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The Greatest Climber Alive: I Shouldn't Have Attempted That Climb!

2026-02-19 People & Blogs
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The Diary Of A CEO
The Diary Of A CEO
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Description

The man who risked death climbing 3,000ft up El Capitan, Alex Honnold, reveals how to master extreme pressure, why his brain scan showed zero fear, the science of risk, and his visualisation secrets. Alex Honnold is a professional rock climber and the first person to free solo El Capitan and Taipei 101, the 11th tallest building in the world. He is also the bestselling author of the book, ‘Alone on the Wall: Alex Honnold and the Ultimate Limits of Adventure’ and founder of the Honnold Foundation. He explains: ◼️How to rewire your brain to eliminate paralyzing fear ◼️The visualization technique used for the world’s most dangerous climbs ◼️Why your "purpose" is found in the risks you choose ◼️How to manage extreme stress when the stakes are fatal ◼️The "10-year grind" required to achieve true human mastery 00:00 Intro 02:43 The Real Story Behind What Made Alex Honnold 09:40 Why His Upbringing Shaped His Risk Tolerance 14:05 How Losing His Father Changed Him Forever 19:02 Why Mastery Takes Years (And What Most People Get Wrong) 21:51 What Happens When Fear Hits During Practice? 25:56 The Most Effective Way To Actually Overcome Fear 33:43 Why Modern Life Never Fit Him 39:09 What Success Cost Behind The Scenes 44:56 How Much Was He Really Paid To Risk His Life? 47:40 What He Earned For Climbing Taipei 101 51:24 What This Means About Risk And Reward 53:32 The Moment You Truly Accept You Will Die 1:10:20 Can You Rewire Your Brain To Eliminate Fear? 1:18:46 What Happens To Fear After Years Of Exposure? 1:19:53 If He Had One Last Climb — What Would It Be? 1:23:53 The Hardest He’s Ever Pushed Himself — And Why 1:27:04 Are Other People Taking Bigger Risks Than Him? 1:32:21 What He Still Wants To Achieve — And What Comes Next Enjoyed the episode? Share this link and earn points for every referral - redeem them for exclusive prizes: https://doac-perks.com Follow Alex: Instagram - https://linkly.link/2ajg9 Facebook - https://linkly.link/2ajgB X - https://linkly.link/2ajh3 You can purchase Alex’s book, ‘Alone on the Wall: Alex Honnold and the Ultimate Limits of Adventure’, here: https://linkly.link/2ajgw The Diary Of A CEO: ◼️Join DOAC circle here - https://doaccircle.com/ ◼️Buy The Diary Of A CEO book here - https://smarturl.it/DOACbook ◼️The 1% Diary is back - limited time only: https://bit.ly/3YFbJbt ◼️The Diary Of A CEO Conversation Cards (Second Edition): https://g2ul0.app.link/f31dsUttKKb ◼️Get email updates - https://bit.ly/diary-of-a-ceo-yt ◼️Follow Steven - https://g2ul0.app.link/gnGqL4IsKKb Sponsors: Bon Charge: https://boncharge.com/DOAC for 20% off LinkedIn Marketing: https://www.linkedin.com/DIARY Wispr: Get 14 days of Wispr Flow for free at https://wisprflow.ai/STEVEN

Top Comments (10)

@TheDiaryOfACEO 2026-02-19

Do you like these types of convos? If so please hit the like button on the vid - that’s the best way to vote for more like this ❤ also, would be doing me a big favour if you could subscribe - its free 🙏🏾appreciate you! - SB

346 30 replies
@alaakela 2026-02-19

Alex is so refreshingly not 2026. He doesn't care about making money, looking good, networking, personal improvement, eating the latest diet, having the latest vacation, his feelings or trauma, doesn't use the latest buzzwords, doesn't talk about efficiency and productivity. He's refreshingly direct. Do the thing you love, do it well. Enjoy it. The rest will sort itself out. take calculated risks and take direct actions to improve the world. He doesn't talk about the meaning of life. He acts to make his life meaningful. This is what i find inspirational.

2.3k 77 replies
@AX1A 2026-02-19

the vascularity in Alex's left arm alone could power a small village

351 8 replies
@riverkanai 2026-02-19

For the brain scan they should have showed him photos of himself working in a cubical

1.2k 21 replies
@navyskies3048 2026-03-11

“And wasn’t it the freaking coolest thing?!?” 5:43 his pure excitement to share what he loves with someone else. He’s very endearing

20
@gmac212 2026-02-19

One of the most interesting people on the planet

718 21 replies
@beckymadsenbooks 2026-02-21

I love that he never combs his hair (!) and honestly does not care about anything superficial. He is just himself thankfully. What a joy.

29
@barcidstudios 2026-02-19

The man who loves walking will walk further than the man who loves the destination.

677 9 replies
@emileebeth 2026-02-19

Sanni’s letter made me emotional. That was really powerful. Thanks Steven for bringing that idea to the episode, thanks Sanni for sharing your love story. That was really sweet. Alex, keep going! You’re making a huge impact on the world!

195 1 replies
@faith-and-fitness-b2d 2026-02-19

One thing he'll never climb is the "Corporate Ladder"... Lucky Guy...

649 14 replies

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