I've watched a documentary on this guy. A real life spider man. El Capitan at one time was considered 'unclimbable' and the first ascent took a huge amount of equipment and 47 days.

This guy just free climbed it in 3 hours and 56 minutes.

http://www.msn.com/en-us/weath...fety-gear/ar-BBBUxBJ

Alex Honnold, a celebrated 31-year-old rock climber, on Saturday became the first person to scale Yosemite's El Capitan, a nearly 3,000-foot granite wall, without using ropes or other safety gear, according to National Geographic.

After his standard breakfast of oats, flax, chia seeds and blueberries, Honnold started the ropeless ascent — known as free soloing — at the first light of dawn, 5:32 a.m., and pulled himself over a rocky lip to the summit, a sandy ledge, 3 hours and 56 minutes later.

The climb, which National Geographic said may be the greatest feat of pure rock climbing in the history of the sport, was captured by a team of filmmakers, led by Jimmy Chin, one of Honnold’s longtime climbing partners, and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, for an upcoming National Geographic Documentary Films feature.

It was his second attempt to crack El Capitan. In November, Honnold made his first free-solo run at the granite behemoth, but quit after less than an hour because he said conditions did not feel right.

National Geographic said he had been training for the climb for a year at locations in the United States, China, Europe and Morocco, but kept it a secret from all but a small circle of friends and fellow climbers.

Honnold’s climbs are “so remarkable that it defies belief,” CBS correspondent Lara Logan said in a 2015 profile by CBS' 60 Minutes.

According to his website, Honnold "maintains his simple 'dirtbag-climber' existence, living out of his van and traveling the world in search of the next great vertical adventure."

I'm interested to watch what they put together from their filming.

I got $20 says he doesn't make it long without rope / safety gear.

Saw this earlier and thought to myself I bet Jimmy was there to document it for Nat Geo and sure enough reading this he was.

Alex is a bit crazy for free soloing stuff but he doesn't just walk up to a wall and solo it. I'm sure he's climbed this route many times with a rope and knows every single hand and foot hold.

Freerider is a 5.12d. That's serious climbing with a rope.

https://www.mountainproject.com/v/freerider/106261545

quote:

'Free solo' climber Alex Honnold conquers El Capitan without rope, safety gear

The tree fuzz NPS rangers let him?

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Originally posted by egregore:

quote:

'Free solo' climber Alex Honnold conquers El Capitan without rope, safety gear

The tree fuzz NPS rangers let him?

Would you climb up there to get him?

quote:

Originally posted by CPD SIG:
I got $20 says he doesn't make it long without rope / safety gear.

Folks like him and Dean Potter have been doing similar climbs for years without incident.

Potter died BASE jumping, after many years of climbing, a lot of which was free soloing, speed climbing, etc.

These guys are the best in the world, long bored with regular climbing, so they push the envelopes. I wouldn't do it myself, but see nothing wrong with their choices.

ymmv

What I wonder about is how someone like that gets down if he doesn’t go all the way to the top. I suppose it’s possible if one knows the route well enough that he doesn’t have to see where he’s putting his feet, but I would think that’s far more difficult than going up.

Down-climbing sucks. Most find it much more difficult, and generally avoid it if possible.

Ain't no Vulcans around to catch him if he slips.

quote:

Originally posted by airsoft guy:
Ain't no Vulcans around to catch him if he slips.

crazy, but bad ass.

quote:

Originally posted by sigfreund:
What I wonder about is how someone like that gets down if he doesn’t go all the way to the top. I suppose it’s possible if one knows the route well enough that he doesn’t have to see where he’s putting his feet, but I would think that’s far more difficult than going up.

Same thought crossed my mind. Gives me the Willies just thinking about it.

quote:

Originally posted by Sigmanic:

quote:

Originally posted by sigfreund:
What I wonder about is how someone like that gets down if he doesn’t go all the way to the top. I suppose it’s possible if one knows the route well enough that he doesn’t have to see where he’s putting his feet, but I would think that’s far more difficult than going up.

Same thought crossed my mind. Gives me the Willies just thinking about it.

Once you get up there, you're committed. Sure 'something' could happen but, these guys are very, very familiar with these routes; You just don't fall out of bed and decide to free-solo such a route, much less a lengthy multi-pitch route like those found on El Cap. Climbing is like playing chess, you need to think several moves ahead, which hand goes where, which leg, how many moves will it take to reach that prominent hold or, overhang. When I was just getting into the outdoor industry, Lynn Hill's free climb of the Nose on El Cap was the pinnacle of climbing achievement. Today, these guys are free-soloing many of these routes.

http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/...9.php#photo-13024716

Alex is the Beast.

After the first 35 feet the only difference between El Cap and the route that nearly did me in is how long you fall.

It's true. 50ft, 500ft, whatever, you're fucked if you fall and hit the deck.

I've been sport climbing and bouldering since '92 and can barely get up a couple of single pitch 5.11b routes on my best day, with safety gear.

Climbing a 5.12 anything is an extraordinary feat under any circumstances.

Here's the Nat Geo story with more detail.


http://www.nationalgeographic....nal-park-el-capitan/

I pulled up a youtube video of him climbing and could not even finish watching it...I can't even imagine the physical and mental stamina it takes to do accomplish something like this.

quote:

Originally posted by Rob Decker:

quote:

Originally posted by airsoft guy:
Ain't no Vulcans around to catch him if he slips.

My first thought as well. Glad I'm not the only one.

-Rob

quote:

Originally posted by BurtonRW:

quote:

Originally posted by Rob Decker:

quote:

Originally posted by airsoft guy:
Ain't no Vulcans around to catch him if he slips.

My first thought as well. Glad I'm not the only one.

-Rob

Guess what I'm reading everybody.