IT WAS NOT TO CONQUER THE DON 
WALL BUT REALIZE A DREAM THAT'S 
COME TRUE.
KEVIN AND TOMMY JOIN ME FROM 
YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK.
KEVIN AND TOMMY, 
CONGRATULATIONS.
THIS IS EXTRAORDINARY TO HAVE 
ACCOMPLISHED SOMETHING, KEVIN, 
THAT NO ONE HAS EVER DONE 
BEFORE.
WAS THERE TIMES WHEN YOU FELT 
LIKE YOU WEREN'T GOING TO BE 
ABLE TO MAKE IT?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
I THINK THAT'S THE PROCESS OF A 
BIG PROJECT.
YOU'RE BOUND TO HAVE YOUR UPS 
AND DOWNS, YOUR HIGHS AND LOWS 
AND THE LAST 19 DAYS WAS NO 
EXCEPTION.
THERE WERE MOMENTS WHEN I DIDN'T
THINK I WAS GOING TO BE ABLE TO 
DO IT AND THEN THERE WERE 
MOMENTS OF PURE JOY AND RELIEF 
AS THINGS WERE GOING WELL.
>> AND TOMMY, I KNOW YOU LOST 
YOUR VOICE FROM YELLING FOR 
KEVIN SO MUCH ON THE MOUNTAIN, 
BUT WHAT WAS IT LIKE WHEN YOU 
FINALLY REACHED THE TOP?
>> IT WAS LIKE A BIG WEIGHT 
LIFTING.
THE WHOLE CLIMB WAS LIKE A 
SURREAL EXPERIENCE BUT IT WAS 
QUITE STRESSFUL.
A RELIEF GETTING TO THE TOP OF 
THE MOUNTAIN, IT WAS PRETTY 
AWESOME. 
>> KEVIN, FOR PEOPLE WHO MIGHT 
NOT UNDERSTAND MUCH ABOUT 
CLIMBING, TO FREE CLIMB 
SOMETHING LIKE THIS, THE 
STRENGTH THAT'S REQUIRED.
IT'S JUST EXTRAORDINARY.
AND THE DANGER TOO.
HAVE YOU ALWAYS GRAVITATED 
TOWARDS FREE CLIMBING?
>> YEAFF WANTED TO
KNOW, HOW MANY PULL-UPS CAN YOU 
DO WITH JUST YOUR FINGERTIPS, 
KEVIN?
>> I DON'T KNOW, I NEVER REALLY 
TRIED TO FIND OUT.
>> KEVIN, FOR YOU, WHAT WAS THE 
HARDEST THING?
STUPID AND EMBARRASSING, BUT 
GOING TO THE BATHROOM HAS GOT TO
BE A CHALLENGE.
>> I THINK IT'S HARDER JUST TO 
BE AWAY FROM YOUR FRIENDS AND 
FAM
FAMILY.
SUCH A BIG AWE DISHES GOAL SUCH 
AS CLIMBING THE DON WALL.
 TOOK?
>> THE LONGEST BREAK I TOOK WAS 
2 DAYS AT A TIME TO LET SKIN 
HEAL ON MY FINGERS.
>> CAN YOU SHOW ME YOUR HANDS?
ARE YOUR HANDS OKAY?
>> I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CAN SEE 
BUT THE TIPS OF MY FINGERS ARE 
ALL BRUISED AND ON MY INDEX AND 
MIDDLE, YOU CAN SEE THE REMNANTS
OF THE SLICES OF THE PITCH 15.
THE 15th ROPE LENGTH OF THE 
ROUTE.
>> YOU SAID IT TOOK SEVEN YEARS 
TO PREPARE FOR THE CLIMB.
WHAT IS THAT PREPARATION LOOK 
LIKE?
PHYSICAL?
IS IT LOOKING AT THE ROUTE OR 
KNOW IN ADVANCE EXACTLY THE 
ROUTE YOU WERE GOING TO TRY TO 
TAKE?
>> IT TOOK A FEW MONTHS OF 
SCOPING OUT THE WALL OF TRYING 
TO FIGURE OUT IF THERE'S HOLES 
THAT LINK FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE
TOP AND IT TOOK A LOT OF 
PHYSICAL TRAINING AND IT TOOK 
THE MENTAL TRAINING IN TERMS OF 
JUST FINALLY COMING TO A POINT 
WHERE WE BELIEVED WE WOULD 
ACTUALLY DO IT. 
>> WHAT HAPPENS NOW.
YOU PULLED OFF WHAT MANY 
CONSIDER TO BE THE ULTIMATE 
CLIMB.
DO YOU HAVE SOMETHING IN MIND 
THAT YOU WANT TO DO NEXT?
>> AT LEAST FOR ME, I'M LOOKING 
FORWARD TO SOME STRESS FREE JUST
PURE FUN CLIMBING.
THIS WAS, LIKE I SAID BEFORE, AN
EMOTIONAL ROLLERCOASTER.
A LOT LIGHTER NOW THAT WE'RE 
BACK DOWN ON THE GROUND.
I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO DOING 
SOME LIGHT DUTY SOLOING OR 
SOMETHING MELLOW AND FUN UNTIL 
THE NEXT INSPIRAT
