Honnold Free Solos El Cap !

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the Fet

climber

Tu-Tok-A-Nu-La

Jun 12, 2017 - 10:14am PT

He has a hangboard attached to his hang glider and just flies around hanging on.

WBraun

climber

Jun 12, 2017 - 10:49am PT

He has a hangboard attached to his hang glider and just flies around hanging on.

Isn't that's how it's done?

:-)

rbord

Boulder climber

atlanta

Jun 12, 2017 - 06:53pm PT

Did I read somewhere his next goal is to start a family?.... Lovely and worthy goal.

Right?

It used to be humans started a family, and then went out and used their awesome death-defying mental fortitude to risk death evading saber-toothed tigers and dying mastadon hoofs in order to bring the bacon home to their family.

Now we create these little frivolous mental games to put ourselves at risk of death to show ourselves that yes, we could defeat that saber toothed tiger!, if we weren't actually engaged in putting ourselves at risk for the thrill of it.

And then, sure, a family, why not? This is how humans have evolved to behave. I guess.

Bushman

climber

The state of quantum flux

Jun 13, 2017 - 04:10pm PT

Bump for the man and the 1st free solo of El Cap...still trying to wrap my brain around it.

spectreman

Trad climber

Jun 13, 2017 - 05:30pm PT

I wasn't really sure this could happen in my lifetime. I really wasn't sure that I wanted someone to even try because I thought it would just be too out there and too hard and that someone would die trying.
I am so glad Alex did this and that he waited until he was ready.
What an inspiration!
I have found myself trying harder and dreaming bigger because of his effort. I'm not about to free solo something hard but it's still super inspirational for all of climbing and all of life. You can dream big and train incredibly hard and try for the "impossible".
In my mind this is the biggest event in the history of climbing.

ß Î Ø T Ç H

Boulder climber

ne'er–do–well

Jun 14, 2017 - 12:13am PT

[Click to View YouTube Video]

Jonjurik

Social climber

Wales

Jun 14, 2017 - 09:16pm PT

Honnold is amazing is an understatement.

The fact that I have been lurking for a long time is also a bit understated. I ski some and climb a little. So I have had nothing to add to your highbrow antics

I am posting because I have screen captures of the above mentioned superman.

Not great screen grabs. But the way back machine only got five it seems.
I'm not sure if it's accepted or appropriate to post my screen grabs.

Jon

the Fet

climber

Tu-Tok-A-Nu-La

Jun 14, 2017 - 09:35pm PT

It's still hard for me to believe this happened.

10 years ago I would have thought maybe someday someone would do it. Like 15-40 years from now.

climber

away from the ground

Jun 14, 2017 - 09:57pm PT

Brian Kimball

Sport climber
Westminster, CO.

Apr 12, 2008 - 03:23pm PT
The problem is that a solo attempt of Free Rider would be COMPLETELY "dangerous and over the top" for anyone to try, it really doesn't matter WHO you are. It is not the difficulty of the climbing that is the problem it’s the nature and quality of the rock. I am SURE that soloing 5.12+ is really NO PROBLEM for a 5.14b/V12 rock climber. Just like I am sure the thought of falling off the 12+ "locker fingers crux" of Moonlight Buttress was laughable to Mr. Honnold we can all count on that.
The difference is that ONE of the 5.12+ cruxes of El Cap is ANYTHING BUT LOCKER! The feet are miserable, the right hand MICRO crimper is NOT locker, then your forced to perch on a left foot smear nubbin that is just plain "SILLY SMALL, GIZ" rocking up on it to a HALF PAD GASTON UNDERCLING. Now your opposing the gaston/undercling and the miserable smear (your foot pops here you DIE)!!! It is FAR FROM OVER as you cross over 3' to the (bread loaf) your left hand exploding off, both feet cutting completely as you match this (choss loaf) applying several hundreds of pounds of pressure to a hold that is SURE to rip off the wall ANY DAY NOW!

The "Huber Boulder Pitch" is just that, a boulder pitch, clocking in at around V5/6. That hold is NOT SAFE and anyone that is even THINKING about trying to free solo this route might want to take a SERIOUS STEP BACK, re-evaluate what there motives are and consider the consequences of popping that left footer or ripping off that LOOSE, HOLLOW, bread loaf from the wall. Maybe the soloist could rap in and put some epoxy behind the loose, hollow loaf for his/her free solo attempt, then they could be the coolest cat in the Valley!

Someone else said there is no difference between soloing 5.12+ in J-tree and soloing 2,000+ feet off the deck and I have to strongly disagree here. For one the exposure is a HUGE factor for almost EVERYONE-unless your some mutant freak child laughing at death and all that air under your toes. The other factor is that any moron attempting to solo El Cap would most likely go for it in a one day push summiting or plummeting in under 12 hours. So the difference here now is that you have accumulated all of that fatigue from the 2,000+ feet of climbing making it (physically) SIGNIFICANTLY more difficult. 3,400' of hard rock climbing in under 12 hours is A LOT, this amount of fatigue tends to make stuff like the (cant use the hanging belay on free solo) Enduro Corner (5.12d) link into Roof Traverse (12a/b) 800' feet from the summit feel quite a bit harder and more insecure, feeling more like a 230' mid 5.13 pitch.

Forgive me for KEEPING IT REAL and KEEPING IT SAFE!

Real is.... It happened.
Crow pizza and knowitall beer for lunch?
F*#kin g armchair commentators are a dime a dozen.
Climbers with strength, soul and dedication are 1 in 1000.

snowhazed

Trad climber

Oaksterdam, CA

Jun 15, 2017 - 12:01pm PT

spectre nails it

the inspiration to just be your best person is infiltrating many from this happening

i'm overjoyed

micronut

Trad climber

Fresno/Clovis, ca

Jun 15, 2017 - 03:21pm PT

F,

I saw that post from B. Kimball a while back and chuckled. Spoken with such authority. If he's a cool dude he'll laugh at himself. I sure got a little snicker out of it.

drF

Trad climber

usa

Jun 15, 2017 - 03:33pm PT

The B. Kimball note was indeed entertaining

Alex's latest achievement does not surprise me one bit.

It was a logical progression. Moonlight, Phoenix, Sendero, etc....

Alex is a prodigy.

I do hope he does not up the ante ;-0

WBraun

climber

Jun 15, 2017 - 03:40pm PT

He'll keep going up like all intelligent class.

It's where the action is not like down here on the mundane plane.

One keeps going up until one floats.

Those who remain on the mundane material plane sink .......

drF

Trad climber

usa

Jun 15, 2017 - 05:21pm PT

He'll keep going up like all intelligent class.

It's where the action is not like down here on the mundane plane.

No doubt...well said

climber

away from the ground

Jun 15, 2017 - 06:05pm PT

SomebodyAnybody

Big Wall climber
Torrance

Jun 15, 2017 - 04:10pm PT
"F*#kin g armchair commentators are a dime a dozen.
Climbers with strength, soul and dedication are 1 in 1000."

Nice way to take a guy's 9 year old comments and try to play white knight for the Honnlove. I'm sure Alex appreciates the taint sniffer submen fanbois.

Here's what I know, Kimball was right-on with his assessment of the route. And from what I remember (I met Kimball that year in the Valley, chatted with him a few times around camp), he climbed the route free WITH Alex, in a day, on what was his first ever trip to the Valley and his first Grade VI.

So some mystery taint sniffer "F" sees fit to denigrate a guy that has climbed the route free, a feat beyond what this taint sniffer could do on their best day on this planet, WITH the guy in question as his partner? And HE'S the "armchair commentator"?!

Fukin A you can't make this sh#t up, you old guys are kinda pathetic.

Just a little FYI, I'm under 40 and have a ground up 1100 meter 5.12d FA in a day on the old tick list....
And I don't make a practice of telling people what is safe or real. I let them set their own personal definitions of that.

Jon Beck

Trad climber

Oceanside

Jun 18, 2017 - 05:47pm PT

I want Burt Bronson's take on all of this. Where is the ultimate hardman's sage voice on this pressing matter?

The man's Man has spoken:

LOOK BOYS. IT GOES. WHO'S NEXT? THAT BOY JUST EARNED THE REAL BURT BRONSON AWARD. SH*T.

https://www.facebook.com/burt.bronson.1

Mei

Trad climber

mxi2000.net

Jul 25, 2017 - 08:01pm PT

Here is a very comprehensive in-depth interview by the Enormocast: Episode 133: Alex Honnold – Kind of a Big Deal , where you'll learn that at one point in the middle of the amazing feat, he repeated this to himself.

Humility, Humility, Humility!

Want to know how he bailed off of his first attempt? Take a listen.

And I'm pasting below video here just to keep relevant stuff in the thread:
[Click to View YouTube Video]

For my own record, I have kept a compilation of the online resources, that I'm aware of, on this subject. Take a look if you are looking for more to read . I might have missed a few.