quote:

Originally posted by Rolan_Kraps:
I'm with Para on this one.
This guy spoke at our Sales Kick-off back in August and all I could think of was "so what"? There was absolutely zero reason he should have done it. You want to impress me, Invent something. Don't just "climb a rock".

I doubt he did it to impress anyone. I think he would be happy to climb without anyone seeing him. Sure he did the movie and publicity but I would bet a large part of that is to make his sponsors happy so he can continue to get paid for doing what he loves.

If he was jumping up and down saying look at what I did and talking about how he is the best would call him a jerk but he seems very low key. He just want to climb and live a simple life.

quote:

Originally posted by Southflorida-law:

Funny, after reading this thread I went home last night and watched "Meru". Great movie, and I found a lot of similarities in the "mind set" between mountain climbing and cave diving. Especially the mentoring aspect and extending limits.

I've thought the same thing. Many think some of the wreck diving I do in insane but it's all about understanding your limits and managing the risk.

While not my thing, the similar thread to things like this are the mental discipline required at all times. The battle isn't in what you are doing, it's in your mind.

Greatest sports feat ever. Not trying to glorify this amazing feat, but it's so far beyond anything that has ever occurred that it's near unfathomable.

Been climbing 45 years. I've seen Bachar do laps in Joshua Tree that were fantastic, seen Derek Hershey climb and was in Yos the day he peeled off Steck-Salathe (I was climbing in the am, it rained in the afternoon). Had buddies climb with some of these folks so I know a bit about it.

Most incredible sports feat ever. Not saying he won't splat next go round, he almost peeled off Half Dome. His solo of Touchstone was way out there as well as well. He either stops or someday he'll auger in and eat dirt.

quote:

Originally posted by RHINOWSO:
While not my thing, the similar thread to things like this are the mental discipline required at all times. The battle isn't in what you are doing, it's in your mind.

It helps when you're on the spectrum. If you watch the movie, its apparent.

quote:

Originally posted by comet24:

quote:

Originally posted by Rolan_Kraps:
I'm with Para on this one.
This guy spoke at our Sales Kick-off back in August and all I could think of was "so what"? There was absolutely zero reason he should have done it. You want to impress me, Invent something. Don't just "climb a rock".

I doubt he did it to impress anyone. I think he would be happy to climb without anyone seeing him. Sure he did the movie and publicity but I would bet a large part of that is to make his sponsors happy so he can continue to get paid for doing what he loves.

If he was jumping up and down saying look at what I did and talking about how he is the best would call him a jerk but he seems very low key. He just want to climb and live a simple life.

There's a scene in the doc where Alex and a much older free solo veteran discuss this very subject. They talk about how filming a free solo ascent makes it feel less pure.

The movie makes clear that Alex prefers climbing in solitude or with just a few friends. The filming and publicity are compromises. He's not a dumb guy. He knows that if he wants to make a living being a professional climber, he has to be willing to sell himself. Climbing is a very niche sport/activity. It's not as if there's a lot of sponsorship money to go around.

His TED talk was interesting. Amazing preparation.

I see another "he died doing what he loved" topic coming. I don't understand why people like to gamble with their lives on purpose.

Amazing accomplishment, no doubt.
Alex has unbelievable strength and courage.

Please quit while you're ahead. You have nothing left to prove.

...

quote:

Originally posted by patw:
I see another "he died doing what he loved" topic coming. I don't understand why people like to gamble with their lives on purpose.

Some people like to live on the edge (pun intended)
Some people are adrenaline junkies
Some people are more adventurous than others
Not everyone is the same

quote:

Originally posted by patw:
I see another "he died doing what he loved" topic coming. I don't understand why people like to gamble with their lives on purpose.

If you watch or read some interviews w/ Alex, you'll get an idea of how methodical he is about his ascents. He spent two years preparing for El Capitan. He knows the route he climbed so well that he could do it in the dark. On his personal scale of difficulty, the technical and athletic parts of the climb overall rated about 6/10. A couple parts might have rated a 7. The real challenge for him was staying mentally focused and 'in the zone'.

We all gamble w/ our lives. Do you have to look very hard to find people who:

drink and drive?
who drive while drowsy?
who ride motorcycles w/o helmets?
who are alcoholics?
who partake in recreational hard drugs?
have unprotected sex w/ questionable partners?

What all the above have in common is a significant disparity between real vs perceived risk. In the examples above, most people who do those things are at greater risk of killing themselves than Alex one of his free solos.

Alex is fully aware of the risk in what he does, which is why he prepares so intensely. His nickname in the climbing community is 'No Big Deal', b/c his free solo ascents are relatively easy for a climber of his caliber.

Free Solo just won the Oscar for best documentary film.

Congrats to Jimmy, Chai, and Alex.

Been meaning to catch this film. Is it on Netflix or Amazon? Anyway, congrats to Alex.

And on another note...the Oscars were tonight? How about that?

quote:

Originally posted by Balzé Halzé:

And on another note...the Oscars were tonight? How about that?

Watched that and turned them off. Only thing I wanted to see.

Its being broadcast on NatGeo, Sunday, March 3rd.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Well deserved.

The most interesting part of the film is the first time Honnold started to free solo. At pitch six he tossed it in and backed away. Later, the film crew is discussing the fact he backed away and Chin, no stranger to not backing away, observes it was a remarkably mature decision, one he didn't think Honnold had in him just a year earlier.

The other interesting thing was the response of the ground cameramen. They were visibly stressed to the point of turning their back on the cameras. Meanwhile Honnold is casually climbing a route that mad my palms run with sweat like the Spring thaw in Yosemite.

Excellent documentary. Will have you cringing.

Watching one called "Mountain" right now, narrated by Willem Dafoe. Honnold is in it. Beautiful music and scenery and yes, it makes your skin crawl watching these kids.