Wow, these guys have drastically different viewpoints on climbing. For Adam, every moment of his life is an opportunity to get better and pursue the next great project. For Alex, climbing is simply his zen, an opportunity to leave the world behind for a few hours.
You must be united statian to have the false perception, i see it as arrogant and aggressive in communication and throwing expletives making him think he is cool but that is the opposite of being zen.
Alex is curious about others, things, the world, different peoples, life in general others opinions. He’s unthreatened, has humility, honesty …. “We’re all citizens of the world” The energy and power of youth, so exciting….. Im learning so much , thank you young people!
it's not curiosity, there's fear to look outranked so he charges at Adam as an offense defensive communication strategy. Adam stays zen and doesn't pick up a fight as he is the better man.
Adam seems starstruck by Honnold, which is truly high praise. Alex is clearly impressed by Adam, and is fascinated by his very different relationship to climbing. While Adam is driven in the way many legendary athletes have been, Alex's motivations are more subtle and hidden...its perhaps the reason people are fascinated by Alex. Both are legends and have made great contributions to climbing.
It may actually be the case that Alex holds Adam in higher esteem than vice versa. Alex has been quoted as saying “Adam Ondra is the best climber in the world by far. Like, he’s a LOT better than everyone else.” I think it’s in this video, in which Adam flashes a 9a+: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-b6OvrRbGU68.html
@@dmr11235 100% Alex knows Adam is the goat, if Adam decided he wanted to free solo he could do Alecs free solo routes in faster time, his climbing level is just so much higher, Alex has said Adam is the best multiple times
@@drakeandjosh007 Until Adam free solos cap, its only wishes and dreams that he could do it faster than Alex. Nothing Alex could say, nor Adam matters. He either does it and the discussion is settled, or he doesn't and you can't say he would do it faster.
@@drakeandjosh007 I feel like this is dismissing the psychological aspects of free soloing. Alex has stated multiple times that the mental aspect of free soloing is way more important than the physical. Not saying he couldn't do it, but they are both the best in different disciplines
@@margaretpritchet You have to consider the possibility that Adam climbs harder more skillful problems but with safety gear. Whereas Alex took on more danger but less skillful in solo'ing cap. Based on what I've seen on Adam's channel its a completely different kind of climbing anyway. Cap was like a huge long marathon climb, Adam seems to do very short but super difficult climbs. Kind of like how marathon running vs sprinting is much different
Would love more of that with some other climbers, too. Adam Ondra and Tomoa Narasaki would be an interesting talk. Or with Janja Garnbret. Or Alex Honnold and Reinhold Messner. There are so many great athletes and personalities that I am curious about. Such conversations can bring out the most interesting stuff, because both are knowing what they are talking about and what the interesting questions are.
Adam’s strength is his body. Alex’s strength is his mind. When Adam climbs he asks to his body “Can you do it?”. When Alex climbs he asks to his mind “Can you do it?” Based on this, they developed very different climbing philosophies.
Well when it comes to free soloing it is more a mind challenge but climbing silent the hardest rout on the world which nobody thought it would be possible it is a mind thing to think that way as it is to dream about soloing el cap.
I would say BOTH are more mind over strength. Adam climbs the HARDEST routes in the world which requires an incredibly resilient and determined mindset. Anyone can be as strong and as technically brilliant as Adam, but wouldn't be able to achieve what he has. He trains for months and months on a route, moving and living at the location, creating replica walls to train on every day and completely dedicates his mind and body to conquering that goal. His will to succeed and to to push himself every day harder and harder is crazy.
@@user23724 well, we can't really say both have the same strength. I mean, yes Adam climbed the hardest route in the world which is waay exceptional, but if in some ways he accidentally slip, his mind knows there's something to back him up. But when you have to free solo for almost 3000 ft with nothing to save you + people recording your story live to turn it into movie, thats total diff level in mind game. Even if you got tired, you can't downclimb it.
I like how alex is like "OMG you're mental , i am just climbing to enjoy the landscape" and adam like "i 'am trainnig speed climbing nonsens 5 times a week"..
@@johnnycigar3240 yeah well, what else would one expect from a pro? I mean think of your profession. Now imagine having put in 15 years of grind to be top 5 in the world. Of course your results on normal difficulty would completely overshadow the results of an average guy trying his best. And megos is just one beast of a human being. His physique is just extreme.
in a podcast with joe rogan, alex told he free solod when he passed some climbers full gear in the middle of the route. he then asked for their chalk bag since he forgot his. like wtf :D
This is such sick videography. Most peoples recorded zoom call turned into what looks like a real intimate interview: no headphones, no echo, appears to be in the same room because you blew out the highlights and camera perspective. Beautiful stuff!!!
Its still not a meeting in person and you can see that. There is no atmosphere it just sucks. They shouldn't be such pussies and do the real thing or leave it all together.
That would be good! Now I'm just running through options. One of the Japanese coaches for a training focused one. Or Alex Megos, just nitpicking the difference between their styles and the difference between the hardest routes they've done. Or a speedclimber to reflect on the difference of their path into climbing and what keeps them psyched. Or Lynn Hill, Pachi, Chris Sharma, Hazel Findley, and oh so many more...
As someone who knows nothing about climbing and along with millions of others found all this via Free Solo I love how respectful these two monsters are of each other. The comments on so many videos where people are fighting over who's best is so pointless. They are both the absolute best in different fields of climbing. They respect that in each other, and understand that they don't have some of the skills the other does and you can see that they really admire that. A lot of the comments would do better to understand that.
Listening to this conversation the fact that there was a fair chance we would not get to know Alex as a person is mind blowing. Imagine waking up in 4am and walking out of the door not knowing if you would come back.
This is a beautiful conversation. I think they both admire each other in different ways. Super awesome to see two respectable climbers talking together
Who cares if harder. Honnold would woop his A with real climbing or mountaineering. Honnold is imo far more likeable because he is more of a package, personality. Ondra is in a niche.
@@Nangoncrazy lol free soloing is a niche😂 Adam would whip Alex’s ass because his skill level is a lot higher. Alex has even said Adam is the best many times
@@Opsity exactly, being a czech i my humble opinion i understand his mindset. that wasnt a roast , he wasnt like making him look little, it was the opposite, he meant it like that he know he has a lot more potential and can be a lot better. Sometimes its hard when its not your native leanguage to make it sound exactly like u want even tho u keep the same meaning , he shouldve construct the sentence a bit better and use a bit different words but yea ... That wasnt a roast for sure, he meant it positively.
Amazing... Two legends representing greatness in such a different way and having such different perspective on climbing. Hope to see them do stuff together in the future.
Amazing to see two people at the very top of their own discipline , with so much respect, understanding, and awe for each other 😁 Well done Adam and Alex, and BD and the production team ❤️😍👌
I just want to say, as a casual fan of both Adam and Alex, I really appreciate them doing these sorts of interviews and giving people a small window into their worlds. I can imagine that the tradeoff of being famous and earning a living doing what you love is having to do lots of things like this (I know I wouldn't like it!) - but I really appreciate that they do and find it fascinating, so thank you so much for your time!
As an American and English only speaker, I am just amazed how how articulate Adam is. I'm totally new to climbing and just learned about him, so I don't know much about him (except the obvious: he's good). But it's just amazing how well he communicates without using his native language. I get to be lazy being born American and only knowing English.
i think Adam also speaks well in Italian and Spanish as a Czech i think English is eazy language to learn but if you want to get rid of your accent and be really good at it , you need to surround yourself native English speaking people for some time. i just think English and Spanish are very usefull languages and you have advantage becose you already speak english :D Do you have mandatory second languages in schools ? in here i think kids start to learn around age 9
As someone that learned Spanish and Japanese later in life, I have huge respect for anyone that learns a second language. Learning feels like a very slow process, where progress is reveals ever so gradually.
I love the wide-eyed wonder and genuine curiosity these guys have for one another. It's fascinating to see how differently one can approach rock climbing. A study in contrasts: the forest ascetic vs. the rock star.
OMG!! this is the best interview... / colab... / colliding of two amazing lives... in one solid interview!! wow!! it's so crazy to hear these two guys talk about climbing and their experiences!!! it's nothing short of insane!
"Climbing one hard route doesn't make your stronger". Adam's face; The fucking nerve. 6:12. Edit: People are still replying thinking this wasn't a joke, obviously this was a joke.
Lol he was dying 😂 but so true though. Adam is on a different level and has climbed several 9a’s so I feel like he can say he is strong for climbing them but Alex has only climbed one and probably still thinks he isn’t strong
He isnt doing anything. Everyone has a choice to free solo or to climb regularly. If they take the risk of free soloing that is their responsibility, not Honnolds.
@@Turbosupreme77 hes doing alot more than adam thats for sure, climbing shitty little courses with ropes 😂😂😂😂look dude im using one finger! This is so much better than scaling a fucking 3000ft mountain by myself with no safety equipment!!
“ The young generation should know ABOUT the history much more...” THANK YOU ADAM. As one who started climbing in 1982 ... this loss I view as one of the most tragic aspects about today’s Climbing Community
I love how climbing is so different for each of these athletes and they each have so much to say. I’d love more of these videos, and I’d love to see them climbing together. It would be interesting to see how their styles mesh: Zen and Laser Focus.
I watch this video over and over again because it gives such enhancing perspectives on climbing. These two are the greatest of climbing each in their own way. Humble men and admirable athletes.
A good thing to do before is read about Alex's ascents with a rope. He's done insane things and multiple first ascents. It gives you a very good idea that he's probably even more humble about his climbing than most think that he is. Any pro calls him one of the best big wall climbers in the world for reasons besides soloing.
i swear people act like hes not good for some reason, a very strange divide between loving him and somewhat hating him. In my opinion, freesoloing el cap is way more impressive than 9c
Adam Indra smiles so much that he has permanent joker smile creases and wrinkles in his face. It’s amazing for someone to be that postive all the time. The face can tell you the history of the person.
The dichotomy of their climbing styles is interesting. They both do the same thing but their approaches are so different its like 2 aliens from different universes talking to each other. Alex climbs relaxed and loves it because he loves it, Adam climbs more aggressively and just seems to want to push his technical limits. Its like the difference between a guy that takes 2 week adventures on his harley compared to the guy that always podiums in moto gp. I actually think I appreciate Alex's philosophy a bit more these days, being a person that raced motocross and hare scrambles but now literally takes 2 week adventures on my motorcycle.
I feel like alex is similar to a distance runner, where he prioritizes endurance and he enjoys being outdoors and the sport itself, & Adam is more like a sprinter. He prioritizes strength and power and constantly pushing the PR and seeing self-improvement. (But he can also climb the Dawn Wall??) Having been to a climbing gym only a handful of times, & having arms of jelly after sending a v1 route, I cant comprehend either of them, lmao.
What the hell is wrong with people standing in Alex’s van to take pictures while he was inside!!?!?!? Seriously what part of your soul is so broken that you think that’s ok.
Well, look at what paparazzi do, the media platforms surrounding sports, even fringe sports, isn't any better for the most part, they simply have a different focus than the private lives of celebrities, and fumbles therein. Climbers generally get a choice in the footage taken of them, because they aren't unilaterally famous enough to be totally observed wherever they go. But that doesn't mean ambitious photographers won't invade their privacy if they get a chance
I think what they both said is very true and meaningful. People don't think of a van the same way as a home , as far as privacy is concerned. But both of them live in their van.
These two guys have almost my ideal lifestyle (except that I'm scared of heights & can't climb) - what I mean is living in a camper van in a wild place and travelling the world to cool natural places and getting paid to do something you love
I certainly relate to Alex’s way of thinking when it comes to climbing. I totally get Adams approach but that’s just not me, each to their own. Both impressive inspirational athletes.
I love the conversation these two can have. It is all about learning from each other and having a good time doing it. There is no competition because they know they are different climbers. Their thoughts are clearly as thought out as their climbing techniques. There is no trash talking. Bravo!
"I like to go mountain biking, and solo easy routes and things like that you know..."lol just casually lumping mountain biking and free soloing together
This was a fascinating, in depth talk where you could tell both parties were interested and matched in terms of level and experience. I wish this was a 2 hour long podcast!
I miss climbing so much. I am mainly an indoor climber and I haven't climbed for over half a year now, because of the lockdowns. These videos at least keep my hopes up that I will be able to climb in the summer.