UKC

In tonight's Friday Night Video, we see Alex Honnold soloing Heaven 5.12d in Yosemite Valley. The route starts 3000ft above the valley floor and despite being "only 18 moves long" over 30 ft of climbing, the exposure and scenery doesn't disappoint. This short film made by Jimmy Chin for Squarespace gives an insight into Alex's mind as he attempts to solo a route which had previously only been soloed once before by Dean Potter.

Read more at http://www.ukclimbing.com/news/item.php?id=69256

In reply to UKC News:

'attempts to solo'?

Surely you either solo a route like that or you don't... on which note I found that quite disturbing to watch despite knowing he must have made it!

In reply to UKC News:

Aye, those foot placements look quite critical, a note to anyone inside their abilities however.

In reply to howifeel:

I wonder how many times he's climbed that route before the solo.

In reply to UKC News:

>http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xh0wcf_dean-potter-free-solos-40-foot-over...

Here's DP for comparison. Notably different sequence.

jcm

In reply to johncoxmysteriously:

I do wonder, just how much longer he can carry this on before the laws of probability do for him.

In reply to UKC News:

He actually flash-soloed the route in 2011:
http://www.outsideonline.com/blog/outdoor-adventure/first-go-no-rope.html

In reply to eddiherkules:

Jeepers!!

jcm

In reply to UKC News:

Did anyone else think "I'm not going to watch this because the more views it gets the more the sponsors and movie makers will want to make videos of people soloing and sooner or later someone will fall off for a film and I'll have a small piece of responsibility for it?"

Just curious.

In reply to AdrianC:



Yes I agree.

Watched it after a bit of soul searching but knowing there was no sad ending.

He did look so solid throughout, very impressive indeed.

Hopefully he solos for personal reasons, the sponsorship is just a bonus to enable the lifestyle.

In reply to Rick Graham:



Almost definitely I'm sure

In reply to AdrianC:

I think "solo" should be exactly that; done with no one else nearby. If the solo climber falls he or she pays the price and doesn't coerce anyone else into some rescue or recovery mission. I have always quietly resented solo climbers who climb in front of others ignoring the fact that their fall will ruin my climbing trip. Controversial!!!!

In reply to UKC News:

It always impresses just how smooth and composed he is - very fluid in movements.

In reply to MaxJEF:

I have some sympathy with this, a good while ago I did portfolio at windgather, and as I was setting the belay and waiting for my second to climb a soloist followed me up. He was not confident on the top moves and I wondered whether I would be looking into his eyes as he slipped off. Not a nice thought!

I did Adrian. I'm a climber myself but I struggle to comprehend the mind of the soloist. The argument of it being 'the purest form of climbing' doesn't hold water for me. Videos like this create addiction to what essentially is an extremely reckless activity.

Interestingly, I find that watching people soloing has a lot in common with going to a bullfight, strange as the comparison may seem. Those who go to bullfights already have the anticipated 'frisson' of the possibility of the bullfighter being caught by the bull. They don't wish that to happen but it is part of the experience of watching a bullfight.

Watching a soloing video works on the same level. The possibility of the solo climber falling - to his death - is always there, and that creates the same kind of 'frisson'.

In reply to pangeafoto:

It's the pornography of danger, innit?

jcm

In reply to pangeafoto:


I soloed some long hard stuff in my reckless (wreckless?) yoof. I now regret it and see it as totally irresponsible (MY solos only, I'm not talking about other people soloing), thinking "If I'd fallen what would my parents have thought?"

I've watched people solo 300 foot hard stuff but cringed while watching.

I watched the Alex clip - I knew he wouldn't die, of course.

PS and relevant to nothing, my best friend was killed soloing an easy rock route.

In reply to UKC News:

I've watched any number of climbing videos. But Honnold is the only guy who scares me to the extent that I find my guts churning......

In reply to UKC News: He,s so in control,i find him a joy to watch.One of the best solos ive ever seen was catherine destivelles solo in mali,possibly the most gracefull climer ive seen imo.

In reply to snoop6060:


Hmmm? You lost me there.

In reply to jon:

Haha, yeah. I get your point. I don't love to vomit, though that is the logical inference. Perhaps I meant I am just blown away with people who solo routes in the verdon. Its a crazy place to be soloing and always looks massively impressive, even at 6a like in that pic above.

In reply to Rick Graham:

I tend to agree... but I still watched the video, and will probably watch others again.

One reason I'll hesitate is because of the other talented climbers out there who would like to get publicity and sponsorship, but reasonably don't want to take the risks of soloing. Things like this push the bar upwards of what sort of risks people take to get publicity (ie what it takes to get me to click on a link).

Whether he would have done it anyway, or does it primarily for the love of climbing (as may well be true for someone like him) doesn't really change this..

In reply to snoop6060:

12d/13a will be comparable to E5 no?

In reply to Stevie989:

No, F7c/7c+ will be E6/7 ish.

jcm

In reply to johncoxmysteriously:

Thats where I break down - Transferring american grades into french to compare to UK.

In reply to Stevie989:

London wall would be the in the region of 5.11d/5.12a I would say.

This thread did remind me of this classic footage of Patrick Edlinger soloing barefoot in the verdon. youtube.com/watch?v=JvsgHWKJOUA& .

Just to think as well, he died falling down the stairs. Sad. Great climber.

In reply to Stevie989:

The trouble is you can never just translate the grades anyway, since E grades take the protection into account. I get the impression a lot of the time the E grade wouldn't actually be that high for a lot of famous routes abroad due to this - the only way to tell really is for a Brit to do a route and say it would be E5 6b or whatever in the UK.

In reply to Michael Gordon:

Obviously this is technically correct, but at the same time I can assure you that a well-protected F7c roof crack is not going to be E5.

jcm

This article is probably relevant:
http://blog.jimmychin.com/2014/10/anatomy-of-a-shoot-the-squarespace-spot/

To qoute:
"Having Alex roped up would make it a lot easier to shoot multiple angles, repeat climbing sequences for the camera and, needless to say, a lot less stressful, but Alex was pretty set on free soloing the route. This was a very personal decision on Alex’s part, but it has to be said here: we’re talking about freesoloing a 5.12d and a route that’s only been free soloed twice - once by Dean Potter and once by Alex himself."

In reply to UKC News:
I had a good conversation with Alex a few years when he has doing a publicity film in Utah. He is the single most rational individual I've ever met. No hype, no drama, no edge - he just loves climbing alone, people get in the way a s he said. And he's very, very good as can be seen. I have to think that one day it will end badly, that'll be a shame.

That term "free soloing" AGAIN!

In reply to pangeafoto:


Like many gritstone climbers, I've done a lot of soloing down the years and still do. In fact in terms of footage I'd say that probably most of my climbing has been solo -you rack up a lot of climbs in a couple of hours. I love it. I don't know if I'd claim it's the 'purest form' just (for me) the most enjoyable. There's no feeling like moving fluidly and confidently over the rock, up one down the next, no faffing with gear or ropes, just flowing. That's the beauty of it for me. I only solo stuff I consider absolutely solid and where I think I have an adequate safety margin, though occassionally I do miscalculate and give myself a fright. It's nothng to do with addiction to risk or being reckless. When I'm soloing I feel confident and in control. That's a huge part of the pleasure. Being scared ruins it for me.