Alex Honnold On FREE SOLOING with Magnus Midtbø 

It's more like a Harvard Mathematician taking a high school exam, but with a Gun to his head ready to fire if he gets a question wrong.

It is one of the best videos Magnus has ever made, in terms of the videography and editing and communicating what it feels like to the audience. He really did a fantastic job putting it together.

I wanna see Magnus take Honnold to a boulder gym.

Magnus impresses me with how relentless he is about putting himself under test after test. The guy just is willing to put himself on the limit.

My palms were sweating watching that vid. I was amazed he agreed to do it. It’s also crazy listening to Alex’s perspective and how he justifies it.

"There's a big difference between being stressed and falling to your death." I'll try to remember this the next time I'm having a stressful day at work 😂

"I was kinda sick that day" He is a monster 😂

The highest respect for magnus. He was scared and in a life or death situation, had no reason to do it other than for the experience and he followed through. I'm a big tough guy and I would've either chickened out or fell off from shaking like a leaf. Magnus has my total respect forever, courage is off the charts.

The problem with Alex in all of this, and it was highlighted in Free Solo as well, is that he has had a mental “breakthrough” of sorts. He can find calmness in one of the most terrifying positions a human can be in. Nearly everyone else, including experienced climbers, can’t do that. It’s like balancing on a beam 1 inch off the ground vs 100 feet off the ground. He’s mastered the balance beam which others are fearful of.

There's one point in the video where Magnus is wearing a gopro on his head looking up at Alex and Alex climbs up backwards with one hand holding a camera and looking down on Magnus, like it's the easiest thing ever... and I think my brain actually melted a little bit.

Fun fact about Alex Honnold: he is in college psychology textbooks as a perfect example of one who does not feel fear like the rest of us do

I’m southern Sierra miwuk (Ahwahnechee) aka Yosemite native. Our tribe was native to Yosemite for over 10,000 years. Yosemite remained untouched until the mid-1800s by whites and we were able to keep our traditions until the gold rush. My great grandmother was the last tribal member allowed to live on Yosemite park property before she was kicked out and they burned her cabin down. We have legend about El Capitan (tutocanula). Back in the days when the land was ruled by animals, two children fell asleep on a rock. During their sleep, the rock grew and grew until they scraped their heads/faces on the moon. They cried out for help and the animals began looking for ways to save the children. The mouse tried and sprung up but only reached a little higher than a hands reach, the rat two. The raccoon only reached a little higher and so on and so on. A bear decided that his size and strength would be what would save the children. He jumped and grabbed the mountain but fell back down. Finally the lion came, and though he reached higher than any other animals, he could not reach the top. Then tul-tok’-a-na, the lowly inch worm. The other animals laughed when he said he would help the children. How could a weak, insignificant little worm do what a lion or bear could not? The worm started the ascent. Inch by inch he made his way up the mountain, day and night passed many times until, at last, he made it to the children, who he saved. Our name for “el capitan” is literally for an inch worm who slowly and surely climbed the face of the big rock without the assistance or help of others. Alex is that inch worm. He is not an imposing person, not someone you would immediately look at and think “wow, I bet that man does some of the scariest shit on earth with what seems like no struggle”. I’m sure he’s been under estimated more times than he can count. Yet like tul-Tok’-a-na, he climbed the face, one inch at a time, and did what many others couldn’t on their best days.

Holy hell,,, this was such a terrifying video…. I couldn’t believe Magnus agreed to do that haha

The funny thing about hearing Alex talking about this is that free-solo climbers die. They do! Many of them do it until they die. So, as easy as it might be for Magnus in a vacuum, skill-wise, he doesn't want to die on a climb. Lots of free-soloists often sound like "If I'm gonna go, I'll go climbing". I don't think that's how most people, including most climbers, feel at all! I think it's hard for soloists to realize that sometimes.

Alex Honnold is insane.

I've seen the original climb video and I've seen Free Solo a couple of times, I climb a bit myself and feel OK, never get sweaty palms, etc, but with all this said --- watching this video and being reminded of Magnus/ Alex climb freaks me out and gives me sweaty palms. Taking that degree of responsibility for another person and/or having that much confidence in them freaks me outttt. Good job to both men.

I’ve talked with multiple climbers about the Magnus and Alex soloing video and everyone has pretty much the same perspective that Alex is just too casual about it (both during the video and in subsequent interviews). Alex certainly realizes that many people look up to him, but he doesn’t seem to realize the direct influence his attitude and actions have on climbers getting into free soloing or scrambling 5th class terrain. It would really suck if Alex became like Alain Robert with respect to portraying free soloing as easy and casual. Specifically, Alex forgetting the crack section and that there was little chalk (especially on the slippery black rock section) seriously affects the way people view him. I guess you could say it comes down to “with great power comes great responsibility.” I know Alex is “just a climber” and shouldn’t have to worry about the example he is setting, but he needs to really respect the influence he has on the climbing community. Of course you can’t attribute an increase in free solo/scrambling deaths to any one person’s influence, but these little things Alex is doing will add up in my opinion.

Alex was definitely negligent in terms of failing to properly inform and warn Magnus about the nature of the climb. It was because Magnus is so skilled that he was able to keep his composure enough to make it through unscathed.

Alex should have let Magnus climb with rope at first to have some experience with the route. It was a bit sketchy actually seeing magnus's condition in that climb.

insane to see him become half a different person when hes interviewed and then on climbs. In the studios and stuff hes uncomfortable, nervous, etc but as soon as hes on those rocks he sinks deep into such a comforting position and attitude

A rest day for alex is climbing in the gym. That's my active day.

It never ceases to amaze me how Alex can talk about FREE SOLOING like he’s taking a nice stroll through the mountains

kinda felt like the interviewer was mocking Magnus at the start but he pulled it back at the end, Magnus deserves huge respect for that climb especially considering he hadn't climbed the route before, even Honnold climbs the route before attempting a free solo

Right at the very beginning. 0:00 magnus nervously searches with his hand for the best hold…. Those are very very scary milliseconds while free climbing. I’ve done the same nervous move at life changing injury heights but not certain death height 😯

It's fantastic that the world's best or most inspiring climber focuses on inner sensation, feeling and playfulness, rather than performance, training efficiency etc. primarily....what a teacher. Love it...

That video got me watching all of Magnus's videos...Ive watched Alex for years, and I didnt know who Magnus was, when I saw how nervous he seemed leading up to the climb, and Knowing Alex, I absolutely did not think Magnus was going to actually do the climb! He's an absolute legend, the type of person your picking first no matter what activity your competing in! Viking blood through n through! The best of the best!

I really like the way Alex talks about Magnus. Both stand up guys, you can tell.

This is gold. and Magnus and Alex are both very honest.

Alex Honnold is the only man who can do a free solo while sick while also acting like a cameraman AND carry the bag all the way during a multihour climb, yet still act like nothing is even remotely hard.

He knew Magnus is a top tier climber, has insane grip and muscle capability, it would have been reckless if he asked a average climber that never free soloed to do that.

The part with the go-pro was amazing! the editing, the music, the wind blowing, hearing Alex's muffled voice, Magnus breathing...its like from a thriller movie, when you expect something to go wrong! Even if you know everything went well, since the video is uploaded, the anxiety level was at 100!

The free solo climbing rabbit hole is awesome. Coming from a Floridian who didn't lay eyes on a mountain until I was a teenager

I was so impressed Magnus did it! No doubt he was good enough, but to commit with no rope! Very cool and much respect!

Gripped is when you're free climbing with Alex and he falls to his death leaving you alone on the rock face. Or....mid-climb and Alex says "Can i be honest with you...I lured you here to kill you." Or he just says "I think i confused this route with an easier one....we're fucked"

This is by far Magnus’ best video

Watching this interview after being a fan of that magnus video is like eating the icing on a cake, just after already eating another cake.

Really appreciate Alex going well out of his way to give more context to that video. 10 videos in 12 days? That is pretty wild, because Magnus ALWAYS does hard physical stuff... and those videos had to get edited... ad reads... all sorts of stuff after finishing, plus making sure everything for the following day is coordinated and ready.

if anything him showing him be more scared and shaken up just gives me all the more props to to him for overcoming such a insane and difficult climb with no solo expierence, rather making it look like he cake walked it i would just be like damn but nah thats one of the most impressive test ive seen anyone do in terms of mental and even physical strenght. Magnus deserves all the praise, thats not something most people let alone most climbers would do

Everyone talks about how easy this climb is for magnus from a skill perspective, but the fact is that holds do break occasionally and when you don’t have a harness, something out of your control could result in a fall and death. That’s the crazy part for me.

I was pissed when I heard Alex say (in another video before this video was published) that he forgot about the crack sections (there were 2. I learned this after watching Magnus' reaction video to this climb). Magnus could have fallen to his death, dude. If you are going to persuade someone (even if they're an elite sport climber like Magnus, and even if the one doing the persuading and leading the climb is Alex) with very little soloing experience to free solo a wall like that, you make damn sure that you don't forget a single important thing about that wall and route. You take every safety precaution, and make sure you are covering all vital points. And you do this even if your partner is another high level solo climber, since the stakes are always so high. Again, this "Oopsy" could have led to Magnus' death. Alex is just WAY too casual about it. To him, it is casual, but it isn't to most other folks who aren't expert free soloists. He needs to do a much better job of putting himself in other people's shoes before leading someone up the wall without a rope. He is lucky his casual, over-confident attitude didn't end with Magnus falling to his death. I have deep respect for Alex. I think he is one of the best athletes that humanity has ever produced, since he has performed the single greatest athletic achievement of all time. But his foolishness needs to be called out here.

I really want the whole video of them doing the free solo!

Yes! I’ve wanted a behind-the-scenes dive into that video faience it dropped! Awesomesauce!

Still can’t believe Magnus did that, risk-reward simply isn’t worth it.

I was struck that Alex was disappointed there was no chalk on the "right" holds on the difficult face section. Highlights how free-soloing changes what's fun about climbing.

Have to say, I'm pretty unsure of the moral implications of covincing someone else to solo, especially when you are such a huge figure like Alex.

That was such a great video

Alex with the camera at one point is just standing with no hands absolutely incredible how unfazed he is

"there's a huge difference between being stressed and actually going to fall to your death" is a sentence only a few people can say by account of willfully experiencing it. I can't eat that onion but it's captivating to try and understand

That video was epic!! I've watched several times even the video of his GF reacting to it.

"If you can climb 5.15, you'll be fine soloing on this kind of terrain" I just don't see Alex's logic here. The psychological attributes (and maybe even physical attributes) needed to keep your cool while soloing a new route are very different than the skills and fitness you need to send your 5.15 project. Daniel Woods climbs 5.15 and has still gotten height-gripped and fallen off highball boulders. Also, accidents just happen sometimes. Granted, it was Magnus' choice to go solo that stuff, but I hope he wasn't unduly influenced by Alex's confidence.

Best closing statement to a video ever 😂

This video made me get into rock climbing

Alex is always too casual which is fine for himself but he needlessly endangered Magnus “oh there was that crack section I forgot about, OH WELL!! 🤷🏻‍♂️🤪

That was the video that got me watching Magnus.

Alex is such a nice guy for a sociopath

My hands sweat like crazy whenever I watch the Magnus and Honnold free solo.

great video mate

Honnold: I was sick, while climbing solo and filming plus cheering for Magnus.

2:32 is just insane climbing confidence of Honnold

tipper du digga denne magnus :D stor respekt til deg

That Alex en Magnus climbing the mini big wall video was one the scariest and crazy things i have seen. Free solo is allready a different thing at its self, but combined with these two people at that time in the video, oooeeff. Magnus can do it much easier for sure, but the insecurity struck him do to sleep sunburn etc etc. I think at some point Alex was aware, but could not make him notice because the one thing that will kill you is stress. Alex is such a humble man it worked out at the end. But i think he knows he took a additional risk other then free solo its self. Personaly i think it was and was not amazing at the same time. I really think Alex was coaching Magnus out standing, probably a bit of pressure wich came through anyway, not to be denied. Love the coaching part and all of it being as real as it gets.

I mean, I've free solo'ed Cake Walk (5.6) 300' at night in the moonlight @ Hueco Tanks... but I'd never think of peer pressuring anyone to join me and do it. Plus that was a choice I made. I really felt for Magnus on this video and was actually; still kinda am, mad at Alex for what felt like pressuring him into it. He could have easily done a 5.5 or 5.6 or 5.7.... :/

Alex is not normal ...i wouldn't take his advice on anything

I think it would be a nice follow up video if magnus took Alex to rough house with some marines! Kinda wanna see that lol

Don't trust individuals who take risks with their lives with your life.

ok, let's say once and for all, or I'll just say it for you. Climbing is a matter of mental end emotional status (let's call it mindset or "how you feel") , and free soloing is for sure different, no matter the grade. This is why it's important to know why you are doing something. I never climber at your levels, just a couple of 7a, but i know the difference in feelings, because i felt both acquainted and calm as Alex and in a different moment/situation, i felt very similar to Magnus in this climb. What I'm saying is, that after observing others, i realized that it's not a matter of who you are or what grade you are doing (or what you are doing). It's the status that makes the difference. When you feel fine you find everything fluid and find all the spots and the grips. When you feel stressed or uncomfortable, that changes. So the only way to in the second case, is to focus on retrieving the other status. Sometimes people advices can help, but in the end, if you are not fully convinced or don't/can't embrace the other one advice (if it doesn't click) you have to find the way. because climbing IS about trust and love and passion. You really feel the life again. And that's good. And that's the point of climbing

Spot on, Alex said he might have been stressed by having to look/feel for all the hand holds to make his way up rather than visually doing it all. I thought Magnus was otherwise super composed and focused.

the simplest task becomes magnitudes harder and more dangerous when you life is on the line. Holds in a gym don't crumble underneath your hand

Alex and Magnus are both quite humble for how high achieving they are and they both speak very positively about each other. I agree alex downplay the climb a bit at the beginning but I wouldn't say he was manipulative. Alex honestly think it is very doable for Magnus. Magnus did it despite being exhausted so Alex was not wrong. Just could have been done better.

"A lot of people also get stressed before a final exam and I think there's big difference between stress and 'I'm about to die'". Continuing with this as a metaphor, what happens when you fail the exam?

I don't free solo but it seems like something that you would want to mentally prepare for. Not be pressured into it a day, maybe not even, prior. Don't forget that Magnus never climbed there before also. He had no idea what the route entailed. Maybe climb the route first the conventional way so he at least has an idea of what he's signing up for. Seems pretty negligent on Alex's part. On the other hand Alex probably doesn't even realize what he did.

Alex looked really tired during that video so it was impressive to see him do that and his great attitude the whole time as well. Alex is the man.

Maybe im the only one, as I see constantly commenters complimenting Alex about this...but: I really thought this was a Shit move from Alex. Yeah, Magnus couldve said no. But it was clear as day to anyone watching that he was somewhat pressured into it by the situation. yeah hes an adult and can do for himself bla bla.... HOWEVER, it still wasnt cool from Alex. Magnus was not safe there whatsoever and he wasnt "calmed" by Alex. And Alex just was NOT honest with Magnus about the route beforehand.

There is nobody like Alex and personally there might not ever be another Alex in free solo .

*_"He only looked so gripped in a few places"_* Man, you only ping off in one place.

I have done some free climbs up some 40-60 ft cliffs, when you get into a hard spot and the nerves hit it is exhausting. I don’t do it anymore after my last experience.

When I watch the video I just see someone being careful to not hurt themselves. It's like seeing someone play a game of operation. It's actually the same care you have to take if you're constructing something very expensive. So if you were working with mahogany. Or if you were michaleangelo doing one of his sculpture, you did a ton of work and you're if you knock the penis the whole thing is ruined. That should be the pep talk before someone climbs "remember, don't knock the penis off, stay focused." I like sports like that, like ayrton senna driving in the rain. It's about very detailed control of large forces. That's full human mental capacity to concentrate large loads to friction on the tips of the fingers. It's precise and detailed loads.

I was so scared for Magnus, can't believe he did that.

honnold looking jacked

its interesting to me that no matter how many times i see snippets of that video i always get cold sweat on my palms and feet in an instant

Bro if I were magnus I would’ve been pissed. Alex undersold the shit outta that route….”oh yeah I forgot about that crack…”WHAT!!!!! We’re hundreds of feet off the ground and now you remember?!?!? BRO…..Alex has psychopathic tendencies bro…and I really like Alex before you haters go in.

I would willingly pay money to see a marine throwing Alex around. Magnus, please make this happen!

Glad to see this back up. What happened to the first posting a couple days ago?

Alex has no fear response 👏

glad Alex is still alive

For Alex everything is safe and far from the deadly situation😂 and yet you're one wrong move from dying

There's some sick boulders in middle Australia

What would Alex have done if Magnus started freaking out mentally, down climb?

free solo = “final” exam

It's nice that Alex knows his own mind. I know mine too. I could probably climb all of that so long as none of it were over 30ft above the ground. I also know that I have an imagination that won't stop and that would lead to a catastrophic failure. On this exact climb. I can't stop it either. Even with a rope.......I couldn't do it. I would fail horribly.

Alex Honold doing jiu jitsu - that's a video!

The thing to get Alex out of his comfort zone would be a day at a spa.

I would like to see Alex do the Jimmy Jewel routes.

different breed 😭

"He's gonna have to get you out of your comfort zone." "I don't know what that would be." 😮

Jabs left and right

Magnus was probably freaked out cuz it was his first free solo ever and he didn't even knew the route... never climbed it before and while he's on the wall he finds out that there's a crack climb section and he said to himself that he's not good at crack climbing...

I like too see Honnold wrestle some marines.😮

Magnus do look kind of scared sometimes but his autopilot is so physically strong and automated that you would have to drag him from the wall to make him fall. Countless hours of climbing, often climbing hard, makes the body do a lot of the movement on it´s own. Maybe scared yes but no way near falling of.

I fell off my bed watching that Magnus video.