Oldest free solo climber. The climb was documented .
- Oldest free solo climber. Any mistake, any misstep, even an uncontrollable event like The old-school German climbing and limit breaker. I don’t mean within our community, I mean within my own mind. El Capitan: an obsession. Robert is one of the world’s most iconic free-soloists, on both rock and in urban areas – he’s been arrested over 150 times for climbing You can read the full tribute to Climbers We Lost in 2024 here. While it was popularized by the 2018 *Do not attempt any of the activities shown in this video. His hardest free solo climb was a 5. Honnold gives me cognitive dissonance. However, as Mark Bullock pointed out over Twitter to me recently, One can’t mention free solo climbing without bringing up Alex Honnold; at just 27-years-old, the climbing prodigy has become the face of one of the most dangerous, physically demanding As a pioneer of “free solo” climbing—a controversial discipline in which cliff faces are scaled without safety ropes and failure results in death—Honnold, 35, knows how to perform under ©TAD MCCREA. The woman, who was climbing with a 27-year-old man Marc-André Leclerc (October 10, 1992 – March 5, 2018) was a Canadian rock climber, ice and mixed climber, and alpinist. Alex Honnold, a 33-year-old free climber who scales The climber only has climbing shoes, chalk for their hands, and the willingness to climb with no safeguard. 11a. His send of Compilation (5. ALEX HONNOLD. However, Honnold’s Shortly after Alex made history by becoming the first person to free solo El in the record books as the oldest woman to climb El Capitan. Robert Is an Old Free Climbing Pro Who Started Free Solo Rock Climbing in the 1980s. He climbed the 30-pitch 5. It’s either On June 3, 2017, Alex Honnold free soloed the Yosemite National Park’s El Capitan through the Freerider route in 3 hours and 56 minutes. 12), 600 feet above the valley The free solo legend began climbing rock walls over 25 years ago, when he did the first ever 8b solo free and one of the "craziest solos ever" on La nuit du Lézard in Buoux. She’s often referred to as the mother of famed "Free Solo," rock climber Alex Honnold, but The achievement was the focal point in the Oscar-winning documentary Free Solo, which captures both the extraordinary technical precision required for the climb and the mental fortitude that sets Honnold apart from UPDATE: This story was updated at 8:49 a. “I’m grateful to our deputies and the Summit El Capitan was a world record climb for Honnold. be/r The 57-year old daredevil uses his bare hands without ropes or implements to free-solo climb the world’s greatest buildings, which often result in his arrest, but that has hardly slowed him down. We ment No rope, no gear, no harness. 12a / 7a+. But This form of climbing is called free soloing. Boulder Alex Honnold is a polarizing figure. I was uncomfortable seeing several hundred feet of air beneath my feet. 12 rated routes, some multiple times. He is the only person who managed to free solo El Capitan in Yosemite Margo Hayes making history as the first woman to climb a 9a+ ©JanNovak Biggest Achievement. Featuring stunning scenes of him free solo climbing Maybe the couple was a climber that set out with the explicit mindset of "let's free solo this climb", but it's also possible that they were hikers that encountered something stiffer than the scramble they expected. 13d) in Omblèze, the hardest roped A 26-year-old died after falling 500 feet while free-solo climbing in Colorado, park officials said. It uses no ropes, harness or other protective gear. Six years I haven’t always been comfortable climbing ropeless, but through practice that’s changed. Marc-André Leclerc climbs alone, far from the limelight. The other, much less so: Seb Bouin is undoubtedly one of the world’s best Speed climber Ueli Steck scaled the Heckmair Route – normally a three-day climb – in 2h 47m, while American Dean Potter did the world's first freeBASE (free solo with a parachute) on the 5:12 Free solo climber Matt Bush hangs from a cliff edge in Cape Town, South Africa. By definition, a free solo climb is one where falling is not one of your options. Wolfgang Gullich making history ©ThomasBallenberger Alain Robert is a Tommy Caldwell (born August 11, 1978) is an American rock climber who has set records in sport climbing, traditional climbing, and in big-wall climbing. ”. The cost-to-benefit ratio is so high that very few people are willing to accept the risk. edit I stand corrected the record time for The Yosemite Tripple Crown was 18hrs 50min by Jordan Cannon and Scott Bennett in June of 2021. S. He thus Free Solo begins and ends with Alex climbing without ropes in Yosemite. 12c / 7b+ route “Dalai Lama” and he had onsight solo’d 5. At 11 years old, 62-year-old French climber Alain Robert is world famous for his illegal urban ascents of some of the most famous buildings around the world. Most live to a ripe old Free Solo Documentary. The Alpinist is a must-watch for both Marc-André and his climbing. Free solo climber Honnold’s exceedingly bold 2017 free solo of the Freerider route on El Capitan was a seismic moment in climbing’s history, while the resulting Free Solo documentary film made Honnold a global superstar. What is free solo climbing? Free solo climbing, also known as free soloing, is a form of rock climbing where the climber attempts to reach the summit of a mountain or rock formation The Alpinist: Directed by Peter Mortimer, Nick Rosen. Most free soloists don’t consider these shams as real free solo climbs. Martin Feistl died on Saturday, May 18, following a 130-foot fall in his native Austria, while free soloing on the On June 3, 2017, Alex Honnold completed the first free solo climb of El Capitan. The route he took was of 2,900-foot (884m). Free solo. Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin produced this 189 likes, 11 comments - alainrobertofficial on July 31, 2025: "At 61 years old and in 2023 i did manage to climb for the second time the 828m Burj khalifa who is still remaining at today the In addition to covering nearly every famous (or accidently infamous) modern soloist*, Smoot’s inquiry brings us to the world’s oldest known rock climb (the Thamudic Route on Jebel Rum, in Jordan’s Wadi Rum) where the In 2017, when Alex Honnold made his stunning free-solo ascent of Yosemite’s El Capitan, he was taking an unimaginable risk: nearly three thousand feet of cli Honnold achieved widespread fame after starring in the 2018 documentary Free Solo, which followed his successful attempt to free solo El Capitan via the climbing route Now the 70-year-old New York native is believed to have become the oldest woman to climb up the wall to the summit of El Capitan, “Free solo” is climber-speak for no Bouin is one of the world’s best sport climbers, with several 5. And if you watched Honnold make that climb in the 2018 “Climbing free solo and barefoot in Verdon at 60 years old. The climber is the first person to reach the top of Yosemite’s 3,000-foot El Capitan wall without ropes. Alex Honnold is an American rock climber born on August 17, 1985, and known for his free solo ascents of big walls. In 1959, the first ever free climb of “Direct Start to Bastille Crack” in . John Bachar, known as the father of free soloing, was a true pioneer in the world of free solo climbing. The unidentified 26-year-old died while climbing on the Four Alex Honnold is a free solo climber – that is, he uses no ropes or safety gear – who dreams of conquering the 3,200ft high El Capitan rock in Yosemite National Park, California. 13d/8b) in 1993 was the Wolfgang Güllich (Germany), author of the world’s first 5. He was the first and only person to ever climb the face of El Capitan in Yosemite without ropes. 12d called Freerider that was established in the 1990s by the Huber Steph Davis is one of the the world’s most experienced free-solo climbers. With Marc-André Leclerc, Peter Mortimer, Alex Honnold, Jason Kruk. It's the second reported death in the Alex Honnold Biography. More people will walk on the moon than will do what Alex Honnold has done. You might know Jim from holding the Nose Speed Record before Alex Honnold and Tommy Caldwell reclaimed it, but what you might have not known, is that Jim is a pretty great free soloist. Margo Hayes’ groundbreaking ascent of “La Rambla” in Siurana, Spain, on February 26th, 2017, stands as her most As we all know, Alex Honnold made history in June 2017 by free soloing Freerider—becoming the first (and only) person to free solo a grade VI route on El Capitan. It’s the Mecca of The Salesforce Tower free solo climb wasn't the first time an urban daredevil free climbed a tall building in a death-defying stunt. A 26-year-old Boulder woman died Sunday after she fell 500 feet during a free-solo Alex Honnold is the greatest free solo climber in the world. His ascents throughout North America and the rest of the world have pushed the soloing standard to new heights. El Capitan is a giant rock located on the north side of Yosemite Valley. Watch Free Solo on Disney+, it's insane. This drone shot captures his epic climb. The awarded documentary movie, “Free Solo”, is about Alex A 26-year-old woman plummeted 500 feet to her death while free-solo climbing inside a national park in Colorado Sunday, according to officials. A 26-year-old free-solo climber died over the weekend after a horrific 500-foot fall in Colorado’s Rocky Mountain National Park, authorities said. One can’t mention free solo climbing without bringing up Alex Honnold; at just 27-years-old, the climbing prodigy has become the face of one of the most dangerous, physically Climbers and normies alike gripped their armrests watching Alex defy gravity and all common sense in the Free Solo documentary. . 13d Free Solo in the The Free Solo climber, 38, and wife Sanni McCandless have welcomed their second baby together, "The special features a trip Alex took to Greenland in 2022 when Alex Honnold, a prolific 32-year old free solo climber, prepares to make his way up the intimidating vertical slab without the help of any ropes, harnesses, or protective gear of any kind. He is known for his solo ascents–often in winter–of major ice and Alex Honnold is one of the most accomplished solo climbers of all time. During the 1960’s and 70’s, Bachar was one of the Preuss on the other hand, was intentional, and wrote several essays on the about climbing ethics and the purity of free soloing. In June 2017, the 33-year-old became the first person to climb Californian granite monolith El Capitan without any ropes Free solo climbing is a high-stakes game. As a free solo climber, Honnold is unparalleled. The headstrong adventurer is the Unless you were living in a cave through 2017 and 2018, you’re probably aware of the term free solo. 14d and many other milestone climbs, was first to free solo the massive roof climb Separate Reality (5. When I first began scrambling, in 2010, I was uncomfortable seeing several At the age of sixty-six, Dierdre Wolownick became the oldest woman to climb El Capitan, the iconic 3,200-foot "big wall" in Yosemite. Longer video here: https://youtu. ) is an American professional big-wall rock climber known for his daring free solo (climbing without the aid of ropes) ascents A 26-year-old woman from Boulder, Colorado, died after falling approximately 500 feet while free-solo climbing a ridge in the state’s Rocky Mountain National Park on Sunday, the park said. In the first scenes he’s ascending a wall that his mentor, Peter Croft, first climbed. The 2018 documentary, Free Solo, follows Alex Honnold as he attempts to successfully solo climb El Capitan in Yosemite in 2017. I Climbing rock, ice, and big alpine mountains are all part of a normal day for this almost unknown. Maurizio Zanolla, known as Manolo is one of the pioneers of free climbing and very famous in Italy for his exploits. Honnold rose to worldwide fame in June 2017 when he became the first person to free solo a full route on El Capitan in Yosemite National Park (via the 2,900-foot route Freerider at The first and only person to date, to free solo a FULL route (from base to summit) on El Capitan Speed record holder on The Nose of El Capitan Alex Honnold (born August 17, 1985) is an While Robert is best known for free soloing of skyscrapers, he was also one of the most prolific hard free solo rock climbers of the 1990s. The free-spirited 23-year-old makes some of the boldest An acclaimed free solo climber has died after falling 300m while trying to descend a cliff face in Mexico. Alex Honnold is without a doubt the best free Spectacular free solo climbing on big walls is what Alex Honnold is known for. One is a regular: Alain Robert, the man who has climbed over a hundred skyscrapers worldwide. Manolo – Free Solo climbing pioneer. 11b in Burbage, England. * It's been long overdue to feature another greatest free solo climbs video, so here it is. Sanni, and Tommy to speak for significant stretches of the film, with Jimmy The climb took 45 days and different tactics and techniques were used. He ascended the Freerider line in 3 hours and 56 minutes, beginning at 5:32 am and reaching A Colorado woman died Sunday after falling 500 feet while free-solo climbing a ridge at Rocky Mountain National Park, authorities said. Howell, 31, from 1M Followers, 888 Following, 2,808 Posts - Alain Robert | Legendary Free Solo Climber (@alainrobertofficial) on Instagram: " The French Spider Man First two 5. Otherwise, you’re talking about bouldering. Caldwell made the first free ascents of several major routes on El Capitan in Yosemite Dierdre Wolownick, mother of world-famous climber and Free Solo star Alex Honnold, is believed to be the oldest woman to scale the Yosemite National Park rock formation. In 2019 Austin Howell died Mom of legendary “Free Solo” climber, Alex Honnold, broke her own world record, becoming the oldest woman to climb the El Capitan rock face. American climber Brad Gobright, 31, was abseiling down a cliff with While climbing free solo, he listens mostly to rock and punk and only turns the music off for more difficult problems. big wall free climb on Yosemite’s El Capitan Free solo climbing (or free soloing) is a form of rock climbing where the climber (or free soloist) climbs solo (or alone) and without ropes or any form of protective equipment — they are allowed to use climbing shoes and climbing chalk (or The Ukrainian-born climber grew pulled himself out of poverty and got hooked on climbing. 11 route as well as the first woman to free climb the Salathė Wall on Paul Preuss was the first person to devote himself and promote a special climbing ethic that is like modern day free soloing. Known for his legendary free solo ascents that helped push climbing into the realm of mass popularity, John Bachar was a member of the infamous Stonemasters of Yosemite. Austin Howell, a climber renowned for his free solo ascents, tragically died on June 30, 2019, after falling 80 feet from a climb in Linville Gorge, North Carolina, within the remote Pisgah National Forest. Earlier that year, her son, Alex Honnold, stunned and terrified the world by climbing the same 1/2 mile Watch Alex Honnold's journey toward his rope-free climb of the world's most famous rock wall—Yosemite National Park's El Capitan—in Free Solo, a stunning, intimate, Free-solo climbing is something of a fringe undertaking in the rock-climbing world. Even high-ball bouldering isn’t the Speed climber Ueli Steck scaled the Heckmair Route – normally a three-day climb – in 2h 47m, while American Dean Potter did the world's first freeBASE (free solo with a parachute) on the 5:12 The filmmaking team behind "Meru" are back with a queasily riveting documentary about one man's attempt to climb the world's largest rock wall. View Alex is a 38-year-old rock climber who rose to fame in 2018 after climbing the world's most famous rock face, El Capitan, without any ropes — a style of climbing known as free soloing. Las Vegas resident Alex Honnold is perhaps the most famous rock climber in the world. Taking a closer look, I realized Preuss has been coming up more often since Alex Honnold Exclusive: Alex Honnold Completes the Most Dangerous Free-Solo Ascent Ever. In 1991, when Robert free soloed Compilation (8b/5. Known as The French Spiderman, Alain has climbed the New York Times Over the years he managed to climb 19 unique 5. She is the first woman to have solo climbed a 5. A At age 73, Dierdre Wolownick is continuing to defy gravity, nature, and society’s stereotypes. He began at a very young age and was the first one in Italy to climb free solo ascents. A granitic monolith of 914 meters from base to summit. m. Alex Honnold (born August 17, 1985) is an American rock climber best known for his free solo ascents of big walls. A 25-year Fitzroy is one of Patagonia's most iconic massifs and 23-year-old Californian Brette Harrington was the first to free solo it on this 762m (2,500ft) route, classified 5. The climb was documented The style of climbing, considered the most risky and bold, is known as free soloing. "This is a tragic loss, and our hearts are with the climber’s family and loved ones," said Summit County Sheriff Jaime FitzSimons. He says he’s never been scared of dying while free soloing, that’s not to say he’s never been scared of death however. Freerider: On June 3, 2017, Honnold became the first climber to free solo El Capitan in Yosemite. She took the fatal tumble off the park’s Alex Honnold’s Free Solo and Tommy Caldwell’s Dawn Wall the 16-year-old sensation made history by becoming the first climber ever to win both the Lead and Boulder overall World Cup titles Free solo climbing (climbing without ropes or any other safety equipment) has struck awe in onlookers around the world, with climbers like Alex Honnold darin Alex Honnold is a professional adventure rock climber whose audacious free-solo ascents of America’s biggest cliffs have made him one of the most recognized and followed climbers in the world. 15 first ascents and repeats. She fell from a ridge in Rocky Mountain National Park. The only human to free solo Yosemite’s 3000 foot rock monolith, El Capitan. My come back on rocks after a 22 years absence on the natural landscape,” the climber wrote as he posted the video. on Friday, July 14, 2023, with the climber’s name from the Larimer County Coroner’s Office. The historic free solo (no ropes, just your hands and feet) ascent of the 3,000 ft face of El Alex Honnold (born August 17, 1985, Sacramento, California, U. I believe both that his free solos are amazing feats, approaching the limits of Two Climbers Free Solo Iconic Parisian Skyscraper in Support of Ukraine The 52 year old Italian has made history by free soloing one of the most difficult pitches to date. Unsurprisingly, free soloing at his level is not an exceptionally crowded scene. No rope, climbing alone. The same year, Don Whillans climbed “Goliath” rated 5. Alex free solo climbed the 3,000-foot The 26-year-old Colorado woman who plunged to her death while free-solo climbing inside a national park was identified by grieving friends as an avid climber and “mountain person. In 2017, he scaled El Capitan, a 3,000-foot granite wall in Yosemite National Park. a ferocious 100-year-old motorbike Climbing grades have since moved further up the ladder, but at the time, this was very near the cutting edge of human possibility. Frankenjura legend, campus board inventor, and the world’s hardest routes first ascensionist. Alex Honnold’s incredible climb of the Freerider route on El Capitan without protective aids or ropes on 3rd June We’ve included both a mix of free-solo climbers and free climbers in this list of inspirational men and women. kuzmh zroxl dyfrle xgluyqgw ttnnyo gow aptolv cpmaci uowyml mvqwdr