Will Alex Honnold be the first Free Soloist to die on film?

skiclimber wrote:Nice one of Tanner Buff, here is a nice ski one as well. This skier comes up way short on a gap and goes head first into the wall. youtube.com/watch?feature=p…!

THIS IS GOLDEN. Keep this thread going.

I think it is bad juju to even bring up such a subject about Alex. He is gifted far and above as a climber. Let us enjoy the example he sets, not paint a what if this or that type bs. Life is too short. I too am way more worried about the wannabe solo dogs.

This post violated Rule #1. It has been removed by Mountain Project.

JimReaper wrote:...Yes, I posted Anonymously, the old AC from back in the day, but I really didn't know how people might react to this topic.

If you feel a need to post under a different name, it's a good sign you shouldn't post. Seriously, while the internet is full of bad taste, this post holds a special place in that realm.

Youtube is full of people getting effed up, broken bones and shit.

mitchy wrote:Youtube is full of people getting effed up, broken bones and shit.

Kickboxers and MMA guys turning their legs into jelly is a fantastic way to really feel bad about yourself.

Ben B. wrote: Stop watching, he'll stop risking his life.

No. Honnold doesn't solo just because some dude from Bigupproductions pointed a camera at him. His solos are for himself. Although he may be a lot better and braver than other soloists, he solos for the same reason that anyone else does. The camera crew is there as a spectator that provides Alex with money and us with entertainment.

As a ER RN I can attest to seeing plenty of trauma's such as this. There is nothing 'entertaining' and funny about seeing someone's body destroyed and shattered beyond repair - or spending the rest of their days living it out on a Traumatic Brain Injury unit. While it might seem that they were stupid and made some really bad decisions I'd venture to bet that everyone on here has a few horror stories themselves of acts of stupidity, carelessness or bad luck in their extreme sport as well.

I think it's sick finding this vids 'entertaining' via someone else's suffering, injury or death.

PS And it has nothing to do with 'canceling your Internet' service.

Ben B. wrote: You and Alex are pretty tight, eh?

"If you leave the ground for any reason other than your own enjoyment, you're already dead." -Paraphrase of Michael Reardon

I would guess Alex solos for his own enjoyment and the productions, filming and such is only a means to travel and live comfortably, while continuing to do what he loves. But that's just my opinion.

Ben B. wrote: But I know he's not out there climbing whatever he wants, and the cameras are just following. Oh hello no. He's got a producer and fans and a cloud of expectations and unearned paychecks looming over him in everything he does. His livelihood is dependent on giving you guys a thrill- he's not following his own path. Don't be naive.

You and Alex pretty tight, eh?

Didn't he actually say in one of his interviews that he knows it's a very real possibility he's going to die young doing this?

I don't think he's doing it for the camera. He still lives in his van. He doesn't seem to be attention whoring to me. He seems to genuinely be pursuing his love of climbing and just pushing the limits. There is a very real possibility that his death is caught on camera. There is also a very slim chance that footage would see the light of day...frankly I'd be appalled if it did.

Also again correct me after I'm wrong, but I do believe that after the record on the nose he did talk about roping up for a lot more things again.

Michael Urban wrote:As a ER RN I can attest to seeing plenty of trauma's such as this. There is nothing 'entertaining' and funny about seeing someone's body destroyed and shattered beyond repair - or spending the rest of their days living it out on a Traumatic Brain Injury unit. While it might seem that they were stupid and made some really bad decisions I'd venture to bet that everyone on here has a few horror stories themselves of acts of stupidity, carelessness or bad luck in their extreme sport as well. I think it's sick finding this vids 'entertaining' via someone else's suffering, injury or death. PS And it has nothing to do with 'canceling your Internet' service.

I'm pretty easy to entertain, cute kittens, Syrians dropping mortars backwards, base jumpers crashing, and climbers falling. Sacrifice your body for my entertainment, the up side is it gives you job security.

Best thread ever, my vote is yes. I'll buy it too! People can do whatever dumb as shit they want. In the real sports world (NASCAR) people die all the time and tv companies make bank. Such is the world we live in. Honnold is old going to die if he keeps going, no question, but that is his choice to make. Hopefully it doesn't happen too soon.

Hardy Guffaw wrote:Best thread ever, my vote is yes. I'll buy it too! People can do whatever dumb as shit they want. In the real sports world (NASCAR) people die all the time and tv companies make bank. Such is the world we live in. Honnold is old going to die if he keeps going, no question, but that is his choice to make. Hopefully it doesn't happen too soon.

Actually deaths in NASCAR are pretty rare now. I think it's been 3 years since any fatalities.

People who think extreme athletes put their lives on the line just for the sake of fame and fortune are wrong (well, at least most of the time). They just have this drive and/or tolerance for pain that "normal" people don't have and quite frankly could never really understand. How many free solos do you think Alex had to do before somebody caught on and said "holy shit, we should record this"? Falling 100ft from a 5.6 is just as dangerous as falling 100ft from a 5.13. You don't just wake up one morning as one of the elite...you have to work a long time to get there, and there's usually lots of pain in the process. Plus, climbing is one of those sports where even the BEST make virtually NOTHING compared to any other professional athlete. Have you seen Alex's 'mansion'? It's a van.

One of the best documentaries I've ever seen is "199 Lives". It's all about Travis Pastrana (motocross/rally car god), and he just doesn't see the world like most people. After a near-fatal crash (dislocated his spinal column), his quote was:

Travis Pastrana wrote:Y'know, people always say as long as you learn from your mistakes they were worth it. And with [my accident] the thing I learned -- I don't know if it was a good thing -- I learned that you can only tolerate so much pain before you pass out. And I figured I had already been through the most pain I could ever possibly go through. So, there really wasn't anything to fear. *Laughing*

Ian Stewart wrote:People who think extreme athletes put their lives on the line just for the sake of fame and fortune are wrong (well, at least most of the time). They just have this drive and/or tolerance for pain that "normal" people don't have and quite frankly could never really understand. How many free solos do you think Alex had to do before somebody caught on and said "holy shit, we should record this"? Falling 100ft from a 5.6 is just as dangerous as falling 100ft from a 5.13. You don't just wake up one morning as one of the elite...you have to work a long time to get there, and there's usually lots of pain in the process. Plus, climbing is one of those sports where even the BEST make virtually NOTHING compared to any other professional athlete. Have you seen Alex's 'mansion'? It's a van. One of the best documentaries I've ever seen is "199 Lives". It's all about Travis Pastrana (motocross/rally car god), and he just doesn't see the world like most people. After a near-fatal crash (dislocated his spinal column), his quote was:

Great post.

Alex Honnold wrote an excellent article for Rock and Ice 203 (available on the web: p14-17): rockandice.com/rock-and-ice…

It's worth reading in its entirety. He reflects on the dangers of having an audience, the necessarily slow learning curve (since failure isn't an option), and the times he's fallen unexpectedly. He seems pretty clear-thinking and honest with himself - even about his own mixed of motivations. I wish I could say the same about myself and sport-climbing!

Climb more, talk less

Josh Cameron wrote:All the good free soloers are dead from free soloing. To quote the big wave surfer Mark Foo "If you want the ultimate rush, you have to be willing to pay the ultimate price." But I'm sure Reardon would disagree.

Croft...unless the Rostrum/Astro link and scores of pitches on the Cookie in a day aren't manly enuff...

That said, I'm glad he's onto more germane stuff on a rope like 5.13s in the Sierras and a sandbag 13d FA in Owens. Nice guy, insert canadian gybe here

Josh Cameron wrote:Probably both, but I think Foo said his in 92 or maybe a little earlier.

Bodhi said it in '91.