How Long Did It <em>Really</em> Take Alex Honnold to Free Climb El Capitan?

How Long Did It Really Take Alex Honnold to Free Climb El Capitan?

Okay, so picture this: June 3, 2017. A day that’s now etched in climbing history. Alex Honnold, this incredibly focused dude, pulls off something that most of us can barely wrap our heads around: he free solos El Capitan. No ropes. No safety net. Just him and 3,000 feet of sheer granite. It wasn’t just a climb; it was a mind-blowing feat of athleticism and sheer nerve.

He tackled the Freerider route, which, by the way, is nearly 3,000 feet straight up. And the kicker? He did it in a blistering 3 hours and 56 minutes. Seriously, let that sink in. To put it in perspective, folks have called it one of the greatest athletic achievements ever.

The climb kicked off at 5:32 a.m. Can you imagine starting your day like that? Honnold topped out before 10 a.m. Now, the Freerider isn’t exactly a walk in the park. It’s graded 5.13a, which is seriously tough, even with ropes. We’re talking about sections like “The Monster Offwidth” and “The Boulder Problem” that would make most climbers quiver in their boots. Just so you know, the YDS scale goes way up, but 5.13a? That’s elite territory.

But here’s the thing: this wasn’t some spur-of-the-moment decision. Honnold had been laser-focused on this goal for eight years. Eight years of planning, training, and visualizing. In the summer of 2017, he spent six weeks living in Yosemite Valley, practically becoming one with El Cap. He was up there on El Capitan, climbing the Freerider route at least 15 times with ropes. He was memorizing every single hold, every tiny detail. He had notebooks filled with climbing sequences, visualizing every move. Talk about dedication!

The significance of this climb? It’s huge. Tommy Caldwell, another climbing legend, nailed it when he called it the “moon landing of free solo climbing.” It wasn’t just a personal achievement for Honnold; it catapulted him into the mainstream, cementing his status as one of the all-time greats.

And while the Freerider is sometimes called one of the “easier” big wall free climbs on El Cap, let’s be real: it’s still ridiculously hard. A 5.13a grade? That’s a level that 99% of climbers will never reach. It is a feat of athleticism that is hard to comprehend.

Oh, and the whole thing was captured on film. The documentary “Free Solo” is intense, gripping, and gives you a real sense of the risks involved. If you haven’t seen it, you really should. It’s a testament to Honnold’s skill, dedication, and, let’s face it, a little bit of crazy.