I'm still on the road today as I head back to Nashville from a long weekend with family. But, this story is so big, that I had to share it. In case you hadn't heard over the past couple of days, rock climber Alex Honnold may have pulled off the most audacious, impressive, and dangerous climbs of all time. This past Saturday, Honnold added to his already impressive resume by climbing the 3000-foot (914 meter) face of El Capitan in Yosemite without the use of ropes.Honnold launched his bid at 5:32 AM and completed the historic climb at 9:28 AM, which means his finished the tough, iconic ascent up El Cap in 3 hours, 56 minutes. For the length of the entire climb, he essentially used just a pair of climbing shoes and a chalk bag filled with chalk. There were no ropes or other safety devices involved, marking this the first true free solo of one of the most famous rock faces in the entire world.
To put this in perspective, Tommy Caldwell told National Geographic that this is the "moon landing" of free soloing, meaning it is truly ground-breaking and historical, taking the sport into new, uncharted territory. According to Nat Geo, only two other climbers have even mentioned attempting the climb themselves. They were Michael Reardon and Dean Potter, both of which have passed away in recent years. At the moment, Honnold seems to be the only climber in the world who could pull off such a big ascent.
You can read the entire story of this amazing feat on the Nat Geo website. It is quite a story that not only provides more details, but also profiles Alex and what sets him apart from the field. Right now, he's climbing on another level, and getting the entire scoop is inspiring to say the least.
