National Geographic Channel - Free Solo

Alpinist

Alpinist

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Alex Honnold free solos El Capitan.

Trailer:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=nF-7H5Dk26E

How he did it:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=6iM6M_7wBMc

Free Solo is an extremely impressive film. The photography was simply brilliant. Alex Honnold is the world’s best alpine rock climber and to watch him cruise Freerider on El Cap was amazing. I’ve been a climber for 25 years but I can only imagine what it would be like to climb at his level. I hope he doesn’t push the envelope too far after seeing what happened to Ueli Steck. I’ve climbed quite a bit of alpine rock in the Bugaboos, Tetons, Canadian Rockies and the Alps. Watching Alex makes me want to climb something in Yosemite, about five times easier of course! ;)


Ken
 
Ken,
I watched this last night. My hands are still sweaty! An amazing mental and physical achievement...I like the glimpse into why he does this. It was tough to watch his friends film him.

Dave
 
Both Free Solo (it won Best Documentary Feature at the 2019 Academy Awards) and Meru are great. I highly recommend them both !
 
Elberoth said:
Both Free Solo (it won Best Documentary Feature at the 2019 Academy Awards) and Meru are great. I highly recommend them both !
Click to expand...

Hi Adam,

From one mountaineer to another, how do you feel about degree of risk Alex took on this climb and free soloing in general?

Ken
 
thanks for the heads-up -- great stuff to watch. i also enjoyed meru.

Alpinist said:
...how do you feel about degree of risk Alex took on this climb and free soloing in general?
Click to expand...

the degree of risk seems commensurate with alex's abilites -- hopefully, however, this does not inspire less accomplished climbers to push their limits too far.

...as for me, i will stick to frozen waterfalls AND ropes.
 
aKnyght said:
thanks for the heads-up -- great stuff to watch. i also enjoyed meru.



the degree of risk seems commensurate with alex's abilites -- hopefully, however, this does not inspire less accomplished climbers to push their limits too far.

...as for me, i will stick to frozen waterfalls AND ropes.
Click to expand...

I would say the degree of difficulty of free climbing Freerider on El Capitan is commensurate with Alex’s abilities. There is no level of ability commensurate with the risk of free soloing Freerider because if you fall you die. This level of risk will eventually catch up with anybody. It caught up with Ueli and he was the best.

Ken
 
Alpinist said:
There is no level of ability commensurate with the risk of free soloing Freerider because if you fall you die. This level of risk will eventually catch up with anybody. It caught up with Ueli and he was the best.
Click to expand...

agreed ...with the caveat that there is also no level of ability commensurate with the risks presented by objective dangers: avalanche, crevasse, rockfall, sudden weather change...
 
I finally got to watch this last night. WOW, just WOW. I don't climb and probably couldn't if I tried because my big toes are not further out than the rest of them. I noticed the size and strength of his big toes during the sprained ankle segment. Basically he supports all his weight and balance off of only 2 toes.

Great film and filming.
 
I missed this thread from March. I've seen both Free Solo and Meru, plus Mountain and several others...my kind of outdoors documentaries.

Free Solo, for people who haven't seen it, I too highly recommend it, even if you're not into climbing of any sort.





 
You’ve inspired me, Bob. I’m actually in the Climbing Gym right now. Just did a decent overhanging route.

Ken
 
I couldn't even make it through the trailer. The pucker factor was overwhelming for me.
Experiencing heights or viewing them never bothered me until i reached my 40's. Now in my mid 60's it hasn't gone away.

I clearly remember when I realized something inside me had changed. My wife and I were hiking in either Zion or Yosemite NP. We were on a rock trail a couple of feet wide with a vertical face on my left and a 800-1000' drop to my right. There was even a chain on the wall in places to hang on to. My wife was ahead of me and the trail descended in an arc and she disappeared on the trail. I remember so clearly I just stood there staring unable to take a step.
After a few minutes my wife's head appeared coming back up the trail and said are you coming. I starred at her and said, nope, i'll wait here if you want to go farther.
It was a very strange feeling. I don't think it was especially dangerous but something about seeing her disappear and the drop-off on the right shut down something in my brain.

I am respectful and amazed at those of you that climb.

Maybe a couple of stiff drinks and I will give the video a try again.
 
I watched Meru last night. Another awesome and intense movie. I can't imagine hanging off the side if a mountain in a tiny tent for 4 days in a storm. Thanks for that rec!
 
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