Discussion Topic |
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PAUL SOUZA
Trad climber
Central Valley, CA
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Topic Author's Original Post - Jun 6, 2012 - 03:22pm PT
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Just came across this:
Wow! Just finished covering one of Alex Honnold's most epic adventures for REEL ROCK 7 - The Solo Triple Crown in about 18 hours. Watkins, El Cap, and Half Dome, 90% free solo with a little bit of aid. Yesterday he started up Watkins at 4PM and topped out in 2:20, a speed record in itself. Next was The Nose, in 6 hours, in the dark. He forgot his chalk bag and had to borrow one from aid climbers half way up. Topped out Half Dome at 10:45 this morning. Here he is looking worked on the summit an hour ago. "OK," he finally admitted, "that was a big deal."
https://www.facebook.com/REELROCK
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avid
Trad climber
sacramento, ca
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Beast!
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Vitaliy M.
Mountain climber
San Francisco
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I am kind of tired of saying WOW every time I hear about this guy, but WOWWOWOWOWOWOW. He is a gifted climber, wish him health and luck for years to come. He shows what is possible for our human body with proper training and well set mind.
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michaeld
Sport climber
Sacramento
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Half way up El Cap is a long time to realize you don't have a chalk bag. Lol
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PAUL SOUZA
Trad climber
Central Valley, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 6, 2012 - 03:32pm PT
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I just met him at the Bridge this past Saturday. Such a cool, nice guy. He has my utmost respect.
Big Congrats to him!
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karodrinker
Trad climber
San Jose, CA
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golf clap.... lol jk, amazing Alex.
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S.Leeper
Social climber
somewhere that doesnt have anything over 90'
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holy phuq what a beast.
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k-man
Gym climber
SCruz
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Watch out, the season is young...
As in: HOLY F*#K!
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climbski2
Mountain climber
Anchorage AK, Reno NV
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Hey Joe I really could use some of that chalk you gave Alex right about now...
Damn! Thats on a level far beyond..
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F10
Trad climber
Bishop
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AMAZING
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Norwegian
Trad climber
Placerville, California
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this guy dilutes the absolute.
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Dos XX
Trad climber
Los Angeles, CA
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Whoa. What's left for him to do?
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BASE104
Social climber
An Oil Field
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I think I remember Werner saying that El Cap won't get free soloed.
We should get Russ to make book and hold the cash on all bets. I bet it happens within 2 years.
He climbs El Cap as fast as most of us take to hike the Falls trail. Unreal strong. Hope he lives a long time! Dean has survival down pretty well and was the previous magic man.
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Vitaliy M.
Mountain climber
San Francisco
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I just met him at the Bridge
Did you tell him there is his poster above your bed?
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labrat
Trad climber
Nevada City, CA
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Best comment that I stole from the Reel Rock Facebook page.
"does north face customize his pants to accommodate balls that big?"
Wow!
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JEleazarian
Trad climber
Fresno CA
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this guy dilutes the absolute.
Great line, Norwegian!
I've been around long enough to remember when Madsen and and Schmitz doing the Dihedral in 2 1/2 days astounded me. How can I describe my reaction to, and admiration for, this?
John
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martygarrison
Trad climber
Washington DC
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So 18 hours eh. That means he has 6 hours left to cram in the Salathe. Then we could have the WNHDSIAD. Bet it get's done this season.
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Jaybro
Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
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Yeah, guess that is, a big deal...
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fsck
climber
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makes you wonder what kind of crazy ideas are clanking around in that kid's head for future climbs.
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zBrown
Ice climber
mercenario de merced
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Gives new meaning to "could or couldn't carry his bag" in several ways.
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mouse from merced
Trad climber
merced, california
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How many pitches, total? Then toss in the pitches with tCaldwell three weeks ago.
This total is more than the total many of us have climbed in our whole lives!
Based on the ST route search:
19 on Mt. Watkins' face,
23 on Half Dome's dome,
31 on El Cap's nose.
73 total.
A heady experience, solo or partnered, plus the record time...
There's some showmanship happening this week on the big routes! Yay!
Go Alex!
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Karl Baba
Trad climber
Yosemite, Ca
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Light sauce. He had to beg assistance from aid climbers.. totally invalidates the effort....not a real solo...
Ok, you know I'm kidding. that's insane! At least the existence of monster talent like that frees us to compete with no-one but ourselves
Saw him in the parking lot of Manure Pile yesterday. He looks more like a video game champ than one of the premier athletes of all time but actions speak louder
Incredible
Peace
Karl
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Nibs
Trad climber
Humboldt, CA
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18 hours on the triple crown, sure...but could he spend 8 hours in an office cubicle?? I think not.
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Levy
Big Wall climber
So Cal
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Congratulations to Alex! Having done all those routes as 1 day ascents myself, it is still hard to fathom doing all 3 in one day, let alone in a mere 18 hours.
Super proud effort by one of the leading lights of the climbing world.
That was very nice of the Nose party to donate their chalk bag to Alex. Good Karma coming your way I think!
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Karl Baba
Trad climber
Yosemite, Ca
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I'd be pretty stoked with myself if I managed to aid solo those objectives over the course of a season
The mind gets sorta numb to the scale of it, sorta like the national debt. What is a million or billion really?
Three climbs that would be uber-knackering by themselves, solo, under 24 hours? How do you top that? That's even beyond free soloing El Cap except that we create these ideals and venerate them
The bro can't keep topping himself forever. Hopefully he has an inner inspiration to guide his journey to wherever it takes him beyond this
Peace
Karl
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michaeld
Sport climber
Sacramento
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He'd be one hell of a guide... If you could keep up.
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Elcapinyoazz
Social climber
Joshua Tree
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What's left for him to do?
Nose speed record, with Hans. Happens within the month.
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Gunkie
Trad climber
East Coast US
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Why was an aid climber using chalk? Sounds kinky.
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briham89
Trad climber
los gatos. ca
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i don't think anyone would have thought this possible a few years ago...i still don't think it's possible and it happened! haha
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viejoalpinisto
Social climber
Pahrump, NV
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Getting Mount Watkins on the Radar of the masses....
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bergbryce
Mountain climber
South Lake Tahoe, CA
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Dang!!
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RoryKuykendall
Mountain climber
Glacier National Park, then maybe Death Valley??
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What the f***?
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Gagner
climber
Boulder
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RAD....
and impressive!!!
WOOT!!
Paul
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Capt.
climber
some eastside hovel
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Why does he need Hans?? Hans needs him.
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survival
Big Wall climber
Terrapin Station
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Somebody needs to tell Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones to check this kids passport.....
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Sonic
Trad climber
Boulder, CO
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When he went with tommy they did it in twenty-one hours and fifteen minutes. So he went faster solo which is crazy to think about.
Well maybe not if he did in fact free solo about 90% as the Facebook post suggests! Badass!
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Vitaliy M.
Mountain climber
San Francisco
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He could do some crazy stuff as an Alpinist. He got the endurance and BOLD down for sure. Rupal face as a dayhike!!!!
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zBrown
Ice climber
mercenario de merced
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Uh ... Would this count as a trifecta? Somebody's gonna name their race horse after him, wlll probably win the triple crown.
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bhilden
Trad climber
Mountain View, CA
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Just as a bit of a clarification, what route is used on Mount Watkins for this trifecta? Is it the original South Face Route (Harding/Pratt/Chouinard)?
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michaeld
Sport climber
Sacramento
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South Face.
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Elcapinyoazz
Social climber
Joshua Tree
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Why does he need Hans?? Hans needs him.
They call it a "team" for a reason. The whole is greater than the sum of the parts.
He couldn't (or didn't, anyway) break the record with Uli. I'd say he needs Hans, who has the thing wired to the nuts with every trick in the book, and Hans needs him because he is insanely fast, fit, and bold.
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michaeld
Sport climber
Sacramento
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You can't do it faster solo than simuled. Unless you're confident in every move being absolutely rushed.
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labrat
Trad climber
Nevada City, CA
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b
u
m
p
!
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S.Leeper
Social climber
somewhere that doesnt have anything over 90'
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You're a bad ass when Tommy Caldwell slows you down on a climb.
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WBraun
climber
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The "Honnold" is the best trad climber on the planet now.
What's wrong with the rest of ya?
Ya all are looking kind of lost and mortal ........
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ElCapPirate
Big Wall climber
California
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BADASS my friend!
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climbski2
Mountain climber
Anchorage AK, Reno NV
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Not too lost just enough to keep it interesting, definitely mortal..
Did my bit of rad years ago, very happy with the results.
Have met AH a few times..very nice guy, seems to keep things close to vest with folks he dosn't know well, probably cause most folks just wouldn't be able to relate or contribute.. embarassing for him I'm sure.
I think he will be ok, barring something odd happening like rockfall.. doesn't leave himself much room for objective hazards. Then again I think Yosemite is treating him well.. like a proud mother.
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Roxy
Trad climber
CA Central Coast
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holy cow...that's so GNAR!
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SteveW
Trad climber
The state of confusion
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What can be said that hasn't been already. . .
Sheesh!
Be safe, Alex!
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brotherbbock
Trad climber
Alta Loma, CA
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One of the very few in this world that could have taken Bachar's 10k offer.
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ec
climber
ca
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"Not necessarily stoned, but beautiful." - Jimi Hendrix
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GDavis
Social climber
SOL CAL
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I think if we've learned one thing at climbing in Yo Valley is that it is very, very difficult to show up from out of town and perform well. The type of moves you have to perform on cutting edge routes ON GRANITE are a whole 'nuther ballgame than in areas with limestone, sandstone etc. Ueli has had amazing success in the valley considering that he is from Switzerland, which I don't believe has rock that requires that kind of body english....
Of course, I'm kind of a dumbass, so who knows : /
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hb81
climber
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I think if we've learned one thing at climbing in Yo Valley is that it is very, very difficult to show up from out of town and perform well. The type of moves you have to perform on cutting edge routes ON GRANITE are a whole 'nuther ballgame than in areas with limestone, sandstone etc. Ueli has had amazing success in the valley considering that he is from Switzerland, which I don't believe has rock that requires that kind of body english....
Of course, I'm kind of a dumbass, so who knows : /
Switzerland has enough granite for a lifetime of climbing...
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Peter Haan
Trad climber
San Francisco, CA
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Frankly, I am terrifically glad to have lived long enough to see this happen, to have it occur in our time. It was obviously an enormous amount of work but above all, it was the boldest rarest visionary experience and statement.
It is basically impossible to fully grasp how ecstatic the climb must have been for Alex on some levels. The freedom, the flurry of our best granite running by like a magnificent river, the esthetic power of the climber to make this all happen so perfectly. And obviously, more is coming.
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Fishy
climber
Zurich, Switzerland
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Yes, Switzerland has plenty of granite. But Yos polish in combination with shallow flares is still pretty darn distinct from the granite over here...
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Marlow
Sport climber
OSLO
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To me this is beyond the point of brave or awesome or sick. I'm standing at a distance thinking "how fascinating". "How fascinating" that this is possible... and "take care".
Edited: The "best" FAs leave the impression of being circus tricks of excellent balance and skill on the edge of the abyss...
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mcreel
climber
Barcelona
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Yeah, some people may scratch their heads, but what's the problem with saving a couple of runout routes when we have stacks of well protected climbs? I can still clearly remember doing Rawl Drive on Lembert, even though it was almost 25 years ago. I can't say the same about many 5 star well protected routes.
Back on topic, I think ec nailed it, Honnold is like the Hendrix of climbing. I wish we had Hendrix with us, and I hope Honnold keeps it cool, too.
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k-man
Gym climber
SCruz
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The other expedition members took three whole days to complete the descent.
Oh wait, wrong thread....
Next up for Alex??
[Click to View YouTube Video]
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hoipolloi
climber
A friends backyard with the neighbors wifi
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mutant.
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brotherbbock
Trad climber
Alta Loma, CA
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I like how he says it was kinda boring.
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le_bruce
climber
Oakland, CA
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En fuego.
If climbing weren't so off the radar and on the margin in the world of physical accomplishments, this feat would be f'ing huge beyond our small tribe.
What other event could be compared? What he has done with this triple combines every factor from the greatest solo physical feats in history, and adds to them the mental element of being one uncontrolled movement from death with every breath he takes. For 18 mf'ing hours.
Marathons, ultras, Irons - nothing remotely compares.
Edit to add: it's nice being on the margin, though. I wouldn't want it any other way.
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michaeld
Sport climber
Sacramento
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Nothing compares. People couldn't fathom the difficulty in this. To them, Everest is harder, because it's taller and colder. People just don't know.
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Brian
climber
California
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Holy moly the TNF representative in that interview sounds annoying. I don't envy Alex having to answer vapid questions like that on a regular basis, though I guess it's an acceptable trade for the sponsorship support. Still, I think I'd go batty having to engage in that sort of banter. My sympathies.
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Fluoride
Trad climber
West Los Angeles, CA
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Brian I was about to say the same thing. Obviously an intern or someone that never went to school anywhere where they taught journalism and how to ask real questions.
"TNF: So the hunger is keeping you from feeling the accomplishment?"
TNF, VERY disappointing interview, even Alex seemed annoyed.
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Jonnnyyyzzz
Trad climber
San Diego,CA
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Dose anyone know what gear Alex carried with him if any? There was some aid sections along the way and I can guess where some of those spots were but has anyone heard or know where/how the aid climbing was done?
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ElCapPirate
Big Wall climber
California
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TNF, VERY disappointing interview, even Alex seemed annoyed.
Agreed, so bad that it was like a train wreck and I couldn't keep my eyes off it, ha ha
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k-man
Gym climber
SCruz
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TNF, VERY disappointing interview, even Alex seemed annoyed.
AH: "Umm, I hear some static, don't you.... I.... Am.... Faddin <click>"
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Reggaemylitis
Trad climber
South Lake Tahoe, CA
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Do you really think Honnold could put up with all that Sharma grunting? I don't. I don't think Honnold has ever grunted while climbing in his life! Everything is easy for him, even 5.13 trad!
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BrassNuts
Trad climber
Save your a_s, reach for the brass...
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In the 1980's the aliens sent the first version, known as Croft. After some additional R&D the new version, Honnold, was sent to really clean house... What planet is he from?? Fantastic achievement!!
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WBraun
climber
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Honnold is a normal human being.
Calling him an alien is stupid.
Ya all should start free soloing ......
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GDavis
Social climber
SOL CAL
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Do you really think Honnold could put up with all that Sharma grunting? I don't. I don't think Honnold has ever grunted while climbing in his life! Everything is easy for him, even 5.13 trad!
The fanboy is strong with this one.
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Dr.Sprock
Boulder climber
I'm James Brown, Bi-atch!
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did he wing suit it over to the dome, or is that next week?
at this rate, there will be nothing left to do in about a year,
makes David Lee Roth look like a punk, no wonder he only got a 1/4 inch bolt to hang off of,
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ß Î Ø T Ç H
Boulder climber
bouldering
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90% free solo with a little bit of aid Taking nothing away from A. H., but this type of soloing seems a bit of an invention of the production companies such as Big Up etc - like teaching an elephant to ride a unicycle or something. The promoter knows his spectators.
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R.B.
Trad climber
47N 122W
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A couple of things to remember:
F=ma
pe=mgh
ke=1/2 m * v^2
"Only the last meter is dangerous"
Alex, Congrats on the sends ... but be wary ... NOONE is immune from physics!
Be careful out there ... it will only be one FUp.
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michaeld
Sport climber
Sacramento
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Jun 11, 2012 - 03:57pm PT
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So sketchy.
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fsck
climber
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Jun 11, 2012 - 04:03pm PT
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imagine being the cameraman..
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le_bruce
climber
Oakland, CA
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Jun 11, 2012 - 05:34pm PT
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Christ.
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d1retz
Trad climber
NV
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Jun 11, 2012 - 05:39pm PT
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Literally want to throw up when he slips there.
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Phil_B
Social climber
Hercules, CA
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Jun 11, 2012 - 05:40pm PT
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Hoooolllllllllllllllyyyyyyyyyyy
Shhhhhhhhhhiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitttttttt!!!
Scary, even in my cubicle. Can't imagine being out there and having a foot slip. .
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Don Paul
Big Wall climber
Colombia, South America
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Jun 11, 2012 - 05:51pm PT
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Wow pretty weird camera angles, first the camera is in front of him, then cutaway to a shot from behind him looking at his feet, then within seconds the cameraman is back in front of him again. What's the cameraman doing, penduluming around to get different shots? Meanwhile his subject almost goes for the plunge.
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Fluoride
Trad climber
West Los Angeles, CA
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Jun 11, 2012 - 05:53pm PT
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His foot slipped but his hand had a good hold. He was fine. It Honnold! He did the thing in 2:20
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Don Paul
Big Wall climber
Colombia, South America
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Jun 11, 2012 - 05:53pm PT
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My guess - the shot of his feet is totally unrelated and was spliced in there for dramatic effect.
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chill
climber
between the flat part and the blue wobbly thing
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Jun 11, 2012 - 05:57pm PT
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Looks like un-clipping the daisy chain first may have been a mistake. Might have been better to unclip the biner from his harness, then clip the bolt in one motion. I'll have to remember that when I go up there to do the repeat :)
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br60
Trad climber
Jasper, Alberta
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Jun 11, 2012 - 06:44pm PT
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pants shitting moment @ 1:15
I'm with Cragman on this one: his expression shows more than a little concern as he is making the clip...
Even though I know AH is well within his limits, it is still a moment that makes my heart skip a beat as a viewer!
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Don Paul
Big Wall climber
Colombia, South America
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Jun 11, 2012 - 07:21pm PT
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Reminds me of what my driver's ed teacher taught us. Compare the statistics for serious accidents, non-serious accidents, and close calls. They are all statistically related. Each time you have one of those close calls, it's a reminder that the big one is out there waiting for you.
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Karl Baba
Trad climber
Yosemite, Ca
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Jun 11, 2012 - 07:27pm PT
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For others besides superheros that might choose to augment a solo with a little gear and a Daisy. I recommend a screamer on the daisy
Peace
karl
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Fluoride
Trad climber
West Los Angeles, CA
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Jun 11, 2012 - 07:36pm PT
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Warbler, completely agree. See my post above.
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John Mac
Trad climber
Littleton, CO
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Jun 11, 2012 - 11:23pm PT
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Unless he is goofing it for the camera I think I see some real concern in his face before clipping in with the daisy. Also not sure why he would use a daisy for this.
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TwistedCrank
climber
Dingleberry Gulch, Ideeho
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Jun 11, 2012 - 11:59pm PT
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How come the camera zoomed in on his feet just before the "slip"?
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Don Paul
Big Wall climber
Colombia, South America
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Jun 12, 2012 - 06:37am PT
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I dont think it did. I think they just spliced a little footage in there in the edit. He's even reaching for the blue daisy in that clip, but it cant be in sequence.
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wesleystupar
Trad climber
Thousand Oaks
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Jun 12, 2012 - 12:35pm PT
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What a great time to be a climber! This cubicle puke's gotta work in an emergency trip to the Valley pronto!!!
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chiindi
Big Wall climber
Lakeview, OR
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Jun 12, 2012 - 12:37pm PT
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IS THAT ALL? ...You can do more than that!
Suggestion: Blindfolded in a straight jacket?
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zBrown
Ice climber
chingadero de chula vista
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Jun 12, 2012 - 01:02pm PT
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Video:
How come you don't see any camera people in the long shot?
I tried slowing it down to 25% speed and there appears to be some concern on his face at :46 and 1:19.
Whaddya think?
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climbera5
Trad climber
Sacramento
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Jun 12, 2012 - 01:23pm PT
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One of the greatest athletic accomplishments of all time and do you think ESPN will report it?
Not . . .
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Brandon-
climber
The Granite State.
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Jun 12, 2012 - 01:36pm PT
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It's funny, I was talking to my dad the other day. He's a sometimes climbing partner of mine and he rides his road bike 200+ miles a week, so he understands climbing and endurance.
I told him of this feat and a blank stare fell upon his face, he didn't grasp the enormity of it because he's never been to the valley.
The best way I could describe it was that it is akin to completing three ironman triathlons in a day, straight up.
I'm blown away by Honnolds poise and mental clarity. It's something usually seen in older ultra runners.
He's a mutant.
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bootysatva
Trad climber
Idylwild Ca
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Jun 12, 2012 - 01:37pm PT
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I was out soloing my age in pitches on Taquitz yesterday(6/11/2012) and I kept thinking my 60 or so pitches would be nothing for Alex. I make up for my averagness with familiarity. 37 years of soloing easy routes at Tahquitz is the only reason I can pull off some silly feats like this, I would love to see Alex smash my climbing records. Come to Idyllwild and bivi at our place any time Alex. Congratulations!! Most folks would take longer to hike to the top of these formations. Thanks for the inspiration!!!!!
Ernesto Ale,(52)
Idyllwild/Joshua tree
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bootysatva
Trad climber
Idylwild Ca
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Jun 12, 2012 - 02:41pm PT
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My fingers wont stop sweating after watching the foot "slip". Soooooooooooo bad ass.
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eagle
Trad climber
new paltz, ny
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Jun 12, 2012 - 06:42pm PT
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so what ias this next bid deal....die\i mean does this f*#ker really making money doing this?
never mind. i don't care.
stop what you are doing alix....it's not u r really going to make a living
what do u make a few hundred dollars and a couple pairs of shoes out of it?
i feel the next post i see you go splat
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michaeld
Sport climber
Sacramento
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Jun 12, 2012 - 06:48pm PT
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My dad isn't a climber, and was never a climber. He's been fascinated with Alex's achievements. I told him about the triple link up. The next day he referred to it as the Triple Crown. I'm so proud of my dad for researching it. :)
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eagle
Trad climber
new paltz, ny
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Jun 12, 2012 - 07:08pm PT
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this guy will be dead in a year
mark my words
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michaeld
Sport climber
Sacramento
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Jun 12, 2012 - 07:19pm PT
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You're a f*cking tool.
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cragonym
climber
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Jun 12, 2012 - 07:34pm PT
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I also fear that he is pushing it too far. I also don't like the idea of them making money off his videos while he risks his ass. Is he going to go on Oprah next? He has set the bar for a long time to come. I want him to stop.
Where is Potter?
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Don Paul
Big Wall climber
Colombia, South America
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Jun 12, 2012 - 08:20pm PT
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He doesn't scare me, looks totally solid. If I saw him doing weird dynos like the ever popular Dan Osman video, I might feel differently. Also, I don't think he's really playing for the cameras, they come to him.
This combination of the thrill of soloing and the thrill of media attention, looks super-dangerous to me, though. Imagine if you had constant pressure on you to solo harder and harder routes, and every time you did, you felt like GOD, and everyone treated you that way for a while. I like the way Largo describes John Bachar in the Portrait of the American Climber video - the danger was a quasi mystical experience for him. I feel the same way - the risk of death has to be real, or its not real. From what I can see, Alex Honnold is the master of all this, but then again, no one intends to be a crack addict.
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cragonym
climber
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Jun 12, 2012 - 08:48pm PT
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He was sweating that move and that was a total slip that caught him by surprise. His right foot was way sketchy, and the only "solid" hold he had was his right hand smear. He was totally relieved when he clipped hat bolt and instantly grabbed it to get out of that stance. He was sketched, camera or no camera.
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melski
Trad climber
bytheriver
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Jun 12, 2012 - 09:04pm PT
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so unreel,,,the best testament for the power of endless possibilities for mankind,,peaceandlove,,
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'Pass the Pitons' Pete
Big Wall climber
like Ontario, Canada, eh?
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Jun 12, 2012 - 09:12pm PT
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Alex is a real inspiration, and the future of our sport.
I was there during his record Trifecta.
Mark Winey and I had just been pummelled by the storm over on Grape Race, and elected to choose the safer-easier finish to the Nose rather than via Muir. I had just aided up some wide crack monstrosity to arrive on Eagle Ledge of the Nose. Couldn't help but notice the movie lights over on the Boot Flake, maybe it was Cheyne? [Just figured out Cheyne is "Shane", sheesh.]
So I see this big-ass hand reaching round the corner, and in swings this dude, right on to Eagle Ledge. "Holy ---, I just totally nailed the King Swing!" he exclaimed. You see, most people swing in rather farther below Eagle Ledge, like Quinn and Jes did the next morning, but this dude does it statically and arrives right on the ledge. So dude [it's Alex] looks at me and says, "Hi, Pete - haven't seen you in like, what, a year?"
"Hey, buddy, good to see you. What's happenin'?"
"Well, just climbed Watkins in 2:20, so now I'm heading up the Nose, and tomorrow morning, I'm hoping to climb the Regular Route."
"That would be on Half Dome, eh?"
"Yeah, right."
"Beauty! So what's next?"
"Well, I kind of scramble here from Eagle Ledge to the base of the Great Roof," sez Alex as he pulls down his penji rope and coils it round his shoulder.
"O'Really? Well, be careful, eh? Don't end up dead."
So Alex offered me a bite of his bar, which I accepted, and I totally forgot to offer him some beer let alone Gatorade, and then off he went.
Unroped.
Truly: I could knott watch Alex when he soloed off above me, I just couldn't look! He simply unroped, and up he climbed. On rock. No backup.
So I was more than happy to learn that he completed his Trifecta.
A few days later, Quinn and Jes blew by us [for the *third* time!] followed in short order by Hans Florine and partner. Hans had just completed his *75th* ascent of El Cap! The JTree girls Bernadette, Missy and Beth had simultaneously arrived, along with the Colorado Speed Girls.
"Geez," Hans exclaimed. "Alex finished everything up in 19* hours, and he still had five hours to spare. He should have soloed Manure Pile Buttress or something..."
Anyway, that's the report from the Centre of the Universe. Be there, or be square.
Cheers,
PtPP and Mark
* I heard 19 hours, but don't know the exact time. Hansy hasn't updated his website yet.
P.S. I was encouraging Jes and Quinn to have another go tomorrow - hope they do! We shall see...
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'Pass the Pitons' Pete
Big Wall climber
like Ontario, Canada, eh?
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Jun 12, 2012 - 10:20pm PT
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Cool! Should just be heading up about then.
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WBraun
climber
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Jun 12, 2012 - 10:31pm PT
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He was sweating that move and that was a total slip that caught him by surprise. His right foot was way sketchy, and the only "solid" hold he had was his right hand smear."
You stupid morons, this kind of sh!t happens when you free solo.
It's normal you freaking morons.
It's a personal choice and thank God for America to be able to have a choice like this.
Only stupid Americans want to put a limit and control every aspect of everything.
Freedom was/is a hard fought luxury and you morons want everyone to be robotic sheep like you and kill freedom of choice.
Leave the guy alone, none of your freaking business.
If you don't like free soloing then don't do it or stay home and cry to mommy .....
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karodrinker
Trad climber
San Jose, CA
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Jun 13, 2012 - 12:12am PT
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yeah! what Riley and Werner said! Even if he died today he would have lived a lot more than most! Bravo Alex, Bravo freedom.
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fsck
climber
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Jun 13, 2012 - 12:26am PT
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sounds like werner needs a juice box and a nap
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Sierra Ledge Rat
Social climber
Retired in Appalachia
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Jun 13, 2012 - 12:44am PT
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Don't know what all the fuss is about.
Everyone knows that the best athletes are at the Olympics.
El Cap what? Where? Who?
Huh?
Hey, honey, change the channel and hand me another Bud Light.
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Johnny K.
climber
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Jun 13, 2012 - 12:50am PT
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Werner is it true you and Honnold were soloing Astroman in sandals while eating cereal this morning?
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cragonym
climber
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Jun 13, 2012 - 01:01am PT
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hey, I didn't know this was a libertarian site... God bless America?
i agree, it IS his business and i won't be free soloing. nonetheless, he was sketched out.
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Studly
Trad climber
WA
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Jun 13, 2012 - 01:22am PT
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He didn't look sketched out to me. He looked totally in the moment, lazer focus, solid. The slip was backed up by the other hand, no big deal.
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fsck
climber
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Jun 13, 2012 - 01:24am PT
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man what if hondo hooks up with that sascha digeridoo chick and they make a super baby that onsight freesolos el cap. stranger things have happened, ppl.
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k-man
Gym climber
SCruz
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Jun 13, 2012 - 01:39am PT
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One of the greatest athletic accomplishments of all time and do you think ESPN will report it?
Not . . .
No, but they're gonna put him on the cover of Sports Illustrated.
True.
The swimsuit edition.
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ß Î Ø T Ç H
Boulder climber
bouldering
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Jun 13, 2012 - 02:56am PT
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His foot slipped but his hand had a good hold. He was fine. Then why did he turn 10 shades of pale, and gasped, like God had grabbed his as$? Also: in context of (free) soloing - he is trying to clip webbing/ bolt or some shlt there - looks so contrived (camera-man cheerleading etc on the audio).
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Don Paul
Big Wall climber
Colombia, South America
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Jun 13, 2012 - 07:40am PT
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I put put "Alex Honnold" into google news, the so called Triple Crown got massive press coverage, in all kinds of languages. Cant read most of it.
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Huecool
climber
Tucson, AZ
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Jun 13, 2012 - 10:44am PT
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...jaw drops, speechless
Most awesome!
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Don Paul
Big Wall climber
Colombia, South America
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Jun 13, 2012 - 10:56am PT
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One cool thing about this "Triple Crown" is that the media seems to be buying into the idea that this is the ultimate contest in rock climbing. It sounds like the Stanley Cup or some other kind of real trophy. And it's NOT a rock gym comp.
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surfstar
climber
Santa Barbara, CA
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Jun 13, 2012 - 11:12am PT
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That video is not as sketchy as it looks, though obviously the position is totally badass. I just had a foot on for balance. It blew. If Ben Ditto [the photog] hadn’t been right next to me I probably wouldn’t have tried to be so static, so I wouldn’t have had the foot on anyway.
http://climbingnarc.com/2012/06/more-on-alex-honnold-solo-triple-yosemite/
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Hawkeye
climber
State of Mine
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Jun 13, 2012 - 11:23am PT
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yeah! what Riley and Werner said! Even if he died today he would have lived a lot more than most! Bravo Alex, Bravo freedom.
i am sure his mother and father would be really psyched if he were killed free soloing and of course praise freedom.... (sarcasm dripping)
make no mistake, what he is doing is amazing and amazingly dangerous and the more frequent he does it, the greater his chances of having an unrecoverable mistake or even one in which he had no control such as someone dropping gear on his head or a hold braking.
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zBrown
Ice climber
chingadero de chula vista
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Jun 13, 2012 - 12:16pm PT
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I still can't see the camera folks in the long shot. To his right, left, above, below?
Take a look at 1:30 - 1:31, he appears to give out a little sigh, like "I'm glad that part is over".
Also, what is being said at :28 - :29?
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karodrinker
Trad climber
San Jose, CA
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Jun 13, 2012 - 12:19pm PT
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Hey Hawkeye, freedom means having the choice. Sounds like you are choosing not to solo hard sh#t, you have the freedom to do so. Pretty sure Honnold has made peace with the consequences.
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Hawkeye
climber
State of Mine
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Jun 13, 2012 - 04:23pm PT
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Hey Hawkeye, freedom means having the choice. Sounds like you are choosing not to solo hard sh#t, you have the freedom to do so. Pretty sure Honnold has made peace with the consequences.
i am old and feeble and never soloed anything hard for a guy like honnold. i did push myself soloing though (10c onsite when the hardest thing i had ever done was about 11c). i grew out of that and learned that there was more to life.
making peace with the consequences ....interesting thought but i doubt it but my opinion doesnt matter. but nobody should be surprised if he doesnt make it past 30. i hate like hell to say that and dont know him. if i did i would plead with him to slow down and smell the roses. if he were my kid i would be deeply disturbed.
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the Fet
climber
Tu-Tok-A-Nu-La
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Jun 13, 2012 - 04:38pm PT
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Rock climbers see Honnold's free solos and say "that's insane he could die doing that!"
Meanwhile the general public sees all rock climbing and says "that's insane they could die doing that!"
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michaeld
Sport climber
Sacramento
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Jun 13, 2012 - 04:41pm PT
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Let him do what he wants to do.
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michaeld
Sport climber
Sacramento
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Jun 13, 2012 - 05:15pm PT
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Oh god.
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eagle
Trad climber
new paltz, ny
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Jun 13, 2012 - 05:24pm PT
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no one cares about what this guy does.
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Peter Haan
Trad climber
San Francisco, CA
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Jul 22, 2012 - 11:52am PT
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Now that the Gong show has subsided, here is a particularly natural skype video interview of Alex shortly after the Triple; Alex is really relaxed, exhausted somewhat still, humorous and diplomatic as always: EpicTV in the UK.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLOYC1-EpOQ&feature=related
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RP3
Big Wall climber
El Portal/Chapel Hill
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Mar 28, 2013 - 10:21am PT
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Holy crap!
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ydpl8s
Trad climber
Santa Monica, California
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Mar 28, 2013 - 10:34am PT
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No need to go to Mars to find alien life - whew! he's not human!
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bjj
climber
beyond the sun
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Mar 28, 2013 - 11:42am PT
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The mainstream, and even most climbers seem to be under the impression Honnold solos huge hard routes daily.
According to him, this is not the case at all. In one interview he explained that when he does a solo like Moonlight, or Half Dome, it is akin to watching the Super Bowl. Everyone tunes in to this once a year event, not realizing that 99% of the time is devoted to practice and other completely boring non-events.
For Alex that means climbing with a rope (trad and sport) almost all the time, and only when he's really feeling ready does he leave the ground without one.
I don't know enough about Bachar, Hersey and Reardon's (RIPS) old habits to know how comparable the ratio of roped to non roped climbing is, but it seems like those guys all spent a lot more actual time soloing than Alex does.
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Peter Haan
Trad climber
Santa Cruz, CA
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Mar 28, 2013 - 11:50am PT
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bjj, I think your suspicions are correct. Alex seems to be following the natural crescendos of his training, each season, and his career, and is being about as careful and self-possessed as possible.
In a way, it must be kind of hard being that talented and still remaining within one's own bounds of reason however.
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bjj
climber
beyond the sun
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Mar 28, 2013 - 11:58am PT
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June/2012 - eagle: this guy will be dead in a year
mark my words
2 more months to go. What happens when June rolls around and he's still alive and you're still hating on him with every fiber of your insecure soul?
I'm sure you're hoping with all your might that he dies so you can be proven right, but it's looking like that won't happen. No schadenfreude for you, f*ckstick.
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willm
Social climber
Oakland
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Mar 28, 2013 - 02:44pm PT
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I think Alex saying the SBelle is not a death route goes to his obvious competitiveness in the realm of run out and solo climbing.
Well said, Coz.
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S.Leeper
Social climber
somewhere that doesnt have anything over 90'
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Mar 28, 2013 - 06:22pm PT
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Alex is a BAD MAN. He can stay in the zone for HOURS.
Love this quote: “I’m plum tuckered out today.”
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S.Leeper
Social climber
somewhere that doesnt have anything over 90'
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Mar 28, 2013 - 06:25pm PT
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The mainstream, and even most climbers seem to be under the impression Honnold solos huge hard routes daily.
I don't care if he does a solo like the zion solo once in his life, he is in another realm.
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snowhazed
Trad climber
Oaksterdam, CA
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Mar 28, 2013 - 09:45pm PT
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a wha?
Inspired all over again
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GDavis
Social climber
SOL CAL
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Mar 28, 2013 - 10:56pm PT
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If a full pitch 300 foot fall is not death what is?
I guess when you've climbed enough 5.12 ropeless pitches as Alex it resets the curve a lil bit... ?
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