Hey all, this is part two of the story of how the Don Wall led to climbing's tipping point.

If you haven't listened yet, check out part one. We released it last week.

In our conversation, Tommy Caldwell offered a candid perspective into the personal impacts of the Donwall coverage, some positive, some negative.

It gives a sense of what happens when you unexpectedly find yourself in the global spotlight.

That assent in a lot of ways made Tommy Caldwell arguably the first household name in climbing.

I'm Alex Arnold.

I'm Fitzger Hall.

You're listening to Climbing Gold.

It's such an interesting thing because obviously the Donwall was such a huge deal for

climbers. Like everyone was just rooting for

you it was you know like the climbing world was paying attention to what you were doing were you surprised

by the level of interest that the broader sort of mainstream culture took in it.

I mean, I think before Kevin and I went for our big push, the, you know,

climbers were paying attention.

But then when we were on our push and John Branch started publishing the articles in the New York Times, that's when it really blew up.

And I was completely surprised.

Like, I mean, of course, nobody, I don't think that had really ever. I mean, I guess it probably had happened in climbing before, but, you know,

certainly not in my generation in a way that I understood. So it seemed absurd. Like, I fully still

don't understand it. Like, from your perspective, was it you did an interview with John? He said

he reached out to Kevin on Twitter or something like that. You guys do an interview and then does your phone start going off the hook? Like what

how do you experience that while you're living on the wall? I mean, we were like in this little

bubble up there on the wall. We didn't really, it's just felt like me and Kevin and Brett Loll,

...