In fairness to his girlfriend, he did say early on that she was just starting climbing and that he didn't consider her a climber. And the first route they did on their 'first date' was a multi-pitch. Reading between the lines I wouldn't be surprised if she'd done a bit of climbing at a wall in Seattle then found herself seconding Honnold - something of a baptism of fire.
It's an easy trap to fall in to with climbing - the urge to get out and climb surpasses any sense of self=preservation when conditions are good and you your normal partner isn't about. Anyone who answers the call ends up holding your rope and before you know it you're having a helicopter ride and a morphine drip.
I knew the outcome, but still noticed a distinct increase in my rate of breathing when he set off across the boulder problem pitch. Incredible achievement.
The whole brain scan thing was interesting. My first time up there I was bricking it the whole time. With each successive wall it just got more relaxed and fun. Looks like Honnold has reached the point where being up there is less scary than going shopping to buy a fridge.
I knew the outcome, but still noticed a distinct increase in my rate of breathing when he set off across the boulder problem pitch. Incredible achievement.
I didn’t know the outcome, but I’d kind of assumed that, as I hadn’t heard of anything regarding this climb in the news he’d survived it, but it was the ‘karate kick’ bit that had me breathless, then his huge grin after he cleaned it pretty much indicated he was home free.
His g/f really wasn’t a climber, at least with any real natural rock experience, it seemed; her dropping him showed that, but the fact that she stuck with him showed real strength of character on her part, because he’s so totally focused on things, as anyone with Asbergers usually is, and that’s different for others to cope with.
Good luck to the pair of them, I hope they have a real future together.
Watched it last night and knew the outcome. Just brilliant. He still comes across well enough on the likeable to weird scale. Brain scan bit was fascinating. His girlfriend is a hottie, and I actually thought that considering what night happen at any stage of any of his climbs, she was remarkably ok, relaxed etc. Will check out Dawn Wall too. Kids watched it with me, and want to go to the climbing wall today! 🤣
His girlfriend seems slightly delusional about the likelihood of Honnold just sort of choosing a life of conventional domestic bliss once the project's over, but maybe that's partly a way of coping with the stress of being in a relationship with someone who's a small slip away from death on a daily basis. Fascinating film. I wonder how many people would react to completing a project like that by saying 'I'm so delighted' repeatedly. Kind of totally accurate, but also weirdly without conventional emotional resonance.
Has he fallen off yet ?
According to the Yorkshire couple we overheard in Yosemite “It’s just like the Lake District, but bigger”. Somehow they were not impressed.
I came away from Yosemite thinking much the same. It's obviously impressive but is it any more impressive than somewhere like Glencoe or Torridon?
My main gripe with his GF was that she DROPPED HIM when belaying a simple climb
She was a relative novice belayer. It was the responsibility of her vastly more experienced partner to assess her capabilities.
Thanks to everyone that recommended this, and watching Dawn Wall first - both great, I thought DW told a better story.
I came away from Yosemite thinking much the same. It’s obviously impressive but is it any more impressive than somewhere like Glencoe or Torridon?
I know what you mean I love Lake Garda but prefer Ullswater. Now if they could move Riva, Torbole and Malcesine over from Italy that would be perfect (sorry Pooley.)
I came away from Yosemite thinking much the same. It’s obviously impressive but is it any more impressive than somewhere like Glencoe or Torridon?
It's massively foreshortened from the valley floor, it's hard to appreciate the sheer size of it from the meadow unless you are watching something for scale (ie a climber).
For a rock climber, there's something about that expanse of perfect unbroken rock which makes it far more impressive than even big crags in the UK.
I mean, it's not 'meh', is it?
I'm a bit surprised the Yorkshireman didn't claim that Almscliff or the Cow and Calf were better, though. Having to leave the county to find something to compare it with is shameful. 🙂
I liked his comment "Low risk of a serious outcome". The "low" is for him. In truth, the true risk for free climbing is probably unknown due to self-censoring. Very much a tail of the distribution.
I'm reminded of being the "worlds best cave diver". You really don't want to be!
Just for a bit of extra context on the relative sizes - those trees aren't like Nordic pines that you get in the UK, they are all redwood firs (with the comedy size trunks) that are 100m to 150m high, and that's just the tree
any ascent of El Cap is impressive, for a 10yo that's pretty nuts, well done
In truth, the true risk for soloing is probably unknown due to self-censoring.
FTFY. Free climbing != soloing
The only "big" climb I've done in Yosemite was the standard route on Royal Arches. After three or four pitches you find yourself level with the tree tops. Yep, they're big!
The amount of confidence her dad has to have that she will be competent and safe with her ropework in those kinds of situations, when he can't double check and she is inevitably fatigued.
GF: "So does our relationship make any difference to your attitude to risk?"
AH: "Errrrrr....... no!"
I saw it on a big screen and my palms sweated quite a lot. However I did find his trendy California vocal fry rather irritating. I had a feeling I was watching the former class weed who returns having reinvented himself as a bullfighter or test pilot.
Watched it last night at the local cinema, it really needs watching on a big screen to get the full holy shit that's high experience.
The camera work is brilliant giving some amazing views of scenery and scale.