It is a 3,000 ft. vertical rock face at Yosemite Nat'l Park in California. Alex Honnelo said he felt good during and after the climb while his friends photographed his climb; I guess there were other climbers tethered to a rope in order to take photo-video of Alex Honnelo as he climbed. There were some shots that I could not imagine being made from that location - I suspected some kind of drone was also employed. Does anyone know for sure how these shots were made? The climb was on Channel 56 NGCHD last night. Did anyone else see this show?
Soul Dr.
Loc: Beautiful Shenandoah Valley
His name is Alex Honnold, not Honnelo.
The photogrophers are professional film makers (they received the Oscar for Free Solo) and did the shots while hanging from fixed ropes. They were careful to not be close enough to Alex to break his concentration, and limited the filming. The photographers are also very skilled climbers and worked with Alex for eight years leading up to this filming. In addition to the photographers on fixed ropes there was also some drone footage, but limited (again, to not distract Alex). Rock and Ice magazine has an interview with Elizabeth "Chai" vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin at
https://rockandice.com/features/chai-vasarhelyi-on-the-making-of-free-solo-with-alex-honnold/.
I used to get nervous and worry when I saw someone doing something like this, now I simply hope they fall for being so stupid !!
I started climbing Half-Dome with my brothers as a teenager, no ropes or experience, got up around 20 feet, looked down and thought, "If I fall now, my whole life is over." I climbed down and never went up a sheer rock face again. Those who do better have their affairs in order, and be real good at what they do. I'm happy this guy did it and survived. Now, it has been done. Nobody else need try.
I don't even like to think about that, let alone watch it.
Irresponsible movie. Will lead to many copy cat climbers and deaths. Watch "The Dawn Wall". Fantastic movie!!!!!
Flash Falasca wrote:
I used to get nervous and worry when I saw someone doing something like this, now I simply hope they fall for being so stupid !!
Yeah, you are absolutely right! People doing dangerous things when they don't have to should pay the price. Why, look at those fools back in the '60's. People like Gus Grissom and John Glenn. Climbing into the nose cones of barely tested rockets and being blasted into space. What kind of an example were they setting for the youth of the day? Should be a law!
Just rented Free Solo that documented his climb. I do know that some of the cameras were placed and triggered remotely. Don’t remember anything said about drones, but there were a number of segments that seemed drone like to me.
I have followed Alex awhile. Amazing stuff, but I wouldn’t want to be his mother.
I’ve climbed El Cap and other walls in Yosemite. Great times. But I would never Solo the harder routes. 😬. Alex was in full command. But still risky business.
yes. I watched it and was thinking at one point he was practically running up the cliff face. Thrilling photography.
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