I'm curious Alex, whether you like the prep that happens before a big day out, like getting ready,

like thinking about the gear, dialing it all in, like those sort of negotiations that happen.

Yeah, kind of. I mean, it's always exciting when you're like putting the gear on the harness,

I'm getting everything in the bag just right. Yeah, just knowing that something consequential

that's happening the next day and you are getting ready for it. They're like totally some missions where what you're wearing can make the difference between success and failure. Definitely in the mountains, that is true. And in cold climates and yeah, I mean, that's definitely true in a lot of places. Climbing big mountains are places where if you get wet and you get cold, it's kind of game over. You're going down.

Yeah, exactly, you're going down. And so having the right layering, having the right, it's what one of my friends calls your action suit. That's like you always go to the same kit because you know it will hold up in the mountains, basically. Summit Series is the pinnacle North Face product. It's what you want for big days. is what you want for missions that have consequence,

discovery gear designed to take you to new heights at the North Face product. It's what you want for big days, is what you want for missions that have

consequence. Discovery gear designed to take you to new heights at the northface.com.

Seriously, climbing Everest, going on that expedition was the worst decision I've ever made. It's

the one big regret in my life.

I wish I had never gone.

All right, Alex, I'm going to start with a statement.

John Crackhauer's Into Thin Air had the greatest impact on our sport of any piece of media.

Agree or disagree?

Come on. Free solo? The Donwall? I mean, disagree.

But no, I mean, I think it had a big impact for sure. I mean, I had to read it.

I feel like for their generation, though, I'm like, I don't know.

Yeah, it was assigned reading in my high school English class, so, you know, it's pretty mainstream when you have to read it for high generation though. I'm like, oh, I don't know. Yeah, it was assigned reading in my high school

English class, so, you know, it's pretty mainstream when you have to read it for high school

English. But come on, I mean, more than free solo, get out of here. I feel like that book was

on every single newsstand. It was just so ubiquitous at that moment in time.

It might have been before my time a little bit. Yeah. Because I was in high school. Well, I mean, actually, I was 11 when it came out. So it would have been sort of outside the scope of my understanding.

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