A different kind of mountain

In this episode, Hazel talks to former pro-climber Mason Earle about his journey with ME/CFS. Mason was living a life full of adventure before almost everything was taken away from him by a debilitating illness that he still doesn't fully understand. Mason is extremely smart and insightful and his story and perspective is a stark reminder that we shouldn't take what we have for granted. 02.26 | Reminiscing on climbing 03:36 | How his illness has made him a better person 04:15 | What is ME/CFS where he is right now with his illness? 6:52 | Cranial traction improving his symptoms 12:00 - 16:00 | How it started and how the nightmare unravelled 16:21 How does Mason endure so much suffering, how does he keep fighting 18:52 | Was the fear that this was ‘forever’ always there? How does he weigh the consequences of his actions having this health condition 21:00 | Does his climbing experience help him manage the consequences in his illness? 24:00 | Where he gets his feel-good chemicals from these days 25:50 | What is his view on gratitude? 31:27 | How does his illness affect his sense of identity How does he deal with his health condition 36:14 | How much responsibility can he take over getting better? 42:50 | Is he still climbing? 44:41 | How does he maintain his personal relationships? 48:00 | Toxic positivity 49:30 | Mental health and its importance for everyone 54:03 | What has he learned in the past four years?