Last summer, Alex Honnold became the first, and only person so far, to climb El Capitan without any ropes or safety gear. The 3,000-foot granite wall is higher than the tallest building in the world and towers majestically over California’s famed Yosemite Valley.
The pioneering climb, chronicled in the National Geographic documentary Free Solo, could be considered on par with Wilt Chamberlain’s scoring 100 points in an NBA game, or Jim Hines breaking the 10-second barrier in the 100m event, only if failing to meet those marks would have resulted in the athlete’s death.
ALEX HONNOLD’S TOP 10 QUOTES
While many have complained that free soloing is a selfish pursuit due to the ever-present risk of falling, Honnold’s response is fourfold. He points out that 1) all hobbies are selfish in one way or another, 2) he does not make climbs he feels are beyond his ability, 3) the quality of life is more important than the quantity, and 4) even the absence of activity could be viewed as risky due to health implications.
What follows is our compilation of ten of the most death-defying, life-affirming quotes from Honnold, with many more to likely to vie for inclusion as new climbs are conquered. As the peerless rock star himself has said, “Anytime you finish a climb, there’s always the next thing you can try.”
''There's a certain joy in swinging around, propelling yourself upward... the fluidity of movement.''
''I don't even drink coffee. I had a small cup once—it was like drinking battery acid. I had to poop all morning.''
''I like the simplicity of soloing. You've got no gear, no partner. You never climb better than when you free-solo.''
''You will always feel fear, but over time you will realize the only way to truly manage your fear is to broaden your comfort zone.''
''I've done a lot of thinking about fear. For me the crucial question is not how to climb without fear-that's impossible- but how to deal with it when it creeps into your nerve endings.''
''I'm not thinking about anything when I'm climbing, which is part of the appeal. I'm focused on executing what's in front of me.''
''There is no adrenaline rush. If I get an adrenaline rush, it means that something has gone horribly wrong.''
''There are certainly better technical climbers than me. But if I have a particular gift, it's a mental one — the ability to keep it together where others might freak out.''
''I've walked away from more climbs than I can count, just because I sensed that things were not quite right.''
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