Darby Allin, known as AEW’s resident daredevil, recently shared the intense challenges he faced while climbing Mount Everest in 2025 during an appearance on INSIGHT with Chris Van Vliet. The wrestling star detailed the profound impact of the experience and the stark reality of survival at extreme altitudes.
The Stark Reality of Climbing Everest
In the interview, Allin reflected on the rarity of summiting Everest, noting that fewer than 7,000 people have achieved this feat. He described the overwhelming humbling effect of being in such a perilous environment, where trivial personal concerns become irrelevant amid a constant fight for survival.
“Yeah, I don’t know. It just puts things into perspective, kind of how small your problems are, what you think is so big really doesn’t mean a thing. It’s very humbling when you’re up there, because it’s hard to have an ego when you’re fighting for your life on a daily basis. Because you don’t care about how you look, you don’t care about how you smell. You just want to survive. So it’s pretty cool to be in that type of energy.”
— Darby Allin, AEW Wrestler
The Emotional Toll of Facing Death on the Mountain
Allin recounted the emotional moment when his mom and brother departed from base camp, leaving him alone to continue toward the summit. The harsh truth that he might never see them again hit him deeply, leading to a moment of vulnerability where he openly confronted his fear and determination.
“Yeah, absolutely. I climbed with my mom and my brother to base camp, and the base camp hike, to a lot of people it’s no joke, it takes like 10-12 days. The elevation is like 17,000 [feet]. But the reality hit me when my mom and my brother were leaving base camp, and now I had to stay behind to actually go for the summit, and I was going to be there for another month after they left, but when I saw them walking away, the reality hit, oh sh*t, this might be the last time you see them. Then it just thought about, this might be the last time you’ve seen anybody. I was like, Oh crazy. So I went in my tent and I cried, and I filmed a little vlog about it and stuff, being like, there’s no way I’m gonna die on this mountain. I’m gonna summit, then I’m going to come back down and see a lot of people. So it was a commitment I made to myself when I was up there.”
— Darby Allin, AEW Wrestler
Motivation Behind the Extreme Challenge
Allin shared that his reason for undertaking the climb was deeply personal. Wrestling’s grueling schedule left him feeling trapped on a constant “hamster wheel,” and climbing Everest became a test to reclaim his sense of self and prove his own limits beyond the demanding world of professional wrestling.
“What I said earlier, I wanted to tell myself I was capable of anything, because you find yourself on this hamster wheel in wrestling. There’s no off-season. It’s all year long. And sometimes you feel like you’re living your life for somebody else. I wanted to really find out who I was going to be on the other side of Everest, and I didn’t want to live my life for somebody else. I wanted to really prove to myself what I was capable of. Because it goes back to the politicking and everything like that and the egos. I can’t stand it.”
— Darby Allin, AEW Wrestler
Significance of the Climb for Darby Allin
This extraordinary journey to Mount Everest’s summit symbolizes much more than a physical challenge for Darby Allin. It represents his struggle to overcome personal and professional pressures, confront mortality, and ultimately reclaim control over his own life. His story sheds light on the mental and emotional demands placed on athletes who live in the public eye while facing intense internal battles.
Looking ahead, Allin’s experience may inspire others to face their own challenges with honesty and resilience, while highlighting the relentless demands of life in professional wrestling and extreme sports.
