Posted on 03/17/2019 7:32:16 AM PDT by 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.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
I’ve followed him since he was still a teen
He’s done enough.
He’s got a lovely young lady who adores him
He should rest on his free solo laurels
You climb that style long enough you will die
No doubt
I get sweaty palms and scared just watching him
On that journey up El Cap
Two Pitches on that climb scared me ....the karate kick move to the left on I think pitch 5 or so
And the swing out near the top.....
It’s amazing
Athlete of the year
I’m sure the usual scolds here will be offering their nasty pearls from the comfort of the lazy boy
Hope I’m wrong
It will scare you trust me
I’ll make sandwiches!!
Wow, those pictures give me the heebie jeebies all over again!
Another article I read said he has lived in his van for over 7 years. The girlfriend talked him into buying a house, so he did. It's in Vegas and not furnished after two years. His net worth is around $2.5mm.
Lol, I watched a video of him reviewing some climbing scenes from popular action movies and literally didn’t listen to anything he said because I was completely distracted by his hands. They’re like cartoon hands.
“My hands were sweating watching the climb, I was so tense. I cannot fathom how he is wired to want to do such things”
Somebody once wired up a few of these extreme climbers, EEG I suppose it was, to see if their reaction to heights is different.
An unsurprisingly it is. They are wired differently. They have zero fear reaction to heights. Some people peg the fear meter just looking at a picture taken from a high place. These characters never budge the needle when they are dangling in real life from some insanely high cliff face.
I really want to see this flick—I looks amazing.
He is incredible, by far the best in the world at what he does. Ever.
There was an interesting scene in the movie when his MRI results showed his amygdala not responding to stimuli that affects most people. Maybe that’s why he can do what he does without the reactions most of us would have. And maybe why he is so dedicated to an extreme sport? It challenges his otherwise possibly bored brain? It’s interesting to ponder.
Just watched it this weekend on Netflix. The last 20 or so minutes showing the climb were riveting. I don’t know how this guy shoves the fear away. I was clenching on the sofa, but I couldn’t have stopped watching if I had wanted to. How does he climb with such huge gonads? When you hear somebody talk about a brave athletes, this guy needs to be on the top of the trophy.
It’s truly amazing. I caught it on DISH last month, completely by accident. I had never heard of him.
I’ve seen Alex...see we are on first name basis now....hey my wife cries watching him.....anyhow I’ve seen him having a contrast MRI whilst shown scary stuff and simulated fear or danger or graphic violence etc
His cerebral cortex doesn’t light up much like ours would
I don’t know how his adorable girlfriend handles it
He could go Dean Potter and climb
Even great climbers die...
Except Reinhold Messner of course.
Course he was never the free solo Alex is
Btw
I’m please to find Freepers appreciation of Alex
He’s the Aryton Senna cum Tom Brady cum Joe DiMaggio cum Michael Jordan of wall climbing
It’s amazing
There are other standout climbers but many are dead from the sport or died of old age l
And there is always the argument of wall climbers versus true Alpinists like Reinhold Messner
Messner is like Honold in a class of his own
But Honold in my view is more unique to his particular sport than anyone I’ve ever seen in wall climbing
Typical left wing bigot who just can't help but inject his personal politics into an otherwise decent essay.........But it is the NY Times......
With that being said, I saw that climb on cable maybe a week ago and I'm telling you that was spellbinding..........
With no muscular bulk, I marvel at the strength in his hands and forearms that literally allows to him hang by his finger tips.......Wow!
Oops, “we climbed the wrong mountain”......LOL!
It's always the guy who never gets any credit. It was the cameraman climbing next to him using only one hand and the camera in the other........
Just kidding....I suspect they were using camera drones........
“Sufferfest” is probably the film I remember the most from the Banff Film Tour - I believe it was the first time I ever attended the event. It’s funny .... those guys just cracked me up. How about that dicey ridge they had to traverse to get to the peak they should have climbed? Yikes!!
The 2nd film (700 miles) is pretty amusing as well.
Glad you’re enjoying them!!
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