The Fort #156: Kevin Jorgeson - Professional Climber & Conqueror of 'The Dawn Wall'
Kevin Jorgeson is an American rock climber. He was one of the first two climbers, alongside his climbing partner Tommy Caldwell, to successfully complete a free climb of the Dawn Wall of El Capitan in Yosemite National Park.
On this episode, Kevin and Chris talk about climbing the Dawn Wall, the 6 years of preparation leading up to the ascent, and the massive media frenzy that became a full-fledged film. They also touch on Kevin's life after Dawn including the process of a ground-up development for a climbing gym and launching a non-profit called 1Climb which aims to get more kids into the sport of climbing. Enjoy!
Follow Chris on Twitter: www.Twitter.com/FortWorthChris
Learn more about Chris Powers and Fort Capital: www.FortCapitalLP.com
Follow Chris on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/chrispowersjr/
(02:33) - Kevin’s Story Growing Up and What Led Him to Today
(03:14) - Was there a moment you knew you were really talented at climbing?
(05:06) - Is there anything unique to climbers that physically give them an advantage?
(06:02) - What are the different types of climbing?
(08:10) - Bouldering
(09:32) - How do you ‘Win’ a climbing competition?
(11:05) - Climbing in the Upcoming Olympics
(11:44) - Reaching Out to Tommy Caldwell to Climb the Dawn Wall
(16:32) - The Feeling that it Was Time to Pursue the Dawn Wall
(24:31) - What was your first day ‘on the job’ with Tommy Caldwell?
(32:14) - What was your role in this whole adventure?
(34:23) - What does 6 years of prep look like and how did you map out the climb?
(41:17) - Did you and Tommy follow the same route or go different ways in your sequences?
(44:08) - At what point did you realize you were ready to make the climb?
(46:15) - What was the prep like for the 19 day climb and the experience of living on the side of the wall?
(50:10) - Pitch 15 and the Pressure of Completing It
(1:00:14) - Was there a certain spot in the pitch that caused all the issues?
(1:03:17) - What happened when you realized the media frenzy was gathering to watch you?
(1:08:31) - Was there a crash after the high from completing the Dawn Wall?
(1:15:51) - Getting Married and Having Children
(1:16:48) - Starting a Climbing Gym
(1:24:54) - Starting a Non-Profit - 1Climb.org
(1:31:27) - Do you have a childhood experience that shaped who you are today?
(1:33:17) - Do you have a morning routine?
(1:35:01) - What advice would you give to a beginner climber?
The FORT is produced by Straight Up Podcasts