Dean Potter and Sean Leary

Alpinist: What do you think climbing is "about" and how does speed climbing fit into that philosophy?

DP:There's so much that climbing's "about." A lot of it is just about going out and having fun... I taught myself to climb back in high school. Climbing, for me, was about getting away from all of my worries and getting out and just moving my body and making the chemicals inside me balanced. Then when I was actually out there on the rock, I started to realize that I was thinking at a much higher level and sensing at a much higher level than I ever had before. That's the hook for me now. That's why I climb. It brings on a heightened awareness and my senses are more acute than when I'm doing anything else.

Continue the interview at Alpinist.com

Leary on the Glowering Spot pitch above Camp 5 on The Nose. [Photo] senderfilms.com