Free Solo

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The director really blew the acceptance speech at the Academy Awards. Barely acknowledged the actual climber, and was insufferable.

I’m guessing you mean Jimmy Chin? I followed him for a few years then couldn’t handle him anymore. I’ve actually avoided this movie because of him.

He seems to think that having a brief wrestle with his conscience over whether he would bear some responsibility for Alex’s death is enough to absolve him of culpability.

How is he, and others who encouraged this effort, fundamentally different from someone who yells “jump!” at a suicidal person standing on a ledge? Does the fact that there is a financial and notoriety payoff rather than a simple sick thrill make it socially acceptable?

Hmm, I see this very different than a suicudal person ready to jump from a ledge

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I didn't understand why the girlfriend didn't expect better for herself. Alex is amazing but I would not date or marry him.

Classic case of a groupie who got the green light. Honestly, I didn't hate the girlfriend, but she definitely got a bad edit. She was portrayd as not really fitting into his life and him not really caring that much or only caring up to a point. She beat some normalcy into him by buying and furnishing a home. She wants the famous climber, danger thrill seeker rush that comes with it, but she also wants the doting, loving, home every night boyfriend. Got the feeling that if she up and left one day he'd be like oh well, shrug, I'm going to go climb.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I didn't understand why the girlfriend didn't expect better for herself. Alex is amazing but I would not date or marry him.

Classic case of a groupie who got the green light. Honestly, I didn't hate the girlfriend, but she definitely got a bad edit. She was portrayd as not really fitting into his life and him not really caring that much or only caring up to a point. She beat some normalcy into him by buying and furnishing a home. She wants the famous climber, danger thrill seeker rush that comes with it, but she also wants the doting, loving, home every night boyfriend. Got the feeling that if she up and left one day he'd be like oh well, shrug, I'm going to go climb.

Yeah, I pretty much got this sense too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wonder if it will ever be repeated. I hope no one dies trying.

120 people have died climbing El Cap (with ropes).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The director really blew the acceptance speech at the Academy Awards. Barely acknowledged the actual climber, and was insufferable.

I’m guessing you mean Jimmy Chin? I followed him for a few years then couldn’t handle him anymore. I’ve actually avoided this movie because of him.

He seems to think that having a brief wrestle with his conscience over whether he would bear some responsibility for Alex’s death is enough to absolve him of culpability.

How is he, and others who encouraged this effort, fundamentally different from someone who yells “jump!” at a suicidal person standing on a ledge? Does the fact that there is a financial and notoriety payoff rather than a simple sick thrill make it socially acceptable?

Hmm, I see this very different than a suicudal person ready to jump from a ledge

Alex was going to do the climb anyway. He's done tons of unroped climbs. Jimmy did not encourage him.

Most likely, these companies said that if the effort wasn't filmed, the sponsorships would be dropped. -NP http://www.alexhonnold.com/sponsors

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The director really blew the acceptance speech at the Academy Awards. Barely acknowledged the actual climber, and was insufferable.

I’m guessing you mean Jimmy Chin? I followed him for a few years then couldn’t handle him anymore. I’ve actually avoided this movie because of him.

He seems to think that having a brief wrestle with his conscience over whether he would bear some responsibility for Alex’s death is enough to absolve him of culpability.

How is he, and others who encouraged this effort, fundamentally different from someone who yells “jump!” at a suicidal person standing on a ledge? Does the fact that there is a financial and notoriety payoff rather than a simple sick thrill make it socially acceptable?

Hmm, I see this very different than a suicudal person ready to jump from a ledge

Alex was going to do the climb anyway. He's done tons of unroped climbs. Jimmy did not encourage him.

Most likely, these companies said that if the effort wasn't filmed, the sponsorships would be dropped. -NP http://www.alexhonnold.com/sponsors

Neither did he or the sponsors discourage him. They’re all dirty.

Would it be so hard to say, “I don’t like the risk and I don’t want to be involved if you do this”?

[Anonymous]

The gf was extremely annoying. She was crying and hoping he wouldn't do it, yet he stated over and over climbing is above all including relationships. He doesnt seem capable of having one, nor that he really cares about people in general.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The director really blew the acceptance speech at the Academy Awards. Barely acknowledged the actual climber, and was insufferable.

I’m guessing you mean Jimmy Chin? I followed him for a few years then couldn’t handle him anymore. I’ve actually avoided this movie because of him.

He seems to think that having a brief wrestle with his conscience over whether he would bear some responsibility for Alex’s death is enough to absolve him of culpability.

How is he, and others who encouraged this effort, fundamentally different from someone who yells “jump!” at a suicidal person standing on a ledge? Does the fact that there is a financial and notoriety payoff rather than a simple sick thrill make it socially acceptable?

Hmm, I see this very different than a suicudal person ready to jump from a ledge

If you liked the documentary & are wondering about the ethical Q of how one could encourage or stand by while he did this, you should read The Impossible Climb by Mark Synnott. Explores this territory. Chin, Synnott, Honnold, and many others involved have been part of the climbing community together (some of them for decades, Honnold's younger so for less time, but they all share a similar if not identical ethos). Synnott wrestles with this question quite a bit in his book -- what motivates Alex to take these risks; whether they should try to stop him; and situates the climb within a historical context of climbing in the US. Pretty interesting read, and I am not even a rock climber.

[Anonymous]

Alex says in the documentary that a motivation for his free soloing is the “bottomless pit of self loathing” instilled by his mother.

How can anyone feel good about being involved in his free climbs? He sounds mentally ill.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I watched it last weekend thought it was good, however his girlfriend was portrayed as a sucker (not saying she is in real life, it may just be how her role was edited in documentary)

Yeah, I liked the movie but something about the girlfriend rubbed me the wrong way. She seemed quite needy, and maybe not the best long-term companion for such an adventurer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Alex says in the documentary that a motivation for his free soloing is the “bottomless pit of self loathing” instilled by his mother.

How can anyone feel good about being involved in his free climbs? He sounds mentally ill.

Wait, what? I missed that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Alex says in the documentary that a motivation for his free soloing is the “bottomless pit of self loathing” instilled by his mother.

How can anyone feel good about being involved in his free climbs? He sounds mentally ill.

Wait, what? I missed that.

The mom did sound quite a b#tch.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Alex says in the documentary that a motivation for his free soloing is the “bottomless pit of self loathing” instilled by his mother.

How can anyone feel good about being involved in his free climbs? He sounds mentally ill.

Wait, what? I missed that.

He said it early on when talking about his family. He said nothing that he ever did was good enough for his mother.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Alex says in the documentary that a motivation for his free soloing is the “bottomless pit of self loathing” instilled by his mother.

How can anyone feel good about being involved in his free climbs? He sounds mentally ill.

I think all the climbers ultimately take responsibility for themselves and dont want anyone else to be blamed for their actions. Most of them are incredibly stubborn, often selfish, and have a desire to climb above ALL else. And no one understands that except for their fellow climbers, apparently. Alex is driven to do this from w/in...no one is pushing him or encouraging him. They all, in fact, seem to be questioning him and trying to talk sense into him!

[Anonymous]

wow I can't believe the negativity towards Alex or his girlfriend. I loved Free Solo and thought it was a great look into what drives him to climb and to risk his live doing what he loves.

I though the look into his relationship was interesting; in every relationship there is a fine line between not letting somebody hold you back from pursuing your passion and dreams. I think the girlfriend's take was very real- you love this person and don't want to see them die doing what they love, but you also love them enough to not hold them back from their dreams.

I don't think Alex is depressed or has a death wish at all. I do think he is on the spectrum and that may help him to stay so calm in these tough situations. I actually thought that one of the most impressive things about the documentary was how it showed all the prep work that went into this time. How he spent years studying El Cap and planning out and choreographing every move he was going to make to get to the top. Someone with a death wish would just go for it without thinking.