About this episode
Send us a text Christopher Fisher's journey from Texas football fields to the highest Himalayan peaks represents one of the most remarkable transitions in mountain sports. In this candid, wide-ranging conversation, Chris reveals how his greatest "failure" – dropping out of Navy SEAL training – became the catalyst that ultimately propelled him toward extraordinary achievement. With disarming honesty, Chris takes us through pivotal moments that shaped his meteoric rise in the mountain world. From setting the MaxVert Challenge record with 400,000 vertical feet in a month to completing all of Colorado's 14,000+ foot peaks in winter conditions, his accomplishments defy conventional limits. The harrowing details of his Winter 14ers project – navigating bulletproof ice, triggering strategic avalanches, and making life-or-death decisions solo in remote backcountry – illustrate both the dangers and the profound rewards of high-consequence mountaineering. The conversation shifts to Chris's evolution in the Himalaya, including his unorthodox "fast and light" summit of Manaslu (the world's eighth highest peak) wearing just a sun hoodie and windbreaker at 26,800 feet. His partnership with elite athlete Tyler Andrews has helped redefine what's possible in high-altitude mountaineering, challenging traditional approaches to acclimatization and equipment. Perhaps most valuable is Chris's transparent look at the realities behind the Instagram-worthy lifestyle. He discusses the financial struggles of professional mountain athletics, the support systems that make these pursuits possible, and his philosophy that these grand adventures compress "multiple lifetimes" of human experience into compressed timeframes. Looking forward, he shares ambitious plans including a speed attempt on Lhotse and a project to climb all 106 six-thousand-meter peaks in the Andes – a feat never before accomplished. What's your next impossible goal? Listen now to recalibrate your understanding of human potential. Follow Chris on IG - @chrisjfish Check out Chris' Website - @ChrisFisher Follow James on IG - @jameslauriello Use code Steepstuffpod for 25% off your next order at Ultimate Direction ! Follow James on IG - @jameslauriello Follow the Steep Stuff Podcast on IG - @steepstuff_pod Use code steepstuffpod for 25% off your cart at UltimateDirection.com !