ALEX, I EXPECTED YOUR HANDS TO 
BE LIKE ROCK FORMATIONS 
THEMSELVES.
BUT YOU HAVE KIND OF NORMAL 
HANDS, RIGHT?
I MEAN, NOW THAT I SEE THEM 
THEY'RE A LITTLE BEEFY.
THEY'RE MUSCULAR.
BUT IT IS -- I MEAN, YOUR LIFE 
DEPENDS ON THE STRENGTH IN YOUR 
HANDS.
>> TO SOME EXTENT, YEAH.
SOMETIMES.
>> Jimmy: WHEN YOU'RE CLIMBING.
I MEAN, I GUESS NOT WHEN YOU'RE 
SLEEPING OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
[ LAUGHTER ]
>> YEAH.
NO, THEY'RE JUST NORMAL.
>> Jimmy: IT IS REALLY -- IT IS 
A MIRACLE THAT YOU ARE -- IT'S A
MIRACLE THAT YOU AND 50 CENT ARE
ALIVE.
IT REALLY IS.
[ LAUGHTER ]
SO TELL ME EXACTLY -- EXPLAIN 
EXACTLY WHAT'S DIFFERENT ABOUT 
THE WAY YOU CLIMBED THIS ROCK 
WALL.
>> WELL, SO WHAT I DID WAS 
CLIMBING IT WITHOUT A ROPE OR 
WITHOUT GEAR.
SO I WAS JUST BY MYSELF IN JUST 
MY SHOES AND MY CHALK BAG AND I 
CLIMBED UP THE ROCK WALL.
>> Jimmy: THE CHALK WALL KEEPS 
YOUR HANDS DRY?
>> YEAH, IT'S JUST LIKE A 
GYMNAST TO DRY YOUR HANDS SO 
YOUR GRIP STAYS GOOD.
>> Jimmy: ARE YOU FEARFUL WHEN 
YOU'RE ON THE WALL, WHEN YOU GET
UP 3,000 FEET, SOMETHING LIKE 
THAT?
>> WELL, I PROBABLY WOULD BE IF 
I HADN'T PREPARED FOR IT.
WITH CLIMBING EL CAPITAN IT WAS 
SOMETHING I'D BEEN DREAMING 
ABOUT FOR YEARS AND I SPENT 
PROBABLY A FULL YEAR IN 
PREPARATION.
>> Jimmy: HOW DO YOU PREPARE?
YOU GO TO THE REI STORE AND YOU 
CLIMB UP THE -- 
>> EXACTLY.
YOU BUY A LITTLE STARTER KIT AND
FIGURE IT OUT.
NO, I MEAN, SO THE BIGGEST PART 
FOR ME OF THE PREPARATION WAS 
THE VISUALIZATION, THE 
PSYCHOLOGICAL SIDE, LIKE 
IMAGINING THAT IT WAS POSSIBLE.
AND THAT TOOK LIKE YEARS TO SORT
OF WRAP MY HEAD AROUND THE IDEA.
>> Jimmy: IT DID.
>> EVERY TIME YOU DRIVE TO 
YOSEMITE YOU SEE THE WALL, 
YOU'RE LIKE THAT'S A BIG WALL.
>> Jimmy: HAS ANYONE ELSE TRIED 
TO CLIMB THAT WALL?
>> NO.
>> Jimmy: IN THAT WAY.
I MEAN, PEOPLE HAVE TRIED IT I 
ASSUME -- 
>> GENERALLY WHEN YOU LOOK AT 
THE WALL YOU'RE FILLED WITH 
FEAR.
YOU'RE LIKE OH, MY GOD, THAT'S 
CRAZY.
>> Jimmy: YEAH, I KNOW I AM.
[ LAUGHTER ]
>> HAVE YOU BEEN THERE?
>> Jimmy: WHAT'S THAT?
>> HAVE YOU BEEN THERE?
HAVE YOU SEEN THE WALL?
>> Jimmy: I HAVE BEEN THERE AND 
I'VE SEEN THE WALLS.
IT NEVER OCCURRED TO ME TO CLIMB
ONE OF THEM.
THERE YOU ARE IN THE CREVICE.
DO YOU LOOK FOR A CREVICE IN 
GENERAL?
>> YEAH.
SO THAT'S THE BIG PART OF THE 
PREFRPGS IS SPENDING TIME 
REHEARSING THE ROUTE, MEMORIZING
THE MOVES AND MAKING SURE THE 
CONDITIONS ARE GOOD AND GETTING 
READY.
>> Jimmy: WHAT DO YOU MEAN 
REHEARSING THE ROUTE?
IT LOOKS LIKE YOU'RE JUST GOING 
UP.
[ LAUGHTER ]
>> YEAH.
BUT SO IT LOOKS LIKE I'M JUST 
CLIMBING, BUT EACH MOVEMENT OF 
MY HANDS AND FEET IS SUPER WELL 
THOUGHT OUT, VERY CONTROLLED, 
VERY PRECISE.
I MEAN, IN THIS PARTICULAR CLIP,
LIKE EVERY MOVEMENT OF MY HANDS 
HAS BEEN CHOREOGRAPHED 
BASICALLY.
I'M LIKE EXECUTING A ROUTINE.
I COULD ACTUALLY TALK YOU 
THROUGH ALL THE MOVES ON THAT 
PARTICULAR SECTION OF WALL.
>> Jimmy: YOU REMEMBER 
EVERYTHING.
>> YEAH.
>> Jimmy: ALMOST LEEK A RACE CAR
DRIVER AND -- 
>> YEAH.
MEMORIZING THE TURNS.
FOR SURE.
>> Jimmy: WHEN YOU'RE ON THAT 
WALL AND -- HOW LONG DOES IT 
TAKE TO CLIMB -- DID IT TAKE 
YOU?
>> SO CLIMBING EL CAP TOOK 
ALMOST FOUR HOURS.
>> Jimmy: FOUR HOURS.
SO WHEN YOU'RE ON THAT WALL AND 
YOU'RE CLIMBING, DO YOU EVER 
THINK ABOUT FALLING?
>> I THINK A LOT ABOUT FALLING 
AHEAD OF TIME.
REALLY.
I MEAN, THAT'S A BIG PART OF 
VISUALIZING IS WHETHER OR NOT 
YOU'RE READY TO GO UP AND TAKE 
ON THAT KIND OF CHALLENGE.
YOU HAVE TO SORT OF THINK 
THROUGH THE WHOLE CONSEQUENCES.
BUT ONCE I DECIDE THAT I'M READY
THEN I'M 100% COMMITTED TO IT 
AND I JUST GO UP TO IT.
>> Jimmy: BEFORE YOU DO IT DO 
YOU WRITE LIKE A NOTE TO YOUR 
MOM OR ANYTHING?
>> NO.
THAT SEEMS OVERLY DRAMATIC.
>> Jimmy: IT DOES?
>> YEAH.
[ LAUGHTER ]
I MEAN, A LITTLE BIT.
>> Jimmy: IT DOESN'T TO ME.
IT REALLY DOESN'T.
BUT HAVE YOU EVER RUN INTO LIKE 
A MOUNTAIN LION OR ANYTHING WHEN
YOU'RE DOING SOMETHING LIKE 
THIS?
>> NOT MANY MOUNTAIN LIONS CLIMB
QUITE THAT WELL.
[ LAUGHTER ]
BUT NO, YOU RUN INTO MICE AND A 
LOT OF BIRDS.
IT'S NOT UNCOMMON TO PUT YOUR 
HAND INTO A CRACK AND HAVE A 
BIRD RUN DOWN YOUR ARM.
>> Jimmy: YOU HAVE TO BE READY 
FOR THAT AND PREPARED FOR THE 
BIRD OR THE MOUSE.
>> YEAH, MICE TOO, HONESTLY.
THEY RUN AROUND IN THE CRACKS 
AND STUFF.
I'VE SPENT TONS OF TIME ON THAT 
WALL WITH A ROPE ON.
SO YOU SORT OF GET USED TO ALL 
THE THE VARIOUS THINGS THAT 
MIGHT HAPPEN.
>> Jimmy: I ASSUME YOU LOVE 
CLIMBING, RIGHT?
I ASSUME YOU LOVE IT.
>> I DO LOVE CLIMBING.
>> Jimmy: WHY NOT HAVE THE ROPE?
BECAUSE YOU COULD STILL GET THAT
SAME CLIMBING EFFECT -- 
>> SO THAT'S A FAIR QUESTION.
I DO HAVE A ROPE PROBABLY 95% OF
THE TIME.
BUT THEN EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE 
YOU HAVE THAT SORT OF PEAK 
EXPERIENCE WHERE YOU CHOOSE NOT 
TO USE THE ROPE.
>> Jimmy: SO YOU GET SOME KIND 
OF SATISFACTION OR IS IT A 
THRILL OR WHAT IS IT EXACTLY?
>> IT'S KIND OF LIKE THE DEEP 
SATISFACTION OF TAKING ON A VERY
BIG CHALLENGE AND THEN SORT OF 
MAKING IT HAPPEN.
I MEAN, I THINK OF IT AS LIKE 
THE SUPER BOWL OF MY CLIMBING OR
SOMETHING.
CLIMBING IS SUCH AN INDIVIDUAL 
SPORT.
YOU JUST KIND OF DO YOUR OWN 
THING.
THERE'S NO -- THERE ISN'T MUCH 
COMPETITION.
COMPETITION'S ALL INDOORS.
WHEN I'M DOING IT ON BIG 
MOUNTAINS IT'S A WHOLE SEPARATE 
WORLD.
YOU SORT OF HAVE TO CHOOSE YOUR 
OWN CHALLENGES AND PUSH YOURSELF
WHATEVER WAY YOU WANT TO.
I'M INSPIRED BY THESE BIG WALLS 
AND I'M INSPIRED BY DOING THEM 
BY MYSELF.
>> Jimmy: THERE WAS AN ARTICLE 
WRITTEN ABOUT YOU I THINK IN THE
"NEW YORK TIMES."
TELL ME IF I HAVE THIS RIGHT.
BUT AT SOME POINT DURING THE 
INTERVIEW YOU JUST CLIMBED IN 
THE MIDDLE OF THESE TWO 
BUILDINGS.
>> YEAH.
THAT'S TRUE.
>> Jimmy: WERE YOU WEARING YOUR 
CLIMBING SHOES OR WERE YOU JUST 
IN REGULAR SHOES?
>> SOMETHING LIKE THAT YOU 
PROBABLY DO IN REGULAR SHOES 
BECAUSE IT'S JUST 
COUNTERPRESSURE WITH -- 
>> Jimmy: WELL, I COULDN'T 
BUT -- 
[ LAUGHTER ]
>> NO, I THINK YOU COULD.
I THINK YOU HAVE STRONG LEGS.
YOU CAN PUSH HARD.
>> Jimmy: WERE YOU ARRESTED FOR 
THIS OR -- 
>> I THINK SECURITY MAY HAVE 
BEEN CALLED LATER.
THE THING ABOUT IT IS YOU GO UP,
YOU COME DOWN QUICKLY AND YOU 
LEAVE AND JUST NEVER REALLY KNOW
IF ANYONE SHOWS UP.
>> Jimmy: WHEN DID YOU START 
DOING THIS?
LIKE AT WHAT AGE DID YOU JUST 
START CLIMBING THINGS?
>> THAT KIND OF CLIMBING IN 
PARTICULAR CLIMBING ON BUILDINGS
AND PLAYING ON STRUCTURES, I 
MEAN, I DID THAT SINCE I WAS A 
LITTLE KID.
YOU KNOW, STARTING ON MY HOUSE 
PROBABLY.
BUT THEN I STARTED CLIMBING 
INDOORS IN A GYM WHEN I WAS 10 
OR 11 AND I'VE BEEN CLIMBING 20 
YEARS SINCE THEN.
>> Jimmy: AND YOUR MOM WAS OKAY 
WITH YOU CLIMBING ALL OVER 
EVERYTHING?
>> YOU KNOW, SHE COULDN'T STOP 
ME THAT WELL.
>> Jimmy: I KEEP THINKING OF HER
BECAUSE MY KIDS -- I WAS ON A 
TRIP ONCE IN WYOMING AND MY KIDS
WANTED TO PARASAIL AND THEY WERE
LIKE COME ON.
AND I WAS LIKE YOU CAN'T 
PARASAIL.
THEY'RE LIKE IT'S SAFE.
AND I WAS LIKE IT'S SAFE FOR YOU
BUT WHEN YOU LAND I'M GOING TO 
BE DEAD OF A HEART ATTACK.
>> MY MOM HAS A MEMORY OF SAYING
YOU CAN'T GO ON THE ROOF.
I CLIMBED ON THE FENCE, GOT ON 
THE ROOF AND JUMPED BACK.
AND WE WERE LIKE WE CLIMBED ON 
THE ROOF.
AND SHE WAS LIKE OKAY, IF YOU'RE
ON THE ROOF GO AHEAD AND CLEAN 
THE GUTTERS.
SO FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE I'VE 
BEEN DOING ALL THE LEGWORK.
>> Jimmy: LIKE MOMMY'S LITTLE 
MONKEY.
[ LAUGHTER ]
HOW THE HELL DID YOU NOT GET 
PART OF SPIDER-MAN?
IT'S UNBELIEVABLE.
I WOULD BE SO ANGRY.
[ APPLAUSE ]
IT'S UNBELIEVABLE.
SO NAT GEO IS DOING A 
DOCUMENTARY AND THEY'RE GOING TO
SHOW THE WHOLE JOURNEY OF YOU 
CLIMBING THE EL CAPITAN.
>> YEAH.
THAT'S CORRECT.
WE'VE BEEN FILMING A DOCUMENTARY
FOR THE LAST YEAR WITH MY NORTH 
FACE TEAMMATE JIMMY CHAN.
HE'S BEEN SHOOTING THE FILM.
AND THE TWO OF US HAVE BASICALLY
JUST SPENT A YEAR DOCUMENTING 
THE PROCESS TO GET READY FOR 
THIS AND THEN TO ACTUALLY CLIMB 
THE WALL.
>> Jimmy: I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE 
THAT.
>> I CAN'T WAIT EITHER.
I HAVEN'T REALLY SEEN ANY OF THE
MATERIAL YET BECAUSE THEY'RE 
VERY STRICT ABOUT THE 
DOCUMENTARY.
I DON'T KNOW.
>> Jimmy: IS THERE ANYTHING LEFT
TO CLIMB AFTER YOU CLIMBED EL 
CAPITAN?
IS THERE ANYTHING BIGGER THAN 
THAT?
>> NOT -- I MEAN, THERE ARE 
TECHNICALLY SOME BIGGER WALLS IN
THE WORLD BUT THEY'RE IN VERY 
REMOTE PLACES LIKE GREENLAND OR 
PAKISTAN, A FAR-FLUNG 
EXPEDITION.
TO ME THERE'S NOTHING MORE 
INSPIRING THAN EL CAPITAN.
THAT'S BEEN MY DREAM MY WHOLE 
LIFE.
>> Jimmy: YOU'RE AN AMAZING 
PERSON.
AND YOU WILL BE
