“I’m the laziest motivated person that I know!” — Jimmy Chin

Jimmy Chin (@jimkchin) is an artist and professional athlete, often at the same time. If Chase Jarvis and Laird Hamilton had a love child, it would be Jimmy.

He has participated in and documented breakthrough expeditions around the planet, from climbing first ascents in the Karakoram to skiing first descents in the Himalayas. He is one of the few people to both climb Mount Everest and ski it from the summit. Most recently, he filmed and directed the incredible feature documentary MERU, which is in theaters now and won the 2015 Audience Award at Sundance.

What is MERU? In the high-stakes game of big-wall climbing, the Shark’s Fin on Mount Meru is the ultimate prize. Everest is a cakewalk by comparison. Sitting at the headwaters of the sacred Ganges River in Northern India, the Shark’s Fin has seen more failed attempts by elite climbing teams over the past 30 years than any other ascent in the Himalayas. This movie is the story of one group’s journey to conquer it—a white-knuckle quest of friendship, sacrifice, hope and obsession. How Jimmy captured it on film while risking his life is almost impossible to fathom.

In this episode of the podcast, we talk about his origins, training, nutrition, gear, and MERU, of course.

Suffice to say, if you want a benevolent kick in the ass, the film MERU is your assignment. I saw it a few weeks ago, and all my family could say for minutes afterward was, “Whoa….” My refrain was, “Holy shit…,” which I muttered to myself at least 20 times in 90 minutes. It’s an amazing, terrifying, and inspiring edge-of-your-seat experience.

You can find the transcript of this episode here. Transcripts of all episodes can be found here.

#114: The Athlete (And Artist) Who Cheats Death, Jimmy Chin https://rss.art19.com/episodes/642dc8d9-36b8-4f76-84c1-c698901455db.mp3 Download

Listen to it on iTunes.

Stream by clicking here.

Download as an MP3 by right-clicking here and choosing “save as”.

Want to hear another podcast with super athletes? — Listen to my conversation with Laird Hamilton, Gabrielle Reece, and Brian MacKenzie. In this incredible episode, we explore underwater training, strengthening your weaknesses, and advice for beat up athletes. Check it out.

This podcast is brought to you by TrunkClub. I hate shopping with a passion. And honestly I’m not good at it, which means I end up looking like I’m colorblind or homeless. Enter TrunkClub, which provides you with your own personal stylist and makes it easier than ever to shop for clothes that look great on your body. Just go to trunkclub.com/tim and answer a few questions, and then you’ll be sent a trunk full of awesome clothes. They base this on your sizes, preferences, etc. The trunk is then delivered free of charge both ways, so you only pay for clothes that you keep. If you keep none, it costs you nothing. To get started, check it out at trunkclub.com/tim.

This podcast is also brought to you by Mizzen + Main. These are the only “dress” shirts I now travel with — fancy enough for important dinners but made from athletic, sweat-wicking material. No more ironing, no more steaming, no more hassle. Click here for the exact shirts I wear most often. Don’t forget to use the code “TIM” at checkout.

QUESTION(S) OF THE DAY: What other athletes or world-class performers would you love to hear on the podcast? Please let me know in the comments.

Scroll below for links and show notes…

Enjoy!

Selected Links from the Episode

MERU | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Jimmy Chin

Show Notes

How do you pronounce “MERU?” [08:22]

How do you answer the question, “What do you do?” [09:18]

What is a first ascent and a first descent? [11:55]

Defining car-to-car time [17:25]

Why an outdoor athlete may start spending more time at the gym [19:55]

A typical week of training [21:06]

Most common beginning rock climbing mistakes (and corrections) [27:42]

Overcoming the fear of rock climbing [30:30]

Jimmy’s gear (shoes, boots, skis) [32:00]

Jimmy’s nutrition routine [33:11]

What does Jimmy listen to when he’s on expeditions? [34:50]

Goals for aspiring climbers [37:07]

Finding a good mountain guide [39:42]

Defining moments from Jimmy’s childhood [42:44]

Jimmy’s parenting style [44:44]

How Jimmy got started with photography [51:14]

Lessons Jimmy learned from Galen Rowell’s work ethic [58:38]

Dealing with fear and House of Cards [01:01:36]

How Jimmy improved his writing skills [01:09:31]

The first person who comes to mind when Jimmy thinks of success [01:11:52]

The books Jimmy gives as gifts [01:13:25]

Jimmy’s morning rituals [01:15:00]

Drinks of choice [01:17:54]

A purchase of $100 or less that had the most positive impact [01:19:03]

What would Jimmy put on a billboard, and where would it be? [01:20:07]

What advice would Jimmy give his 30-year-old self? [01:21:05]

People Mentioned

Related and Recommended

The Tim Ferriss Show is one of the most popular podcasts in the world with more than 500 million downloads. It has been selected for "Best of Apple Podcasts" three times, it is often the #1 interview podcast across all of Apple Podcasts, and it's been ranked #1 out of 400,000+ podcasts on many occasions. To listen to any of the past episodes for free, check out this page.