Alex Honnold, a Soul Freed in ‘Free Solo’

NYT ^ | 10-25-18 | Bret Stephens

[Baynative]

In 1923, the mountaineer George Mallory gave an interview to The New York Times in which he famously explained why he was determined to summit Mount Everest. “Because it’s there.” He died in the attempt the following year. Alex Honnold, who last year became the first person to climb Yosemite’s El Capitan alone and without a rope, seems to have a different explanation for why he climbs. “Because I’m here.” ~snip~

But the thrills of the movie turn out to be incidental to its real purpose, which is less about climbing than it is about living. Honnold, it turns out, isn’t simply the most accomplished rock climber of our time. He also has a first-rate mind, capable of thinking through both the minute choreography of his moves across the wall as well as the basic questions of his time on earth.

[Baynative]

I recently saw this amazing movie and was gripped by the emotions it stirred in me. That complexity is explored in this column where the author tosses aside seriousness to bash Trump in an article about an amazing mental and physical feat.

[Baynative]

[JME_FAN]

Free Solo?

Hans Solo has been imprisoned?

Oh no! Han, use the Force!

Free Han!

Luke, you must save - oh, never mind ... The Syth Dark Lords of Disney destroyed Skywalker, and Star Wars with him.

All is lost.

[Lizavetta]

When the film won the Oscar, I was struck by the difference between the subject of the documentary - a man who climbs rock walls of thousands of feet high with no safety net or ropes, the possibility of his death a microsecond away at every second, his sheer physical ability and unbelievable mental strength to conquer his fear while doing it - and the other award winners who emote or direct for a living and think it's somehow oh so important.

The difference between riding a Big Wheel and winning the Tour de France.

[Qiviut]

The first time I became aware of Alex Honnold was at the Banff World Tour when they showed the movie “Sufferfest”. It’s hard to find online now - here’a a link that appears to be working (17 min):

https://www.climbing.com/videos/the-sufferfest-with-alex-honnold-and-cedar-wright-full-movie/

Alex & friend Cedar Wright are pretty hilarious together - Cedar is the more outgoing of the two.

Here is another movie - a subsequent, similar trip the two made together - starts out with them talking to an audience, but then they show the film - it’s got some great moments:

Sufferfest: 700 Miles of Pain and Glory | Nat Geo Live (21 min)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ri4CbP_E7oo

[GreatRoad]

The author of this article harms future viewership of this great documentary by making that erroneous statement, a rookie-style fuax pas.

[originalbuckeye]

Yep. I am afriad of heights so I won’t be watching this. And the sub-headline would have nixed it for viewing anyway.

[bluejean]

It is an documentary. My hands were sweating watching the climb, I was so tense. I cannot fathom how he is wired to want to do such things, but it’s amazing to watch. Leave it to a damn lib to ruin the purity of the subject matter by finding a way to hurl a TDS loogie into his own article. They just cannot stop themselves, even for a moment.

[bluejean]

It is an EXCELLENT documentary, I meant!! Argh. Need more coffee.

[billorites]

Wonderful cinematography.

I kept wondering, "How did they get these shots?"

[fluffy]

I thought it was a pretty good movie, once they got to the climbing. The man himself seemed like an incredibly selfish child. He’s obviously on the spectrum and has a lot of personal issues, and it’s certainly an amazing achievement, but I feel sorry for his girlfriend (if she’s still with him).

[Baynative]

You've hit on what pissed me off about the sub-title on the editorial.

The complex spiritual issue drawn in the movie of how dedicated Alex is to living his dream has led him to seemingly care little for his life which he explains as an intesiified caring borne by wanting the exhilaration of daring himself to defy the fear of death.

Either way you look at it, I think the athleticism is phenomenal.

Also I think the editorial writer is a complete asshole.

[Baynative]

The movie struck me in many ways. Not knowing much about climbing, I was blown away by the different disciplines of climbing and the technical routes of going up, down and sideways to reach the summit.

[Baynative]

[Larry Lucido]

May have to try that manana. Or maybe day after manana. Or maybe never after manana.

[mac_truck]

I kept wondering, "How did they get these shots?"

You may be interested in listening to this interview with the filmmakers Jimmy Chin and Chai Vasarhelyi on how they made the movie.

https://www.richroll.com/podcast/jimmy-chin-chai-vasarhelyi-407/

[Jim W N]

I’ve been following Alex Honnold from a distance for some time now and I am a great admirer and when I heard he was going to free solo El Cap, it never occurred to me he would fail. I just wanted to be sure I saw the film.

I loved the film and it gave me more insight into this amazing young man. (Nobody ever talks about his hands which are massively large and I think one key to his climbing success.)

But what this NYT writer doesn’t seem to grasp, or at least address, is that Alex’s perspective is a perspective of living a performance-based life, which can be a very exhausting and, really,an unrewarding, life. It often can be, as it may be in Alex’s life, a result of rejection (ex. Alex’s mother) and, thus, “proving” oneself. This is true with many, though not all, high achievers.

Better, IMO, to live a life of acceptance and let doing what you want spring from that fountain of acceptance. A happier life IMO.

[Jim W N]

Got ‘em saved for later. Thanks.

[billorites]

Thanks for that link.

[BookmanTheJanitor]

The guy who pretends he’s a conservative for the NY Times and MSNBC calls Trump a BS artist? Hmmm...