What happens when a world-class thinker refuses to give up world-class climbing?
In this episode, we meet a true outlier—a philosophy professor in his 60s still redpointing 5.14s and training harder than most climbers half his age. For nearly 50 years, he’s lived in the overlap between deep intellectual pursuit and relentless athletic drive. And he’s still evolving.
We explore:
How two seemingly opposite lives—academic and athletic—can balance, nourish, and sharpen each other
Why longevity in sport requires constant reinvention, not just resilience
The "pain box" metaphor that will forever change how you think about discipline and sacrifice
His radical approach to training in his 60s—including 8-hour days, fingerboarding on send days, and self-coaching with precision
What it really means to age with purpose, stay curious, and define mastery on your own terms
Whether you're a climber, thinker, or simply someone who doesn’t want to settle for decline, this episode is a blueprint for staying in the game—mentally and physically—for decades.
