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Alex Honnold just became the first to free-solo El Capitan in Yosemite. Crazy. (1 Viewer)

:goodposting:

I've been obsessed with this story, just as I was when Caldwell and Jorgeson free climbed the Dawn Wall a year or two ago.  This is even more impressive, though.  

 
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Just crazy - this part sums it up imo:

"...but there have only been two other people who have publicly said they seriously considered it.  

One was Michael Reardon, a free soloist who drowned in 2007 after being swept from a ledge below a sea cliff in Ireland. The other was Dean Potter, who died in a base jumping accident in Yosemite in 2015.

John Bachar, the greatest free soloist of the 1970s, who died while climbing un-roped in 2009...."

High death expectancy for this level of thrill-seeker.

 
Very impressive climb.  How did he get down?
Came across this:

7. How do climbers get down after they reach the top of El Capitan?

Most teams will head to the East Ledges descent, a sloping ramp visible from the Valley floor.  The descent down the ramp, which requires hiking, "down-climbing" and rappelling, is a tricky off-trail route that should only be attempted by expert climbers. Other descent options include hiking down the steep Yosemite Falls Trail or taking the longer, flatter journey west to Tamarack Flat.

 
the worst part of that climb has to be the last 100 feet or so..  oof :scared:

hard to even look at pictures, couldn't be there live :no:

 
I read a story about this kid a few years ago when he was doing crazy climbing things. IIRC they said among the stuff he does to train is he can pinch a 4 inch beam in the ceiling, no finger holds just squeezing his fingers and thumbs together and hold himself in the air.

I honestly assumed he would be dead because of the insane risks he takes. 

Truly amazing.

 
I read a story about this kid a few years ago when he was doing crazy climbing things. IIRC they said among the stuff he does to train is he can pinch a 4 inch beam in the ceiling, no finger holds just squeezing his fingers and thumbs together and hold himself in the air.

I honestly assumed he would be dead because of the insane risks he takes. 

Truly amazing.
Unfortunately, this probably won't be the craziest thing he does.  

 
I scaled an eight foot chain link fence in high school with no ropes and I was too cool to have friends do a documentary of it. 

 
:goodposting:

I've been obsessed with this story, just as I was when Caldwell and Jorgeson free climbed the Dawn Wall a year or two ago.  This is even more impressive, though.  
Do you climb?

I find this stuff amazing but have never met anyone that actually does it beyond the "rock walls" at the gyms I go to.  Lots of fun at the gym, not sure I'd enjoy it 1000 ft up.  :shock:

 
Do you climb?

I find this stuff amazing but have never met anyone that actually does it beyond the "rock walls" at the gyms I go to.  Lots of fun at the gym, not sure I'd enjoy it 1000 ft up.  :shock:
I used to climb but haven't in about 10 years.  I have a ton of friends who are serious climbers, and seeing their pictures from every weekend makes me want to get back into it.  Still have my climbing shoes!  Unfortunately also have more body weight now. :bag:  

I do a lot of fun scrambling still, but not technical climbing.

 
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Truly amazing accomplishment and also incredibly stupid.
Roy McAvoy: Have you ever done that, David? You ever shoot par with just a 7-iron?

David Simms: Well, hell, Roy, I never even thought to try. 

I recognize this is a pretty weak reference/analogy here, but I don't know whether to be impressed or to be :mellow:  at the thought of even trying something so nonsensical. 

 
6 minute video

"On January 15, 2014, Alex Honnold free-soloed El Sendero Luminoso (The Shining Path) in El Portrero Chico, Mexico in a little over 3 hours. The climb rises 2,500 feet to the summit of El Toro. It could be the most difficult rope-less climb in history."

what i don't understand is how does one say "yeah, i'll climb that without ropes today."?  

surely the route must me pre-mapped, right? how else will you know if you can have foot/handholds to use at all?

 
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Saw him when he was a speaker at a Mountaineers event, and several of our younger female employees were noticably flustered in his presence.

Bottom line: living in a van is not a deal breaker.
Was this the fundraiser about two years ago?  I was there, too. :oldunsure:  

 
6 minute video

"On January 15, 2014, Alex Honnold free-soloed El Sendero Luminoso (The Shining Path) in El Portrero Chico, Mexico in a little over 3 hours. The climb rises 2,500 feet to the summit of El Toro. It could be the most difficult rope-less climb in history."

what i don't understand is how does one say "yeah, i'll climb that without ropes today."?  

surely the route must me pre-mapped, right? how else will you know if you can have foot/handholds to use at all?
On difficult stuff he'll do a rope climb or two first to map the route.

 

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