I just finished watching the documentary Free Solo about Alex Honnold’s free climb of el Capitan in Yosemite National park. approximately 3200 feet of vertical rock wall with overhangs to traverse among other hairy climbing problems.
I should explain what a free solo accurately is. Normally you climb as a team, one person leads setting anchor points along the route while the other person belays them. they are roped together and if the leader falls the second person stops the fall. When you free solo you have no rope and no one to stop you should you fall. Let that set in for a moment.
This story has it all romance via his girlfriend. and high drama when the free ascent begins. Plus there is the sheer beauty of Yosemite National park.
I will now explain my reaction to this film. First off I have climbed sheer rock walls before nothing as massive as El Capitan I only climbed on Devils Tower In Wyoming. The climb this film brought up for me. That would be el Cracko diablo. On which I took a massive leadr fall of only 35 feet. The crux of this climb is a bulge in the wall, Crux is the hardest part of the climb to climb. It was at this crux that I fell which put my body in a bad spot when the rope finally stopped me, propelling me into the wall at terminal velocity I took that all on my right foot. Which suffer what they called a burst fracture. I looked up and to my surprise I was looking at my right foot laying against my leg just hanging on by meat and skin.
So you can probably imagine how intense watching the free climb Alex did. They did a masterful job with this film. You can find it on Netflix DVD at least tha is where I got it from it is a Nat Geo documentary so you may be able to find it there. Do find it a give it a watch is will give you new hope for humankind. You can also find it on youtube it is an hour forty minutes approximately.