Posted on 06/03/2017 11:30:41 PM PDT by nickcarraway
It took roughly four hours Saturday for rock climber Alex Honnold to make an ascent so dangerous no one has ever tried it before: scaling Yosemite’s El Capitan with no rope.
Some called it a suicide mission. El Capitan is 3,000 feet of vertical granite, jutting straight to the sky. Many of its cracks are so small, they fit only one finger.
“I mean, there are BASE-jumping stunts that require you to be ‘on’ for 20 seconds,” said Chris McNamara, a Lake Tahoe climber who spent many years diving and parachuting off giant rocks. “And then there’s tightrope-walking between the (World) Trade Centers, which is like a five-minute thing. But this — this is something where Alex had to be ‘on’ for four hours.”
And if he lost concentration for a moment, he’d die.
Honnold, who grew up in Sacramento, began climbing at age 11. At 31, he’s risen to become one of the world’s most high-profile risk-takers. In 2008, he scrambled up the Moonlight Buttress in Utah’s Zion National Park and the northwest face of Yosemite’s Half Dome, completing both climbs without a rope. In 2015, he helped his friends Tommy Caldwell and Kevin Jorgeson in their historic free climb of El Capitan’s southeast face, which at that time was considered the hardest climb in history.
But there was a difference: Caldwell and Jorgeson had ropes anchored in the rock to catch them if they made a wrong move.
Honnold, who now lives in Las Vegas, said he’s been dreaming about conquering El Capitan with no safety equipment for at least eight years.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
I don’t think of myself as a fraidy-cat, but in THIS case, I am. There isn’t enough money in the world to make me try that.
That was one persistent cobra! (Seriously, though, that sounds like one heck of a trip. Thanks for mentioning it.)
Considerably more than photos of the route.
From a seconed source:
Over Memorial Day weekend, Honnold made a practice run up Freerider with Caldwell. The pair reached the top in a little over five and half hours, breaking their own speed record in the process. “Alex was on fire,” said Caldwell. “I’ve never seen him climbing so well.”
A few days before this week’s climb, Honnold hiked to the top of El Capitan and rappelled Freerider to make sure that a recent rainstorm had not washed off the marks he had made with dabs of chalk to highlight the route’s key holds. He found it dry and in perfect condition. Now all that was left was to rest and prepare mentally for the climb of his life.
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/features/athletes/alex-honnold/most-dangerous-free-solo-climb-yosemite-national-park-el-capitan/
“If I had eight hours to chop down a tree,
I’d spend six sharpening my ax.
A. Lincoln
Thanks for posting the video — incredible work on a 2500 ft free climb.
There are a few elite climbers that wear parachutes for big walls.
IMO, mostly to ‘test’ the equipment.
BASE jumping is not allowed, but deployment of a safety device...
And now two less.
Climber Dean Potter, friend tried to clear ‘notch’ at Yosemite before deaths
“I’ve watched him climb. He’s an incredible human being, something special.”
There’s the aspect of him having to be in over the top physical shape, and the there’s the absolute focus and concentration he’s able to remain in for the duration of the climb. Amazing.
uh...that no hands bit at the end was remarkable.
“oh, here’s a good place to just stand and rest my arms”.....
The crazy thing about this is you’re all-in. There is no climbing down, especially after one of those leaps. The only way off the climb is up. Balsy.
“Patton was supposed to have said ‘Americans love a winner.’ But not here on FR.”
We love winners, just not stupidity.
To be old and wise one must first survive being young and stupid.
We older types have seen the ropeless idiots that were once proclaimed ‘winners’ only to have since died from a fall.
seem to remember the book said in that part of the mountains it is not all that unusual.
“but i say the ‘rescue costs’ for over eating, eating junk food, smoking, drug abuse, driving while distracted etc etc etc far outweigh the costs of a rescue for a dangerous event like this”
HEAR! HEAR!
Some years back my insurance group voted to exclude thrill sports,for a better rate.
As a climber of many years, I protested, to no avail.
If someone drinks too much and crashes, overdose on drugs,AIDS...they are covered, I am not?
I never was attracted to the big walls, have made a few single pitch free solo,son a very active climber, daughter a former cell tower technician (mostly at the top).
This climb is an awesome display of physicality, mental focus and preparation.
That said, something in the underlying form makes it wrong.
The extreme risk makes a beautiful climb into a freak show.
A climber I was with did roped solos.
We were doing roped free climbing, but for practice he would lead the crux move part way, then reverse it, then finish.
Down climbing is often more difficult and it is possible to get stuck, not being able to yoyo for the gear.
No dynamic moves (leaps), intensely smooth up and down.
Makes sense. In preparation and practice, real beats virtual.
Saw this just after he finished.
I have mixed views on this event.(see #51)
Climbers are very competitive, I can do that one without chalk!, without the bomber hold below the crux,in boots...
Honnold did it in 4 hours, I can beat that...
That’s OK, until someone peels.
Also, he preplaced water and energy bars.
Diabetes, arterial cholesterol and sclerosis are all genetic trackable diseases. A person without bad genes can eat a stick of butter a day with no problems.
Morbid obesity is its own disease. We are not talking about people who Jerry Springer needs to remove a bedroom wall to get them out.
Well, we are a sympathetic species. For my part, I’d be happy not to rescue these selfish egoists. But, it isn’t going to happen, so make them pay.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.