I’ve been talking about Alex Honnold to anyone who will listen since I accidentally stumbled upon his Instagram account last year. It didn’t take long for me to get sucked into the Internet void of Honnold’s fascinating life as a devout rock climber, modern-day hippie and dedicated philanthropist.
Climbing anything he could find since he was a kid, Alex “No Big Deal” Honnold did what pretty much everyone considered the impossible in 2017 and climbed Yosemite’s stunning 3,000 foot El Capitan without ropes. And he did it in LESS THAN FOUR HOURS.
His journey that lead to this incredible moment in his life and what drives his passion for climbing is beautifully documented in the film Free Solo, which finally hit theatres across USA/Canada last month after receiving rave reviews from critics and audiences alike at several film festivals including TIFF in September.
Directors E. Chai Vasarhelyi, Jimmy Chin (seen sporadically throughout the film), and a crew of dedicated professional climbers remarkably captured Alex’s journey not only on the day of his historic feat, but of the long and bumpy road it took to get there. We meet friends of Alex, his new girlfriend, his mom and through this we gain a better understanding of how a shy humble kid from Sacramento, California ended up defining records and obliterating doubts by achieving one of the most incredible physical and mental feats caught on film.
The trailer for National Geographic Documentary Film’s “Free Solo”
I knew I would love Free Solo as I’ve enjoyed pretty much every climbing video and interview with Alex I’ve binged on so far. Humble would describe him lightly, considering what he’s accomplished.
If you are clueless to the climbing life like I was, I suggest watching Valley Uprising (currently on Netflix) if you’d like to get a decent understanding of the climbing scene in general, but more importantly to watch a great documented history of the early days of climbing in California. The film documents Yosemite’s early pioneers of rock climbing and introduces a young Alex as he joins the current climbing scene in Yosemite, eventually taking everyone by surprise with his dedication and agility.
And that’s that. Watch Free Solo on a big screen if you can and then spend the rest of your day wondering what you’re doing with your life.
Links:
The Honnold Foundation
Free Solo – Official Site
Alex Honnold – Official Site
