Alex Honnold
Alex Honnold
Alex J. Honnoldis an American rock climber best known for his free solo ascents of big walls. He has broken a number of speed records, most notably the only known solo climbof the Yosemite Triple crown, an 18-hour 50 minute link up of Mount Watkins, The Nose, and the Regular Northwest Face of Half Dome. He and Hans Florine are the current record holders for the Nose with a climb time of 2:23:51. Honnold says that he likes tall, long...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionRock Climber
Date of Birth17 August 1985
CountryUnited States of America
bigger bubble directions eventually fall objectives pushed realm seemed totally until zone
My comfort zone is like a little bubble around me, and I've pushed it in different directions and made it bigger and bigger until these objectives that seemed totally crazy eventually fall within the realm of the possible.
extremely footage low original shaky
I think part of what made the original 'Sufferfest' charming was the extremely low production value. It was all shaky handheld footage from Cedar.
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I'm sponsored by the solar company Goal Zero, and they were gracious enough to install panels on my van and a nice battery system for the inside. I have lights and a fridge inside the van. And of course I had panels installed on my mom's house.
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My sister does all this community-service type stuff in Portland that makes the world a much better place. And I make as much in a two-day commercial shoot as she does in five years, which is ridiculous.
allowed antisocial bit comfort definitely gave harder lots quite rope solo suppose turn weirdo zone
I suppose being a bit of an antisocial weirdo definitely honed my skills as a soloist. It gave me a lot more opportunities to solo lots of easy routes, which in turn broadened my comfort zone quite a bit and has allowed me to climb the harder things without a rope that I've done now.
amount aspect carbon except few food guess harm impact lead life manage minimize money output possible spend travel trying
I guess I'm trying to lead a life of as little harm as possible and minimize my impact on the world. The amount I travel is kind of ridiculous, so I'm contributing to the carbon output and all that stuff. But every other aspect of my life I try to manage as well as I can. I own very few things. I don't spend money on anything except food and gas.
accessible against amazing climbing degree granite historic history impressive large mecca rock routes test walls yosemite
Yosemite has the most impressive and accessible granite big walls in the world. The rock is amazing. And because of that, it's been the mecca for climbing in the U.S. - and the world to a large degree - for all of climbing history. It's the place to test yourself against the historic routes of the past.
careful manage normally percentage rope solo sure total unless
To be clear, I normally climb with a rope and partner. Free-soloing makes up only a small percentage of my total climbing. But when I do solo, I manage the risk through careful preparation. I don't solo anything unless I'm sure I can do it.
college died disease family father heart led life professor runs
I was 19 when my father died from a heart attack. He was a 55-year-old college professor and had led what was by all appearances a risk-free life. But he was overweight, and heart disease runs in our family.
lame nostalgic
I'm not nostalgic for my glory days in college. It was lame for me. Probably because I had no friends.
bell love peppers
I love red bell peppers. Bell peppers in general, really. I like to eat them like apples. They're so crunchy and delicious.
love solos virtually
I love my climbing shoes. Virtually all of my big solos have been in the TC Pros. They are the most important thing when I'm soloing.
public
I've gotten over my shyness from many years of doing public events.
call climbed days discretion ground home routes
I've done routes where I've climbed 200 feet off the ground and just been, like, 'What am I doing?' I then just climbed back down and went home. Discretion is the better part of valor. Some days are just not your day. That's the big thing with free soloing: when to call it.