And the best souvenir I’ve brought home is a photo that I took of friends skiing near the top of Everest. This was a shot that I don’t think anyone had ever snapped before and it represents the intersection of my life as a documentarian and also a climber. It’s a reminder of a very special expedition moment and one that I couldn’t have set up. Thrilling. One of the greatest physical achievements ever by a human being." G. ALLEN JOHNSON, THE SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE A recent “find” is a restaurant called The Old House in Kathmandu. It serves Asian fusion cuisine, and it has a nice ambience and a very cool bar. I also recently discovered The Savoy in London – I usually stay in Soho, but the views of the Thames made my Covid quarantine very manageable. I’m an optimistic person. I’m someone who likes to call out other people’s strengths. I think there are a lot of meaningful stories that come out of expeditions because they represent the positive sides of humanity. Perseverance. Overcoming challenges. Teamwork. Trust. These are the things I feel and appreciate. How does your heritage influence you? An indulgence I’d never forgo is dessert. I have a terrible sweet tooth. If you put warm blueberry or pecan pie with vanilla ice-cream in front of me, I’m done.

The Academy Award-winning director of Free Solo and National Geographic photographer presents the New York Times Best Selling collection of his iconic adventure photography, featuring some of the greatest moments of the most accomplished climbers and outdoor athletes in the world, and including more than 200 extraordinary photographs. Jimmy Chin is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics including Extreme Sports, Adventure Speakers and Mountain Climbing. Stephen Koch had one summit left in his quest to snowboard the Seven Summits. An early pioneer of snowboard mountaineering, Stephen conceived a bold plan to snowboard Mount Everest: he’d climb and descend the direct north face, connecting the Japanese Couloir to the Hornbein Couloir. This 9,000-foot line bisects one of the biggest faces on the tallest mountain on earth. It was an audacious goal, but Stephen wanted to make it even more challenging by climbing it alpine style—in a single push, without the use of supplemental oxygen, fixed ropes, or preestablished camps. The Academy Award–winning director of Free Solo and National Geographic photographer presents the first collection of his iconic adventure photography, featuring some of the greatest moments of the most accomplished climbers and outdoor athletes in the world, and including more than 200 extraordinary photographs. If I weren’t doing what I do, I would be a woodworker or a creative craftsperson of some kind. I love working with my hands and the satisfaction of having a finished product at the end of the day.I was brought up in an immigrant family. That means you worked hard. If you’re going to bother doing something, you needed to do it really well. It was all about excellence. There weren’t any excuses. I grew up swimming competitively, studying, competing in martial arts, and playing violin. Along the way, Chin shares behind-the-scenes details about how he captured suchastoundingimages in impossible conditions, and tells the stories ofthe legendary adventurers and remarkable athletes he has photographed, including Alex Honnold, the star of his Academy Award–winning documentary film Free Solo;ski mountaineer Kit DesLauriers; snowboarder Travis Rice; and mountaineers Conrad Anker and Yvon Chouinard.

Having lived a life on the line, Chin was asked for his best piece of advice. His reply: Commit, and then figure it out. Evan Hayes is the Head of Production & Development at the Emmy award-wining production company ACE Content, where he is also a Partner. Hayes developed and produced FREE SOLO alongside co-directors Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin. During the production of FREE SOLO, he served as President of Production at Parkes+MacDonald/Image Nation where he supervised all aspects of production, finance and creative development in both film & television. Hayes also oversaw Parkes+MacDonald's discretionary development fund as well as strategic partnerships with Image Nation Abu Dhabi, Universal Television and Studio Canal, among others. During his tenure at Parkes+MacDonald the company produced and/or financed such films as James Ponsoldt's "The Circle" starring Tom Hanks, Emma Watson, and John Boyega; Davis Guggenheim's "He Named Me Malala" for Fox Searchlight; and "Rings" for Paramount Pictures. A visually stunning adventure with a compelling character at the center." RAPHAELA NEIHAUSEN AND THOM POWERS, WNYC

In fact, when I left college and moved into my car and started climbing full time, you know, they were extremely distraught. My mom would say, 'The Chinese language is 5,000 years old, and we don't even have a word for what you do.'"

I do hope that Jimmy will have the opportunity to write more, to tell stories about the people, tribes, he met during his trips, to give us insight into their lives and customs. Most importantly, his success caught the attention of mountaineering legend Conrad Anker, who, in 2001, helped Chin get his first professional gig shooting a campaign for The North Face and a coveted athlete sponsorship from the brand. Jimmy has a personal charisma and drive that is very unusual,” Robinson continues. “He is very ambitious, yet he comes across as chill and unassuming. People really love him, want him to be successful, and want to work with him.” Jimmy Chin is one of the most widely traveled and experienced adventure photographers on Earth, and this collection is an absolute tour de force. I read this book in a single sitting and finished feeling inspired to take on the world.” —Alex HonnoldDuring the Communist Revolution, Jimmy Chin’s parents escaped mainland China and fled to Taiwan. Eventually, they immigrated to the flatlands of Mankato, Minnesota, where they built a life working as librarians. It was an unlikely setting to raise a world-class mountaineer.

Watch Alex Honnold’s journey toward his rope-free climb of Yosemite National Park's El Capitan in Free Solo, the Oscar-winning film by E. Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin, Sunday March 3 at 9/8c on National Geographic. Anker and Chin remain close climbing partners and friends. They recently returned from an expedition to Antarctica’s Queen Maud Land, where they climbed a new route on Ulvetanna, or the “Wolf’s Tooth.”

Along the way, Chin shares behind-the-scenes details about how he captured such astounding images in impossible conditions, and tells the stories of the legendary adventurers and remarkable athletes he has photographed, including Alex Honnold, the star of his Academy Award–winning documentary film Free Solo; ski mountaineer Kit DesLauriers; snowboarder Travis Rice; and mountaineers Conrad Anker and Yvon Chouinard. FREE SOLO is less about climbing than it is about living. An extraordinary gift to everyone who believes that the limit of human achievement is far from being reached." BRET STEPHENS, THE NEW YORK TIMES Right now, it’s Alex Honnold. When he’s focused, he is so methodical and disciplined. What themes do you like to focus on as an expedition storyteller? Yet, a few weeks ago Chin and his climbing partner, Conrad Anker, welcomed a new teammate for an ascent of the Grand Teton. "Because we're in the climbing world, people obviously recognize Conrad and I. And they'd say, 'Oh, wow … You're Conrad Anker!' Or, 'You're Jimmy Chin." ' And then Marina would come up and they'd be like, 'How old is she?' And then she would steal the show!