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2000 Feet Up Without A Rope
On June 3, 2017, Alex Honnold had the best day of his life. That day, he free soloed El Capitan in Yosemite National Park. Free soloing is a form of climbing where the climber uses no ropes or safety gear.
El Capitan is one of the most challenging climbs in the world. It is a 3,000-foot granite monolith that towers over Yosemite Valley.
To put this in perspective, El Capitan is taller than the world’s tallest skyscraper, Burj Khalifa and about three times taller than The Shard in London.
Alex Honnold climbed it in a single 3-hour 56-minute push. Without a rope.
The BAFTA and Academy Award-winning documentary Free Solo depicts what many people consider one of the most remarkable athletic feats of all time.
Watching the film again this week, I reflected on risk, uncertainty, and differences in perception. Ultimately the story of Alex Honnold’s successful free solo ascent is a story of learning and mastery.
Stretching his zone of comfortable risk
The consequence of Honnold’s climb going wrong was ultimate. If you slip or miscalculate on El Capitan at 3k feet up, your death awaits you.
One comment from Fellow climber Tommy Caldwell struck a chord with me.
