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[OtayBW]

"The Moon Landing of Free-Soloing"

Wow! Amazing! What skill! What ballz!

[Cicli]

Yeah, no.

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[Matthew]

Absolute, pure lunacy. And incredibly impressive.

[gasman]

I think it's one of the most incredible athletic achievements ever.
This guy agrees:

http://eveningsends.com/is-alex-honnolds-el-cap-free-solo-the-greatest-individual-sports-achievementever/

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[sales guy]

If I remember right some guy who looks like Tom Cruise did it a long time ago. It was even done on film. I think his name was Ethan Hunt.
So no biggie.

[Louis]

Inf'ngsane. What more can you say?

The focus, the strength, the endurance, the skill...

My knees start to shake if I stand at the edge of my roof, only two stories up. I can usually calm myself down and proceed with whatever gutter repair I was up there doing, but that's 1 / 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 what Honnold's accomplished.

About all you can do now is wish him the best in the future.

[batman1425]

The guy is a climbing legend. In addition to this historic free solo, he holds speed records up several of the worlds biggest ascents including the solo (not all free solo, but about 90% of it was) triple crown of Yosemite. The 3 biggest peaks - Mt. Watkins, El Cap, and Half Dome non-stop, back to back to back in 18hrs 50min. Unreal.

[notsew]

Madness. Utter madness.

[Tickdoc]

It's an incredible achievement.

What will be even more incredible is if he makes it to old age.

[rodcad]

Never even considered rock climbing and never will. What he did is astounding......

Yet, if one spends their life totally focused and preparing for something like this, I would presume the risks are greatly diminished. I would even wager the risks are a lot less than the guys who do the wingsuit thing, where wind comes into play. Huge risk with climbing still obviously, but if every handhold and foot placement is carefully thought out and rehearsed beforehand.......Seems like this guy has mastered controlling his mind and body to another level.

[batman1425]

There is a good documentary - Valley Uprising, which features him, among some other legendary Yosemite climbers and their pursuits. They talk briefly about John Bachar, who was among the first to push free-soloing and who died at age 52 in a free-solo accident.

This illustrated a point that struck me hard about the sport and the calculated risk. It is a pursuit that allows no mistakes and nearly no bailout plan when things start to go pear shaped. Calculated risk yes, but at some point, the body will not continue to support the pursuit. An experienced, driven, world class athlete may have difficulty accepting when that day has come after a lifetime of pushing the boundaries of what us mere mortals consider "possible" and the result could be a fingertip worth of lethal mistake. Sobering to consider.

[Matthew]

How in the hell would you even know which route to take specifically? The face of that is huge and you would think there would be spots of just sheer smoothness. What do you hold onto? And how do your hands not completely seize up. I get scared on a ladder!! This is just insane.

[brockd15]

How in the hell would you even know which route to take specifically? The face of that is huge and you would think there would be spots of just sheer smoothness. What do you hold onto? And how do your hands not completely seize up. I get scared on a ladder!! This is just insane.

According to the article, there were...

Crazy


"On Freerider, one of the most daunting physical and mental challenges Honnold faced was two pitches of steep, undulating expanse of rock about 600 feet up. Polished smooth by glaciers over the millennia, the granite here offers no holds, forcing a climber to basically walk up it with his feet only. Honnold used a delicate technique called “smearing,” which involves pressing his rubber shoes against the rock to create just enough grip to support his weight on the incline. He had to keep his weight perfectly balanced and maintain enough forward momentum to avoid sliding off. “It’s like walking up glass,” Honnold said."

[brownhound]

Yet, if one spends their life totally focused and preparing for something like this, I would presume the risks are greatly diminished. I would even wager the risks are a lot less than the guys who do the wingsuit thing, where wind comes into play. Huge risk with climbing still obviously, but if every handhold and foot placement is carefully thought out and rehearsed beforehand.......Seems like this guy has mastered controlling his mind and body to another level.

Reminded of a good friend of mine who did first descents (i.e., mountain climbing then ski un-charted routes) in Himalayas, Hindu Kush, Andes, etc. Part of the Exum guide world out of Jackson, WY. He was extremely intelligent (Ivy League), sober and realistic. He said, i"t's not scary - if you do it right and nothing happens it's totally safe."

He died when something didn't go right.

[RonW87]

It's an incredible achievement.

What will be even more incredible is if he makes it to old age.

Yup. From the article linked above:

"There are no other sports in which the penalty for even the most modest of errors is certain death."

[bitt3n]

died at age 52 in a free-solo accident.

seems kind of like saying "died in a Russian roulette accident"

[Louis]

What do you hold onto?

In some cases, tiny ledges and / or tiny cracks.

I don't know if he gets to use mechanical aids that have been placed by others (or by him on previous climb).

[Black Dog]

In some cases, tiny ledges and / or tiny cracks.

I don't know if he gets to use mechanical aids that have been placed by others (or by him on previous climb).

No aids allowed. The routes are all well known and he has climbed every centimetre of the route many times before he attempted the solo climb.

[gasman]

It's a well established route on El Cap. He did it numerous times before he went up on it free solo. He even made small chalk marks next to key (tiny)footholds last week. He also rappelled down the route the day before to make sure the marks were still there. He didn't use any mechanical devices left by others. He did have some food and water that had been left there for him. Nat Geo had several cameramen high on the route and they also set up some remote controlled cameras on some of the hardest parts of the route. There should be a great Nat Geo special out sometime on his climb.

There really is no room for error. it's scary even for other climbers to contemplate what he has done. On one forum I visit the comments included, "He should now just put himself out to pasture and collect stud fees" " I want to duct tape him to a tree"

I worry that it won't have a long life either. John Bachar climbed passed me and various partners several times in the 70's and early 80's. These were climbs I could barely get up and he was there with no rope !! Dean Potter was active in free soloing until he died in a wing suit accident. Peter Croft was an accomplished free soloist who stopped free soloing some 10 years ago. Henry Barber was an active free soloist in the 70's. The later two are still climbing but not free soloing (as far as I know) and alive.

[dbrown]

Saw some of the video tonight on the news. Honest question: How does he get down once he has free climbed to the top of El Cap?

[charliedid]

Saw some of the video tonight on the news. Honest question: How does he get down once he has free climbed to the top of El Cap?

You can hike El Cap.

We did Falls Trail years ago. Hiking, not climbing.

https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/yosemitefallstrail.htm

[gasman]

Actually it's a long ways from the Falls route. Most climbers go down the East ledges descent. There's a couple of rappels (I'm sure he had access to a rope) then lots of down climbing. At least that's how I came down about 40 years ago and I think it's still the most common route.
Anyway, it's more than a hike and unless you were a climber you wouldn't think about doing it.
The falls trail is a great hike though !

[pdmtong]

The mental and physical aspects of alex' feat are beyond comprehension.

It is just so far outside the realm of consideration for anyone, let alone his few peers. and, if you have been to Yosemite...you know the wall.

To be that focused for four hours? with the penalty of death? think about it.

The "boulder problem"...is this the section where he has to go laterally left?

can someone point me to a better description / video?

[gasman]

Here's a climber website with a description.

https://www.mountainproject.com/v/freerider/106261545

But it doesn't really do it justice. I've been to the base of the route and it's scary to look up. The Nat Geo documentary will be amazing but we gotta wait.

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[charliedid]

Actually it's a long ways from the Falls route. Most climbers go down the East ledges descent. There's a couple of rappels (I'm sure he had access to a rope) then lots of down climbing. At least that's how I came down about 40 years ago and I think it's still the most common route.
Anyway, it's more than a hike and unless you were a climber you wouldn't think about doing it.
The falls trail is a great hike though !

Makes sense.

My climbing never got beyond top rope stuff 30 years ago.

[beeatnik]

An Important Moment in Black History II

Boss.....Chris Parnell
Kenny Wilkins.....Finesse Mitchell


[ open on History Channel logo ]

Announcer: And now, The History Channel presents [ over SUPER ] another "An Important Moment in Black History."

[ dissolve to an office setting in 1985, Kenny Wilkins being interviewed by his potenial boss ]

Announcer: The year was 1985.

Boss: So, everything looks great. you can start on Monday.

Kenny Wilkins: Thank you.

Boss: You just, uh, need to sign here, if you want Direct Deposit.

Kenny Wilkins: What's that?

Boss: Your paycheck will be deposited immediately into your account, so you don't have to bother making a trip to the bank.

Kenny Wilkins: So, I don't get a check?

Boss: Oh, you get it. It just goes directly to your bank.

Kenny Wilkins: But how do I cash it?

Boss: You don't. It just goes into your account.

Kenny Wilkins: How do I know that?

Boss: Well, I'm sure your bank will send you monthly statements.

Kenny Wilkins: Okay.

Boss: So, you want to enroll?

Kenny Wilkins: Let me think about it. [ an extended beat ] Hell, no!

[ scene freezes, as the Announcer's words scroll up ]

Announcer: The History Channel honors Kenny Wilkins, the first black man to say "No" to Direct Deposit.

[ dissolve to title card ]

Announcer: This has been an Important Moment in Black History.

[ fade ]

[beeatnik]

An Important Moment in Black History

Jason.....Jason Bateman
Seth.....Seth Meyers
Will.....Will Forte
Kenny Wilkins.....Finesse Mitchell


[ open on History Channel logo ]

Announcer: And now, The History Channel presents [ over SUPER ] "An Important Moment in Black History."

[ dissolve to group of 70's era men sitting a bar, as Kenny Wilkins walks up and sits ]

Announcer: The year was 1975. The place: Columbus, Ohio. The country was changing.

Jason: So, gang - who's coming this weekend?

Seth: I can't wait.

Will: Count me in.

Jason: Yeah. Kenny? Skydiving. This weekend.

Seth: 15,000 feet in the air, taking turns jumping out of a small propeller plane.

Will: With parachutes on our backs, of course!

[ they all chuckle heartily ]

Jason: Of course, it's a real groovy adrenaline rush. Are you in?

Kenny Wilkins: Skydiving?

Jason: Yeah.

Kenny Wilkins: Let me think about that. [ an extended beat ] Hell, no!

[ scene freezes, as the Announcer's words scroll up ]

Announcer: The History Channel honors Kenny Wilkins, the first black man to say "No" to a recreational activity only a white person would think to do.

[ dissolve to title card ]

Announcer: This has been an Important Moment in Black History.

[ fade ]