UKBouldering.com

the shizzle => news => Topic started by: jwi on June 03, 2017, 07:16:26 pm

Title: Honnold solos Freerider
Post by: jwi on June 03, 2017, 07:16:26 pm
Alex Honnold has repeated Freerider free solo in 3h56min. Source: National Geographic (http://www.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/features/athletes/alex-honnold/most-dangerous-free-solo-climb-yosemite-national-park-el-capitan/?sf84839113=1).
Title: Re: Re: significant repeats
Post by: Wood FT on June 03, 2017, 07:24:36 pm
bloody nora  :blink:
Title: Re: Re: significant repeats
Post by: dave on June 03, 2017, 07:26:07 pm
Read that news this afternoon and thought "fuck me". How hard is Freerider, like a 30-pitch E6 or something?
Title: Re: Re: significant repeats
Post by: jwi on June 03, 2017, 07:33:39 pm
slightly harder than The Fish, I suppose.
Title: Re: Re: significant repeats
Post by: Doylo on June 03, 2017, 08:12:13 pm
Read that news this afternoon and thought "fuck me". How hard is Freerider, like a 30-pitch E6 or something?

It's got a 7c+ pitch very high up!!
Title: Re: Honnold solos Freerider
Post by: shark on June 03, 2017, 11:13:07 pm
Maybe not numerically the hardest thing ever soloed but the certainly the most awesomest for me. Like when Pete Croft soloed Astroman
Title: Re: Re: significant repeats
Post by: ghisino on June 03, 2017, 11:14:41 pm
Read that news this afternoon and thought "fuck me". How hard is Freerider, like a 30-pitch E6 or something?

It's got a 7c+ pitch very high up!!

Or a 7b+ variation.

But in older interviews he seemed much more concerned about easier yet "screwable" sections, especially on the freeblast.

I remember one section of a 6c pitch just before the half dollar as scary delicate, even when having climbed a few slabs in the 7's in font...sneeze at the wrong moment and you're off.
Title: Re: Re: significant repeats
Post by: shark on June 03, 2017, 11:41:18 pm
I remember one section of a 6c pitch just before the half dollar as scary delicate, even when having climbed a few slabs in the 7's in font...sneeze at the wrong moment and you're off.

I couldn't even dog it
Title: Re: Honnold solos Freerider
Post by: Falling Down on June 04, 2017, 12:47:53 am
Wow... almost unbelievable. Amazing stuff...
Title: Re: Honnold solos Freerider
Post by: Doylo on June 04, 2017, 09:43:05 am
I was half expecting this last November . Irish Si was on Freerider and told me he saw Honnold working it. I felt sick then, glad I didn't know about it this time. Pretty much the only thing in climbing that I can't comprehend. Stronger people climbing physically hard things is just that. What Honnold does is hard to contemplate and understand. I guess soloing El Cap was his destiny. Glad he made it.
Title: Re: Honnold solos Freerider
Post by: monkoffunk on June 04, 2017, 12:22:59 pm
Incredible. Hope he retires now!
Title: Re: Honnold solos Freerider
Post by: DAVETHOMAS90 on June 04, 2017, 02:04:51 pm
Incredible. Hope he retires now!
   Brilliant. And in the way that all lights can shine for a while. Take care Alex.
Title: Re: Honnold solos Freerider
Post by: steve__b on June 04, 2017, 03:15:31 pm
Read that news this afternoon and thought "fuck me". How hard is Freerider, like a 30-pitch E6 or something?

It's got a 7c+ pitch very high up!!

Or a 7b+ variation.

But in older interviews he seemed much more concerned about easier yet "screwable" sections, especially on the freeblast.

I remember one section of a 6c pitch just before the half dollar as scary delicate, even when having climbed a few slabs in the 7's in font...sneeze at the wrong moment and you're off.

Where is this 7b+ variant?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Honnold solos Freerider
Post by: ghisino on June 04, 2017, 05:53:18 pm
Read that news this afternoon and thought "fuck me". How hard is Freerider, like a 30-pitch E6 or something?

It's got a 7c+ pitch very high up!!

Or a 7b+ variation.

But in older interviews he seemed much more concerned about easier yet "screwable" sections, especially on the freeblast.

I remember one section of a 6c pitch just before the half dollar as scary delicate, even when having climbed a few slabs in the 7's in font...sneeze at the wrong moment and you're off.

Where is this 7b+ variant?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Teflon corner. It's just a few meters to the side of the crux "Huber boulder problem" pitch.  Both very cool although opposite in style (stemming and pushing on a smooth corner VS face climbs on edges with a ninja crux).

Curious to know which way he chose for the solo.
Title: Re: Honnold solos Freerider
Post by: steve__b on June 04, 2017, 05:54:40 pm
Read that news this afternoon and thought "fuck me". How hard is Freerider, like a 30-pitch E6 or something?

It's got a 7c+ pitch very high up!!

Or a 7b+ variation.

But in older interviews he seemed much more concerned about easier yet "screwable" sections, especially on the freeblast.

I remember one section of a 6c pitch just before the half dollar as scary delicate, even when having climbed a few slabs in the 7's in font...sneeze at the wrong moment and you're off.

Where is this 7b+ variant?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Teflon corner. It's just a few meters to the side of the crux "Huber boulder problem" pitch.  Both very cool although opposite in style (stemming and pushing on a smooth corner VS face climbs on edges with a ninja crux).

Curious to know which way he chose for the solo.

I was under the impression this was 12d?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Honnold solos Freerider
Post by: monkoffunk on June 04, 2017, 05:56:07 pm
Retires from cutting-edge solos, I assume you mean?

Yep.
Title: Re: Honnold solos Freerider
Post by: duncan on June 04, 2017, 10:31:59 pm
Pitch by pitch from Tom Evans: http://elcapreport.com/content/elcap-report-6317-special-edition-honnold-free-solo-elcap
Title: Re: Honnold solos Freerider
Post by: Falling Down on June 04, 2017, 11:00:41 pm
Thanks for the link Duncan... the mind boggles.  It's an incredible feat.  I can't wrap my head around it.
Title: Re: Honnold solos Freerider
Post by: ghisino on June 05, 2017, 07:01:52 am
Read that news this afternoon and thought "fuck me". How hard is Freerider, like a 30-pitch E6 or something?

It's got a 7c+ pitch very high up!!

Or a 7b+ variation.

But in older interviews he seemed much more concerned about easier yet "screwable" sections, especially on the freeblast.

I remember one section of a 6c pitch just before the half dollar as scary delicate, even when having climbed a few slabs in the 7's in font...sneeze at the wrong moment and you're off.

Where is this 7b+ variant?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Teflon corner. It's just a few meters to the side of the crux "Huber boulder problem" pitch.  Both very cool although opposite in style (stemming and pushing on a smooth corner VS face climbs on edges with a ninja crux).

Curious to know which way he chose for the solo.

I was under the impression this was 12d?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Had my grade math wrong!

Probably mislead by the brief rappel/rope solo inspection i had (one specific move on the huber boulder didn't suit me well, the teflon felt more "ok" than expected) 
Title: Re: Honnold solos Freerider
Post by: shark on June 05, 2017, 07:48:55 am
Amazing image here: https://www.instagram.com/p/BU7HGGaDS9c/?hl=en
Title: Re: Honnold solos Freerider
Post by: dave on June 05, 2017, 08:17:11 am
For the benefit of idiots like me, where else can soloing on ElCap go now? Are there any other routes on there that could theoretically be up for the solo approach by an on-form Honnold? I presume The Nose is too cruxy, how about Salathe?

Just trying to think where he goes from here. Does he carry on dossing in a van and pushing things hard, or just enjoy the tickertape parades for a few years?
Title: Re: Honnold solos Freerider
Post by: jwi on June 05, 2017, 09:35:06 am
Salathe would be much much harder, right? I seem to remember that it is 8b if you link the headwall pitches—as a soloist would have to do. I think Alain Robert is still the only one who has properly soloed an 8b (no draws in to grab if you freak out, crux in zone 3) and that was twenty almost thirty years ago.
Title: Re: Honnold solos Freerider
Post by: El Mocho on June 05, 2017, 09:43:52 am
I seem to remember that it is 8b if you link the headwall pitches—as a soloist would have to do.

You would probably have to link the 2 Endurance Corner pitches (as he did on Freerider before traversing left) straight into the roof pitch straight into the linked headwall pitch (so 5 standard pitches) - there may be a really poor knee bar scum rest between corner pitches but can't really remember any other proper rests in that whole section (I was aiding on the headwall so every move was a rest). Bridge in corner below roof? Pretty sustained section of climbing.

If I was Honlove, and wanted to do something bigger/harder etc I would be going for the Half Dome/El Cap double. Edit: If I was Honlove I would be partying and talking myself up for the next 30 years.
Title: Re: Honnold solos Freerider
Post by: Ti_pin_man on June 05, 2017, 03:50:36 pm
first interview post climb.

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/features/athletes/alex-honnold/interview-rope-free-solo-climb-yosemite-el-capitan/

very laid back, no shocker.

Next aim:  And I was also thinking in terms of life goals. This has been my biggest life goal for years. And the other one is to climb 9a—to sport climb real hard
Title: Re: Honnold solos Freerider
Post by: jwi on June 05, 2017, 04:10:24 pm
“The international level is 9b+” as a french hardman told me when I congratulated him for sending a 9a/+....
Title: Re: Honnold solos Freerider
Post by: Offwidth on June 05, 2017, 07:22:28 pm
Incredible. Hope he retires now!

Retires from cutting-edge solos, I assume you mean? If so: agreed. Hopefully he will resist the temptation to up the ante by linking a Freerider solo with Half Dome in a day, or whatever the next progression may seem to him. Perhaps it is a good omen that he has been hanging out with Peter Croft, one of the very few soloist superstars who didn't push it too far.

Which solo superstars are documented in fatal accidents pushing things too far on rock solos?

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_solo_climbing  The list here and the accident analysis in Yosemite and the sad death of too many well known soloists indicate it's bad luck or when focus drops (on difficulties well below limits) that climbers need to be more careful. Honnold to me seems to deal with risk and focus as carefully as any leading edge adventure climber I know of. So why does he get so much attention on this from climbers compared to those climbers dealing with higher (usually uncontrollable objective) risks in the greater ranges.
Title: Re: Honnold solos Freerider
Post by: monkoffunk on June 06, 2017, 01:52:51 am
A bit more insight from someone who knows what they are talking about: https://www.outsideonline.com/2190306/why-alex-honnolds-free-solo-scared-me

So why does he get so much attention on this from climbers compared to those climbers dealing with higher (usually uncontrollable objective) risks in the greater ranges.

Quantifying risk isn't an easy thing to do particularly for a casual observer with no metric. Hard to say truly objectively whether a bird flying out of a crack at the wrong time  is more likely than an avalanche. More people die mountaineering, but maybe more people mountaineer than this relative level of soloing whatever that is?

 I guess that also you are defining risk purely in the terms of Honnold on this route. I would suppose that your average punter having a crack on Everest or whatever would have a higher survival chance than your average punter having a crack at soloing Freerider.

 Perhaps it gets so much more attention because most of us are rock climbers? I'll never be a mountaineer and an ascent of Everest doesn't interest me as much as this. I can relate to just how mind blowing far above my mental/physical level this is much more easily.
Title: Re: Honnold solos Freerider
Post by: SA Chris on June 06, 2017, 09:07:26 am
A bit more insight from someone who knows what they are talking about: https://www.outsideonline.com/2190306/why-alex-honnolds-free-solo-scared-me

lightly OT, but has anyone read the Tommy Calbwell Book "The Push" linked at the bottom of the article? Any good?
Title: Re: Honnold solos Freerider
Post by: Offwidth on June 06, 2017, 09:59:37 am

Quantifying risk isn't an easy thing to do particularly for a casual observer with no metric. Hard to say truly objectively whether a bird flying out of a crack at the wrong time  is more likely than an avalanche. More people die mountaineering, but maybe more people mountaineer than this relative level of soloing whatever that is?

 I guess that also you are defining risk purely in the terms of Honnold on this route. I would suppose that your average punter having a crack on Everest or whatever would have a higher survival chance than your average punter having a crack at soloing Freerider.

 Perhaps it gets so much more attention because most of us are rock climbers? I'll never be a mountaineer and an ascent of Everest doesn't interest me as much as this. I can relate to just how mind blowing far above my mental/physical level this is much more easily.

It's not so hard to recognise the risks for skilled climbers in the greater ranges are much greater than a skilled soloist who is fully focussed. You only need to look down the list of casualties. As an example Ive linked climbing details for K2 below. This doesn't make what Alex does safe but as Tommy says he climbs to live not to cheat death. The leading edge of adveture climbing has always flirted with what some climbers regard as vastly unacceptable risks. Two thoughtful books on this subject are David Roberts' "On the Ridge Between Life and Death" and Maria Coffey's "Where the Mountain Casts its Shadow"

http://www.simonandschuster.com/books/On-the-Ridge-Between-Life-and-Death/David-Roberts/9780743255196
https://www.penguin.co.uk/authors/maria-coffey/1014562/

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/K2  .... and the sad lists of deaths:  https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_deaths_on_eight-thousanders
Title: Re: Honnold solos Freerider
Post by: monkoffunk on June 06, 2017, 11:21:03 am
Sure I accept that, but I suppose I'm just thinking of reasons why it provokes the response. It's more unusual than mountaineering and the skill level required is greater. (Specifically talking about Alex).
Title: Re: Honnold solos Freerider
Post by: user deactivated on June 06, 2017, 05:18:11 pm

Quantifying risk isn't an easy thing to do particularly for a casual observer with no metric. Hard to say truly objectively whether a bird flying out of a crack at the wrong time  is more likely than an avalanche. More people die mountaineering, but maybe more people mountaineer than this relative level of soloing whatever that is?

 I guess that also you are defining risk purely in the terms of Honnold on this route. I would suppose that your average punter having a crack on Everest or whatever would have a higher survival chance than your average punter having a crack at soloing Freerider.

 Perhaps it gets so much more attention because most of us are rock climbers? I'll never be a mountaineer and an ascent of Everest doesn't interest me as much as this. I can relate to just how mind blowing far above my mental/physical level this is much more easily.

It's not so hard to recognise the risks for skilled climbers in the greater ranges are much greater than a skilled soloist who is fully focussed. You only need to look down the list of casualties. As an example Ive linked climbing details for K2 below. This doesn't make what Alex does safe but as Tommy says he climbs to live not to cheat death. The leading edge of adveture climbing has always flirted with what some climbers regard as vastly unacceptable risks. Two thoughtful books on this subject are David Roberts' "On the Ridge Between Life and Death" and Maria Coffey's "Where the Mountain Casts its Shadow"

http://www.simonandschuster.com/books/On-the-Ridge-Between-Life-and-Death/David-Roberts/9780743255196
https://www.penguin.co.uk/authors/maria-coffey/1014562/

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/K2  .... and the sad lists of deaths:  https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_deaths_on_eight-thousanders

It seems like a difficult risk comparison to make, I'm not certain but maybe a retrospective of Peak District mountain rescue reports would show climbing vs to be more 'risky' than head pointing E8? That aside I personally can't imagine anything much more intense than this ascent. It's beyond the scope of my mind just to imagine the mental control needed.
Title: Re: Honnold solos Freerider
Post by: monkoffunk on June 06, 2017, 08:27:50 pm
Bit of video

http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/news/170606-alex-honnold-el-capitan-vin-spd
Title: Re: Honnold solos Freerider
Post by: Will Hunt on June 06, 2017, 08:58:02 pm
Nothing compared to this guy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OX7p3jfr0mA
Title: Re: Honnold solos Freerider
Post by: Doylo on June 06, 2017, 09:56:02 pm
Nothing compared to this guy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OX7p3jfr0mA

He's already beat that record has he not. Not in as much style granted.
Title: Re: Honnold solos Freerider
Post by: steveri on June 07, 2017, 10:23:27 am
Boggling. This popped up on my FB - slightly geeky analysis of his brain response to normally emotive situations http://nautil.us/issue/39/sport/the-strange-brain-of-the-worlds-greatest-solo-climber

“Maybe his amygdala is not firing—he’s having no internal reactions to these stimuli,” [...]
Title: Re: Honnold solos Freerider
Post by: andy popp on June 07, 2017, 07:12:51 pm
Honnold is old hat. First nude NIAD: https://www.facebook.com/tom.evans.946/posts/1399687900084612
Title: Re: Honnold solos Freerider
Post by: Will Hunt on June 07, 2017, 09:06:46 pm
Honnold is old hat. First nude NIAD: https://www.facebook.com/tom.evans.946/posts/1399687900084612

A king swing on every pitch.
Title: Re: Honnold solos Freerider
Post by: SA Chris on June 08, 2017, 08:57:07 am
Yes. It is pretty good. For my tastes there is a little too much relationship stuff - chiefly about his high-maintenance ex, Beth Rodden - and too little detail on some of his climbing, like the still unrepeated Flex Luthor, the US's first 5.15, which is barely mentioned. The accounts of his Yosemite stuff are the highlight, obviously the Dawn Wall in particular.

Thanks will add it to backburner
Title: Re: Honnold solos Freerider
Post by: duncan on June 10, 2017, 07:46:43 am
Pitch by pitch from Tom Evans: http://elcapreport.com/content/elcap-report-6317-special-edition-honnold-free-solo-elcap

Taken down at National Geographic's behest.

Still available here: https://m.imgur.com/r/climbing/ZSIAB
Title: Re: Honnold solos Freerider
Post by: Danny on June 10, 2017, 07:25:47 pm
Pitch by pitch from Tom Evans: http://elcapreport.com/content/elcap-report-6317-special-edition-honnold-free-solo-elcap

Taken down at National Geographic's behest.

Still available here: https://m.imgur.com/r/climbing/ZSIAB

That seems a bit pissy TBH. Just some telephoto shots. They don't own the photons.
Title: Re: Honnold solos Freerider
Post by: Wil on June 10, 2017, 08:54:54 pm
Taken down at National Geographic's behest.

Still available here: https://m.imgur.com/r/climbing/ZSIAB

That seems a bit pissy TBH. Just some telephoto shots. They don't own the photons.

Perhaps they bought the rights to Tom's pics? If not he should tell them to get lost.
Title: Re: Honnold solos Freerider
Post by: jwi on June 11, 2017, 09:50:14 pm
Mr Ondra on the subject:
Quote from: Adam Ondra
“It was clear to me that “Freerider” was his main goal. I was asking him about it but he was mysterious about it as the dark side of the moon. “I have a kind of project,” he told me. In November, he bailed it – I think I saw him that day, he had some fixed ropes there. I’ve heard that on Saturday, he had no ropes there (in order to cross out the possibility to escape from the route) – the hardest pitch was filmed from fixed cameras with no cameramen who could influence him.

It’s definitely the biggest thing that ever happened in the world of free-solo climbing, it’s simply unbelievable. We can only discuss whether the free-solo climbing is good or not, whether we should write about it or not… Anyway, it takes tremendous amount of courage to free-solo “Freerider”. From my point of view, it is easier to solo 9a sport route than this one.

Offwidths are no problem for Alex – that’s like taking a stroll for him. But the 7a grade slabs down there are said to be really awkward, then the Enduro corner – I can imagine how awfully slippery it is. Moreover, free-soloing is way more difficult – you skip the belaying points and thus around Enduro corner you climb four pitches that have around 100 m altogether and the difficulty gets to 8a.

I thought that he will wait until autumn. I haven’t expected him to climb the route in June. But it kind of makes sense because he doesn’t like cold weather – he prefers warm temperatures. The individual moves in the route are not so difficult so you can stop from time to time and chalk up. But you really need dry conditions. When it’s too cold it tends to be slippery, and you really don’t want your feet to slip during free-soloing.”
Source (http://"https://www.facebook.com/emontanaadventureclimbing/photos/a.237485916713749.1073741828.222838311511843/284613902000950/")
Title: Re: Honnold solos Freerider
Post by: Nibile on June 13, 2017, 11:39:50 am
There you fucking go motherfuckers.
He didn't train his legs for kneebars, nor his calves or his acroyoga stances.
He fucking bore down on a Beastmaker motherfuckers.
http://eu.blackdiamondequipment.com/en_IT/experience-story?cid=alex-honnold-freerider-hangboard-workout (http://eu.blackdiamondequipment.com/en_IT/experience-story?cid=alex-honnold-freerider-hangboard-workout)
Title: Re: Honnold solos Freerider
Post by: lagerstarfish on June 13, 2017, 12:30:35 pm
the way I read it, his big solo was a warmup for his fingerboarding routine
Title: Re: Honnold solos Freerider
Post by: Palomides on June 13, 2017, 01:01:56 pm
Freerider is "a big, slabby crack"... 
Title: Re: Honnold solos Freerider
Post by: Will Hunt on June 13, 2017, 02:04:36 pm
Quote
I mean I want to eat some lunch, I want to get in the shade and then I’m probably going to hang board in a bit. I am perfectly warmed up, I just did four hours’ light exercise, you know?

 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8)
Title: Re: Honnold solos Freerider
Post by: T_B on June 13, 2017, 02:31:19 pm
Quite a bit of chat int pub at the weekend about the inevitable US hyperbole surrounding Honmeister's solo ("landing on the moon"?!) and how it compares to Hansjörg Auer's solo of the Fish on the Marmolada, back in 2007.  Similar length route, except The Fish is in an Alpine setting on Alpine limestone and Auer's ascent was after minimal practice (he'd done it once before, then abbed the route the day before his solo to work the bouldery sections).

I've not done the Fish but I kind of thought it was bog standard E6? Maybe not reading Alan Carne's write up (Alan lives in Verdon and is no stranger to different rock types, so I would go with his assessment). He reckons a pitch of 7b++ "slab moves" and what he calls 7b/7c. Not exactly solid jam terrain.  http://www.alanduverdon.com/news.php?page=13#.WT_nbJDytaQ

There's some cool footage of The Fish here: https://vimeo.com/204263843

And an interview with Grimer about his ascent here: https://vimeo.com/8096347

Anyway, not to take anything away from Honnold, just a big up to Hansjörg Auer for what in hindsight seems to me to be comparably necky (given the lack of pre-practice and the style of route).

Title: Re: Honnold solos Freerider
Post by: jwi on June 13, 2017, 03:26:16 pm
... the inevitable US hyperbole surrounding Honmeister's solo ("landing on the moon"?!) ...

Is Alex Honnold’s El Cap Free-Solo the Greatest Sports Achievement—Ever? Probably (http://eveningsends.com/is-alex-honnolds-el-cap-free-solo-the-greatest-individual-sports-achievementever/")
 :shit:  :sick:

The hyperbole is the only stylistic device in the toolbox for climbing's worst writer.
Title: Re: Honnold solos Freerider
Post by: Offwidth on June 13, 2017, 05:09:40 pm
... the inevitable US hyperbole surrounding Honmeister's solo ("landing on the moon"?!) ...

Is Alex Honnold’s El Cap Free-Solo the Greatest Sports Achievement—Ever? Probably (http://eveningsends.com/is-alex-honnolds-el-cap-free-solo-the-greatest-individual-sports-achievementever/")
 :shit:  :sick:

The hyperbole is the only stylistic device in the toolbox for climbing's worst writer.

Looks like hyperbole to me if you are saying that Bisharat is climbing's worst writer.
Title: Re: Honnold solos Freerider
Post by: jwi on June 13, 2017, 05:56:23 pm


Looks like hyperbole to me if you are saying that Bisharat is climbing's worst writer.

My attempts at self referential humor are apparently not always successful
Title: Re: Honnold solos Freerider
Post by: Danny on June 13, 2017, 07:29:19 pm
... the inevitable US hyperbole surrounding Honmeister's solo ("landing on the moon"?!) ...

Is Alex Honnold’s El Cap Free-Solo the Greatest Sports Achievement—Ever? Probably (http://eveningsends.com/is-alex-honnolds-el-cap-free-solo-the-greatest-individual-sports-achievementever/")
 :shit:  :sick:

The hyperbole is the only stylistic device in the toolbox for climbing's worst writer.

Looks like hyperbole to me if you are saying that Bisharat is climbing's worst writer.

Did this get taken down? Link not working.
Title: Re: Honnold solos Freerider
Post by: Danny on June 13, 2017, 07:43:42 pm
Got it.
Title: Re: Honnold solos Freerider
Post by: Wood FT on June 13, 2017, 11:23:38 pm
Quite a bit of chat int pub at the weekend about the inevitable US hyperbole surrounding Honmeister's solo ("landing on the moon"?!) and how it compares to Hansjörg Auer's solo of the Fish on the Marmolada, back in 2007.  Similar length route, except The Fish is in an Alpine setting on Alpine limestone and Auer's ascent was after minimal practice (he'd done it once before, then abbed the route the day before his solo to work the bouldery sections).

I've not done the Fish but I kind of thought it was bog standard E6? Maybe not reading Alan Carne's write up (Alan lives in Verdon and is no stranger to different rock types, so I would go with his assessment). He reckons a pitch of 7b++ "slab moves" and what he calls 7b/7c. Not exactly solid jam terrain.  http://www.alanduverdon.com/news.php?page=13#.WT_nbJDytaQ

There's some cool footage of The Fish here: https://vimeo.com/204263843

And an interview with Grimer about his ascent here: https://vimeo.com/8096347

Anyway, not to take anything away from Honnold, just a big up to Hansjörg Auer for what in hindsight seems to me to be comparably necky (given the lack of pre-practice and the style of route).

What a guy, I really liked how he came across in that uk trad film that came out a few years back, brimmin' with psyche
Title: Re: Honnold solos Freerider
Post by: duncan on July 26, 2017, 02:26:28 pm
Long and detailed interview with Chris Kalous: http://enormocast.com/episode-133-alex-honnold-kind-of-a-big-deal/

He sounds suitably chuffed. Quite interesting on the issues connected with filming, though still plenty that went unasked and unsaid. Honnold from ~8 minutes.
Title: Re: Honnold solos Freerider
Post by: Ged on August 17, 2017, 04:58:40 pm
I like your "honnold from 8 minutes" warning. God that interviewer does my head in.  At least honnold seems self assured enough to not let him interrupt and talk about himself for ages.

Good interview. Particularly enlightening that "backing off" still involves pushing on with the desperate slabs, but just standing on the bolts. I'd imagine that would still be fairly alarming.
SimplePortal 2.3.7 © 2008-2024, SimplePortal