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Free Solo Nat Geo Documentary!!!
Old 03-14-2019, 08:38 AM   #1
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Free Solo Nat Geo Documentary!!!

I am sure some of you have seen it already but I would strongly recommend this documentary/movie, absolutely riveting - I almost ripped the arms off the chair I was sitting in as I watched. It's about a climbing accomplishment, but you don't have to be a climber to appreciate it. The central character may be the most focused yet unassuming human being I've ever seen. I don't want to spoil it by saying much more, we didn't know anything at all about it when we watched and I think it's more enjoyable that way.

I guess it's in theaters now, but we watched it on NatGeo (free) a couple days ago. I may pay to see it again in a theater, it was that good. INCREDIBLE.

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/films/free-solo/
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Old 03-14-2019, 08:44 AM   #2
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I’ll second the documentary. DW and I had sweaty palms and feet while watching. Incredible entertainment.
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Old 03-14-2019, 08:56 AM   #3
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He must have big gonads to keep him stable when climbing. Ha. Pretty scenery in the documentary too.
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Old 03-14-2019, 09:07 AM   #4
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I've seen it twice. Riveting to say the least.
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Old 03-14-2019, 09:19 AM   #5
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Clue us in. I don’t think it would spoil it by telling us in a few words what’s it about?
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Old 03-14-2019, 09:30 AM   #6
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Clue us in. I don’t think it would spoil it by telling us in a few words what’s it about?
It's about a rock climber who attempts to climb El Capitan in Yosemite valley in California. El Capitan is an approximately 3,200 foot piece of nearly vertical granite and was not climbed successfully until after Mount Everest was.

The rock climber tries to climb by himself and without any safety devices. It's basically him in a pair of sweatpants and climbing shoes with a bag of chalk to keep his fingers dry.
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Old 03-14-2019, 09:30 AM   #7
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Clue us in. I don’t think it would spoil it by telling us in a few words what’s it about?
Free climbing El Capitan in Yosemite

I seem to remember a climber in the late 60's climbing El Capitan. The news followed him for several days as he made his way up. Seemed like quite a big deal at the time

just looked it up 1968 first solo climb

I will not be watching this documentary. I'se a chiken
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Old 03-14-2019, 09:39 AM   #8
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A must watch and for those of you who enjoyed Free Solo the same filmmaker has MERU streaming on Prime another must watch.
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Old 03-14-2019, 09:49 AM   #9
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Free climbing El Capitan in Yosemite

I seem to remember a climber in the late 60's climbing El Capitan. The news followed him for several days as he made his way up. Seemed like quite a big deal at the time

just looked it up 1968 first solo climb

I will not be watching this documentary. I'se a chiken
The 1968 climb was the first solo ascent of El Cap (using ropes and other climbing protection), but it was NOT a free solo climb. And there have been several other free climbs since.

Alex Honnold, the subject of "Free Solo" is the only climber who has ascended El Cap in June 2017 free solo - no ropes, harnesses or other protection. There are more difficult climbs 5.15a, but the El Cap route Alex did is a 5.12d/5.13a - the most difficult free solo ever completed.

If you make a mistake climbing with ropes & other protection, the ropes catch you. With a free solo, if you make a mistake it's almost certain you will fall to your death.

Royal Robbins 1968 climb using ropes & other protection took 10 days. Alex Honnold did his free solo in just under 4 hours.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Capitan#Solo_climbing
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Old 03-14-2019, 09:50 AM   #10
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He spent a decade mastering an 8' section around 2000' called Boulder Problem. One slip and splat!
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Old 03-14-2019, 10:15 AM   #11
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I can't even begin to think how difficult this was. Back in the mid 70s I was acquainted with a guy who put in anchors for a rescue route on the nose of El Capitan. We did a two day descent down the nose route checking and replacing anchors. How they can free climb it 4 hours is amazing!

I'll never forget that first 150 foot pitch coming off the top hanging in space three thousand feet above the valley floor! [emoji26]
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Old 03-14-2019, 10:28 AM   #12
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Great documentary - saw it on IMAX. I’m not sure, but I think that Alex Honnold may have been practicing on El Capitan when we were there. Saw a few climbers on El Cap and it was in the time frame that he was there.

His concentration level, strength, and attention to detail are incredible.
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Old 03-14-2019, 10:34 AM   #13
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Yes, the one cameraman could not bear watching on the big day. Intense.
DW once spent a day climbing with John Bachar who later fell to his death at age 52.
His common refrain - one mistake, big pancake.
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Old 03-14-2019, 10:40 AM   #14
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Great documentary - saw it on IMAX. I’m not sure, but I think that Alex Honnold may have been practicing on El Capitan when we were there. Saw a few climbers on El Cap and it was in the time frame that he was there.

His concentration level, strength, and attention to detail are incredible.
I'm not sure I could have watched it in IMAX....did you get any vertigo?
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Old 03-14-2019, 11:01 AM   #15
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Thanks for the suggestion. I found it on On Demand on my DirecTv.
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Old 03-14-2019, 11:14 AM   #16
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I'm not sure I could have watched it in IMAX....did you get any vertigo?


It was wicked. I did feel a little woozy.
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Old 03-14-2019, 11:25 AM   #17
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Here's an article on Alex Honnold & his brain in an fMRI
Legendary Rock Climber Alex Honnold Gets Put Into an MRI, and the Results Are Surprising
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Old 03-14-2019, 11:27 AM   #18
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Old 03-14-2019, 11:28 AM   #19
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Another excellent Jimmy Chin, Elizabeth Chai Varsahelyi climbing film (using ropes) is Meru.
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Old 03-14-2019, 11:30 AM   #20
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Another excellent Jimmy Chin, Elizabeth Chai Varsahelyi climbing film (using ropes) is Meru.
It's on prime...
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