

Alex Honnold: A Soul Freed

I’d been there physically for quite a long time. Really, it was the mental side that took so many years to develop.
Setup
On June 3, 2017, Alex Honnold became the first person to climb the 3,000-vertical-foot granite face of Yosemite’s El Capitan, alone, without ropes, a feat that was chronicled in the Academy Award-winning documentary, Free Solo. In his New York Times op-ed column, Bret Stephens wrote that with that act, “Honnold gave an extraordinary gift to everyone who believes that the limit of human achievement is far from being reached.” The climber and journalist explore questions like: How do you manage fear? What's the line between daring and recklessness? What should we sacrifice in the pursuit of excellence? And what is the connection between freedom and happiness?
- 2019 Festival
- Society
- Health
- Full transcript
Mentality, muscles, and 3,000 feet of rock
Free soloing, or rock climbing without any ropes or safety equipment, takes a staggering amount of physical strength. But when Alex Honnold decided to climb El Capitan in Yosemite National Park, he was more concerned about his mental confidence:
From dirtbagging to the cover of Nat Geo
Before Alex Honnold became famous for his free soloing feats, he was a full-time dirtbag who admired the graceful accomplishments of other record-setting climbers. But that all changed when it was his turn to achieve the impossible.
Know the Slang
Honnold’s full-time hobby was now his full-time job, and he accumulated sponsorships and highlight reels. And not only that, but the filming that eventually became the documentary Free Solo took place over two years of his life. He describes what that transition was like for him:
Risking it all... But for what?
Alex Honnold’s personal hero, climber Tommy Caldwell, famously called Honnold out for what Caldwell saw as reckless and dangerous free solo climbs. And Caldwell isn’t the only one who thinks free soloing is wantonly risky—In 2014, Clif Bar dropped its sponsorship of Honnold and other athletes whom Clif Bar thought were putting themselves in too much danger. Honnold, obviously, thinks differently about it:
What could be next after free soloing El Cap?
Alex Honnold’s free solo ascent of El Capitan was called “one of the great athletic feats of any kind, ever” in the New York Times, and it’s left a lot of people wondering what Honnold will accomplish next. Bret Stephens asks if he’s planning anything, and that leads Honnold to explain how he thinks of these feats in his own mind:
Learn More
Additional Information
Resources
Free Solo (Film)–National Geographic
Alone on the Wall by Alex Honnold
Explore More
Society

Effective design can improve the experiences, devices, services and spaces of healthcare, says Bon Ku of the Health Design Lab. Prior to his Aspen Ideas: Health conversation,...

Jump in by watching our ten most popular talks of all time. From black holes to jazz and civil rights to psychology hacks, we've collected the talks that remain audience favor...

For health researchers, space is proving to be a unique laboratory to explore stem cells, pharmaceuticals, 3D bioprinting, food science, and more. Ahead of Aspen Ideas: Health...

In America, millions of people struggle with mental health including depression, anxiety, and more — all further exacerbated by living through a pandemic. The National Allianc...



Meet Patience Lee, a 2023 Aspen Ideas: Health Fellow who’s building cultural awareness into mental health support services for unaccompanied refugee children in the United Sta...

Meet Nathan Chomilo, a 2023 Aspen Ideas: Health Fellow who’s incorporating community collaboration and racial equity into Minnesota’s Medicaid policy development.

You may have heard of "Dry January" and mocktails, but what is being "sober curious" really about? Ahead of Aspen Ideas: Health, Sans Bar's Chris Marshall explains the growin...

In today's society, sleep is often seen as a luxury, but Project Sleep's Julie Flygare wants us to envision a world where pulling a “sleep-all-nighter” is the new badge of hon...

Are you truly tuned in to the sights, sounds, tastes, smells, and textures that surround you every day? Ahead of her book talk at Aspen Ideas: Health, best-selling author Gret...



Aspen Ideas: Health is where the arts meet health. Ahead of the 10th annual event this summer, we're looking back at some of the innovative artists, musicians, actors, filmmak...

Over the last nine years, Aspen Ideas: Health has welcomed nearly 700 inspiring women leaders to our stages to share their bold approaches to better health. In honor of Women'...



The pandemic put into stark relief deeply-ingrained gender roles in society, as the burden of unpaid care fell to millions of women who left the workforce. Yet the past years...



Friends, partners, children, families, coworkers — these connections profoundly shape our lives and happiness. For many of us, the upheaval of the past few years became an une...





