Free Solo Alex Honnold
I remember once I saw on the Discovery channel announcement of the "rebels on the edge" and that's when I started my adventure with the wall, I could not wait. For located in the shade of the trees fields tent in Yosemite Valley can meet climbers, who make up a subculture remaining in conflict with the conservative principles of the national park. Next generation climb the cliffs of Yosemite. They acquire steep rock walls and beat new records. The "Rebels on the edge" is a riveting story about people who are on a grand attempt to expose their bodies to exceed the limits set by science and by the way breaking the law. I was captivated by the young American Alex Honnold.
Let's start from the beginning. Climbing can be practiced in different ways. There are many possibilities for enjoyment of the sport. Each can choose the way you want to climb but this is dependent on many factors: condition, skill, intensity of training, the issue of psychological comfort because not all methods rely on belaying. I'm not an expert but I've tried climbing the vertical walls of rock with assistance on the so-called "rod" and bouldering - a variation of climbing classic, where we climb the low forms (stones, beams, walls), without using a rope climbing or without belaying. During training on the artificial boulder in the room at the wall they are spread thick mattresses that provide security in the event of a fall from the wall. Area for safety net serves us only crashpad (thick mat) and partner (spotter). Dyscypline is based mainly on overcoming the problem of rock - a specific sequence of movements.
Required skills: The ability to climb the classic, which is the easiest way to train on a climbing wall (in the field is difficult because there are few places offering easy bouldery for beginners).
Finally Free Solo. Alex Honnold is just one of the representatives of this group of climbers. He is climbing on livestock, or without a rope, the road climbing. Dropping off usually has serious consequences (usually hmm death or disability). Acceptable are climbing shoes and magnesia. Very few climbers work this way regularly: John Bachar, Steph Davis, Patrick Edlinger, Alex Honnold, Alex Huber, Dan Osman, Dean Potter, Peter Korczak, Wojciech Kurtyka, Ryszard Malczyk and Andrzej Marcisz.
Alex Honnold grown just free solo without power to any equipment, for 17 years. Therefore, the first approach to the wall he did when he was 12 years old. He lives in a van, and still travels looking for new challenges. Its beams depend on the weather, because puts on such extreme mobility. The stunt, which was made in mid-January breathtaking, just estimations. The guy decided to go to the wall, which had a 457 meters. Of course, without the harness without ice ax and other equipment.Tthe only enhancer was magnesia belt, which plunged sweaty palms, to improve grip. Alex did it in just over three hours which is a good achievement (because height is a piece of cake after all). And it was in El Sendero Luminoso (Shining Path) in El Potrero in Mexico. Modest boy who threw studies to be free and devoted to his passion, he said after reaching the summit, the road seemed to be rather easy (seeing and for some do 30 burpees it's seems to be so hard to do:-)
Solo climbing (without the rope) is an extreme variation of bouldering, and in any case it is not a job for the inexperienced or the faint-hearted and strong mentality is the foundation and of course it is best not to feel fear as Alex Honnold. Many considered free soiling the purest form of art climbing; others, emphasizing the element of risk, consider him to be the initial phase of suicide which is certain not to try it on a Sunday stroll in the mountains.
I invite you to relax and watch this guy