How Emily Harrington Became The First Woman To Free Climb El Cap’s Golden Gate In Under 24 Hours

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• High performers focus on mastering the unassuming basics, such as proper hydration, rather than chasing trendy hacks.  Copied to clipboard!
• Emily Harrington's pursuit of free climbing El Capitan's Golden Gate route in under 24 hours involved multiple terrifying failures, including a 50-foot fall that resulted in a head injury and loss of consciousness.  Copied to clipboard!
• Harrington overcame the physical and mental challenges of her attempts by developing innovative solutions, like using her partner's shoes to make her foot larger for the Monster Off-Width pitch, and by embracing vulnerability, which the film frames as a strength.  Copied to clipboard!
• Emily Harrington's early success in competition climbing was intertwined with developing an eating disorder due to linking her identity and self-worth to performance and perfectionism.  Copied to clipboard!
• The experience of climbing Mount Everest, characterized by extreme suffering and endurance, contrasts sharply with the technical skill and focused experience required for free climbing routes like El Capitan's Golden Gate.  Copied to clipboard!
• Vulnerability, including crying while climbing, is presented not as a weakness but as a strength and a healthy way to process the weight of intense experiences, contrasting with traditional stoic athletic tropes.  Copied to clipboard!

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Host’s Observation on High Performers

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(00:00:00)

• Key Takeaway: High performers focus on basic, proven fundamentals rather than trendy hacks.
• Summary: The host notes that the highest performers focus on what actually works—the unassuming basics—citing hydration as a prime example.

Sponsor: Element Hydration

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(00:00:20)

• Key Takeaway: Element provides essential minerals (sodium, potassium, magnesium) necessary for proper water retention and recovery.
• Summary: Discussion about the importance of minerals for hydration, promoting Element’s sugar-free electrolyte mix, which the host uses for recovery and energy maintenance.

Sponsor: Squarespace and Intentional Digital Use

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(00:01:38)

• Key Takeaway: Distinction between mindless content consumption and using computers creatively to build something meaningful.
• Summary: Introduction to Squarespace as a platform for building meaningful online presence, highlighting its Blueprint AI feature and analytics capabilities.

Discussion of Terrifying Fall Sequence

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(00:03:01)

• Key Takeaway: A specific fall sequence in the documentary was extremely frightening, involving a 50-foot drop, hitting a ledge, and losing consciousness.
• Summary: The host asks about a terrifying fall shown in the film, which Emily Harrington describes as slipping, falling 50 feet, hitting a ledge, flipping upside down, and hitting her head.

Philosophy on Failure and Vulnerability

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(00:03:27)

• Key Takeaway: Life is primarily about dealing with failure and discomfort, not just success; one should not fear failure or vulnerability.
• Summary: Emily Harrington shares a philosophy about embracing failure, trying hard, caring about things, and recognizing that dealing with struggle is the majority of life.

Introduction to Emily Harrington

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(00:04:02)

• Key Takeaway: Emily Harrington is an accomplished, versatile professional climber known for free climbing Golden Gate on El Cap in under 24 hours.
• Summary: The host introduces Emily Harrington as a ‘badass,’ seven-time national champion, mentioning her Everest experience and her documentary, ‘Girl Climber.’

Host’s Personal Family Crisis

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(00:05:02)

• Key Takeaway: The host is dealing with the painful and chaotic decline of his mother who has dementia, requiring immediate personal involvement.
• Summary: The host pivots from introducing Emily to discussing his personal situation: his 82-year-old mother has dementia, leading to a difficult, chaotic family situation demanding his attention.

The Challenge of Maternal Intervention

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(00:10:51)

• Key Takeaway: Moving the mother into assisted living was a difficult, multi-day ‘Oceans 11-type operation’ due to her denial and resistance.
• Summary: The host details the difficulty of getting his mother, who refuses to see a doctor or accept help, into a memory care facility, which required a major intervention.

Gratitude for Family Service

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(00:13:24)

• Key Takeaway: The difficult experience brought gratitude for being able to show up for family, alleviate the father’s burden, and understand true love.
• Summary: Despite being wrung out, the host expresses gratitude for ensuring his mother’s safety, giving his father ‘more life’ by liberating him from years of burden, and demonstrating sober commitment.

Discussion of ‘Girl Climber’ Themes

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(00:14:32)

• Key Takeaway: The documentary covers risk, embracing fear, failure, curiosity, humility, and navigating the ‘boys’ club’ culture in climbing.
• Summary: The host previews topics covered with Emily, including risk, fear, vulnerability, and her mentorship with the late Hilary Nelson.

El Capitan’s Magnetic Appeal

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(00:17:25)

• Key Takeaway: El Capitan is magnetic because it is the world’s biggest, most difficult, and most beautiful wall, with historic significance and high-quality granite.
• Summary: Emily explains why El Capitan is so revered: its size, difficulty, accessible location in Yosemite, and historic status as a proving ground for climbers.

Female Climbers and the Boys’ Club

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(00:20:08)

• Key Takeaway: Climbing, especially high-risk disciplines, remains male-dominated, but the presence of female pioneers like Lynn Hill inspires change.
• Summary: Emily discusses the historical ‘boys’ club’ nature of climbing around El Cap, noting that Lynn Hill’s groundbreaking achievement provides a strong precedent for women excelling there.

Initial Dislike of ‘Girl Climber’ Title

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(00:25:07)

• Key Takeaway: Emily initially disliked the title ‘Girl Climber’ because she felt it was diminishing and represented ‘cringy girl power,’ but now accepts it.
• Summary: Emily explains her shift in perspective on the documentary title, realizing the film reveals femininity and vulnerability as strengths, not weaknesses.

Alex Honnold’s Comedic Presence

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(00:27:36)

• Key Takeaway: Alex Honnold’s dry humor and comedic timing are underappreciated and provide great moments in the film.
• Summary: Emily praises Alex Honnold’s humor, noting his dry timing and calling some of his scenes her favorite in the movie.

Alex Honnold’s Support and Expertise

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(00:28:12)

• Key Takeaway: Alex Honnold is a steady, calm presence whose genuine belief and brutal honesty make him an excellent supporter.
• Summary: Emily discusses how Alex’s genuine nature means his belief in her climbing ability is meaningful, and how his expertise makes him a great partner.

The Terrifying Third Attempt Fall

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(00:31:31)

• Key Takeaway: On her third attempt, Emily fell 50 feet, hit her head, and lost consciousness due to a slip caused by pushing through fear and anxiety.
• Summary: Emily details her third attempt in 2019, where she ignored red flags, climbed too fast with minimal protection, slipped on the slab section, and suffered a severe fall.

Sponsor: AG1 Simplifies Nutrition

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(00:35:41)

• Key Takeaway: AG1 simplifies complex nutrition by consolidating multivitamins, prebiotics, probiotics, and superfoods into one daily scoop.
• Summary: The host promotes AG1 as a way to avoid overcomplicating nutrition, focusing on its quality ingredients and benefits for gut health and sustained energy.

Sponsor: On Apparel for Movement

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(00:37:25)

• Key Takeaway: On engineers apparel that supports and elevates movement, focusing on purpose and precision over flash.
• Summary: The host discusses how movement is a language and how On apparel supports this pursuit with high-quality, functional gear.

The Aftermath of the Fall and Recovery

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(00:40:04)

• Key Takeaway: Emily felt she could learn from the fall because the mistakes were within her control, unlike objective hazards.
• Summary: Emily explains that she didn’t consider quitting because the causes of the fall were controllable errors (gear placement, speed), leading to a desire to correct them.

Prevailing After the Second Fall

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(00:43:34)

• Key Takeaway: Adrian’s conviction that she could still succeed after the second fall was crucial for rebuilding her shattered confidence.
• Summary: Despite looking bad, Adrian (her husband) assessed her as physically okay and encouraged her to continue the climb, which provided the belief she needed to prevail.

Maintaining Energy and Hydration on the Wall

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(00:47:05)

• Key Takeaway: Energy is maintained by constant hourly intake of water and electrolytes (to prevent cramping) and easily digestible snacks like bars and nuts.
• Summary: Emily discusses running out of water near the top, the need for constant fueling, and dealing with hand cramping, which requires salty/electrolyte intake.

Bathroom Logistics on Big Walls

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(00:48:28)

• Key Takeaway: Peeing off the wall is common; for solid waste on a 24-hour ascent, climbers use wag bags to adhere to Leave No Trace principles.
• Summary: Emily explains the logistics of using the bathroom while climbing, noting it’s harder for women but manageable, and the necessity of packing out waste.

Training Regimen for Endurance and Power

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(00:51:25)

• Key Takeaway: Training required balancing endurance (like an ultra-marathon) with the power needed for difficult moves at the top of the route.
• Summary: Emily details her training: finger strength work (hanging on edges), mimicking the day by climbing many pitches, and practicing sections of the route beforehand.

Mental Training and Self-Trust

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(00:56:04)

• Key Takeaway: Mental training involves validating feelings and learning how to relate to them, ultimately building self-trust in one’s unique process.
• Summary: Emily discusses working with a sports psychologist to train the mental muscle, focusing on trusting her process, which was different from previous climbers.

Overcoming the Monster Off-Width Pitch

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(00:57:28)

• Key Takeaway: To conquer the Monster Off-Width pitch, Emily adapted by wearing Alex’s larger climbing shoes over her own to make her foot span the crack.
• Summary: Emily describes her struggle with the wide crack climb due to her small feet, and the innovative solution she devised with Alex’s help, which is now used by others.

Competitive Fire from Childhood

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(01:02:55)

• Key Takeaway: Emily’s intense competitiveness stemmed from being an only child constantly battling her male cousins in various activities and risks.
• Summary: Emily traces her competitive nature back to childhood, where she constantly competed with her cousins in sports and daring challenges.

Discovering Climbing’s Powerful Feeling

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(01:04:20)

• Key Takeaway: The first time climbing, Emily felt a powerful mix of fear and apprehension that she successfully pushed through, immediately wanting to repeat the experience.
• Summary: Emily recounts her first experience climbing at the Boulder Reservoir, feeling fear but overcoming it to reach the top, which instantly hooked her.

Early Climbing Motivation and Fear

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(01:04:55)

• Key Takeaway: The initial feeling of fear during climbing was overcome by a powerful desire to repeat the experience.
• Summary: The speaker describes being motivated to climb because others did it, recalling the mix of fear and apprehension while ascending, and the immediate desire to climb again upon reaching the top.

Climbing Style and Early Skills

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(01:05:54)

• Key Takeaway: Early climbing focused on safe, indoor competition climbing, supported by a background in gymnastics.
• Summary: The speaker clarifies that her early climbing was safe indoor competition climbing, which translated well from her gymnastics background, noting that talent and the ability to work with fear were helpful.

Competition Climbing Career Trajectory

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(01:06:39)

• Key Takeaway: The speaker rapidly ascended the competition circuit, aiming for world champion status.
• Summary: The discussion covers her quick ascent through national and World Cup competitions, her goal to reach the Olympic level (even before it was included), and her coaching under a former World Cup champion.

Pressure, Burnout, and Disordered Eating

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(01:08:03)

• Key Takeaway: Intense self-pressure and tying identity to success led to an unhealthy relationship with food and eventual burnout.
• Summary: The speaker details how wrapping her identity in climbing success and maintaining a perfectionist attitude led to developing an eating disorder and underfueling, which was unsustainable despite initial success.

Shifting Perspective on Climbing

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(01:09:45)

• Key Takeaway: Joining the North Face team exposed her to athletes with different, healthier attitudes toward climbing, prompting a necessary change in approach.
• Summary: The speaker discusses the ongoing process of healing her relationship with climbing, noting that experiencing other avenues of the sport through the North Face Global Athlete Team was eye-opening, contrasting contained competition with being in nature.

Disordered Eating in Climbing Culture

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(01:11:34)

• Key Takeaway: Disordered eating is prevalent in climbing due to the strength-to-weight ratio focus, though route setting is attempting to address this.
• Summary: The conversation confirms the prevalence of disordered eating among climbers (both male and female) due to the strength-to-weight ratio, noting that modern route setting tries to reward strength and power, requiring more muscle.

Transition to Expedition Climbing

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(01:12:51)

• Key Takeaway: After college and joining North Face, the speaker began expanding her skill set into ice climbing and expedition work.
• Summary: The speaker discusses joining the North Face team upon graduating college and gradually practicing other styles like ice climbing, which the host notes seems particularly dangerous.

Mentorship from Conrad Anker and KCC

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(01:14:31)

• Key Takeaway: Conrad Anker’s mentorship exposed her to high-altitude climbing through the Kumbu Climbing School (KCC).
• Summary: Conrad Anker invited her to the Kumbu Climbing School to help instruct Sherpas. This experience in the Himalayas was described as the most amazing of her life and led to the Everest expedition invitation.

The Everest Experience and Expedition Life

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(01:16:36)

• Key Takeaway: Everest was an experience of learning and existing in the mountains, challenging due to its length and stagnation.
• Summary: She went into Everest as a ‘deer in headlights,’ wanting a new learning experience away from performance pressure. The most unexpected challenge was the mental toll of the trip’s length and stagnation.

Views on Everest Commercialization

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(01:18:46)

• Key Takeaway: Despite acknowledging the issues with Everest’s commercialization, she values the life-changing experience it offers, while her husband works to improve guiding practices.
• Summary: She expresses gratitude for her life-changing experience on Everest, noting her bias as her husband guides there. She nicknames Everest ‘Steve’ due to the constant conversation surrounding her husband’s annual trips.

Comparing LCAP and Everest Demands

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(01:22:42)

• Key Takeaway: Everest focuses on suffering and endurance in low-oxygen environments, while free climbing El Capitan requires deep technical skill and rock climbing experience.
• Summary: The host asks for a comparison between the skill sets needed for free climbing El Capitan (LCAP) in a day versus climbing Everest with oxygen. Everest is about enduring suffering; LCAP requires specific technical rock climbing expertise.

Imposter Syndrome and Film Reception

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(01:25:47)

• Key Takeaway: Both she and her husband experience imposter syndrome, and she worries about how core climbers will perceive her film.
• Summary: She discusses Adrian’s anxiety before expeditions and her own imposter syndrome regarding the film, fearing core climbers won’t find her achievement ‘cool enough’ because it involved ropes, unlike free soloing.

Vulnerability in the Film

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(01:28:22)

• Key Takeaway: The vulnerability shown in the film, including crying while climbing, is a strength that helps process intense experiences.
• Summary: The host praises her vulnerability, contrasting it with the ’no crying in baseball’ trope. She explains that hiding emotions takes energy away from the task, and showing emotion is a healthy way to process.

Business of Professional Climbing

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(01:50:15)

• Key Takeaway: Being a professional climber requires managing a personal brand through sponsorships, content creation, and speaking engagements alongside athletic performance.
• Summary: She details that her income comes from sponsors, content production (including a YouTube channel), and speaking gigs, noting that being a master storyteller is a necessary second career.

Future Goals and Family Life

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(01:54:15)

• Key Takeaway: Current goals prioritize projects that are more time-digestible to accommodate family life, though returning to LCAP remains a long-term desire.
• Summary: She is currently focusing on shorter sport climbing trips that allow her to bring her family. She expresses reluctance to leave for long expeditions (like Pakistan) due to missing her young child’s rapid development.

Role Model for Young Female Athletes

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(01:58:18)

• Key Takeaway: She hopes to be a healthy, positive voice for young female athletes, encouraging them to embrace fear, failure, and their unique approach.
• Summary: She is embracing her role as a mentor, working with the nonprofit Z-Girls. Her message to young female athletes is to not fear failure or discomfort, as life is about how we deal with struggle.