'Free Solo' Rock Climbing Legend Alex Honnold Goes Ice

Alex Honnold climbed El Capitan without protection, the basis of the movie 'Free Solo'. Honnold is now drawn to the allure of mountain climbing.

El Capitan / Austin Neill

Mountain climbing and rock climbing are often considered similar disciplines within a single sport. This is not true. Climbing at high altitude on snow, ice and rock is not the same as scaling sheer granite rock walls. Both rock and mountain climbing require a high level of conditioning, technical expertise, and route knowledge - general categories that don't fully distinguish the differences in climbing very different terrain. Both forms, however, provide a commensurate challenge, reward and awe-inspring experience. Legendary climber Alec Honnold knows this.

Alex Honnold Rocks on Rock

Alex Honnold / Alex Honnold

ALEX HONNOLD is a Rock Star - literally. Alex is an American climber known more for his amazing feats on rock, than big mountain ice and glacier climbing. He thrives on massive granite walls, with little to no protection, and often climbs alone. Honnold is the king of free soloing, meaning he climbs big walls without the aid of safety equipment like ropes, anchors or carabiners.

EL CAPITAN. Alex is not careless. He trains relentlessly, and meticulously plans his routes with great precision. His most incredible accomplishment came in June, 2017 when he became the first person to free solo the 2,900 foot Freerider route (5.13a) on El Capitan in Yosemite National Park. The first free solo climb ever at that grade. His feat was memorialized in the award-winning documentary by filmmaker E. Chai Vasarhelyi (“MERU”), and world-renowned photographer and mountaineer Jimmy Chin, in National Geographic Documentary Film's FREE SOLO, a stunning, intimate and inspiring portrait of the free-soloist climber.

OSCAR WINNER. This unheard of feat was beautifully presented in the Oscar-winning documentary "Free Solo".  Alex also holds the record for the fastest ascent of the "Yosemite Triple Crown", which includes Mount Watkins, The Nose, and the Regular Northwest Face of Half Dome. Such audacious feats on America’s biggest cliffs have made Alex one of the most accomplished, admired, and followed rock climbers in history.  If that wasn't enough, Alex just notched his first of the Seven Summits - Mt. Vinson last year.

Alex Honnold Tackles Frigid Mt. Vinson

Whether it rock or ice, Alex can climb. As an accomplished climber in traditional mountain climbing, he has tackled many challenging routes around the world. His accomplishments now include Mt. Vinson in Antarctica. Mt. Vinson stands 16,050 ft., making it the highest peak on Antarctica, and therefore a member of the coveted Seven Summits - the highest peak on each of the seven continents. 

The average temperature at Yosemite National Park in June is 72.5 degrees (F). The average temperature during the Antarctic Summer, when climbers descend upon Mt. Vinson is -4 degrees to -40 degrees (F), which presented quite the unique challenge for Honnold. After his successful summit, Alex noted “I felt shockingly bad. On the other hand, we had the mountain all to ourselves, which certainly added to the ambiance.”

lone on the Wall, and Free Solo

Alex Honnold is the co-author (with David Roberts) of the memoir  Alone on the Wall (2015) and Free Solo, the subject of the 2018 biographical documentary, which won an Academy Award and a BAFTA.