Discussion Topic |
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thedogfather
Trad climber
Somewhere near Red Rocks
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Topic Author's Original Post - Sep 5, 2014 - 03:17pm PT
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Discuss - this was just on fb
SENDER FILMS
45 mins ·
Talking to Alex Honnold right now as he drives out of The Needles, Ca where he just soloed Romantic Warrior!! He says: "it was quite an undertaking actually." Congrats Honnold, you the f*+#ing man!
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GDavis
Social climber
SOL CAL
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I'd love to hear more about it. Always though Reardons ascent one of those bad ass stories you hear at the campfire.
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Fat Dad
Trad climber
Los Angeles, CA
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Probably took him about 45 mintues too. I was just over there weekend before last (albeit on the far less studly South Face). A crazy, wild place. Can't imagine doing something that hard, ropeless, in that setting. Never got a chance to talk to Michael about it either after his climb. Just mindblowing.
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caughtinside
Social climber
Oakland, CA
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First free solo of Romantic Warrior, nice!
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TYeary
Social climber
State of decay
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What a grand achievement!
It would be nice if this thread stays about Honnold's
Solo and less about anything else. It only serves to
detract from a great adventure, worthy.of it's own legs.
Congrats to Alex! Wow....just wow!
TY
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bran_daid
Trad climber
la, ca
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wow, that is so gnar.
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chill
climber
between the flat part and the blue wobbly thing
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It would be nice if this thread stays about Honnold's
Solo and less about anything else.
But then it wouldn't be ST. This is going to turn into a debate as to whether or not Reardon soloed RW.
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snowhazed
Trad climber
Oaksterdam, CA
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U-wall and Romantic Warrior
not a bad week
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MikeL
Social climber
Seattle, WA
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A remarkable achievement. Whew!
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Kalimon
Social climber
Ridgway, CO
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Dude is an absolute granite maestro . . . Oh yeah, he is like that on all varieties of stone.
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ß Î Ø T Ç H
Boulder climber
extraordinaire
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Onsight solo of Romantic Warrior (V 5.12b) which National Geographic gave Michael "Adventurer of the Year for in 2005
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dhayan
climber
los angeles, ca
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Not impressed, I'm actually starting to dislike this guy.
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k-man
Gym climber
SCruz
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Sounds like you're one cool cat dhayan. Folks who know you must feel honored.
Romantic Warrior, I would LOVE to do that route. AND U-Wall?
Some folks have all the fun.
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katiebird
climber
yosemite
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Why is it that we romanticize soloing so much?
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Mike Bolte
Trad climber
Planet Earth
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Isn't it because it takes a very high level of mental mastery of the game and also has a very high baseline requirement for physical mastery? (response to KB)
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Levy
Big Wall climber
So Cal
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Amazing! Having been on that route before, it's really an amazing feat. It kinda weirds me out to think about. Kudos to Alex.
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phylp
Trad climber
Millbrae, CA
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We don't all romanticize soloing Katiebird. Some of us, it just makes feel kind of sad.
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HighDesertDJ
Trad climber
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katiebird asked Why is it that we romanticize soloing so much?
Why is it that we romanticize anything that we ourselves cannot do?
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Studly
Trad climber
WA
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To quote Charlie Porter and Alpinist magazine, link here.. http://www.alpinist.com/doc/web14x/wfeature-charlie-porter-introduction
"As Porter himself said in a rare 1993 Rock & Ice interview, climbing was always a "very personal thing." In his Yosemite days, it was simply a "neat game with no written rules, a game of one-upmanship." Climbing had a "mystical aura," and he and the Valley climbers of the era were "romantics"—in love with the freedom to trace their own epic poems upon the polished grey stone."
Seems like Alex is doing the same thing, climbing at a level so far beyond.
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WBraun
climber
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Even a dog knows exactly what's going to happen if he comes off too high .....
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Ksolem
Trad climber
Monrovia, California
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Even a dog knows exactly what's going to happen if he comes off too high .....
I dunno Werner. I have this Jack Russel Terrier. He knows about heights and so forth. H's pretty smart, until he sees a squirrel. He'll follow a squirrel off he top of El Cap.
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go-B
climber
Cling to what is good!
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Way beyond me, but lets hope Alex doesn't get too squirrely!
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colin rowe
Trad climber
scotland uk
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If Buddhism is acting fully and completely in the present moment then there is no better example than Alex Honnold: Alex Honnold is a Buddha of the modern era.
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Climbing is, an always will be, intensly personal. That's why is has lifetime appeal. You don't need to depend on the actions of team members whose complicated lives often take them out of action. It's you and, for most, one other person.
Alex chooses to go it along on most occasions, a personal decision in a personal activity. He's aware of the risks....it's not for us to discuss his choices as if we were members of a team that he was on.
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Morgan
Trad climber
East Coast
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Didn't Hermann Buhl and Rheinhold Messner have some influence on the soloing front. I thought Hansjorg Auer's solo of the Fisch was pretty bad ass.
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raymond phule
climber
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i also find it interesting how free soloing is perceived in the US vs Europe.
Everyone and their dog free solos in the US.
In Europe, virtually no one free solos, and it does not draw the same amount of attention. Were it not for alex huber, whose writings/slide shows put soloing on the map of the average euro climber, i doubt many people here would even consider it a proper part of climbing.
Really? Where do the brits soloing and head pointing and for example Edlinger fit into that view? I would say that there are many Europeans that has became famous for soloing and bold ascents.
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raymond phule
climber
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I am a european climber and I still don't recognize what you are saying. It might be a difference between europe and USA but my experience is that people in Europe also solo and that they also admire bold climbers.
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colin rowe
Trad climber
scotland uk
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In response to Climber STFU NOOb. It is not a matter of romantising Honnald's actions but rather contextualising his actions within Buddhism. If you want to be critical then please dispute the conceptual definition of action I give of Buddhism. It is as much about Buddhism as it is about Honnold. The notion of 'Buddha' does not function in the same way as 'Christ' does in Christianity.
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Jorroh
climber
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Yeah, Euros don't know the first thing about soloing...
Apart from Tito Piaz of course,and then theres Herman Buhl, and some dude called Bonatti, and Patrick Berhault and some guy called Endlicker. Antoine may have soloed Revelations when it was the hardest route in britain, but in general its best to ignore those garlicky frenchmen.
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Marlow
Sport climber
OSLO
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Hehe... and Alain Robert, Alex Huber... Paul Preuss comes to mind...
Even many Norwegian climbers have been soloing extreme things, but they don't tell you... ethical thinking on their part...
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mdavid
Big Wall climber
High Springs, FL
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Add me to the list of people who would rather just watch him climb with a rope. If he ever falls these climbs will be wasteful preludes to the tragedy.
Soloing is fine; getting paid to solo with cameras, supported by sponsors and upping the ante just makes me sad.
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Kalimon
Social climber
Ridgway, CO
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If he ever falls these climbs will be wasteful preludes to the tragedy.
Totally ridiculous statement! If we all operated under such a pretense nothing would be accomplished. The moment is all that matters. Dwelling on the past only serves to take us out of the present. It is none of our business what an individual chooses to do with their talent and time . . . take your negativity somewhere else.
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GDavis
Social climber
SOL CAL
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People seem to think soloing is the only form of danger climbing... heh.
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skcreidc
Social climber
SD, CA
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I like the album. Am stoked Alex did the route. Hope he learns when to say, "that's it". Would be cool to see him to live to a ripe old age.
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BruceAnderson
Social climber
Los Angeles currently St. Antonin, France
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Buddha or Aspergers?
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colin rowe
Trad climber
scotland uk
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Expressed excellently 'Scrubbing Bubbles'.
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colin rowe
Trad climber
scotland uk
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In response to Bruce Anderson. I take it you have experience of neither!
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BruceAnderson
Social climber
Los Angeles currently St. Antonin, France
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Oh man Honnold is amazing, the real deal for sure. love the guy. He is a bit of a savant though no?
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KP Ariza
climber
SCC
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I was just thinking the same thing GDavis. However, that logic completely kills this tired discussion.
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camhead
Trad climber
Yewtah
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In Europe, virtually no one free solos, and it does not draw the same amount of attention. Were it not for alex huber, whose writings/slide shows put soloing on the map of the average euro climber, i doubt many people here would even consider it a proper part of climbing.
Uhh... there are plenty of free soloists across the pond, and I'll bet if you compared high level soloing by Euros and Americans, they would have us beat; ever hear of Alain Robert, Edlinger, Alpert, Kammerlander (13d free solo), Destiville, Bernhault, Steck, not to mention scores of Brits, too.
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brotherbbock
Trad climber
Alta Loma, CA
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Anyone got the pic of Reardon on this thing from Climbing Magazine? It was such a gnary picture and I cant find it in my mags. If you got it post it up please.
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spectreman
Trad climber
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Honnold is amazing!
I watched a guy free solo the Naked Edge in Eldorado yesterday and it was a pretty cool thing to see. He seemed in perfect control and there wasn't any fear of seeing him fall, it was just a beautiful display of physical and mental control. He had no idea that anyone was watching him and it seemed like it was a private and personal thing for him and he wasn't trying to show off, he was just out doing his thing. I happened to see him go by on the bridge and, knowing who he was, I thought he may be going to solo something hard so I sat over by the Bastille and watched it happen. I think it's awesome that guys like Alex and the guy I watched can do things that I could never dream of or even imagine. It doesn't make me want to solo and I don't romanticize the achievement but I think it's cool to know that these things can be achieved.
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Ed H
Trad climber
Santa Rosa, CA
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AP
Trad climber
Calgary
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Maybe the reason for all the press is these are long routes and not many people solo long hard routes?
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nah000
climber
canuckistan
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i don't know if it gets press because we romanticize it, as much as there is just a larger percentage of climbers who have at least a degree of understanding regarding the difficulty that these solos represent.
ie. what does 15c mean vs 14c and what would 16c mean relative to either... to 99.99% of climbers it's meaningless gibberish...
otoh, probably a good 75% of climbers have at least felt the holds on 12b problems, and so there is a much larger percentage who understand the difference between 10b, 11b and 12b. because of this there is a much better/larger understanding of the physical and mental strength that a 12b multipitch solo would require...
and so while some do romanticize it, i'd bet there are an equal or likely larger number of people whose interest is driven purely by amazement combined with a side order of squeamishness...
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ms55401
Trad climber
minneapolis, mn
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it doesn't matter whether the Taco gallery of has-beens and never-were "romanticize" soloing. It seems clear that this guy is doing his own thing, oblivious to Team Taco
he may bite the dust before long. But it's his gamble to take.
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katiebird
climber
yosemite
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I never said anything about soloing or Honnold's ability or reason - just the simple question of why do we romanticize. Some responses here bring up good points though. Thanks.
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RyanD
climber
Squamish
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I think it's cool to know that these things can be achieved.
That is it right there.
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Hummerchine
Trad climber
East Wenatchee, WA
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Oct 27, 2016 - 06:08pm PT
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Sorry to be late to the party...but let's all be real and admit that there is NO FREAKING WAY that Reardon onsight free-soloed Romantic Warrior.
To claim something THAT FAR beyond which has ever been done...which to this day STILL hasn't been done...well, I'm sorry, I need video proof of that.
ESPECIALLY from someone so eager to have themselves videotaped at every moment.
Total burn to Honnold too...here he does something insanely mega yet...well...Reardon's lie taints it.
Let's call a spade a spade. Reardon was a great climber. And an equally great self-promoter. Maybe to a genius level...they say there is no such thing as bad advertising...but does anyone seriously think he was better than Alex Honnold???
I think not.
RIGHT FRIGGING ON ALEX! Free soloing RM is so badass!
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ec
climber
ca
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No need to speculate on what can or cannot be substantiated, Readon died with the truth. Create your own adventures and enjoy them. I did. 39 years ago, October, I convinced a friend to walk in there to climb this thing; neither of us had a clue what lie ahead. Those 3 life-changing days are mine & my partner's, as Reardon's are his. It really doesn't matter what anybody thinks; it a personal experience.
 ec
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pud
climber
Sportbikeville & Yucca brevifolia
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Hummerchine
Trad climber
East Wenatchee, WA
Oct 27, 2016 - 06:08pm PT
Sorry to be late to the party...but let's all be real and admit that there is NO FREAKING WAY that Reardon onsight free-soloed Romantic Warrior.
To claim something THAT FAR beyond which has ever been done...which to this day STILL hasn't been done...well, I'm sorry, I need video proof of that.
ESPECIALLY from someone so eager to have themselves videotaped at every moment.
Total burn to Honnold too...here he does something insanely mega yet...well...Reardon's lie taints it.
Let's call a spade a spade. Reardon was a great climber. And an equally great self-promoter. Maybe to a genius level...they say there is no such thing as bad advertising...but does anyone seriously think he was better than Alex Honnold???
I think not.
RIGHT FRIGGING ON ALEX! Free soloing RM is so badass!
fuk you.
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brotherbbock
climber
Alta Loma, CA
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Reardon soloed this too right?
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