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Impressive, but also stupidly risky no matter how good you are.
I wrote below that I am also critical.
Interviewer: Does having a family make it impossible to climb without fear entering your mind?
Alex: "Time will tell. It’s maybe possible, but it might be a challenge. I think it’s easier to free solo when you can tell yourself that your life doesn’t matter that much. You’re kind of like, “Well, I’m just doing my thing, and it’s my own choice.” And if you have any real acceptance that your life matters a lot to other people, then you are sort of like, “Well, you know, it’s sort of my responsibility to not squander that.”
On the other hand, with a lot of the hard free soloing, the whole point is to make it feel safe and relatively comfortable. To basically prepare enough that it doesn’t feel like you’re rolling the dice.
Actually, last fall I did a big soloing traverse in Red Rock, near my home in Las Vegas. It was a 32-hour soloing traverse by myself, climbing up over all the major peaks in Red Rock. I think to the average viewer, they’d be like, “Holy shit, he’s still soloing at a really high level.” But the reality is that, for me personally, that just doesn’t feel like extreme free soloing in the same way. It was kind of more akin to ultrarunning or like a giant endurance event or something. I was free soloing, but it’s a far cry from El Cap."
My thoughts: While he is skilled he isn’t taking the natural environment in his equation. It might be a easypeasy climb like he mentions in the interview above. Sure, but the risk of Rockfall, high winds, adverse weather, unexpecited animals mid route, sudden noises etc. that scare you are still real. In Nevada where he climbs they have air force jets, if you get caught off guard during a climb things can get friggin’ dangerous.
Yeah I understand this doesn’t happen every day but once you have children I wouldn’t want to risk a single solo climb. It’s not required and he is climbing at a level he doesn’t have to prove anyone anything. He is rich and already extremely good. At this point it’s selfish and stupid. I don’t know normally I really don’t care but well I don’t think free soloing should be glorified and he is a person that younger people look up to. He is a person younger people SHOULDN’T look up to. Climbing without a rope shouldn’t look like they are better climbers than climbers with ropes. Especially because we have access to ropes, we have them for a reason.
Most climbs he solos are nothing and I’d say most of the climbs might go well but nature can screw him up. A fly lands on your nose and you get distracted - you die. Free solo equates with being totally alone on the rock, not being able to call anyone for help, and not being able to bail if things go wrong. You either go up, or you fall (and very probably, die). Another option might be climb back down, but… dunno why would you climb down if you already know the route and are confident?
That’s all it is. Nothing a man should risk once you have children.
He’s an adrenaline junkie. Like most addicts, he only cares about his next fix. Nothing else matters.
It’s extremely selfish, narcissistic.
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aswell
Not a word, my dude.
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When he said “last fall” I thought he meant something else
Yeah way more difficult climbs that require gear and are impossible to freeclimb sounds a lot cooler anyway.
Nothing a man should risk once you have children.
There is risk in everything. Being an employee and relying on a business to provide you with money is risky, yet billions of men take that risk across their working lives.
If a man cannot risk anything to have a family, then there will never be any man who qualifies.
In fact many men work high risk jobs because they pay the most.
You’re taking vastly different levels and kinds of risk and equating them. That’s either disingenuous or foolish, but we can only guess which.
I would argue that the saying “Nothing a man should risk once you have children.” is doing exactly as you are describing.
I think you misunderstood. What you mentioned are risks that have a payoff; some reason to do them, and sometimes that’s required. This doesn’t really. Maybe he makes slightly more money, but he really doesn’t need that even if that’s the case. It’s more like the risk of sticking a loaded gun in your mouth because you like the taste, not going to work because you need money to live.
What you mentioned are risks that have a payoff; … This doesn’t really. Maybe he makes slightly more money
Is $3 million net worth at 36 years old “slightly more money” these days? I’m further behind than I thought.
How much would he make using ropes. I’m sure it’d be pretty damn close. Slightly more money means how much with ropes - how much without being fairly small. It’s not saying he’s not making a lot in general. That’d be stupid.
How much would he make using ropes. I’m sure it’d be pretty damn close.
I’m confident he would be just another climber and wouldn’t be world famous and wouldn’t be able to demand such high payment. He makes fat stacks because he is extraordinary, not because he’s doing what everyone else is doing.
Alex Honnold (born August 17, 1985) is an American rock climber best known for his free solo ascents of big walls. Honnold rose to worldwide fame in June 2017 when he became the first person to free solo a route on El Capitan in Yosemite National Park (via the 2,900-foot route Freerider at 5.13a, the first-ever at that grade),
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alex_Honnold
Fortune favours the bold.
I’m not saying in the past, nor is anyone else in this thread. We’re saying today, now that he has a family. He wouldn’t lose his fame because he started using safety gear. He’d still be extraordinary. He’d still be doing things no one else can. In fact, dealing with safety gear would add to the challenge. It’d remove some of the fear, but the climbs would be more challenging.
Stupidly? If you have full awareness and understanding of the risk you aren’t being stupid
There’s a significant flaw in that reasoning…
“I knew I was walking into a lion cage and that I would be attacked. I wasn’t stupid when I then did it!”
If you’re a fully trained, and aware lion trainer or zookeeper, it’s not stupid
What if you do so without any protection that said training would recommend that you have?
You see - simply being knowledgeable about the risks doesn’t mean you aren’t being stupid. In fact knowing the risks and taking them anyway could be seen as more stupid than if you were simply ignorant.
Astronauts and engineers in the apollo program deeply understood the risks. Were they stupid for attempting increasingly complex orbital missions and even landing on the moon?
It was insanely risky, but they studied it, and understood it as best they could.
This dude is the world’s preeminent free climber, it’s safe to say he used protection when he was a novice climber, and it’s safe to say he has “NASA” levels of understanding of the risks he encounters on a wall.
You’re missing one massive part of everything here. It has absolutely NOTHING to do with UNDERSTANDING the risks.
It has EVERYTHING to do with MITIGATING those risks to the best of your ability.
The Apollo program astronauts didn’t tell NASA to just disable a bunch of safety protocols because they wanted an adrenaline rush.
Stupidity and risk are not the same, is my point.
Mitigating risk is achieved through deeply understanding the problem space, and putting in the training to demonstrate ability to operate within the workspace.
Edit if Alex tried to mitigate risk to 100% he’d never climb again…people die all the time while using protection. Things happen. Life happens.
Stupidity is blundering in without understanding the space. Ex “local man who has never climbed before takes up free climbing” is stupid.
NASA absolutely pared down safety “wants” left and right, they pioneered the technical risk analysis methods that resulted in the successes (and failures) of that program. It’s a fascinating read if you’re curious
Astronauts don’t for a cause. This guy’s best cause is maintaining fame.
It’s his own enjoyment, he was doing this before the Fame
Nah, there is no rational thought process that’s going to lead you to the conclusion that doing this is a good idea. That’s like saying playing Russian roulette is a good idea if you’re aware of the risks.
I have two takes on this.
When I was an avid climber, the consensus was, “Those who free solo, die by free solo.” So I think this isn’t an unpopular opinion, given non-climbers got to think it’s stupid. I think it’s just we love to spectate on that risky adventure.
Personally I have never and won’t in the future ever climb free solo but I joined people do it and my heart was racing like crazy. Imagine wittnessing a death. In my personal opinion it’s stupid. People do it because they think it makes them special. Having some type of safety measures wouldn’t effect the sport.
Does he still do free solos? If yes, he has children and a wife. That is the point where I have no respect for him or any other person. If you only got yourself and no family - fine. Do whatever. But if you have a family and people down there that love you - why should you continue to do that? You don’t need to feel more alive. You already proved the world you can and it’s okay. Instead he still goes up there without safety eventhough safety measures exist - for a reason.
If someone can climb what this dude can climb I wouldn’t have less respect for what he achieved just because he has a rope attached to him. I personally couldn’t care less. He can climb with a rope and if he falls start again until he finishes the climb without a drop and call it a day. Maybe his family members could then go in a Sauna during his climb instead of living in anxiety during his climb.
But well, I understand it. You feel alive blablabla. It’s like playing hardcore in action role play games but well, those are just games and if you die fine start again. This brings me to my next critic: if you fall, someone is going to have to clean you up. Thats not fair. I’m glad no one I love solo free climbs or does any other extreme sport and if I knew someone who does it on a regular basis that I love I would try to love this person less so the loss in case an accident happens won’t hurt as much.
Anyways great climber. In my eyes it’s still pathetic because he doesn’t need to prove he can do those climbs without a rope…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cyya23MPoAI
This video above is with Alex and Magnus and well what should I say… crazy.
Wow, knowing that dude has kids at home changes the whole equation. I guess I just assumed the kinds of people that took those risks were the kinds of people that wouldn’t let themselves have attachments or dependents because of the risks. I guess that just shows I understand people that take those risks even less than I thought I did.
It’s an addiction. It’s like assuming a crack addict will avoid attachment. He wouldn’t get the same high with a rope, so he decided that his family has to deal with him getting his fix instead.
He’s been free soloing since he graduated high school. It’s basically a part of who he is at this point. I remember watching a Barbara Walters interview with him where she went to Yellowstone where he was staying, and interviewed him in his van that he was living in at the time. I’m not sure he expected to have a family at some point.
Well said. This guy is a selfish idiot.
I wonder what his premiums on life insurance are, I’m guessing those he leaves behind will be well taken care of.
There are activities that are flat out not covered by life insurance, like sky diving. I doubt they would pay out if he was doing this.
My dad has insurance through his work that I could buy the house I grew up in as the money would buy left to my brother and I. It still wouldn’t make up for losing the only parent I still have alive and with his health problems I dread that day. I’m also only 27 and lost my mother about three years ago and my parents aren’t old my mum was only 54. My dad’s 56, 57 later this year.
Well I have no idea about that, Im not from the US but assuming his family loves him I guess no money can make up for the loss of a loved one.
If they in any case Shouldnt love him for whatever reason and want his money he should be very careful about spoiling the routes he wants to climb lol. I watched medical detectives late night as a 10 year old I know what people especially family is capable of lol.
I wouldn’t be surprised if he was completely unable to get insurance due to his leisure-time activities.
This is the kind of activity that when the accident happens you’re not going to need hospital services
That’s cool I guess, but how much do you want to bet he will die on some mountain and not in his bed?
Every corpse on Everest was once a highly motivated individual
Yeah but unlike the dead person on Everest Honnold actually knows what he is doing.
That’s probably his preferred way to go.
Considering most deaths in bed are probably somewhat drawn out and painful, ending it in a few seconds off a mountain isn’t awful - however, dying while young and for no other reason than climbing rocks isn’t the same as dying after a long life and all that.
Whatever. It’s what he wants to do, and as long as he doesn’t hurt anyone else it’s fine. I don’t get the admiration, though.
as long as he doesn’t hurt anyone else it’s fine.
The whole conversation was about doing this while having children and a family. He would be hurting others.
That’s between him and his family. While I agree with you and that it will cause damage to them, I meant it more in context of activities that cause harm to society in general. No different than any other legitimized extreme sport. Street racers taking out pedestrians, drunks drivers doing the same, etc. I realize the difference in legality, but nonetheless they are activities that cause external harm to society.
Children don’t decide for themselves. If you’re a father, you have responsibilities to your child. Risking your life in this way affects the child in a profound way, especially if you slip and die. That’s not ok.
Like a real Klingon warrior 😉
As a rock climber, Alex is equal parts amazing and an absolute fucking fool. I’ve fallen while bouldering, it hurts. I’ve slipped and fell when top roping, it hurts. Now, when the day comes where he has his fuck up, it won’t hurt; he’ll just go splat.
In his situation, the risk extremely outweighs the reward.
Dude is going to be pissed when somebody tells him about ropes
Ima just press F in advance
And just like that, my palms are sweaty.
Are your knees weak?
There’s vomit on my sweater already
Mom’s spaghetti?
Got to wonder, how much of the “thrill” of doing these kinds of high-risk things comes from society’s continued glorification of them?
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/wu-yongning-climber-dies-stunt-on-skyscraper-changsha-china/
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-50592646
This is a stupid thing to do. These people shouldn’t be glorified, they should be held up as examples of poor decision-making, and regarded as imposing a cost on the rest of humanity for the sake of self-aggrandizement.
They’re wired differently than you. They have to do extreme things to get the same enjoyment that you get from doing mundane things. There is a literal brain chemistry difference in adrenaline junkies, or thrill seekers. You can consider them examples of poor decision making, but that’s not going to change who they are or how they’re built. They accomplish some truly miraculous things, and that is what people admire, not their recklessness. That said, Honnold is one of the more responsible freesoloists. He likes to keep the difficulty to 5.6-5.8 when he has no ropes, and he’s capable of doing most of the hardest routes that exist.
“Have to” seems like such an excuse… Why can they not do the same things, but with safety gear? That wouldn’t make it “mundane”. The only reason I can see for not using a harness and safety line is feeling like you’ve got something to prove - either you’re trying to impress yourself or you’re trying to impress other people, and neither is a worthy goal compared to the cost of failure (especially for someone with kids at home).
Frankly you could make this same argument for a meth addict, “they have to do extreme things to get enjoyment”, but I wouldn’t buy it as a good argument for allowing them to keep doing meth.
I get doing things at a base level to say you can do it, but to not have some kind of backup safety that doesn’t take away from the feat is not wise imo. If you have such things and eventually make a mistake and it keeps you alive to continue climbing, how is that a bad thing? Also, it’s very insensitive and selfish to put yourself into a situation where if you do make a mistake and die, someone else has to take care of the results.
not to forget that you can fall even if you don’t make a mistake: rocks do break
Too far. I love extreme sports too but you have to be alive to have an adrenaline rush. You can’t experience that if you’re dead.
I believe most mountains don’t have ropes?
Watch the LeClerc climbing special. LeClerc is the goat.
I love reading judgy comments from people sitting on their ass watching a stranger do something incredible.
Eh, some of us climb. Using ropes. I’m no where near as good as him, so I want safety. If I were as good as him? Still want that safety.
I was up high on a cliff one time and grabbed a handhold and a frog jumped out.
Another time I put my hand in a wasp nest.
Both times I’d be dead or seriously injured if it wasn’t for the rope.
Don’t need to be a professional cook to know when food is bad.
Same that I don’t need to be a professional mountain climber to know the only incredible thing about it is how incredible dumb this guy is for being so dangerous.
You’re fucking boring
You’re saying it as if it were a bad thing.
I’ll just do some coke at home thanks
Almost as bad as sitting on your ass being mad and making comments about people making comments about someone doing something incredible.
You’re right its incredibly dumb as fuck
Yeah there’s quite a few commenters in here who obviously know nothing about this guy. For one, he’s not an adrenaline junkie. People ought to watch a documentary or some interviews with the guy before they start slinging labels at him.
Everyone has different risk tolerance. Judging and denigrating others because theirs is higher (or lower) is a bit silly when it doesn’t impact anyone else. (Pedants - this does not apply to things that could harm others, put your keyboards down)
I commuted in city traffic and rode around in the mountains on motorcycles for almost 20 years, I scuba dive regularly, I’ve rappelled down mountains and out of helicopters. I ski a lot, and I like going fast down the mountain. Sometimes I get hurt doing these things, that’s part of life. Some people I know think I’m nuts, but to me none of this stuff is particularly dangerous. I’m sure Alex feels the same way about his hobby. He’s literally one of the best climbers in the world so I wouldn’t presume to question his judgement. Rest assured he’s not YOLO’ing anything, he prepares intensely for his climbs.
And then the people in here saying he should stop doing the thing he’s loved doing for decades because he has kids now just make me shake my head. Since when did people have to get put in bubble wrap once they procreated? That dude has more than provided for his kids.
New list of activities in which you can no longer participate if you have crotch fruit:
- Mountain climbing. You can see all that stuff on National Geographic anyway.
- Any type of scuba diving, especially cave diving! Actually just stay out of the ocean, it’s dangerous!
- Flying helicopters. Just no.
- Any Army, Navy, Coast Guard, or Marine Corps service. Air Force is still ok.
- Riding in any motor vehicle without a flame retardant racing suit and full face helmet. Try to keep trips short and never ride in a motor vehicle within 10 miles of your home because that’s where most accidents happen.
- Going hiking when it’s going to be a bit hot out. Or a bit cold out. In fact just stay out of the woods, it’s dangerous!
- See how ridiculous this is? Live your life. You’ll regret the things you didn’t do.
Everyone dies sometime, and we all takes risks. Some of us text while driving. Some of us eat shitty food. Some of us make a career of doing things that no one else is willing to do.
These types of people are the exact same ones who got on a boat and floated off to sea never to be seen again. They settled lands and lived a wonderful and interesting life.
In another generation or 12, these are the folks that are going to settle Mars, or make discoveries on the Moon.
We’d still be living naked in the savanna if it weren’t for people like this.
I’m sorry but I think there’s a huge difference between “I want to see if this is all there is” and “I want to risk my life for sport”.
Yeah I also think there is a difference between “I am going to climb a huge rock without safety measurements eventhough they exist and cost only 50$” and “I am going to go on a one way trip to mars for science and humanity but use all safety equipment available on that trip”
People with poor risk management skills probably serve some useful purpose because we still have them, but they are not the cause of all human progress.
Specifically:
We’d still be living naked in the savanna if it weren’t for people like this.
Processing skins of kills has nothing to do with risk taking behavior, nor do the host of incremental adjustments that lead from skinning to tailored clothing.
Similarly our expansion into areas beyond the savannah has nothing to do with unnecessary risk taking, it’s just the result of favourable conditions that increased the birth rate.
floated off to sea… They settled lands
Permanent human settlements aren’t founded by rugged loners washing up on a new shore. It takes at minimum ~20 people and new sites are scouted well in advance to make sure they have sufficient resources to support a growing population.
It takes at minimum ~20 people and new sites are scouted well in advance to make sure they have sufficient resources to support a growing population.
I guess the argument here would be that the scouts are the risk-takers, which would be true to some extent. But it’s not like successful scouts worked alone, and also there’s no “discovery” happening in the context of free solo climbing.
