Alex Honnold just became the first to free-solo El Capitan in Yosemite. Crazy. (3 Viewers)

[The Future Champs]

Yeah, same one.

Did you see there was a documentary on Beckey playing at SIFF this year?  I wanted to go, but it sold out immediately.

Didn't know that- I'm interested in seeing it.   

I've only done casual mountaineering - stuff you can do with a reasonable degree of safety while unroped - but I've read Beckeys' books extensively.   We've used his trail/approach descriptions to find unmarked trails.   I love getting off the marked trails- it's bliss being able to spend a glorious day in the mountains while not seeing another soul for hours.

 

[Rodrigo Duterte]

Truly amazing accomplishment and also incredibly stupid.

same can be said for Formula One, Drag Racing, small plane flying, motorcycle riding, etc, etc, etc.

Agree.  LOL @ "incredibly stupid" from cap'n grunge.  In your ignorant mind, maybe.  It's his life, and he was more than willing to pay the price.  But make no mistake about it, he was more prepared than you can even fathom.  It took at least half his life to get to that point.  That's not stupid, that's a choice.  Others choose a cubicle.  But either way, one thing it isn't, is "stupid".

One of the greatest athletic endeavors I can think of......

 

[Baloney Sandwich]

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?

My stomach knotted up watching that

 

[mr. furley]

Agree.  LOL @ "incredibly stupid" from cap'n grunge.  In your ignorant mind, maybe.  It's his life, and he was more than willing to pay the price.  But make no mistake about it, he was more prepared than you can even fathom.  It took at least half his life to get to that point.  That's not stupid, that's a choice.  Others choose a cubicle.  But either way, one thing it isn't, is "stupid".

One of the greatest athletic endeavors I can think of......

it's still stupid

 

[fred_1_15301]

it's still stupid

I don't think this guy cares about dying.  So for him, it's not stupid.  

 

[mr. furley]

I don't think this guy cares about dying.  So for him, it's not stupid.  

there's two ways to look at everything

not stupid because he's willing to accept the risk... still stupid because the risk is astronomical when compared to, say, not doing it. or even doing it with ropes.

 

[Spike]

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

Yeah, he'll get married.

 

[matuski]

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?

He also repelled down the route two days before the climb "to make sure his chalk marks" were still there.

 

[matuski]

I don't think this guy cares about dying.  So for him, it's not stupid.  

Did you guys even read the article?

He does care about dying.

 

[mr. furley]

He also repelled down the route two days before the climb "to make sure his chalk marks" were still there.

in this case, he did.

watched some other videos where he spontaneously climbed new rock in Angola. they didn't test anything out or rope climb first. they just showed up, checked out the lay of the land and went up.

or at least that's how the video portrayed it

 

[lumpy19]

He left really early in the morning, apparently he passed sleeping climbers on the way up and a few of them woke up as he passed them.  Imagine looking out your tent(which is hanging off a rock) and seeing some dude climbing by with no safety gear.  Insane.

 

[comfortably numb]

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.

He has to injury himself when he beats his meat, right?

 

[comfortably numb]

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.

He has to injury himself when he beats his meat, right?

 

[comfortably numb]

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.

He has to injury himself when he beats his meat, right?

 

[Don't Noonan]

Why?  I don't understand.   Did he get paid millions?  Either way, incredibly stupid.

 

[krista4]

in this case, he did.

watched some other videos where he spontaneously climbed new rock in Angola. they didn't test anything out or rope climb first. they just showed up, checked out the lay of the land and went up.

or at least that's how the video portrayed it

Yeah, he does some just by sight.   

By the way, a fascinating (to me) person to read up on if you haven't is Ashima Shiraishi.  She's 15 or 16 and probably already the best female climber in the world.  Might end up being the best ever.

 

[rockaction]

I have friends who have watched other friends die free climbing. I remember talks of bouldering, flagging, all that stuff. 

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT CLIMB

I will never understand fully the desire to this. Hats off to him, I hope I never read about him again, because it'll likely be something bad.  

 

[James Bond]

Back in 1992, I was in Yosemite and did the same thing... for about 15 feet. I still have the pictures. 

 

[NotSmart]

I have friends who have watched other friends die free climbing. I remember talks of bouldering, flagging, all that stuff. 

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT CLIMB

I will never understand fully the desire to this. Hats off to him, I hope I never read about him again, because it'll likely be something bad.  

Username checks out.

 

[Rodrigo Duterte]

it's still stupid

Why?  I don't understand.   Did he get paid millions?  Either way, incredibly stupid.

So when you don't quite understand something, it's stupid.  Brilliant.

 

[Otis]

Sounds pretty stupid and reckless to me.  

Credit to him for having incredible athleticism and a diminished sense of risk/limited appreciation for his own life though.  

 

[Otis]

So when you don't quite understand something, it's stupid.  Brilliant.

No, I think it's just stupid when you can very easily get killed doing something you don't have to do.  Let's not pretend he's a hero or this is something that benefits the greater good.

Unpopular view around here I'm sure, but, oh well.

 

[Otis]

And now a question -- what added benefit is there to the "no ropes" thing?  What's the point of that?  It's not like the ropes help you up.  It's not like you can't make the climb with protection from falling and dying (and causing cost to the taxpayers and some poor EMT who drives an ambulance).  What's the drill there?  Just showing off I guess?  Asking for a friend, I think it's really admirable and awesome what this young man did. 

 

[McGarnicle]

Makes me want to scale Stone Mountain this weekend. That last 1/10 mile is pretty steep. Probably stop at that awesome burrito place afterward.

Doubts and fears are the heaviest burdens.

~James Lendall Basford (1845–1915), Seven Seventy Seven Sensations, 1897

 

[matuski]

And now a question -- what added benefit is there to the "no ropes" thing?  What's the point of that?  It's not like the ropes help you up.  It's not like you can't make the climb with protection from falling and dying (and causing cost to the taxpayers and some poor EMT who drives an ambulance).  What's the drill there?  Just showing off I guess?  Asking for a friend, I think it's really admirable and awesome what this young man did. 

Kind of the same answer.  Why climb at all?  You can get there hiking.  Why hike at all?  You can get a ride.  Why go at all?  Just look at a picture (what most of us do).

Something about people like this existing makes me happy.

 

[mr. furley]

So when you don't quite understand something, it's stupid.  Brilliant.

oh, i understand it. it's still stupid.

i see a guy weaving in and out of traffic doing anywhere from 50-80 in a 25 mph residential neighborhood..... 3-4 days a week.  i understand he's probably late for work, thinks he's a great driver so there's no danger and he's sick of driving behind people doing 30.

i'm sure it's thrilling, he loves the wind in his hair, the sense of freedom that the v-8 gives him when he mashes that pedal to the floor and his right to kill himself if he so chooses.

that doesn't make it not stupid

 

[Sammy3469]

Here's some photos of him on the route:

http://elcapreport.com/content/elcap-report-6317-special-edition-honnold-free-solo-elcap

 

[STBootleg]

This is a cool documentary on Netflix regarding the subject.  Valley Uprising

 

[Sinn Fein]

Here's some photos of him on the route:

http://elcapreport.com/content/elcap-report-6317-special-edition-honnold-free-solo-elcap

Obvious trick photography - made to look like he was climbing up a mountain, when he was really crawling on a flat surface...

 

[whiskey7]

Absolutely amazing

 

[Buck Bradcanon]

Incredible!!

 

[mr. furley]

Here's some photos of him on the route:

http://elcapreport.com/content/elcap-report-6317-special-edition-honnold-free-solo-elcap

is that first pic actually Sam the Eagle?

 

[mr. furley]

This is a cool documentary on Netflix regarding the subject.  Valley Uprising

yup, that was the documentary i was trying to remember. that was a good watch.

 

[kutta]

This guy is a stud. Stupid or not, I have tons of respect for people who do dangerous stuff just to do them. I'm such a wuss, and I literallly can't even get on a ladder higher than a couple stories because I have an insane fear of heights. To see this guy do this, man, I'm impressed.

 

[mr. furley]

This guy is a stud. Stupid or not, I have tons of respect for people who dangerous stuff just to do them. I'm such a wuss, and I literallly can't even get on a ladder higher than a couple stories because I have an insane fear of heights. To see this guy do this, man, I'm impressed.

look at some of those pictures

insane

 

[Otis]

Those pictures do make my palms sweat. 

 

[cockroach]

This dude is half mountain goat. 

 

[krista4]

Those pictures.   #14 made me feel like vomiting.

 

[Angry Beavers]

I was nervous and sweaty just looking at the pictures...........  wow. 

 

[rockaction]

On The Three Impulses Behind Environmentalism:

1)   Third Party Effects – This is clean air, clean water, a utilitarian use of the environment for our own good

2)   Pantheism – The worship of nature for nature’s sake; to revel in the godliness that is the natural wonder of the earth

3)   Nietzscheanism – to dominate, to subjugate, but not to disrespect; to treat earth's obstacles as challenging, bewildering, frightening and excellent. To shake hands with your opponent after a bout of two worthy persons. 

I think this falls under number three.  

 

[sbonomo]

My stomach knotted up watching that

ya, there is no way i could do this!  These guy's are truly elite. 

ETA: .  "He did the entire climb in 3 hours 59 minutes… a new record for the route… almost an hour better than last week when he and Tommy Caldwell “flew up” the route!" 

He was in a zone....hat's off to him for this amazing effort!

 

[Maik Jeaunz]

Very impressive climb.  How did he get down?

cannonball!

 

[Christo]

oh, i understand it. it's still stupid.

i see a guy weaving in and out of traffic doing anywhere from 50-80 in a 25 mph residential neighborhood..... 3-4 days a week.  i understand he's probably late for work, thinks he's a great driver so there's no danger and he's sick of driving behind people doing 30.

i'm sure it's thrilling, he loves the wind in his hair, the sense of freedom that the v-8 gives him when he mashes that pedal to the floor and his right to kill himself if he so chooses.

that doesn't make it not stupid

That guy poses a danger to others. Honnold does not.

 

[MarvinTScamper]

Sidebar: can you imagine what this guy would do to the joke called Mt Suribachi on American Ninja Warrior??

 

[mr. furley]

That guy poses a danger to others. Honnold does not.

i don't think that's the point

 

[krista4]

That guy poses a danger to others. Honnold does not.

I was going to make this point, too.

I do see people taking chances in hiking/climbing here that pose a danger to others.  People who don't research, don't know what they're doing, who then have to call SAR.  I have a ton of friends who do SAR, and they do it for the love of all the same things that Honnold and others like him do, and I've never heard of them complaining about someone who got in a bad situation but knew their limitations.  It's part of the (generally unpaid, volunteer) job.  In fact, SAR members here use rescues as a recruiting tool to get others to join them, if they feel the people were capable.

I can't even imagine having the chance to be the absolute best in the world, or the best in history, at something I do.  I'd imagine that's where a lot of jealousy comes in here.  If I had the talent to be the best that ever was - or hell, even in the top 100 - I'd do it.  But there is a difference among people who have that adventurous spirit and those who don't, and I certainly don't think less of those who don't, and I'd hope they wouldn't think less of me.

Put another way...I do some climbs, or some scrambles, that certainly have the risk of death if I hit something just the wrong way.  If I feel like that risk is greater than my abilities, I don't do it, but I can't expect to hit that balance infallibly.  I expect that Honnold is the same, except his abilities so far exceed mine or anyone else's that his "risk-taking" seems extreme because it's so far beyond what we could possibly do.  From everything I've known of him, he's not taking risks that are beyond his reasonable abilities.  It might not work out for him in the end (I panic every time I see his name pop up), but he knows that balance better than we can.  And as long as he's not putting others at undue risk, I love seeing someone being the best we've ever seen at what he does.

 

[Christo]

i don't think that's the point

Then why did you make it?

 

[Christo]

I was going to make this point, too.

I do see people taking chances in hiking/climbing here that pose a danger to others.  People who don't research, don't know what they're doing, who then have to call SAR.  I have a ton of friends who do SAR, and they do it for the love of all the same things that Honnold and others like him do, and I've never heard of them complaining about someone who got in a bad situation but knew their limitations.  It's part of the (generally unpaid, volunteer) job.  In fact, SAR members here use rescues as a recruiting tool to get others to join them, if they feel the people were capable.

I can't even imagine having the chance to be the absolute best in the world, or the best in history, at something I do.  I'd imagine that's where a lot of jealousy comes in here.  If I had the talent to be the best that ever was - or hell, even in the top 100 - I'd do it.  But there is a difference among people who have that adventurous spirit and those who don't, and I certainly don't think less of those who don't, and I'd hope they wouldn't think less of me.

Put another way...I do some climbs, or some scrambles, that certainly have the risk of death if I hit something just the wrong way.  If I feel like that risk is greater than my abilities, I don't do it.  I expect that Honnold is the same, except his abilities so far exceed mine or anyone else's that his "risk-taking" seems extreme because it's so far beyond what we could possibly do.  From everything I've known of him, he's not taking risks that are beyond his reasonable abilities.  It might not work out for him in the end (I panic every time I see his name pop up), but he knows that balance better than we can.  And as long as he's not putting others at undue risk, I love seeing someone being the best we've ever seen.

One of the articles posted in the thread mentioned a climb he attempted earlier where an hour into it he didn't feel good about continuing so he stopped. People take calculated risks all the time. Just because he's attempting things that are out of the comfort zone for most of us doesn't make him stupid.

 

[krista4]

One of the articles posted in the thread mentioned a climb he attempted earlier where an hour into it he didn't feel good about continuing so he stopped. People take calculated risks all the time. Just because he's attempting things that are out of the comfort zone for most of us doesn't make him stupid.

You said better in a couple of sentences what I tried in several paragraphs to explain.  I'd blame my verbosity on being a lawyer, but...dammit.

His abilities make his reasonable comfort zone well outside of what we mere mortals could imagine.

 

[Otis]

What makes him better than the guy who does the same climb but sensibly, with a rope that catches him if he falls?

I could argue the other guy is better, because he can do the same physical feat but also doesn't introduce a fair risk of death unnecessarily, i.e., he's not a dummy.

It's interesting to me that in the story it discusses all the other greats who all basically killed themselves in accidents taking stupid unnecessary risks.  Seems to me it's just a matter of when, not if.  Which in a sense makes this all seem like a pretty morbid thing to be celebrating. 

When you think about it in those terms, it's not really that far off from the girl who cheered on her boyfriend to kill himself.