UKC

Gripping stuff once again...

"I pitched off a small bulge after breaking some inopportune holds and managed to self-arrest on a small tree smashing my knee and impaling one arm. It was very scary to say the least."

http://www.sportiva.com/live/live-archive/climbing-archive/alex-honnold-wha...

BW

In reply to Baron Weasel:

"It’s funny to climb and descend two classic Zion walls in the time it takes a party to climb 4 long pitches. It really puts the time spent using gear and ropes into perspective. "

I suppose it does but I'd say....

"I pitched off a small bulge after breaking some inopportune holds and managed to self-arrest on a small tree smashing my knee and impaling one arm. It was very scary to say the least."

...puts the gear and ropes thing into perspective more for me personally. But then I think I'm wired rather differently to Honnold.

In reply to NorthernGrit:

That was on the scrambling (/mountaineering) section at the top, normally avoided I think by rappelling the route.

jcm

In reply to Baron Weasel:

I like reading his stuff. It makes my palms sweat, and I'm usually making every move with the guy, as he's moving I'm moving, feel myself pulling on edges and cracks. The only difference is that when I'm doing it in my head is that I'm attached to a rope. I can't imagine otherwise. I not on the climb, but imagine that I could fall any minute. It frightens the life out of me when I think about the lack of an option he has.

Yep, he's wired different to me.

In reply to Baron Weasel: If Alex keeps his soloing up he's going, I fear, to do himself serious damage.

In reply to Baron Weasel: Bancroft once said to me 'Soloing can be a disease.'

The question is...
when do you think the infection has gone too far?

John Long's The Final Blasphemy is a great read,and calls into question competitive soloing.Not that I say that Honnold soloes competitively.Will he ever be an old pilot,I wonder...

Mitch

In reply to Removed User: I like reading it too. He does what he does because it is beautiful - not because he is a testosterone driven idiot and I can identify with that. It is a bit like heroin... i.e. putting a needle in your vein - but I for one hope he continues to be an example of what is possible and how fantastic life can be.

BW

In reply to Baron Weasel: Saw Nalle Hukkataival was also bemoaning the lack of media coverage that Honnold got for this (they are both Sportiva climbers), but I'm a bit conflicted about that. Sometime soloists talk very much about doing it just for themselves, it being very personal etc. etc. but it seems Honnold here thinks what he did should be covered? It's interesting in the US mags there are often letters saying any soloing shouldn't be covered at all; it seems more normal to criticize soloing there.

In reply to paul mitchell:

Only...?

Here it is.

The Only Blasphemy
by John Long

http://home.comcast.net/~e.hartouni/doc/Only_Blasphemy.txt

In reply to Baron Weasel:

Did I read correctly that he soloed Moonlight Buttress again, along with 2 other routes in the same day?!!

In reply to TobyA:

Yes me too. Seems maybe the soloing for myself thing may only be skin-deep, after all. The tone of the account (passing other slower climbers) also seems a bit different to the AH that we've seen/heard before - or am I imagining that?

In reply to Michael Ryan - UKC and UKH: Been a long time since I read it and had forgotten what a good essay it is. Found the format of the link annoying though, so dug out Mirrors in the Cliffs and read paper format instead.

In reply to Michael Ryan - UKC and UKH:

Am I correct in thinking that this essay is about two guys soloing Half Dome?

In reply to Baron Weasel:

A good read, but agree with the above - doesn't seem like he's doing it just for himself. Whether that's important is a separate question.

In reply to Elrond:

No.

In reply to Chris_Mellor:

"If Alex keeps his soloing up he's going, I fear, to do himself serious damage."

You mean like leading edge climbing in the Himalayas? At what point does your squeemishness allow us to pursue our versions of the great game.

http://www.theonion.com/articles/world-death-rate-holding-steady-at-100-per...

In reply to jon:

Then what Is it about then? That certainly seems like it!

In reply to Elrond:

Assuming you're talking about the link that Mick posted... John Long joins John Bachar for a day of soloing at Joshua Tree.

In reply to jon:

Oh right, I thought it was literally saying that they were soloing half dome. Cheers for clearing that up

In reply to Baron Weasel: Sounds like Honnold started out soloing for the love of doing it and subsequently started getting kudos and respect for it. But now he has grown used to this reward for what he does, when that is suddenly withdrawn, he notices the loss of it. It sounds perfectly expected and natural to me from a psychological viewpoint.

In reply to Offwidth: It ain't my squeamishness, it's my cold view of the logic. Alex is inspirational as hell but his soloing seems to be coming a job of work and getting the high, the thrill from it will mean he has to go higher and harder.

It's not a case of me approving or not either; each to his own. It's odds and they're beginning to be more stacked against him. If he does fall and hurt himself I'll be saddened by it.

Chris.

In reply to Chris_Mellor:

Your 'cold view of the logic' would stop all climbing as there is no point where deliberately choosing to face risk becomes logically acceptable. I've seen accidents indoors on top-ropes that were lucky not to have killed the climber so by your logic all climbing should stop (and driving a car and having a baby and ....). Since we all die sometime isnt the important thing how we choose to live?

You don't know the man yet you accuse him of letting his motivation get out of control. You dont know the risks yet you say they are becoming stacked against him.

I'd sincerely hope you would be saddened if if fell and hurt himself but I smell a Daily-Mail-like 'I told you' just waiting out there.