Rock Climber/Crazy Person Alex Honnold on Free Soloing El Capitan

ALEX, I EXPECTED YOUR HANDS TO
BE LIKE ROCK FORMATIONS
THEMSELVES.
BUT YOU HAVE KIND OF NORMAL
HANDS, RIGHT?
I MEAN, NOW THAT I SEE THEM
THEY'RE A LITTLE BEEFY.
THEY'RE MUSCULAR.
BUT IT IS -- I MEAN, YOUR LIFE
DEPENDS ON THE STRENGTH IN YOUR
HANDS.
>> TO SOME EXTENT, YEAH.
SOMETIMES.
>> Jimmy: WHEN YOU'RE CLIMBING.
I MEAN, I GUESS NOT WHEN YOU'RE
SLEEPING OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
[ LAUGHTER ]
>> YEAH.
NO, THEY'RE JUST NORMAL.
>> Jimmy: IT IS REALLY -- IT IS
A MIRACLE THAT YOU ARE -- IT'S A
MIRACLE THAT YOU AND 50 CENT ARE
ALIVE.
IT REALLY IS.
[ LAUGHTER ]
SO TELL ME EXACTLY -- EXPLAIN
EXACTLY WHAT'S DIFFERENT ABOUT
THE WAY YOU CLIMBED THIS ROCK
WALL.
>> WELL, SO WHAT I DID WAS
CLIMBING IT WITHOUT A ROPE OR
WITHOUT GEAR.
SO I WAS JUST BY MYSELF IN JUST
MY SHOES AND MY CHALK BAG AND I
CLIMBED UP THE ROCK WALL.
>> Jimmy: THE CHALK WALL KEEPS
YOUR HANDS DRY?
>> YEAH, IT'S JUST LIKE A
GYMNAST TO DRY YOUR HANDS SO
YOUR GRIP STAYS GOOD.
>> Jimmy: ARE YOU FEARFUL WHEN
YOU'RE ON THE WALL, WHEN YOU GET
UP 3,000 FEET, SOMETHING LIKE
THAT?
>> WELL, I PROBABLY WOULD BE IF
I HADN'T PREPARED FOR IT.
WITH CLIMBING EL CAPITAN IT WAS
SOMETHING I'D BEEN DREAMING
ABOUT FOR YEARS AND I SPENT
PROBABLY A FULL YEAR IN
PREPARATION.
>> Jimmy: HOW DO YOU PREPARE?
YOU GO TO THE REI STORE AND YOU
CLIMB UP THE --
>> EXACTLY.
YOU BUY A LITTLE STARTER KIT AND
FIGURE IT OUT.
NO, I MEAN, SO THE BIGGEST PART
FOR ME OF THE PREPARATION WAS
THE VISUALIZATION, THE
PSYCHOLOGICAL SIDE, LIKE
IMAGINING THAT IT WAS POSSIBLE.
AND THAT TOOK LIKE YEARS TO SORT
OF WRAP MY HEAD AROUND THE IDEA.
>> Jimmy: IT DID.
>> EVERY TIME YOU DRIVE TO
YOSEMITE YOU SEE THE WALL,
YOU'RE LIKE THAT'S A BIG WALL.
>> Jimmy: HAS ANYONE ELSE TRIED
TO CLIMB THAT WALL?
>> NO.
>> Jimmy: IN THAT WAY.
I MEAN, PEOPLE HAVE TRIED IT I
ASSUME --
>> GENERALLY WHEN YOU LOOK AT
THE WALL YOU'RE FILLED WITH
FEAR.
YOU'RE LIKE OH, MY GOD, THAT'S
CRAZY.
>> Jimmy: YEAH, I KNOW I AM.
[ LAUGHTER ]
>> HAVE YOU BEEN THERE?
>> Jimmy: WHAT'S THAT?
>> HAVE YOU BEEN THERE?
HAVE YOU SEEN THE WALL?
>> Jimmy: I HAVE BEEN THERE AND
I'VE SEEN THE WALLS.
IT NEVER OCCURRED TO ME TO CLIMB
ONE OF THEM.
THERE YOU ARE IN THE CREVICE.
DO YOU LOOK FOR A CREVICE IN
GENERAL?
>> YEAH.
SO THAT'S THE BIG PART OF THE
PREFRPGS IS SPENDING TIME
REHEARSING THE ROUTE, MEMORIZING
THE MOVES AND MAKING SURE THE
CONDITIONS ARE GOOD AND GETTING
READY.
>> Jimmy: WHAT DO YOU MEAN
REHEARSING THE ROUTE?
IT LOOKS LIKE YOU'RE JUST GOING
UP.
[ LAUGHTER ]
>> YEAH.
BUT SO IT LOOKS LIKE I'M JUST
CLIMBING, BUT EACH MOVEMENT OF
MY HANDS AND FEET IS SUPER WELL
THOUGHT OUT, VERY CONTROLLED,
VERY PRECISE.
I MEAN, IN THIS PARTICULAR CLIP,
LIKE EVERY MOVEMENT OF MY HANDS
HAS BEEN CHOREOGRAPHED
BASICALLY.
I'M LIKE EXECUTING A ROUTINE.
I COULD ACTUALLY TALK YOU
THROUGH ALL THE MOVES ON THAT
PARTICULAR SECTION OF WALL.
>> Jimmy: YOU REMEMBER
EVERYTHING.
>> YEAH.
>> Jimmy: ALMOST LEEK A RACE CAR
DRIVER AND --
>> YEAH.
MEMORIZING THE TURNS.
FOR SURE.
>> Jimmy: WHEN YOU'RE ON THAT
WALL AND -- HOW LONG DOES IT
TAKE TO CLIMB -- DID IT TAKE
YOU?
>> SO CLIMBING EL CAP TOOK
ALMOST FOUR HOURS.
>> Jimmy: FOUR HOURS.
SO WHEN YOU'RE ON THAT WALL AND
YOU'RE CLIMBING, DO YOU EVER
THINK ABOUT FALLING?
>> I THINK A LOT ABOUT FALLING
AHEAD OF TIME.
REALLY.
I MEAN, THAT'S A BIG PART OF
VISUALIZING IS WHETHER OR NOT
YOU'RE READY TO GO UP AND TAKE
ON THAT KIND OF CHALLENGE.
YOU HAVE TO SORT OF THINK
THROUGH THE WHOLE CONSEQUENCES.
BUT ONCE I DECIDE THAT I'M READY
THEN I'M 100% COMMITTED TO IT
AND I JUST GO UP TO IT.
>> Jimmy: BEFORE YOU DO IT DO
YOU WRITE LIKE A NOTE TO YOUR
MOM OR ANYTHING?
>> NO.
THAT SEEMS OVERLY DRAMATIC.
>> Jimmy: IT DOES?
>> YEAH.
[ LAUGHTER ]
I MEAN, A LITTLE BIT.
>> Jimmy: IT DOESN'T TO ME.
IT REALLY DOESN'T.
BUT HAVE YOU EVER RUN INTO LIKE
A MOUNTAIN LION OR ANYTHING WHEN
YOU'RE DOING SOMETHING LIKE
THIS?
>> NOT MANY MOUNTAIN LIONS CLIMB
QUITE THAT WELL.
[ LAUGHTER ]
BUT NO, YOU RUN INTO MICE AND A
LOT OF BIRDS.
IT'S NOT UNCOMMON TO PUT YOUR
HAND INTO A CRACK AND HAVE A
BIRD RUN DOWN YOUR ARM.
>> Jimmy: YOU HAVE TO BE READY
FOR THAT AND PREPARED FOR THE
BIRD OR THE MOUSE.
>> YEAH, MICE TOO, HONESTLY.
THEY RUN AROUND IN THE CRACKS
AND STUFF.
I'VE SPENT TONS OF TIME ON THAT
WALL WITH A ROPE ON.
SO YOU SORT OF GET USED TO ALL
THE THE VARIOUS THINGS THAT
MIGHT HAPPEN.
>> Jimmy: I ASSUME YOU LOVE
CLIMBING, RIGHT?
I ASSUME YOU LOVE IT.
>> I DO LOVE CLIMBING.
>> Jimmy: WHY NOT HAVE THE ROPE?
BECAUSE YOU COULD STILL GET THAT
SAME CLIMBING EFFECT --
>> SO THAT'S A FAIR QUESTION.
I DO HAVE A ROPE PROBABLY 95% OF
THE TIME.
BUT THEN EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE
YOU HAVE THAT SORT OF PEAK
EXPERIENCE WHERE YOU CHOOSE NOT
TO USE THE ROPE.
>> Jimmy: SO YOU GET SOME KIND
OF SATISFACTION OR IS IT A
THRILL OR WHAT IS IT EXACTLY?
>> IT'S KIND OF LIKE THE DEEP
SATISFACTION OF TAKING ON A VERY
BIG CHALLENGE AND THEN SORT OF
MAKING IT HAPPEN.
I MEAN, I THINK OF IT AS LIKE
THE SUPER BOWL OF MY CLIMBING OR
SOMETHING.
CLIMBING IS SUCH AN INDIVIDUAL
SPORT.
YOU JUST KIND OF DO YOUR OWN
THING.
THERE'S NO -- THERE ISN'T MUCH
COMPETITION.
COMPETITION'S ALL INDOORS.
WHEN I'M DOING IT ON BIG
MOUNTAINS IT'S A WHOLE SEPARATE
WORLD.
YOU SORT OF HAVE TO CHOOSE YOUR
OWN CHALLENGES AND PUSH YOURSELF
WHATEVER WAY YOU WANT TO.
I'M INSPIRED BY THESE BIG WALLS
AND I'M INSPIRED BY DOING THEM
BY MYSELF.
>> Jimmy: THERE WAS AN ARTICLE
WRITTEN ABOUT YOU I THINK IN THE
"NEW YORK TIMES."
TELL ME IF I HAVE THIS RIGHT.
BUT AT SOME POINT DURING THE
INTERVIEW YOU JUST CLIMBED IN
THE MIDDLE OF THESE TWO
BUILDINGS.
>> YEAH.
THAT'S TRUE.
>> Jimmy: WERE YOU WEARING YOUR
CLIMBING SHOES OR WERE YOU JUST
IN REGULAR SHOES?
>> SOMETHING LIKE THAT YOU
PROBABLY DO IN REGULAR SHOES
BECAUSE IT'S JUST
COUNTERPRESSURE WITH --
>> Jimmy: WELL, I COULDN'T
BUT --
[ LAUGHTER ]
>> NO, I THINK YOU COULD.
I THINK YOU HAVE STRONG LEGS.
YOU CAN PUSH HARD.
>> Jimmy: WERE YOU ARRESTED FOR
THIS OR --
>> I THINK SECURITY MAY HAVE
BEEN CALLED LATER.
THE THING ABOUT IT IS YOU GO UP,
YOU COME DOWN QUICKLY AND YOU
LEAVE AND JUST NEVER REALLY KNOW
IF ANYONE SHOWS UP.
>> Jimmy: WHEN DID YOU START
DOING THIS?
LIKE AT WHAT AGE DID YOU JUST
START CLIMBING THINGS?
>> THAT KIND OF CLIMBING IN
PARTICULAR CLIMBING ON BUILDINGS
AND PLAYING ON STRUCTURES, I
MEAN, I DID THAT SINCE I WAS A
LITTLE KID.
YOU KNOW, STARTING ON MY HOUSE
PROBABLY.
BUT THEN I STARTED CLIMBING
INDOORS IN A GYM WHEN I WAS 10
OR 11 AND I'VE BEEN CLIMBING 20
YEARS SINCE THEN.
>> Jimmy: AND YOUR MOM WAS OKAY
WITH YOU CLIMBING ALL OVER
EVERYTHING?
>> YOU KNOW, SHE COULDN'T STOP
ME THAT WELL.
>> Jimmy: I KEEP THINKING OF HER
BECAUSE MY KIDS -- I WAS ON A
TRIP ONCE IN WYOMING AND MY KIDS
WANTED TO PARASAIL AND THEY WERE
LIKE COME ON.
AND I WAS LIKE YOU CAN'T
PARASAIL.
THEY'RE LIKE IT'S SAFE.
AND I WAS LIKE IT'S SAFE FOR YOU
BUT WHEN YOU LAND I'M GOING TO
BE DEAD OF A HEART ATTACK.
>> MY MOM HAS A MEMORY OF SAYING
YOU CAN'T GO ON THE ROOF.
I CLIMBED ON THE FENCE, GOT ON
THE ROOF AND JUMPED BACK.
AND WE WERE LIKE WE CLIMBED ON
THE ROOF.
AND SHE WAS LIKE OKAY, IF YOU'RE
ON THE ROOF GO AHEAD AND CLEAN
THE GUTTERS.
SO FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE I'VE
BEEN DOING ALL THE LEGWORK.
>> Jimmy: LIKE MOMMY'S LITTLE
MONKEY.
[ LAUGHTER ]
HOW THE HELL DID YOU NOT GET
PART OF SPIDER-MAN?
IT'S UNBELIEVABLE.
I WOULD BE SO ANGRY.
[ APPLAUSE ]
IT'S UNBELIEVABLE.
SO NAT GEO IS DOING A
DOCUMENTARY AND THEY'RE GOING TO
SHOW THE WHOLE JOURNEY OF YOU
CLIMBING THE EL CAPITAN.
>> YEAH.
THAT'S CORRECT.
WE'VE BEEN FILMING A DOCUMENTARY
FOR THE LAST YEAR WITH MY NORTH
FACE TEAMMATE JIMMY CHAN.
HE'S BEEN SHOOTING THE FILM.
AND THE TWO OF US HAVE BASICALLY
JUST SPENT A YEAR DOCUMENTING
THE PROCESS TO GET READY FOR
THIS AND THEN TO ACTUALLY CLIMB
THE WALL.
>> Jimmy: I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE
THAT.
>> I CAN'T WAIT EITHER.
I HAVEN'T REALLY SEEN ANY OF THE
MATERIAL YET BECAUSE THEY'RE
VERY STRICT ABOUT THE
DOCUMENTARY.
I DON'T KNOW.
>> Jimmy: IS THERE ANYTHING LEFT
TO CLIMB AFTER YOU CLIMBED EL
CAPITAN?
IS THERE ANYTHING BIGGER THAN
THAT?
>> NOT -- I MEAN, THERE ARE
TECHNICALLY SOME BIGGER WALLS IN
THE WORLD BUT THEY'RE IN VERY
REMOTE PLACES LIKE GREENLAND OR
PAKISTAN, A FAR-FLUNG
EXPEDITION.
TO ME THERE'S NOTHING MORE
INSPIRING THAN EL CAPITAN.
THAT'S BEEN MY DREAM MY WHOLE
LIFE.
>> Jimmy: YOU'RE AN AMAZING
PERSON.
AND YOU WILL BE

Rock Climber/Crazy Person Alex Honnold on Free Soloing El Capitan

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