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Alex Honnold

Alex Honnold

  • Includes two new chapters on Alex Honnold’s free solo ascent of the iconic 3,000-foot El Capitan in Yosemite National Park

    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” (National Geographic) and “one of the great athletic feats of any kind, ever” (New York Times). Already one of the most famous adventure athletes in the world, Honnold has now been hailed as “the greatest climber of all time” (Vertical magazine).

    Alone on the Wall recounts the most astonishing achievements of Honnold’s extraordinary life and career, brimming with lessons on living fearlessly, taking risks, and maintaining focus even in the face of extreme danger. Now Honnold tells, for the first time and in his own words, the story of his three hours and fifty-six minutes on the sheer face of El Cap, which Outside called “the moon landing of free soloing … A generation-defining climb. Bad ass and beyond words … One of the pinnacle sporting moments of all time.”

  • Only a few years ago, Alex Honnold was little known beyond a small circle of hardcore climbers. Today, at the age of thirty, he is probably the most famous adventure athlete in the world. In that short time, he has proven his expertise in many styles of climbing and has shattered speed records, pioneered routes, and won awards within each discipline. More spectacularly still, he has pushed the most extreme and dangerous form of climbing far beyond the limits of what anyone thought was possible.

    Free soloing, Honnold’s specialty, is a type of climbing performed without a rope, a partner, or hardware―such as pitons, nuts, or cams―for aid or protection. The results of climbing this way are breathtaking, but the stakes are ultimate: if you fall, you die.

    In Alone on the Wall, Honnold recounts the seven most astonishing climbing achievements so far in his still-evolving career. He narrates the drama of each climb, along with reflective passages that illuminate the inner workings of his highly perceptive and discerning mind. We share in the jitters and excitements he feels waking in his van (where he lives full time) before a climb; we see him self-criticize in his climbing journal (a veritable bible for students of the sport); and we learn his secrets to managing fear. Veteran climber and award-winning author David Roberts writes part of each chapter in his own voice, and he calls on other climbers and the sport’s storied past to put Alex’s tremendous accomplishments in perspective.

    Whenever Honnold speaks in public, he is asked the same two questions: “Aren’t you afraid you’re going to die?” and “Why do you do this?” Alone on the Wall takes us around the world and through the highs and lows in the life of a climbing superstar to answer those fascinating questions. Honnold’s extraordinary life, and his idiosyncratic worldview, have much to teach us about risk, reward, and the ability to maintain a singular focus, even in the face of extreme danger.