Talks to Watch

The ascent of Alex Honnold

7.7M views · Oct 2, 2011 · 13:19 · 2 HN recommenders · 5 mentions · discussed 2012–2017

A CBS News (60 Minutes) profile of free solo climber Alex Honnold, who scales sheer rock faces without ropes. Lara Logan reports on his climbing and his apparent lack of fear, including his Half Dome ascent.

Why Hacker News points people here: HN commenters point to it as a nerve-wracking look at Honnold's free soloing, often when climbing, risk or van life comes up.

“The whole video is pretty interesting, but may make your hands sweat even more.”HN comment, 2016

What Hacker News said 5

RecommendssharkweekOct 2012

“If you think you can handle some sweaty palms, Alex Honnold, one of the best free solo climbers in the world”

Profile of free solo climber Alex Honnold and his van lifestyle.

Full comment

If you think you can handle some sweaty palms, Alex Honnold, one of the best free solo climbers in the world, lives in his van so he can easily get from park to park and seems to absolutely thrive off the lifestyle -- this video There is something that appeals to my personality to live out of a van and just move on a whim but I don't think I would ever have the guts to go for it.

RecommendssharkweekMar 2015

“The whole video is worth watching, but the meat and potatoes starts at about 11:30”

Watch Alex Honnold free solo rock walls.

Full comment

For some more sweaty palm fun, check out professional climber Alex Honnold "free soloing" various rock walls. this video The whole video is worth watching, but the meat and potatoes starts at about 11:30

in “Where the Real Skyscrapers Are (Hint: North Dakota)” · view on HN
RecommendswlllNov 2016

“The whole video is pretty interesting, but may make your hands sweat even more.”

Interesting full video of Honnold climbing, nerve-wracking.

Full comment

That's what chalk is for :) this video The whole video is pretty interesting, but may make your hands sweat even more.

in “Czech climber Adam Ondra has conquered the Dawn Wall in record time” · view on HN
Cites itjustinatorOct 2015
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That's psychotic. I don't rope rescue, but I sure do rock climb. You can rock climb with ropes or without. Ropes = a large safety margin, and the majority of people who climb, utilize them, as part of their safety system. Unless you're pushing your own grade level, the actual safety system isn't actuated - you're just using it "just in case" (like, "just in case you fall from a cliff, 500 feet up - gee it's nice I'm tied to something). There are also those who climb without ropes. Perhaps you've heard of some of them [0], and most likely, because they actually climb without a rope. High Risk. Your idea of startups, let's say. But that's just what the public sees. The free soloist has to be absolutely comfortable to go without the safety margin of a rope. Because of that, the majority of their climbing is done, still with a rope. When they go ropeless, the climbs they do are much, much easier. Yes, the risk is there, but also there is the understanding, clearly, what the risk is really about. The death rate of climbers that are unwilling to ever use a rope, because they find that high risk = high reward would be close to 100%. But those who do survive are not going to be doing too well - they're never going to progress. So, perhaps startups have this illusion of high risk, but maybe also they're also kidding themselves. They're burning through their lives, and offloading the real risk onto their safety systems - whoever is putting up the money. And they can do that (the invest

in “Default Alive or Default Dead?” · view on HN
Cites itrrauenzaJun 2017

“A month or so ago I watched this 60 minutes of his Half Dome climb”

60 Minutes piece on Honnold's Half Dome climb, including fear risks.

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A month or so ago I watched this 60 minutes of his Half Dome climb ... this video I seem to recall him saying in it one of the big risks is suddenly being overcome with fear or vertigo from the height.

in “Alex Honnold Scales El Capitan Without Ropes, and the Climbing World Reels” · view on HN