The free solo climber who turned grief into climbing fuel to honour a promise: Brette Harrington S3:E11

Climbing phenomenon Brette Harrington has spent her life chasing adventure on bold lines in remote places – but few climbs demanded more courage, resilience and emotional strength than her historic free solo of Chiaro di Luna in Patagonia. What began as a shared dream with her partner Marc-André Leclerc would ultimately become a powerful tribute to him, after his tragic passing. In this episode, I talk with Brette about the mental preparation it took to free solo one of the most difficult routes of her life – and what it meant to return to Patagonia and finish a line she and Marc-André had planned together. We explore the physical challenges she’s overcome, including a serious neck injury and concussion, and the emotional journey of keeping a promise to someone who’s no longer here. From childhood obsessions with rock walls to pioneering new routes in the harshest alpine terrain, Brette’s story is one of passion, pain and climbing as a way through grief. Follow Brette on Instagram. If you want to tell us about your own superhuman adventures, message us at superhuman@redbull.com. Head to instagram.com/redbulladventure for more superhuman adventure content.

You can listen to The free solo climber who turned grief into climbing fuel to honour a promise: Brette Harrington S3:E11 online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

The free solo climber who turned grief into climbing fuel to honour a promise: Brette Harrington S3:E11 is an episode from How to Be Superhuman by Red Bull.

This episode is 32:26 long.

This episode was published on Jun 26, 2025.

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