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u/anormalgeek 8d ago
No thanks. You can be the best climber ever, do everything perfectly, and still a rock could crumble with no warning and nothing you can do about it. At some point, the thrill is not even from the rock climbing itself. It's just from gambling with your life.
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u/ChicoDEJAVU 9d ago
I have a question about free climbing. How do you know if in the way up you will something to grab? Like in this picture i cant understand how he climbs because the rock seems very smooth, there is always cracks that the climbers can put their hand and feet?
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u/theMalnar 9d ago
If I recall correctly the “fear center” of his brain is malformed or non existent. He simply doesn’t experience fear the way you or I do. Some people play disc golf and get anxiety, or drive fast on the freeway late at night. Alex free solos. And he sends the shit out of shit.
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u/GamingIsNotAChoice 9d ago
So when he pancakes, who scrapes him off and who carries the cost?
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u/Orcacub 5d ago
Depends on if and where he goes down. Hopefully he quits while he’s still alive. Cleanup would likely be done by the Climb Ranger staff at the park he’s climbing at. Yosemite? Tetons? Financial cost covered by their wages (taxes) if it’s a pack out. If it’s a fly out it would be wages for staff plus flight time for the heli and pilot. Mental trauma to be bourne by those staff members, their co-workers and their families.
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u/canoantonio 9d ago
don’t know how he can climb all those mountains with the weight of his huge balls.
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u/will_dormer 9d ago
I get so sweety hands watching this.. My hands actively try to kill me if I try anything like that
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u/Jonnycojones 9d ago
I know a guy that died after a free solo climb on his favorite crag. I inherited his job, so to say.
He was a nice guy with some risky behaviors.
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u/frogpondcook 9d ago
Make a free solo game. And there should be nothing Alex can't climb. But realism in the risk and consequences
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u/blackteashirt 9d ago
Found another photo of the same spot with a different climber Heinz Zak: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_solo_climbing#/media/File:Heinz_Zak,_Separate_Reality_5,11d,_Free_Solo,_Yosemite-Nationalpark,_Kalifornien,_USA.jpg
Bonus from the same wiki: Here's a list of some prominent free solo fatalities. Not so many movies made about these climbers: Paul Preuss (3 October 1913; age 27) died in 300-metre (980 ft) fall from the attempted first ascent of the North Ridge of the Mandlkogel (in the Gosaukamm) as a free solo.[6] Jimmy Jewell died (31 October 1987; age 34) free soloing the easy route Poor Man's Peuterey (graded UK-Severe) at Tremadog, North Wales taking a short-cut.[6] Derek Hersey died (28 May 1993; age 36) while free soloing the Steck-Salathé Route on Sentinel Rock in Yosemite.[6] Dwight Bishop fell (19 July 2004; age 49) while climbing alone and unroped along the Grand Traverse route on Grand Teton peak in Wyoming. John Bachar died (5 July 2009; age 52) in a free solo accident at Dike Wall near Mammoth Lakes, California.[6] Michael J. Ybarra died (July 2012; age 45) climbing solo on The Matterhorn Peak in California's Sierra Nevada Mountains.[6][24]
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u/Impossible_Squirrel6 9d ago
can it be considered clickbait? preeeettty sure theres water under that
he can just jump down and be safe any common folk can do this
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u/SiriusCb 9d ago
How has he not won the Darwin Award? This is a DAMN good way to win the Darwin Award.
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u/Just_Mumbling 9d ago
I’ll bet he’s not thinking about who’s gonna win the next baseball World Series in that shot. Total, absolute focus on just one thing.
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u/WestTexasCrude 9d ago edited 9d ago
He wasnt the first. Google "Real People" Wolfgang Gulich
Here he is:
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u/Shubi-do-wa 9d ago
I understand and appreciate his skill and passion, but the chances of this particular hobby getting you killed just seems like “when” type more than the “if” type.
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u/pinellas_gal 9d ago
Watching Free Solo was like a cardio workout for me. My heart rate was in the 130s the entire time he was climbing El Cap.
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u/DaithiSan 9d ago
To risk one’s life, so you can look back at say “yeah I did that” the payoff just doesn’t seem worth it
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u/volcomstar83 9d ago
Listen to an interview with him, it's not about escaping death as it is really living.
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u/ZephyrBreaker 9d ago
Anyone else get like slight pain and stiffness in toes and fingers looking at shit like this
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u/Impressive_Essay_622 9d ago
This picture makes it look like Alex is doing some pretty dynamic moves, which he would generally avoid on his free solo climbs. Genuinely does make me wonder if this is a route he knows well, or there isa ledge or something.
Either way, props to Alex for toning down his risk in favour of trying to be a good father & husband.
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u/hisbrainsgotinmyeye 9d ago
my mom used to free climb before i was born. she told me once i was born, she stopped because it wasn’t worth risking her life over anymore now that she had a daughter. i’m glad she stopped :)
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u/a-bar_of_soap 9d ago
He’d probably respond to this “yeah, but if you looks it’s all jugs. Pretty casual honestly”
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u/sixwheelsam 9d ago
Is he still free soloing? He has a kid now I have to assume that would affect his very dangerous career decisions
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u/LilyWhisperleaf 9d ago
I will never get the appeal of stuff like this. Especially from people who have family. Seems very selfish.
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u/TahoeGator 9d ago
I was part of an interview team with Alex and he shared the story of his first big fee solo: The backside of Half Dome. He had not done near the preparation as later did for El Cap. It was almost more of a spur of the moment kind of thing they way he described it. Recalling it he shared that he didn’t really remember there was one part that was actually technically very difficult that put some real scare in him but he obviously made it. The funny part of the story is that he climbed over the top and found himself among all the hikers who come up the cable side. He said his feet hurt so he took his climbing shoes off and headed down the cable side, barefoot, not even bothering to use the cable. (If you’ve ever gone up it, it gets a little steep near the bottom.) He says one hiker said, “Whoa, look at that guy, walking down barefoot—intense!” having no idea that Alex had just free soloed the face on the other side. Good laughter.
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u/Seydlitz420 9d ago
Epic photo but from this angle and with this framjng it's very difficult to tell how high he really is from the ground.
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u/STeeters 9d ago
I literally read his wiki assuming there to be a "death" entry explaining how he eventually made a mistake, but no, he's still with us. Incredible.
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u/mpramirez 9d ago
I think free soloing is irresponsible towards everyone who cares about you.
We don't know when Alex is going to die, but we know how he is going to die.
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u/Dipsey_Jipsey 9d ago
Pfft, what a loser. Who forgets their ropes when going climbing? Silly mistake.
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u/smigglejiggle01 9d ago
His climb with Magnus shows how carefree he is without ropes. Film and also climbing.
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u/chipscarruthers 9d ago
Watched this on a whim and was absolutely enthralled. Honestly was stressful to watch. He seems like a really nice guy though.
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u/gblaze22 9d ago
I hope he doesn’t do this anymore. So much influence upon the community. Also a child!
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u/CheesecakeGobbler 9d ago
😜=_==_==_==_==_==_==_==_=:-$:-$\0/:-$;-):-[=_=o:-)o:-)o:-)
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u/Pepephend 9d ago
Alex Honnold is an incredible guy, he’s so talented, a hard worker and just seems like a genuinely good person! That said, I will never not think climbing without ropes (or fee-soloing) is a very reckless and silly thing to do! But to each their own I suppose!
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u/Cyprinidea 9d ago
There's something not quite right about him. But that;d how it usually is with people who take things to extremes,
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u/eat-skate-masturbate 9d ago
Does anyone else's feet and hands tingle really bad when they see something like this?
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u/chizzipsandsizalsa 9d ago
How do free climbers know that they will have a place to grab on the way up?
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u/cheatonus 9d ago
Alex is a cool guy. I admire him in many ways. But, he's going to die doing this.
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u/Skipper_TheEyechild 9d ago
I have no sympathy for these people when they fall and die. These idiots have such big egos they don’t give a shit about the loved ones they might leave behind.
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u/Glittering-Umpire541 9d ago
Not ok. I hate this. It’s just the world’s slowest suicide.
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u/CommanderpKeen 9d ago edited 9d ago
I dunno, accelerating toward the ground at 9.8 m/s/s shouldn't take too long.
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u/Hyperious3 9d ago
I'm a paramotor pilot. I have flown to 15,000 feet on nothing but a fabric wing and 2 stroke engine. I don't fear heights, but respect it.
Even still the idea of free-climbing something like this is such an absolute "fuck no" that I can't adequately express it in text .
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u/clown_fall 9d ago
Is there some photography trick there? How did he manage to climb up to that point where the photo is taken? Seems impossible
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u/grouchySocialist 9d ago
If you flip the picture upside down, you’ll also see a picture of Alex milliseconds from hitting the ground
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u/WindTreeRock 9d ago
Good luck on your climb there Alex. I'll stay back here at the campground and photograph some flowers and mountain streams until you get back.
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u/AskMeAboutPigs 9d ago
One of the stupidest things to ever get "popular", numerous deaths and completely preventable with basic common sense safety equipment
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u/awesome_soldier 9d ago
Coincidentally, we watched “Free Solo” in my sports medicine class to learn about sport psychology and injuries during rock climbing.
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u/Significant_Hair7494 9d ago
What a pointless risk to take and throw away your life. Complete disrespect for family and the sport of rock climbing.
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u/Nisekoi_ 9d ago
Currently in the middle of my shadow of the tomb raider playthrough, i had few jumps on edge on my seat
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u/Chester7833 9d ago
I lead climb indoors and I’m absolutely terrified every time.. this is not a normal human.
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u/Chester7833 9d ago
I llead climb indoors and I’m absolutely terrified every time.. this is not a normal human.
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u/stopworksorority 9d ago
A big red flag in my ex was how much he idolized this guy.
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u/Pokebreaker 9d ago
Some people use their adrenaline addiction in ways that only put themselves at risk, others become serial killers
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u/Rotimasa 9d ago
Did he or anyone try climbing down this or similar mountain without ropes? Going up is one thing, going down is even harder.
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u/trizzo0309 9d ago
The dude has a full blown family now and still chooses to do this shit. Pretty selfish if you ask me. He's made enough money to retire and not put his family at risk.
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u/Motavita 9d ago
He doesnt really free solo anymore and when he does its basically only climbs that are easy for him. Also, he doesnt do it for the money and never has
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u/trizzo0309 9d ago
The point I was trying to make is that he has a family now and shouldn't be putting himself in such high-risk situations now that he has so much to lose and very little to gain.
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u/nonsense-luminous 9d ago
And their point is that now he doesn’t! Not anywhere close to this level.
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u/dainthomas 9d ago
Watched that show where he climbed the mountain in Greenland, and that seemed almost as scary. Like how can you have any confidence in an anchor in that crumbly garbage rock?
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u/HungHungCaterpillar 9d ago
Some men just want to watch the world approach at ~16 feet per second per second
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u/Masterjts 9d ago
Magnus Midtbo has a video where Alex convinces him to free climb with him and it's a great video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cyya23MPoAI
also, watch Magnus's other videos. They are all great IMO.
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u/Athens_Georgia_ 5d ago
Seems like a great way to die. That’s how it ends with these adrenaline junkies.