Episode 65: Alex Honnold’s Next Big Project
On Episode 65, Alex Honnold returns for his second appearance on the show, this time flipping the script and taking over as guest host.
Sam and Adrian open with the tragic avalanche that struck base camp on Nepal's Himlung Himal and a quick look at a storm-battered fall season in the Himalaya before handing Alex the mic.
Fresh off town-to-summit days on the Eiger and the Matterhorn, Alex arrives with the questions anyone who's climbed high has wondered about.
Why does it feel like you're dying at altitude when your heart rate is barely 120? Adrian explains how the heart itself is starved of oxygen, why acclimatization comes in a fast phase over a few days and a slower red-blood-cell phase over weeks, and why it fades faster than it builds.
Alex also opens up about the migraines that derailed his trips to Vinson and Aconcagua, and Adrian's theory that he's simply a slow acclimatizer.
From there the conversation turns to the trade-off between cardio and hard rock climbing: how much zone two is enough, whether sprinting the approach to the crag actually helps, and why fitness watches never give credit for slogging uphill with 70 pounds of kids on your back.
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The Duffel Shuffle Podcast is supported by Alpenglow Expeditions, an internationally renowned mountain guide service based in Lake Tahoe, California. Visit https://alpenglowexpeditions.com/ or follow @alpenglowexpeditions on Instagram to learn more.
