Alex Honnold's El Capitan climb is the most impressive athletic achievement in the history of humankind. That's arguable, but consider that no one has ever done it, and no one in our lifetimes will likely do it. Factor in the risk of imminent death at every moment and it supersedes a whole lot of other accomplishments. Skill, endurance, mental toughness. Staggering.
I wouldn't say it's the most impressive athletic achievement. There is a lot of guys who have skills to do that but they won't because it's not worth the risk. From athletic point of view, Adam Ondra is way better climber who climbed much more difficult routes which no one can climb. Don't get me wrong, it's fucking insane what he did but it's mostly about the mental toughness. I guess it comes to how you define "athletic achievement".
@@jakechamberlain2206 Idk I feel similar to the Navy SEAL guy here. I haven't wingsuited but I'm a skydiver and I'm getting into BASE jumping. Not sure if I'll get into wingsuiting considering how dangerous and tricky it is but if I had to choose between that and free soloing I would much rather choose wingsuiting. You still have margins for error there even if they're small, but in free solo you have literally no margins for error. One tiny mistake and you're dead. Much more scary. Also feels like a more terrifying way to die to fall off a cliff than to crash into it. If you die wingsuiting you won't have time to think, but I bet a lot goes through your mind falling from a cliff.
@@collapserelapse I think you missinterpretated my comment. Im in agrence with you lol. If Andy stumpf is saying something is dangerous youre damn right it is lol. Yeah I have never done any of these things but after watching free solo ive been wanting to try rockclimbing more and more. I feel like the gorilla grip you must get from it would be benefical for Jiujitsu and lifting
My father-in-law had pulse so low, his GP, who was also a GP trainer, played games with her trainees to check his pulse which they couldn't find or, if they found it, they couldn't believe they'd found it and thought he must be some sort of zombie!
I’m blessed to live 28 miles from Yosemite. I’ve probably looked up El Capitan 100s of times. It’s freaking impressive just watching him do it on video but if your lucky enough to see that mountain in person it just takes what he did to a different level. In my opinion that is the greatest physical achievement by any human in the world.
I too am fortunate have lived my entire life near Yosemite and just hiking to the base of El Cap is amazing. You are above the tree line of the valley floor and then to look up really humbles you what Honnald accomplished in hours climbing to the top.
Not even remotely close to the greatest physical achievement ever. Several thousands of people have climbed El Cap, but only 1 person was willing to take the risk of not using a rope. One of the greatest mental achievments in climbing? Sure, but by no means is it unique in physical challenge. Adam Ondra did way more insane climbs that make El Cap look like a jungle gym for kids.
@@JackAssSquirrel such a stupid, neckbeard comment. This is absolutely one of the greatest feats by a human ever. You’re not even smart enough to realize that you backhandedly reinforced why it’s one of the greatest physical accomplishments ever by saying only one person climbed it without gear.
As a climber myself, what Honnold did was absolutely incredible and unimaginable to a normal climber like me. Alex Honnold truly accomplished one of the greatest physical feats humanity has ever seen
climbing is just life. either you quit and die when it gets hard or you continue. ...its easy if youre fit. and if youre fat you will die soon. ..... lets try this a different way for the pea brains. Climbing is *ANALOGOUS* to life's journey. Inevitably they will both become painful at which point you can give up and succumb. Both are significantly more manageable if you are fit and healthy.
@@friendly1870 That's the hard part when you're one of the guys like Alex. You don't know when to actually stop. He's 34 now so he's got a few more relatively good years left but eventually, no matter how good of shape you try to keep yourself in when you get older, your body just can't handle the stuff he does anymore. I vaguely remember his girlfriend in the "Free Solo" documentary mention something along those lines to him after he had a pretty bad injury. Once he recovered from it, even Alex himself acknowledged that he wasn't the same anymore. That's just the way the human body works and why lots of professional athletes have to hang up their jersey after a really bad injury. As much as I like the guy, he's going to end up killing himself if he keeps doing what he's doing. At some point, his body just won't be able to handle the stress anymore and he's going to attempt something he has done a hundred times before when he was a bit younger, and he won't quite make it and then that will be it. I just hope Alex can take a hint from some of the other world-class climbers he has met who are still alive in their older age, that there is nothing wrong with taking it easier on yourself once you have accomplished your goals. I hope he can find enjoyment in climbing with ropes and staying relatively safe. There will always be a younger guy willing to do what it takes to break whatever records you have set, and you just have to accept that and be happy for them. Otherwise you're going to be in your 40's trying to free climb the same wall you did 10-15 years prior and your body will just say "fuck you" when you're half way up.
Easy to tell good stories if you have the life experience of a Navy SEAL. You´d have to have the personality of a crash dummy to be boring after all that shit ya been through.
The free solo climb Alex did with Magnus Midtbø was nuts. Alex was filming and cracking jokes at the same time while Magnus was freaking the fuck out, it was like a wreck.
Fuck free climbing. I done an 85m cliff with no training, no gear. Was just a dare from my friends, when I was 17... I am thankful to be have made it, and still be alive. I'd NEVER do that again.
It would be more like calling the sun lukewarm😂what Alex did is hands down the most impressive thing done by a human. The hardest thing done by a human. Just mind blowing
"The Dawn Wall" and "Free Solo" are 2 of the greatest documentaries I've ever seen. So compelling and gripping, I was holding my breath the whole fucking time, absolutely astounding.
Yes!! They are great. I also recommend Meru and Valley Uprising. Jimmy Chin is a climber in Meru and Valley Uprising is about the history of climbing in Yosemite. The both fit pretty well with the other two. I love them all.
His ability to block out irrational thinking is second to none. It's truly incredible. Someone with twice his climbing ability would not be able to hone that kind of mental fortitude. He knows he can climb it, and all the other variables that are realistically 0, remain zero in his head. It's really amazing.
@Lev Mikhov he did not say that he said his ability to block out irrational thinking while climbing is next to none which it is. Irrational thinking is created by fear or rush
Bro.... I just watch Magnus climb next to Alex on an "easy" climb free solo. And holy shit, it puts everything into perspective. Magnus is a very athletic guy and he was shaken! Lol.
Yes he was! I watched that video the day after it was released and boy........I swear I was getting panic attack. Magnus is one of the world's best rock climber but Alex is not from this planet. I mean that fear is not in his system at all.
Jimmy Chin is not only a great photographer but his climbing is insanely good to he is a legend that no one talks about because he is so humble and spends most of his time filming other climbers.
Funny that u say that because my hands are actually sweating listening to you talk about your hands sweating while listening to them talk about their hands sweating
I studied Photojournalism in college and he quickly became my favorite photographer. I was applying for internships everywhere and sent him a request 'thinking why not'. He took the time to at least reply to me and told me to keep shooting and learning. All his interviews and pieces he's done, he comes across as one of the most genuinely nice people. His passion for photography and story-telling is just unmatched.
I got emotional watching Alex top out on his el cap free solo. He’s such an anti bad ass, so unassuming, and he just went and did something that totally defys logic.
I used to mow Jimmy Chin's lawn out in the Bighole Mountains outside of Driggs, ID. The dude has a massive boulder wall instead of a normal living room inside his house.
It is cool to see a guy that you know is a badass because he is a SEAL be humble enough to admit he is scared shitless in a situation and someone like Alex Hunnold, and his photographers all have his deep respect. Props to you.
@@blue-pi2kt 2 hour marathon is bonkers, no doubt. The mental toughness to push yourself at that pace for that long and not give up can't be understated. The mental toughness to free solo El Cap is totally different, though, because you're holding composure in the face of imminent death at every single moment. Gathering the composure to even embark on that is monumental in itself. If you can't complete the two hour marathon, well, you can always try again. You don't complete your climb, every move totally perfect, you're dead. That's what puts it on another level for me.
@@blue-pi2kt nah, you can just quit running at any time and not die. Not so with free soloing. He's committed to it. He either does it all the way correctly or he dies.
Don't get me wrong, because this is an insane achievement, but not really the best in the athletic world itself, maybe in the field of mental toughness (if you can say that). There's one dude who has completed 50 ironmans in 50 days, so I think athletically that's the most impressive shit I've ever heard about, also in terms of mental toughness
I'm a professional climber and had the privilege of briefly climbing with Alex in Cali. I know he completed the climb but was still sweating while watching him. It took me a couple years to watch the doc because although he did it, It's still hard to watch. In the climbing community, we understand this. I'm still speechless.
@@daveduncan9034 I think it’s a legitimate reason to have doubts. Not saying it’s impossible that he’s telling the truth, but it’s a bit suspect. He might be saying “Professional climber” in lieu of a more specific title that I would actually understand.
@@shrill_2165 There is no way he is a professional climber, very few climbers make a living from climbing and the social media part is essential in order to do it. He is probably lieing also about climbing with Alex, maybe he encountered him casually in a crag and saw him climbing. I'm from the same town where stefano ghisolfi was born, I saw him climbing many times but that doesn't mean I ever climbed WITH him.
yeah he explains it well. something he doesn't quite get across is the balance between choosing the right gear, physical exhaustion, and fear of falling. Longer figure out the gear, the more exhausted you become, which makes you more afraid, which makes you over-grip the rock, which makes you even more tired.
Clickumentary He is amazing. But he's actually physiologically missing the same fear responses as normal people. That's how he didn't freak out like a normal person would.
I just watched the "making off" yesterday and am completely obsessed with him too. I'm just about to watch Free Solo and I'm worried that I'll become a genuine stalker afterwards!
@@michaelrch I mean there is a part of that that can be developed through training, continuous exposure to a threat reduces response, but I think that some people are born more "adrenaline tolerant" than others. People like Formula 1 drivers....and Alex.
Alex Honnold is a monster at climbing. I watched "Free Solo" with Alex Honnold and I must have lost 5 lbs of sweat just watching that movie. Best real climbing movie.
I just joined a bouldering gym a couple weeks ago and my hands were ripped up after 4 hours. I fell from 5m and it concerned me, I can't imagine being as insane as Alex.
I actually just watched that special and am in such awe of his accomplishments... insane how much this kid has done. I’ve done some free climbing as well as rope climbing... I’m in no way comfortable thinking I could do what he does. God bless him 🤙🏾
I just watched Alex’s free solo EL Captain. This man needs the recognition he deserves, he is clearly an “Athlete Of The Year” a true 🐐 ladies and gents.
Good interview. Tell you something else: every interview I've seen of Navy Seals portrays these guys as wildly competent, intelligent, and thoughtful. Formidable to consider within the context of how Seals are so mission-driven.
Alex completed arguably the greatest athletic feat in human history and is a once in a century talent with the dedication to back it up, you cannot compare yourself to that as a mere mortal.
Watch 5.15s , honnolds free solos are not athletically impressive. People have been free soloing since the 80s you just don't hear about them because they're all dead.
athletically it still is super impressive but no where near the greatest feat in human history it’s more of a mental thing then a physical thing free rider is no where near the hardest route in the world
He's an incredible human being, but if you watch and listen to him carefully, including in the Free Solo documentary, he has had plenty of mere mortal moments and gave up plenty of times and broken many of the promises he made to himself about accomplishing it year after year just like "mere mortals." This guy was simply super dedicated to his craft. Anyone, including you and me, could accomplish incredible things if we were just as dedicated to them as he was to free soloing enormous rock walls.
Every time I watch Alex climbing, I have trouble breathing. I just tell myself, "He lived through this, he's alive," as I'm watching. I'm going to be so sad the day Alex is no longer with us. He's such a cool human.
Just human beings. Very tough individuals who are tougher than most, but still just people. I have several friends who served in the SF Green Berets. Awesome guys! But at the end of the day, they have the same problems and concerns as anyone else.
When you are a young person you have a different mindset and can accomplish things that you will not be able to later in life. I built skyscrapers for 20 years walking open iron all day as a younger man and now I’m scared shitless to even climb a ladder.Its not a physical thing,it’s definitely a mental thing that even I cannot figure out to this day.Physically it broke me but mentally it destroyed me. That’s why so many vets have PTSD also.I had so many accidents in 20 years I wake up sweating and hyperventilating often thinking I am still 800 ft off the ground.
As a kid/teen I used to solo climb trees as far as I could, and indeed I remember getting into a focus zone committed to climb safely to the top and back. Very special feel. Somewhat when competing in a race.
Jimmy Chin really is an unsung hero and one of the coolest dudes...its so cool to read and watch about these guys and their bond and their camaraderie....its a true brotherhood
“If one pops and then another one pops (…)” exactly what happened to a climbing mate of mine. He fell down to the ground from a good 10 meter (~33 feet) straight on his back. He broke his back and passed out as his mate was phoning the emergency number. They were fairly remote so it even took a while to get him out of there. This is exactly why I don’t feel comfortable trad climbing anymore, although I totally understand the beauty of it.
Huge sports fan my whole life. Same as the SEAL I was sweating, white knuckling and had massive increase in heart rate. Conclusion is Jim Brown has the record for most yards per carry ever, Babe Ruth was out homering entire teams when he played etc etc. If Alex Honnald ever blew a coverage, struck out or missed an assignment, he is DEAD! Greatest athlete ever!
Same. Alex wrecked all other sports for me. Lebron James, Tom Brady, etc... Whoever. After watching Free Solo and The Alpinist, nobody measures up. These guys are the baddest of the badasses. I can't relate to what they do but I'm a new fan
Fan-Fng-tastic documentary. If he has Chin on I hope he watches the vod of Chin surviving a MONSTER avalanche - it's unreal. Guy is a world class climber, skier, and photographer.
This is why I appreciate Andy Stumpf. Navy SEAL DEVGRU (aka SEAL team 6) guy who casually references “when I was on the East Coast team” with “the latest gear…taking off the wrappers” on a rock climb - where in The Teams he was a lead climber, yet has the humility to appreciate the otherworldly talents of Honnold, and yes, the Marlboro guy doing next-level free solo stuff. And at the end, you get an appreciation of the different perspectives/talents/risks of these endeavors. General paraphrase - “I would never climb 1000 feet without a rope, but would have no problem jumping off the top with a wing suit.” Different strokes. And much respect.
Can vouch for how good pro climbers are. I was on a rock climbing course with the military, shitting myself about 100 feet up above the sea. I'm so scared because I'm literally standing on 2 toes and slipping. The instructor of the course who happened to be a professional climber was 5 feet to my right, no ropes, wearing Wellington boots, eating a protien bar.
Alex is amazing, and what's they're getting at in a way goes back to how accurate some are. Watch the attention Alex approaches the whole thing, he's already doing on his mind. Its amazing either way.
That climb was about the most awesome thing I've ever seen in my life nobody has spoken about what he did after the climb when he got on the ground his friend asked him what do you want to do and I forget exactly what he called it but Alex went over to his van open the sliding door turn around sit down and started doing sitting pull-ups on the lip at the top of the door of the van unbelievable man.
I totally sweat & white knuckle it watching Honnold do his thing too. Just watching him-not in person, just on f#%king screen at home-makes me 100x more nervous than the man doing it. That’s so bonkers. He’s absolutely unbelievable. And for whatever reasons, I feel totally certain of this: Alex Honnold will never lose his life free solo climbing.
Fascinating video, Joe. Keep finding world class SEALS to discuss the techniques and psychological mindsets needed during extreme challenges. See you at the top Joe, after watching this video.
You should check out the TH-camrs Movement For Climbers, Hard is Easy and EpicTV Climbing Daily. You can learn about anything, gear, technique, and all 3 are very informative and really enjoyable to watch.
You have witnessed the greatest feat of individual achievement that you will ever witness in yours or any other humans lifetime. Alex and his sucess against the basic elements of nature vs the challenges he's thrown himself into are unequaled
Fun fact. Jimmy chin, the filmmaker of freesolo is an elite mountaineer who made first ascents in the Karakoram (insane mountains range territory in Pakistan) and in the Himalaya (like Everest) that guy is a total badass.
Another awesome climber John Bachar checked out doing what he loved later in his life at around 52 years old. This resonates with the comments made here.
Alex Honnold's El Capitan climb is the most impressive athletic achievement in the history of humankind. That's arguable, but consider that no one has ever done it, and no one in our lifetimes will likely do it. Factor in the risk of imminent death at every moment and it supersedes a whole lot of other accomplishments. Skill, endurance, mental toughness. Staggering.
No arguing .....it is.
I was gonna propose that Collin obrady’s antartica solo expedition is equivalent, but someone else did it at the same time he did. So
I can't think of anything that requires that level of constant mental toughness
I would love to be a fly on the way during a conversation between him and somebody like Philippe Petit.
I wouldn't say it's the most impressive athletic achievement. There is a lot of guys who have skills to do that but they won't because it's not worth the risk. From athletic point of view, Adam Ondra is way better climber who climbed much more difficult routes which no one can climb. Don't get me wrong, it's fucking insane what he did but it's mostly about the mental toughness. I guess it comes to how you define "athletic achievement".
Alex free soloing el cap is impressive, but why is no one talking about me holding my breathe for the entire two hour documentary??
yours braincells are already dead so it is not impressive
@@pixbj1 Ooof
Why you only have 82 likes will always baffle my mind
hobbes god some1 can’t take a joke
Erick Martinez
Yep. Underliked.I laughed out loud.
No one talks about how Samwise Gamgee and Frodo Baggins free solo’d Mt Doom.
lmaoooo
Tbf you got a point
Underrated lmao
More like Sam carried Frodo's limp ass body up Mt Doom.
Hahahah yes
When a Navy SEAL is like "Nah that's too hardcore for me" you are the living definition of "Built Different".
I agree lol
Esspecially when hes a big wingsuit guy lol
Research the psychological assessment performed on Alex Honnald. He is the definition of how knowledge destroys fear.
@@jakechamberlain2206 Idk I feel similar to the Navy SEAL guy here. I haven't wingsuited but I'm a skydiver and I'm getting into BASE jumping. Not sure if I'll get into wingsuiting considering how dangerous and tricky it is but if I had to choose between that and free soloing I would much rather choose wingsuiting. You still have margins for error there even if they're small, but in free solo you have literally no margins for error. One tiny mistake and you're dead. Much more scary. Also feels like a more terrifying way to die to fall off a cliff than to crash into it. If you die wingsuiting you won't have time to think, but I bet a lot goes through your mind falling from a cliff.
@@collapserelapse I think you missinterpretated my comment. Im in agrence with you lol. If Andy stumpf is saying something is dangerous youre damn right it is lol.
Yeah I have never done any of these things but after watching free solo ive been wanting to try rockclimbing more and more. I feel like the gorilla grip you must get from it would be benefical for Jiujitsu and lifting
Alex Hannold. The guy who Navy seals look at and call a badass.
Nope
Kyle Teeter “Hannold”
Ha ha. Right. Was thinking the same.
Alex lives in a Van and is mostly vegan too 😀
@@Goujiki no one is perfect
Hears: "Alex Honnold"
*Hands instantly Sweat*
I thought I was the only one.
Yea, it was crazy watching it on a huge ass movie screen. Even knowing he made it I was cold sweats the whole time.
Yup
It's funny you say that because when I watched him climb El Capitan my hands were pouring sweat lol
Fear and anxiety of heights is a bitch
Alex's resting BPM must be like 2 to 4. Dudes so chill
💀
My father-in-law had pulse so low, his GP, who was also a GP trainer, played games with her trainees to check his pulse which they couldn't find or, if they found it, they couldn't believe they'd found it and thought he must be some sort of zombie!
Ed
That might be the gayest comment I've ever read on TH-cam in my life. Congratulations
Alex's heartbeat will be higher when he is death
I’m blessed to live 28 miles from Yosemite. I’ve probably looked up El Capitan 100s of times. It’s freaking impressive just watching him do it on video but if your lucky enough to see that mountain in person it just takes what he did to a different level. In my opinion that is the greatest physical achievement by any human in the world.
I too am fortunate have lived my entire life near Yosemite and just hiking to the base of El Cap is amazing. You are above the tree line of the valley floor and then to look up really humbles you what Honnald accomplished in hours climbing to the top.
Yup. Visited last year and sitting by the creek looking up I can’t imagine how he did it. Pure insanity.
We did use to live in trees. Maybe climbing is deeply rooted in are brains
Not even remotely close to the greatest physical achievement ever. Several thousands of people have climbed El Cap, but only 1 person was willing to take the risk of not using a rope.
One of the greatest mental achievments in climbing? Sure, but by no means is it unique in physical challenge. Adam Ondra did way more insane climbs that make El Cap look like a jungle gym for kids.
@@JackAssSquirrel such a stupid, neckbeard comment. This is absolutely one of the greatest feats by a human ever.
You’re not even smart enough to realize that you backhandedly reinforced why it’s one of the greatest physical accomplishments ever by saying only one person climbed it without gear.
As a climber myself, what Honnold did was absolutely incredible and unimaginable to a normal climber like me. Alex Honnold truly accomplished one of the greatest physical feats humanity has ever seen
climbing is just life. either you quit and die when it gets hard or you continue. ...its easy if youre fit. and if youre fat you will die soon.
..... lets try this a different way for the pea brains. Climbing is *ANALOGOUS* to life's journey. Inevitably they will both become painful at which point you can give up and succumb. Both are significantly more manageable if you are fit and healthy.
@@friendly1870 That's the hard part when you're one of the guys like Alex. You don't know when to actually stop. He's 34 now so he's got a few more relatively good years left but eventually, no matter how good of shape you try to keep yourself in when you get older, your body just can't handle the stuff he does anymore.
I vaguely remember his girlfriend in the "Free Solo" documentary mention something along those lines to him after he had a pretty bad injury. Once he recovered from it, even Alex himself acknowledged that he wasn't the same anymore. That's just the way the human body works and why lots of professional athletes have to hang up their jersey after a really bad injury.
As much as I like the guy, he's going to end up killing himself if he keeps doing what he's doing. At some point, his body just won't be able to handle the stress anymore and he's going to attempt something he has done a hundred times before when he was a bit younger, and he won't quite make it and then that will be it.
I just hope Alex can take a hint from some of the other world-class climbers he has met who are still alive in their older age, that there is nothing wrong with taking it easier on yourself once you have accomplished your goals. I hope he can find enjoyment in climbing with ropes and staying relatively safe. There will always be a younger guy willing to do what it takes to break whatever records you have set, and you just have to accept that and be happy for them. Otherwise you're going to be in your 40's trying to free climb the same wall you did 10-15 years prior and your body will just say "fuck you" when you're half way up.
@@friendly1870 well, aren't you a woke asshole
The*
Free Solo is an ancient style of climbing
I understand Alex. I once free solo’d a step ladder.
When's that documentary coming out?
Nahhhhhh 😂😂😂🤦♂️🤦♂️
I can't even do that, fuck heights, that shits for the birds, literally.
Impressive😂👌
haha your comment is at the top
notch of humor
The navy seal guy is actually a really good storyteller
@@ericb5666 thanks :)
Amit Ben hur The Cleared Hot episode with Mike Gloveris really good. I highly recommend
@@Zmantheburger Thanks I'll give it a go :)
Easy to tell good stories if you have the life experience of a Navy SEAL. You´d have to have the personality of a crash dummy to be boring after all that shit ya been through.
They all are
The free solo climb Alex did with Magnus Midtbø was nuts. Alex was filming and cracking jokes at the same time while Magnus was freaking the fuck out, it was like a wreck.
Is Joe Rogan on painkillers or something? He sounds like he can barely speak in this.
EDIT: I'm an idiot, I was watching it at .75 speed.
you twerp
Lmao
I just tried this and the navy seal sounds quite normal still 😂😂
@@jdoggydog196 That's why it fooled me!
Hahahaha
Dude that was a fantastic story about the cigarette guy.
Hey maannn, just place the piece of gear right there. *points with cigarette, cigarette ash falls on my shoulder*
Navy Seal actually looked like he got a hard on at the thought of watching him fall to his death at 8:45min in video
I dunno man this guy doesnt seem like a SEAL at all
ajcook7777 says your keyboard warrior self.. shut the fuck up
Fuck free climbing. I done an 85m cliff with no training, no gear. Was just a dare from my friends, when I was 17... I am thankful to be have made it, and still be alive. I'd NEVER do that again.
Calling what ALEX Honnold did "impressive" is the biggest understatement in history. That would be like calling the sun warm.
It would be more like calling the sun lukewarm😂what Alex did is hands down the most impressive thing done by a human. The hardest thing done by a human. Just mind blowing
It is warm though
The sun has been luke warm of late
dudeymcduderson It’s not “warm” though. It’s absolutely scorching that your body would legit disintegrate by being 1000 miles away from it
"The Dawn Wall" and "Free Solo" are 2 of the greatest documentaries I've ever seen. So compelling and gripping, I was holding my breath the whole fucking time, absolutely astounding.
Yes!! They are great. I also recommend Meru and Valley Uprising. Jimmy Chin is a climber in Meru and Valley Uprising is about the history of climbing in Yosemite. The both fit pretty well with the other two. I love them all.
Have you seen "Mt. St. Elias"? Risky shit at athletic limits on Canada's third highest mountain - skying down the abyss!
Watch Meru it's another great climbing doc
Completely unrelated to climbing, but a really entertaining documentary is Operation Odessa on Netflix!
@@brookeweller3622 thanks man was Just about to mention Meru as well
We need the cig guy on the podcast
Lmao
Find. This. Dude!
Sounds like Dean Potter if he still alive today.
He died
@@johannestiukuvaara9978 how?
Get jimmy chin on , he did a fantastic film called "meru" he is a legend .
Sir Wilhelm Steinway loved that movie
YES. Chin would be legit. He's played such a big role in getting climbing in the mainstream
JIMMY IS A LEGEND.
I agree. Dude is an underground legend.
Jimmy Chin would be an amazing guest. Just to talk about Meru, it would be an awesome podcast. But to talk about everything he's done? AMAZING.
His ability to block out irrational thinking is second to none. It's truly incredible.
Someone with twice his climbing ability would not be able to hone that kind of mental fortitude.
He knows he can climb it, and all the other variables that are realistically 0, remain zero in his head. It's really amazing.
His blocks the rational thinking too. Because there is more than 0 risk, much more
@Lev Mikhov he did not say that he said his ability to block out irrational thinking while climbing is next to none which it is. Irrational thinking is created by fear or rush
@@Taquilou I'd argue he's more rational than you and 75% of the general popluation
His ability to block out "rational thinking"
I free solo into my bed every night. Sometime after a night at the pub I fall and don’t make it.
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Omg 😭😭😂😂😂😂
LMAO
Sounds like you need counseling 🤣
Love this !!
Honnold's accomplishment is even more impressive when you realize he has 50 pound balls.
Right??
Each or in total??
Facts
Each... Lol
@@benbrennan4953 each
The Grim Reaper once had a near Alex Hannold experience and had to seriously re-evaluate his priorities.
Tony Ferguson is the type of guy to climb Alex Hannold
Honnold* its literally in the title of the video
@@alexroxhissox - ehh no one cares about an awkward nerd who climbs trees
What if Alex upgraded the limit of dying for humans?
@@beenrue5672 You do realize this is an extremely impressive feat right? He climbed a 3000 foot vertical cliff with nothing but himself
Bro.... I just watch Magnus climb next to Alex on an "easy" climb free solo. And holy shit, it puts everything into perspective. Magnus is a very athletic guy and he was shaken! Lol.
Yes he was! I watched that video the day after it was released and boy........I swear I was getting panic attack. Magnus is one of the world's best rock climber but Alex is not from this planet. I mean that fear is not in his system at all.
I watched the entire special two times and nearly had a nervous breakdown. What Alex does is just unfathomable.
Everyone and their mom be having nervous breakdowns in the youtube comment section every day
Who's shooting Alex's photographer? The guy with the cigarette.
Jimmy Chin prolly a better climber than cig guy
Chen dudes a beast
Go watch Meru, another astonishing climb
Fucking excellent comment
@@mubu9908 And speller two.
Eddie Bravo doesn't believe in rocks.
the cia invented them
@@adambrydges1040 Alls im saying is look into it..
good content
I saw this crazy documentary on TH-cam......all I'm saying is look into it....
lol at all these low iq people who make eddie is crazy jokes
I like this guy. The fact that he gave Jimmy Chin a nod is cool af. Respect!
Jimmy Chin is not only a great photographer but his climbing is insanely good to he is a legend that no one talks about because he is so humble and spends most of his time filming other climbers.
my hands are sweating listening to them talk about their hands sweating talking about free soloing...
Mine were sweating the entire video.
Funny that u say that because my hands are actually sweating listening to you talk about your hands sweating while listening to them talk about their hands sweating
my hands were sweating this morning just thinking back to the documentary which i watched last week. PTSD after viewing it
@@juliok5982 funny that u say that because-....
Mine too lol! Whenever I watch anything Alex is climbing I keep a towel next to me to keep wiping the sweat off
Get el cap on the podcast
Get the entire mountain on here??.....lmao...you just made my day kind sir.....i hope you enjoy yours as well
Would make for a very hard guest to top, maybe only Alex honnold would be able to top it
REX r/whooosh
Who Alex?😂
i think half dome would be a good guest
I can't get over how Alex did this. In my eyes, this is probably one of the greatest athletic achievements ever made.
Jimmy Chin is an absolutely legendary mountaineer/climber/videographer... All of his work is absolutely spectacular
Jimmy is a badass and should definitely be on the show. Another guy I'd love to see on is Conrad Anker.
Vinny Jay need Conrad to go on!
They should go on together.
Vinny Jay shit climber though
Vinny Jay Renan has to be on with them both, they all went through so much adversity, I mean Renan legit almost died
Why are you all spamming this same comment? Do you work for Jimmy?
Jimmy Chin is silently one of the most interesting people in the world
I studied Photojournalism in college and he quickly became my favorite photographer. I was applying for internships everywhere and sent him a request 'thinking why not'. He took the time to at least reply to me and told me to keep shooting and learning. All his interviews and pieces he's done, he comes across as one of the most genuinely nice people. His passion for photography and story-telling is just unmatched.
Given the chance, my wife would absolutely leave me for Jimmy Chin. Hahaha. And I can't say I'd blame her. Dude is a legend.
Anyone who hasn't seen meru needs to now. Really highlights Jimmy there
Isaac Walker And a lot of men would leave their wives for Jimmy's.
I'd be so stoked if they got Jimmy on the show.
I got emotional watching Alex top out on his el cap free solo. He’s such an anti bad ass, so unassuming, and he just went and did something that totally defys logic.
The greatest physical and mental feat we’ve ever seen
Free soloing el cap is truly one of the greatest athletic achievements in history.
Facts. In my opinion one of the greatest feats of ANY kind in history as well.
El cap
@@mrmeatyboy better than modern medicine?
Greatest mental feat definitely but not athletic
@@Krushtykon Boy, are you stupid?
Alex Honnolds climbing game : Pro level
mental game : jedi master level
Jedi mind tricks? He scoffs at them.
Hes Vegan.
Sorry I didn’t see Alex climbing on a volcano planet with lava flying every where
HAVE JIMMY CHIN ON!!!
and his wife and co-director Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi
I used to mow Jimmy Chin's lawn out in the Bighole Mountains outside of Driggs, ID. The dude has a massive boulder wall instead of a normal living room inside his house.
2nd this... that dude's got some stories I bet.
Jimmy is the man!!
Hell yes! And some more Nat Geo photogs after that, they have to have some wild stories.
It is cool to see a guy that you know is a badass because he is a SEAL be humble enough to admit he is scared shitless in a situation and someone like Alex Hunnold, and his photographers all have his deep respect. Props to you.
The humbleness of this Navy seal is very honorable. He is a badass.
Free solo was intense, even knowing he made it.
Alex Honnold climbing El Cap is BY FAR the greatest athletic achievement in history and it's truly not close.
No 2 hour marathon?
@@blue-pi2kt I was just gonna mention this, I think this is just as impressive.
@@blue-pi2kt 2 hour marathon is bonkers, no doubt. The mental toughness to push yourself at that pace for that long and not give up can't be understated. The mental toughness to free solo El Cap is totally different, though, because you're holding composure in the face of imminent death at every single moment. Gathering the composure to even embark on that is monumental in itself. If you can't complete the two hour marathon, well, you can always try again. You don't complete your climb, every move totally perfect, you're dead. That's what puts it on another level for me.
@@blue-pi2kt nah, you can just quit running at any time and not die.
Not so with free soloing. He's committed to it. He either does it all the way correctly or he dies.
Don't get me wrong, because this is an insane achievement, but not really the best in the athletic world itself, maybe in the field of mental toughness (if you can say that). There's one dude who has completed 50 ironmans in 50 days, so I think athletically that's the most impressive shit I've ever heard about, also in terms of mental toughness
I'm a professional climber and had the privilege of briefly climbing with Alex in Cali. I know he completed the climb but was still sweating while watching him. It took me a couple years to watch the doc because although he did it, It's still hard to watch. In the climbing community, we understand this. I'm still speechless.
You’re a professional climber who a) is not subscribed to a single climbing-related TH-cam channel and b) has nothing on google about your ascents?
I’ve not watched it yet. Not sure if I can. 😐
@@shrill_2165 whats wrong with you?
@@daveduncan9034 I think it’s a legitimate reason to have doubts. Not saying it’s impossible that he’s telling the truth, but it’s a bit suspect. He might be saying “Professional climber” in lieu of a more specific title that I would actually understand.
@@shrill_2165 There is no way he is a professional climber, very few climbers make a living from climbing and the social media part is essential in order to do it. He is probably lieing also about climbing with Alex, maybe he encountered him casually in a crag and saw him climbing. I'm from the same town where stefano ghisolfi was born, I saw him climbing many times but that doesn't mean I ever climbed WITH him.
yeah he explains it well. something he doesn't quite get across is the balance between choosing the right gear, physical exhaustion, and fear of falling. Longer figure out the gear, the more exhausted you become, which makes you more afraid, which makes you over-grip the rock, which makes you even more tired.
I love it how a navy seal does admit that he would be afraid in a lot of those situations and also respects some one that much
I'm now obsessed with Alex Honnold after watching Free Solo this weekend. The man is almost not of this world.
Clickumentary
He is amazing. But he's actually physiologically missing the same fear responses as normal people. That's how he didn't freak out like a normal person would.
I just watched the "making off" yesterday and am completely obsessed with him too. I'm just about to watch Free Solo and I'm worried that I'll become a genuine stalker afterwards!
@@michaelrch I mean there is a part of that that can be developed through training, continuous exposure to a threat reduces response, but I think that some people are born more "adrenaline tolerant" than others. People like Formula 1 drivers....and Alex.
As a person I really don’t like his character but his accomplishments are insane.
@@James-yy4vl Why would you not like his character? The dude is still humble despite his success and donates and does charity work
Alex Honnold is a monster at climbing. I watched "Free Solo" with Alex Honnold and I must have lost 5 lbs of sweat just watching that movie.
Best real climbing movie.
"he used his cigarette to point to where i needed to put the probe" lmao
The Fishin' Doc not to be that guy but I’m a climber and is called pro for protection
@@claytonjohnson9092 thank you for being that guy so I didn't have to be that guy
Joe “ Have you climbed while on DMT?” Rogan
😂
Shoulda interviewed Bridwell before he passed away
lmao
Isaa G 🤣🤣🤣
Yes
Honnold is a beast, but, I'd really like Joe to get Magnus Midtbø on the show.
Yeah that'd be pretty cool, Magnus went the whole competition route and all that.
Magnus Meatball
@Cody Sams .... I’d rather
hear from the best Sport Climber in the game
Adam Ondra
Ondra or Caldwell would be far more interesting, but maybe I don't know enough about him
@@robertnewell4054 there would be a lot of yelling :-)
I just joined a bouldering gym a couple weeks ago and my hands were ripped up after 4 hours. I fell from 5m and it concerned me, I can't imagine being as insane as Alex.
When you do something that a Navy Seal is freaked out by you know your doing something outlandish.
I actually just watched that special and am in such awe of his accomplishments... insane how much this kid has done. I’ve done some free climbing as well as rope climbing... I’m in no way comfortable thinking I could do what he does. God bless him 🤙🏾
@8:45 Joe: "Can you imagine if you were up their filming and you just watched you buddy fall to his death." ...
Navy SEAL: *War Flashback.*
This is what I came to the comments for. Very poor choice of words...
You could tell something flashed in his head, the response was delayed. Almost like he was about to say "seriously Joe?"
I just watched Alex’s free solo EL Captain. This man needs the recognition he deserves, he is clearly an “Athlete Of The Year” a true 🐐 ladies and gents.
Possibly the greatest athlete of all time. What he did has to be done with absolute perfection and once you start there is absolutely no stopping
He called the leg shake "like a sewing machine". We called it "Doing the Elvis".
Joe "fuh hu hu hu ck that" Rogan
Joe "Feel how wet I am" Rogan
BuckySwang hahaha I swear JRE has the funniest comment section on TH-cam.
God damn it!
I'm fuckin crying over here.lmao then the lip gloss comments started....
Good interview. Tell you something else: every interview I've seen of Navy Seals portrays these guys as wildly competent, intelligent, and thoughtful. Formidable to consider within the context of how Seals are so mission-driven.
Alex completed arguably the greatest athletic feat in human history and is a once in a century talent with the dedication to back it up, you cannot compare yourself to that as a mere mortal.
Watch 5.15s , honnolds free solos are not athletically impressive. People have been free soloing since the 80s you just don't hear about them because they're all dead.
athletically it still is super impressive but no where near the greatest feat in human history it’s more of a mental thing then a physical thing free rider is no where near the hardest route in the world
He's an incredible human being, but if you watch and listen to him carefully, including in the Free Solo documentary, he has had plenty of mere mortal moments and gave up plenty of times and broken many of the promises he made to himself about accomplishing it year after year just like "mere mortals." This guy was simply super dedicated to his craft. Anyone, including you and me, could accomplish incredible things if we were just as dedicated to them as he was to free soloing enormous rock walls.
the once a century comparison does not apply here since no one for centuries would ever dare attempt this
Every time I watch Alex climbing, I have trouble breathing. I just tell myself, "He lived through this, he's alive," as I'm watching. I'm going to be so sad the day Alex is no longer with us. He's such a cool human.
Relax you could be gone before him😎
When I see a SEAL, who’s seen combat, been through BUDS and all the other crazy shit they do say he’s scared of something...damn
Just human beings. Very tough individuals who are tougher than most, but still just people. I have several friends who served in the SF Green Berets. Awesome guys! But at the end of the day, they have the same problems and concerns as anyone else.
When you are a young person you have a different mindset and can accomplish things that you will not be able to later in life. I built skyscrapers for 20 years walking open iron all day as a younger man and now I’m scared shitless to even climb a ladder.Its not a physical thing,it’s definitely a mental thing that even I cannot figure out to this day.Physically it broke me but mentally it destroyed me. That’s why so many vets have PTSD also.I had so many accidents in 20 years I wake up sweating and hyperventilating often thinking I am still 800 ft off the ground.
Cant compare the two. One mistake free soloing you're gone. mistakes can be made by seals
Courage isn't a lack of fear. It's feeling fear and still doing what's required.
I know one who’s terrified of riding a motorcycle.
As a kid/teen I used to solo climb trees as far as I could, and indeed I remember getting into a focus zone committed to climb safely to the top and back. Very special feel. Somewhat when competing in a race.
“Just a really famous guy, traveling around in a van, climbing rocks” classic
"You're starting to get emotionally involved in the situation you're in" every climber should know this one!
It's humbling to watch a Navy Seal talking so openly about his weaknesses. I gotta go watch the entire VOD with Andy Stumpf now. :)
Jimmy Chin really is an unsung hero and one of the coolest dudes...its so cool to read and watch about these guys and their bond and their camaraderie....its a true brotherhood
“If one pops and then another one pops (…)” exactly what happened to a climbing mate of mine. He fell down to the ground from a good 10 meter (~33 feet) straight on his back. He broke his back and passed out as his mate was phoning the emergency number. They were fairly remote so it even took a while to get him out of there. This is exactly why I don’t feel comfortable trad climbing anymore, although I totally understand the beauty of it.
Huge sports fan my whole life. Same as the SEAL I was sweating, white knuckling and had massive increase in heart rate. Conclusion is Jim Brown has the record for most yards per carry ever, Babe Ruth was out homering entire teams when he played etc etc. If Alex Honnald ever blew a coverage, struck out or missed an assignment, he is DEAD! Greatest athlete ever!
Thats certainly one measurement
Same. Alex wrecked all other sports for me. Lebron James, Tom Brady, etc... Whoever. After watching Free Solo and The Alpinist, nobody measures up. These guys are the baddest of the badasses. I can't relate to what they do but I'm a new fan
Joe, watch Meru and get Jimmy on there to talk about that climb.
bakkenlab absolutely a necessity
Yes get Jimmy Chin on!
Omg yes!!! Jimmy Chin on JR podcast would be amazing. He has so many stories
Fan-Fng-tastic documentary. If he has Chin on I hope he watches the vod of Chin surviving a MONSTER avalanche - it's unreal. Guy is a world class climber, skier, and photographer.
Great film
Having just watched Magnus' recent video with Alex, it's become increasingly hard to comprehend what magnus just "did" on a trip with Alex.
Ha..i just watched that…gdamn, could really tell how scared Magnus was…yeah, i was allll stressed out watching, ha…Alex is truly unreal…
at 9:05 Joe was actually thinking for a few seconds that "Man this Jimmy guy is so good at climbing he doesn't even need to use his hands!"
Joe "2:50" Rogan
Whatever the hell that was.
"EERNNNERRUUGH"
thanks for the laughs man, have a like
😂😂😂😂
REEEEEEEEEE
H.T.T.R. LMFAOOOOO
“You need to get away from me” 😂😂😂😂
Joe: "Are you saying league or lead."
Alex Honnold: "You know Moluscs really help with hearing."
This is why I appreciate Andy Stumpf. Navy SEAL DEVGRU (aka SEAL team 6) guy who casually references “when I was on the East Coast team” with “the latest gear…taking off the wrappers” on a rock climb - where in The Teams he was a lead climber, yet has the humility to appreciate the otherworldly talents of Honnold, and yes, the Marlboro guy doing next-level free solo stuff. And at the end, you get an appreciation of the different perspectives/talents/risks of these endeavors. General paraphrase - “I would never climb 1000 feet without a rope, but would have no problem jumping off the top with a wing suit.” Different strokes. And much respect.
Can vouch for how good pro climbers are. I was on a rock climbing course with the military, shitting myself about 100 feet up above the sea. I'm so scared because I'm literally standing on 2 toes and slipping. The instructor of the course who happened to be a professional climber was 5 feet to my right, no ropes, wearing Wellington boots, eating a protien bar.
I don't know why but it was the protein bar that got me. I laughed out loud 😂
I don’t know shit about climbing but Alex free soloing that mountain seems to me like it’s one of the greatest accomplishments of any human being.
That is a great climbing story told well. The world class guys are next level. Thanks for your service Mr. Stumpf.
Alex is amazing, and what's they're getting at in a way goes back to how accurate some are. Watch the attention Alex approaches the whole thing, he's already doing on his mind. Its amazing either way.
That climb was about the most awesome thing I've ever seen in my life nobody has spoken about what he did after the climb when he got on the ground his friend asked him what do you want to do and I forget exactly what he called it but Alex went over to his van open the sliding door turn around sit down and started doing sitting pull-ups on the lip at the top of the door of the van unbelievable man.
First guy I actually like on the podcast for about 2 months
tim pool is fuckin good
Travis Barker?
yung oreo not mad on him but he was probably the next best
and it's not just about a guests acomplishments but about how they communicate too
Nobody gives a fuck what you think
I totally sweat & white knuckle it watching Honnold do his thing too. Just watching him-not in person, just on f#%king screen at home-makes me 100x more nervous than the man doing it. That’s so bonkers. He’s absolutely unbelievable. And for whatever reasons, I feel totally certain of this: Alex Honnold will never lose his life free solo climbing.
great, honest interview. well done lads. And Yes, soloing is an spiritual but satisfying experience
You need to ...." get away from me immediately" lol so much the way he said it funniest thingbi have heard in a.long time thank you
Like ew get away from me lol
Fascinating video, Joe. Keep finding world class SEALS to discuss the techniques and psychological mindsets needed during extreme challenges. See you at the top Joe, after watching this video.
I've listened to this 10 times. This is one of the best segments ever.
I would love to see Andy do some climbing documentaries and him explaining things for us newbies
You should check out the TH-camrs Movement For Climbers, Hard is Easy and EpicTV Climbing Daily. You can learn about anything, gear, technique, and all 3 are very informative and really enjoyable to watch.
"He's hanging probably 3000 ft over nothing, focused on getting the shot."
"I would be focused on the urine, streaming down my leg."
Same man, same.
Not for all the money in the world
You have witnessed the greatest feat of individual achievement that you will ever witness in yours or any other humans lifetime.
Alex and his sucess against the basic elements of nature vs the challenges he's thrown himself into are unequaled
Well, Spencer Seabrooke would hald agree with you there.
I’m glad he mentioned Jimmy Chin. He isn’t nearly as known as Alex, yet he is an incredible climber, director, videographer, and person.
Fun fact. Jimmy chin, the filmmaker of freesolo is an elite mountaineer who made first ascents in the Karakoram (insane mountains range territory in Pakistan) and in the Himalaya (like Everest) that guy is a total badass.
Hell yes -- please invite Jimmy Chin to the podcast!
"I would be focusing on the urine streaming down my leg" and that coming from a former Navy Seal, so you know how difficult such an endeavour is.
You need to get Jimmy Chin on the show. He's a beast skiing person, alpinist, and rock climber.
Another awesome climber John Bachar checked out doing what he loved later in his life at around 52 years old. This resonates with the comments made here.
Living in a van down by the RIVER!!!!
Eating government cheese
lol
You, me and Chris Farley.
"Senor Foley, my wife and I encourage the children to think for themselves."
"Padre, I'm gonna have ask you to SHUT EL GRANDE YAPPER!!"
You know your good when a Navy SEAL sais he wouldnt do that
Ur Kryptoknight “you’re”
Ur Kryptoknight or maybe you're just crazy if a Navy Seal wouldn't do it
@@MrArtVein if you read the comment I never said they wouldnt i was making a comment of him talking about a NAVY SEAL telling him they wouldnt do it.
You gotta be smarter than a solo freeclimber to survive as a SEAL :-).
@@therealpotsmoan593 and the www. Agreees. Nice
My hands are sweating listening to you guys talk about Alex. I literally need chalk to hold on to my cell phone while watching people free solo.
I sit through free solo in utter disbelief every single time. It's just simply unbelievable, he has complete control of his mind and body.