Is Alex Honnold Unsafe?

Is soloing El Cap unsafe? Yes, but Alex is still here. The metric we call danger loses most of its meaning with gifted freaks like this man. 

Bale's Graph is what I was trying to say..  I will say as far as cragging goes the intermediate that is following all the rules that they have been taught and is not flushed with victory dreams is a pretty safe group. Once we get experienced enough that we get bigger goals and we get enough days and miles in to be very confident in our skills and abilities we start ignoring a lot of the rules and protocols. When you are a bit nervous about the exposure you are pretty likely to triple check that rappel set up before you commit to it.  When you don't even notice the exposure because its become completely normal you are more likly to overlook something stupid like not getting both strands through the atc...  Example. waiting in line to get into a pretty exposed rap station at COR everyone was very experienced and old. we all cautiously traversed out to the bolts and immediately clipped in before setting up our rappel. The most experienced climber by far in the group was 76 years old and is just hanging socializing with us  standing on 5.7 holds but not bothering to clip into the bolts.  Obviously he did not fall but there was no reason to not be clipped in other than his comfort zone.  I completely understand as I do a lot of soloing in winter and often end up at a choke point waiting for a roped party to complete a pitch. It is super easy to just forget that you are actually in a rather dangerous place. I have trained myself to fire in a screw and  clip in during those situations. that is precisely what Happened to Guy Lachell. hanging out at a stance unroped while soling and socializing with a roped party.  So easy to simply clip in...  But he did not. When the avalanche came he was gone... 

Nick Herdegwrote:

Nah this just started as a thought experiment at the gym the other day. I think for most climbers it's pretty obvious Honnold isnt a textbook example of safety, and Mikey has a good point safety isn't binary, and for some climbs I bet honnold is exactly the partner you want with you in the fox hole. But for the general public it's kinda spooky that Honnold has become the figurehead for our sport. 

I think you need something more fulfilling in your life if this is what occupies your free time.    

Nick Herdegwrote:

Ok maybe it's the busch lights in me 

You may worry that we are judging you for drinking Busch Light.

It's ok, Mountain Project is a safe space.

That means we are judging you for drinking Busch Light, but we are using a Grigri+ while doing so, and therefore you are safe.

Please stop besmirching busch light, please. 

Life is unsafe, thousands of good people die every day 

While we're piling on and I got another busch latte cracked, what's up with Emily Harrington; why's that girl not wearing her helmet? 

At first I thought good for her out there trying to get a helmet sponsor, then I thought wait she's Emily Harrington surely she can afford a helmet or should be showing off the new petzl boreo for the sponsors, then I realized whoa there's levels to the game I wonder how much petzl / BD paid her to take a head gash while not wearing a domepiece, probably every climber mom that walked out of that film bought their kid a helmet asap. Emily Harrington one of my all time favs and a totally badass just saying

Nick Herdegwrote:

and I got another busch latte cracked 

The proper name is Blue Yummies if you're around Michigan .... apparently. 

In my opinion one of the safest things you can do in the mountains is curb your base weight, as it increases your chances of success out there.
That's why when I'm mountaineering, I only climb with Busch Ultralights™, the safest beers in the mountains. 

new yosemitesamwrote:

In my opinion one of the safest things you can do in the mountains is curb your base weight, as it increases your chances of success out there.
That's why when I'm mountaineering, I only climb with Busch Ultralights™, the safest beers in the mountains. 

Thank you for the safety tip.

Nick Herdegwrote:

While we're piling on and I got another busch latte cracked, what's up with Emily Harrington; why's that girl not wearing her helmet? 

At first I thought good for her out there trying to get a helmet sponsor, then I thought wait she's Emily Harrington surely she can afford a helmet or should be showing off the new petzl boreo for the sponsors, then I realized whoa there's levels to the game I wonder how much petzl / BD paid her to take a head gash while not wearing a domepiece, probably every climber mom that walked out of that film bought their kid a helmet asap. Emily Harrington one of my all time favs and a totally badass just saying

Get with it man.  She's testing Black Diamond's a new inflatable helmet.  It's stored in a scrunchie or headband and deploys via radar sensing proximity.   

Poor goat Someone giving it PBR it's going to jail for sure.