Amazing scenery and a great achievement but why would you risk your life on something like that?
Because soloing and poorly protected climbing in general, even at my embarrassingly lowly level is one of the most intense and lasting sensations I’ve ever felt and people will seek out experiences like that. This isn’t something that he’s done on the spur of the moment, it’s a combination of everything he’s climbed before and the range of skills, experience and knowledge that climbing has given him.
By the by Heaven is, by Honnold’s incredible standards, not a difficult route and is “safe” for soloing, it doesn’t feature dynamic moves or snappy holds or any of the things which go beyond the technical and physical risks involved in climbing. It may be 3000ft up but it wouldn’t be any less dangerous if it were 100ft off the deck, you’re still not walking away if you’ve miscalculated.