Most of you are confusing speed climbing with free climbing. I can find nothing stating Whisenant was a free climber or was free climbing when he was killed.
Honnold remains the only climber ever to free climb El Cap solo and in a single attempt.
In fact, Honnold still is actively seeking new “firsts,” like seeking out the tallest rock faces on the world. Two years ago made the first recorded ascent of a sea cliff in Greenland called Ingmikortilaq that is 1500 feet taller than the nose of El Cap. But now he’s climbing roped/protected, and with a partner, a woman.
Ingmikortilaq is made of gneiss and granite and if you know anything about geology/petrology you know gneiss rots (relatively) quickly once it’s exposed to weather and the biggest danger on this climb was getting you skull caved in by a chink of rock the lead climber had dislodged. I round it refreshing watching Honnold work in an environment that didn’t make me want to suck the upholstery of my La-Z-Boy into my anal sphincter.
Sorry, I obviously meant a "chunk" of rock.
There is a documentary about it, if you're interested, titled, "Arctic Ascent (with Alex Honnold)."
“….and if you know anything about geology/petrology you know gneiss rots…”
After forty years of banging on granite (in the form of tombstones) I couldn’t trust granite too well. I’ve seen huge chunks suddenly pop out of clean solid granite.