Free Solo

Coincidentally, our family did a hiking vacation in Yosemite a week after Alex Honnald did this climb. I knew nothing about climbing but our guided hike took us to the top of El Capitan. I was unable or unwilling to get within 100 yards of the edge - since at 101 yards there was a 3000 foot cliff.

That someone climbed this face without ropes (Ok, or with ropes) amazes me and I have been waiting for this movie since I heard about its production. It is a documentary and while you know the end before it starts, it is still one of the more suspenseful movies I've seen.

By far one of the best horror films I have ever seen.

No, I'm not inspired to free climb El Capitan or any slope. I'm an 84 year old retired businessman still trying to figure out how to best live my life, and I left the theater last night in awe of Alex Honnald's achievement -- climbing an almost vertical granite wall in a little over three hours when, in any second, the slightest mistake would result in death.

Watching Alex do it -- watching the joy in his face when he got beyond some of the most difficult challenges as well as on the top,\; watching the intense focus and concentration as he sought safe holds; watching what I read as his quiet determination and confidence when he approached the wall for his solo climb -- these images will be with me for the balance of my life.

They will return to me when I need focus and concentration in the moment to achieve something. They will return to me when I need to build confidence and determination to achieve a goal. They will return to me as I examine and release thoughts of fear that I conjure up (but I'm not blessed, as Alex is, with an amygdala that does not respond to fear inducing visions).

Thank you, Alex, for the powerful inspiration.

I've wanted to see this film since I first heard it was being made. Reading about the soloing of El Cap in the summer of 2017, I was riveted. The film is just as, if not more, powerful than the best articles at the time.

Alex Honnold is, well, a bit of a weirdo, but I would not expect less from someone who has achieved something no other human being has. As he says at one point in the movie, "No one who is comfortable and cozy has ever achieved anything great."

The sequences of him climbing are extraordinary, terrifying, emotional, moving and awe-inspiring. Not just the sequences of El Cap, but all around the world.

But, there is so much more: his relationship with his family, his friends, and girlfriend are ... complicated. His recipe for potato-spinach-chili is sublime, and the method by which he consumes his food ... unique.

Go see this movie now! Why don't distribution companies release movies like this wider? I had to drive 30 miles to see it instead of 2 miles to my local cinema. Not everyone wants to see CGI-heavy superhero movies, especially when real superheroes exist.

Having been a climber for over 30 years, I can entirely understand and appreciate what's going on inside of the spirit. Having gone up El Cap myself, I can entirely feel the enormity of this endeavor shown in this film. However, I know how hard it is to climb at a 5.12 level, let alone a 5.13. Even a 5.11 goes beyond the imagination of most human beings on this planet. And I'm still talking "being roped up and safe". Now accepting the thought of free soloing anything at 5.11 and above, even for just a hundred feet, chapeau to those who have the mental strength and physical preparedness to do so. However, what Honnold did, free soloing at up to 5.13 and on over 3000 feet of rock, goes beyond comprehension. Also, I'd like to share my entire appreciation to the film crew, as I'm entirely aware of the logistical challenges one has to manage to capture something like this film has shown us. Having friends on the wall, who met them on the wall, I also know that the film crew and Honnold had to go up the wall several times again. Truly incredible, the dedication they all put into this, I just can't find words to describe. It's hard to say if this will ever be done again. For sure I can say that this is the highest ever accomplishment in sports of mankind ever and I'm so thankful that this documentary has been able to share it with us.