The Real-Life Diet of Jimmy Chin, Who Brings Cheese and Salami on Expeditions for Morale 

The climber and filmmaker talked to GQ about hotel room workouts, lunch smoothies, and the sanity-saving power of getting outdoors. 
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Jimmy Chin in Free Solo, 2018.Alamy / Courtesy of Matthew Irving for National Geographic and Little Monster Films

If you didn’t know who Jimmy Chin was before 2018, you certainly did by the end of that year. The Academy Award-winning director of the hit documentary Free Solo—which follows climber Alex Honnold on his quest to become the first person to ever climb El Capitan's 3,000-ish-foot vertical rock face at Yosemite National Park without a rope—became a sensation. 

But Chin has been a legendary figure in the outdoors for a while now, skiing and climbing his way around the world, with expeditions, first ascents, and other award-winning films under his belt. (If you liked Free Solo, watch Meru tonight—just trust us.)  

Today, the father of two splits his time mostly between New York and Jackson Hole, Wyoming, with his wife, filmmaker Chai Vasarhelyi. GQ caught up with him between trips to Mount Rainier, Disney World, and London to chat about how he fuels and stays grounded with so many balls in the air.

For Real-Life Diet, GQ talks to athletes, celebrities, and everyone in between about their diet, exercise routines, and pursuit of wellness. Keep in mind that what works for them might not necessarily be healthy for you.


GQ: Where in the world are you right now?

Jimmy Chin: Well. I’m in my walk-in closet in New York, there are guys working in the other room. Within the last three weeks, I was in Jackson working, training, climbing, running, and scrambling in the mountains. Then I went to Mount Rainier to film a few scenes for an upcoming project. Then I flew to New York for a couple of days to say hi to my children. Then over to the UK to film a few scenes in three different cities over the course of three days for an upcoming film. Then to Florida and spent two days with my family at Disney World, and then flew back here. I’m back in Jackson on Friday.

It’s got to be hard to keep any sort of routine when you’re on the move like that, then. What’s in your toolbox, so to speak, that you take with you to keep you sane?

I have some supplements that come with me. I take this one supplement called Hanah One, they have a daily superfood and they also make an ashwagandha that I take. Other than that, I’d say movement really is the thing in my toolbox so to speak that keeps me grounded. I’ll do some core exercises, yoga, and pushups in a hotel room, use the hotel gym, or go for a run when I’m traveling. I’d call that stuff maintenance, mostly.

The biggest thing that keeps me grounded, though, I’d say is being outside and in the mountains. It keeps me sane. There’s nothing like being outside to help you get really present. I do often remind myself, especially being around the kids, not to lose sight of being in the moment rather than anticipating what’s next.

Do you usually eat before you work out?

I generally don’t eat anything until about noon or afterwards, and even then I keep it pretty light. I’ll drink matcha tea mostly in the morning. I’m not a big coffee drinker, but I like to have something warm.

What about lunch?

It’s usually a smoothie or granola and berries and yogurt until dinner. Smoothie can be a lot of things, including frozen fruit, banana, kale, almond milk, and yogurt. At dinner, I try not to go completely crazy. But what I have really depends on where I am. When I’m home—because eating on the road can be all over the place—I try to keep it light. I’m lucky that my body doesn’t need a lot and I feel better when I’m not going overboard.

I’m basically just sitting here asking myself how you get enough calories in the day to perform at the levels you do, really.

Well, when we’re on expedition, you know like if I’m in Chad or Nepal, I find that my body just adapts to what’s available. I’m not super picky. Before some expeditions, though, you want to try to put on a little bit more muscle mass because your body basically just eats muscle first. There’s always going to be unpredictable moments, and sometimes after those trips I’ll come back like 15 to 20 pounds lighter.

What do you eat on the actual climbs?

We’ll use a lot of freeze dried foods because they keep well, but I prefer real foods. We bring a lot of hard salamis and cheese as comfort food, especially because they are so durable. Of course we’ll eat the local foods as well, whether that be rice or patties or whatever really is available.

A lot of what you do involves a lot of time with yourself and your thoughts. What would you say has been a big self-growth point for you over the past 10 years?

I've gotten to learn to trust myself and know that whatever happens on an expedition, I’ll make good decisions in difficult moments. You win some and you lose some. You put your best efforts forward. Sometimes you don't have control over the variables that may not allow for you to accomplish your goals. But it’s how you manage those anxieties in the moment to make the best possible choice for you and your team. That attitude and mindset helps me everywhere from on the mountain to with my kids.


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Usain Bolt giving a thumbs up draped in the jamaican flag on a green, yellow, and black background