Free Solo
Free Solo is about Alex Honnold and his death-defying, gravity-defying, mind-blowing free climb of El Capitan in Yosemite National Park. Free climbing is rock climbing, but without the use of protective equipment, meaning it is just you and the mountain. This documentary extensively interviews Alex and follows his months of preparation and training leading up to his exhilarating ascent and is one of the most impressive feats you will ever see.
Released 2018; Runtime 100 minutes
Concepts
- Confidence: Alex does not undertake major climbs without first feeling completely confident in his training, preparation, and fitness; He regularly talks about practicing over and over and over again until he knows every little rock and edge of the path he is going to climb.
- Attention & Focus: A huge part of being able to climb the way he does is by blocking out distractions and focusing only on what he needs to, including during training.
- Anxiety & Stress: Alex appears to be naturally predisposed to experience less anxiety than the average person, part of why he is such a successful free climber; The documentary also highlights the times he does become nervous, along with the anxiety that his friends and family experience while he climbs.