I first went rock climbing when I was around seven or eight years old. I took a class at my local recreation center and learned about belaying and tying the figure-eight knot, though that’s not why I took the class. Getting to scramble up a wall as fast as I could was the appealing part to me, and it was something I did well considering my short stature and arm strength.
After that class, I never really got the chance or put in the effort to go climbing, that was until my family and I sat down to watch a documentary one night: “Free Solo.” The film followed renowned climber Alex Honnold and his journey to free solo El Capitan in Yosemite National Park, meaning to climb the entire summit without ropes, harnesses, or protective equipment.
Just watching him complete such a difficult task made me want to start climbing again, though my mom had the opposite idea in mind. Through the years I started to pick up the hobby again, and I’m now climbing about five days a week.
When I heard that Alex Honnold was coming to speak at CU Boulder through the Distinguished Speakers Board, I was determined to get a ticket, but so was everyone else. Tickets managed to sell out in one day, taken up almost exclusively by CU Boulder students involved in the climbing community. After a 45 minute wait and two class Zooms whilst in line, I secured my spot for his talk on November 1st at CU’s Macky Auditorium.
The time finally came, and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed his talk. While I didn’t necessarily have low expectations, I was a little apprehensive about what he would speak about or what his message would be to a bunch of college students. However, I was captivated by his words and left with three main takeaways.
Alex Honnold is Talented
It’s an understatement to say that Alex Honnold is talented, considering his immense list of outdoor accolades. His presentation to CU Boulder was his “travel diary,” as he liked to put it and showcased a wide variety of climbing expeditions he had completed from Chad to Chile. Honnold even poked fun at Colorado’s mountains, saying that our famous Pike’s Peak was no match for some of the mountains he’s witnessed all over the world.
Though Honnold is most famous for his approximately four hour ascent up El Capitan in Yosemite, he barely talked about the experience. Almost everyone in the audience had watched “Free Solo,” so there was no need to summarize what the many fans in the audience had already seen. He instead talked about mental headspaces while climbing, the importance of routine, and how challenging yourself widens the scope of your passion and pushes you even further.
Honnold made sure that talent was not the only thing that has contributed to his success, however. There was a 6-7 year period of contemplation and training before he decided to start taking the free solo of El Capitan seriously. He reminded all the climbers in the room that what you’re working toward does not come overnight, and that effort and initiative are more important than natural talent will ever be.
Alex Honnold is Funny
I never would have expected how witty Honnold is. He was immediately able to make the audience laugh by mentioning that we were not his usual corporate/business audience, considering we were mainly a bunch of college students that knew him and knew what rock climbing was.
Throughout the talk, he continued to crack jokes and keep the mood light. He talked about dropping out of college before realizing that was not the best thing to say to enrolled college students, admitted to climbing the Stearns Towers here at CU Boulder, and expressed how uncomfortable he was getting filmed at public places like the DMV while creating “Free Solo.”
Not only was he witty, but his opinions on certain topics were able to get out some audible gasps of surprise. During the Q&A session of the talk, the audience learned that Honnold’s favorite snack is red bell peppers, his biggest pet peeve is pets, his go-to music choice while climbing is Tool, and that the climbing in Colorado is overhyped. Yeah… you can imagine how that last comment was received by a bunch of Colorado climbers.
But Most of All, Alex Honnold is Inspiring
From the day tickets were announced to the day that Honnold spoke, I had heard nothing but great things from the climbing community here at CU. His adventurous spirit and hard work is something that everyone can look up to, and it shows us a reality where our passions can become our job.
There was a reason why the tickets had sold out so quickly: everyone had a story similar to mine, where Honnold’s story made him an influential figure in our climbing lives. Whether they had just watched “Free Solo” once and thought it was cool or completely turned their lives around to be more adventurous and carefree, Honnold was able to deliver a speech that was meaningful for almost everyone in the auditorium.
Not only are his climbing accomplishments inspiring to upcoming free soloists or casual climbers, but he’s also determined to give back to his community. The Honnold Foundation was created by Honnold dedicated to funding solar energy projects around the world in effort to create a more sustainable environment. Considering that myself and I assume the majority of CU Boulder students are environmentally conscious, this just gave the audience one more reason to love and admire Honnold.
Getting such an accomplished climber to come speak at CU Boulder is one feat, but finding one who is down to Earth and kind is another. The Distinguished Speakers Board did an amazing job setting up the event, and they created the perfect atmosphere for new and old climbers alike to learn from Honnold’s life. I have no doubt that there will be an influx of people at the climbing gyms for weeks to come.