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Wayno
Big Wall climber
Seattle, WA
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Jan 18, 2014 - 03:12am PT
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I said it before on another thread a ways back and after seeing the effect he had on the gathering at the Oakdale Fest, I will have to say it again.
The lad carries much Light.
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BooDawg
Social climber
Butterfly Town
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Jan 18, 2014 - 03:29am PT
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Well said, Wayno! I admire Alex and wish him all the BEST! Berg Heil!
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RyanD
climber
Squamish
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Jan 18, 2014 - 03:49am PT
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I wish I was bombed Bruce!
I get it tho, it's amazing & inspiring. It is his personal choice. It just cracks me up how it all lands on our plate these days, climbing news or otherwise. How it is all digested is almost equally entertaining.
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Jim Clipper
climber
from: forests to tree farms
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Jan 18, 2014 - 11:33am PT
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im really interested in hearing kurt's insight
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apogee
climber
Technically expert, safe belayer, can lead if easy
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Jan 18, 2014 - 11:38am PT
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"He's just getting warmed up . . . Big year ahead for Mr. Alex H."
Man, I hope so. As blown away as I am by such feats, it's worrying to see such good, skilled people stay close to the line over and over again.
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Wade Icey
Trad climber
www.alohashirtrescue.com
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Jan 18, 2014 - 11:51am PT
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Be Careful Dude.
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RyanD
climber
Squamish
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Jan 18, 2014 - 01:01pm PT
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Bruce, they are dry. Mostly.
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Jan 18, 2014 - 01:02pm PT
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Most impressive is that it's pitch after pitch of difficult face climbing on limestone. One false step, one broken hold.... I asked Alex about Moonlight Buttress and Half Dome. He said that Half Dome was more difficult even though it has a lower rating. The crux on Half Dome is small holds, very tenuous, granite face climbing. Alex pointed out that on Moonlight Buttress he always had the "security" of have having his fingers in a crack.
Soloing cracks is usually more secure because typically more than one thing has to go wrong...not so with face climbing.
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zBrown
Ice climber
Brujo de La Playa
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Jan 18, 2014 - 01:28pm PT
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Mr. Honnold appears to have gotten much stronger recently. However, my guess (what do I know?) is that there are others with the physical attribute to accomplish what he does, but nobody who has the psychological presence to pull it off (well, maybe except for Bruce Lee).
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Jan 18, 2014 - 01:29pm PT
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Something wrong with that photo......oh, the rope.
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zBrown
Ice climber
Brujo de La Playa
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Jan 18, 2014 - 01:32pm PT
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Jim, well everybody needs a vacation once in a while.
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StahlBro
Trad climber
San Diego, CA
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Jan 18, 2014 - 01:39pm PT
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The degree of focus and being "in the moment" is astounding. You just can't get distracted for moment or bad things will happen.
On top of that the conditioning involved is off the charts.
Probably one of the greatest athletes ever (so far)
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Marlow
Sport climber
OSLO
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Jan 18, 2014 - 03:03pm PT
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Honnold is in his own league, a free soloing genius. Let the margins always be on his side...
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climbski2
Mountain climber
Anchorage AK, Reno NV
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Jan 18, 2014 - 03:57pm PT
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He has made his choices with eyes wide open. He is living an amazing life, He is almost in his prime.
Most impressively the various times I've run into him he just seems like a genuinely stoked young climber having a real blast. Always friendly polite and patient.
At this point it seems the biggest tragedy would be for him to stop being himself.
Yeah he does look stronger than ever.
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WanderlustMD
Trad climber
New England
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Jan 18, 2014 - 04:54pm PT
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Most impressive is that it's pitch after pitch of difficult face climbing on limestone. One false step, one broken hold.... I asked Alex about Moonlight Buttress and Half Dome. He said that Half Dome was more difficult even though it has a lower rating. The crux on Half Dome is small holds, very tenuous, granite face climbing. Alex pointed out that on Moonlight Buttress he always had the "security" of have having his fingers in a crack.
Soloing cracks is usually more secure because typically more than one thing has to go wrong...not so with face climbing.
That's exactly the first thing that came to mind when I'd heard he soloed Sendero. All that face climbing....yikes.
He's the man for the job, though. It's inspiring to see what humans are really capable of.
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McHale's Navy
Trad climber
From Panorama City, CA
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Jan 18, 2014 - 06:57pm PT
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Dean Potter once said he feels like he's flying more when he's on a slack-line than when he's in a squirrel suit. Maybe Alex feels like he's on a slack-line when he free solos, if that's where the real flying is.
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mooser
Trad climber
seattle
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Jan 18, 2014 - 07:57pm PT
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I think it's okay for a fellow climber to express concern about Honnold, and his current (and future?) level of free-soloing. It's not being judgmental to do so, and it's not an attempt to reign him in. It's simply an emotional expression that even his most ardent supporters probably feel, to one degree or another (though I imagine may be too macho to admit).
Second, just because any of us could slip in the shower and die doesn't mean we're comparing apples to apples, nor does it negate the reality that a very minor mistake (something humans are prone to do) would have very major consequences.
I'm impressed beyond words by what he's done, and have no idea how a person can be that in control on stuff that can give me the willies with gear. But it's ridiculous to harsh on someone who simply expresses that they worry about him.
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mooser
Trad climber
seattle
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Jan 19, 2014 - 02:21pm PT
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^ +1
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jstan
climber
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Jan 19, 2014 - 03:04pm PT
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Back in the old days people pretty much said nothing about unroped activity. And there was unroped activity. I think we did that because no one wanted an expression of their's to enter any equation, anywhere, by anyone. Face it. Other than family, the solo climber is the only person who is not a bystander.
At Facelift someone in the audience asked a soloer "what their next project was." The reply used a popular phrase that I don't remember, unfortunately. The implication was that the question was not appreciated.
Just the same, everyone waxing eloquent with praise and admiration is functionally equivalent to a line of people at the bar pounding the bar with their bottles and chanting, "Beer! More beer!
If asking people actually to think before speaking is harshing, so be it.
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McHale's Navy
Trad climber
From Panorama City, CA
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Jan 19, 2014 - 03:16pm PT
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This reminds me of the Peter Sellers movie BEING THERE, where the silent gardener Chancey let all of the people around him project their thoughts onto him of who they thought he was.
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