What if He Falls? The Terrifying Reality Behind Filming “Free Solo” | Op-Docs

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 climbing without any ropes or safety equipment. But was the climb made even riskier by the filmmakers who accompanied him?
In “What if He Falls?” filmmakers Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin take us inside the process of documenting Honnold’s quest for climbing glory - and the ethical calculus of filming a friend who could, with the slip of a finger, plummet to his death.
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[@HK-sw3vi]

Alex asking the guy with all the safety equipment, "are you ok?" is the second biggest unintentional flex in the history of this planet.

[@danielleinad9628]

What's the first one tho?

[@rayan-samyramdani7430]

@@danielleinad9628 Probably him climbing El Cap without any safety equipment

[@B20C0]

No, it's actually a sign of a great friendship. Alex put his friend into a lot of emotional stress. He was completely fine with what he was doing and also was at peace with the risks, Jimmy however never was, because it wasn't his life which was on the line but his friend's.

[@GiDD504]

B20C0 r/whooosh

[@GiDD504]

Ratt Wood r/whooosh

[@briansmith4853]

He comes from a very humble background, his mom being a teacher and his dad a mountain goat..

[@localbootyeater.19yearsago47]

Hahahahaha hhhhhh

[@Dom.777_]

🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@octavianusadi4637]

Knew it, that amount of balls? Only mutation explain it 😂

[@briansmith4853]

@@octavianusadi4637 very true, that certain region on any goat species is not proportional to the rest of its body

[@crushermwp6921]

Lmfao!!!😂😂😂🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣😂😂😂🤣🤣🤣

[@fin3662]

"Alex's issue is not that he could possibly die, it was that he didn't want to die in front of his friends"... wow

[@FredomHack]

when you explore certain pasions there is always a degree of insanity in it, it's within the package

[@xthexskrillex]

it comes from within@@FredomHack

[@PsychoDude]

Possibly cause he saw friends die

[@julianhansen858]

If you’ve been to Yosemite and stood at the base of this massive wall, then you can start to understand how unbelievable this feat is. I was on the edge of my seat watching the film.

[@Fireraidz]

Where did u see it

[@Fireraidz]

@@-user404 ya totally I was gonna look it up to watch it w my partner

[@-user404]

You can search cataz on google and click the first page that shows up..then you can search free solo on that page..you might get some ads tho..

[@timthompson8297]

It’s senseless and stupid.

[@sydneywilliams4076]

“Sorry, forgot to press record”

[@leonardodiserpierodavinci8016]

*Jumps off El Capa*

[@kean6725]

*SUICIDE**

[@geovonnigutierrez6002]

Geez, you guys are weaklings; this is a real man, I bet he'd just rest and then try again.

[@kean6725]

r/woooosh

[@ibbi.jofficial6285]

Lol

[@benapfel8792]

If I would climb that wall I would probably survive, too. I would fall within the first meters.

[@whosyourdodo8747]

If you can't free solo El Capitan... well, it's the thought that counts!

[@morse8622]

@@whosyourdodo8747 r/wooooosh

[@Starfish12345]

Ben Äpfel LOL

[@mattw4496]

Right 😁

[@oiltycoonbillionaire]

- r/itswooooshwith4os r/iamatotalpieceofshit r/stoplinkingreddit r/ihavereddit r/ihavehavereddit

[@hafblkhafamazin6179]

Extremely professional crew who all comprehended the gravity of the situation and how anything they did might have an effect, positive or negative. It felt at times as if they weren't even sure if they should be there at all; point being they made all their choices around what was best for Alex. Mad respect to the whole crew for not being focused on if they "Could" do it, rather asking themselves "Should" they do it...?

[@FactLOCO]

The gravity indeed

[@es8117]

Exactly. Whatever it is we do, there is always an impact. I've always liked the line from Jurassic park about it being impossible to purely document and record. (That's the gist of what was said.)

[@shena1256]

Watching him do it knowing he was going to make it safely still had me on the edge the whole time. I can't imagine what it was like being there filming it not knowing if he was going to die trying. I would have been a nervous wreck and probably throwing up. What a amazing feat!

[@joshuagharis9017]

Throwing up and probably causing Alex to fall, due to vomit

[@FredomHack]

this is a mistake, it wasn't done safely, just as safe as possible which wasn't safe at all if you get me

[@Cutflood]

DO NOT start a thumb war with that man.

[@guineapigdance3338]

His thumb will climb your whole body

[@torinatorproductions3267]

*CRONCH*

[@kelseybarton]

wink wink

[@guineapigdance3338]

@@kelseybarton lil puss, dont eat me

[@ModernDayRenaissanceMan]

Andre the Giant thumb that can't be tag teamed and it can't be reasoned with

[@BillThaPill]

He was more worried about his friends watching him die than actually dying. The balls on this guy

[@wavezz2038]

@Adventures With Mongos he does. They did a scan on his brain (idk what kind), but his brain lacks activity in the part of the brain that makes you fearful. His brain is literally wired and he was born with a brain different from the average person. He is incredible.

[@teiloturner5374]

@@wavezz2038 built differently ?

[@wayne9048]

@@wavezz2038 I would consider it as a disadvantage. Especially in his case a little fear would be better

[@wavezz2038]

@@wayne9048 how

[@wayne9048]

@@wavezz2038 How? Did you saw this video? He is like one of these people who play with tigers or bears around. One small mistake and he dies. The point is that the danger is not even predictable. What happens when he get a cramp or get stung by a bee or something like that?

[@star-lord5190]

He is a LEGEND AND probably the first and last guy to ever climb this mountain without any safety .

[@Buphido]

Big ups to the crew for being so mindful of the ethics of what they wanted to do and the safety concerns their actions would raise.

[@IAmNotASandwich453]

The fact you have madeline as Avatar is kinda funny

[@DJAntonetti]

3 years of hard training and I MIGHT be able to watch Free Solo.

[@Aj85234480]

Awesome comment !!! You get my "Comment of the Year" award !!! 😂😂😂 As I began reading it, I was thinking to myself, yeah here's the typical know-it-all do it all mountain climber that can do it better, blah, blah, blah,.... then as I read the whole thing I busted out laughing !!!

[@thangnguyen02]

lol

[@thangnguyen02]

it's great, man. I love everyone in this documentary. It's just inspiring and awesome

[@D_enDAionNoEien]

Hahahahahah

[@drealboy_]

I watched it and the whole time during the climb I was hoping the plot twist was that he'd slip and fall. Idk why. I'm just a really cynical and sadistic person.

[@garyloger9416]

I get shaky just climbing a ladder.

[@stopmotionpro233]

Same when my uncle uses it i step on it and half way i decid nha the top is way to high and i come back down

[@sccr2009]

yeah but you're not using straps, congrats!

[@eoghandridl1007]

Focus

[@voltaric1908]

@Boco Corwin because more people climb ladders then free climb

[@synx2963]

@@voltaric1908 true

[@abyss7049]

I know this sounds crazy, but those guys with him must have been absolutely terrified. I could not imagine being one of them. I have never even watched the documentary, as I can only watch these sort of things for a couple of minutes at a time without being overcome with ridiculous butterflies. That Honnold guy must be the bravest guy ever

[@JDisCRAZYx]

Absolutely .

[@prdoyle]

Why would that sound crazy?

[@teritreiger7662]

I really appreciated that the film grappled with the ethical issues surrounding such a climb. . . from many different angles. Great work!

[@maddoxwhite8692]

They really just made a documentary on a documentary

[@montevious1474]

documentary²

[@aatori7975]

@@fitzorpercy2884 I think he's confused that it had so many likes yet no one replied to it

[@eks9225]

It’s more like behind the scenes

[@olliestone5549]

Therr was a camera crew for the camera crew.

[@DavidAllenDilla]

Docuception

[@sukerino8950]

This is the type of route parents claim they used to go to school back in their days

[@AFGhan420]

Lmfao tru

[@marlenelindmair8926]

😂😂😂

[@productreview2195]

Same lol

[@ventwilliams3352]

SUKERINO lol 😂 😂

[@emmamalka6546]

SUKERINO but this was the shortcut

[@kyleash3614]

Alex is such an amazing human. Peak physical and mental form to be able to do that. So inspiring.

[@oskarbartosewicz89]

mental form ? hahahahaahhahah you mean mental sickness?

[@QuinnLzo]

More like stupid lol

[@Abcd-os2gb]

Dumb

[@Abcd-os2gb]

Alex is dumb

[@dmarkj22]

This is an extraordinary human achievement. Its hard for me to grasp how incredible this is.

[@grizzlemc1662]

JESUS CAME DOWN TO EARTH AND WAS BOTH GOD AND MAN AND GAVE HIS VERY LIFE FOR YOU AND FOR ME. THATS WHAT I CALL INCREDIBLE!!!! THANK YOU JESUS FOR YOUR UNSPEAKABLE GIFT.

[@Nobody_zzzzzz]

*The reason he’s so calm is because he’s got water bucket in his inventory.*

[@psychlyeslg]

/gamemode c

[@tie7626]

Copied from Justin Y on another video and that was copied from someone else and so on and so on... the cycle continues

[@psychlyeslg]

@@tie7626 So is it a crime?

[@carmenfyfe5868]

Maybe Elytra Wings too

[@tie7626]

@@psychlyeslg just highlights the lack of originality within the KZbin comment section

[@benza8946]

This dude earned unlimited and unconditional bragging rights

[@corejourneydotorg3166]

and a darwin award

[@JonnyLee]

@@corejourneydotorg3166 and he'll go down in history. What's your point?

[@corejourneydotorg3166]

@@JonnyLee That you shouldn't brag about playing with your life, something goes wrong in your head if you want to risk your life for something pointless like this. He could've died and his girlfriend and friends will be left traumatized.

[@YAM466]

Not to mention lifetime access to the Salty Spitoon.

[@arjenbij]

@@corejourneydotorg3166 Climbing is his life, he does what he wants to do and doesn't let fear grab a hold of him and control his life. He doesn't brag about it either. The way you live a fulfilling life is by taking calculated risks.

[@icecreamforcrowhurst]

The climb and the film are both remarkable achievements in their own right.

[@petermontoya1796]

It's been almost a decade and I have seen this documentary several times, but I ALWAYS get terrified that Alex will fall, but I cannot look away. Alex must have balls of titanium !!

[@joeroszak2381]

It’s been 5 years

[@EMC_ADVENTURES]

@@joeroszak2381lol

[@megamax7685]

This isn't just the most impressive athletic feat ever; it's the most impressive mental feat I've ever seen. His mind is more solid than the cliff he climbed.

[@linusroren3148]

Max Wilde-Harris he just died

[@megamax7685]

Jesus... I'm glad Alex is fine but I'm sorry to hear about Bob 😔

[@linusroren3148]

Alysia Mer David-Wasser oh it was. Kinda glad to hear that

[@randomvintagefilm273]

I agree 100%, his physical aptitude is only outweighed by his mental fortitude.

[@livus3787]

Welp according to the documentary, the parts of his brain that are responsible for emotions (fear) are by default almost like switched off

[@luisgutierrez8047]

"His bigest issue was that he didnt want to die in front of his friends" bruh.....

[@bertrandrussell5674]

I don’t know about you but I don’t want to let my friend see me fall off a cliff.

[@michellemarie6784]

I would not want to die in front of my friends or family duh

[@hasuramapa4639]

Gave me goosebumps

[@jorisessen8410]

@@michellemarie6784 unless it is in a bed when im 80-90 years old

[@damian246]

And still he climed in front of his friends? I smell BS!

[@NJ-ig3hq]

It is mind-blowing what he did. One watches with amazement, again and again, the footage of his ascent. Kudos also to the climbers and crew that made the filming possible, of a feat that should be written for all times among the greatest of mountaineering victories.

[@matthiasho3216]

I kept the movie and watched it on 3 June 2023. I was on the verge of tears watching it. Please don't take away Alex, we have lost so so many good guys. Kudos to Jimmy and team, excellent excellent work there.

[@jonq8714]

Watching this, even knowing he survives, makes my hands sweat.

[@Katherannereese]

Have you seen the full doc? I was curled up in my seat, and it was released months after he finished! 😅😬

[@jonq8714]

@@Katherannereese yup. It was fascinating.

[@Katherannereese]

@@jonq8714 Definitely an historic moment in climbing. 🤙

[@z_hris2832]

I would like this comment, but it is at 96 likes. So I can't.

[@Only_God_Is_Allah_SWT]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/fKTdY5qsrbl1l7M

[@stunter2875]

He's a special person and I'm just happy to be alive at the same time and get to see how remarkable he is.

[@wcaneyes1847]

I teared up when he reached the top, Watching this is the most stressful experience so far in my entire life. Alex is just otherworldly. Hope you live a long life.

[@charlesbukenya2054]

This is the kind of guy who deserves an outdoor clothing line that I would wear with pride.

[@christianmejia1122]

Name it "Balls of Steel"

[@danieljones2048]

Why? Just because he climbed a rock? Not worth it, not an accomplishment. Imagine this, he dropped out of UC Berkley to become a 'rock climber'. Just pure risk. One day gravity will hand him a Darwinian trophy. One day he will receive a stupid trophy. I hope you know how one gets one of those.

[@danieljones2048]

@broomsterm, he is not stupid. Generally, stupid trophies are awarded for stupid games. These trophies do not discriminate between stupid or wise. Again, they are awarded for stupid games.

[@g00dGuY34]

@@danieljones2048 look at you, daniel jones, a nobody on the internet criticizing honnold who's accomplished more greatness in 4 hours then you could in 5 lifetimes. You're in no position to criticize him; if his feats in rock climbing arent enough to warrant him a clothing line, maybe his philanthropy is "honourable" enough for you? Or his activism?

[@danieljones2048]

@@g00dGuY34, philanthropy and activism yes, but not rock climbing. It's rock climbing. That's it. Rock climbing. He needs to sit behind a desk in an air conditioned office and look at a computer all day. At that point he will have achieved something in this life. ;) For the record, I would not want to live 5 lifetimes. One is enough, spent behind a computer. Enough said.

[@corey1274]

"Alex's biggest issue wasn't that he didn't wanna die, it was that he didn't wanna die in front of his friends." We love you Alex, you definitely deserved the profit off this. Also never do this again

[@youtubeconnollyfamily]

I hope he listens because when he climbs those walls with no ropes it’s a matter of time until he slips sadly.. I can’t imagine if you were filming him and something like that happen. That’s all I was thinking when I was watching that movie.

[@robertmustafa8041]

@@youtubeconnollyfamily is the movie great i have never seen it

[@robgrant7683]

@@robertmustafa8041 The movie Free Solo won an Oscar, 7 Emmy's , the British Oscar (BAFTA), and holds the record for the biggest opening weekend box office for any documentary film in history. A must see film. The final 20 minutes are outrageous and the buildup during the film as it explains all the hard parts of the climb and the panic it creates for everyone around him who all realize it's quite possible he's about to die is fascinating. Additionally, he meets a girl right after they started filming and she is now his wife. The whole thing is amazing. Jaw dropping cinematography of one of the greatest athletic achievements ever.

[@harveywallbanger3123]

That's how Ueli Steck died. Dude free-soloed the Nordwand in 3 hours and subsequently normalized that level of risk. It eventually caught up with him, and not even on an epic climb.

[@robgrant7683]

@@harveywallbanger3123 Alex has talked about this issue. That no famous free soloists have died doing major cutting edge solos, they die doing what is more casual soloing to them. And so, he has greatly reduced his casual soloing and also has no current plans for another major free solo either. He's repeatedly made history free soloing and I'd love to see him stop and move on to other goals like sport climbing 5.15 (he recently did 5.14d).

[@observationsofanINUPIAQ]

I could feel the love, the AGAPE everyone feels for one another. I could feel the fear, the worry, the moment he started his ascent, I felt that brain wrenching fright of, what if.... and at that moment of relief, I could feel the JOY of everything that happened all in that one moment, the pure bliss of it all, absolutely amazing. Thank you for documenting, sharing and being factual throughout, from emotions, to thoughts, to fears all of the way into the dangers of climbing. It was intense, to say the very least.

[@thomasrobinson5190]

I've watched Free Solo at least 3 times and find myself holding my breath at several sections of the climb. I just did that again watching this video. Simply an amazing feat.

[@bbygirlelic9918]

film crew: what if you die? alex: yeah lol.

[@rin8500]

basically lmao

[@meowfire5277]

but thats only if he dies

[@kalduikanfugu4145]

does he carrying a parachute ?

[@bbygirlelic9918]

ponti fex no. if he falls nothing or no one can save him.

[@kalduikanfugu4145]

@@bbygirlelic9918 I saw on the El Capitan Free Solo documentaries when one of the climbers fell off but then he open his parachute. do you ever see him answer about this question ?

[@wjlintz]

I used to walk across the top of the monkey bars when I was a kid so I know how he feels.

[@mariosavva999]

😂😂😂

[@Matt-by3yd]

Lmao 😆😆😆

[@olegzaitzev3934]

True friend! My butt always used to pucker!

[@Randy1337]

[@UltimateBreloom]

I was doing this, tripped and broke my arm in three places.

[@user-dz3bn6rh2g]

My hands were so clammy watching Free Solo. Heart was racing too. It's inhuman that he can do this and stay so calm and composed the entire time.

[@willcookmakeup]

This is an incredible story. The amount of trust they all had to have in eachother. Having to watch you friend doing something this dangerous knowing you might have to see them die is insane.

[@TheJustinAlexander]

Even just him sitting on the edge of the cliff at the end makes me want to throw up from anxiety

[@jackr2540]

yeah, when the dude is taking photos of him I'm sitting here knowing for a fact that i could not possibly stand up anywhere near the edge

[@woobieks]

I would get such bad vertigo I would just fall off

[@victorstiles8946]

My dad and I are the only ones in my family who are scared of heights so I have to deal with seeing them sit on the edge of cliffs whenever we go on high trails. It’s nerve wracking

[@pocketthechipmunk9994]

"We had to really think if we'd like to go from making very little money to a lot more money. It was a hard decision of course since Alex might die and that wouldn't make us as much money, but ultimately we spent several minutes thinking about it before deciding that we would like to make more money." -the journalists/videographers

[@jayrussell3796]

It makes me sick watching this. Why do I do this to myself ?

[@leeartlee915]

I love how in the documentary, they did a scan of his brain and they found that he doesn’t respond to fear like typical people would. That’s the only way I could see someone going for something like free soloing.

[@minimalisthealth]

Yeah, true. I live in an apartment building. Sometimes I get giddy just looking down gap in the center of the stair case. Lol

[@rocketsmall4547]

like spyderman

[@user-ti6df7ld5p]

@@rocketsmall4547 會飛的蜘蛛..... Vs. 蝙蝠俠！！！

[@andreicmello]

It could also mean his brain is conditioned due to all his climbing experience.

[@leeartlee915]

@@andreicmello Possibly but I would tend to side with the nature side of things vs the nurture.

[@valoriebracken6904]

He’s a amazing rock climber but everytime he does this he’s knocking on heavens door with every climb

[@alpinejonny]

We are all at risk of dying every day. Alex will too, some day. The difference is that his name will go down in the history books in a way that no one else will ever do.

[@MrXJ22]

As a climber i can tell you i only watched it once…and it is in my top 3 scariest movie experience ever alongside The Shining. Ever. Pure human spirit……….no words

[@BTM866]

This is one of the greatest athletic accomplishments of all time

[@jdghgh]

I struggle to think of anything on this level.

[@justinwhitmore4550]

vtrevlyn39 what a strange way to see Alex Honnold. He's an inspiration and an example of how incredible the human mind is.

[@KrissiBenassi]

@vtrevlyn39 there's nothing wrong with healthy narcissism as long as you do no harm to others

[@derekbradbury749]

Ben Correction It is THE greatest athletic accomplishments of all time.

[@tomasazevedo1979]

Ironman world records can be super tough too.

[@meganmcgrath8378]

My favorite quote from the film: imagine you’re an athlete going to the olympics. If you don’t get gold, you die. That’s the intensity of what Alex did here.

[@gurgy3]

Sounds like north korea

[@daraggy5892]

Pretty sure this is the case for North Koreans 😂

[@kenrichard4575]

Not the brightest thing to do. I believe that guys who do this have a death wish.

[@i-am-your-conscience]

You are being sarcastic, right? Because thats of course a super stupid quote that doesnt make sense at all.. "If you dont get gold you die" lol

[@perezfinichames]

Not quite, Megan. If the Olympics actually worked that way, it would be a bloodbath. More like if they can't finish the event, they die.

[@FeliciaHines-ng2cg]

I cannot wrap my mind around Alex Honnold. Just watching this film puts a lump in my throat, the room starts spinning, and the fear of heights consumes me. And I'm sitting in my home office, not even on the face of the mountain! Alex seems superhuman. I'm in total awe of what he does. He is physically the bravest person I've ever seen.

[@josephsliger3308]

Man, I pray that he is always focused. He's definitely a legend.

[@malosemaboa9]

"Alex's issue is not that he could possibly die, it was that he didn't want to die in front of his friends" - so profound

[@Keepcalm-lovesports]

sorry to make a correction here, but it was more than one friend watching him

[@malosemaboa9]

@@Keepcalm-lovesports you right, it's an error of omission. It's supposed to be "friends"

[@sylvandespres7654]

it is 100%.i can't find anything exploit approaching this level of difficulty,the level of mental strenght it takes to achieves this

[@malosemaboa9]

@@sylvandespres7654 100%

[@Mrbfgray]

Imagine how embarrassing it would be to F-up that badly on film in front of friends, he'd never "live that down". :D

[@Palahume]

I hope Alex never attempts this again. Any more attempts GREATLY increases his odds of dying. I want to be able to see him talk about this when he is 70+

[@tochamp5441]

He might quit now that he’s engaged to be married she doesn’t like him climbing free solo.

[@Palahume]

@@tochamp5441 Good, I really hope he listens to her.

[@zerocal76]

You're right. As an athlete (no where near his level of course) its hard to describe it well but the you degrade quickly mentally and physically. You can be called young by just about everyone but while in and around your sport, you start to feel old fast and very soon after that you start to feel ancient. Fortunately for us he accomplished it and didnt it try it too late in his career :D

[@HarveyMeadowlark]

I think this man needs to climb. I think this man would rather die doing what he loves than die an old geriatric in his 80s, that's my interpretation anyway

[@waldjaguar1693]

We all know he is a legend, and legends die young (like ueli steck)

[@islerenner]

Dan Osman was my climbing inspiration back in the late 90's when I started, takes such a unique individual to do this. This doc was incredible, grats to Alex and his team.

[@OpenSesame858]

Thank you Alex, thank you for showing us all what incredible bravery looks like.

[@bobbyc912]

That shot of him sitting on the edge after he just finished climbing scared me like what if he fell then

[@dickurkel6910]

0:45 also really scared me, maybe it's because if he lost balance he wouldn't be able to do anything to save himself

[@Makaveli13Xroy]

if he fell then he wouldb e down quicker then he got up

[@officalkidddghost]

He actually died by falling

[@ppman9582]

@@officalkidddghost he didn't die you're thinking of his friend that died climbing with him

[@dragonofdesteny5767]

I MEAN , the guy is literally the master of keeping balance. i dont think he can fall there

[@yellowhouse4911]

The crew : this is highly dangerous. We need so many precautions, this is so stressful, he could fall and die , we don't want to film him dying , we're so nervous for him, he is literally risking his life Alex : yea lol

[@nathanswenson1887]

the crew is so self-obsessed and self-important it's frankly ridiculous. if he falls and dies it's not great. on the other hand, it's one guy.

[@nmnmnm35]

@@nathanswenson1887 they are trying to respect him as much as they can while still documenting this. Alex wasn't forced to do this.

[@luvmesomerice287]

Nathan Swenson you are so ignorant, you are just as ridiculous. if you watched the documentary, you would realize that they are pretty close friends. seeing a friend die isn't something we would ever want to see. even then, there are many other reasons why they found it stressful, all of which is explained in the documentary, which you surely watched before commenting . . .

[@Surfercurtis]

Budhvin Hewage The film crew knows the risk. If they have a huge problem with it why do it? They obviously chose to watch a guy possibly die. I agree they over analyze their perceived self importance.

[@nathanswenson1887]

Budhvin Hewage I have seen the film. They want to blow their role and some “dilemma” out of proportion in order to add gravitas to what they’re doing. They need to get over themselves.

[@kathyborthwick6738]

Inspiring & Amazing - Alex and crew - Thank You!❤

[@langolier9]

I absolutely cannot wrap my mind around anyone free solo any mountain let alone one as difficult as that it’s just blows my mind

[@connorsaxton2920]

This is how my grandparents got to school every day

[@lisaruttenberg5886]

With their siblings on their backs.

[@JohnSmith-qq7yw]

@@lisaruttenberg5886 And in the middle of a blizzard with 3ft of snow and 60mph winds.

[@maxsprigg-dudley9753]

Underrated

[@stienogamez8296]

Bs

[@cyron721]

@@stienogamez8296 r/woooosh

[@laraisobel]

can u believe the man freesoloing a mountain asked the camera man with ab 10 different ropes if _he_ was okay? what an absolute legend

[@MrRealgar]

lara remo He asked him if he was okay in that moment because it’s mentally hard to record someone who risks his own life, especially a friend, and can die within seconds if he commits any mistakes.

[@drealboy_]

@@MrRealgar yeah, bro, we know.

[@DigitalDJman]

4 + yrs later he is still with us. God Bless.

[@trexinvert]

I didn't realize how much practice this climber did. The ability to memorize every millimeter of this rock is what amazes me.

[@brytonduropan6741]

she called it one of the most impressive feats in climbing history. this is one of the most impressive feats in human history.

[@patrciaclemons8183]

Just another day for humans a million years ago

[@xx_fortniteprolegendslayer1219]

@@patrciaclemons8183 that’s completely not true.

[@acidityparrots2127]

@@patrciaclemons8183 ok then go climb it

[@jonasmewto4661]

@@patrciaclemons8183 there were no humans a million years ago 💀

[@CombatArchive_1]

no, not human history.

[@michaelmyers9720]

I've been training for six months to watch one of Alex's solo climbing clips. I'm proud to say that I watched this video in it's entirety.

[@joeeckley5272]

Me too, after I watched the entire thing, I wasn't able to pass gas for several weeks!

[@goopguy548]

I climbed for 6 years and i think it would take another 10 to even get close to him with ropes

[@SkoczekPrRO]

golden comment

[@aaronsloan1523]

And you were probably still exhausted after watching it! I knew how it turned out and i was still about to puke watching it!

[@apostrophe.t]

@@aaronsloan1523 Same here. I had to take a few breaks, lol. I'm terrified of heights, so this dude, to me, is the bravest mf'er in the universe.

[@user-ie3ip7nv6s]

My absolute respect for Alex ,I use to be a rope and saddle tree pruner and tree remover for thirty years ,but what I saw Alex accomplish ,well that is heroic

[@user-ct9jw5co5n]

Free solo is by far the most amazing accomplishment I have ever witnessed. And being from the UK, I have visited Yosemite park and seen El Cap, so I know how unbelievable his task must have been. What an amazing man.

[@jamietherooster]

I like how at the end he's sitting on the edge and everybody's like 'ahh thank god he's safe' lmao

[@RaeRae303]

jamietherooster 🤣🤣 for real though! Just when I thought my anxiety could be gone🤦🏽‍♀️

[@juicyxll8990]

I thought that what if he had climbed and he accidentally slipped sitting there

[@PatrickMcAsey]

What's so funny about that?

[@PatrickMcAsey]

@Cody Waggener I still can't see anything to laugh at if someone dies mountaineering.

[@Juancarlo117]

@@PatrickMcAseyyou must be a lot of fun at parties

[@PumpernickelBread25]

Alex honold free soloing El Cap was the most impressive athletic feat I have ever seen in my life. I would argue it is one of the most impressive physical feats in all of human history

[@bigpapa2195]

No doubt one of the greatest athletes in history, living legend.

[@martinschreiber5880]

Hundreds If not thousands of people have free climed El Cap. 1.) Free climbing means climbing up a wall/route without needing any of your protection gear at any time, while beeing safe at any moment in case you fall. He free solod it which is something completely different. 2.) This is certainly not a very "impressive physical feat" for a professionell climber but a mental one. The physical aspects of this ascent are negligible and not what makes this so historic

[@Robert-mv4hf]

@@martinschreiber5880 Try it out

[@martinschreiber5880]

@@Robert-mv4hf it is one of the most impressive climbs anyone has ever done, i was not saying anything different. I was just correcting some things from the comment above

[@PumpernickelBread25]

@@martinschreiber5880 It is THE MOST IMPRESSIVE climb anyone has ever done, by far. Your scaling the climbing wall at Dave and Buster's doesn't even come close.

[@cpetrizzi]

I have trouble climbing an 8' ladder without fear. I had trouble watching Free Solo because I realized at times I wasn't breathing. This is a truly wondrous achievement by a very humble man.

[@conahlestrange9794]

I found it interesting to watch not just from a “wow that’s incredible” aspect but because of the implications spoke about in this video you could see it wasn’t easy for his pals to watch what could have been fatal it was just as interesting to see the mental states and emotions of these people especially his girlfriend that appears in the film I felt so sorry for her at times because she clearly wants him to live a life that makes him happy but doesn’t want to lose him

[@hivemind4647]

"Alexes saftety was always going to be the priority" Climbs a mountain without any safety equipment

[@aoliravioli]

@@cian8839 where did it send you?

[@aoliravioli]

alexes

[@unknown_9100]

They mean like not dropping rocks on his head or the camera crew getting in his way, idk if your joking or not so

[@addd529]

@@unknown_9100 look at his profile picture-_-

[@addd529]

@Ratt Wood “Didn’t ask”

[@desmundtan1808]

I pause the video just so he can take a break

[@soldierofchristnews5090]

Desmund Tan 😭😭😭😭

[@blahblahblahEMILY]

Desmund Tan that’s very generous of you

[@audiostuff9065]

And he kept climbing!

[@josephdraper6971]

Wholesome

[@asianboy1785]

Your very kind

[@nascarvintage17]

for some times i m fascinate by alex really this guy is just incredible literally. I'll let you imagine the level of stress and morale when faced with the possibility of seeing Alex fall and die, all of it captured on camera. Living with and filming with this option must be quite a high moral dilemma, I believe.

[@yikes7751]

I feel like the scariest thing for me is that if you're gonna do it you can't change your mind. If you get scared you have to just do the whole thing

[@rockshopcookies]

Ikr! I have tons of nightmares about commiting to it and when I am 500 feet in the air i can't climb up and I'm absolutely terrified

[@justsomeonehere884]

Ever have a dream where you fall off of something real tall? Then you wake up sweaty, heart pounding and legs shaking. I had a dream i jumped off a bridge then boom woke up. It's like rick and Morty when morty played Ron. But the simulation was the dream.

[@water9584]

His friends could have helped and saved him tho, if he would have said: 'I need to stop it here', in the middle of climbing. They had the gear and I bet they were prepared.

[@danlyday7248]

@@water9584 they actually show the part where it starts raining he doesn't have gear on at first I bet someone had to lower him gear

[@petesanger3041]

I think the next level of free solo would be with no shoe's bare hands and feet...

[@alphenex8974]

This man is acting like he can respawn

[@powerpug964]

Hes clearly a god so maybe he can

[@ssdivizion]

Like in video games? hehe

[@lolopard99]

@@ssdivizion maybe, but more like "deez"

[@Mo-xj8sx]

His bed is probably at the bottom of the mountain

[@meccoangelocostales1803]

bro this is not minecraft

[@dundeeutility4899]

Different bread this crazy LEGEND!! Loved this documentary

[@bisonxdvr]

Alex Honnold is one of the most impressive human beings of all time, as well as any other professional free solo climbers

[@aspenwood641]

When I say I’m a “thrill seeker” I mean I watch these kinds of documentaries on the rare chance that I can stomach it

[@overflood]

oh yes, i nearly died just watching it

[@kimsamson2545]

Same. Hahaha

[@GrungeMaster92]

Sometimes I put hot sauce on my fries.

[@Terra_Lopez]

@@GrungeMaster92 Ha ha ha, love it!

[@bigsam5171]

@@GrungeMaster92 your a lunatic

[@Starry_Night_Sky7455]

Camera crew deserves some serious applause, please.

[@_Nibi]

why?

[@sadbravesfan]

@@_Nibi if you have to ask that, I have a feeling that no matter what anyone tells you won't be enough, but here it goes: because they had to deal with not only the physical challenges of climbing themselves with 45-50 pounds of equipment and 500-1000 feet of rope, but also the realization that they may very well be filming Alex's last moments alive.

[@kevinescoffery02]

what do you mean why their friend is at risk of dying infront of them

[@IPoopOnYouEveryLastOneOfYou]

*Claps violently. Yosemite collapses at freefall speed. Government claims it was Bin Laden.*

[@atenrok]

Applause don't pay the bills

[@wilsondevore6981]

You are an extraordinary and epic human being, thank you for your moving beyond boundaries and sharing with the world what a human being can accomplish.. wow

[@MuichiTheFemboy]

BRO This guy isn't even human, he's something else Extreme respect for him, he's just so talented And he actually did it without falling, I can't believe this is actually possible

[@Alex-AJ1105]

I remember seeing “El Capitan” in person and thinking “that doesn’t look crazy high”. (Obviously it’s huge, but to the naked eye not so much). We were like 250 yards from it. Then our guide told us to try and spot anyone climbing it. I looked using my naked eye and saw absolutely no one after carefully scanning for a few minutes. You’d think you can see someone cuz it doesn’t look crazy big… but then our guide told us that there were actually 4 people climbing it. We got on some binoculars and spotted them. They looked like little tiny ants. That’s when I realized how BIG “El Capitan” really is. I was mesmerized.

[@tracyhastheruns5883]

Wow interesting perspective!

[@Constitution1789]

Now you know how the Hubble Telescope feels when it tries to spot any of the flags on the moon. (It can't.)

[@avarmauk]

It’s was so big your brain couldn’t put it into perspective 🤯

[@mmaboxingclips2407]

@@Constitution1789 make this make sense please

[@novalone3211]

@@Constitution1789 it really can't?

[@jvega419]

His hands, this guy could probably choke out a water buffalo.

[@MarksTournaments]

Humans are incredible at a lot but hand to hand combat with animals is not something humans can do

[@NobleVagabond2552]

jvega419 he did a grip strength test and he surprisingly didn’t have that crazy of a grip strength

[@narukami597]

@@NobleVagabond2552 Grip strength tests measure how much force your whole body can produce. In terms of just hand muscle strenght this guy is definitely world class.

[@elenasingleterry5854]

Thankfully, he is an ethical vegetarian as he says in the documentary 😊🌱🌱

[@GITMDENZEL]

Elena Singleterry stop

[@wezlo8733]

This is absolutely mind blowing

[@mrjehupitchfork]

Alex and this whole crew are absolutely incredible.

[@feinerschmecker7284]

Eminem: His palms are sweaty, knees weak, arms are hea.. Alex Honnold: dude.. shut up.

[@scott677]

Ave L Mom’s spaghetti, he’s nervous, but on the surface he looks calm and ready to drop bombs but he keeps on forgetting

[@scott677]

Ave L Snap back to reality, ohp, there goes gravity

[@scott677]

anarchypictures I know something about you went to cranbrook that’s a private school

[@nicholassanticchia4183]

What’s the matter dog you embarrassed this guys a gangster his real name is clarence

[@scott677]

Nicholas Santicchia And Clarence lives at home with both parents And Clarence parents have a real good marriage This guy don't wanna battle, he's shook 'Cause ain't no such things as halfway crooks

[@billycasper3351]

I feel so blessed to be in my bed right now.

[@makinoshan2666]

Exactly

[@themightypotato3857]

comfort is the enemy of achievement.

[@dzeliongurung3218]

Imagine waking up in a hammock on the side of a cliff.

[@Z3phlar]

@@themightypotato3857 what if you've already achieved and get comfortable then?

[@jasenbolognasandwich4649]

Ground sweet ground

[@phampx1]

Absolutely incredible!

[@steve940]

I've never climbed and don't even know how I got here,but that was the most unbelievable thing I've ever seen,super emotional,nerve wracking piece of madness ever...mankind can accomplish anything

[@talonuser7048]

Alex after the greatest free solo climb in human history: yay

[@dddila]

He's like fix his hair

[@133j0hn]

"I'm delighted" - Alex

[@hubcityrcworx7266]

Actually, Tommy Caldwell's climb was much harder, especially when you consider he has no left index finger. I would bet Alex can't climb the Dawn Wall.

[@vincent-ls9lz]

'haha I went a 20 mile run yester-' 'I climbed El Cap without a rope.' 'oh'

[@jebaite525]

@@pedroriver2985 It's not cringe

[@ed3545]

Hey man everyone has their own El Cap. If yours happens to be running 20 miles then goddamnit you should be proud. You did something that was hard for you.

[@sergeantcrow]

That's impressive.... running 20 miles..

[@rbanerjee605]

Running 20 miles in 19 minutes? Now that’s a similar feat.

[@michelangeloxiv2172]

@@rbanerjee605 its also impossible lmao.

[@nobodynobody6546]

This is something so powerful!...So absolutely beautiful and Breath taken away!...❤

[@vinnyboombats8484]

So much love for y'all❤

[@gregtheflyingwhale6480]

Can you imagine for almost 4 hours he had to climb himself and his gigantic titanium balls up 😰

[@alyssaschlickeiser]

😂😂😂

[@thewisemen8504]

lol

[@andreajasyl2655]

WHAT?! BHAHAHHAHAH

[@beng7415]

Or her balls women can have balls top bigot

[@shakeAbooty88]

@@beng7415 Can the offence mate.

[@TyBishops]

My hands were sweating so hard watching this

[@simsalamia]

Me too but my balls were sweating more

[@gqqggq7127]

I did first free solo of my couch but no documentary cus people filming me it would have just been too stressful I would probably die

[@breezycamden2688]

TyBishops same

[@richardcox8409]

glad im not the only one!!

[@TwiSteDx0x]

No kidding, first time I see my hand sweat like that and I wasn't even that nervous watching it

[@woodey028]

That one moment in time in man's life that can never be duplicated. Zero regrets and the pinnacle of achievement. Less than 1% evere accomplish such mindfulness

[@ericdurae5085]

Truly an amazing and amazingly emotional!!! Would be a wreck watching one of my best friends or anyone i loved and cared for accomplishing this trec❤

[@davidmccartney189]

"A little stressful"?! I'm stressed just from watching

[@AngelRodriguez-dd1bx]

I'm surprised he was able to climb that with his immense weight of his balls.

[@aatori7975]

Underrated comment

[@ryanmichaelpower]

Castration was necessary prior to the climb

[@Adamlol642]

Waw comedy

[@Endaretainer]

Alright redditeur

[@AngelRodriguez-dd1bx]

@@Endaretainer I don't have reddit •~•

[@eviegk]

I got chills. Absolutely incredible. Wow.

[@seck1ng766]

The hardest part is there to watch him do it, i can't imagine the rollercoaster of emotions his friends had watching him

[@brianderrick5489]

They just won an Oscar for this documentary

[@jasonsmith530]

That is how I heard of this movie! My god what a stressful hobby

[@spamh8r1007]

Well deserved!

[@aworkofart9163]

Yes because they are actually trying they’re hardest unlike movie actor that don’t even do they’re full roll

[@camthekiller121]

@@aworkofart9163 ... do i say it...... might as well.... it's their not they're

[@ricklivingston3774]

Tim....people like Alex don't care about trophies.......and for other people who call him selfish - what does that man owe anyone else?

[@iDanceMyButtOff]

When Alex installs windows, microsoft agrees to his terms and conditions.

[@tariketik9794]

not this again😂

[@air_]

Nah he uses MacOS El Capitan

[@adamcoggon5026]

Underrated comment.

[@Southwestmo]

Wrong he uses Linux since it’s a free source and he does free falls

[@jellespaan]

He never will, he goes for perfection, so windows is no option...