“For both Tommy and I, we see impossible as an invitation and that’s where the motivation comes from,” says US rock climber Kevin Jorgeson, catapulted to fame by his conquest of the Dawn Wall face-rock earlier this year.

Prior to his keynote at next week’s Festival of Media Global in Rome, M&M Global met with Jorgeson to discuss where he found his inspiration to pursue such an amazing ambition.

In December last year, Jorgeson set off with climbing partner Tommy Caldwell to ascend the rock-face on El Capitan in Yosemite National Park after spending six years planning the feat, which has been described as “the hardest route ever climbed.”

Some 19 days later, on 14 January 2015, the pair stood on top of El Capitan making them the first two climbers to successfully complete a free climb of the Dawn Wall.

It’s the mental breakthroughs that make the physical breakthroughs possible. #DawnWall pic.twitter.com/yADD0iS2QK

— Kevin Jorgeson (@kjorgeson) December 11, 2014

“Tommy first envisioned the Dawn Wall in 2007 – he has more experience than any climber with El Capitan. He tried it for a couple of years and thought it was impossible,” said Jorgeson.

“When I called him out of the blue in 2009 I think the partnership reignited that passion for the project and made it feel a little less daunting than working on it alone.”

Jorgeson claimed both he and Caldwell view the impossible as an “invitation” and finds the motivation from there.

“It’s like being a modern day explorer. That’s pretty hard to do today when you’ve got Google Earth and there are no oceans to sail across for the first time, or holes to go exploring for the first time.

“This is our version of being an explorer,” he said.

It wasn’t until Jorgeson and Caldwell had begun the climb that their social media following really began to take off, ultimately contributing to their new-found fame across the world.

– @sword_duke, check the view: #askdawnwall pic.twitter.com/PQKONmkiqU

— Kevin Jorgeson (@kjorgeson) January 3, 2015

“We have always shared our experiences with the ‘climbing tribe’ that is our social media following. It was only this year that it exploded into a mainstream following – that was a very unexpected thing.”

“The inspiration is reciprocal. When people are motivated by the story, more people start to follow and you want to keep inspiring these people by sharing what you do, but it’s not like you have to try that hard – it’s a really authentic thing,” said Jorgeson.

“For a while it was more struggle than success being shared but people appreciated that as part of the experience.”

Both men documented their experience extensively throughout the climb. It was only while talking with his girlfriend Jacqui on the phone about the levels of coverage the climbers were receiving that #WhatsYourDawnWall was created, a hashtag that encouraged people from all over the world to share their own personal challenges.

“That was a special cocktail that couldn’t be recreated or planned even if you wanted to – it’s crazy to me that this story got the attraction that it did, but it’s amazing and its fortunate and I’m grateful because people are inspired,” he said.

“How cool that it’s a by-product of Tommy and me just pursuing our dreams.”

The #dawnwall is done. I want to thank everyone for their support but also ask #whatsyourdawnwall? You can do it. pic.twitter.com/yeSed708Rp

— Kevin Jorgeson (@kjorgeson) January 17, 2015

Attend next week’s Festival of Media Global to hear Jorgeson talk about the power of inspiration.