Tommy Caldwell and Alex Honnold, two of the world’s most iconic rock climbers, are back with a new documentary adventure in The Devil’s Climb. The National Geographic film follows their epic journey to conquer Alaska’s infamous Devil’s Thumb, an endeavor that blends personal growth, physical endurance, and a deep bond forged over years of climbing. I recently had the chance to sit down with Tommy Caldwell and Alex Honnold to talk about the emotional and physical toll of the climb, the surprising vulnerability displayed in the film, and how their unique friendship has grown through their shared love of adventure. In this interview, they reflect on the challenges of the climb, their connection to the natural world, and what’s next for two of climbing’s greatest athletes.
(National Geographic/Taylor Shaffer)
Alex: Tommy, you got to come to D23 to help celebrate the launch of the film. That was almost two months ago, but the premiere is almost here. What’s that feel like?
Tommy Caldwell: I’m excited for the world to see this, for sure. It’s coming up close. I hadn’t actually seen it yet at D23.
Alex: And have you checked it out now?
Tommy Caldwell: Yeah, yeah, I’ve seen it.
Alex: The way I expected it to be, coming off of D23, was much more about the journey and its physical endurance. And it’s that too, but it’s also very personal for both of you. Were you surprised by the vulnerability that comes across in the final cut?
Tommy Caldwell: I don’t know if I was surprised by the vulnerability. I mean, it was such a long journey that there was so much material that the edit team could use, and they could format it to bring out whatever they wanted. The vulnerability of the friendship was something that was very cool, and they brought that out in a great way. I was a little bit surprised by the focus on the climb itself because, for me, the climb was like 10% of the trip. I feel like the film focused mostly on that because it was the most visually incredible part. So, that was kind of my overall takeaway.
Alex Honnold: On an adventure of this magnitude, we were just out there for so long, and you get so worn down. You get ground down to a nub. You’re just going as hard as you can for two months straight, and you get ground down to nothingness. So I think that’s where you get a lot of those nice, emotional moments. They were filming on and off the whole time, and we went through a lot together.
Tommy Caldwell: Yeah, that’s classic. I mean, when you’re on a bike or in the mountains for 14 hours a day, you’re going to be on the verge of tears, and if they’re filming it, that’s going to show up.
Alex Honnold: Exactly. You’re like, “Wow, you look so misty-eyed in every shot,” and it’s like, “Yeah, we were completely wrecked!”
(National Geographic/Taylor Shaffer)
Alex: You’re both experienced climbers, but Tommy, I know this was always on your list. How do you determine which peaks you even want to climb? There are so many out there, and I feel like every climber has a different “must-climb” list.
Tommy Caldwell: Yeah, it’s true, there are so many different places and projects that rise to the top for different reasons. This one came out of environmental work I was doing in Alaska with a nonprofit called the Alaska Wilderness League. I was working with them, and then I realized the Devil’s Thumb, this very historic and mythical mountain, was right in the middle of the area I was working on. I thought, “These two things match up, I have to do this trip.”
Alex: The friendship you two share is at the heart of the film, and Alex touches on how Tommy was such an inspiration to him. How did you two even become friends? Do you remember meeting for the first time?
Tommy Caldwell: We kind of remember meeting a couple of times, but we definitely remember our first big climbs together. That’s the thing – we’ve had a series of big adventure climbs together over the years, one of which we spent five nights sharing a sleeping bag as we traversed all these peaks in Patagonia. So, we’ve definitely had some big adventures together.
Alex Honnold: Yeah, and over the years, we’ve just become closer friends. Originally, we were climbing partners because there were so few people who could do the things we were seeking to do together. But over time, you spend time with someone, and you become real friends. Now, our families are friends, our kids play together—it’s much more wholesome.
Tommy Caldwell: I remember the beginning distinctly. Alex Honnold and I were probably the two people most into big wall free climbing in the U.S., but we hadn’t climbed together. The first time we did, we linked up the three biggest walls in Yosemite. For me, it was magic. All of a sudden, climbing with Alex Honnold, the walls seemed half the size. An objective that I thought would completely destroy me went pretty well. I thought, “Wow, this is cool, we should do this more.”
Alex: Another theme of the film, particularly for you Tommy, is physical endurance, aging, and keeping up with your body. How do you feel about that, especially with your Achilles recovery?
Tommy Caldwell: I had this idea that putting myself through two and a half months of vigorous cardiovascular exercise would heal me, and I was right. The bike ride was great for me because it didn’t stress my Achilles too much, but the climbing was hard. I went through a lot of pain, and I learned that my body can endure a lot, but I’m aging. I have to be more mindful about rest, nutrition, and getting back into climbing shape.
Alex Honnold: Yeah, I think looking at Tommy Caldwell’s Achilles, it’s like, “This is why you do self-care.” Do body work, stretch, and take care of yourself. Tommy Caldwell has been climbing at a high level his whole life, and I’ve learned from that. You’ve been climbing for 40 years, right, Tommy?
Tommy Caldwell: Yeah, 42 years, technically. I started climbing with my dad when I was three.
Alex Honnold: So, I look at Tommy Caldwell’s career, and it’s incredible to think how much time he’s spent in the mountains. It’s inspiring.
(National Geographic/Matt Pycroft)
Alex: What’s on the horizon for both of you? Are you working on anything else for Nat Geo?
Alex Honnold: Nothing locked in for me yet, but there are some potential projects. My near-term plan is to spend November climbing with Tommy, but we’ll see what happens.
Tommy Caldwell: Yeah, I’m excited to climb with Alex again. The Devil’s Thumb was more of an adventure trip, but I want to get back to cutting-edge rock climbing. I also have a trip to Chile this winter to a place called Quimsa. It’s this incredible valley that we’re trying to save from an electric infrastructure project. We need to raise $75 million to purchase it from the developer, so we’re going there to climb and hopefully raise some money. But really, I do these things because it justifies the awesome adventures I get to do.
Alex: Hopefully, it’s another Patagonia-style conservation success story. Congratulations on the launch of The Devil’s Climb, and I wish you both a happy and safe climbing season.
The Devil’s Climb premieres tonight at 9/8c on National Geographic, and streams tomorrow on Disney+ and Hulu.