Honnold Alex - Alone on the Wall

To my family, for always supporting me

along an unconventional path

Copyright 2016 by Alex Honnold and David Roberts

All rights reserved

First published as a Norton paperback 2016

For information about permission to reproduce selections from this book,

write to Permissions, W. W. Norton & Company, Inc.,

500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110

For information about special discounts for bulk purchases, please contact

W. W. Norton Special Sales at specialsales@wwnorton.com or 800-233-4830

Book design by Lovedog Studio

Production manager: Julia Druskin

Cover design by Steve Attardo

Cover photograph Jimmy Chin Productions / National Geographic

The Library of Congress has cataloged a previous edition as follows:

Names: Honnold, Alex.
Title: Alone on the wall / Alex Honnold with David Roberts.
Description: First Edition. | New York : W.W. Norton & Company, [2016] | Includes index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2015027977 | ISBN 9780393247626 (hardcover)
Subjects: LCSH: Honnold, Alex. | MountaineersUnited StatesBiography.
Classification: LCC GV199.92.H67 A3 2016 | DDC 796.522092dc23
LC record available at http://lccn.loc.gov/2015027977

ISBN 978-0-393-35691-5 (e-book)

ISBN 978-0-393-35614-4 (pbk.)

W. W. Norton & Company, Inc.

500 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10110

www.wwnorton.com

W. W. Norton & Company Ltd.

15 Carlisle Street, London W1D 3BS

Praise for

ALONE ON THE WALL

Riveting.

San Francisco Chronicle

Alone on the Wall ... is set to inspire multitudes [of climbers]. With his off-the-charts abilities and laconic, whip-smart, no-B.S. persona, Honnold has made climbing cool.

Mens Journal

Honnolds narrative describes his genuine passion... while revealing a personal humility that paints a clear and vivid picture of a likeable and unassuming, introspective young man.

New York Journal of Books

[Honnolds] ability to connect with a larger audience and bring a humble perspective to his many accomplishments makes him a great ambassador to the sport.... [R]eading the vivid descriptions captured by Honnold and Roberts will surely cover the books pages in a fine layer of palm sweat.

Gripped Magazine

Few books elicit a reaction like this new book from rock-climbing phenom Alex Honnold.... Alone on the Wall is a must for rock-climbers, thrill-seekers, adrenaline junkies or anyone just looking to sweat one out during a long read.

Bro Bible

Every sport has a Michael Jordan, the athlete whose fame stretches well beyond the playing field, and for climbing that person is Alex Honnold.... [ Alone on the Wall ] offers a glimpse into the life and psyche of a guy who is rich beyond imagination for a dirtbag climber, but also still chooses to live in a van.

Climbing Zine

Alone on the Wall is a testament to the spectacular accomplishments that come with tremendous drive and self-control. Typically humble and understated, Honnold recounts in his own words the seven most astonishing achievements thus far in his meteoric career.

360 Magazine

Alone on the Wall is a fast-paced, vertigo-inducing, gloriously wild read chock-full of amped-up adventures and occasional misadventures across the globe.

Bookreporter.com

Remarkable commentary providing an intense, white-knuckle read-ing experience.... [B]reathtaking.

Mazama Bulletin

Its sure to get the palms sweating.

DPM Climbing

Praise for

ALEX HONNOLD

The closest thing to a celebrity that American rock climbing offers.

New York Times

[Honnold] is best known for his fearless ascents of the worlds biggest cliffs.... He has traversed them all with his bare hands, fingertips jammed into crevices and clinging to half-inch shelves of protruding rock to hold his chiseled 5' 11", 160-pound frame.

Sports Illustrated

Honnold climbs longer and more difficult routes than anyone previously thought possible.... He also climbs them in record time.

Atlantic

Alex Honnold has become arguably the most well-known and widely respected climber in the world.

Interview

Honnold is the biggest name in a group of adventure athletes engaging in high-risk live action-sports spectacles that seem to be pulled from the Evel Knievel playbook.

Outside

Hes utterly genuine. Theres no bullshit there.

Jon Krakauer, mountaineer and New York Time s best-selling author

When you meet Alex Honnold, youre gonna be like, Huh, this guy is a bumbling, dorky, awkward goofball. Until he steps on the rock, and then hes literally a whole other person. He becomes this poised, graceful, calculated badass dude.

Cedar Wright, Honnolds regular climbing partner

Honnolds on another level than anyone else out there. Its like he doesnt feel fear or any of the normal emotions that anyone else feels. He has this ability to just shut his brain off and do the sickest climbs that have ever been done.

Nick Martino, climber

I can only guess whats going on here, but I look like Im having a good time. ( Credit: Dierdre Wolownick )

Just playing around at the Gunks, when I was still predominantly a gym climber. I didnt yet know what climbing outdoors meant. (Credit: Dierdre Wolownick)

With my mom on the summit of Tenaya Peak in Tuolumne Meadows, to celebrate her birthday. I look like I have a paunch, but thats only because of the afternoon updraft filling my shirt. (Photo credit: Sean McCartney)

On top of Mount Whitney with my sister, Stasia, during Sufferfest 1 . I soloed a route up the Keeler Needle while she scrambled up the Mountaineers Route, and we met on top. (Credit: Cedar Wright)

Soloing splitter finger cracks up high on Moonlight Buttress. Dont worry, this is easier than it looks. (Credit: Sender Films)

High on Half Dome, re-creating my free solo of the Regular Northwest Face. (Credit: Jimmy Chin)

Walking face-out across Thank God Ledge is surprisingly scary. Normally, walking across a ledge is trivial compared with actual rock climbing, but in this case its quite an experience. (Credit: Jimmy Chin)