anything, it's not that good. 616 00:39:20,880 --> 00:39:24,144 The bottomless pit of self-loathing. 617 00:39:26,102 --> 00:39:30,846 I mean, that's definitely the motivation for some soloing. 618 00:39:40,595 --> 00:39:42,684 Here we are. 619 00:39:43,729 --> 00:39:45,513 TOMMY: So I still never, like, quietly, 620 00:39:45,557 --> 00:39:47,646 quite understand what happened when you fell, you, 621 00:39:47,689 --> 00:39:49,343 like, do you even know? 622 00:39:49,387 --> 00:39:51,345 It should be just kinda, like. 623 00:39:51,389 --> 00:39:52,825 ALEX: Uh, I don't know why I fell off, but I mean I know that my skin was, 624 00:39:52,868 --> 00:39:54,435 like, hard and dry. 625 00:39:54,479 --> 00:39:56,002 It was like lightly raining kind of and like really windy. 626 00:39:56,045 --> 00:39:59,135 TOMMY: Weird he doesn't even say he knows what happened. 627 00:39:59,440 --> 00:40:02,661 He's like, "I, suddenly I was falling," which kind of surprised me because I feel 628 00:40:02,704 --> 00:40:05,315 like he's always so aware. 629 00:40:05,359 --> 00:40:08,231 Or like maybe he's not always totally aware. 630 00:40:09,363 --> 00:40:13,585 You know Alex talks about having this armor when he solos and I think as, like, 631 00:40:13,628 --> 00:40:17,110 a friend or a family member of him, you kinda have to have that same thing. 632 00:40:22,158 --> 00:40:26,424 Like after that happened, for whatever reason, it kinda like waked me up more than normal. 633 00:40:27,686 --> 00:40:29,470 You know, normally I'm just like, "Oh, he's got it. 634 00:40:29,514 --> 00:40:31,472 He's such, he's such a beast, you know, he's gonna be fine." 635 00:40:31,516 --> 00:40:37,173 But I just, like, 636 00:40:37,783 --> 00:40:41,874 am stressed out about the thing a little bit, you know? 637 00:40:45,747 --> 00:40:49,969 ALEX: Look, I don't wanna fall off and die either, but there's a satisfaction to 638 00:40:50,012 --> 00:40:53,625 challenging yourself and doing something well. 639 00:40:54,582 --> 00:40:57,977 That feeling is heightened when you're for sure facing death. 640 00:40:58,020 --> 00:41:01,154 You can't make a mistake. 641 00:41:01,763 --> 00:41:06,812 If you're seeking perfection, free soloing is as close as you can get. 642 00:41:06,855 --> 00:41:11,773 And, uh, it does feel good to feel perfect, like, for a brief moment. 643 00:41:15,647 --> 00:41:18,911 My friends are like, "Oh, that'd be terrible," but if I kill myself in an accident, 644 00:41:18,954 --> 00:41:22,784 they'll be like, "Oh, that was too bad," but like life goes on, you know, 645 00:41:22,828 --> 00:41:24,525 like they'll be fine. 646 00:41:24,569 --> 00:41:26,484 I mean, and I've had this problem with girls a lot, you know. 647 00:41:26,527 --> 00:41:28,964 They're like, "Oh, I really care about you," I'm like, "No you don't." 648 00:41:29,008 --> 00:41:31,097 Like if I perish, like, it doesn't matter, 649 00:41:31,140 --> 00:41:34,187 like you'll find somebody else, like, that's not, that's not that big a deal. 650 00:41:34,230 --> 00:41:36,842 I don't know. 651 00:41:37,364 --> 00:41:40,280 Maybe that's a little too callous. 652 00:41:45,590 --> 00:41:49,942 My foot is improving, but it still swells up a bit. 653 00:41:53,946 --> 00:41:56,862 Rope! 654 00:42:02,128 --> 00:42:04,652 Pretty epic rappel. 655 00:42:04,696 --> 00:42:07,525 Uh, we're just commuting down the wall, kinda. 656 00:42:08,134 --> 00:42:10,528 We're just having a good old time. 657 00:42:12,007 --> 00:42:14,880 If you look at soloing El Cap objectively, there are probably six pitches that 658 00:42:14,923 --> 00:42:17,622 worry me the most. 659 00:42:17,665 --> 00:42:20,320 Just off the ground, there's some insecure climbing. 660 00:42:20,363 --> 00:42:22,844 And then Freeblast, Pitch 6, being the one I fell off of, 661 00:42:22,888 --> 00:42:25,717 which is obviously a total botch. 662 00:42:25,760 --> 00:42:29,198 Then the down climb to the Hollow Flake. 663 00:42:29,242 --> 00:42:32,201 And then the Monster Offwidth, 664 00:42:32,245 --> 00:42:34,987 which is super physical, difficult style of climbing. 665 00:42:39,121 --> 00:42:42,255 When you're in the Monster Offwidth, some part of you is always being 666 00:42:42,298 --> 00:42:44,997 crushed in the mountain. 667 00:42:45,911 --> 00:42:49,392 Imagine like the worst type of Pilates class in the whole world, 668 00:42:49,436 --> 00:42:52,613 somebody like flogging as you do it, and occasionally like sandpapering skin 669 00:42:52,657 --> 00:42:57,183 off your body, telling you to hold the position until you freakin' vomit, 670 00:42:57,662 --> 00:43:01,100 and if you lose the position you die. 671 00:43:04,756 --> 00:43:08,803 The Enduro Corner, in and of itself, would have been the most difficult part of 672 00:43:08,847 --> 00:43:10,892 virtually any big solo I've done. 673 00:43:15,941 --> 00:43:18,900 Your feet aren't on any specific holds. 674 00:43:18,944 --> 00:43:21,120 What makes your feet stay to the wall is the amount of pressure that you 675 00:43:21,163 --> 00:43:24,253 pull with your hands. 676 00:43:25,124 --> 00:43:28,040 The harder you pull with your hands, the more your feet stick. 677 00:43:28,083 --> 00:43:31,609 The most demanding for your arms on the whole route. 678 00:43:32,305 --> 00:43:36,396 And you've climbed 2,500 feet to get to the Enduro Corner, so you're pretty fatigued. 679 00:43:39,617 --> 00:43:43,490 But the piece that I've always worried about the most is the crux, the hardest part. 680 00:43:44,839 --> 00:43:49,888 To get past the crux, you have climb either the Boulder Problem or the Teflon Corner. 681 00:43:50,540 --> 00:43:54,544 2,000 off the ground, each of which I've fallen off many times with a rope. 682 00:44:00,115 --> 00:44:03,249 The Teflon Corner, which is basically like a 90-degree corner of glass, 683 00:44:03,771 --> 00:44:07,645 which is ultra-slippery, just fills me with terror. 684 00:44:08,558 --> 00:44:12,345 Pushing against the two walls of it, with my feet on glass, my palms on glass, 685 00:44:12,388 --> 00:44:15,304 and trying to make these little micro adjustments to keep my balance centered so 686 00:44:15,348 --> 00:44:18,177 that I can push evenly on all four sides of it. 687 00:44:18,220 --> 00:44:21,397 And then I imagine 2,500 feet of air beneath my feet, you're, like, 688 00:44:21,441 --> 00:44:24,574 that's just a crazy thing to think about. 689 00:44:26,576 --> 00:44:29,667 The alternative is the Boulder Problem. 690 00:44:31,190 --> 00:44:33,627 But the Boulder Problem has a 10-foot section that's incredibly difficult. 691 00:44:36,978 --> 00:44:39,807 It's a very intricate sequence. 692 00:44:39,851 --> 00:44:43,942 You've got your right hand on a crimp, left hand on a side pole, 693 00:44:44,638 --> 00:44:47,859 and then you put your right foot onto this dimple thing. 694 00:44:48,424 --> 00:44:52,167 Right hand goes up to a small down-pulling crimp, left foot goes into a little dish, 695 00:44:54,561 --> 00:44:57,782 and then you drive up off the left foot into the thumb press. 696 00:44:57,825 --> 00:44:59,958 That's the worst hold on the entire route. 697 00:45:00,001 --> 00:45:02,874 So, you get maybe half your thumb on the hold. 698 00:45:03,483 --> 00:45:07,835 Then you roll your two fingers over the thumb, switch your feet, 699 00:45:09,358 --> 00:45:12,231 left foot stems out to this really bad sloping black foothold. 700 00:45:15,016 --> 00:45:17,802 Switch your thumbs. 701 00:45:20,152 --> 00:45:23,459 And then reach out left to a big sloping bread loaf type hold that 702 00:45:23,503 --> 00:45:26,462 feels kind of grainy. 703 00:45:28,029 --> 00:45:32,294 From there, you either karate kick or double-dyno to an edge on the opposite wall. 704 00:45:35,341 --> 00:45:38,866 In some ways, it makes more sense to do the big two-handed jump because you're jumping to 705 00:45:38,910 --> 00:45:42,348 a good edge so there's actually something to catch. 706 00:45:48,484 --> 00:45:51,618 But the idea of jumping without a rope seems completely outrageous, 707 00:45:51,879 --> 00:45:55,013 if you miss it, that's that. 708 00:45:56,928 --> 00:46:00,932 But then the karate kick always feels like you're falling into the other wall, 709 00:46:01,236 --> 00:46:04,544 which also feels outrageous for soloing. 710 00:46:20,255 --> 00:46:23,563 Honestly, it wasn't like, I mean I felt, like, pretty strong just pinching 711 00:46:23,606 --> 00:46:25,695 that shit and just being that, put the foot. 712 00:46:25,739 --> 00:46:27,262 MIKEY: Well, as I said, when you actually put your foot out there, I was like, 713 00:46:27,306 --> 00:46:28,611 "Well, that doesn't look that bad." 714 00:46:28,655 --> 00:46:33,007 ALEX: Yeah, it's not like crazy, but we'll see. 715 00:46:38,883 --> 00:46:40,667 SANNI: Did you take Ibuprofen this morning? 716 00:46:40,710 --> 00:46:43,235 ALEX: Uh-hmm, I mean, I'm going to right now also. 717 00:46:43,278 --> 00:46:45,280 -For your ankle? -Uh-hmm. 718 00:46:45,324 --> 00:46:51,765 -Hmm, I'm not, like, super stoked when he goes soloing, because he's already a 719 00:46:52,592 --> 00:46:55,856 big part of my life. 720 00:46:55,900 --> 00:47:00,818 I tell Alex I love him all the time, and he shows me that he loves me all the time. 721 00:47:02,602 --> 00:47:04,386 And really just dive in. 722 00:47:04,430 --> 00:47:05,997 -Yeah, yeah, yeah. 723 00:47:06,040 --> 00:47:07,825 -But I also tell him that I also need words of affection. 724 00:47:07,868 --> 00:47:10,610 -Yeah. -We work on that. 725 00:47:12,525 --> 00:47:16,442 In terms of learning how to communicate emotion, Alex has a long way to go. 726 00:47:17,182 --> 00:47:22,622 And I said, "Sometimes I'm gonna tell you how I feel, and I just need you to say it 727 00:47:22,665 --> 00:47:25,277 totally makes sense that you feel that way." 728 00:47:26,234 --> 00:47:29,237 He was like, "Yeah, I can understand why you feel that way." 729 00:47:30,673 --> 00:47:33,372 I was like, "I don't really think that you do, 730 00:47:33,415 --> 00:47:36,288 but I'm glad that you're trying." 731 00:47:37,985 --> 00:47:40,379 Alex, we have excellent team skills. 732 00:47:40,422 --> 00:47:42,729 ALEX: Well, I thought, I feel like we're not quite killin' it, but we're, 733 00:47:42,772 --> 00:47:44,035 I think we're doin' well. 734 00:47:44,078 --> 00:47:46,559 SANNI: Really? I think we're doing great. 735 00:47:46,602 --> 00:47:50,041 TOMMY: I'm very happy for Alex and Sanni that it works so well. 736 00:47:50,868 --> 00:47:53,871 And I'm, I think I'm just impressed by their relationship, 737 00:47:56,221 --> 00:48:00,268 but to free solo at that level, you really have to have the mental armor. 738 00:48:01,661 --> 00:48:04,838 Having that romantic relationship around is detrimental to that armor. 739 00:48:06,057 --> 00:48:09,103 You have to focus and inherently a close romantic relationship 740 00:48:09,147 --> 00:48:10,583 removes that armor. 741 00:48:10,626 --> 00:48:13,934 You kinda can't have both at the same time. 742 00:48:35,782 --> 00:48:40,004 ♪ 743 00:48:40,047 --> 00:48:42,354 ALEX: There's always something that has to give you the confidence to 744 00:48:42,397 --> 00:48:44,573 go out and free solo a route. 745 00:48:44,617 --> 00:48:48,447 So sometimes, that confidence just comes from feeling super, super fit. 746 00:48:48,708 --> 00:48:52,016 Sometimes, that confidence comes through preparation and rehearsal. 747 00:48:52,886 --> 00:48:55,584 But I mean there's always something that makes you feel ready. 748 00:49:03,114 --> 00:49:05,290 There's something to be said for, like, soloing a bunch of pitches to, like, 749 00:49:05,333 --> 00:49:08,815 get into that right space. 750 00:49:11,035 --> 00:49:13,124 -It's a little stressful. 751 00:49:13,559 --> 00:49:16,997 -It's just, it's unreal. 752 00:49:17,041 --> 00:49:19,130 -Yeah. 753 00:49:19,173 --> 00:49:22,046 JIMMY: And as much as I trust Alex and I know that he's really methodical, uh, 754 00:49:22,089 --> 00:49:25,310 if you're pushing the edge, eventually you find the edge. 755 00:49:28,878 --> 00:49:30,924 ALEX: But then there's just some things that you're, like, well, 756 00:49:30,968 --> 00:49:34,014 you just have to push that far because they're just, they're just that cool. 757 00:49:34,058 --> 00:49:36,799 And El Cap is that cool. 758 00:49:39,672 --> 00:49:42,980 PETER: There's incremental advances that happen in all kinds of things, 759 00:49:43,502 --> 00:49:47,201 but every once in a while there's just this iconic leap, soloing El Cap, 760 00:49:47,767 --> 00:49:51,162 if he pulls this off, is this quantum leap. 761 00:49:52,250 --> 00:49:56,167 It is hard to imagine somebody up there by themselves, without a rope, 762 00:49:56,645 --> 00:49:58,821 where it's pretty much all the other big cliffs around here. 763 00:49:58,865 --> 00:50:01,476 I can kinda get it. 764 00:50:02,216 --> 00:50:04,218 ALEX: How many times have you soloed both those routes now? 765 00:50:04,262 --> 00:50:08,396 PETER: Well, Astroman, three or four times, but the Rostrum, I mean, literally, 766 00:50:08,440 --> 00:50:10,529 like, fifty, sixty. 767 00:50:10,572 --> 00:50:12,879 ALEX: Wait, you've soloed the Rostrum 50 or 60 times? 768 00:50:13,706 --> 00:50:15,360 PETER: It was like part of the circuit and I would, 769 00:50:15,403 --> 00:50:17,536 I would go there and I would do it at least twice. 770 00:50:17,579 --> 00:50:19,929 Like I was just glommed on. 771 00:50:20,278 --> 00:50:21,844 -Uh-huh. 772 00:50:21,888 --> 00:50:23,629 -Not like I had a fear, but just kind of like this is how. 773 00:50:23,672 --> 00:50:25,065 -Yeah, because you're so tight. You know, I love that about soloing. 774 00:50:25,109 --> 00:50:26,936 -My footwork gets really good. 775 00:50:26,980 --> 00:50:28,373 -Yeah, really, yeah totally, yeah. 776 00:50:28,416 --> 00:50:30,766 -But it's not for anybody else, this is just for me. 777 00:50:30,810 --> 00:50:32,420 -Yeah, yeah, just because you feel like you're. 778 00:50:32,464 --> 00:50:34,074 -And after Astroman, people were like, 779 00:50:34,118 --> 00:50:35,815 "Ah, we wanna film you, film you up there," 780 00:50:35,858 --> 00:50:38,774 and I'm like, "Not interested, not even slightly." 781 00:50:39,036 --> 00:50:42,561 For me, it was so incredibly important to be doing it for the right reasons. 782 00:50:42,604 --> 00:50:45,607 ALEX: I mean, I think I'm still doing everything for the right reasons, 783 00:50:45,651 --> 00:50:48,915 and I'm still totally stoked, but I feel like from the outside observer, you know, 784 00:50:48,958 --> 00:50:52,092 they'd be like, "Oh, he's got a movie crew," like clearly that's the 785 00:50:52,136 --> 00:50:54,225 wrong reasons, you know. 786 00:50:54,268 --> 00:50:59,447 PETER: The worst thing about having a film crew is if it changes your mindset. 787 00:51:09,588 --> 00:51:12,504 JIMMY: I think Alex is almost ready to do it. 788 00:51:12,808 --> 00:51:15,855 He just wants to take a few more practice laps. 789 00:51:17,204 --> 00:51:22,253 And we're just trying to figure out all of our camera positions. 790 00:51:27,562 --> 00:51:32,132 I mean the soloing headspace is so fragile. 791 00:51:32,828 --> 00:51:37,050 We wanna film it well, but it's about not getting in his way and making sure 792 00:51:37,094 --> 00:51:40,053 he has the experience he wants. 793 00:51:44,797 --> 00:51:47,539 CHEYNE: The worst possible scenario is that one of us would do something 794 00:51:47,582 --> 00:51:49,410 that would kill him. 795 00:51:49,454 --> 00:51:50,759 Is it gonna be the drone? 796 00:51:50,803 --> 00:51:52,152 Is it gonna be one of the ropes? 797 00:51:52,196 --> 00:51:55,460 Is it gonna be us accidently knocking off a rock? 798 00:51:59,116 --> 00:52:01,640 ALEX: The idea of falling off is, you know, obviously I'm trying to avoid that, 799 00:52:01,683 --> 00:52:05,861 but it's like kind of okay if it's just by myself. 800 00:52:05,905 --> 00:52:08,777 But, like, I wouldn't wanna fall off right in front of my friends, 'cause that's like, 801 00:52:08,821 --> 00:52:12,129 that's kind of messed up. 802 00:52:12,651 --> 00:52:15,741 JIMMY: Where are you comfortable with us being essentially? 803 00:52:16,611 --> 00:52:19,179 -Well, do you have [inaudible] like. 804 00:52:19,223 --> 00:52:20,615 -The traverse into it? 805 00:52:20,659 --> 00:52:22,748 -Uh-hmm. -Yeah. 806 00:52:22,791 --> 00:52:25,403 -And then a, just a camera above, sitting above the Boulder Pitch, essentially. 807 00:52:25,446 --> 00:52:28,057 -Yeah. -It's distracting. -Yeah, it's distracting. 808 00:52:28,101 --> 00:52:31,060 -Well, it's not just distracting, but it's also like, you know, 809 00:52:31,104 --> 00:52:34,542 nobody wants to see that, I don't know. 810 00:52:36,457 --> 00:52:40,505 Like, yeah, I don't, yeah, it's better not to. 811 00:52:40,548 --> 00:52:42,811 Some things you're like, meh. 812 00:52:43,334 --> 00:52:47,207 -Yeah, okay. 813 00:52:49,383 --> 00:52:52,256 -So should I rally into the valley and try to like round out plans? 814 00:52:52,299 --> 00:52:54,519 -Yeah, yeah. 815 00:52:58,305 --> 00:53:01,134 ALEX: Um, the moon set at 4:50 behind the ridge. 816 00:53:01,178 --> 00:53:05,791 The spire was touched by the sun at 7:30 and by 8:05, the sun was to the crux probably. 817 00:53:05,834 --> 00:53:07,401 -8:05? -Okay. 818 00:53:07,445 --> 00:53:09,229 ALEX: You don't want it to be sunny when you get to the crux, 819 00:53:09,273 --> 00:53:12,276 and it takes three or four hours to get up to the Boulder Problem, 820 00:53:12,319 --> 00:53:14,713 and it's fall so in order to beat the sun, 821 00:53:14,756 --> 00:53:17,150 you basically have to start in the dark. 822 00:53:17,194 --> 00:53:21,676 I kinda think just leave the ground at 4:00 again, basically. 823 00:53:29,510 --> 00:53:30,729 I don't know. 824 00:53:30,772 --> 00:53:33,210 I'm starting to get kind of psyched. 825 00:53:35,777 --> 00:53:38,519 The moment of just letting go to it is in some ways the most peaceful because 826 00:53:38,563 --> 00:53:40,565 then it's like you just do your thing. 827 00:53:40,608 --> 00:53:43,220 There's no more stress, there's no more anxiety, there's no fear, whatever, 828 00:53:43,872 --> 00:53:46,135 you just go up and do it. 829 00:53:46,179 --> 00:53:49,269 I put on my tight shoes today, it's like very exciting. 830 00:53:50,444 --> 00:53:53,534 It would be, like, it would be like a samurai pulling out his favorite sword, 831 00:53:53,578 --> 00:53:55,057 you know like, 832 00:53:55,101 --> 00:53:56,972 "Oh, my gosh," you know, and now I'm like, 833 00:53:57,016 --> 00:53:59,453 "Oh, time for the, the finely crafted blade." 834 00:53:59,497 --> 00:54:02,630 So stoked. I like sinking into it. 835 00:54:03,414 --> 00:54:08,636 It's, it goes with the Jedi thing, the samurai with the, and then I just 836 00:54:08,680 --> 00:54:10,812 started taking Ibuprofen. 837 00:54:10,856 --> 00:54:13,424 I've been, like, icing a bunch and, like, I think my foot's gonna be pretty good. 838 00:54:13,772 --> 00:54:17,036 JIMMY: Yeah, what does Sanni say when you talk to her about it? 839 00:54:17,428 --> 00:54:19,430 ALEX: Um, I mean I haven't talked to her that much. 840 00:54:19,473 --> 00:54:21,562 She's been, like, asking a lot of questions like, "Oh, you know, how's it?" 841 00:54:21,606 --> 00:54:25,131 And I'm, I just haven't really like, I'm just like, "Oh, we'll see, we'll see." 842 00:54:25,174 --> 00:54:28,613 You know, the fewer people know anything, the better really. 843 00:54:30,832 --> 00:54:34,183 SANNI: I had a dream and you were limping and you were like, had caught, 844 00:54:34,227 --> 00:54:38,492 had like made the exact same fall and fallen on your ankle in the exact same way. 845 00:54:38,536 --> 00:54:40,233 -That's really nice, San San. 846 00:54:40,277 --> 00:54:41,539 -It was like tragic. 847 00:54:41,582 --> 00:54:43,149 -I love hearing stories about that. 848 00:54:43,192 --> 00:54:45,804 -I woke up, like, "Oh my gosh. I hope that didn't happen." 849 00:54:45,847 --> 00:54:48,328 -That's, that's really nice. 850 00:54:48,372 --> 00:54:50,156 -Um, what is your, is your daypack? 851 00:54:50,199 --> 00:54:51,853 They're bringing it up there for you and Peter? 852 00:54:51,897 --> 00:54:53,812 -Um, no. 853 00:54:53,855 --> 00:54:56,336 For me tomorrow, probably. 854 00:54:56,380 --> 00:54:59,296 -For on the mountain? 855 00:54:59,339 --> 00:55:01,298 -Um, for the summit, yeah. 856 00:55:01,341 --> 00:55:03,735 -Hmm, you and Peter are gonna try and do the whole thing? 857 00:55:03,778 --> 00:55:06,564 -Uh, no, Peter won't be here for a couple of days probably. 858 00:55:06,607 --> 00:55:08,827 -Oh, who are you climbing with tomorrow? 859 00:55:08,870 --> 00:55:11,786 -Um, yeah, we'll just see. 860 00:55:11,830 --> 00:55:13,875 -Oh, okay, okay. 861 00:55:17,052 --> 00:55:20,404 Wait, so are you thinking of soloing it tomorrow, is that why you're not telling me who 862 00:55:20,447 --> 00:55:22,057 you're climbing with? 863 00:55:22,101 --> 00:55:24,582 ALEX: Um, well, I'm not like not telling you, but yeah. 864 00:55:24,625 --> 00:55:25,931 -Whoa, Alex. 865 00:55:25,974 --> 00:55:28,237 -Whoa. -Whoa. -Whoa. 866 00:55:28,281 --> 00:55:29,413 -How do you feel? 867 00:55:29,456 --> 00:55:32,720 -I'm, you know, I mean, excited. 868 00:55:32,764 --> 00:55:35,810 -That's really exciting. Is it that feeling when you're like... 869 00:55:35,854 --> 00:55:38,204 -So exciting I'm gonna go right back to my book. 870 00:55:38,247 --> 00:55:40,598 Where you're like, no, I'm not reading it. 871 00:55:41,947 --> 00:55:43,296 When did you decide? 872 00:55:43,340 --> 00:55:45,254 When did you decide to do it tomorrow? 873 00:55:45,298 --> 00:55:47,909 ALEX: No, just, you know, uh, yesterday or the day before or something. 874 00:55:48,649 --> 00:55:51,565 SANNI: Hmm, I'm processing. 875 00:56:17,243 --> 00:56:20,246 I wanna, like I wanna have this more, like, holistic approach that you have where 876 00:56:20,289 --> 00:56:21,856 you're like "Well, we're all gonna die, 877 00:56:21,900 --> 00:56:23,902 like might as well do what we wanna do while we're here and 878 00:56:23,945 --> 00:56:28,341 it's okay when people die," but I feel like I want you to meet me halfway 879 00:56:29,864 --> 00:56:34,434 and when you solo to take me into the equation 880 00:56:35,653 --> 00:56:37,263 and then I think you said... 881 00:56:37,306 --> 00:56:39,744 -Is there a question? -Some, there's going to be. -Okay. 882 00:56:40,266 --> 00:56:43,095 -Um, would putting me into the equation actually ever change anything? 883 00:56:43,138 --> 00:56:46,185 Would you actually make decisions differently? 884 00:56:46,664 --> 00:56:51,364 ALEX: If I had some kind of obligation to maximize my lifespan, then like yeah, 885 00:56:51,756 --> 00:56:53,497 obviously I'd have to give up soloing and, um. 886 00:56:53,540 --> 00:56:57,283 SANNI: Was me asking you, do you see that as an obligation now? 887 00:56:57,326 --> 00:56:58,893 --Uh, no, no. 888 00:56:58,937 --> 00:57:01,069 -Oh. 889 00:57:01,113 --> 00:57:06,248 -No, but I appreciate your concerns and I, you know, I respect that, but, but I, 890 00:57:06,292 --> 00:57:08,425 in no way, feel obligated, no. 891 00:57:08,468 --> 00:57:09,687 -To maximize lifetime? 892 00:57:09,730 --> 00:57:12,820 -No, no, I don't know. 893 00:57:14,866 --> 00:57:19,087 Um, but I mean like you saying, "Be safer," I'm kinda like well, I mean I can't. 894 00:57:20,262 --> 00:57:21,960 You know, I'm already doing my best. 895 00:57:22,003 --> 00:57:24,179 So I could just, like, not do certain things, but then you have, like, 896 00:57:24,223 --> 00:57:26,834 weird simmering resentment because it's things that you love most in life 897 00:57:26,878 --> 00:57:28,793 have now been squashed. 898 00:57:28,836 --> 00:57:31,752 You know what I mean? 899 00:57:46,245 --> 00:57:49,988 -What time is it? -3:30. -Oh. 900 00:57:50,031 --> 00:57:52,860 -I just woke up one minute before my alarm. 901 00:57:52,904 --> 00:57:55,515 -Yeah, you woke up before or after? 902 00:57:56,777 --> 00:57:59,911 -One minute before. 903 00:58:16,493 --> 00:58:19,931 It's like always about, like, excellence and perfection. 904 00:58:22,586 --> 00:58:25,980 And I was certainly raised that way, you know, that you need to, you need to perform. 905 00:58:29,810 --> 00:58:32,770 It's also just like kind of rad because you're doing something for the first time 906 00:58:32,813 --> 00:58:35,381 in human history. 907 00:58:49,613 --> 00:58:53,007 -Let's hope it's a low gravity day. 908 00:58:55,270 --> 00:58:57,751 -Bye, Huck, see you at the ground. 909 00:58:57,795 --> 00:59:01,015 -Meet you in the ground. -See you, buddy. 910 00:59:27,955 --> 00:59:31,350 ALEX: This sucks. I don't wanna be here. 911 00:59:36,660 --> 00:59:39,619 I'm over it. 912 00:59:40,315 --> 00:59:41,447 MIKEY: What happened? 913 00:59:41,490 --> 00:59:43,754 ALEX: I cheated on the slab down there. 914 00:59:43,797 --> 00:59:45,407 Might as well radio it. 915 00:59:45,451 --> 00:59:48,149 MIKEY: Do you wanna talk to him? 916 00:59:49,760 --> 00:59:51,979 ALEX: I don't even know what to say, it's, like, kind of embarrassing. 917 00:59:52,023 --> 00:59:54,242 Uh, hey, whoever's on the radio, this is Alex. 918 00:59:54,286 --> 00:59:57,028 Um, I think I'm bailing. 919 00:59:58,986 --> 01:00:00,684 JIMMY: Wait, could you repeat? 920 01:00:00,727 --> 01:00:03,034 MIKEY [over radio]: I think he's bailing from heart. 921 01:00:03,077 --> 01:00:06,124 CREW [over radio]: Bailing from heart, that's correct. 922 01:00:09,518 --> 01:00:12,173 JIMMY: It's kind of disturbing. 923 01:00:16,482 --> 01:00:19,311 Yeah, I wonder what it was. 924 01:00:19,354 --> 01:00:22,096 ALEX: I don't know if I can try with everybody watching. 925 01:00:22,140 --> 01:00:23,881 It's too scary. 926 01:00:23,924 --> 01:00:26,840 Just can't, like, try for real. 927 01:00:41,072 --> 01:00:44,205 -Oh, my gosh. -Good morning. -What are you doing? 928 01:00:44,249 --> 01:00:45,598 -Oh, I bailed. 929 01:00:45,642 --> 01:00:47,034 -You bailed, oh? 930 01:00:47,078 --> 01:00:48,296 -Yeah, it's chilly outside. 931 01:00:48,340 --> 01:00:49,863 -It's chilly, okay. 932 01:00:49,907 --> 01:00:52,039 -Okay. 933 01:00:52,736 --> 01:00:53,780 -What's going on? 934 01:00:53,824 --> 01:00:58,611 -Well, not much. 935 01:00:58,872 --> 01:01:00,395 -What's up? 936 01:01:00,439 --> 01:01:01,919 -Oh, I just, I went up to Free Blast and I was, like, nah, 937 01:01:01,962 --> 01:01:03,616 I'm not gonna' do it. But... 938 01:01:03,660 --> 01:01:04,922 -Good for you. 939 01:01:04,965 --> 01:01:06,401 -Yeah, well, it's just a little weird, you know? 940 01:01:06,445 --> 01:01:08,665 -Yup. -Yeah. -No. 941 01:01:08,708 --> 01:01:12,059 -Right, I mean there's just too many random, random folks about and stuff, whatever. 942 01:01:12,103 --> 01:01:13,800 -Uh-hmm, yeah. 943 01:01:13,844 --> 01:01:16,194 -But, like, basically I did the first half of the first slab. 944 01:01:16,237 --> 01:01:17,935 -Uh-hmm. 945 01:01:17,978 --> 01:01:19,850 ALEX: And then, uh, and then I just was like, "Oh, I don't know." 946 01:01:19,893 --> 01:01:21,112 And my feet. 947 01:01:21,155 --> 01:01:22,679 -Right, you made the perfect decision. 948 01:01:22,722 --> 01:01:24,115 -I don't know though, I'm just like. 949 01:01:24,158 --> 01:01:25,682 -Yeah. 950 01:01:25,725 --> 01:01:27,466 ALEX: But now it all has to drag on longer, I'm like. 951 01:01:27,509 --> 01:01:30,295 -You, yeah, I mean, you never have to go for it. 952 01:01:30,338 --> 01:01:31,513 You can just. 953 01:01:31,557 --> 01:01:33,167 ALEX: Well, I just need it to end, you know. 954 01:01:33,211 --> 01:01:34,734 -Yeah, yeah, all the... 955 01:01:34,778 --> 01:01:36,605 -Yeah, you know what I'm talking about. 956 01:01:36,649 --> 01:01:38,999 -The circus surrounding you. 957 01:01:42,829 --> 01:01:46,224 -I just can't imagine, I wonder if he got nervous. 958 01:01:47,704 --> 01:01:50,184 -Is that possible? 959 01:01:50,228 --> 01:01:52,099 -Oh, man. 960 01:01:52,534 --> 01:01:55,363 There's a lot of things that I don't totally understand about him. 961 01:01:55,407 --> 01:01:56,669 You know? 962 01:01:56,713 --> 01:01:58,453 JIMMY: Yeah, I know. 963 01:01:58,497 --> 01:02:02,283 I mean in some ways it'd be kind of reassuring that Spock has nerves. 964 01:02:13,599 --> 01:02:16,036 ALEX: It was the first time I've ever gone up on something like real and 965 01:02:16,080 --> 01:02:18,386 then not done it. 966 01:02:18,430 --> 01:02:23,087 But it's also the first time I've ever gone up on something real with people all watching. 967 01:02:23,435 --> 01:02:26,917 By myself, I maybe would have just, like, persevered, I don't know, 968 01:02:27,656 --> 01:02:31,138 maybe I just suck, but, 969 01:02:31,182 --> 01:02:34,663 you know, at least I've like, at least I've tried. 970 01:02:57,469 --> 01:02:59,384 SANNI: Thanks for meeting us again. 971 01:03:02,996 --> 01:03:06,826 It's funny, it always has a certain smell in here, and I wonder if it's 972 01:03:06,870 --> 01:03:08,393 the paint or the. 973 01:03:08,436 --> 01:03:10,787 ALEX: Yeah, it's the fresh paint. 974 01:03:11,265 --> 01:03:14,225 SANNI: Dining room with probably also bookshelves. 975 01:03:15,530 --> 01:03:16,967 ALEX: Wait, so what am, what am I signing? 976 01:03:17,010 --> 01:03:19,317 "Buyers of unit approves the home inspection." 977 01:03:19,360 --> 01:03:24,322 SANNI: Yeah, Alex told me I get one furniture question a day. 978 01:03:24,539 --> 01:03:26,454 ALEX: I've always thought that I ought to buy a house, 979 01:03:26,498 --> 01:03:29,936 just haven't quite had the energy to make it all happen myself. 980 01:03:29,980 --> 01:03:32,678 I think Sanni will be stoked to have a place to live and there's so much 981 01:03:32,721 --> 01:03:35,072 climbing all around Vegas. 982 01:03:35,681 --> 01:03:40,817 SANNI: Big sectional here and chair or like sofa and two chairs. 983 01:03:43,776 --> 01:03:46,387 Potential, like, bar area. 984 01:03:47,954 --> 01:03:49,738 ALEX: I would just sleep straight on the carpet. 985 01:03:49,782 --> 01:03:51,828 It'd be like. 986 01:03:59,139 --> 01:04:03,230 SANNI: Alex was a huge jerk watching me struggle with the tape measure, 987 01:04:03,274 --> 01:04:06,277 being an asshole standing by commenting on how stupid I look, 988 01:04:06,320 --> 01:04:10,672 but not actually offering to help or be productive or kind in any way. 989 01:04:10,716 --> 01:04:13,458 ALEX: And so now it's all gone to shit. 990 01:04:13,501 --> 01:04:16,635 SANNI: Yeah, you're asking about our domestic bliss, it's nonexistent. 991 01:04:17,723 --> 01:04:20,160 ALEX: You're so angry, but it's cracking, it's cracking. 992 01:04:20,204 --> 01:04:21,422 -It's not cracking. 993 01:04:21,466 --> 01:04:22,771 -Yeah, it is, it's cracking. 994 01:04:22,815 --> 01:04:24,251 -No, it's not, I'm still angry. 995 01:04:24,295 --> 01:04:25,644 -I can tell you're cracking. 996 01:04:25,687 --> 01:04:27,037 -I'm not cracking. 997 01:04:27,080 --> 01:04:28,777 -But you're not that angry, you're cracking. 998 01:04:28,821 --> 01:04:30,344 -I'm not cracking. 999 01:04:30,388 --> 01:04:32,433 This is firm resolve of hatred. 1000 01:04:32,477 --> 01:04:34,740 -Yeah, yeah, yeah. 1001 01:04:35,959 --> 01:04:39,223 -Oh, boy. 1002 01:04:40,485 --> 01:04:43,096 -That one seems very big and very wide. 1003 01:04:43,140 --> 01:04:44,837 -Oh. 1004 01:04:46,491 --> 01:04:49,015 -Whoa, that seems really deep. 1005 01:04:50,712 --> 01:04:52,279 -We should just ask somebody. 1006 01:04:52,323 --> 01:04:53,672 -Hmm, I know. 1007 01:04:53,715 --> 01:04:54,934 Let's keep looking for the smaller ones. 1008 01:04:54,978 --> 01:04:56,370 Oh, this is the $400, that's. 1009 01:04:56,414 --> 01:04:57,719 -That's it! 1010 01:04:57,763 --> 01:04:58,938 -That's it, that's our jam. 1011 01:04:58,982 --> 01:05:00,287 This is actually, like, kind of perfect. 1012 01:05:00,331 --> 01:05:03,203 This is like so adequate. 1013 01:05:05,466 --> 01:05:06,903 -We have a fridge! 1014 01:05:06,946 --> 01:05:09,862 -Hmm. -Yay! -That success. 1015 01:05:10,558 --> 01:05:12,517 SANNI: Is it possible? 1016 01:05:12,560 --> 01:05:17,348 We had like a sort of a rough patch since Yosemite, where, I don't know, 1017 01:05:18,349 --> 01:05:22,005 Alex isn't super good about putting a name to how he's feeling. 1018 01:05:22,309 --> 01:05:25,008 So, he'll be like, "I know I'm cranky, but I don't really know why and I'm not gonna 1019 01:05:25,051 --> 01:05:27,662 take the time to figure it out." 1020 01:05:28,359 --> 01:05:31,057 I'm patient, but I also have self-respect. 1021 01:05:31,101 --> 01:05:35,192 And then, you know, the second that I start being mad, he's just like "foom." 1022 01:05:38,717 --> 01:05:40,110 ALEX: How do you make coffee? 1023 01:05:40,153 --> 01:05:42,764 You need like a filter. 1024 01:05:42,808 --> 01:05:46,377 Definitely my relationship with Sanni is, like, the most healthy and stable 1025 01:05:46,420 --> 01:05:48,640 relationship I've ever had. 1026 01:05:49,075 --> 01:05:51,295 Oh, look at that, the only thing in the cupboard. 1027 01:05:52,078 --> 01:05:53,775 Certainly more communicative. 1028 01:05:53,819 --> 01:05:56,126 Even Sanni over the year and a half we've been dating is like, 1029 01:05:56,169 --> 01:05:58,171 "Wow, you've really blossomed." 1030 01:05:58,215 --> 01:06:00,347 Well, that's not really promising. 1031 01:06:00,391 --> 01:06:02,828 And you think you put the coffee in there and then you push the water through it? 1032 01:06:02,871 --> 01:06:04,003 I don't how to, um. 1033 01:06:04,047 --> 01:06:06,527 SANNI: Hello, oh, my gosh, wow! 1034 01:06:06,571 --> 01:06:08,094 ALEX: Oh, like, how's, why? 1035 01:06:08,138 --> 01:06:09,661 SANNI: Is this what it is to be, um, a homeowner? 1036 01:06:09,704 --> 01:06:11,924 You get breakfast and coffee made for you every day? 1037 01:06:11,968 --> 01:06:14,448 ALEX: I don't, I don't understand the, do you put the coffee in here and 1038 01:06:14,492 --> 01:06:15,536 then put the water to it? 1039 01:06:15,580 --> 01:06:16,842 SANNI: It's really complicated. 1040 01:06:16,885 --> 01:06:19,497 ALEX: But she sees things in a different way. 1041 01:06:19,758 --> 01:06:23,066 For Sanni the point of life is like happiness. 1042 01:06:23,327 --> 01:06:27,244 To be with people that make you feel fulfilled and to have a good time. 1043 01:06:27,635 --> 01:06:30,682 For me it's all about performance. 1044 01:06:31,248 --> 01:06:35,034 The thing is anybody can be happy and cozy. 1045 01:06:35,295 --> 01:06:38,864 Nothing good happens in the world by being happy and cozy. 1046 01:06:40,997 --> 01:06:44,913 You know, like nobody achieves anything great because they're happy and cozy. 1047 01:06:46,785 --> 01:06:50,745 SANNI: You never wanna feel like you're getting in the way of someone's goal. 1048 01:06:51,877 --> 01:06:56,316 And it's really hard for me to grasp why he wants this. 1049 01:06:58,101 --> 01:07:02,975 But it's his dream and he obviously still really wants it. 1050 01:07:06,718 --> 01:07:09,895 ALEX: It's about being a warrior. 1051 01:07:09,938 --> 01:07:12,898 It doesn't matter about the cause necessarily. 1052 01:07:12,941 --> 01:07:16,293 This is your path and you will pursue it with excellence. 1053 01:07:18,338 --> 01:07:21,254 You face your fear because your goal demands it. 1054 01:07:22,690 --> 01:07:26,477 That is the goddamn warrior spirit. 1055 01:07:27,304 --> 01:07:30,785 I think that the free soloing mentality is pretty close to warrior culture, 1056 01:07:32,048 --> 01:07:36,139 where you give something 100% focus because your life depends on it. 1057 01:08:06,517 --> 01:08:11,130 ALEX: The move I gave up on in the fall was a right foot on this little edge right here, 1058 01:08:11,174 --> 01:08:15,221 and I basically just have to like stand on the right foot and just trust it. 1059 01:08:15,482 --> 01:08:18,529 And I was like, "I don't really wanna have my whole life depend on like standing 1060 01:08:18,572 --> 01:08:21,532 on this one right foot." 1061 01:08:22,881 --> 01:08:25,666 But maybe I can find another way. 1062 01:08:31,933 --> 01:08:35,415 MARK: I think this is like kind of the business of the whole deal, 1063 01:08:36,764 --> 01:08:39,811 which is interesting because if you're climbing with a rope it's not at all, 1064 01:08:39,854 --> 01:08:43,031 but without a rope it is. 1065 01:09:11,973 --> 01:09:17,501 ALEX: That's my variation, I just don't know. 1066 01:09:26,205 --> 01:09:30,862 MARK: I think that he's only comfortable climbing in front of the camera or in front of 1067 01:09:31,210 --> 01:09:34,822 any other people when he's really confident and secure. 1068 01:09:35,606 --> 01:09:38,826 And that's been the dilemma that this whole production has faced, right? 1069 01:09:39,131 --> 01:09:40,654 -Yeah. -From the beginning. 1070 01:09:40,698 --> 01:09:43,004 JIMMY: Our being there is always going to change things. 1071 01:09:43,048 --> 01:09:46,660 What made the big difference for me is that he did turn around last year. 1072 01:09:46,704 --> 01:09:50,447 He didn't feel the pressure to have to do it because we were there. 1073 01:09:51,665 --> 01:09:55,103 And I really, like that to me said a lot. 1074 01:09:55,974 --> 01:09:58,106 MARK: It meant a lot. 1075 01:10:15,298 --> 01:10:19,040 JIMMY: Is that what you'd want, us not to film it? 1076 01:10:19,084 --> 01:10:21,260 ALEX: Hmm, no. 1077 01:10:21,478 --> 01:10:24,655 I mean, hard to say it but I care about doing it a lot more than I care 1078 01:10:24,698 --> 01:10:26,265 about it being filmed. 1079 01:10:26,309 --> 01:10:28,180 You know? 1080 01:10:28,224 --> 01:10:30,356 JIMMY: You could put your foot down at any time, and, and, you know. 1081 01:10:30,400 --> 01:10:32,315 ALEX: Yeah, I mean, I'm aware of it. 1082 01:10:32,358 --> 01:10:33,707 Like, if I want to, I just won't tell anybody and I'm just gonna do it 1083 01:10:33,751 --> 01:10:34,969 on my own terms. 1084 01:10:35,013 --> 01:10:36,623 JIMMY: Yeah, exactly. 1085 01:10:36,667 --> 01:10:38,495 ALEX: Like whatever, like I mean that's obviously on the table. 1086 01:10:38,538 --> 01:10:40,714 But obviously that would hose everybody, you know? 1087 01:10:40,758 --> 01:10:42,150 JIMMY: Yeah. 1088 01:10:42,194 --> 01:10:43,282 SANNI: If you woke up tomorrow and you were like, 1089 01:10:43,326 --> 01:10:44,936 "You know what, screw all of this, 1090 01:10:44,979 --> 01:10:46,807 I just don't care enough, like I don't feel good enough." 1091 01:10:46,851 --> 01:10:48,766 ALEX: You know, but that's like, yeah, 1092 01:10:48,809 --> 01:10:50,420 I mean, of course I, I mean, I know I could do that and just walk away. 1093 01:10:50,463 --> 01:10:55,381 But it's like, you know, I mean, you know, I don't want to. 1094 01:11:08,002 --> 01:11:11,571 Having all these people around requires a higher level of preparation, 1095 01:11:11,615 --> 01:11:14,400 a higher level of confidence basically. 1096 01:11:14,661 --> 01:11:18,056 I need to like dial it in so much that, you know, it doesn't matter if there's 1097 01:11:18,099 --> 01:11:20,667 like a stadium of people watching me because it's so easy for me that I'm just like, 1098 01:11:20,711 --> 01:11:23,061 "Check this out." And just do it. 1099 01:11:24,932 --> 01:11:27,979 Pitch one, stay left towards the top, splitter, it feels more secure. 1100 01:11:29,328 --> 01:11:31,939 Pitch two, trust the right foot, rock on, trust the feet, 1101 01:11:31,983 --> 01:11:33,463 right hand to the last under cling. 1102 01:11:33,506 --> 01:11:35,334 Eight, easy romp. Go fast. 1103 01:11:35,378 --> 01:11:38,468 Nine, stay outside of the down climb, careful of blocks. 1104 01:11:38,511 --> 01:11:42,341 Pitch 26, sort of lie back and up the corner, key left-hand pinch thing, 1105 01:11:42,385 --> 01:11:46,084 right foot back step on the lower edge, left foot faced against the wall, stand up. 1106 01:11:46,127 --> 01:11:50,001 Left hand to the huge ear jug thing, switch the feet, match the big jug, 1107 01:11:50,567 --> 01:11:53,874 left foot jams into the crack, then you see right-hand down pulling on the top part of the 1108 01:11:53,918 --> 01:11:57,400 jug, left hand goes into this flared slot thing, which you can either fist jam or hand 1109 01:11:57,443 --> 01:11:59,793 jam, either way, it's like a flare jam in the slot. 1110 01:11:59,837 --> 01:12:03,710 Sag down onto it, right hand crosses under to an under cling, side pull. 1111 01:12:03,754 --> 01:12:06,887 Right foot sinks low to a flat edge, left foot steps through to an edge, 1112 01:12:06,931 --> 01:12:10,543 right foot back steps really high so you can sag your weight around the corner 1113 01:12:10,587 --> 01:12:12,589 without having to swing. 1114 01:12:12,632 --> 01:12:15,113 Left foot out to the big horn, right hand through to a little finger pocket, 1115 01:12:15,156 --> 01:12:18,334 you go left foot out to an edge around the corner, you can actually push all the way 1116 01:12:18,377 --> 01:12:20,553 into the corner, then you can grab this down pulling right hand, flat, 1117 01:12:20,597 --> 01:12:22,773 like a small crimp. 1118 01:12:22,816 --> 01:12:24,818 Left hand to the other under cling, switch your feet on the rail and then just reach 1119 01:12:24,862 --> 01:12:27,255 through the jugs, and then it's done. 1120 01:12:27,560 --> 01:12:31,651 The key thing for the crux, pull hard, trust feet, "trust" underline, 1121 01:12:31,695 --> 01:12:34,001 double exclamation point, period. 1122 01:12:34,045 --> 01:12:36,874 Autopilot. Period. 1123 01:12:56,807 --> 01:12:59,810 I mean, you know, it's not surprising that Ueli died. 1124 01:12:59,853 --> 01:13:03,422 Considering he's always doing crazy dangerous things, but I kind of thought 1125 01:13:03,466 --> 01:13:06,338 he was gonna survive. 1126 01:13:08,471 --> 01:13:13,650 Ueli talked about doing sketchy climbs that you just kind of squeak out once. 1127 01:13:13,693 --> 01:13:17,218 You know I've always tried not to. 1128 01:13:17,480 --> 01:13:20,265 But when I was talking to him about, about Free Rider, I was like, 1129 01:13:20,308 --> 01:13:22,789 "Oh maybe Free Rider is one of those routes that I just need to go squeak 1130 01:13:22,833 --> 01:13:26,010 out once and just like make sure it's my day." 1131 01:13:26,793 --> 01:13:30,057 You know, obviously it wasn't his day. 1132 01:13:39,284 --> 01:13:42,635 TOMMY: After Ueli died, it's interesting with Alex, how he justifies all that 1133 01:13:42,679 --> 01:13:45,072 stuff away so quickly. 1134 01:13:45,856 --> 01:13:47,814 He was just kind of like shrugged it off, he's like 1135 01:13:47,858 --> 01:13:50,426 "Oh, yeah, yeah, it could happen." 1136 01:13:54,342 --> 01:13:56,736 SANNI: I talked to Alex for a really long time about all of this. 1137 01:13:56,780 --> 01:13:58,695 And I was like, "What if you die? 1138 01:13:58,738 --> 01:14:02,394 Like what if you die just like Ueli died?" 1139 01:14:02,438 --> 01:14:06,311 Ueli and his wife, Nicole, had a really beautiful relationship and they 1140 01:14:06,354 --> 01:14:08,879 would climb together. 1141 01:14:08,922 --> 01:14:13,361 Alex said at one point, "Well, what did she expect?" 1142 01:14:13,405 --> 01:14:17,061 And I got, I was like, "What do you mean what did she expect?" 1143 01:14:18,149 --> 01:14:23,720 I was like, "I'm Nicole, Alex! And I don't expect that." 1144 01:14:24,372 --> 01:14:27,593 TOMMY: Tons of more people have died and Alex is kind of 1145 01:14:27,637 --> 01:14:32,772 the most likely to die, but I know he's gonna do it. 1146 01:14:32,816 --> 01:14:36,515 So I'd like to be there to help him prepare as well as he can. 1147 01:14:38,822 --> 01:14:40,432 Oh, shit. 1148 01:14:40,867 --> 01:14:44,523 If he went to solo it and fell and died, and I hadn't helped him prepare 1149 01:14:44,567 --> 01:14:46,569 that would be harder for me. 1150 01:14:46,612 --> 01:14:49,006 Like, I just know that I'm, I'm one of the people that's gonna be able to do 1151 01:14:49,049 --> 01:14:51,878 that the best with him and so, I should. 1152 01:14:59,712 --> 01:15:03,760 JIMMY: He said he's feeling tinges of, of like game time. 1153 01:15:05,588 --> 01:15:08,199 I think there's a chance he goes tomorrow. 1154 01:15:12,246 --> 01:15:16,294 MIKEY: They are remote cameras, because we wanna stay out of Alex's 1155 01:15:16,337 --> 01:15:18,296 line of sight when he's doing it. 1156 01:15:21,125 --> 01:15:23,823 JIMMY: Okay, everybody knows what to do if something goes wrong. 1157 01:15:23,867 --> 01:15:26,522 Josh, just to confirm who should Mikey call? 1158 01:15:28,045 --> 01:15:30,351 -The easiest thing would just be 911. 1159 01:15:30,395 --> 01:15:34,094 And that we will get kicked into gear and tell them what you know. 1160 01:15:34,617 --> 01:15:35,705 -A climber. 1161 01:15:35,748 --> 01:15:37,620 -Yeah. 1162 01:15:37,663 --> 01:15:40,753 -All right, no mistakes tomorrow. 1163 01:15:51,372 --> 01:15:55,420 MIKEY: I'm worried that tomorrow is gonna be it, like, you know, 1164 01:15:55,463 --> 01:15:59,337 like Alex's existence will be over. 1165 01:16:01,034 --> 01:16:04,951 I was like, "Oh, I have to be prepared for that outcome and 1166 01:16:04,995 --> 01:16:08,651 I have to realize that that is a real possibility." 1167 01:16:13,220 --> 01:16:15,179 SANNI: Oh, God. 1168 01:16:24,797 --> 01:16:28,322 Remember when you said you were gonna stand up for my goodbye? 1169 01:16:28,366 --> 01:16:31,021 -Oh, is it time? -Yeah. -Oh. 1170 01:16:31,064 --> 01:16:33,980 -But you don't have to stand up, but you have to sit up. 1171 01:16:34,459 --> 01:16:37,984 -Oh, you could've just left me. 1172 01:16:39,507 --> 01:16:43,076 -No, no, I'm never gonna go. 1173 01:16:44,034 --> 01:16:46,340 -Okay, drive safe. 1174 01:16:46,384 --> 01:16:49,909 -Ciao, see you later! 1175 01:17:06,056 --> 01:17:08,319 ALEX: I mean, I didn't ask her to leave. 1176 01:17:08,362 --> 01:17:10,538 I mean, I would never ask her to leave. 1177 01:17:10,582 --> 01:17:14,891 But, you know, I think she kind of understands that, that it's probably easier for 1178 01:17:14,934 --> 01:17:18,155 me if she's gone. 1179 01:17:20,113 --> 01:17:22,725 I don't, I, the whole like saying goodbye thing I'm like 1180 01:17:22,768 --> 01:17:25,815 "I'll probably see her in like five days or something." 1181 01:17:25,858 --> 01:17:28,513 It's not like goodbye, it's just goodbye for a few days. 1182 01:17:34,127 --> 01:17:37,653 SANNI: You know, I mean there's just that like weird thought of like, 1183 01:17:37,696 --> 01:17:41,439 don't freaking let that be our last hug or whatever. 1184 01:17:46,052 --> 01:17:50,013 You know, like I shouldn't be having that thought... 1185 01:17:54,147 --> 01:17:57,673 of like "What if something happens? 1186 01:17:58,021 --> 01:18:01,372 Like what if I don't see him again?" 1187 01:18:02,765 --> 01:18:05,811 You know, like, "Why do you wanna do this? 1188 01:18:05,855 --> 01:18:09,510 Like it's a totally crazy goal." 1189 01:18:41,717 --> 01:18:48,114 ♪ 1190 01:19:09,135 --> 01:19:15,359 ♪ 1191 01:19:33,856 --> 01:19:40,297 ♪ 1192 01:19:43,735 --> 01:19:45,432 MIKEY [over radio]: Hey, Jimmy, do you copy? 1193 01:19:45,476 --> 01:19:47,652 JIMMY: This is Jimmy. 1194 01:19:49,610 --> 01:19:51,917 MIKEY [over radio]: He just started climbing. 1195 01:20:19,945 --> 01:20:25,211 ♪ 1196 01:20:29,781 --> 01:20:32,566 MIKEY: It is so slippery right there. 1197 01:20:32,610 --> 01:20:34,438 This is where he bailed. 1198 01:21:03,554 --> 01:21:09,908 ♪ 1199 01:21:30,059 --> 01:21:32,757 ♪ 1200 01:21:32,800 --> 01:21:36,543 JIMMY: Mikey, do you copy? This is Jimmy. 1201 01:21:36,587 --> 01:21:38,806 MIKEY [over radio]: Hey, Jimmy, this is Mikey. 1202 01:21:38,850 --> 01:21:42,071 JIMMY: Can you let me know when he's through the slab pitch? 1203 01:21:43,550 --> 01:21:45,509 MIKEY [over radio]: He's through the slab pitch. 1204 01:21:45,552 --> 01:21:47,685 JIMMY: He's through it? 1205 01:21:47,728 --> 01:21:50,253 MIKEY [over radio]: Yup, he's almost at half dollar. 1206 01:21:50,949 --> 01:21:53,169 JIMMY: He's moving fast. 1207 01:21:54,648 --> 01:21:58,609 MIKEY [over radio]: Yes, Jimmy, he is of course ahead of schedule. 1208 01:22:01,090 --> 01:22:03,135 JIMMY: So how far is he from Mammoth? 1209 01:22:04,571 --> 01:22:06,225 MIKEY [over radio]: Doing the half dollar right now. 1210 01:22:23,590 --> 01:22:26,506 MARK: 6:21 he's down climbing to Heart Ledge there's a party, 1211 01:22:27,551 --> 01:22:29,945 in a Porter Ledge still. 1212 01:22:32,686 --> 01:22:35,385 They're awake and there's, they're aware. 1213 01:22:36,168 --> 01:22:38,823 They're like "Here comes Honnold." Oh, my God. 1214 01:22:39,867 --> 01:22:42,914 A Dude in a bunny suit. 1215 01:22:46,744 --> 01:22:48,528 The person is getting up now. 1216 01:22:48,572 --> 01:22:50,530 Uh yeah, no there's a tail. 1217 01:22:50,574 --> 01:22:56,754 This person has a tail and it's either a chicken head or a bunny. 1218 01:22:57,450 --> 01:22:59,409 CHAI: Oh, it's a unicorn. 1219 01:22:59,670 --> 01:23:01,846 MARK: Come on. Who does that? 1220 01:23:03,065 --> 01:23:05,545 I've never seen that on El Cap. 1221 01:23:06,285 --> 01:23:09,680 Wow, and Alex is gone. 1222 01:23:09,723 --> 01:23:12,509 Okay, so he's entering the Hollow Flake at 6:49. 1223 01:23:12,988 --> 01:23:16,513 MIKEY: He just did the Hollow Flake down climb and is in the Hollow Flake now. 1224 01:23:21,692 --> 01:23:25,696 MARK: And then the thing about Free Rider is that from the base of Hollow Flake 1225 01:23:25,739 --> 01:23:29,395 it's one crack system all the way to the top which is like what, 2,000 feet? 1226 01:23:32,094 --> 01:23:35,836 That's the most magnificent crack on planet earth. 1227 01:23:43,670 --> 01:23:45,455 JIMMY [over radio]: Doug, this is Jimmy. 1228 01:23:45,498 --> 01:23:48,414 Do you know if they've radioed if he's gotten to the Monster yet? 1229 01:23:50,286 --> 01:23:52,070 DOUG [over radio]: Yeah, he's there now. 1230 01:24:10,088 --> 01:24:14,571 [heavy breathing] 1231 01:24:25,103 --> 01:24:28,672 MARK: He's almost through it. 1232 01:24:42,164 --> 01:24:44,949 There, he's coming up now actually. 1233 01:24:44,992 --> 01:24:47,952 MIKEY: Now we see him like at the same height as the spire. 1234 01:24:47,995 --> 01:24:51,086 But you guys are all in position ready to go? 1235 01:24:52,217 --> 01:24:56,134 JIMMY [over radio]: Yeah, Sam and I are at the bottom of the head wall. 1236 01:24:56,787 --> 01:25:01,096 MIKEY: My guess is he's 15 minutes from the Boulder Problem or so. 1237 01:25:50,623 --> 01:25:54,845 ♪ 1238 01:26:24,222 --> 01:26:27,225 ♪ 1239 01:26:35,364 --> 01:26:39,324 MARK: He just did the karate kick. 1240 01:26:41,239 --> 01:26:42,980 He's got it. 1241 01:26:47,593 --> 01:26:49,421 -Oh, yeah. 1242 01:26:51,162 --> 01:26:52,903 -That is way too gnarly. 1243 01:26:52,946 --> 01:26:55,688 -Oh, my God. -He did it. Jesus. 1244 01:26:58,256 --> 01:27:00,476 -He just sent the boulder problem. 1245 01:27:01,520 --> 01:27:04,523 MARK: He must be so stoked. 1246 01:27:05,220 --> 01:27:07,874 I mean to have the slabs and the boulder problem behind him is monumental. 1247 01:27:12,923 --> 01:27:16,709 -Here's the Enduro huh? -Yup, this is the Enduro. 1248 01:27:53,180 --> 01:27:56,836 I can't believe you guys are actually gonna watch. 1249 01:27:57,315 --> 01:28:00,840 Oh, I don't wanna, I don't, I don't, I don't, I don't, no, no. 1250 01:28:23,907 --> 01:28:26,605 MIKEY: Oh, my God. 1251 01:28:34,439 --> 01:28:36,528 MARK: Yeah, that's kind of exposed right there. 1252 01:28:36,572 --> 01:28:39,879 MIKEY: Oh, my God, it's so exposed. 1253 01:28:40,271 --> 01:28:42,839 That arête move as he stepped around has gotta be, 1254 01:28:42,882 --> 01:28:44,319 I mean that's one of the most exposed moves 1255 01:28:44,362 --> 01:28:48,018 like anywhere on El Cap. 1256 01:28:48,061 --> 01:28:50,412 If you just step out, it all drops away. 1257 01:29:20,093 --> 01:29:26,099 ♪ 1258 01:29:43,682 --> 01:29:45,815 ALEX: Yeah, buddy. 1259 01:29:46,685 --> 01:29:49,645 MARK: Alex is having the best day of his life. 1260 01:29:49,688 --> 01:29:52,474 MIKEY: I don't know. Not me. 1261 01:29:52,735 --> 01:29:57,348 I'm done, yeah, no, this is it, I don't, we don't need to do this again. 1262 01:30:01,874 --> 01:30:03,093 Yeah, no. 1263 01:30:24,157 --> 01:30:30,468 ♪ 1264 01:30:50,227 --> 01:30:56,363 ♪ 1265 01:31:16,906 --> 01:31:23,347 ♪ 1266 01:31:44,194 --> 01:31:50,505 ♪ 1267 01:32:07,086 --> 01:32:09,480 It's over now. 1268 01:32:13,658 --> 01:32:18,445 -Oh, God, it's done, woo-hoo! 1269 01:32:19,925 --> 01:32:21,492 -Oh, God. 1270 01:32:21,536 --> 01:32:24,016 -Oh, God, wow. 1271 01:32:25,540 --> 01:32:29,065 MARK: Oh, my God, I can't believe what I just witnessed. 1272 01:32:48,214 --> 01:32:54,220 ♪ 1273 01:33:07,582 --> 01:33:11,150 JIMMY: Oh, God. 1274 01:33:11,194 --> 01:33:13,500 ALEX: Good to see you again, yay. 1275 01:33:14,240 --> 01:33:17,026 MIKEY: Wow! 1276 01:33:19,463 --> 01:33:21,987 ALEX: So delighted. 1277 01:33:22,684 --> 01:33:25,600 That felt so good, it's freaking raged. 1278 01:33:26,731 --> 01:33:29,821 JIMMY: Like a gigantic weight off of my shoulders too. 1279 01:33:30,648 --> 01:33:33,216 I have to admit, I mean. 1280 01:33:34,086 --> 01:33:38,700 ALEX: So delighted, what a journey. 1281 01:33:39,831 --> 01:33:44,967 Yeah, I just can't even believe after eight years of dreaming, 1282 01:33:47,230 --> 01:33:50,015 oh San-san's calling me. 1283 01:33:50,233 --> 01:33:51,887 Hello? 1284 01:33:51,930 --> 01:33:54,977 [inaudible]. 1285 01:33:55,020 --> 01:33:57,109 Yeah, so delighted. 1286 01:33:57,153 --> 01:33:59,590 SANNI [over phone]: Oh my, you're so delighted, that's putting it lightly. 1287 01:33:59,634 --> 01:34:02,637 ALEX: I've like never smiled so much. Don't say anything too. 1288 01:34:02,680 --> 01:34:04,900 SANNI [over phone]: I wanna see it. What's that? 1289 01:34:04,943 --> 01:34:07,424 Like, I told you I wanted to see that smile. 1290 01:34:07,467 --> 01:34:09,731 ALEX: Yeah, I know. 1291 01:34:09,774 --> 01:34:12,472 SANNI [over phone]: I've like never cried so hard and I didn't even see it coming. 1292 01:34:12,516 --> 01:34:16,041 Showing that you talk now, I was just like "Blah." 1293 01:34:16,563 --> 01:34:18,261 ALEX: Yeah, no, I'm, I'm sort of at, 1294 01:34:18,304 --> 01:34:21,177 at risk of crying here too, I'm like, I feel quite emotional. 1295 01:34:21,917 --> 01:34:25,094 Yeah, no, don't cry San-san it will make me cry. 1296 01:34:26,399 --> 01:34:28,750 But Claire says cry it. 1297 01:34:29,098 --> 01:34:31,361 I think the movie would be better if I burst into tears, but I, 1298 01:34:31,404 --> 01:34:32,797 I don't really want to. 1299 01:34:32,841 --> 01:34:34,930 But, well I do want to kind of, but. 1300 01:34:34,973 --> 01:34:37,672 SANNI [over phone]: I'm so happy. 1301 01:34:37,715 --> 01:34:38,934 -Oh, God. 1302 01:34:38,977 --> 01:34:41,066 SANNI [over phone]: I'm so happy. 1303 01:34:41,110 --> 01:34:42,851 -Yeah. 1304 01:34:42,894 --> 01:34:45,810 SANNI [over phone]: I'm so happy. 1305 01:34:46,985 --> 01:34:48,552 -Well, okay. 1306 01:34:48,595 --> 01:34:51,381 I'll see you, I'll see you in like six hours or something. 1307 01:34:51,424 --> 01:34:53,688 SANNI [over phone]: And I'll see you soon, yeah. 1308 01:34:53,731 --> 01:34:55,385 -Yeah, okay, I love you. 1309 01:34:55,428 --> 01:34:57,256 Thank you so much, I appreciate you. 1310 01:34:57,300 --> 01:34:58,388 SANNI [over phone]: I love you too. 1311 01:34:58,431 --> 01:35:00,433 -You're, you're the best. 1312 01:35:00,477 --> 01:35:01,608 SANNI [over phone]: And I appreciate you and I'm really proud of you. 1313 01:35:01,652 --> 01:35:03,088 ALEX: Yay. 1314 01:35:04,655 --> 01:35:06,352 I don't know. 1315 01:35:06,396 --> 01:35:08,311 I don't, I don't think the mountain looked that scary this morning. 1316 01:35:08,354 --> 01:35:10,574 It's funny because it does look the same and hiking up looked the same, 1317 01:35:10,617 --> 01:35:12,750 everything just felt pretty much the same, except I just didn't have 1318 01:35:12,794 --> 01:35:15,013 much of a backpack. 1319 01:35:15,057 --> 01:35:17,276 I did, I forgot my rope and rack. 1320 01:35:17,320 --> 01:35:19,365 I felt so good. 1321 01:35:19,409 --> 01:35:21,411 I mean that's why I'm so happy that the experience was like what I hoped for. 1322 01:35:21,454 --> 01:35:23,848 I didn't compromise on any of the things that were super important to me. 1323 01:35:23,892 --> 01:35:26,372 Huh, yeah, that felt good. 1324 01:35:27,069 --> 01:35:28,766 MARK: All right. 1325 01:35:28,810 --> 01:35:31,377 So what's next, what are you gonna do Alex? 1326 01:35:31,638 --> 01:35:33,031 ALEX: Mmm, I'm probably gonna hang board. 1327 01:35:33,075 --> 01:35:34,685 MARK: You're gonna hang board? 1328 01:35:35,555 --> 01:35:38,384 A normal person would probably take the afternoon off. 1329 01:35:49,831 --> 01:35:51,833 ALEX: Thanks again for coming out and climbing with me. 1330 01:35:51,876 --> 01:35:53,269 TOMMY [over phone]: I'm really proud of you. 1331 01:35:53,312 --> 01:35:55,575 Good work not plummeting to your death. 1332 01:35:56,315 --> 01:35:58,013 Really glad it's over. 1333 01:35:59,405 --> 01:36:03,148 ALEX: Oh, my gosh, you're here, oh, my God! 1334 01:36:05,281 --> 01:36:09,285 SANNI: Oh, my gosh, I'm so happy for you, you did it and you're done. 1335 01:36:11,243 --> 01:36:13,289 -You know some of the people that have come before you, 1336 01:36:13,332 --> 01:36:15,857 they, they didn't quit while they were ahead. 1337 01:36:15,900 --> 01:36:17,380 ALEX: Maybe it's good. 1338 01:36:17,423 --> 01:36:19,904 Maybe I don't need to keep charging ahead. 1339 01:36:20,557 --> 01:36:23,516 Right now there's some kid that just read about El Cap being soloed and he's like. 1340 01:36:23,560 --> 01:36:24,866 "What's bigger?" 1341 01:36:24,909 --> 01:36:26,868 Like "What's cooler?" 1342 01:36:26,911 --> 01:36:29,305 And I mean somebody's gonna think of something and it's gonna be cooler. 1343 01:36:29,348 --> 01:36:33,570 But I don't know if that will be me. Maybe, I don't know. 1344 01:36:45,103 --> 01:36:50,021 ♪ Look what you'e overcome to get here ♪ 1345 01:36:51,544 --> 01:36:56,898 ♪ Look at the distance you run ♪ 1346 01:36:58,464 --> 01:37:04,079 ♪ The doubts that you've pushed down, the fear that you've drown out ♪ 1347 01:37:04,470 --> 01:37:09,606 ♪ When they said that it couldn't be done. ♪ 1348 01:37:10,389 --> 01:37:16,613 ♪ And your head and your heart, in your hands and your head. ♪ 1349 01:37:19,398 --> 01:37:23,141 ♪ In your heart, in your hands ♪ 1350 01:37:23,794 --> 01:37:29,626 ♪ And your head and your heart, in your hands♪ 1351 01:37:31,410 --> 01:37:36,894 ♪ Gravity's a fragile thing 1352 01:37:42,813 --> 01:37:48,471 ♪ All of the words that you left in your throat ♪ 1353 01:37:49,515 --> 01:37:54,520 ♪ All of the dreams in the dark ♪ 1354 01:37:55,870 --> 01:38:01,397 ♪ Now you can finally see them, they meet you at your destination. ♪ 1355 01:38:02,354 --> 01:38:07,229 ♪ Now that you made it so far. ♪ 1356 01:38:07,664 --> 01:38:14,062 ♪ And your head and your heart, in your hands and your head. ♪ 1357 01:38:16,542 --> 01:38:21,721 ♪ And your heart, in your hands and your head. ♪ 1358 01:38:23,419 --> 01:38:27,814 ♪ And your heart, in your hands and your head. ♪ 1359 01:38:28,772 --> 01:38:34,038 ♪ Gravity's a fragile thing. 1360 01:38:37,694 --> 01:38:41,567 ♪ It don't define you. 1361 01:38:43,961 --> 01:38:50,359 ♪ Gravity will lie to you, lie to you ♪ 1362 01:39:17,995 --> 01:39:22,826 ♪ Tell them to never let go 1363 01:39:24,654 --> 01:39:29,659 ♪ Theres a beautiful valley below. ♪ 1364 01:39:31,356 --> 01:39:36,274 ♪ When yo hold on so tightly to the dream ♪ 1365 01:39:38,363 --> 01:39:43,586 ♪ Gravity is just a fragile thing ♪ 1366 01:39:57,992 --> 01:39:59,384 Captioned by Cotter Captioning Services.