Climbing Gold Live with David Letterman
Oct 31, 2025
In a lively conversation, veteran late-night host David Letterman interviews renowned climber Alex Honnold. They delve into how fatherhood reshapes risk management without sacrificing climbing. The duo explores the concept of fear control through practice and Alex shares his thoughts on free-soloing versus other climbing disciplines. They also touch on Yosemite's unique climbing culture and the impact of community. As a lighthearted bonus, Alex recounts a hilarious mishap before belaying Letterman in a memorable live climbing demo.
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Skilled Partners Elevate Performance
- Alex credits expert interviewers and partners for elevating his performance in unfamiliar settings.
- He likens a skilled interviewer to an expert climbing partner who makes difficult tasks feel easier.
Manage Risk, Don't Abandon Passion
- Mitigate risk deliberately instead of avoiding passion after major life changes like parenthood.
- Manage risk so you never feel like you're simply "rolling the dice."
Inverse Risk Structures Explained
- Free soloing and BASE jumping differ fundamentally in risk structure.
- Free soloing is safe unless many things go wrong; BASE jumping is deadly unless many things go right.