The Example

When Alex Honnold soloed El Capitan, we all got a little braver

- Jeff Jackson

Alex Honnold just soloed El Cap. The text came from Seth Heller, a 27-year-old, over-caffeinated and hugely productive ex-Rock and Ice intern. Seth had spent a few days interviewing Honnold last October while Honnold was laid up with an ankle injury. Seth got hours of tape. Alex talking about girls. Alex talking about going into politics. Alex talking about his amygdala. Seth told me Alex seemed happy to have the company, even invited Seth to join him on some easy solos, ones Honnold could do with an injured ankle. Seth wisely declined. When Seth asked how he got injured, Honnold told him that he’d slipped and fallen awkwardly on a slab. On Freerider. The route he has now soloed.

My mind is blown, I texted Seth.

Everybody is probably saying that, I thought. My mind is blown. I’m so inspired. It was June 3, and I was winding through the green curves below Oprah Winfrey’s house on the way to meet friends and go bouldering in Maui. As I dropped through the lava fields I examined that statement. Was my mind really blown?

The first ascent of El Capitan took 45 days, something like 50 bottles of wine, and pitons made out of old stove legs. The first one-day ascent of El Cap took about 18 hours, swami belts and some badass paisley shirts. Honnold had just done it in under four hours. No wine. No stove legs. No swami. NO ROPE.

The first time I climbed El Cap was exactly 25 years ago. 1992. June.

My partner was … let’s call him Mr. X to protect his identity since he’s now a controversial science writer for The Daily Kos with the handle Darksyde. Mr. X had emailed me only the day before to comment on how moving the experience of climbing El Capitan had been. I was touched to have shared such a time and reflected back.