Alone on the Wall

by Alex Honnold, David Roberts Narrated by Andrew Eiden, Will Damron

Overview

Only a few years ago, Alex Honnold was little known beyond a small circle of hardcore climbers. Today, at the age of thirty, he is probably the most famous adventure athlete in the world. In that short time, he has proven his expertise in many styles of climbing and has shattered speed records, pioneered routes, and won awards within each discipline. More spectacularly still, he has pushed the most extreme and dangerous form of climbing far beyond the limits of what anyone thought was possible.

Free soloing, Honnold's specialty, is a type of climbing performed without a rope, a partner, or hardware-such as pitons, nuts, or cams-for aid or protection. The results of climbing this way are breathtaking, but the stakes are ultimate: if you fall, you die.

In Alone on the Wall, Honnold recounts the seven most astonishing climbing achievements so far in his still-evolving career. He narrates the drama of each climb, along with reflective passages that illuminate the inner workings of his highly perceptive and discerning mind. We share in the jitters and excitements he feels waking in his van (where he lives full time) before a climb; we see him self-criticize in his climbing journal (a veritable bible for students of the sport); and we learn his secrets to managing fear. Veteran climber and award-winning author David Roberts writes part of each chapter in his own voice, and he calls on other climbers and the sport's storied past to put Alex's tremendous accomplishments in perspective.

Whenever Honnold speaks in public, he is asked the same two questions: “Aren't you afraid you're going to die?” and “Why do you do this?” Alone on the Wall takes us around the world and through the highs and lows in the life of a climbing superstar to answer those fascinating questions. Honnold's extraordinary life, and his idiosyncratic worldview, have much to teach us about risk, reward, and the ability to maintain a singular focus, even in the face of extreme danger.

Editorial Reviews

Outside - Grayson Schaffer

"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."

New York Times Magazine - Daniel Duane

"Honnold has free-soloed the longest, most challenging climbs ever. Most peculiar of all, even to elite rock climbers, Honnold does this without apparent fear, as if falling were not possible."

Men's Health - Josh Dean

"Alex is really the first climber to rise from the margins of this lonely fringe sport to become a kind of celebrity."

Barbara J. King - NPR Books

Honnold blows wide open any conventional understanding of the term ‘comfort zone.’ In Alone on the Wall . . . he engagingly conveys his love of climbing.”

Library Journal

09/01/2015
Rock climber Honnold is known for his groundbreaking climbs on some of the world's most difficult rock walls and is a master of the free solo climbing technique, which involves climbing alone without any ropes and with perilously little margin for error. His gravity-defying talent has rightly made him a celebrated star of the climbing world. This unfortunately awkward combination of autobiography and biography alternates between sections by Honnold about his life and climbs and segments by alpinist and writer Roberts providing context and commentary on Honnold's feats. While the author's extraordinary climbing accomplishments and dedication to his unencumbered lifestyle are worthy of chronicling, this uneven and ultimately unsatisfying work fails to provide enough insight into Honnold's often opaque motivations, offering only a muddy and sometimes contradictory view of his personality. At times, Honnold comes across as overly reckless and somewhat arrogant, whereas in other parts of the book his humility and admirable humanitarian work are highlighted. Candid descriptions of major climbs struggle to convey the unusual combination of mental strength and physical endurance that make his rare achievements possible. VERDICT Suited only to dedicated rock climbing aficionados who may also enjoy Alexander Huber's The Mountain Within.—Ingrid Levin, Salve Regina Univ. Lib., Newport, RI

Kirkus Reviews

2015-09-01
A much-honored climber's exciting story of the death-defying feats that led to rock-climbing superstardom. Honnold showed a predilection for climbing when he was still a small child. At age 5, he managed to scramble 30 feet off the ground at a climbing gym within just a few minutes. Later, he entered climbing competitions all over his home state of California. After his father died, Honnold dropped out of college and chose to live out of his mother's minivan while climbing mountains. This book—which alternates between narratives by Honnold and writer/climber Roberts (Lost World of the Old Ones: Discoveries in the Ancient Southwest, 2015, etc.)—focuses on that remarkable and unconventional life and how Honnold, a quiet man who climbed purely for the joy of adventure, became "the most famous climber in the world" in the span of seven years. In his early days as a vagabond climber, he learned how to free solo, a form of climbing that relies on strength and skill alone. Not long after that, Honnold began attempting climbs—such as Half Dome in Yosemite and Sendero Luminoso in Mexico—that veterans of the sport believed were too difficult to do without gear or a partner. His notoriety spread quickly among rock climbers. Rapidly, Honnold became the subject of several documentaries and was receiving sponsorships that allowed him to travel the world and push the boundaries of his sport to extreme new heights. His dedication to the sport of rock climbing had its costs, however, including the painful end of a long-term relationship. Yet celebrity status also reinforced his belief in the importance of living simply. In 2012, he established the Honnold Foundation, which sought "sustainable ways to improve lives worldwide." The humility, pioneering spirit, and courage that are the author's personal hallmarks are both refreshing and invigorating. His account ultimately reminds readers how genuine fulfillment comes only when engaging in life fully and without fear. An inspiringly intense memoir for readers of adventure lit.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940169866124
Publisher:	Blackstone Audio, Inc.
Publication date:	11/09/2015
Edition description:	Unabridged

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