3 ms·

That'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 k

That'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 ago
If 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 ago
  I don't think that's really the same. Public media attention != to a private film crew.
- kibwen 9y ago
  It 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 ago
    looking 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 ago
    Jimmy 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 ago
I 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 ago
To 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.

prawn 9y ago

If 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 ago
I don't think that's really the same. Public media attention != to a private film crew.
kibwen 9y ago
It 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 ago
  looking 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 ago
  Jimmy 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 ago

I 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 ago

To 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.