Alex Honnold Soloing Taipei 101

Why do you two keep bringing up Red Bull? If Red Bull had any involvement in this, they sure did a piss poor job of getting their sponsorship dollars worth.

Joel Thompsonwrote:

Maybe somebody can clear this up: did I misunderstand or did Elle Duncan credit Emily Harrington as being the first woman to free climb El Cap in less than 24 hours? Lynn Hill anyone?

Emily immediately, within a second, corrected her and said "Golden Gate".  May have gone over the heads of some of the audience.

I did hear her say “Golden Gate” but it did apparently go over my head. And I can see where Emily wouldn’t want to create a big distraction by clarifying the issue. 

John Tuttlewrote:

Do you know what Child Protective Services is?

The well being of children is EVERYONE'S business.

I'm not a smart man, Jenn-aay, but whut in theee hell does Child Protective Services have to do with any of this?

Just a real life superhero doing superhero things inspiring those with open eyes. The view from inside the building reminds everyone paying attention which side of the glass we want to be on and how mind blowing it is that there is someone out there on the other side. Smiling, jacked, dialed. Holy F! 

Super fun to watch and super fun idea. Bravo to Honnold pulling off a netflix deal to climb a building. Also, he should have been paid waaaaaaaay more than $500k for what an international news story and streaming event this turned out to be. 

Fern Gullywrote:

Super fun to watch and super fun idea. Bravo to Honnold pulling off a netflix deal to climb a building. Also, he should have been paid waaaaaaaay more than $500k for what an international news story and streaming event this turned out to be. 

He will be. Netflix is now streaming free solo

Up near the top, Alex was climbing up that sequence of rounded overhangs by reaching far into the spaces between them and grabbing something. I wonder what that was.

Tim K wrote:

You don't have to imagine, just read. About 500k.

compared to other Netflix deals, that is an embarrassment... He should have received 5 million, minimum. His agent sucks.

John Gillwrote:

Up near the top, Alex was climbing up that sequence of rounded overhangs by reaching far into the spaces between them and grabbing something. I wonder what that was.

I would guess that the rounded overhangs are essentially architectural metal coping that is fastened to a substructure, and that he was likely grabbing the flange of the coping or the substructure itself. 

No there was a bunch of man hands under those flaps. He was grabbing man hands I tell you. Man hands.

John Gillwrote:

Up near the top, Alex was climbing up that sequence of rounded overhangs by reaching far into the spaces between them and grabbing something. I wonder what that was.

I was looking at those Doughnuts of Terror in sheer horror, thinking that it was going to be this overhanging sloper fest, on sun-warmed, perspiration slickened steel.  And then started rolling on the floor with laughter as he so casually starts grabbing the structural supports those decorative things were mounted to.

John Gillwrote:

Up near the top, Alex was climbing up that sequence of rounded overhangs by reaching far into the spaces between them and grabbing something. I wonder what that was.

Snakes, John. Building snakes. 

Jabroni McChufferson wrote:

Honold was feeling the pressure from those other f tier wannabe free solo influencers 

Interestingly, AH went out with LK to solo Soulshine in Red Rock. Embarrassingly, I struggled on the last pitch of that route on top rope (facepalm)

Alex and Lincoln on Soulshine

^^^
Jeebus. That is annoying af.

Honnold got paid but so did a bunch of other people: Harrington was a commentator, and a bunch of climbers were on the rigging and filming crew. One perspective on Honnold’s willingness to get in front of a camera is: he’s willing to spend his time and energy to help his friends get well-paying work and advance their own careers.

^^^^ this

I watched the replay and fast forwarded thru it.  I endured the beginning which contained rather annoying commentary if you are or were a climber.
He looks happy and got paid doing something he loves to do.  His wife seemed on board.  I don’t get the hate he is receiving from a lot on this forum. 

I find it weird to hate on the effort. Lot of "famous" old heads in my Facebook feed have been calling him a sell out and all kinds of other crap.
Particularly that "Spider Dan" had done it before him, and in greater style, etc etc etc.

Let the guy eat! The Honnold foundation does some rad shit, if this helps keep up the good work it's doing... I say keep on cooking Mr. Handlove.

Is there anyone with strong feelings or opinions about this that is able to articulate why they do? I genuinely can't comprehend it.