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Mick Ryan
Trad climber
Kendal, English Lake District
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Topic Author's Original Post - Dec 17, 2008 - 03:17pm PT
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What planet is Alex Honnold on?
Amazing climber.
America, you should be proud. The real McCoy.
Dec 17: Alex Honnold Free Big Wall Then Hard Sport
by Mick Ryan - UKClimbing.com
Alex Honnold, 23, the extremely talented American climber, just doesn't let up. After an amazing trip to the UK he returned to the US and got stuck in.
In early December, first was an ascent of the Huber's 1998 route on El Cap, El Nino (VI 5.13c, 29 pitches) over five days, then it was straight down to Sonora and the blocky basalt crag of Jailhouse Rock for an ascent of Burning Down the House, an 8c/5.14b sport climb established by Justen Sjong.
Honnold has much experience free climbing big walls: ascents include a one-day free ascent ........ etc
Read more at http://www.ukclimbing.com/news/older.html?month=12&year=2008#n45511
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aldude
climber
Monument Manor
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Dec 17, 2008 - 04:03pm PT
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note : El Nino is not a free climb.....(A0)!
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Lambone
Ice climber
Ashland, Or
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Dec 17, 2008 - 04:18pm PT
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I'll add that Alex is not only a strong and ballsy climber, but also has a great attitude!
He and his friend passed us on Zodiac trying to work on freeing it. They were having a blast and were pretty hilarious. Our junk show was totaly in their way, and we felt bad for slowing their push down. They didn't seem to mind at all, and even entertained us by dyno-ing to our haulbag! We made them coffee and we all enjoyed being up on the big stone together.
The funniest moment was when Alex was run out with nothing between him and the belayer but one head and a shitty tipped alien. He was climbing up about 10ft below our ledge. I gotta repost this one quote from our conversation:
Alex: "Sh#t how'd you guys get through this section?"
Us: "Beaks dude!"
Alex: "F*#k...what's a Beak? Is it like a hook? I have some hooks..."
Us: "Uh, sorta..."
So he pulls a Talon off his harness and tries fiddling it all sideways into a crappy beak/head scar.
Us: "Uh, that's prolly not gunna work dude. Want us to send you down a Beak?"
Alex: "Uh....How about a rope?"
So he monkeys hand-over-hand up the rope, feet barely smearing on the overhanging wall and is like, "F*#k this is pumpy!" So he decides to abandon the rope and go back to the rock. Now he's way run out over that old head...
So he's moving up to our bivi, one move away, and blows a gaston crimp and falls! But somehow he catches himself on a small slopey shelf with one hand, all other three points off!
He recovers and looks up at us white as a ghost. "Dude! Did you guys see that?"
Us: "F*#k yeah, crazy man."
Alex: "Hold on, I'm gunna dyno to your haulbag and mantel your ledge"
Us: "Nice, want some coffee?"
Hillarious morning...
Prolly not the shinning moment Alex wants posted all over the net, but I thought it was cool to see someone climbing at such a high level and not taking themselves too seriously.
Mad Props Alex! Keep after it!
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WBraun
climber
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Dec 17, 2008 - 04:37pm PT
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Wow! Hahahaha
Thanks Matt.
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Roger Breedlove
climber
Cleveland Heights, Ohio
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Dec 17, 2008 - 05:20pm PT
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What a great story and post. Thanks.
Stylish hat, too.
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Tork
climber
Yosemite
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Dec 17, 2008 - 05:39pm PT
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Nice!
Glad to hear that guy is human afterall
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Jordan Ramey
Big Wall climber
South Pasadena, CA
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Dec 17, 2008 - 06:08pm PT
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That story was hilarious!
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dogtown
climber
Cheyenne,Wyoming
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Dec 17, 2008 - 07:18pm PT
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Great story!
That kid is well on his way to being the best free climber ever.
No doubt!
Bruce
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AbeFrohman
Trad climber
new york, NY
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Dec 17, 2008 - 09:32pm PT
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On his way?
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HighDesertDJ
Trad climber
Arid-zona
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Dec 17, 2008 - 09:49pm PT
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Lambone that's really funny.
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GhoulweJ
Trad climber
Sacramento, CA
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Dec 17, 2008 - 10:15pm PT
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...dyno your haul bag then mantlr your ledge...
just classic
thanks for story
Go Alex!
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Dr. Rock
Ice climber
http://tinyurl.com/4oa5br
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Dec 17, 2008 - 10:33pm PT
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F*#k You, Alex!
Dumb ass.
People Like scaring the sh#t out of themselves?
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Roxy
Trad climber
CA Central Coast
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Dec 17, 2008 - 11:03pm PT
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Awesome story...well, is Alex a coffee drinker?
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elcap-pics
climber
Crestline CA
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Dec 18, 2008 - 01:04am PT
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totally funny Lambone!!! The guy is really just like that .... aww shucks kind of guy. Very mellow....
thanks for posting!
Tom
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Ed Hartouni
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
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Dec 18, 2008 - 02:15am PT
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he's the real deal alright, and a very cool dude with an infectiously likable manner.
Rock on Alex!
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tenesmus
Trad climber
slc
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Dec 18, 2008 - 08:01am PT
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he is a nice guy.
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happiegrrrl
Trad climber
New York, NY
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Dec 18, 2008 - 08:54am PT
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listening to his bit with Timmy at the Facelift, it is so easy to imagine him having that conversation Lambone detailed. He seems to be having the time of his life out there. Seems like a very nice person, too.
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'Pass the Pitons' Pete
Big Wall climber
like Ontario, Canada, eh?
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Dec 18, 2008 - 10:38am PT
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Hilarious story, Matt! Can you post up a few more pix? Alex's a hella nice guy. Met him coming down the raps after Zodiac.
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bldr
Trad climber
roseville
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Dec 18, 2008 - 11:22am PT
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Lambone,
Funny story, definitely alex in a nutshell.
J
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Lambone
Ice climber
Ashland, Or
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Dec 18, 2008 - 12:54pm PT
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"well, is Alex a coffee drinker?"
um, maybe. well i definately recall him with a cup of joe in the lodge. That morning he was all fired up and didn't want to stop moving. I offered them a chance to sit and chill on my ledge but they were like, "dude, if we stop now we'll never start moving again!"
"Can you post up a few more pix?"
Well, of course!
Said bivi spot, waiting for the pass:
Alex getting into the stellar corner of p9 in the Grey Circle:
"These holds SUCK!"
And there they go up the Nipple, "What the hell is this wire bullshit up here? (fixed BallNut)Never seen one of these! Man...F*#k Zodiac!"
Right before a big fall, of course I missed it...
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