EP 43: Emily Harrington
November 9, 2020
Photo by Tara Kerzhner
Emily Harrington is a professional climber whose accomplishments span the climbing spectrum. From winning National Championships, to summiting Mt. Everest, to free climbing El Capitan, Emily has done it all. We talked about projecting ‘Golden Gate’ in a day, partnering with Alex Honnold, embracing fear, eating to fuel your body, and cupcake batter ice cream. You can learn more about Emily at emilyharrington.com
Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Stitcher, Google Podcasts
Check out other episodes with Emily:
Follow-Up: Emily Harrington (Mar 4, 2021)
Patreon:
Follow-Ups:
thenuggetclimbing.com/follow-ups
Videos:
Emily Harrington climbs ‘Golden Gate’ (her first 6-day ascent)
Emily’s TED Talk on Finding Fear
Emily’s Hype Music:
Awesome Ice Cream:
La Sportiva Shoes:
Routes Mentioned:
‘Golden Gate’ 5.13b, El Capitan, Yosemite, CA
Emily’s Links:
Nuggets:
3:14 – Being at home, the next round of tries, and “it’s been a long process”
5:29 – Why Emily chose ‘Golden Gate’ in a day as a goal
10:21 – Emily’s preparation for ‘Golden Gate’ this season
13:22 – Partnering up with Alex Honnold
16:36 – Emily’s accident last fall, and recalibrating for this attempt
19:36 – Breakdown of ‘Golden Gate’ and least favorite pitches (the Hollow Flake/ all fo the downclimbs and offwidths)
23:18 – Climbing the Monster Offwidth and bumping a #6 that she’d forgotten to clip
23:56 – Emily’s favorite pitches on ‘Golden Gate’ (Golden Desert and A5)
24:45 – Footwear for El Cap, and converting to the TC Pro
27:29 – Conquering fear vs. embracing fear and using it as fuel
30:41 – Patron Question: Any tips or tactics for working through fear in the moment?
34:37 – Emily’s strategies for working through anxiety, and letting go of perfection
40:25 – Eating to fuel your body
41:26 – Transitioning into trad and big wall free climbing and Emily’s rollercoaster of emotions
43:58 – Rappelling El Cap to try a 20’ downclimb
46:15 – What Emily hopes to accomplish in her career and in her climbing
50:23 – Grateful to have a home
52:12 – Reggaeton
53:05 – Non-functional earrings
54:09 – Skittles and pancakes
54:38 – Naan
55:04 – Cupcake batter ice cream