Alex Honnold is unbelievable.

I just saw a segment on this guy on 60 minutes. It was mind blowing. I was afraid, just watching it.

I know nothing about climbing and have no idea if this video is representative of this guy's talent.

If you know climbing and can find a YouTube that does this guy justice, please post it.

There was a compelling film called "Alone on the Wall" touring with the Banff Mtn Film Festival two years ago, then another this year with him climbing with speed climber Ueli Steck.  "Alone..." really polarized the audience, as in, "the guy is a nut," or "the guy is an amazing athlete."

Here is a trailer:



If you think Alex Honnold is "out there," check out this clip from "The Swiss Machine," where Ueli solos the North Face of the Eiger in record time. FWIW, both films were re-enacted ascents by the original climbers, which in my view, does not diminish the accomplishment at all.

SBR was not able to make your Honnold video play but the clip of Steck on the Eiger is quite something.  (Also I guess I should have put the thread in Woodstove as free climbing is not necessarily a summer sport.)

Was trying to see if Honnold did any winter climbing and found an article in Outside.  

The comments do a pretty good job of laying out the nut vs pioneer arguments:

http://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-adventure/climbing/rock-climbing/No-Strings-Attached.html

Harvey44 wrote

SBR was not able to make your Honnold video play but the clip of Steck on the Eiger is quite something.

Hmmm. Very strange. Here is the full 24 minute version:

http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XMjM3MTcyOTgw.html

" Nothing is so common-place as the wish to be remarkable. " - Shakespeare

" There is nothing so remarkable as the need to be remarkable. " - I forget who.

Yea, yea. it effects us all to varying degrees.

It drives some to truly stretch the envelope, but alot of those envelopes don't matter. All have experienced the " I'm so good failure surely will not happen to me! " a time or two but usually it's in small matters and reality bitch slaps us back to...reality.

Daredevils take it to new heights and higher even still in search of fame and glory. Except when reality then enforces it's humility, they pay the ultimate price. Happens every year to extremers who rollick in the limelight and attention then die young, missing half their life or more and all that it had to offer for the fleeting attention of fame

Easy for those on the sidelines to down play their risk, telling them to ignore the cost and go for it.....

Gravity and mortality are ever present, vigilant and unforgiving.

Suit yourself. Load the scales true. Weigh well my friend. JMO.

Every time I go climbing, there always seems to be someone soloing..I can't stand to watch, any mistake, you die..I don't to witness a terrible death..

youtube or google Dean Potter that boy is sick..