Mountain climbing free solo. From award-winning documentary filmmaker E.

Mountain climbing free solo. Oct 2, 2025 · If you’re new to climbing, Honnold is one of the most accomplished trad climbers ever, with dozens of awe-inspiring free-solos, alpine first ascents, and hard trad climbs. Honnold rose to worldwide fame in June 2017 when he became the first person to free solo a full route on El Capitan in Yosemite National Park (via the 2,900-foot route Freerider at 5. Last night, Free Solo, the film about Alex Honnold’s iconic ropeless ascent of El Capitan’s Freerider, won the Academy Award for best documentary feature. “Evolving on the rock in such a free way is an incredible feeling. What exactly is free solo climbing? In a free solo climb, often called soloing, you’re climbing cliffs without using any climbing equipment, save for your rock shoes and chalk bag. Free solo climber Matt Bush hangs from a cliff edge in Cape Town, South Africa. [2] Free soloing is the most dramatic soloing-technique and in 2017 became an Oscar-winning documentary Immerse yourself in the experience of free solo climbing Yosemite’s famous El Capitan alongside Alex Honnold in this breathtaking 360 video. Ten. Sep 16, 2021 · In 2019, Free Solo won a Best Documentary Oscar for documenting Alex Honnold’s journey to become the first person to ever free solo climb El Capitan, the 3,000-foot-tall rock formation in Yosemite National Park. Free solo climber freaks out at worst possible moment - DO NOT ATTEMPT #biggestfear #fyp #ridiculous 287K Dislike 11K The free soloist climber prepares to achieve his lifelong dream: climbing the face of the world’s most famous rock — the 3,000-foot El Capitan in Yosemite National Park — without a rope. 13a, around 7c+) on El Capitan is the one that stands out as the iconic, paradigm-shifting 1000m high leap upwards in the meaning of mountaineering. With Marc-André Leclerc, Peter Mortimer, Alex Honnold, Jason Kruk. But many alleged solos are not. Two. Free Solo is the first climbing film to receive such an award. Dean combined his pursuits to conceive the idea of FreeBASE - free solo climbing up tall, overhanging walls, with a BASE jumping parachute on his back for a marginal degree of safety should he fall. Chai Vasarhelyi and world-renowned photographer and mountaineer Jimmy Chin, comes FREE SOLO, a stunning, intimate and unflinching portrait of free Jun 4, 2022 · The term free soloing is usually applied to steep and technical rock climbing done with only hands and feet, with the sole equipment being climbing shoes and chalk bag, but the word solo also applies to ice climbs and routes done ropeless in the Alps and Greater Ranges. Dec 20, 2024 · Martin Feistl, 27, was among the most talented and bold climbers of his generation. com: Free Solo : National Geographic: Movies & TVFollow Alex Honnold as he becomes the first person to ever free solo climb Yosemite's 3,000ft high El Capitan Wall. Live beyond fear. [National Geographic] Jun 17, 2022 · The Surprisingly Relevant Free Solo Advice from Alex Honnold Alex Hannold trains an experienced climber on free soloing in Las Vegas. * It's been long overdue to feature another greatest free solo climbs video, so here it is. Mountain project lists that section as a 5. Follow Alex Honnold as he attempts to become the first person to ever free solo climb Yosemite's 3,000 foot high El Capitan wall. Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube. One slip, and it’s game over. With Alex Honnold, Tommy Caldwell, Jimmy Chin, Cheyne Lempe. The film's drama is Alex Honnold completes the first free solo climb of famed El Capitan's 3,000-foot vertical rock face at Yosemite National Park. The achievement was documented by National Geographic Documentary Films. Mar 5, 2019 · Amazon. It involves climbing a rock face or mountain without any ropes, harnesses, or other safety equipment, relying solely on the climber’s skill and strength. May 11, 2025 · Free solo climbing is one of the most dangerous sports in the world. In a hair-raising talk, he tells the story of how he summited Yosemite's El Capitan, completing one of the most dangerous free solo climbs ever. He died after a 130-foot free solo fall. Not only is mountain climbing inherently dangerous, but free solo climbing also adds a richer layer of danger because there is no support whatsoever. May 25, 2024 · Climbing El Capitan stole the national spotlight with Alex Honnold’s death-defying free-solo climb on “El Cap”. For technical rock climbing (like Free Solo) check out the best climbing documentaries. Oct 9, 2025 · Early next year, Alex Honnold will free solo Taiwan’s tallest building. Free solo climbing, or free soloing, is a form of rock climbing where the climber (or free soloist) climbs solo (or alone) without ropes or other protective equipment, using only their climbing shoes and their climbing chalk. Austin Howell (Shortoff Mountain, North Carolina): Died after falling from a height of 24 meters (80 ft) while free solo climbing. In the five months since its release, the film has grossed nearly $19 million at the box office. [5][6] Alex Honnold climbs El Capitan without a rope or safety equipment, becoming the first person to free solo the route. For professional rock climber Alex Honnold, this dizzying scene marked the culmination of a decade-long dream. What Does It Mean To Free Climb Something? To free climb a route means you climbed the entire thing using your skills and strength – only using the gear to stop a fall. Soloing can also mean going alone with a rope, but free soloing means no rope. The climber is the first person to reach the top of Yosemite’s 3,000-foot El Nov 2, 2023 · In this article, we’ll dive into the thrilling world of free soloing and shine a spotlight on the most famous free soloists of our time, both past and present. To get it out of the way first – we’re referring to mountain climbing documentaries. The woman’s climbing partner, who was uninjured and called for help on his cellphone, was hoisted off the ridge by a Colorado Air National Guard helicopter Sunday night. It is imp Extreme & devastating climbing accidents while free soloing! These are the most dangerous cliffs & challenging rock climbs that ended in horrible, massive in Imagine being by yourself in the dead center of a 3,000-foot vertical cliff -- without a rope to catch you if you fall. Subscribe: http In 2017, when Alex Honnold made his stunning free-solo ascent of Yosemite’s El Capitan, he was taking an unimaginable risk: nearly three thousand feet of climbing without any ropes or safety Alex Honnold (born August 17, 1985) is an American rock climber best known for his free solo ascents of big walls. Free solo climbing is a type of rock climbing where the climber does not use a rope, harness, or other safety gear. The controversy over free soloing has been around since it’s beginnings – but it’s hard not to be captivated by the unique style of climbing Free Soloing is the act of climbing without any rope, harness, or safety equipment. This National Geographic head-spinner from husband-and-wife co-directors Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi From award-winning documentary filmmaker E. [1] Free soloing is the most dangerous form of climbing, and, unlike bouldering, free soloists climb above safe heights, where a fall can be fatal. By his mid-30s, Alex Honnold had achieved Jul 11, 2023 · A 26-year-old Boulder woman died Sunday after she fell 500 feet during a free-solo climb on the Four Aces of Blitzen Ridge in Rocky Mountain National Park, park officials said. -- Edit: With additional information it sounds like the couple were experienced climbers/outdoor From award-winning documentary filmmaker E. Mar 30, 2024 · The Numbers: Free Solo Death Rates Let’s start with some cold hard numbers to get an idea of how much free solo contributes to solo climbing deaths and accidents. When applied to polar exploration and high altitude, the term The free solo legend began climbing rock walls over 25 years ago, when he did the first ever 8b solo free and one of the "craziest solos ever" on La nuit du Lézard in Buoux. Marc-André Leclerc climbs alone, far from the limelight. Free soloing, if you’re unfamiliar with the term, is climbing without a rope, safety gear or a climbing partner. We’ve included both a mix of free-solo climbers and free climbers in this list of inspirational men and women. Six. There are situations where free solo climbers simply get stuck on the wall, are too tired to continue, can’t find their next move, or even get lost on big walls. 13a, the first-ever big wall free solo ascent at that grade), [3] a climb described in The New Nov 15, 2023 · This is the exhilarating world of free solo climbing, where the stakes are as high as the peaks themselves. So, let’s dive right into it, here are the best climbing and mountaineering documentaries along with their trailers! A documentary about climbing solo up sheer vertical cliffs without safety ropes sounds too crazy-masculine to contain a gentle story of emotional awakening. Only a select few individuals possess the incredible skill, mental fortitude, and sheer guts to attempt such feats. Despite Apr 11, 2021 · That’s called free soloing. Alex Honnold climbs to the top of El Capitan without ropes. Chai Vasarhelyi and world-renowned photographer and mountaineer Jimmy Chin, the directors of “MERU,” comes FREE SOLO, a stunning, intimate and unflinching portrait of free soloist climber Alex Honnold, as he prepares to achieve his lifelong dream: climbing the face of the world’s most famous rock the 3,200-foot El Capitan in Yosemite Nov 2, 2022 · Whether you're a first-time climber or a seasoned mountaineer, at some point, you've probably heard the term "free climbing. Dec 19, 2024 · Discover what "solo climbing" truly means in high-altitude mountaineering. We’ll explore their jaw-dropping achievements and the legendary climbs that have earned them a place in rock climbing history. Five. 5. I'm guessing the couple treated it like an exposed hike, rather than what immediately springs to mind when I hear "Free solo" climbing. Honnold is history’s greatest ever climber in the free solo style, meaning he ascends without a rope or protective equipment of any kind. 4. Mar 29, 2019 · The 25-year-old climber went up and down an iconic Patagonian peak with nothing more than climbing shoes, a bag of chalk, and skill. According to a UK study UK, you have more chances dying running or playing tennis while dying rock climbing. The woman was on one of the Four Aces—steep mini-peaks along the ridge—which are considered the route’s crux. The free-spirited 23-year-old makes some of the boldest solo ascents in history. The story of alpinism is full of references to “solo” ascents. In the case of rock climbing, free soloists use only their hands, rock shoes, and sometimes climbing chalk to ascend a wall, with no rope to catch them in the event of a fall. In 2017, he free-soloed Freerider 5. Seven. Yet, not all solo climbs proceed without a rope — those that do are known as free solos — and they do not always occur on bare rock. Chai Vasarhelyi (“MERU”) and world-renowned photographer and mountaineer Jimmy Chin comes National Geographic Documentary Film’s FREE SOLO, a stunning, intimate and unflinching portrait of the free soloist climber Alex Honnold, as he prepares to achieve his lifelong dream: climbing the face of the world’s most famous rock … the 3,000ft El Browse 1,825 authentic free solo climbing stock photos, high-res images, and pictures, or explore additional base jumping or mountain climbing stock images to find the right photo at the right size and resolution for your project. Feb 1, 2022 · 60 peaks, 80,000 feet of vert, and 32 miles of solo climbing. But his free solo ascent in 2017 of Freerider (5. Eight. While the risks are evident, the reasons why climbers choose to free solo are multifaceted and deeply personal. With California’s Yosemite Valley far beneath him, Alex Honnold free solos— which means climbing without ropes or safety gear—up a crack on the 3,000-foot southwest face of El Capitan Jul 7, 2023 · *Do not attempt any of the activities shown in this video. Here are some notable examples: Zmutt nose, Matterhorn – first ascent by Walter Bonatti Bonatti Pillar – first ascent by Walter Bonatti Everest – Reinhold Messner ‘The Fish’, Marmolada, Dolomites Jul 11, 2023 · On Sunday, July 9, a Boulder, Colorado, woman died after falling 500 feet while free soloing Blitzen Ridge, a classic 5. While authorities have not yet released her name, friends and family have begun writing messages of Summary: Male and female out climbing, female fell and died. Dec 5, 2021 · Free Solo was a box office smash documentary that followed climber Alex Honnold as he attempted to do something no one had ever done before. Chai Vasarhelyi and world-renowned photographer and mountaineer Jimmy Chin, comes #FreeSolo, a stunning, intimate and unflinching portrait of free Including two new chapters on Alex Honnold’s free solo ascent of the iconic 3,000-foot El Capitan in Yosemite National Park. Perhaps one of the vaguest and most misunderstood terms in rock climbing though, is free climbing. Sep 21, 2023 · Check out some of the world's most legendary, frightening, and ground-breaking free solos of all time. The process of preparing and executing that dream was made into the Oscar-winning National Geographic documentary, Free Solo, by Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi. Nov 16, 2023 · Free soloing, the act of climbing without the use of ropes or safety gear, is one of the most daring and controversial forms of rock climbing. Sep 27, 2018 · If mountain-climbing documentaries make you puke-dizzy, Free Solo is probably not a good idea. One notable free solo climber is Alex Honnold, who made history in June 2017 with his groundbreaking ascent of El Capitan in Yosemite National Park. Nov 29, 2023 · And yes, Alex Honnold isn't the only one doing this kind of stuff. Alain Robert, the “French Spiderman,” climbed it 20 years ago—and has some advice. 4. Dec 13, 2018 · Free solo climber Alex Honnold prepares to achieve his lifelong dream: scaling Yosemite's 3,200-foot El Capitan without a rope. Oct 23, 2017 · Discover the most legendary free solo climbs of all time, showcasing incredible feats of courage and skill in the world of climbing. be/r Jun 7, 2017 · Alex Honnold has done the unthinkable; on June 3, he completed the first-ever free solo of El Capitan, climbing the wall via Freerider. We ment So, in short, free soloing is an extremely dangerous sport, one that has led to the untimely deaths of many experienced climbers. Mar 19, 2019 · Meanwhile free climbing does involves ropes and safety equipment but only as protection from falling, rather than an aid to help you progress the climb. Oct 23, 2017 · Check out some of the world's most legendary, frightening, and ground-breaking free solos of all time. Sep 16, 2018 · A term used to describe the act of mountain-climbing without safety ropes, the hard-to-watch insanity that is free soloing is a very real, very thriving sub-culture the exists today. Jul 11, 2023 · A 26-year-old woman plummeted 500 feet to her death while free-solo climbing inside a national park in Colorado Sunday, according to officials. This sport has garnered attention not only because of its danger but also because of the dedication and discipline required to master it. With no ropes or safety gear, this would arguably be the greatest feat in rock climbing history. A stunning, intimate and unflinching portrait of free solo climber Alex Honnold, as he prepares to achieve his lifelong dream: scaling the face of the world’s most famous rock — the 3,200-foot El Capitan in Yosemite National Park — without a rope. Sep 4, 2020 · Alex Honnold climbing 3,000 foot up El Cap without a rope in “Free Solo” caught the world’s attention. Nine. Though many climbers May 19, 2022 · Free climbing, sport climbing, trad climbing, bouldering – there seem to be so many different types of rock climbing. " Now that movies like Free Solo and Dawn Wall have brought climbing into the mainstream, however, The star of the Oscar-winning documentary Free Solo will attempt to climb the 11th tallest building in the world without safety equipment. Unlike traditional climbing methods that involve ropes, harnesses, and protective gear, free soloing is a form of climbing where the climber ascends sheer rock faces alone and without any safety equipment. be/r Sep 22, 2021 · Yearning for freedom “For me, climbing solo is the most intense way to face the rock,” wrote Alexander Huber in his book Free Solo: Climbing without protection and without limits. Feb 25, 2019 · Download the app. Jun 11, 2025 · What Is Free Solo Climbing? Free solo climbing involves ascending rock faces using only hands and feet, without any form of artificial aid or protection. Jan 21, 2025 · Learn more about free climbing and famous rock climbers as we delve into mountain pursits outside of trekking | Kandoo Adventures Aug 3, 2016 · One. Chai Vasarhelyi and world-renowned photographer and mountaineer Jimmy Chin, the directors of “MERU,” comes FREE SOLO, a stunning, intimate and unflinching portrait of free soloist climber Alex Honnold, as he prepares to achieve his lifelong dream: climbing the face of the world’s most famous rock the 3,200-foot El Capitan in Yosemite Oct 13, 2015 · He free soloed Half Dome without being certain of the correct route; later he free soloed Rainbow Wall in Nevada’s Red Rock Canyon, “fourteen pitches of sustained climbing up this massive Solo climbing has been practice for as long as any other type of climbing, and a surprising number of famous routes were originally climbed solo, or were quickly repeated by solo climbers. Free solo climbing (climbing without ropes or any other safety equipment) has struck awe in onlookers around the world, with climbers like Alex Honnold darin Oct 3, 2022 · In a new book, Jeff Smoot, author of “Hangdog Days,” launches an encyclopedic investigation into free soloing’s history… and why we do it. Longer video here: https://youtu. In this realm, a select few climbers have pushed the boundaries of what's possible, achieving ascents that leave us mere mortals in awe. Feb 19, 2019 · In Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin’s Oscar nominated documentary Free Solo, Alex Honnold took on the insane challenge of climbing Yosemite’s El Capitan—a mere 3,300-foot slab of Oct 3, 2018 · It's one thing to witness the brilliance of 'Free Solo' climber Alex Honnold. Free solo climbing (sometimes also just called soloing) [2] is where the solo-climber uses no climbing protection (or any form of climbing aids), whatsoever, except for their climbing shoes and climbing chalk (for a rock-climber) or ice tools (for an ice-climber), to ascend a climbing route. With no cameras and no margin for error, Leclerc's approach is the essence of solo adventure. Free soloing or free solo climbing is a type of rock or ice climbing where climbers, or more commonly known as free soloists, climb alone without using safety equipment such as ropes, harnesses, helmets, and the like. Nov 16, 2023 · Free solo climbing, or free soloing, is the practice of climbing rock or ice without a rope. While Free Solo (2018) celebrates athletic triumph it is also a thoughtful essay on mortality, fear, and self-identity, as it probes into the heart and mind of an elite athlete in an extreme sport. Alex Honnold faces the biggest challenge of his career, climbing El Capitan in Yosemite National Park. This drone shot captures his epic climb. When it comes to rock climbing as a whole, it is a generally safe sport. From award-winning documentary filmmaker E. Let’s explore some of …. The definition of free soloing according to Merriam-Webster is: a climb in which a climber uses no artificial aids for support and has no rope or other safety equipment for protection in case of a fall. #climbing Oct 22, 2018 · For most of the documentary, the filmmakers do an admirable job of scrutinizing Honnold's plan, which is why it's so jarring when they stop. Plan your next adventure with Expedreview, connecting you to top guides like Furtenbach Adventures, SummitClimb, and CTSS. Nov 24, 2022 · After all that we’ve found the best mountain climbing documentaries on Netflix, Amazon, and YouTube. Alex Honnold's book is 'Alone on the Wall', with the 2018 edition having three extra chapters covering his El Cap climb. It's another to film his historic summit of Yosemite's El Capitan wall. The Alpinist: Directed by Peter Mortimer, Nick Rosen. So what is free climbing? And is it the same as free soloing? In this article we explain what free climbing is, and what it isn’t. In this article, we Jul 13, 2016 · In free climbing, the climber moves up the wall under their own power without using any special gear to help them move upward (excluding climbing shoes). It involves climbing massive rock faces without any ropes, harnesses, or other safety equipment. Jun 13, 2025 · Climbing is an immensely varied sport and these documentaries will give you an insight into its different subgenres, from mountain climbing and rock climbing to crack climbing and free soloing. The climber only uses their hands and feet to move up the rock wall. He pursues it Free Solo, which means climbing without a rope and alone. The woman, who was climbing with a 27-year-old man Mar 12, 2015 · The author Daniel Duane discusses Alex Honnold’s free solo climb of Heaven, a 3,000-foot vertical wall with a 40-foot overhang in Yosemite. Using just their hands and feet in some sticky-rubber Virtual reality offers professional climber Alex Honnold a new and innovative way to share his incredible free solo climbing thanks to VR's immersive authent Free solo climber Matt Bush hangs from a cliff edge in Cape Town, South Africa. Renowned filmmakers E. Celebrated as one of the greatest athletic feats of any kind, Honnold’s climb sets the ultimate standard: perfection or death. Oct 14, 2019 · Has Alex Honnold’s free solo climb of El Capitan sparked more daredevils? At least one free soloist has fallen to his death since the film was released. Rock climbing has many types and forms that are hard to explain to non-climbers, so we asked a climber to define them for us. On June 3rd, 2017, Alex Honnold became the first person to free solo Yosemite's El Capitan—to scale the wall without rope, a partner, or any protective gear—completing what was described as "the greatest feat of pure rock climbing in the history of the sport As a pioneer of “free solo” climbing—a controversial discipline in which cliff faces are scaled without safety ropes and failure results in death—Honnold, 35, knows how to perform under Jun 14, 2022 · Solo climbing is often associated with rock faces and is often understood as “without a rope”. Four. We use the term free climbing to differentiate from using the gear to actually help you get up the wall – normally called aid climbing. Pretty mad, right? Annually there are around 30 My hardest free solo climb so far! A few weeks ago I climbed this route with a climbing partner and I was so amazed by the rock quality and the exposure that I told myself " I'm gonna free solo Free solo climbing, a form of rock climbing where climbers ascend without the use of ropes or safety gear, has grown in popularity over the past few decades. However, most styles of climbing that are considered free climbing do use some sort of protection in case of a fall. Free Solo is a 2018 American documentary film directed by Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin [4] that profiles rock climber Alex Honnold on his quest to perform the first-ever free solo climb of a route on El Capitan, in Yosemite National Park in California, in June 2017. Dec 13, 2018 · Free Solo: Directed by Jimmy Chin, Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi. The focus of the film is Honnold attempting to scale El Capitan completely free solo. 4 ridge on Ypsilon Mountain in Rocky Mountain National Park. Three. With no ropes or safety gear, he completed arguably the greatest feat in rock climbing history. 13a on El Capitan, the first ever person to free-solo the gigantic Yosemite monolith. Mar 5, 2025 · Free solo rock climbing is one of the most extreme and daring forms of climbing. Explore its challenges, risks, and misconceptions while learning how legendary climbers have redefined solo ascents. With no r Apr 30, 2023 · Free soloing gets a bad rap in many parts of our world, but it is mostly misunderstood. Jan 18, 2024 · Unfortunately, when things go wrong while free soloing, the chances of making out alive are slim. Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin capture the death-defying climb with exquisite artistry and masterful, vertigo-inducing Oct 16, 2023 · Free Climbing vs Free Solo: What’s The Difference? Rock climbing, with its myriad styles and techniques, offers climbers a range of experiences, each with its own set of challenges and rewards. Above about 50 feet, any fall would likely be lethal, which means that, on epic days of soloing, he might spend 12 or more hours in the Death Zone. Jun 20, 2023 · The Twinkie solo encapsulated many idiosyncrasies of Howell’s free soloing: climbing hard, steep routes that had awkward descents; a tendency to climb with his shoes untied, or without chalk His most notable achievement is the free solo climb of El Capitan in Yosemite National Park, a feat that brought him international fame and was featured in the Oscar-winning documentary, "Free May 14, 2024 · In the realm of rock climbing, there exists a daring and highly specialized discipline known as free solo climbing. Sep 28, 2018 · Follow Alex Honnold as he attempts to become the first person to ever free solo climb Yosemite's 3,000 foot high El Capitan wall. n2di hicq1j6 v9s 75fs 69 rh jgxup py1q u896 oa3px8