Choada_Boy Posted October 6, 2011 Posted October 6, 2011 Does anyone else fell like puking when they watch this guy free solo? I watched the CBS videos of him on The Phoenix and Sentinel Rock and felt like I was about to be watching a snuff film at any moment. He seems like a great guy, and I have uber-respect for what he's doing, but I kind of wish he'd call it quits on the free solos before he meets The Reaper. Discuss. Alex Honnold on CBS Quote
sprocket Posted October 6, 2011 Posted October 6, 2011 Same reaction, awe and ill stomach. Curious if anyone has a historical perspective on how many high-level free soloists there are/have been and how many make it throught that "period" of their climbing career? I know Croft soloed at a high level and is still around and climbing. Bachar, the guy that got stuck on a wall in Yosemite (Hersey?), Reardon getting washed off to sea although the last two didn't fall both passed on because of the pursuit. Quote
Choada_Boy Posted October 6, 2011 Author Posted October 6, 2011 RIP Derek Hersey [video:youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3dTIePeRWc Quote
Pete_H Posted October 6, 2011 Posted October 6, 2011 Potter, Huber, Barber, etc. Those guys are all alive. In fact, Bachar and Hersey are the only two that I can think of that died free soloing. Quote
dougd Posted October 6, 2011 Posted October 6, 2011 Same reaction, awe and ill stomach. Curious if anyone has a historical perspective on how many high-level free soloists there are/have been and how many make it throught that "period" of their climbing career? I know Croft soloed at a high level and is still around and climbing. Bachar, the guy that got stuck on a wall in Yosemite (Hersey?), Reardon getting washed off to sea although the last two didn't fall both passed on because of the pursuit. John Bachar died due to a fall while soloing fyi... http://climbing.about.com/b/2009/07/06/iconic-american-climber-john-bacher-killed-in-soloing-fall.htm He was doing it his way, like Honnold is. These climbers are pushing the limits their own way on their terms. I can respect that. Next time don't watch if it upsets you so... d Quote
shapp Posted October 6, 2011 Posted October 6, 2011 (edited) I climb for my self, I don't give a flying F what anyone else is doing and it doesn't influence me at all, that being said, I watched the 60 minutes story on tv, and that is not for me. I have only free soloed a couple times and it scared the beezus out of my behind. Anyone ever taken a lead fall while roped climbing because they broke a hold? I have, upside down even, on an easy climb well within my free solo limit, a climb I had previously done rope probably 8 times before. I could have thought, dam I might solo that, done it a bunch, know every move, If I would have made that choice I would be dead. Edited October 6, 2011 by shapp Quote
keenwesh Posted October 6, 2011 Posted October 6, 2011 Marc and I watched Honnold top out on freeway, onsight solo, from the top of the split pillar last year. We both just stood there silently, in awe of that dude. He climbs so smooth and solid, there was no doubt that he would make it to the top. We talked to him the day before too, just a mellow guy without any kind of ego. The man is a badass and he doesn't even know it. Quote
dberdinka Posted October 6, 2011 Posted October 6, 2011 I thought I would have agreed with most of you before watching that video but.... ...having watched it OMG!!! THE GUY IS ROCK SOLID!. He climbed the Phoenix like it was a pitch of 5.8. Good for him. He's probably on Freerider as we speak, and should he peel I'm sure he'll just levitate away like the quasi-god-like-being he is. I bow down before your beautiful big brown eyes Alex.... As for the news piece, it's nice to see the media also present a risk-taker is a very positive light. They seemed truly impressed and interested in what he was doing. A hero for the masses! Quote
Choada_Boy Posted October 6, 2011 Author Posted October 6, 2011 Alpinist had a good article on him in the last issue. He discussed the increasing pressures on him from different vectors. "Sneaking away" to solo The Phoenix to "clear his head" the day before soloing Sentinel for the cameras...I love when he tells the interviewer that they'd have been "freaked out" if they'd watched him on The Phoenix, like watching what he does is akin to taking too much bad acid. Quote
sprocket Posted October 6, 2011 Posted October 6, 2011 Same reaction, awe and ill stomach. Curious if anyone has a historical perspective on how many high-level free soloists there are/have been and how many make it throught that "period" of their climbing career? I know Croft soloed at a high level and is still around and climbing. Bachar, the guy that got stuck on a wall in Yosemite (Hersey?), Reardon getting washed off to sea although the last two didn't fall both passed on because of the pursuit. John Bachar died due to a fall while soloing fyi... http://climbing.about.com/b/2009/07/06/iconic-american-climber-john-bacher-killed-in-soloing-fall.htm He was doing it his way, like Honnold is. These climbers are pushing the limits their own way on their terms. I can respect that. Next time don't watch if it upsets you so... d Sorry, didn't type that clearly, I knew Bachar fell and died but the other two died but not from a fall. Quote
sprocket Posted October 6, 2011 Posted October 6, 2011 Watching Honnold is impressive, won't change or influence the way I climb but I'll never be at that level in any endeavor. I've heard Croft is the same, just looks super smooth and in control when he climbs. Quote
Choada_Boy Posted October 6, 2011 Author Posted October 6, 2011 Pants Shitting: [video:youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96JIohKsQVY Quote
olyclimber Posted October 6, 2011 Posted October 6, 2011 Well at least he was wearing a helmet. Safety first! Quote
dougd Posted October 6, 2011 Posted October 6, 2011 Np. I've done some soloing, not even close to the level AH does, but I can relate to the calm he talked about in the 60 minutes piece. It's that total focus and peace, that can be addictive. You get to that place like he does and you want more... While he's at the top of his game, more power to him I say. I think the hard part is knowing when enough is enough. He looks pretty in control mentally, he knows what he's into. He wires the hardest climbs well before the solos. But a lot can happen when soloing a climb like half dome or the phoenix or whatever... He knows what he's doing. Takes a lot of brass for sure. d Quote
sobo Posted October 7, 2011 Posted October 7, 2011 OK, I read the piece on him in the May issue of Nat Geo, but I was not prepared for this vid of him on Sentinel Rock. Excuse me while I Quote
RocketJSquirrel Posted October 7, 2011 Posted October 7, 2011 Taking nothing away from all those listed so far, because they're all bad ass, but none of them is quite as easy on the eyes as Steph Davis: [video:youtube] /back to lurking Quote
kevbone Posted October 7, 2011 Posted October 7, 2011 Does anyone else fell like puking when they watch this guy free solo? I watched the CBS videos of him on The Phoenix and Sentinel Rock and felt like I was about to be watching a snuff film at any moment. He seems like a great guy, and I have uber-respect for what he's doing, but I kind of wish he'd call it quits on the free solos before he meets The Reaper. Discuss. Alex Honnold on CBS Crazy!!!! Quote
curtveld Posted October 7, 2011 Posted October 7, 2011 He climbed the Phoenix like it was a pitch of 5.8. As for the news piece, it's nice to see the media also present a risk-taker is a very positive light. Totally agree - he makes everything look like 5.8. And the sage commentary from Largo, now an elder statesman of the sport. And then the Zappa quote: "that's the crux of the biscuit...as they say..." Quote
DRep Posted October 7, 2011 Posted October 7, 2011 WTF.... Can only play with fire so long before it burns you. Quote
billcoe Posted October 7, 2011 Posted October 7, 2011 The guys on another level...somewhere above amazing....but like Chode, I worry for the lad. Quote
boadman Posted October 7, 2011 Posted October 7, 2011 I was bummed that there wasn't any footage of the Phoenix at Reel Rock this year. Quote
sobo Posted October 7, 2011 Posted October 7, 2011 Taking nothing away from all those listed so far, because they're all bad ass, but none of them is quite as easy on the eyes as Steph Davis: [video:youtube] /back to lurking WOW! Why don't we hear more about our own Darling of the Cascades as a result of feats such as this? Surely, a 5.11 on The Diamond is just as bold and badass as anything that other male free-soloers have done, no? Quote
boadman Posted October 7, 2011 Posted October 7, 2011 I think calling pervitical a 5.11 is kind of stretching it. It's a pretty mellow 10+. Quote
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