Alex Honnold Free Climbs the Salathe

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johnr9q

Sport climber
Sacramento, Ca
Topic Author's Original Post - Oct 15, 2007 - 10:22pm PT
Today (Monday) Alex Climbed the Salathe with no falls. He started at the bottom and went to the top in one push. He combined the three pitches from Sous le Toit ledge to the top of the Roof and also combined the next two pitches (the headwall cracks) from the top of the Roof to Long Ledge. He did the Monster Offwidth pitch. Alex led all the pitches. The way we did the climb was by spending a day hiking bivy gear up the East Ledges and rapping down to the Block on the Salathe. We then started at the bottom of the Salathe and Alex led all pitches to the Block. We then rested a day on the block using our previously stashed bivy gear and then climbed the remainder of the route the next day.
James

climber
A tent in the redwoods
Oct 15, 2007 - 11:04pm PT
Rad!
graham

Social climber
Ventura, California
Oct 15, 2007 - 11:27pm PT
frigin great job!
Tarbuster

climber
right here, right now
Oct 15, 2007 - 11:29pm PT
That's how you do it.
Walk to the base, rack up, climb upward and skip the sling belays on the way to the top.
Hadda' happen one day; pretty dern cool.
bachar

Trad climber
Mammoth Lakes, CA
Oct 16, 2007 - 12:32am PT
The first Redpoint of the Salathe?

Bad....
Chicken Skinner

Trad climber
Yosemite
Oct 16, 2007 - 12:59am PT
Awesome! Good, positive news, I love it. Congratulations Alex!

Ken
James

climber
A tent in the redwoods
Oct 16, 2007 - 01:20am PT
Alex worked the headwall pitches and he's been getting El Cap fit. A week prior he followed Jake Whittaker on a 13 hour free ascent of the Freerider. Honnold carried a huge pack, running support for Jake, and pulling through on some of the harder pitches- jugging the monster offwidth, but freeing the 12b enduro pitch with a pack on.
Jaybro

Social climber
The West
Oct 16, 2007 - 02:41am PT
Congrats, Alex Hone-ed!
Standing Strong

Trad climber
this space for rent
Oct 16, 2007 - 02:44am PT
balla, damn.
mojede

Trad climber
Butte, America
Oct 16, 2007 - 02:51am PT
A dream to aspire to......
wayne w

Trad climber
the nw
Oct 16, 2007 - 02:58am PT
Congratulations Alex on your bad ass ascent. F*cking inspiring!
Degaine

climber
Oct 16, 2007 - 03:04am PT
Nice work, Alex!
Matt

Trad climber
never ever pissing into the wind
Oct 16, 2007 - 03:14am PT
"The first Redpoint of the Salathe?

Bad..."






was it in fact the 1st send in that style?
(i.e. combining those pitches and from the dirt to the rim in one push, all pitches led w/ no falls)

if so, considering the list of climbers who have projected that climb, that would be perhaps even more impressive than the astroman/rostrum scramble.
bachar

Trad climber
Mammoth Lakes, CA
Oct 16, 2007 - 10:24am PT
Yo, who else redpointed it?

A multi-pitch redpoint means one leader leads the entire route and never falls.

WanderlustMD

Trad climber
Lanham MD
Oct 16, 2007 - 10:31am PT
So, when is he planning to walk on water??

Congrats, hell of an achievement!
adventurewagen

Trad climber
Seattle
Oct 16, 2007 - 10:51am PT
Wow, that is very impressive. Turning such a large route into a day at the crags ;)

"Yo, who else redpointed it?

A multi-pitch redpoint means one leader leads the entire route and never falls."


I think it depends on the detailed definition of a "red point". Tommy Caldwell and Yuji Hirayama are I believe the only two other climbers to do the entire climb ground up in a day with no falls on the entire route.

Now if you consider a redpoint leading all pitches individually without a fall but falls on some pitches but redone and over multiple days then both Alex and Thomas Huber have redpoints. Yuji Hirayama did it in 2 days his first try and flashed most of it and Tommy Caldwell did it in two days his first try. I know a few others have done all the pitches free but I think they rappelled in for some pitches or did things out of order.

To everyone that did all the pitches that free it's a cool feat and amazing. Personally I don't care much about the "redpoint" or "pinkpoint" garbage. It obviously means something to be able to say you went ground up to the top without a single fall leading all pitches but it also depends on your vantage point. If the goal was to get all pitches free and some pitches took you 10 attempts on the way up I'd still give you mad props for doing someting so cool.
k-man

Gym climber
SCruz
Oct 16, 2007 - 11:06am PT
Pretty darn unbelievable -- Big PROPS to Alex!

And Yes, I believe that a true Redpoint does mean no falls, bottom to top. Climbing it free in a push is still sicko good style, but no falls and no hangs at belays, that's just one step from Flash.
And I don't think anybody's even attempted a true onsight.

Just curious, there's a few variations on the original Salathe route, right? I mean, does anybody do the actual route pioneered by Robbins, Frost, and Pratt?
Caddy

climber
DC
Oct 16, 2007 - 12:10pm PT
Congratulations to Alex Honnold and to John Robinson for being the encouragement that has helped many climbers like Alex and I reach their potential.

Great job!

Curt "Caddy" Taras

Tradboy

Social climber
Valley
Oct 16, 2007 - 12:44pm PT
Monster offwidth is not part of the Salathe. As far as I know, only 3 people have climbed the 13b crack to its right on the original line, and that's Skinner, Piana, and Herson. Great work, Alex.
johnr9q

Sport climber
Sacramento, Ca
Topic Author's Reply - Oct 16, 2007 - 01:03pm PT
I just talked to Alex on the phone and he wanted me to clarify that, altho we did the climb in one continuous push from the ground to the top, we didn't do it in a day. Reread my initial post as I just edited it. Sorry for any confusion.
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