The Rich Roll Podcast is about entrepreneurship, fitness, nutrition, and spirituality. The podcast is not an interview-it is a deep conversation. The episode I listened to is with Alex Honnold who describes free solo climbing the skyscraper Taipei 101, which is a 101 story tower. Honnold talks about the climb and then answers questions from the audience who are present for the live episode. The fearlessness radiates off Honnold and the casual way he talks about doing something so dangerous is fascinating.
Honnold describes the preparation that went into scaling Taipei 101. He worked out tremendously before the climb and got into the best shape of his life. Additionally, the outside of the building needed maintenance. The skyscraper was covered in soot from fireworks and caused the structure to be slick. Honnold’s team cleaned the soot and grease off the building. To wait out the rain delay and stay relaxed, Honnold played a lot of ping pong and stretched. Besides waking up early due to jet lag, Alex was able to sleep normally before the climb.
There were a few parts of the building that gave Honnold concern. This included the facade at the lower part of the skyscraper, the dragons (metal shaped ornamental dragons) and bamboo boxes (circular metal shapes) that were on the outside of the building. However, when he started to climb the building, he felt comfortable and was in the zone. He enjoyed waving at spectators that were watching him from inside the building. Honnold was unfazed by gusts of wind as he climbed higher and parts of the building bending as he grasped them.
After Honnold describes his experience, he answers questions from the audience about a variety of topics. One of them is about being a father and husband and continuing to free solo climb. Honnold talks about how as he continues to age, the need for putting himself in dangerous situations is starting to dwindle and he hopes to be a grandfather one day. When asked if he is concerned about people copying him scaling buildings, Honnold says that he is not because of how few people are drawn to free soloing.
Honnold’s wife Sanni is present and describes the experience from her perspective at . She talks about how watching her husband free-solo is always a nerve wrecking experience and seeing him scale Taipei 101 was no exception. However, when she and Alex departed Taipei she felt nostalgic about the experience.
Those who watched Honnold climb Taipei 101 on Netflix will be interested in hearing the experience from his perspective. Based on his relaxed and calm demeanor while climbing, Honnold’s answers about the climb will not surprise people. It is interesting to hear Honnold talk about his morality and mixing his family life with free soloing. I recommend this podcast episode to fans of Alex Honnold and those who enjoy the outdoors.
Books and Documentary about Alex Honnold
Alone on the Wall by Alex Honnold
The Impossible Climb: Alex Honnold, El Capitan, and the Climbing Life by Mark Synnott
There and Back: Photographs From the Edge by Jimmy Chin
Michael Walsh is an Adult Services Librarian at the Will Library. He is currently reading This Troubled Land by Patrick Michael Rucker.