There and Back: Photographs from the Edge

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The best gift I’ve given recently is a NOLS (National Outdoor Leadership School) course in Wyoming to my nephew, to celebrate his 16th birthday. I used to teach these outdoor leadership courses and I was amazed by how transformative they can be. From teamwork to self-confidence to leadership, the skills learned on a NOLS trip last a lifetime. These larger-than-life images, coupled with stories of outsized drive and passion, of impossible goals with life or death stakes, of partnerships forged through incredible hardship, are sure to inspire wonder and awe. Thrilling. One of the greatest physical achievements ever by a human being." G. ALLEN JOHNSON, THE SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE Admittedly, one breathtaking photo of sunset over icy mountaintops does get to look much like another, but the book is really best appreciated slowly, almost one climb at a time. Notes on the expeditions are included, but some readers might have to Google a few terms. 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.

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. Yeah, for sure," he said. "It's like, when you grow up in it, sometimes you don't even realize it's happening. You experience it all the time and you kind of internalize it."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. 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. Breathtaking. An awesome and inspiring doc. Will have viewers holding their breath and biting their nails during the spectacular climax." GARY M. KRAMER, FILM JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL 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. 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.

AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Jimmy Chin or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us. He is happily hitched to his hardworking wife Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi on May 26, 2013. Elizabeth is a 44 years old documentary filmmaker. He worked as a director with her husband in the film Free Solo. Chin’s Social Media AccountThe most thrilling...gorgeous...and scariest climbing movie ever made" JOSEPH HOOPER, MEN’S JOURNAL 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. 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. In August 2003, we recruited Kami Sherpa and Lakpa Sherpa to join us and our friend Eric Henderson to manage base camp. We were the only team on Everest. Borrowing the strategy of Jean Troillet and Erhard Loretan, who had scale the north face alpine style in 1986, Stephen and I intended to hyperacclimate to 23,000 feet, and then go for it in the small window between the monsoon and post-monsoon seasons, when the face would be caked with snow and the jet stream winds would be manageable. 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?

Chin is a well-known American professional mountain athlete, photographer, film director, and author. He has been a professional climber and skier on The North Face Athlete team for over 20 years. He has traveled to seven continents and participated in expeditions around the world. Chin is also an artist and his work documents expeditions and climbs from the Sahara to the Himalayas. Is Jimmy Chin Married An explorer’s best friends are patience and cautious optimism. Also a trustworthy partner, a belief in oneself and the ability to assess risk accurately. Jimmy Chin is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as Extreme Sports, Adventure, Mountain Climbing, Asian Heritage, Athlete, Art, Television & Film, Commencement, Authors, Social Activism, Sports, Motivational, Outdoor Sports & Recreation and Travel.

Jimmy Chin Reviews

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! 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.

It's all part of a life Chin could have never envisioned for himself as a kid growing up in Mankato, Minnesota. The film received the US Audience Documentary Award at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival. Moreover, he produced and directed the feature-length documentary Free Solo with his wife. The film won the People’s Choice Award: Documentaries at the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival, the 2018 BAFTA Award for Best Documentary, and the 2018 Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. In addition, he also released the 2021 documentary, The Rescue, which chronicles the 2018 Tham Luang cave rescue. Jimmy Chin Net Worth 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. 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 HonnoldFREE 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 That’s never been an easy one. I often say I’m a photographer and director. I never say “professional athlete.” I was never that comfortable with that idea. What’s the balance for you with climbing and skiing? 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. 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.