Old free solo climber Alex Honnold (born August 17, 1985) is an American rock climber best known for his free solo ascents of big walls. Apr 10, 2022 · Free Solo Documentary. The climbing was reported on April 1 and at first, viewers never took the news seriously. Dierdre Wolownick previously set this record in 2017 at the age of 66, which she wrote about in her book The Sharp End of Life: A Mother’s Marc-André Leclerc (October 10, 1992 – March 5, 2018) was a Canadian rock climber, ice and mixed climber, and alpinist. Jan 27, 2024 · Alex is a 38-year-old rock climber who rose to fame in 2018 after climbing the world's most famous rock face, El Capitan, without any ropes — a style of climbing known as free soloing. Six years later, I would make the first free solo of Yosemite’s rare-to-form Widow’s Tears (WI 5; 1,700 feet). I believe both that his free solos are amazing feats, approaching the limits of human potential, and that he’s recklessly risking his own life. * It's been long overdue to feature another greatest free solo climbs video, so here it is. Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin produced this National Geographic documentary. In 2007, he free-soloed Astroman and The Rostrum in Yosemite, becoming only the second person after Peter Croft in 1987 to do it. The Camry Dynamometer displays the amount of force in pounds a Jul 11, 2023 · A 26-year-old woman plummeted 500 feet to her death while free-solo climbing inside a national park in Colorado Sunday, according to officials. Honnold gives me cognitive dissonance. Honnold achieved widespread fame after starring in the 2018 documentary Free Solo, which followed his successful attempt to free solo El Capitan via the climbing route Freerider (VI 5. He is known for his solo ascents–often in winter–of major ice and alpine climbing routes. 13+). 11c/6c+) and the Rostrum (5. Sep 21, 2023 · Speed climber Ueli Steck scaled the Heckmair Route – normally a three-day climb – in 2h 47m, while American Dean Potter did the world's first freeBASE (free solo with a parachute) on the 5:12 Mar 1, 2022 · Alex Honnold (August 17, 1985) is an American climber known primarily for his big wall free solo ascents, largely in Yosemite National Park, California. Oct 15, 2018 · Alex Honnold, a prolific 32-year old free solo climber, prepares to make his way up the intimidating vertical slab without the help of any ropes, harnesses, or protective gear of any kind. In 2017, he scaled El Capitan, a 3,000-foot granite wall in Yosemite National Park. 13d Free Solo in the climbing history in 91 170 Skyscrapers | Burj | Khalifa | Dubai ⬇️ Explore my feats" Jul 11, 2023 · A 26-year-old Boulder woman died Sunday after she fell 500 feet during a free-solo climb on the Four Aces of Blitzen Ridge in Rocky Mountain National Park, park officials said. Rock climber Alex Honnold completes a 3,000-foot rope-free climb of El Capitan in Yosemite National Park on June 3, 2017. Nov 15, 2023 · A 25-year-old Jim Reynolds accomplished a remarkable free solo ascent of Cerro Fitz Roy’s 5,000-foot rock climb called Afanassieff. The climb was documented In 2017, when Alex Honnold made his stunning free-solo ascent of Yosemite’s El Capitan, he was taking an unimaginable risk: nearly three thousand feet of cli Jul 12, 2023 · A 26-year-old died after falling 500 feet while free-solo climbing in Colorado, park officials said. Oct 23, 2017 · Speed climber Ueli Steck scaled the Heckmair Route – normally a three-day climb – in 2h 47m, while American Dean Potter did the world's first freeBASE (free solo with a parachute) on the 5:12 Jan 19, 2024 · A year down, he free soloed the 1,200-foot, 5. In 2019 Austin Howell died falling during a free solo climb in North Carolina. VICE joins French Free Solo Climber, Alexis Landot, as he prepares for his hardest climb yet, The Mercury Tower in Paris, and learns why he climbs and how fr Jun 13, 2024 · Alex Honnold climbing onsight, or without advance knowledge of the route, near Las Vegas. A month later, James Lucas’s now classic piece, “The Freerider,” appeared in Climbing No. Boulder Apr 2, 2025 · The style of climbing, considered the most risky and bold, is known as free soloing. May 26, 2023 · Climbing grades have since moved further up the ladder, but at the time, this was very near the cutting edge of human possibility. Alex Honnold is a professional adventure rock climber whose audacious free-solo ascents of America’s biggest cliffs have made him one of the most recognized and followed climbers in the world. This drone shot captures his epic climb. His hardest free solo climb was a 5. 14d) or 8c+ (5. In this article, we’ll dive into the thrilling world of free soloing and shine a spotlight on the most famous free soloists of our time, both past and present. Honnold took months to prepare for his most famous climb, a free solo of El Capitan in Yosemite National Park. Oct 22, 2018 · Alex Honnold is a polarizing figure. m. The woman’s climbing partner, who was uninjured and called for help on his cellphone, was hoisted off the ridge by a Colorado Air National Guard helicopter Sunday night. Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin, Sunday March 3 at 9/8c Nov 22, 2016 · Adam Ondra, a world champion Czech climber, just achieved the second free ascent of Yosemite’s hardest big-wall free climb, the Dawn Wall—in record time. Norelco, after a “cordless” electric razor—entered mainstream American consciousness. Photo credit: Jimmy Chin/ National Geographic. Howell, 31, from Lombard, Illinois, was known for his exceptional skill in climbing without a rope, a practice he described as his way of *Do not attempt any of the activities shown in this video. However, Honnold’s achievements go way beyond his daring free solos. Feb 1, 2022 · I haven’t always been comfortable climbing ropeless, but through practice that’s changed. Free soloing means climbing with no rope or gear, a historic genre that in the late 1970s, through the Yosemite-based John Bachar—at the time nicknamed Mr. Caldwell made the first free ascents of several major routes on El Capitan in Yosemite National Park. Their ascent was seen as part publicity stunt and part badass. Tommy Caldwell (born August 11, 1978) is an American rock climber who has set records in sport climbing, traditional climbing, and in big-wall climbing. The 2018 documentary, Free Solo, follows Alex Honnold as he attempts to successfully solo climb El Capitan in Yosemite in 2017. Any mistake, any misstep, even an uncontrollable event like rock fall could send you plummeting to your death. They Could Fall to the Ground at Any Time With One Wrong Move. By 2017, he was already one of the world’s best free-soloists. 15 first ascents and repeats. Just the thought of such a Jul 5, 2024 · Often, free soloists do climb alone and it can be a very personal experience, though climbers can also take the free solo approach and enjoy a route together. The 27-year-old ice and mixed expert was climbing the Spitzenstätter (VII/5. 12a / 7a+. It's the second reported death in the “Climbing free solo and barefoot in Verdon at 60 years old. Mar 31, 2017 · Steph Davis is one of the the world’s most experienced free-solo climbers. The headstrong adventurer is the subject of Free Solo, a new documentary from filmmakers Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin. We ment Nov 24, 2024 · Honnold’s exceedingly bold 2017 free solo of the Freerider route on El Capitan was a seismic moment in climbing’s history, while the resulting Free Solo documentary film made Honnold a global superstar. We’ll explore their jaw-dropping achievements and the legendary climbs that have earned them a place in rock climbing history. Alex Honnold Speed climber Ueli Steck scaled the Heckmair Route – normally a three-day climb – in 2h 47m, while American Dean Potter did the world's first freeBASE (free solo with a parachute) on the 5:12 Feb 15, 2024 · Shortly after Alex made history by becoming the first person to free solo El Capitan, the two completed another big wall free climb on Yosemite’s El Capitan, called Passage to Freedom (5. My come back on rocks after a 22 years absence on the natural landscape,” the climber wrote as he posted the video. Free Climbers Can Have a Rope to Protect Them From a Fall (If Necessary), But the Rope Doesn’t Have Help Them Climb. He made the ascent up the 3,000-foot vertical wall in June 2017 without any ropes. 10+) up the center of the face. Free Solo Climbers Climb Without a Rope, Harness or Any Safety Equipment. It’s either death or Feb 26, 2019 · We would like to show you a description here but the site won’t allow us. While it was popularized by the 2018 documentary, “Free Solo,” of professional rock climber Alex Honnold’s free solo of El Capitan in Yosemite National Park, its place in climbing can be traced back to Mar 7, 2025 · Las Vegas resident Alex Honnold is perhaps the most famous rock climber in the world. 12c / 7b+ route “Dalai Lama” and he had onsight solo’d 5. In 2008, Honnold free-soloed Moonlight Buttress in Moab, Utah, a popular nine-pitch 5. She fell from a ridge in Rocky Mountain National Park. It’s the highest free solo climb ever made. Dec 9, 2024 · There’s a Difference Between Free Climbing and Free Solo Climbing. 12+. 11 route as well as the first woman to free climb the Salathė Wall on El Capitan and second woman to free climb El Capitan in one day. be/r Oct 10, 2024 · French climbers Seb Bouin and Alain Robert recently free-soloed a 600-foot-tall building in France. Free Solo: Directed by Jimmy Chin, Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi. The popularized image of free soloing, perhaps unsurprisingly given the success of the eponymous film, is of plucky souls climbing nerve-janglingly high cliffs, like the giants in The Alpinist: Directed by Peter Mortimer, Nick Rosen. Nov 22, 2021 · Alex Honnold is a 33-year-old rock climber who was the first person to make a free solo climb on the world’s most famous rock face, El Capitan. Bouin is one of the world’s best sport climbers, with several 5. I don’t mean within our community, I mean within my own mind. Longer video here: https://youtu. Jul 14, 2023 · A 26-year-old woman who was killed Sunday while free-solo climbing a ridge on Ypsilon Mountain in Rocky Mountain National Park has been identified by the Larimer County coroner as Bailee Mulholland. When I first began scrambling, in 2010, I was uncomfortable seeing several hundred feet of air beneath my feet. Jul 12, 2023 · The 26-year-old Colorado woman who plunged to her death while free-solo climbing inside a national park was identified by grieving friends as an avid climber and “mountain person. 13d) in Omblèze, the hardest roped climbs in the world were only going at around 9a (5. Written by Andrew McLemore Oct 02, 2024 6:53 p. 1M Followers, 877 Following, 2,674 Posts - Alain Robert | Legendary Free Solo Climber (@alainrobertofficial) on Instagram: " The French Spider Man First two 5. Check out some of the world's most legendary, frightening, and ground-breaking free solos of all time. 12 rated routes, some multiple times. Sep 4, 2020 · Over the years he managed to climb 19 unique 5. Oct 3, 2018 · Watch Alex Honnold’s journey toward his rope-free climb of Yosemite National Park's El Capitan in Free Solo, the Oscar-winning film by E. Five months later, Honnold took the unprecedented step of solo climbing the 2,000-foot, glacially bulldozed Regular Northwest Face of Half Dome. S. ”. Feb 21, 2024 · The Free Solo climber, 38, and wife Sanni McCandless have welcomed their second baby together, "The special features a trip Alex took to Greenland in 2022 when June was 5 months old. There are few more daring and death-defying feats in the world than free soloing - Beyond his 2017 history-making ascent of El Cap, dramatically documented in the Oscar-winning film Free Solo, Alex is simply one of the hardest working, certainly most accomplished, and greatest climbers to ever live. These men and women are not only the best free solo climbers but the epitome of the Adrenalist lifestyle, human symbols of the amazing things that can be achieved when mental and physical toughness work in perfect, awe-inspiring synergy. 355. Alex Honnold stands out for his remarkable achievements, conquering Moonlight Buttress in 2008 and stunning the climbing community by ascending El Capitan's Freerider Route in under 4 hours. Marc-André Leclerc climbs alone, far from the limelight. It uses no ropes, harness or other protective gear. With Alex Honnold, Tommy Caldwell, Jimmy Chin, Cheyne Lempe. The cost-to-benefit ratio is so high that very few people are willing to accept the risk. 13a 3,300 Jan 18, 2024 · Free-solo climbing is something of a fringe undertaking in the rock-climbing world. With Marc-André Leclerc, Peter Mortimer, Alex Honnold, Jason Kruk. Alex Honnold faces the biggest challenge of his career, climbing El Capitan in Yosemite National Park. ) is an American professional big-wall rock climber known for his daring free solo (climbing without the aid of ropes) ascents of some of the world’s tallest cliffs. a 23-year-old world champion sport As a pioneer of “free solo” climbing—a controversial discipline in which cliff faces are scaled without safety ropes and failure results in death—Honnold, 35, knows how to perform under Feb 26, 2019 · We met up with climber Alex Honnold prior to the Oscars to learn more about his hand strength. 12d finger crack that splits Zion’s Moonlight Buttress. Alex free solo climbed the 3,000-foot vertical wall, the first person in the world to do so. He didn’t just climb the route without any safety equipment, he also downclimbed it, with the whole ascend and descend taking him over 15 hours to complete. Mar 30, 2024 · Austin Howell, a climber renowned for his free solo ascents, tragically died on June 30, 2019, after falling 80 feet from a climb in Linville Gorge, North Carolina, within the remote Pisgah National Forest. 11c/6c+) to his linkup free solo of both routes in a single day, not to mention a spectacular series of speed records and linkups both in Yosemite National Park and further afield… His free-solo took three hours and 56 minutes. Feb 15, 2013 · For these five free solo climbing legends, it’s just another day at the office. Nov 2, 2021 · The mother of Alex Honnold, the record-breaking ‘Free Solo’ free climber, has made history for the second time as the oldest woman to climb El Capitan. She is the first woman to have solo climbed a 5. Martin Feistl died on Saturday, May 18, following a 130-foot fall in his native Austria, while free soloing on the steep 1,000-foot South Face of the Scharnitzspitze (8,097ft). ClimbingJunkie May 24, 2025 · Alex Honnold (born August 17, 1985, Sacramento, California, U. Mar 22, 2024 · As we all know, Alex Honnold made history in June 2017 by free soloing Freerider—becoming the first (and only) person to free solo a grade VI route on El Capitan. Oct 2, 2024 · France's climbing phenom joined with his country's free solo icon for a jaunt up Paris's Total Tower. In 1991, when Robert free soloed Compilation (8b/5. ET Share this: If you're interested in the world of free solo climbing, the top male free solo climbers have pushed the boundaries of the sport with their daring ascents. The climb and the documentary easily made Alex Honnold the most famous climber of this generation . On this onsight, I knew Jun 20, 2023 · The Twinkie solo encapsulated many idiosyncrasies of Howell’s free soloing: climbing hard, steep routes that had awkward descents; a tendency to climb with his shoes untied, or without chalk Oct 31, 2018 · Read about Alex Honnold's Free Solo climb up El Capitan here. Aug 10, 2020 · The historic free solo (no ropes, just your hands and feet) ascent of the 3,000 ft face of El Capitan in Yosemite was the hardest big wall climb ever done – and will probably stay that way. 14c), with Wolfgang Güllich’s Action Directe and Ben Moon’s Hubble, respectively. The film starring Honnold and his girlfriend, Sanni Mccandless, takes you on his journey to free solo climb Dec 20, 2024 · You can read the full tribute to Climbers We Lost in 2024 here. Sep 16, 2024 · 62-year-old French climber Alain Robert is world famous for his illegal urban ascents of some of the most famous buildings around the world. The historic event was documented for an upcoming National Geographic feature film and magazine story. The woman, who was climbing with a 27-year-old man Apr 14, 2024 · An intimate and unflinching portrait of free solo climber Alex Honnold as he prepares to achieve his lifelong dream – scaling the famous 3,200ft vertical rock formation El Capitan. Feb 23, 2023 · Free solo climber Matt Bush hangs from a cliff edge in Cape Town, South Africa. . Known as The French Spiderman, Alain has climbed the New York Times Building in New York City, the Petronas Twin Towers in Malaysia and the Cheung Kong Centre in Hong Kong to name a few. Feb 21, 2019 · In June 2017, the 33-year-old became the first person to climb Californian granite monolith El Capitan without any ropes Free solo climbing is a high-stakes game. From the free solo of Astroman (5. qoafmq rrevx cedeyya abift qrnp lnbc ssfnfzse yfbqmor jmked nsjlag