7 ms·
The thing that I've most loved while following Alex's exploits over the past few year is how he talks about his mental preparation. He always seems very well pr
by ChicagoBoy11 9y ago
The thing that I've most loved while following Alex's exploits over the past few year is how he talks about his mental preparation. He always seems very well prepared for whatever route that he is climbing. To me, the biggest evidence of that is the fact that he quit doing this exact climb a few weeks ago because he felt conditions weren't right. That's really hard to do with media, etc. on your tail, even IF your life is literally at stake.
It would be one thing if he were just incredibly bold and daring and were getting away with it; instead, its clear that his method is a very slow, methodical process in which he manages to practically guarantee that he will have a safe and effortless climb. Even in the interviews after this, it is clear that he is committed to his routine and managed to set-up this climb in such a way that it simply represented a comfortable, natural step in his evolution as a climber. He talks about it almost matter-of-factly.
Truly awe-inspiring.
- jancsika 9y agoThat's a great lesson to extrapolate, but only as long as you are applying it to a domain where failure != death. For example, in climbing where you have protection a much better lesson to extrapolate is that you will fail, and to be prepared for that at all times.
- zzalpha 9y agoThat's really hard to do with media, etc. on your tail, even IF your life is literally at stake. Except they weren't. Honnold and his team very deliberately kept this thing quiet. Other than the crew and close friends, no one knew of the ascent until it was done and announced. Which is brilliant for exactly the reasons you mention.
- prawn 9y agoIf it was filmed/shot by NatGeo, isn't that media on his tail in some sense? It's still pressure he would have to resist. Bailing on an attempt would inconvenience a support team.
- zzalpha 9y agoI don't think that's really the same. Public media attention != to a private film crew.
- kibwen 9y agoIt was shot on behalf of NatGeo, but I believe the small film crew was hand-selected from among people he already knew and trusted.
- protomyth 9y agolooking at the captions on the pictures[1], it looks like they even picked places where he really shouldn't have a distraction of a camera person and placed remotes[2]. 1) https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14500166 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14500166 http://elcapreport.com/content/elcap-report-6317-special-edition-honnold-free-solo-elcap http://elcapreport.com/content/elcap-report-6317-special-edi... 2) #14 from http://elcapreport.com/content/elcap-report-6317-special-edition-honnold-free-solo-elcap http://elcapreport.com/content/elcap-report-6317-special-edi... with the caption "14) He rested again for a short time before doing the infamous “Boulder Problem” which has turned away most of the suitors of the free ascent. This is the crux move of the entire route and it was mandatory that it be done well. He did it and I felt a great sense of relief that he passed it successfully. Notice the two cameras near him. Remotely controlled so no photographers would be hanging around him on this critical pitch."
- Fezzik 9y agoJimmy Chin* was the primary contracted photographer (through NatGeo, I think). He has been involved in numerous amazing projects as both a photographer and an athlete: he (Mr Chin) was one of the 3 climbers in Meru, which is also an amazing mountaineering movie. * http://www.jimmychin.com/ http://www.jimmychin.com/
- ChicagoBoy11 9y agoI had in mind just the support people around and the assumption that sponsors/etc prob. were aware of it, but I absolutely take your point. Agreed that the fact that it was kept this hush is another sign of the quality of his process
- remus 9y agoTo be honest it wasn't really kept that quiet. Plenty of climbers knew he was working on it, and I'm sure plenty of people in the climbing media knew he was working towards it. Fortunately I think the climbing media are a pretty sound bunch and did the decent thing by leaving him to get on with it in his own time.
- jeffdavis 9y agoHow do you quit a free climb?
- komali2 9y ago"Help I'm stuck to the side of a mountain." Yea I have no idea actually.
- kinkrtyavimoodh 9y agoBy not attempting it at all. Or climbing back down from wherever you want to quit.
- secabeen 9y agoHe descended using fixed ropes.
- s0rce 9y agoDie? I guess if you are low enough you could try to go back down. Some hikes also have a point of no return where going back could lead to death.
- deleted 9y ago[deleted]
- glitchdout 9y agoUse a parachute https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iqEkFBNiP3c&t=2m02s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iqEkFBNiP3c&t=2m02s
- tomsthumb 9y agoPretty sure you're trying to ask "how do you quit a freesolo?" In which case the answer is usually "downclimb". It's relatively easier to quit a vanilla free climb.
- eigenvector 9y ago1. Someone climbs to your location from the ground, or descends from the top of the route, hauling a sufficient amount of gear for you to rappel or be lowered to the ground. Obviously impractical on massive routes like El Cap. 2. A rescuer is slung onto the route near the incapacitated climber's location using a helicopter long-line. They prepare the climber for extraction and then they are both slung off by the helicopter at one time. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helicopter_Flight_Rescue_System https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helicopter_Flight_Rescue_Syste...
- zamalek 9y ago> his mental preparation Honnold is special in that regard[1]. [1]: http://nautil.us/issue/39/sport/the-strange-brain-of-the-worlds-greatest-solo-climber http://nautil.us/issue/39/sport/the-strange-brain-of-the-wor...