“Solo climber reaches new heights”
By: Tim Neville
Rating:***
The sport of outdoor rock climbing is often
thought to be one of quick moves and adrenaline spikes. A sport for the focused
and determined athletes who, during their climbs, have but one goal; to reach
the top. Enter Alex Honnold, the record shattering solo climber and subject of
my chosen article. The 28 year old solo
climber from Sacramento embarked on a mission last year. Planning to climb the
three biggest rock faces in California, one after the other. The best part? He
planned on doing the whole thing alone, and, for the most part, without the life-saving
protection of rope and harnesses, a method known as solo climbing. El Capitan, Mount Watkins and the Half dome
(all located in Yosemite national park) were the three rock faces on which he
set his sights. In preparation, the rock climber arrived in the park a month
before the planned date to climb the three rock faces and practised constantly,
working and fine-tuning his skills. At the beginning of June he began the
journey and successfully climbed each of the three giants, but not without
facing challenges along the way. Forgetting to bring along his hand chalk while
climbing the moist, slippery rocks of El Capitan and being covered in a tidal
wave of silverfish insects 2,000 feet up in the air, Alex had to rely on focus,
staying calm and, at times, the help of others (half way up El Capitan he
borrowed some chalk from fellow climbers) to safely complete his climbs. At the
end of the incredible climbing mission he had climbed over 7,000 vertical feet
of rock. Now seen as one of the best, and surely most well-known, climbers in
the States Alex Honnold has reached the top, in every sense of the word, but I’m
sure he’ll want to keep on climbing.
I
found this article to be very interesting. It provided me with some information
about a sport I know very little about and gave what I found to be a good
amount of detail about Alex Honnold’s climbs. Highlighting some of the trials
he faced along the way, the article showed me how much focus goes into the
sport of rock climbing, and how much mental preparation it requires.
Personally, I found the article to be well written, but would’ve enjoyed if
there had been a bit more information about the climbers past and how he got to
be as good as he is. Hearing about his preparation tactics and facing the
challenges he was met with are an inspiring reminder to be ready for anything
when doing an outdoor activity. After reading the article I would love to try
this activity. Outdoor rock climbing sounds like a challenging but fun sport I
want to experience and a great chance to get outside and try something new!
author: Tim Neville accessed: Dec.12th 2013 website: The New York Times
Interesting article just like you said! Makes me want to challenge myself with obstacles that seem hard to go over. It's great that you were inspired to try outdoor rock climbing. Good work!
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