Book
The impossible climb : Alex Honnold, El Capitan, and the climbing life / Mark Synnott.
"One slip, one false move, one missed toehold, and you're dead. Alex Honnold, the #1 free solo climber in the world, chose the route known as Freerider on Yosemite's El Capitan, a series of pitches so hard that it's newsworthy when someone free climbs it with a rope. No one had ever 'free soloed' it before; only a few people have ever even contemplated it. That four-hour climb on June 3, 2017, was, simply, one of the boldest feats in human history. At the same time, it was almost unbearable to watch--as Mark Synnott did"-- Provided by publisher.
Record details
- ISBN: 9781101986646
- ISBN: 1101986646
- Physical Description: viii, 405 pages, 16 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations (chiefly color) ; 24 cm
- Publisher: New York, New York : Dutton, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC, [2018]
Content descriptions
| Formatted Contents Note: | The Hon is going to freesolo El Cap -- Crazy kids of America -- A vision of the stone masters' lightning -- The Stone monkey -- Crashing the gravy train on the vertical mile -- The secret weapon, Mr. safety, and Xiao Pung -- Nonprofit -- Secret dawn walls -- Amygdala -- The source -- "Her attitude is awesome" -- Fun. |
Search for related items by subject
| Subject: | Honnold, Alex. Mountaineers > United States > Biography. Free climbing > California > El Capitan. |
Available copies
- 1 of 1 copy available at Kenton County.
Holds
- 0 current holds with 1 total copy.
Other Formats and Editions
Show Only Available Copies
| Location | Call Number / Copy Notes | Barcode | Shelving Location | Status | Due Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Erlanger Branch | 796.522092 H773s 2018 (Text) | 33126022609337 | Adult Nonfiction | Available | - |
- Baker & Taylor
"One slip, one false move, one missed toehold, and you're dead. Alex Honnold, the #1 free solo climber in the world, chose the route known as Freerider on Yosemite's El Capitan, a series of pitches so hard that it's newsworthy when someone free climbs itwith a rope. No one had ever 'free soloed' it before; only a few people have ever even contemplated it. That four-hour climb on June 3, 2017, was, simply, one of the boldest feats in human history. At the same time, it was almost unbearable to watch--as Mark Synnott did"-- - Baker & Taylor
The man who made an unprecedented 3,000 foot vertical climb up El Capitan in Yosemite without a rope describes his feat along with the multiple climbing expeditions that populated his amateur and professional experiences. - Baker & Taylor
Recounts Alex Honnold's unprecedented solo climb of Yosemite's El Capitan, describing the feat along with the other climbing expeditions that populated his amateur and professional experiences. - Penguin Putnam
INSTANT NATIONAL BESTSELLER
NEW YORK TIMES MONTHLY BESTSELLER
One of the 10 Best Books of March, Paste Magazine
A deeply reported insider perspective of Alex Honnoldâs historic achievement and the culture and history of climbing.
âOne of the most compelling accounts of a climb and the climbing ethos that I've ever read.ââSebastian Junger
In Mark Synnottâs unique window on the ethos of climbing, his friend Alex Honnoldâs astonishing free solo ascent of El Capitanâs 3,000 feet of sheer granite is the central act. When Honnold topped out at 9:28 A.M. on June 3, 2017, having spent fewer than four hours on his historic ascent, the world gave a collective gasp. The New York Times described it as âone of the great athletic feats of any kind, ever.â Synnottâs personal history of his own obsession with climbing since he was a teenagerâthrough professional climbing triumphs and defeats, and the dilemmas they renderâmakes this a deeply reported, enchanting revelation about living life to the fullest. What are we doing if not an impossible climb?
Synnott delves into a raggedy culture that emerged decades earlier during Yosemiteâs Golden Age, when pioneering climbers like Royal Robbins and Warren Harding invented the sport that Honnold would turn on its ear. Painting an authentic, wry portrait of climbing history and profiling Yosemite heroes and the harlequin tribes of climbers known as the Stonemasters and the Stone Monkeys, Synnott weaves in his own experiences with poignant insight and wit: tensions burst on the mile-high northwest face of Pakistanâs Great Trango Tower; fellow climber Jimmy Chin miraculously persuades an official in the Borneo jungle to allow Honnoldâs first foreign expedition, led by Synnott, to continue; armed bandits accost the same trio at the foot of a tower in the Chad desert . . .Â
The Impossible Climb is an emotional drama driven by people exploring the limits of human potential and seeking a perfect, choreographed dance with nature. Honnold dared far beyond the ordinary, beyond any climber in history. But this story of sublime heights is really about all of us. Who doesnât need to face down fear and make the most of the time we have?