Alone on the Wall

Summary:

On June 3rd, 2017, Alex Honnold became the first person to free solo Yosemite's El Capitan—to scale the wall without rope, a partner, or any protective gear—completing what was described as "the greatest feat of pure rock climbing in the history of the sport" (National Geographic) and "one of the great athletic feats of any kind, ever" (New York Times). Already one of the most famous adventure athletes in the world, Honnold has now been hailed as "the greatest climber of all time" (Vertical magazine).

“Alone on the Wall” recounts the most astonishing achievements of Honnold’s extraordinary life and career, brimming with lessons on living fearlessly, taking risks, and maintaining focus even in the face of extreme danger. Now Honnold tells, for the first time and in his own words, the story of his 3 hours and 56 minutes on the sheer face of El Cap, which Outside called "the moon landing of free soloing…a generation-defining climb. Bad ass and beyond words…one of the pinnacle sporting moments of all time." (Summary and cover courtesy of goodreads.com)

Review:

This is a deeper dive into the story begun in “Free Solo” that provides additional backstory into Honnold’s career and motivations.  As a mountaineering and climbing fan I really enjoyed the story and the descriptions of pursuits of various mountains.  The book does a good job contextualizing the accomplishments and why they’re relevant within the context of the greater climbing world.

The book does begin to explore some of the mental self-exploration on the wall and thought-processes that went into the decision-making.  It would have been great to have explored this area more thoroughly, but knowing Honnold’s tendency not to discuss these aspects I think he was likely as open as he could be.  Honnold is unapologetically transparent about his cocky personality as a younger climber and, hopefully people will see, his development into a more mature and thoughtful adult.  For those who want to learn more about climbing or improve their techniques, I’d recommend this read!  If you’re just a casual fan, “Free Solo” is probably sufficient.

Rating: 5 stars!

Who should read it? Fans of “Free Solo” and mountaineering.