It's things like this that make me ask myself, "Why don't I climb rocks more?"
Then I remember I have a fear of falling to my death. It's a vicious cycle.
Alex Honnold Scales El Capitan Without Ropes, and the Climbing World Reels
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Re: Alex Honnold Scales El Capitan Without Ropes, and the Climbing World Reels
#12Proper Planning and Practice Prevents Piss Poor Performance. and DEATH. In all seriousness, Alex's mental and physical conditioning to achieve this goal should be lauded, examined, written about, and taught.
Alex is famous because he does "free soloing" - which doesn't use any ropes or safety at all. More people do "free climbing" which uses ropes just in case of fall. Anyone have any idea how often free climbers end up falling and needing their ropes? Could many good free climbers do what Honnold did, but just like the added bits of safety?
I climb but not at anywhere near the level of Honnold. That being said, free climbers fall quite a bit. Sport climbing, that is using bolts that are pre-placed as protection, often involves pushing to one's limit which of course means falling. Traditional climbing, using special gear and features in the rock for protection, does not involve as much falling since there is a higher risk of your gear popping out of its placement.
Honnold has climbed this route with ropes many times and no doubt fell while doing it. He was well aware that he was capable of completing the climb without a fall.
Re: Alex Honnold Scales El Capitan Without Ropes, and the Climbing World Reels
#13Proper Planning and Practice Prevents Piss Poor Performance. and DEATH. In all seriousness, Alex's mental and physical conditioning to achieve this goal should be lauded, examined, written about, and taught.
Alex is famous because he does "free soloing" - which doesn't use any ropes or safety at all. More people do "free climbing" which uses ropes just in case of fall. Anyone have any idea how often free climbers end up falling and needing their ropes? Could many good free climbers do what Honnold did, but just like the added bits of safety?
When people push difficult sport routes, they may fall fairly frequently. When doing an easier route, or if you are trad climbing, you really shouldn't fall.
Should, or shouldn't, is all theory, though.
Last year, a friend of mine who introduced me to climbing fell to his death on a trad climb. I don't know what happened, but I assume his protection equipment slipped out of where he placed it.
Re: Alex Honnold Scales El Capitan Without Ropes, and the Climbing World Reels
#14Proper Planning and Practice Prevents Piss Poor Performance. and DEATH. In all seriousness, Alex's mental and physical conditioning to achieve this goal should be lauded, examined, written about, and taught.
They're already examining him for the ability to suppress fear (terror?) that would stop mere mortals
Re: Alex Honnold Scales El Capitan Without Ropes, and the Climbing World Reels
#15Proper Planning and Practice Prevents Piss Poor Performance. and DEATH. In all seriousness, Alex's mental and physical conditioning to achieve this goal should be lauded, examined, written about, and taught.
Alex is famous because he does "free soloing" - which doesn't use any ropes or safety at all. More people do "free climbing" which uses ropes just in case of fall. Anyone have any idea how often free climbers end up falling and needing their ropes? Could many good free climbers do what Honnold did, but just like the added bits of safety?
People fall all the time. Climbers test movements by doing them (and most don't work).
Honnold left chalk marks on key holds on freerider to ensure he grabbed the right pieces.
Re: Alex Honnold Scales El Capitan Without Ropes, and the Climbing World Reels
#16Earlier quoted context omitted.
Alex is famous because he does "free soloing" - which doesn't use any ropes or safety at all. More people do "free climbing" which uses ropes just in case of fall. Anyone have any idea how often free climbers end up falling and needing their ropes? Could many good free climbers do what Honnold did, but just like the added bits of safety?
I climb but not at anywhere near the level of Honnold. That being said, free climbers fall quite a bit. Sport climbing, that is using bolts that are pre-placed as protection, often involves pushing to one's limit which of course means falling. Traditional climbing, using special gear and features in the rock for protection, does not involve as much falling since there is a higher risk of your gear popping out of its…
Any idea of how many people have free climbed this route? I'm really curious to know if Honnold is a one-of-a-kind climber or there are similar skill level climbers who just aren't willing to risk it without ropes?
Either way he's amazing, but I'm curious to know how amazing.
Re: Alex Honnold Scales El Capitan Without Ropes, and the Climbing World Reels
#17First clip of Honnold's climb: https://goo.gl/LZ1jcq
Re: Alex Honnold Scales El Capitan Without Ropes, and the Climbing World Reels
#18Proper Planning and Practice Prevents Piss Poor Performance. and DEATH. In all seriousness, Alex's mental and physical conditioning to achieve this goal should be lauded, examined, written about, and taught.
I google him about once a year to see if he is still alive, and I'm surprised each time.
Re: Alex Honnold Scales El Capitan Without Ropes, and the Climbing World Reels
#19There's a great documentary on the climbing culture of Yosemite and its evolution (including the equilibrium-punctuating arrival of Alex Honnold) available at least on Netflix: Valley Uprising . Worth a watch.
equilibrium-punctuating arrival of Alex Honnold...
Yeah, I guess that just about describes the guys career.
Fun question: which people in other disciplines have had the same shattering effect in their field ? I can think of Bobby Fischer and Garry Kasparov in Chess.
Re: Alex Honnold Scales El Capitan Without Ropes, and the Climbing World Reels
#20There's a great documentary on the climbing culture of Yosemite and its evolution (including the equilibrium-punctuating arrival of Alex Honnold) available at least on Netflix: Valley Uprising . Worth a watch.
"Climbing the Nose" is also pretty cool, but about a different route as far as I can tell.
It is a different route and significantly harder and will likely never be free soloed for a long time if ever. The crux is so insecure that it's suicide.