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"Alone on the Wall" by Alex Honnold

book review by Riley Burnham 1/26/2023

oh my goodness this book was excellent

listening to the audiobook, i often looked up the photos, videos, & maps of the locations being discussed: some of the biggest, gnarliest walls known to man

Alex became internationally recognized for his daring & pioneering free solo ascents up these behemoth rocks: especially El Capitan, which is where i saw the documentary "Free Solo" take place as it journeys w/ his preparation & eventual climb

it's marvelous actually; inspiring... it shows in a sense what is possible; how our minds limit us when fear seems insurmountable; how dedication & practice are required to approach these feats... then narrow the field even further when many of the biggest names in similar climbing fall or perish [often doing something different, such as wingsuiting/basejumping]

Honnold seems to know his limits, & describes the relief felt when actually climbing versus pondering it & waiting... he says it's more of a slow & methodical journey rather than one marked by adrenaline [he says this is usually a sign of trouble, to be fair]

it's quite inspiring; so i'd recommend the book to anyone -- i even learned his mom climbed El Capitan [w/ rope] in her late 60s & 70s(!) after learning 5-10 years prior -- holy cow(!!)

so it makes me want to learn the ropes; to discover for myself what is there

for now i will ponder this from flat, level ground [or a chair] & credit those who dare to dare