The Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett The Greatest Climber Alive: I Shouldn't Have Attempted That Climb!
Feb 19, 2026
01:37:08
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
(0:00) Intro
(2:28) The Real Story Behind What Made Alex Honnold
(9:26) Why His Upbringing Shaped His Risk Tolerance
(13:50) How Losing His Father Changed Him Forever
(18:47) Why Mastery Takes Years (And What Most People Get Wrong)
(21:37) What Happens When Fear Hits During Practice?
(25:41) The Most Effective Way To Actually Overcome Fear
(33:28) Why Modern Life Never Fit Him
(38:54) What Success Cost Behind The Scenes
(44:42) How Much Was He Really Paid To Risk His Life?
(47:26) What He Earned For Climbing Taipei 101
(51:10) What This Means About Risk And Reward
(53:18) The Moment You Truly Accept You Will Die
(1:10:06) Can You Rewire Your Brain To Eliminate Fear?
(1:18:32) What Happens To Fear After Years Of Exposure?
(1:19:39) If He Had One Last Climb — What Would It Be?
(1:23:39) The Hardest He’s Ever Pushed Himself — And Why
(1:26:50) Are Other People Taking Bigger Risks Than Him?
(1:32:06) 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
Alex’s foundation - https://www.honnoldfoundation.org/donate
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
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theexperienceplus.substack.com
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
(0:00) Intro
(2:28) The Real Story Behind What Made Alex Honnold
(9:26) Why His Upbringing Shaped His Risk Tolerance
(13:50) How Losing His Father Changed Him Forever
(18:47) Why Mastery Takes Years (And What Most People Get Wrong)
(21:37) What Happens When Fear Hits During Practice?
(25:41) The Most Effective Way To Actually Overcome Fear
(33:28) Why Modern Life Never Fit Him
(38:54) What Success Cost Behind The Scenes
(44:42) How Much Was He Really Paid To Risk His Life?
(47:26) What He Earned For Climbing Taipei 101
(51:10) What This Means About Risk And Reward
(53:18) The Moment You Truly Accept You Will Die
(1:10:06) Can You Rewire Your Brain To Eliminate Fear?
(1:18:32) What Happens To Fear After Years Of Exposure?
(1:19:39) If He Had One Last Climb — What Would It Be?
(1:23:39) The Hardest He’s Ever Pushed Himself — And Why
(1:26:50) Are Other People Taking Bigger Risks Than Him?
(1:32:06) 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
Alex’s foundation - https://www.honnoldfoundation.org/donate
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
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theexperienceplus.substack.com