Rock climbing is a sport derived from mountaineering, and traditional rock climbing is also divided into manual climbing and freehand climbing. Manual climbing is a method for rock climbers to climb using equipment such as ropes and pitons. However, unarmored climbing is the complete opposite, relying entirely on the rock climber to hold onto or step on a natural rock wall or rock wall, and the rope only provides protection rather than ascension leverage.
Unarmored climbing tests the physical fitness and experience of rock climbers. This is already a challenge for ordinary rock climbers, but for those more advanced in unarmored climbing there is a “wireless” climb that tests the heart. Without the aid of ropes and other equipment, it is life and death in an instant, this type of rope-free solo climbing (free solo) is considered one of the top ten most dangerous sports in the world.
If climbing alone without a rope is a challenge to the death, then Alexander Honnold of the United States has to be the rock climber with the most number of passes through the Ghost Gate. He is a well-known existence in the world of rock climbing. He started rock climbing at the age of 5. He was shy in nature and was afraid to talk to strangers because of his introverted personality, so rock climbing gradually became his obsessive hobby.
After Honnold’s parents divorced, he decided to drop out of college and drove the family minivan to hike in the mountains. After his father’s death, he bought a camper with his father’s insurance and spent about 9 years in the camper. and in the meantime devoted himself to rock climbing.
Honnold’s past life, always being overwhelmed by her mother’s high standards, led her to fall into an abyss of self-loathing, but all this unexpectedly contributed in part to her motivation to climb without ropes. There is absolutely no room for error in the climbing process, and completing rope-free climbing is equivalent to the process of pursuing ultimate perfection, and it also allows him to avoid self-loathing.
However, the danger of rope-free climbing has always worried Honnold’s mother and girlfriend. Though they hope he might be brave enough to fend for himself, they still cannot understand why he chooses a life-threatening challenge as a target. Even in the face of the puzzlement of many, he still chooses to continue facing his fear of climbing without ropes, and begins the more difficult climbing challenge without ropes.
Even though there have been many cases of famous ropeless climbing pioneers falling off a cliff and dying during the climbing process, Honnold started the impossible challenge in 2007. The attention of the climbing industry. Note that after that, climb the northwest wall of Yosemite Half Dome, which is approximately 609 meters high.
But the reason people start encountering Honnold’s might is that it usually takes them about 2 days to climb the northwest wall of Half Dome. He actually set the record for the fastest ascent in just 1 hour 22 minutes. In a follow-up time, in , he challenged approximately one thousand rope-free solo climbers successively.
But when it comes to Honnold’s closest encounter with death, it is to challenge El Capitan, known as the most difficult climbing route. On an almost vertical rock wall of about 910 m, almost smooth and uninterrupted gaps can be used as grappling points. What’s more, he insists on being challenged to climb a rock wall that is two 101 buildings high without any equipment.
“I want to be a great climber, not a lucky climber.” Because of this belief, Honnold decided to challenge the impossible in the eyes of others.
With more than 10 years of rock climbing experience, as well as constant ropeless climbing exercises and physical training, in 2017 Honnold faced his inner fear of death and beat this massive rock wall. Death was feigned, but the rock climbing experience was imprinted in his mind and muscles allowed him to reach the summit in just 3 hours and 56 minutes.
In the past, Honnold not only successfully challenged Yosemite’s three major peaks for continuous climbing, but also became the fastest rock climber in the world with a total time of 18 hours and 50 minutes. He is now the only person in the world to have climbed El Capitan without a rope. Made into a documentary, it not only won an Oscar but also became the film with the highest average box office per play in 2018. His successful challenge is also recognized as one of the greatest sporting achievements in human history. History.
In the process of Honnold’s ropeless solo climbing, many may not be able to understand his behavior of “killing his life”, but regaining his confidence to prove himself in the face of the fear of death. This is the process of achieving so that it can be saved. For himself, he not only climbed the almost vertical rock wall without a rope at the fastest speed, but also successfully climbed the black hole deep in his heart with his bare hands, living more confidently.
