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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Don’t be so sure about it being someone from the next generation. There are a lot of climbers under the radar with acceptional skills who need a plane ticket to get to the Valley. Motivation is key...Ondra comes to mind.
The conventional wisdom was that the micro granite crimping on the Dawn Wall would not be in the tool kit of elite European sport climbers....Ondra blew that out of the water.
Alex Honnold’s feat is very, very special but surprises abound in today’s climbing.
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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What Alex has done is at the very pinnacle of climbing feats...now or ever. I’m just saying that with the rapidity with which climbing is evolving worldwide very little should surprise you. It wasn’t too many years ago when on one heard of Alex Honnold.
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JLP
Social climber
The internet
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Don’t be so sure about it being someone from the next generation. Nor about a world you only know through Facebook and Instagram.
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aspendougy
Trad climber
Los Angeles, CA
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Dear JLP
What I was saying is that for Alex himself, soloing El Cap might present a smaller risk than climbing K2, as his skill set cannot affect things like weather and avalanches. Yes, for most anyone else trying to solo El Cap would be fatal i.e much more dangerous and risky.
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Comparing the danger between free soloing El Cap and climbing K2 is like comparing apples and oranges. K2 may be the most difficult of the 8,000 meter peaks to summit but it’s not particularily technical and has even been guided. Can you imagine guiding a free solo of El Cap.
The dangers on K2 are real but they largely consist of altitude, weather and objective dangers.
Quite a few people have the skill set to climb K2...even though some of them will come to grief because of the aforementioned dangers.
So far it has been demonstrated that only one person has the skill set to free solo El Cap and that ability is such that the danger might be quite low. The objective dangers he faced were practically nil and he mitigated the danger of being unroped to an acceptable level by possessing an unworldly amount of skill.
On K2 the dangers can be mitigated but never eliminated no matter what your level of skill is.
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mouse from merced
Trad climber
The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.
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^^^Penetrating elucidation, my man.
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JLP
Social climber
The internet
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that only one person has the skill set to free solo El Cap and that ability is such that the danger might be quite low. This is a myth that seems to be getting repeated quite a bit on these forums. Alex fell off the 11b p6 slab before his ascent and had no idea what happened. His probability on the Boulder Problem was not 100% with a rope - it is for nobody, not even Tommy. He went anyway. This is exactly why his friends couldn’t bare to watch. Saying the danger was “low” is **.
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Clueless? The danger was there but, do the math. How many pitches of hard free soloing has he done without falling? There was risk but it was calculted....he wasn’t on a sucicide mission.
By the way...calling people clueless does little to strengthen your argument.
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anita514
Gym climber
Great White North
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JLP: Do you know who donini is?????????????
I think I would be one of those people covering my eyes while watching this. Kind of like how I cover my eyes when I see guys on motorcycles doing wheelies at 200km/h
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JLP
Social climber
The internet
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do the math You bring up another common and delusional myth. The “math” is the same for everyone, beginner to elite. Nobody is spared and their history does not matter. Flipping a coin and getting heads 10x does not mean you get heads again on the 11th any better than the same 50%
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WBraun
climber
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His probability on the Boulder Problem was not 100% with a rope
Yes, that is true.
If he was 100% then he would be God almighty incarnate as only God can do so 100%.
Alex's stars are aligned in a very favorable position from his previous life .......
do the math
Math is useless in this as it's pure guessing into a null void (cluelessness) .....
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Ed Hartouni
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
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I think that people who knew the route, including the cameramen (all climbers) understood that Alex was engaging in a significant risk, even with his careful and extensive preparation.
Alex sent his girl friend away for the attempt, fully aware of the real possibility that he might not make the climb.
Before on a run-up with Tommy, Tommy lead and fell at the boulder problem, Tommy's no slouch, and this was videoed, everyone involved in the filming saw it. Alex reading his notes emphasized "AUTOPILOT!!"
Tom Evans who has shot a lot of climbers attempting the boulder problem knew just how many really excellent climbers failed at it, all of them roped of course.
Alex's bid to free solo that route was extremely bold, and while he prepared himself to succeed, and I believe that he was confident that he could pull it off, he wasn't under any illusion that it was a given.
Totally amazing.
As for the future, I don't think I would have bet that it would be done in my lifetime back 5 years ago, but Alex was already working on it then, we can draw inspiration from the vision of the younger climbing generation rounding into their prime, and wish them success.
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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I’ll try one more time and then you can wax on uninterrupted. The odds with a coin flip are the same for everyone....50% for heads, 50% for tails regardless of the previous coin flips. You are not breaking new ground with that assertion.
Alex doing ,say, 1000 pitches of free soloing without falling has no relationship to your analogy. It means that he has shown that he is virtually assured, given the skill, judgement and consistency he has shown- that he will not fall on the next pitch he solos. Coin flips, as even people who don’t go by JLP know, are not influenced by skill and judgment...Alex Honnold’s free soloing is.
Over and out.
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JLP
Social climber
The internet
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he is virtually assured This is a fantasy. It is, in fact, exactly like the coin toss.
It’s very common the narc climber can’t handle or process this reality. They’ll say it’s all in the thumb and they have perfect control over it.
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clinker
Trad climber
Santa Cruz, California
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A performance by a virtuoso is not a coin toss.
vir·tu·o·so
ˌvərCHəˈwōsō/Submit
noun
a person highly skilled in music or another artistic pursuit.
"a celebrated clarinet virtuoso"
synonyms: genius, expert, master, past master, maestro, artist, prodigy, marvel, adept, professional, doyen, veteran; star, champion; informalhotshot, wizard, magician, pro, ace
"the pianist is clearly a virtuoso"
skillful, expert, accomplished, masterly, master, consummate, proficient, talented, gifted, adept, good, capable;
impressive, outstanding, exceptional, magnificent, supreme, first-rate, stellar, brilliant, excellent;
informalsuperb, mean, ace
"a virtuoso violinist"
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johntp
Trad climber
Little Rock and Loving It
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This is a fantasy. It is, in fact, exactly like the coin toss.
I've said it before; you have a very negative perception of the world.
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GDavis
Social climber
SOL CAL
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Jim "never look a hyperbolic analogy in the face" Donini. Never change, your input is appreciated.
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jstan
climber
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This year we have made risk discussions like this a part of the rock climbing culture. Sad.
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mouse from merced
Trad climber
The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.
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Man oh man are you guys wasting your arguments.
Be happy for Alex.
It's that simple. We all know he's different and NOT just lucky.
Go back to bed, too.
Whaddya doin' up at this hour?
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Fluoride
Trad climber
West Los Angeles, CA/Joshua Tree
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SPOILER: Alex lives.
Alex said in the film he didn't in so many words tell Sanni to leave before his ascent. But she was seen on film trying to talk him out of it several times leading up to his climb and finally realized he was going to do the solo and it was best her energy not be around him that day. She left the park to hang with friends and got word over pancakes that he was safely on top (from an interview she gave about it) and their joy shown on the phone in the film.
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