Alex Honnold was already a distinguished American climber before he climbed the 3,200 vertical feet of granite that is El Capitan in Yosemite National Park alone and without a rope. He holds the record for the fastest ascent of the Yosemite Triple Crown, an 18-hour and 50-minute route that includes Mount Watkins, The Nose, and the Regular Northwest Face of Half Dome. 90 percent of that route was completed without a rope. Honnold is the author of a book, Alone on the Wall, and the founder of the Honnold Foundation, which seeks to bring sustainable energy, namely solar, to developing countries. With acclaimed climber Tommy Caldwell, he holds the record for the fastest ascent of The Nose of El Capitan, at 1 hour, 58 minutes, and 7 seconds, a feat he accomplished on June 6th of this year. He has climbed around the world, both with a rope and free soloing, including in Borneo, Mexico, Patagonia, and Chad. He is only 33 years old.
Honnold was the subject of the biopic Free Solo, directed by climber-filmmaker Jimmy Chin. The film focused on his preparation for and successful completion of the first free solo (a climb using no rope or safety gear) of El Capitan, which he accomplished on June 3, 2017, in 3 hours and 56 minutes. Honnold trained for over a year in Morocco, China, Europe, and the United States before attempting this climb. Only a small group of people were aware of his intent. Among them was his girlfriend Sanni McCandless, who is also featured in the film. McCandless is not herself a rock climber by nature, and this difference is something that is explored in their film. However, she has since founded the first Outwild festival, to celebrate the outdoors. Honnold, of course, was in attendance.
Alex Honnold is not impulsive; he does not take extreme risks purely for the thrill. A National Geographic review of the movie by Mark Synnott explained this, saying, “It wasn’t an act of recklessness but of the kind of planning worthy of a moon landing. It wasn’t an act of selfishness but an extraordinary gift to everyone who believes that the limit of human achievement is far from being reached. It wasn’t a useless stunt but a reminder that utility alone is a poor way to measure the grandeur of one man’s spirit.”
In the film, Honnold is awkward but endearing, and more than anything, he is honest. He gives everything that he has to the climb, but he also exposes parts of his soul; not least by undergoing several brain scans that determine his amygdala, the part of the brain that feels fear, essentially does not work. He also explores his childhood, and his trouble with personal obligations, since his whole life revolves around climbing. This honesty is described by Synnot, who writes, “In a world of B.S. artists—and in a country ruled by one—Honnold is modeling something else, a kind of radical truthfulness.”
Honnold was a climbing star before Free Solo, and his ascension to the rank of “greatest free solo climber” is a symbol of hope, grace, and respect. Honnold proved what the human body is capable of, and beyond that, the grace with which he conducts himself and the respect that he holds for the natural world should serve as a model for how one should move through the world. Free Solo is a cinematic masterpiece, and a brilliant depiction of one incredible man.