Does the conqueror of El Capitan feel no fear?

About three months ago, on November 30, 2025, I stood in awe before Taipei 101, a skyscraper in Taiwan, which, at 508 meters, is one of the tallest buildings in the world. I was then catapulted to the observation deck in 37 seconds by the world's fastest elevator.

Two months later, in January 2026, Alexander Honnold chose a different route. He went along the exterior facade and was watched live by hundreds of people as well as the Netflix team.

Alex is no stranger to the climbing world. The 41-year-old American from Sacramento started climbing at the age of five. He achieved worldwide fame on June 3, 2017, when he free soloed El Capitan, a 900-meter vertical wall in Yosemite National Park—completely without ropes or safety equipment! This feat, considered a milestone in climbing, was captured in the Oscar-winning documentary "Free Solo."

Question: “Doesn’t he feel any fear?”
A 2016 scan of his “amygdala” – the fear center in the brain – was anatomically normal and he feels fear like any other person.

Fear is also our constant companion. Be it during a final exam, a marital crisis, an illness, or simply as an expat in Costa Rica.
Because our existence is fleeting and we have little control over our lives.

Alex explains that for him, through practice, fear feels "normal" and is "an interesting guide," and that the real problem isn't fear, but complacency.

So what can we expats learn from this exceptional athlete??

1. Don't become complacent, break down the challenges into smaller, manageable chunks!
   Here's a 900-meter vertical rock face, there's life in an exotic but foreign country.
   
   
2. Then, carefully study the characteristics of the solution path. For Alex: the capabilities of his body, the influence of wind and weather, the nature of the rock face.
   In our expat lives: the impermanence of all things, the origin of suffering, and the key to happiness.
3. And then all that's left is practice, practice, and more practice. 😉

Let's be inspired by his philosophy on coping with life as an expat in Costa Rica!

Learn more

• Buddhist/Neuroscience: Laws of Existence
• How to make fear to your guide.
• Dealing with loneliness, language learning, costs.

Secure your spot now at the mindDIVING lectures in Atenas, Costa Rica and click here!

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