Strong Mind

Big walls and bedtime stories with Leo Houlding


Listen Later

Hazel sits down with Leo and Jess Houlding and their eldest daughter, Freya. They start with Leo’s legendary adventures, expeditions and first ascents, exploring how his mindset and approach to risk have evolved over the years. Then the focus shifts to family life — from climbing El Cap together to powder skiing in Japan — and what it means to raise resilient, curious, and courageous kids in a world that often prioritises safety above all else.


If you’d like help working on your mindset, check out our free mindset workbook and guided reflection. Link


Sign up for our thought of the week here! Link





00:00:00 – Intro

  • 00:05:51 – Why did Leo choose to move back to the UK?

  • 00:08:56 – Reflecting on his bold climbing days: how does Leo feel about his past now?

  • 00:24:23 – Balancing passion and profession: what motivates Leo today?

  • 00:31:17 – What advice would Leo give to people who feel stuck in life?

  • 00:35:21 – Leo’s biggest fear for his kids

  • 00:38:33 – What have Leo’s kids taught him about fear?

  • 00:41:40 – Getting the challenge level right for children

  • 00:49:49 – Balancing psychological safety and resilience in parenting

  • 00:57:01 – Kids and social media: where do they stand?

  • 01:06:40 – What it’s really like having an adventurous family lifestyle

  • 01:13:37 – Meet Jess Houlding

  • 01:17:25 – Making decisions together as parents: how Leo and Jess navigate it

  • 01:24:36 – How has this parenting approach shaped their kids?

  • 01:26:48 – What motivated the Houldings’ year-long family trip?

  • 01:31:22 – Meet Freya: Freya’s relationship with fear and her favourite part of the trip

  • ...more
    View all episodesView all episodes
    Download on the App Store

    Strong MindBy Strong Mind

    • 4.9
    • 4.9
    • 4.9
    • 4.9
    • 4.9

    4.9

    13 ratings


    More shows like Strong Mind

    View all
    The Enormocast: the climbing podcast by Chris Kalous

    The Enormocast: the climbing podcast

    1,432 Listeners

    The TrainingBeta Podcast: A Climbing Training Podcast by Neely Quinn

    The TrainingBeta Podcast: A Climbing Training Podcast

    371 Listeners

    The Rich Roll Podcast by Rich Roll

    The Rich Roll Podcast

    11,932 Listeners

    Outside Podcast by Outside

    Outside Podcast

    2,135 Listeners

    The Daily by The New York Times

    The Daily

    113,344 Listeners

    Parenting Hell with Rob Beckett and Josh Widdicombe by Keep It Light Media / Spotify Studios

    Parenting Hell with Rob Beckett and Josh Widdicombe

    993 Listeners

    Climbing Gold by Duct Tape Then Beer

    Climbing Gold

    891 Listeners

    Circle Up! by Kyra Condie, Allison Vest

    Circle Up!

    58 Listeners

    Smosh Reads Reddit Stories by Smosh

    Smosh Reads Reddit Stories

    1,960 Listeners

    The Careless Talk Climbing Podcast by Sam Prior & Aidan Roberts

    The Careless Talk Climbing Podcast

    80 Listeners

    The Testpiece Podcast by Testpiece

    The Testpiece Podcast

    79 Listeners

    Inner Fire Climbing Podcast by Jesse Firestone

    Inner Fire Climbing Podcast

    10 Listeners

    The Climbing Injury Podcast by The Climbing Injury Podcast

    The Climbing Injury Podcast

    3 Listeners