It has been said that public speaking is the number one fear most people have. I understand because when I was young I feared it greatly. I avoided taking any classes in school that required making a speech. An English class in college required a speech. I had no choice. My entire body shook. I sweated. My voice quivered. My face turned red. My heart was pounding. It was torture. Now I teach a Bible class at Church.
I was one of the top 3 MTB racers in MN for a good period of time. It was the process of getting better that was the most satisfying. Staying at a high level made me feel greedy even though I was a clean racer. The ascent is awesome, staying there not so much. Because other aspects of your life get squeezed out. If I was a billionaire I would quickly turn to philanthropy.
Can kinda tell this environment (public speaking) is his idea of a nightmare, like he'd still rather be ropeless on some insanely difficult rock face somewhere, but he STILL does it because it's necessary to promote what he's doing and to inspire others. That's courage.
I watched the story on his solo climb of El Capitan and I was floored. I once had cancer and my right kidney removed in it's entirety from the tumor that was destroying it. My kids were young, 9 and 14 at the time. They were scared. I was scared. I wanted to prove to them that I was OK, that I was going to be there. So I took on something I had never dreamed I could do. I entered an Ironman Triathlon. I trained myself to swim. I bought a tri bike and learned to ride it. I had already ran several full marathons and half's a few years before. 11 months later I entered and finished a half Ironman, and a month after that I finished the full Ironman, a 2.4 mile swim, a 112 mile bike ride, and then ran a 26.2 mile marathon. I saw my kids as I was leaving on the marathon and I told them "this is for you two, I love you!". The point of all this was to show them that they can do things they never thought possible. To show them to never say "I can't." Watching him solo that incredible rock face brought back the memories, the awe, the humble respect for the impossible become possible. Never give in. Never give up. Never stop fighting. I am 7 years cancer free so far and counting.
In the documentary that follows him in his climb, he passes by two dudes climbing El Capitán classic style. It's funny that he walks by their tent, without any other equipment than his clothes. It is a take from the ground, very far away, so you don't get to see their reaction.
It sounded like he was reading an essay he wrote, but it didn't look like he was reading from a teleprompter. He never lost his train of thought. That's a long speech to memorize.
it takes an insanely humble human being to not even bother explaining to tourists who are shouting you out for hiking barefoot that you just climbed 2000 solid feet worth of just vertical rock without a rope...respect
@@specter0023 there is a difference between doing what you have to do to make a living in promoting something so your family are provided for, and seeking attention.
I have to disagree. In my opinion Ueli Steck with his 82 4000m Summits in 62 Dass is way more impressive regarding the athleticism. And regarding Alpinism Messner is unbeatable. But free soloing is still insane especially to watch
springersoon - it's incredibly impressive, but could - and did - make a thousand mistakes along the way and still survive. Literally one mistake for Alex and it's fatal. That's why Alex's achievement is the more remarkable.
Sorry but it honestly wasn’t that funny just being honest. That’s like a typical joke-insult you’d hear from literally anyone, and if anyone besides Alex said it you wouldn’t be slobbering on him
@@romankaz2633 Dude, don't even bother with people like that. They honestly just don't want others to have fun so they actively try to ruin everything. Ignore them.
I can memorize every single procedure down to the exact tools needed to work on a car without ever grabbing the one wrong one but i can’t remember words written. So i don’t know😂
Free Soloing if you don't remember exactly where footholds are, then your not going to be Free Soloing very long. So yes I wouldn't doubt at all he did memorize every foothold, obviously he did cause he's alive to tell the tell...
Public humiliation can cause you to be unable to find a mate, which as far as your genes are concerned, is the same as dying. So they give you similar fear when you're in that situation.
In an interview with the directors of Free Solo, they mention Alex originally took up free solo climbing when he was too scared to ask someone to belay him.
@@cliftonjames785 Because Alex Honnold was a bit intimidated by this public speaking, even though he's done the scariest things imaginable. He still made a great presentation, don't get me wrong, but it was a bit intimidating for him, for sure.
He don't like being round ppl or talking to much if he was that type person he would of never done anything like this the quit ppl are the ones u watch out for
@@bluerfoot he had a lack of activity in the area of his brain that processes that sort of emotion, but it's not really that meaningful. During the test he was just shown images of things. Do you get more scared from an image of a spider, or an actual spider? He's also been practicing eliminating fear since he started free soloing He may not process fear the same way anyone else does while climbing, but anything else? normal guy
I free climbed my ladder all the way up to my roof yesterday. There was a moment of doubt when a tree limb jutting out over the ladder hit me in the face but I conquered it and cleaned my gutters.
I clean my own rain gutters, too. It never helps knowing -----" The United States leads the world in ladder deaths. Each year, there are more than 164,000 emergency room-treated injuries and 300 deaths in the U.S. that are caused by falls from ladders. Most ladder deaths are from falls of 10 feet or less."
After seeing the documentary covering this climb, I visited El Capitan and walked to the base of the mountain. From there, I found the starting point for Alex’s climb. From there, I climbed a couple of metres off the ground, and looked up. I felt uneasy, at risk, exposed, in danger. And I was only two metres off the ground, clinging to the rock with my hands and feet. At that point, the full enormity of Alex’s achievement hits home. It is an incredible act that truly defies what is considered ‘normal’ and ‘possible’. Well done Alex. You’re a living legend. Please keep it that way.
Go to the tree next to the route and climb to meters you would uneasy. Just remember though he had support crew with him the who time station all over the rock. If he got stuck he would just attach climb out and do it another day. I think he is amazing, but I get annoyed when people say solo, but are actually supported.
Jay Trock it would be very difficult to "attach" him self because he would need a harness on, which wouldn't be fun trying to put one on 2,000 ft. up. And a rope to tie into, which would need a proper anchor system and belayer or fixed point all of which varies depending on where you are in the climb due to rope length. So it is soloing because he didn't plan any of that and nor did any of the camera members
that's not dumb to do that because the brain can't make the difference between videos and reality, that's why you are sweating when u see it, attach yourself can be good to not sweat
Yea, but not always true at all. Certainly is often the case, but not necessarily. The understanding of inevitability, the opposite of doubt, can frequently be just as frightening.
@Fernando Cunha Conversely, many atheists doubt the veracity of proclamations that posit no tangible measurement. Doubt, in this perspective, is more prudent than any falsehood emboldened by emotion. I have come to understand doubt is an intellectual conclusion and an emotional catalyst of detriment.
Based on some of the comments, I feel like I need to come to Alex’s defense of his performance in this video. Yes, he seems uncomfortable, and his delivery is stilted, but this is the only instance I’ve seen that he is clearly reciting a prepared speech. It takes years of practice in this format to make a recitation seem spontaneous. Alex has made no secret of his shyness as a child, or his aversion to public speaking, but now, even in front of a large audience, when he’s allowed to speak off the cuff, in an interview, or in a Q&A, he is relaxed, engaging, and funny Alex Honnold is, by far, the best ambassador that the sport of climbing has ever had, and he is one of those rare athletes whose great talents are matched only by his patience and humility.
99% of the people commenting on his weak presentation skills would be scared to death speaking to a large audience like that. Easier to critique something from the comfort of your home.. His career doesn't require him to speak in large auditoriums on a regular basis.....
@@sk8freshcst I don't think anyone is criticizing him for his public speaking ability. I think in fact they are commending him for doing it. I am not a rock climber but I think I would rather climb El Cap than speak in front of several hundred people.
I have to strongly disagree here. Lacking instinct of self-preservation, having no fear does not equal great athletic achievement. There are many better climbers out there, including Adam Ondra, the greatest rock climber ever, who is genuinely pushing boundaries.
David Bohata I agree. While Alex’s feat is impressive, it’s a stunt, like walking a cable between the twin towers without a net. It’s not a sport and shouldn’t be glorified imo.
It's crazy, because in the documentary, at one point he says that it'll take atleast 3-4 hrs to reach the 'boulder problem', and the day he made it, it took him less than 4 hrs to do the whole ascension. AMAZING!
i can say with high confidence in my opinion that this is the single most impressive and difficult athletic success in human history. Nothing else requires the physical strength and endurance and nothing can even compare mentally to something that is literally life or death for every second of 4 hours straight
I would agree if his brain was structured normally, but his brain was scanned and his amygdala has no activity. Free soloing isn't as hard for psychopaths. Not making a judgment on those with that brain structure, just an observation.
@@sandol355not true - it just didn’t light up the way ours would in a an FMRI machine being shown pictures of scary things because he has real experience of very scary stuff where he was very scared - it’s all about exposure and repetition - despite that this is clearly another level of mastery in that regard - but it’s easier to think he’s ‘wired differently’ than to imagine the decade of work needed to approach the challenge
This man has fascinated me for a long time. I think he is a kind of Einstein and approaches his climbs like a calculus problem. He is a problem-solver first, athlete second. There were some pitches of his Famous El Capitan climb where he replaced the traditional move with 20 unique smaller moves of his own--to avoid what he saw as unnecessary risk!!! That is the mind of an inventor, a scientist, an engineer. He is the exact opposite of a thrill-seeker. He is a scientist in his lab, carefully working out every single part of the chemistry so the room does not explode. And understanding all the little things that need to happen for him not to die is what stands in front of him as a thrilling challenge.
اليكس. ان حياة الانسان ليست تحدي ومتعة ولكنها تكليف و إنك مسؤول عنها من بعد الموت عن سمع وبصر وفؤاد واليد والرجل والوقت فيما قدمته اليكس .هل تعلم مسؤولية الانسان أكبر من السماء والارض والجبال. أليكس هل تعلم إن الجبال عباد الله يسبحن له . أليكس هل تعلم ان الجيال يخشون ويتصدعون من كلام لله وإن حياة الانسان غالية أكثر من تسلق جبل تعقل وإرتاح يا أليكس تحيتي لك لكل ثقم المصور
"Valley Uprising" is the best documentary I've ever seen on climbing in Yosemite. Free Solo is super interesting, but they could have gone deeper into the mindset of someone who takes it to the hairy edge...into the male psychology of boldness and inner knowing.
@@w.harrison7277: "Valley Uprising" was extremely good too. To be fair, it had a bigger cast of characters. I think deeply delving into Honnold's mindset would have been tough and the film did the best it could. Honnold is like Winston Churchill's description of Russia: "Alex is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma."
Most of the commenters are missing the point. Alex did something not only considered too risky, but impossible by almost everyone. He did this though incredible preparation, both physical and mental. The story is that impossible dreams are not impossible, if you are truly dedicated to a good plan and follow it no matter what. This is also a story about controlling fear. As a crappy 5.11± climber, i know that fear is truly "the little death before total obliteration.". Although Alex's public speaking skills are dwarfed by his climbing skills, it is an important message.
Not impossible, plenty others had done it with ropes. It’s not the do-ability that is in question, if you can do it with ropes you can do it without them. It’s just clearly extremely risky. Not taking anything away, did is a fucking miracle of an achievement.
@@ScarredBert I stand by my point, that this is a feat that was considered impossible by "almost everyone" (obviously not Alex) and that what might seem impossible to many, can be accomplished if the right approaches are taken. Your statement, in fact IMO does take away from the feat, as at least on the surface, it makes it a simple matter of risk with/without ropes. This climb is 31 pitches in a row! As a pretty crappy climber, I can hardly relate to that level of fitness and am certain that even if I quit my job and trained full time I could never be fit enough. Also, any sort of doubt/fear is incredibly detrimental to climbing stamina, fear is the "little death." Alex may be the only climber (there are at best a handful of other people on the planet) capable of the mental and physical discipline necessary to pull this feat off, making it seem impossible for "almost everyone." Since it has been done, it is obviously no longer considered impossible....
This all may be true about your dreams, but most people, even those with a high level of youth and physicality could not even come close to doing this no matter how driven or prepared they were. What he did out there exceeds pretty much anything I can possibly think of.
He quite literally is fearless. They did tests on his brain and found a lack of neurons that were required to process fear. He is literally built different
and yet this is terrible for a Ted Talk - it's just a recollection from an amazing athlete about a personal accomplishment. Ted Talks should be more. There are different forums for awesome guys like this but not at Ted.
@Vexel wrong, you can take something away from this but there are better examples out there, better people you could've picked. Ted standards have immensely fallen and now they just pick celebs or something that'll elevate their brand name.
@@Vendrix86 I agree with you. I loved watching Free Solo and I have nothing but the utmost respect for Alex Honnold, but I felt like this talk was pretty superficial. I would be interested in hearing more in detail about his visualization techniques, for example.
What's fascinating is, extreme sports usually are seen as the most selfish self indulgent reckless thing one can do. Yet everything about Alex Honnold is extremely carefully thought out and considered to the point him and his friend climbed 1500 feet to remove dangerous rocks that could kill another climber. He is inspiring. I wish he gave more talks to people on how to overcome fears and reach the pinnacle of human fitness.
He can't compete in any of those sports. That's why whites prefer activities where they do stuff alone. Any black athlete will beat his time but they just don't care about this crap.
In High School, I convinced a friend that the world's greatest platform diver was this Chinese guy who couldn't swim a stroke. I told him that everytime he hit the water, that guys on stand by had to jump in the water and save him. This is what that comment reminds me of.
I solo'd a 60 foot cliff and let me tell you the mental reward was unlike any other. Having stood at the base of el cap i cant even begin to tell you what this man must have felt like when completing his epic solo. There just aren't words to describe it. The total sense of perfection and accomplishment is utterly mind boggling. I will never be even a fraction of a percent of the climber he is. What a marvel. What a man.
It is almost impossible to exaggerate how amazing this feat was. But I also found Alex’s talk about his preparation and process very illuminating - chock (or chalk) full of lessons applicable to life both below and beyond the wall.
I am a skydiver....to me there is only one extreme sport without a doubt.....where there is no plan B,no protection,no supportive gear,only one way ticket....solo free climbing !!! My respect Alex.....all my best,stay safe....Ralph from Detroit. 5/17/2020
I’d have to agree! I’ve only skydived once tandem and it was awesome enough for me to think with training I could go solo. What Alex is doing? No way!!!!
Wow this is really fascinating. I love how he breaks down how meticulously he practices and memorizes before each solo -- not at all the "daredevil" mentality you would imagine.
Jordan Sullivan Many athletes who achieve incredibly dangerous feats are scrupulously attentive to detail, and seek attainment, not gratuitous danger. They are quite sane, and fully appreciate the risks they are taking. “I wanted to be a great climber, not a lucky climber”. The “daredevil” types really are nuts, and are much more likely to die in an accident. I get what you mean, though: he’s quite a mellow guy, at least on the surface.
Best part is where he admits that he was scared and also got luck rather than be all cocky about how perfect he was to do it. He has very right attitude and honesty not to mention he is incredibly brave too.
@@stefanandrews5098 i watched the vr video and when he began the climb i literally said "Alex, dont!" out loud like I cant believe he actually does it.
@@wcc4269 It's one of those situations where you can execute absolutely perfectly, and still fall long enough to think about before dying... I can't imagine watching this in VR
I'm glad to watch this. From prior videos it seemed his success was just sheer mental belief in himself, plus strength (from climbing). This revealed the high level of training, preparing, and practicing involved ahead of the free solo climbs. That's the true beauty of the human potential (vs superhuman action hero stuff of movies).
Confidence is having trained, practiced, and rehearsed your skills to the point it is as second nature as breathing. This guys trains in his craft like to other.
@@RADlX Words not to live by, he should have been an unlucky hiker who had climbing experience. Luck probably has a purpose. The unnecessary Parkour Avatar risk for the purpose of fame is relatively smaller.
I gotta hand it to this guy. He inspired me to climb. I've only solo'd 2 faces, both merely 150ft. That is nothing!!! Nothing!!! I just completed my first 1000ft climb though. It was rough, but I made it. I'm not a good climber by any means, but I gotta say that there is nothing that compares. Not skydiving or anything . And rappelling down is so f'n fun. You gotta love it!
150ft solo is still very impressive my friend. If you were to slip and fall 20ft up youd still be dead the same as if you were to fall 1500ft up. You are still risking your life and my respect goes out to anyone who has the balls to do this.
@@Liam.2000 he didn't say he free solo'd. When someone just says soloing they are still using a rope. If this guy really isn't a great climber and actually did free solo anything he's an idiot for risking his life while not being extremely experienced. Alex himself says he wouldn't take anyone free soloing who isn't an elite climber.
@@patheddles4004 The North Face Clothing company logo is based off the Half Dome in Yosemite that Alex Free Soloed as his first big Free Solo. The mountain you're talking about in the Alpes has nothing to do with them and also is not named North Face of the Eiger but Noth Wall of the Eiger.
@@extraslayar4585 ok fair, I'll take your word about the company and its connection to Honnold and Half Dome. The difficult side of the Eiger absolutely is called the North Face though, even though the German name "Nordwand" does literally translate to "North Wall".
This is truly something so special it can not be put into words. This human overcame an unfathomable obstacle mentally and physically. Absolutely incredible.
the forearm muscles are real. These free climbers are always the most surprisingly strong people. You'd look at this guy and think he isn't that strong but his grip strength and endurance must be mind blowing.
@@jimmydane34 you are confusing 'control over your body' with 'strength'. If pure strength is your goal, train with weights. if pure fitness is your goal, train with your bodyweight.
This guy is incredible. Very lean and wiry, yet with immensely strong fore-arms, very large hands for his size that are incredibly strong. His strongest attribute though is his mind which has titanic strength.
@@karlkarnu7641 I think one of the t amazing parts of the accomplishment is that there were no outs. It was either up or down, no checkpoints, no turning back.
I've just learned what mastering means, and it's preparation and doing it with confidence and ability (rather then just sheer will or a belief) This is applicable to anything.
Was the best documentary I have ever seen in my life, no joke, no exaggeration. This guy is a beast, I was shaking just watching him. Glad he made it to the top
I like how usually people who give these talks will make whatever story they’re sharing some metaphor about overcoming their personal demons, but this legend just gave a cool climbing story and then abruptly left during his standing ovation
The psychological strength of this guy just BLOWS MY MIND!!! 🤯🤯🤯🤯 He’s just on another plain... another planet! What a beautiful soul ! Beautiful story of sheer will, determination and inner fortitude!
It’s not a psychological advantage that he has but it’s the inability to feel anxiety/fear of the risks involved in what he’s doing. If you’ve watched the video where they performed a brain scan, he literally doesn’t feel any fear.
My hands were sweating just looking at his pics..I am so thoroughly impressed with this guys absolute dedication to getting something, however insane, done perfectly, for himself. I haven’t found my “El Cap”, I hope I will someday, and that I will have the guts and grit to accomplish whatever it will be.
He was probably more nervous delivering this speech than summiting el cap
Hahahaha facts
in Free Solo it said that he was so scared of talking to people that he started free soloing
There’s no doubt
He probably rehearsed the speech for the last 10 years
It has been said that public speaking is the number one fear most people have.
I understand because when I was young I feared it greatly. I avoided taking any classes in school that required making a speech. An English class in college required a speech. I had no choice. My entire body shook. I sweated. My voice quivered. My face turned red.
My heart was pounding. It was torture.
Now I teach a Bible class at Church.
This guy is the embodiment of “don’t practice until you get it right, practice until you can’t get it wrong”
That’s a really good wya to put it! Going to try to ingrain that in my mind
\
Reminds me of one of my favorite Super Smash Bros players. "If you're only frame perfect 99% of the time then you're not frame perfect."
@@windowsxp2255 a smash bros player who sits on a computer all day reminds you of a super freak athlete who climbs huge mountains? 😂
Wow
@@ChickenJoe-tq6xd Well they are both masters of their craft. The comment was based on the mindset of mastery not the similarity of the craft.
“I didn’t want to be a lucky climber. I wanted to be a great climber” is what makes him who he is.
He has that title….
@@dstarkspp agree, legend
He said this year that almost all of his climbing friends are retired or dead. Can't be a lucky climber too often I guess
dudes really goated up and lucky wont be another for a long time
He'll soon be a dead climber though.
I've seen El Cap. It's amazing to see people climbing with gear. What Alex did is incomprehensible. G.O.A.T.
Mountain goat
@@beargrylls6135 Hahaha
Theres a young guy who shattered every free solo record known to man and he died somewhere in a south american mountain :/
Marc-André Leclerc
@@elijahjohnston3172 Sounds like he might have got a bit over confident.
That feeling of mastery when you truly know that you are at the pinnacle of your craft has to be one of the best things you could feel as a human.
I don't think he feels that way though, he wasn't fully satisfied with his climb for some strange reason
Ben O'Neill he was for el cap, he even said it haha
I was one of the top 3 MTB racers in MN for a good period of time. It was the process of getting better that was the most satisfying. Staying at a high level made me feel greedy even though I was a clean racer. The ascent is awesome, staying there not so much. Because other aspects of your life get squeezed out.
If I was a billionaire I would quickly turn to philanthropy.
@Holophonic I agree with you.
Yeah I agree I ate 3 double sausage and egg mc muffins once.
Love how he just walks off stage the second he finishes while the entire room is giving him a standing ovation.
He didn't want to be there when the theater avalanched.
Well documented aspergers.
@@charliechan578 documented where? His father had aspergers not him
He's fascinating. Also that made me fuckn lol. He didn't give a toss he just wanted it to be over 😂
@@DRsideburns It's not documented but I'd be highly surprised if he wasn't on the spectrum, even if he was never diagnosed
Can kinda tell this environment (public speaking) is his idea of a nightmare, like he'd still rather be ropeless on some insanely difficult rock face somewhere, but he STILL does it because it's necessary to promote what he's doing and to inspire others. That's courage.
many people die doing this kind of stuff, also experienced people. How necessary is it to promote insanity?
@@Almenhorst if you didn't do anything dangerous you would live a remarkably boring life
@@grebe2332 so you are saying that you have to be a tiny step away from certain death to have fun in life?
@@Almenhorst that's very clearly not what I said
@@grebe2332 good!
I watched the story on his solo climb of El Capitan and I was floored. I once had cancer and my right kidney removed in it's entirety from the tumor that was destroying it. My kids were young, 9 and 14 at the time. They were scared. I was scared. I wanted to prove to them that I was OK, that I was going to be there. So I took on something I had never dreamed I could do. I entered an Ironman Triathlon. I trained myself to swim. I bought a tri bike and learned to ride it. I had already ran several full marathons and half's a few years before. 11 months later I entered and finished a half Ironman, and a month after that I finished the full Ironman, a 2.4 mile swim, a 112 mile bike ride, and then ran a 26.2 mile marathon. I saw my kids as I was leaving on the marathon and I told them "this is for you two, I love you!".
The point of all this was to show them that they can do things they never thought possible. To show them to never say "I can't."
Watching him solo that incredible rock face brought back the memories, the awe, the humble respect for the impossible become possible.
Never give in. Never give up. Never stop fighting. I am 7 years cancer free so far and counting.
I teared up on the quote to you kids. Thanks for sharing and congrats on the results!🙌
❤ Amazing
To those of us that never had a Dad, thanks. People need this kind of stuff
Wholesome story!!
That’s amazing. I hope your kids realize and appreciate your dedication to overcome challenges. Wishing you and your family nothing but the best.
Imagine being a tourist at the top of a hiking trail and a guy just comes over the edge of the cliff with no ropes
I mean, it would make a lot more sense to assume hes just some random hiker too close to the edge than to think he just scaled the entire mountain
It was like that unicorn guy on the mountain
In the documentary that follows him in his climb, he passes by two dudes climbing El Capitán classic style. It's funny that he walks by their tent, without any other equipment than his clothes. It is a take from the ground, very far away, so you don't get to see their reaction.
"Good Morning !"
Lol hahaha
He’s so introverted and never expects the laughs to come from the audience - this was great!
It sounded like he was reading an essay he wrote, but it didn't look like he was reading from a teleprompter. He never lost his train of thought. That's a long speech to memorize.
@@Thomas-fk3cw Great how he prepared for the TED talk like he prepares for his climbs.
He has well-documented Asperger syndrome which certainly serves him well for something like this free Solo
He's got a great sense of humour if you watch other videos of him where he's just being himself.
trust me buddy, no human that is truly introverted will step on that stage lmao
Death once had a near Alex experience.
Vic Diesel lol
Noice
Death came for Alex that day, looked up and said...nah not today
Vic Diesel this comment is underrated
my therapist tells me to not dive into the youtube comment section and she is right. but this! this is why i'm doing it. gold comment!
it takes an insanely humble human being to not even bother explaining to tourists who are shouting you out for hiking barefoot that you just climbed 2000 solid feet worth of just vertical rock without a rope...respect
Using your logic, If he was insanely humble, he wouldn’t be telling the world what he did right now. 🤔
This is a celebration of human mastery retrospectively. Very very different. @@specter0023
@@specter0023 there is a difference between doing what you have to do to make a living in promoting something so your family are provided for, and seeking attention.
In my opinion his climb is the single most impressive feat of athleticism in all of human history.
I once ran 3 miles after eating a big mac without farting
@@squierstrat9502 I drove 3 miles today. You could say I'm a professional
I have to disagree. In my opinion Ueli Steck with his 82 4000m Summits in 62 Dass is way more impressive regarding the athleticism. And regarding Alpinism Messner is unbeatable. But free soloing is still insane especially to watch
I totally agree with you.
springersoon - it's incredibly impressive, but could - and did - make a thousand mistakes along the way and still survive. Literally one mistake for Alex and it's fatal. That's why Alex's achievement is the more remarkable.
Free solo : The best horror movie of all time
You know it. For reference the stratosphere in Vegas is, roughly, 900ft tall. El Cap is 3x the height
@@jcp1756 he actually bought a house in Las Vegas how I know that is you can see it in free solo documentary
kheusha diagne makes my palms sweat just watching it
@@jcp1756 3200+ feet...Thats almost 4x the height....Crazy
@@stevenm4117 a bit lol. He did the ascent in 2.5 hours if I remember correctly
“You’re hiking barefoot? That’s so hardcore!”
Man, he is actually really funny
I just laughed hard enough at that part that I coughed for half a minute straight
Sorry but it honestly wasn’t that funny just being honest. That’s like a typical joke-insult you’d hear from literally anyone, and if anyone besides Alex said it you wouldn’t be slobbering on him
@@charlesg7926 we all have different humour 🤷🏼♂️ was funny to me
@@romankaz2633 Dude, don't even bother with people like that. They honestly just don't want others to have fun so they actively try to ruin everything. Ignore them.
@@charlesg7926 yeah its' not that funny, i'm surprised the audience laughed, sounded like auto laughter
Not surprised, he memorized the entire speech, after hearing him say, he memorized every foothold on El Capitan
That wasn't a speech that was a story of a man's triumphs and his failures
@@Stoneybologna005 … in the form of a speech
I can memorize every single procedure down to the exact tools needed to work on a car without ever grabbing the one wrong one but i can’t remember words written. So i don’t know😂
There’s multiple prompters below him
Free Soloing if you don't remember exactly where footholds are, then your not going to be Free Soloing very long. So yes I wouldn't doubt at all he did memorize every foothold, obviously he did cause he's alive to tell the tell...
He seems nervous public speaking, yet he can climb that damn thing free solo. The human mind is so amazing
He also didnt talk about managing fear besides saying he practiced every step for years and that "doubt is the precursor of fear"
Public humiliation can cause you to be unable to find a mate, which as far as your genes are concerned, is the same as dying. So they give you similar fear when you're in that situation.
I think he's on the spectrum. I watched his documentaries and he definitely shows the signs.
@@Kraken9911 His dad had Aspergers.
In an interview with the directors of Free Solo, they mention Alex originally took up free solo climbing when he was too scared to ask someone to belay him.
This video has confirmed my suspicion that public speaking is, in fact, the scariest thing in the world.
Why?
@@cliftonjames785 Because Alex Honnold was a bit intimidated by this public speaking, even though he's done the scariest things imaginable. He still made a great presentation, don't get me wrong, but it was a bit intimidating for him, for sure.
Yeah he was talking pretty fast but did a good job
He don't like being round ppl or talking to much if he was that type person he would of never done anything like this the quit ppl are the ones u watch out for
rara58524 your dumb if you think he wasn’t scared climbing.
One of the greatest achievements in all of human history. I genuinely believe that. No exaggeration.
I totally agree.
I have said it many times! Alex achieved a super human feat. ...miraculous!!!!
@@unclewilbur8976 - He also has superhuman hands.
The fact he did it in 3.5 hours is insane
@@julienwood577 That’s what I just thought , He said it usually takes 3 days??
You can tell he was more scared of talking to a room full of people than he was climbing thousands of feet in the air. What a guy
He didn't appear at all scared to me, I read somewhere he lacks some scared hormone or something.
@@bluerfoot he had a lack of activity in the area of his brain that processes that sort of emotion, but it's not really that meaningful. During the test he was just shown images of things. Do you get more scared from an image of a spider, or an actual spider? He's also been practicing eliminating fear since he started free soloing
He may not process fear the same way anyone else does while climbing, but anything else? normal guy
Whataaaaa guy
I free climbed my ladder all the way up to my roof yesterday. There was a moment of doubt when a tree limb jutting out over the ladder hit me in the face but I conquered it and cleaned my gutters.
Without cleaning out your guts - bravo ;-)
Funniest comment yet...
I clean my own rain gutters, too. It never helps knowing -----" The United States leads the world in ladder deaths. Each year, there are more than 164,000 emergency room-treated injuries and 300 deaths in the U.S. that are caused by falls from ladders. Most ladder deaths are from falls of 10 feet or less."
bravo
You are so FUNNY!!!.🐱☺️!!! Thanks for the laugh!!!
After seeing the documentary covering this climb, I visited El Capitan and walked to the base of the mountain. From there, I found the starting point for Alex’s climb. From there, I climbed a couple of metres off the ground, and looked up. I felt uneasy, at risk, exposed, in danger. And I was only two metres off the ground, clinging to the rock with my hands and feet.
At that point, the full enormity of Alex’s achievement hits home.
It is an incredible act that truly defies what is considered ‘normal’ and ‘possible’.
Well done Alex. You’re a living legend. Please keep it that way.
“Please keep it that way” 😳👌
Autoexpert.com.AU
Go to the tree next to the route and climb to meters you would uneasy. Just remember though he had support crew with him the who time station all over the rock. If he got stuck he would just attach climb out and do it another day. I think he is amazing, but I get annoyed when people say solo, but are actually supported.
@@jaytrock3217 In rock climbing lingo, "solo" just means "without a rope", I think. (I'm not a rock climber so don't quote me on this :-D )
Jay Trock it would be very difficult to "attach" him self because he would need a harness on, which wouldn't be fun trying to put one on 2,000 ft. up. And a rope to tie into, which would need a proper anchor system and belayer or fixed point all of which varies depending on where you are in the climb due to rope length. So it is soloing because he didn't plan any of that and nor did any of the camera members
A collared shirt UNDER a collared shirt! This man knows no fear!
Sponsors pay bills
lol
Edward Rawn Probably sweats a lot. I get it
Johnathan T not the best quality in a rock climber
This is basically middle school dress code.(you must have a collar showing if you wear a quarterzip jacket-the only jacket you can wear)
"It was the climb I wanted, and it felt like mastery." Just incredible.
Imagine walking up the mountain like a normal person, looking over the edge and seeing this guy climbing up the side without a rope
Alex should have definitely come over the ledge, looked around and said, "Wait... there's another way up?"
@@staple_gun6367 lmao
@@staple_gun6367 😂
And shout at him so he gets disturbed and falls
And throw some random stones to make it a bit more challenging
When watching Free Solo, I attached my rope to my couch just to be safe
Im laying in bed and ive got 2 harnesses on just to be safe!
I went to turn up the volume but had to chalk up my hands before I grabbed the remote.
LoL
And I mushed my hands in my mother's chalky cooking in a fanny pack which who would have guessed killed me.
that's not dumb to do that because the brain can't make the difference between videos and reality, that's why you are sweating when u see it, attach yourself can be good to not sweat
He talks about climbing El Cap like regular people talk about their weddings
Most weddings are scarier.
paul mitchell not when the average person remarries 3 times😂
You HAD 333 likes 😐
Ha ha, but the difference is no one feel like a master after wedding.
😂😂😂
I can’t believe he actually did it! This is out of this world! Absolutely speechless, so much respect for him
I watched the entire documentary positive he's dying, even though I knew he lived
It took me three attempts just to watch Free Solo.
OMG so TRUE ! I was so anxious watching even though I already knew the ascent was successful!!!!!!!
You just don’t love the mountains enough
I was on the edge of my seat cringing through all those free solo scenes.
The most anxious I ever was in my life. The weed only made it worse watching this lmao
You made me laugh real hard! Thx!
The average person watching free solo was more scared than Alex was doing it...
That is crazy never thought of it like that. My hands were sweating the entire film out of fear....
i wasnt scared, i was full of excitement. But then again the more scary a situation gets the more i get excited. Maybe its the same with Alex ?
Man I agree
I enjoy dangling myself off cliffs and bridges, theres a certain beauty to it. I wish I could free solo, but i suck at climbing.
And its a fact not a joke
''Doubt is the precursor of fear", what a simple yet true bit of wisdom
Yea, but not always true at all. Certainly is often the case, but not necessarily. The understanding of inevitability, the opposite of doubt, can frequently be just as frightening.
@@imallergictobullets death, for example, is inevitable and feared by many. I agree with you.
Came on this comment the exact moment he said it in the video
I think fear being the cause of doubt is more true than vice versa
@Fernando Cunha Conversely, many atheists doubt the veracity of proclamations that posit no tangible measurement. Doubt, in this perspective, is more prudent than any falsehood emboldened by emotion. I have come to understand doubt is an intellectual conclusion and an emotional catalyst of detriment.
“Doubt is the precursor to fear“. Why, I believe it is. Brilliant statement
I had to use all my chalk pouch just to watch this video
My heart beat double up just by listening this talk..
I accidentally ate my chalk pouch while watching the video.
How?
@@8sigreg How ?
@@vedikasahu4833 wait you've never heard of that??? Usually climbers lick off the rest of their chalk after a climb
Based on some of the comments, I feel like I need to come to Alex’s defense of his performance in this video.
Yes, he seems uncomfortable, and his delivery is stilted, but this is the only instance I’ve seen that he is clearly reciting a prepared speech. It takes years of practice in this format to make a recitation seem spontaneous.
Alex has made no secret of his shyness as a child, or his aversion to public speaking, but now, even in front of a large audience, when he’s allowed to speak off the cuff, in an interview, or in a Q&A, he is relaxed, engaging, and funny
Alex Honnold is, by far, the best ambassador that the sport of climbing has ever had, and he is one of those rare athletes whose great talents are matched only by his patience and humility.
99% of the people commenting on his weak presentation skills would be scared to death speaking to a large audience like that. Easier to critique something from the comfort of your home.. His career doesn't require him to speak in large auditoriums on a regular basis.....
@@sk8freshcst I don't think anyone is criticizing him for his public speaking ability. I think in fact they are commending him for doing it.
I am not a rock climber but I think I would rather climb El Cap than speak in front of several hundred people.
Alex doesnt need you to come to his defense! jesus christ
Any idea how he gets down once completed i have been wondering?
@@johnparnham3305 it's a very easy hike down from the other side.
I climbed a tree once, free solo. It was a mango tree and it felt delicious.
haha.
Climbed a maple tree once, but fell out of it. Felt like a pancake.
Omg can't stop laughing after being almost cry with the vid! Big thankssss
Fucks sakes 😂😂
Probably tasted delicious as well
I love how Alex takes on this presentation. It’s a metaphor for his climb, and honestly just as inspiring. Great job Alex!
The dislikes are from people who sell ropes
😂😂😂 very good
lmao
Nah it's from people that are triggered that he would ever try something this dangerous lmfao
ha ha ha
😆😆😆😆
This was the most awesome athletic achievement in history. No doubt about it.
Democrats Only also Meru (2015) featuring the friend that showed up in his slideshow
I have to strongly disagree here. Lacking instinct of self-preservation, having no fear does not equal great athletic achievement. There are many better climbers out there, including Adam Ondra, the greatest rock climber ever, who is genuinely pushing boundaries.
David Bohata I agree. While Alex’s feat is impressive, it’s a stunt, like walking a cable between the twin towers without a net. It’s not a sport and shouldn’t be glorified imo.
@@nlee4724 That's exactly what I meant. It was a stunt.
Democrats Only Never seen anything like it.
It's crazy, because in the documentary, at one point he says that it'll take atleast 3-4 hrs to reach the 'boulder problem', and the day he made it, it took him less than 4 hrs to do the whole ascension. AMAZING!
He was in the zone that day, for sure.
i can say with high confidence in my opinion that this is the single most impressive and difficult athletic success in human history. Nothing else requires the physical strength and endurance and nothing can even compare mentally to something that is literally life or death for every second of 4 hours straight
I would agree if his brain was structured normally, but his brain was scanned and his amygdala has no activity. Free soloing isn't as hard for psychopaths. Not making a judgment on those with that brain structure, just an observation.
@@sandol355not true - it just didn’t light up the way ours would in a an FMRI machine being shown pictures of scary things because he has real experience of very scary stuff where he was very scared - it’s all about exposure and repetition - despite that this is clearly another level of mastery in that regard - but it’s easier to think he’s ‘wired differently’ than to imagine the decade of work needed to approach the challenge
This man has fascinated me for a long time. I think he is a kind of Einstein and approaches his climbs like a calculus problem. He is a problem-solver first, athlete second. There were some pitches of his Famous El Capitan climb where he replaced the traditional move with 20 unique smaller moves of his own--to avoid what he saw as unnecessary risk!!! That is the mind of an inventor, a scientist, an engineer. He is the exact opposite of a thrill-seeker. He is a scientist in his lab, carefully working out every single part of the chemistry so the room does not explode. And understanding all the little things that need to happen for him not to die is what stands in front of him as a thrilling challenge.
In my experience, I've come across as many "thinker" climbers as thrill seekers. A lot of climbers approach the sport as a physical puzzle.
اليكس. ان حياة الانسان ليست تحدي ومتعة ولكنها تكليف و إنك مسؤول عنها من بعد الموت عن سمع وبصر وفؤاد واليد والرجل والوقت فيما قدمته
اليكس .هل تعلم مسؤولية الانسان أكبر من السماء والارض والجبال.
أليكس هل تعلم إن الجبال عباد الله يسبحن له .
أليكس هل تعلم ان الجيال يخشون ويتصدعون من كلام لله وإن حياة الانسان غالية أكثر من تسلق جبل تعقل وإرتاح يا أليكس تحيتي لك لكل ثقم المصور
Exactly, Ayrton Senna would spend an entire day practicing every corner of the track, every bump, every detail, so, a cientist before an athlete.
He was going to be an engineer originally
@@rosco4852 😄
*El cap exists*
Alex: so that's when I took it personally
Lmaoo
You’re hiking barefoot?....That’s hardcore! Priceless
I would have laughed so hard lol
Exactly! ! !
when was this?
I can't stop but noticing his clear and bright eyes, so determined and so pure.
That's what staring death in the face voluntarily does to a mam
When he got to the top, his balls where still touching the ground
the earth is his testicles.
Full-time POG. That means we live on planet Hannold. Good one!!
Eddie Yammine. A bystander at Alex’s van one time asked him. What’s the wheelbarrow for? Alex responded, Isn’t it obvious? 😂
Yea at the base of the mountain lol
underrated comment!
Free Solo is one of the best documentaries I’ve ever seen
Seed2Stem where can I watch it?
I loved it. Wish I could have seen it on the biggest IMAX screen in the world.
"Valley Uprising" is the best documentary I've ever seen on climbing in Yosemite. Free Solo is super interesting, but they could have gone deeper into the mindset of someone who takes it to the hairy edge...into the male psychology of boldness and inner knowing.
@@w.harrison7277: "Valley Uprising" was extremely good too. To be fair, it had a bigger cast of characters. I think deeply delving into Honnold's mindset would have been tough and the film did the best it could. Honnold is like Winston Churchill's description of Russia: "Alex is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma."
Patrick Keeley youtube
Most of the commenters are missing the point. Alex did something not only considered too risky, but impossible by almost everyone. He did this though incredible preparation, both physical and mental. The story is that impossible dreams are not impossible, if you are truly dedicated to a good plan and follow it no matter what. This is also a story about controlling fear. As a crappy 5.11± climber, i know that fear is truly "the little death before total obliteration.". Although Alex's public speaking skills are dwarfed by his climbing skills, it is an important message.
Exactly
Not impossible, plenty others had done it with ropes. It’s not the do-ability that is in question, if you can do it with ropes you can do it without them. It’s just clearly extremely risky. Not taking anything away, did is a fucking miracle of an achievement.
@@ScarredBert I stand by my point, that this is a feat that was considered impossible by "almost everyone" (obviously not Alex) and that what might seem impossible to many, can be accomplished if the right approaches are taken. Your statement, in fact IMO does take away from the feat, as at least on the surface, it makes it a simple matter of risk with/without ropes. This climb is 31 pitches in a row! As a pretty crappy climber, I can hardly relate to that level of fitness and am certain that even if I quit my job and trained full time I could never be fit enough. Also, any sort of doubt/fear is incredibly detrimental to climbing stamina, fear is the "little death." Alex may be the only climber (there are at best a handful of other people on the planet) capable of the mental and physical discipline necessary to pull this feat off, making it seem impossible for "almost everyone." Since it has been done, it is obviously no longer considered impossible....
This all may be true about your dreams, but most people, even those with a high level of youth and physicality could not even come close to doing this no matter how driven or prepared they were. What he did out there exceeds pretty much anything I can possibly think of.
@@ScarredBert Agreed, not impossible. Obviously, conquering the fear was impossible for all the others, but climbing the rock was not.
Seeing this in the theatre was absolutely breathtaking. Literally, I held my breath the whole time. God bless you and your family Alex!
"That's not supposed to be funny but it is."
Basically sums up Alex? He's super serious but still has a great sense of humour even if its accidental.
But it is what it is*
In fact that's NOT funny.
Start at 7:28 to capture his initial comment, the laugh and OP’s quote at 7:40
@@douwehuysmans5959 but if it is, it is...
I know ZERO about climbing mountains but this dude is in a league of his own. Fearless.
He quite literally is fearless. They did tests on his brain and found a lack of neurons that were required to process fear. He is literally built different
@@glu6567 that’s weird, he mentioned in this video multiple times that he was afraid
He does have fear, just not much he had like 1/6th or something like that of a normal person
he has fear, but his threshold is just 100x higher than the rest of us.
@@TristanMundell he pretty much trains and overcomes that fear as he gets more comfortable with it
Finally a guy worthy for a Ted Talk.
there have been a few to be fair ..its ted x that has the plebs
Paul stamets has an amazing talk
and yet this is terrible for a Ted Talk - it's just a recollection from an amazing athlete about a personal accomplishment. Ted Talks should be more. There are different forums for awesome guys like this but not at Ted.
@Vexel wrong, you can take something away from this but there are better examples out there, better people you could've picked. Ted standards have immensely fallen and now they just pick celebs or something that'll elevate their brand name.
@@Vendrix86 I agree with you. I loved watching Free Solo and I have nothing but the utmost respect for Alex Honnold, but I felt like this talk was pretty superficial. I would be interested in hearing more in detail about his visualization techniques, for example.
What's fascinating is, extreme sports usually are seen as the most selfish self indulgent reckless thing one can do. Yet everything about Alex Honnold is extremely carefully thought out and considered to the point him and his friend climbed 1500 feet to remove dangerous rocks that could kill another climber. He is inspiring. I wish he gave more talks to people on how to overcome fears and reach the pinnacle of human fitness.
This dude doesn’t struggle to open jars.
The jar struggles to muster the courage to open.
"Babe, can you open this for me?" "Yeah sure lemme see- *Jar fucking disintegrates into mere atoms, disappears into the wind immediately*"
jars pop open when he looks at them
Hahah mad call
he has a knack for "caps". I'll see myself out..
Undoubtedly, one of the greatest physical/mental achievements in the history of mankind. We should be honored to live alongside him.
El Capitan has those “fake fall” dreams about Alex
Underrated comment 😂😂😂😂
so check check chek it out
@@youtubewarri0r I agree! Great comment!
legend comment
Haha that's brilliant
No single event in the NFL, MLB or NBA and even the Olympics can match what this man did....EVER!
He can't compete in any of those sports. That's why whites prefer activities where they do stuff alone. Any black athlete will beat his time but they just don't care about this crap.
And none of it actually matters lol
@@bernard4459 wtf lol
Wtf bernard 😂
@@bernard4459 what?
He then trips down the stairs as he walks off stage
Its always easier gettin up lol
how is this not the top comment ?
Brakes his neck.
And dies
In High School, I convinced a friend that the world's greatest platform diver was this Chinese guy who couldn't swim a stroke. I told him that everytime he hit the water, that guys on stand by had to jump in the water and save him. This is what that comment reminds me of.
I solo'd a 60 foot cliff and let me tell you the mental reward was unlike any other. Having stood at the base of el cap i cant even begin to tell you what this man must have felt like when completing his epic solo. There just aren't words to describe it. The total sense of perfection and accomplishment is utterly mind boggling. I will never be even a fraction of a percent of the climber he is. What a marvel. What a man.
@@jonathanallard2128 oh yeah? Well, I'm truly waiting for your TED talk on being the second to free solo El Cap. I truly am.
I solo 4's and 5's to set up top rope and that's more than good enough for me
how long did it last. I noticed it was past tense. thrill seeking is fleeting and dangerous , addictive and has a hard downfall soon after.
"a fraction of a percent" includes any value greater than zero, so you are effectively saying that you are zero.
Thanks for sharing very cool!
Legend has it that Chuck Norris asked him to open a jar once.
Legend has it you stole that hackneyed joke from someone else to get likes from strangers on the Internet.
Legend also has it, someone in this comment thread is a bitter self-hating incel taking out his insecurities on strangers.
@@oliveryoung7785 best comment ever ,😂😂
Lolololxp
Legend says Thanos fears when Alex snaps his fingers
It is almost impossible to exaggerate how amazing this feat was. But I also found Alex’s talk about his preparation and process very illuminating - chock (or chalk) full of lessons applicable to life both below and beyond the wall.
A national treasure climbing a national treasure.
yeeehaa28 thats sweet :D
yeeehaa28 Of germany?
alex honnold climbs alex honnold
Albus Dumbledore Both Alex Honnold and El Capitan are American...
Pressing the like button with sweaty hands is my achievement today
LMAO! Nicely done.
i was a full time climber for 5 years. my hands are dry as a rock
Haha. Nice
The more you sweat in practice, the less you bleed in battle.
Until that IED goes off and kills the fat and the fit guys all the same.
This is not applicable 100% though..
Caio Augusto alright so go rob the White House and tell me how that turns out
Say stuff is easy.. U need bals to do them
True
Respect🦅
Such a great narration & humility towards what he achieved. I can't possibly comprehend how impossible this is.
Happy to see this brave young man being recognized as the best world solo climber! He is indeed a ''modest" wonder with great humor. Go Alex!
I don't think he needs recognition. He's achievement is beyond everything else.
He’s long been recognised.
I think Alex climbs, like he gives a lecture. He literally memorizes everything photographicly. Then does it word for word, and step by step.
Pretty much what I do for my presentations lol
I need chalk just to listen to this.
🤣🤣🤣🤣😭
I feel that, my hands are sweating so much
My hands do be sweating rn
lol
I needed some white substance to watch this, but it wasn't chalk.
I have never commented on UA-cam but do so today to say this film was one of the most inspiring things I have ever seen. Incredible!
I am a skydiver....to me there is only one extreme sport without a doubt.....where there is no plan B,no protection,no supportive gear,only one way ticket....solo free climbing !!! My respect Alex.....all my best,stay safe....Ralph from Detroit. 5/17/2020
I’d have to agree! I’ve only skydived once tandem and it was awesome enough for me to think with training I could go solo. What Alex is doing? No way!!!!
Yeah you guys even have the first person to drop without a shoot into a net that's a little much.
go ahead put your address on there too Ralph
Well there is a plan
@@TheFoxfourty8 yoo in dead 💀 literally laughed so hard idec about the content anymore 🤣
Wow this is really fascinating. I love how he breaks down how meticulously he practices and memorizes before each solo -- not at all the "daredevil" mentality you would imagine.
Jordan Sullivan Many athletes who achieve incredibly dangerous feats are scrupulously attentive to detail, and seek attainment, not gratuitous danger. They are quite sane, and fully appreciate the risks they are taking. “I wanted to be a great climber, not a lucky climber”. The “daredevil” types really are nuts, and are much more likely to die in an accident. I get what you mean, though: he’s quite a mellow guy, at least on the surface.
That's most likely why he's alive and able to tell the story.
Best part is where he admits that he was scared and also got luck rather than be all cocky about how perfect he was to do it.
He has very right attitude and honesty not to mention he is incredibly brave too.
See the documentary if you can. It's extremely good.
There are old climbers and dumb climbers, but no old dumb climbers...
the successful free solo of El Capitan has to be the pinnacle of the sport.
I can still barely even believe it happened. It seems so completely impossible.
Of any sport
And done in 3.5 hours is ridiculous
@@stefanandrews5098 i watched the vr video and when he began the climb i literally said "Alex, dont!" out loud like I cant believe he actually does it.
@@wcc4269 It's one of those situations where you can execute absolutely perfectly, and still fall long enough to think about before dying... I can't imagine watching this in VR
I'm glad to watch this. From prior videos it seemed his success was just sheer mental belief in himself, plus strength (from climbing). This revealed the high level of training, preparing, and practicing involved ahead of the free solo climbs. That's the true beauty of the human potential (vs superhuman action hero stuff of movies).
Confidence is having trained, practiced, and rehearsed your skills to the point it is as second nature as breathing. This guys trains in his craft like to other.
I don't think I'm that confident even in my breathing skills
The single greatest feat of physical and mental fortitude ever displayed by a human. Without a doubt
5:44 "I didn't wanted to be a lucky climber. I wanted to be a great climber." 👍
Words to live by
Words to climb by
That's the line thst caught my attention as well
@@RADlX Words not to live by, he should have been an unlucky hiker who had climbing experience. Luck probably has a purpose. The unnecessary Parkour Avatar risk for the purpose of fame is relatively smaller.
Want*
Probably the best film you will ever see. Certainly the most extraordinary human feat of endurance and mind control I've ever seen. Superb.
My palms never sweated so much watching a Ted talk
When he was talking about trusting that foothold my palms went sweaty
Knees weak, arms are heavy
There's vomit on his sweater already, mom's spaghetti
He’s nervous, but on the surface he looks calm and ready
To drop bombs, but he keeps on forgettin'
He opens his mouth, but the words won't come out
His eyes just shines of kindness and peace. Such an amazing human being!
He learned this full speech by heart! This is incredible! Have to watch the video again to listen to what he actually says.
The Urban Dictionary has changed the figure of speech, "Balls of Steel " to "Balls of Honnold" as of 2017
2017?
Huge set of honnolds on that guy.
@@walcott423 🤙🏼🤙🏼🤙🏼👍🏼🍻🍺
I read this as Holland and I thought “what did Spider-Man do?” Lol
Straw Bunyan. A bystander at Alex’s van one time asked him, what’s the wheelbarrow for? Alex responded, Isnt it obvious?
“I had to trust my life to the friction between my climbing shoes and the smooth granite.”
that quote should be remembered for ages. absolutely insane.
Made my feet sweat 🤣🤣🤣
NOPE
That’s the exact moment when I shat myself
Greg Michales lol
Well, I'm dancin' on the ceiling today. Alex's Free Solo won the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature!
If you can dance on ceiling you should try the climb
The ceiling is usually right on top, my friend.@@jebschneider2911
You are better then Alex Honnold wtf!
Most deserving .
I gotta hand it to this guy. He inspired me to climb. I've only solo'd 2 faces, both merely 150ft. That is nothing!!! Nothing!!! I just completed my first 1000ft climb though. It was rough, but I made it. I'm not a good climber by any means, but I gotta say that there is nothing that compares. Not skydiving or anything .
And rappelling down is so f'n fun. You gotta love it!
150ft solo is still very impressive my friend. If you were to slip and fall 20ft up youd still be dead the same as if you were to fall 1500ft up. You are still risking your life and my respect goes out to anyone who has the balls to do this.
@@Liam.2000 he didn't say he free solo'd. When someone just says soloing they are still using a rope. If this guy really isn't a great climber and actually did free solo anything he's an idiot for risking his life while not being extremely experienced. Alex himself says he wouldn't take anyone free soloing who isn't an elite climber.
Probably the only person that could wear North Face attire and literally own the meaning of it.
Lol nah. More than 700 climbers have successfully climbed the North Face of the Eiger, and Alex Honnold doesn't seem to be among them.
@@patheddles4004 he is sponsored by them tho.
@@patheddles4004 The North Face Clothing company logo is based off the Half Dome in Yosemite that Alex Free Soloed as his first big Free Solo. The mountain you're talking about in the Alpes has nothing to do with them and also is not named North Face of the Eiger but Noth Wall of the Eiger.
@@extraslayar4585 ok fair, I'll take your word about the company and its connection to Honnold and Half Dome.
The difficult side of the Eiger absolutely is called the North Face though, even though the German name "Nordwand" does literally translate to "North Wall".
@@patheddles4004 sonny boi got owned
This is truly something so special it can not be put into words. This human overcame an unfathomable obstacle mentally and physically. Absolutely incredible.
the forearm muscles are real. These free climbers are always the most surprisingly strong people. You'd look at this guy and think he isn't that strong but his grip strength and endurance must be mind blowing.
Well.............anyone who would imply he isnt strong after doing a 4 hour climb. They may be actually dumber than trump
@@jimmydane34 another idiot who has to drag politics into every conversation.
@@jimmydane34 you are confusing 'control over your body' with 'strength'. If pure strength is your goal, train with weights. if pure fitness is your goal, train with your bodyweight.
@@OtjPlateo I agree
Trevor Hahn Check out JujiMufu, he tests the grip strength of everything from Strongman,Bodybuilder,Rock Climbers, Arm Wrestlers ect.
This guy is incredible. Very lean and wiry, yet with immensely strong fore-arms, very large hands for his size that are incredibly strong. His strongest attribute though is his mind which has titanic strength.
They just hung a huge magnet on top of El Cap; he was simply lifted to it with his balls.
HeliosphanXtal this is a good comment. I lold.
Corny
Got a good chuckle out of me... good one.
no he actually climbed it idiot, watch the video
@@zigzagnemesist5074 you don't get the joke, he's saying he's got balls of steel so he said that a magnet pulled him up, jeez
I'm getting sweaty hands just by listening to this. What a man, what a legend.
Watch the movie Free Solo if you haven't already. That will make your hands sweat..
The scariest part isn't the fall, it's thinking about what would happen if you got stuck 2000 feet up. There is no opportunity to give up
Thats why he memorised the route, it would be daft otherwise.
there were checkpoints... so he couldn't just be stuck and fall off
if u got stuck? what a donkey of a comment. the scariest part is falling lol
@@karlkarnu7641 I think one of the t amazing parts of the accomplishment is that there were no outs. It was either up or down, no checkpoints, no turning back.
@@dlk449 I know... it was impressive. I was just stating facts.
I think that might be the single most incredible thing I've ever seen in my life. Unbelievable
I've just learned what mastering means, and it's preparation and doing it with confidence and ability (rather then just sheer will or a belief)
This is applicable to anything.
Makes you wonder - when / how did he decide 'If done enough practicing' ?
Was the best documentary I have ever seen in my life, no joke, no exaggeration. This guy is a beast, I was shaking just watching him. Glad he made it to the top
This has to be one of the greatest achievements done by man, physically and mentally. Unbelievable 👏🏼
You know what, you're right. It's so rare to see a man capable of excelling in both spheres on such a great of scale as he did.
I like how usually people who give these talks will make whatever story they’re sharing some metaphor about overcoming their personal demons, but this legend just gave a cool climbing story and then abruptly left during his standing ovation
The psychological strength of this guy just BLOWS MY MIND!!! 🤯🤯🤯🤯
He’s just on another plain... another planet! What a beautiful soul ! Beautiful story of sheer will, determination and inner fortitude!
something like david goggins.
It’s not a psychological advantage that he has but it’s the inability to feel anxiety/fear of the risks involved in what he’s doing. If you’ve watched the video where they performed a brain scan, he literally doesn’t feel any fear.
@@epistemic_idiot He does. His amygdala just requires a lot more stimulation than the average brain.
Kevin that’s what I was trying to say haha
@@epistemic_idiot Lol glad i could clear it up
I can't get enough of Alex. I'm glad I've lived long enough to have found a superhero.
Kathleen Hershner friggin same
Thirsty aren't you
he has a girlfriend
@@corniel657 won't dignify your ignorance and immaturity. Poor you.
@@user-pw5rp4qt1o gee, thanks. Appreciate your explaining what is clearly in the film. Sanni is great!
I can listen to him all day long..super inspiring! Please stay alive!!!
My hands were sweating just looking at his pics..I am so thoroughly impressed with this guys absolute dedication to getting something, however insane, done perfectly, for himself. I haven’t found my “El Cap”, I hope I will someday, and that I will have the guts and grit to accomplish whatever it will be.
I’d watch the documentary « Free Solo ». Literally had me clenching my fists at points it’s absolutely insane!
My hands and feet sweat profusely whenever I watch his climbs 🤣😂