Magnus Midtbø on Viral Free Solo with Alex Honnold
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- Опубликовано: 3 дек 2023
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Magnus Midtbø is a professional climber AND the biggest climbing RUclipsr. He has climbed 5.15b (9b), and his RUclips channel recently hit 1M subscribers.
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I climbed that route (Armatron) a week ago and it actually made the video seem a little less nervewracking . The style of climbing is very secure with big positive holds and I can see why Honnold thought it was a good choice. I'm not saying I'd *ever* want to solo it, and no doubt would be shitting my pants if I did, but I'll put it this way: if I were forced to choose between playing Russian roulette or soloing Armatron to escape with my life, I'd pick the soloing option without a doubt
Of course it was less nervewracking. You had a rope. Magnus didn't have the option to rope it first
@@boogaloo4640He said it made (watching) 'the video' less nerve wracking. Not that Magnus' experience was less nerve wracking.
Interesting way to tell that you feel your chances of falling off are much less that 16.66 percent! Thanks! I do a lot of soloing myself. Would you say the chance for you is 1% or lower?
@@boogaloo4640it’s a 5.9 bro it’s not like he was soloing 5.11 or something
I think that's about what it'd take for me as well...
Alex: lets just hope we dont kill Magnus
Magnus: yeah....
*nervous laughter*
“Its so easy… Trust 😎🤜🤜. Lets also hope we don’t kill you…🙃.”
dude basically asking for a lawsuit from family if things do go wrong. he should be more low key about asking people to put their lives on the line for pretty much no reason at all. I get he dgaf, but basically asking someone to risk their lives on a route they have never even completed with ropes is kind of irresponsible and weird coming from a climber with such status and notoriety. No way Alexs lawyers dont cringe hard at all of this.
@@bearcrimeshe’s an adult and responsible for his own decisions
That Midtbo Honnold video is epic and should win awards. It's excellent at letting the viewer "feel" what it takes from a mental state to do that. I've climbed the traditional red rock area many many times and it's like climbing on flypaper. That smooth baked stuff is not like that. I felt like Magnus on the flypaper stuff. But after you get through it you feel like Superman. And that's why you do it again.
I wathced the Magnus video for like 70% okay didn't felt like a lot and then when Magnus turned on the gopro camera i was like wow... at that point you actually can see or feel atleast something he is feeling when you look down..
That’s what I’m saying man. That video is absurd on so many levels
I almost feel like you shouldn't reward it.
The more people like Storror, Magnus, Pete, Tom and the like, realise we watch them for their personality and positivity not the risk they take at height, the better.
@@luckyspursI wholeheartedly agree with this sentiment
@@fan4every1lol89agreed. Every person who collabs with honnold is doing the hobby a disservice by furthering his reach and making it look like some sort of cool guy achievement. He will eventually have blood on his hands if he continues this type of thing. It's like if you had a pro skateboarder that did huge ramp jumps and didn't wear pads and people thought it was special. Just do it right every time.
I was absolutely terrified for Magnus as I watched this. I mean even though I knew that this video had a good ending, that meant nothing to me. Talk about pushing yourself beyond your limits & then going farther than that, this has to be the 2nd most heart stopping video next to Free Solo I've ever watched!
Could have done with this interview being way longer. Given all the criticism that Alex got for 'peer pressuring' Magnus into the climb, it was interesting that, while acknowledging that Alex talked him into it, Magnus took full responsibility for his decision to actually do it. This was the first time I'd heard about them having to stop filming & it looked as though Magnus was very stressed even just talking about that part.
90 minute full interview with Magnus drops on the podcast this week! Thanks for watching / listening.
I can't help but think about sexual harassment during the whole thing. Honestly, I don't think Alex did anything wrong. Magnus is an adult and Alex is actually very cool for respecting that and being a good enough friend to push Magnus for an awesome experience.
Which is why I can't stop imagining Alex, or me, convincing a woman like that to have an affair with me. Maybe she's not sure at first, maybe a bit scared. But what if I am confident that it'll be fun and useful for both of us like Alex was confident? The dilemma is whether to respect adult women and to trust them to not make decisions they don't want but I've seen too many times cases were a woman was persuaded to have a relationship only later to regret it and blame the guy for harassment. And, Magnus is sooo bomber for not giving in and starting drama with Alex just for infamy! He easily could've suggested Alex was too pushy!
@thestruggleclimbingshow Hey, looking forward to watch full thing. When we can expect that? Can't wait! xD
Adults making adult like decisions. Life is awesome!
@@AntonAdelson this is like seeing a cloud in the sky that reminds you of adolf hitler and how much you want to genocide the J***. Bruh it wasn’t the cloud, it’s just you. It’s not Alex, it’s you. You’re the one thinking about sexually harassing women, nobody else was talking or thinking about that. Delete your comment seriously
I've climbed Armatron (the climb Magnus and Alex climbed) twice now and both times I used it as an "introduction to long multi-pitch trad" for my partners because of the ease of the climbing and gear placement (especially if they don't need to lead the crux pitch with the 20 feet of crack). I am not a 5.13+ climber, but never once was I even remotely worried about falling. Even still, I would never want to free solo the route. I understand at some level that I physically could, but I can't imagin how the nerves and head game would change that for me. Long story short, that mental element puts free soloing firmly outside of my window of risk tolerance.
If you trad climb a lot, you do free solo. Trad climbing almost always includes no fall zones. You're actually safer learning to confidently and carefully solo easy routes, down climb/reverse moves, keep composed and trust your ability. It will definitely make you a safer trad climber. You don't have to start with a 150m route though 😅
@@CLANK... You're not wrong... a couple weekends ago I was 300 feet above the ground, 15-20 feet above my last piece of gear and 30 feet above a ledge... a fall at that point would have been fundamentally no different than a free soloing fall. And before anyone says that without the rope that I'd have fallen off the ledge, it was a realllllly big ledge (Looking Glass's Parking Lot.)
@TheArmyKnifeNut there you go. Soloing competence is a key skill imo, yet so many new climbers (whose only exposure is probably this video or the freesolo movie), plam it off, yet are still up for trad.
@@CLANK... good points all around. In that same line of thought, there are people who would consider a highball boulders but not free solo... long story short, climbing is and always will be a game of balancing risk mitigation and risk tolerance. And that is a very nuanced and personal balancing act that too many climbers who've grown up in sanitized and risk adverse gym environment lack the necessary context to speak intelligently on.
Listen mate. I want you to get a good nights rest. Wake up early, have a cold shower and then head to that bitch without any ropes or climbing equipment other than your chalk and climbing shoes. I want you to free solo that bitch.
The zoomed out shot of alex and magnus on the wall is just awesome. They both look so casual and calm. Just two dudes chilling on a wall
I get so stressed every time I’ve watched that video. Magnus is a total stud for climbing solo w Alex.
I remember the first time watching that video I was so stressed. Cool to hear about him asking Alex to stop filming
Happens to me when I climb easy routes, I expect them to be easy but when I encounter something not so easy my expectations fall and I freak out. Also it’s easy to get confused and take another direction.
The video is INSANE 🥶 so intense 😭
Most people on the internet seem to be vlimbers who hate scrambling, but for those of us who are scramblers and not interetsed in ropes, I just want to say thank you to anyone beinf civil in these comments
That route would (I imagine) be an easy flash for the majority of your listeners - with a rope. Taking away that security put him in a position where he's second guessing his decisions, freaked out by the exposure, etc. One brain fart and it's over. I would never free solo, but even for an elite climber it seems insane to free solo something you haven't climbed already and/or where there's any risk of breaking holds.
Yeah. A few months later, Magnus pretty much danced his way up the Verzasca Dam, which is roughly the same height as Armatron & more technically difficult. But he had a rope
@@boogaloo4640 These two routes aren't even close. The dam was 8a (5.13b in US). Armatron is a 5.9- according to Mountain Project. I haven't climbed at Red Rocks, and grades can be wildly different depending on areas/ages/styles, but it looks appropriately graded (ie maybe an easy-moderate 5.10 in a gym). For a decent climber (and Magnus is far beyond decent) it's a warm up. But if you had never touched the surface of the rock, or ran into a style you were uncomfortable with (cracks) there's always a risk. The first 2-pitch route I climbed was only 5.7 but was a crack, which I had never attempted. It turned out to be pretty easy once I got a feeling for it, but it was unfamiliar enough that I would have died of fear if I had to free solo it.
A few weeks back I attempted my first big wall in Squamish. Previously me and my climbing partner had onsighted into the low 5.12s sport climbing, had done a few short multipitches and figured we'd kinda just walk up a 16 pitch 5.10 (stairway to heaven) and it'd be a fun day. Not even close! We underestimated it super hard. Even on a rope it felt very scary with big runouts on unfamiliar friction-based slab hundreds of meters up. We fell many times due to mistaken routefinding, an unfamiliar style and just general fatigue. Scraped and bloodied we decided against the final pitches when it got dark after having started early in the morning and bailed.
Alex Honnold would've considered it a warmup and been done in like half an hour. I didn't fully realize how insane his solos were until attempting a big wall myself, to just onsight that sort of thing free solo seems crazy
Red Rock is one of the softest and easiest places to climb in the US. Armatron is pretty much a pure face climb and extremely popular so there is no choss on it. Its basically the perfect climb to do this, and I'm sure why Alex chose it. You would not just try your luck on Epinephrine also 5.9 which is a more trad style climb (chimney climbing).
@@ThatLaggyNoob Wow, good on you for trying. Yeah, I've only flashed in the low 5.11s outdoors (at Red River Gorge & Horseshoe Canyon, which are both sandstone sport areas). I'd love to try a big wall eventually (or at least something more than a couple pitches) but it sounds way different and much harder even just due to the texture and how big rocks are structured compared to carved canyons.
Magnus midtbø inspire me to start climbing and i alway greatful to him 🙏🙏🙏🙏
I started climbing a year ago because of Magnus and I'd never be able to repay what he did for me. It literaly changed my life.
I've watched this video a couple of times ... It really was fascinating and entertaining.
We use a rope to avoid accidents in and out of our control. I’m sure the route is bomber.. but what if a climbing party above them accidentally dropped a bottle or a small backpack? Anything out of your control can have huge consequences if you free solo.
I’ve encountered snakes in a route, huge spiders, loose rock, have been hit by ropes of people rappelling, I’ve even had to avoid getting hit by a ropebag. That’s why I don’t free solo.
Not to mention scorpions! Nice to hear a reasonable point of view.
Quite. What happens if one handhold fails whilst the other hand is off the wall, that’s it.
are spiders common on longer routes like this?
You, me, almost everyone 😂
Thx for your opinion but some people do it and let them
Alexx honnold is just one of those rare guys were it is obvious that he just thinks differently to everyone else, also shows me all climbers are nutters.
his amygdala is not firing, it does not pass on fear signals to the hypothalamus, there are articles about his brain
Magnus explains here what Alex did wrong in the situation -- not informing him of various sections/lack of chalk. Alex did not "peer pressure" Magnus, and it's fine that he had to convince Magnus into it. However, you never want to look back on a scrambling/soloing experience and feel any luck or unexpected difficulty in completing the route (like you got away with one), and it seems Magnus being vulnerable here has a bit of that feeling. We don't need to point fingers here, but a larger point could have been made to fully study and respect all routes below your level when scrambling/soloing. Will be interesting to see if Alex is in any more soloing videos for some time
I didn't get the impression that Magnus felt he "got away with one". Sounds like it was a very technically basic route for him. Also, they said there is usually chalk all over that route but that there wasn't that day, unusually. It wasn't because Alex didn't communicate what to expect.
@@josh-kf2rd just rewatch 6:45-9:30. Magnus is literally reliving a traumatic experience in this interview and you can see it on his face. Alex would never have taken him on the solo if he knew Magnus would get stressed at multiple points. And why did Magnus get stressed at multiple points? Because of Alex’s lack of foresight about various sections and the lack of chalk (not simply because of the exposure). For Magnus to say (@ 8:30) that he began to doubt Alex as a soloing guide in that moment speaks volumes
Alex definitely peer pressured Magnus, just he has very little self-awareness about risk and his broken relationship with it.
At 8:01 you can hear he's not comfortable at all and if there was a worse bit later on that wasn't filmed, that's not a comfortable climb.
That was the bit in the original video that really cut through as well. It's one thing panicking watching the whole thing, but when you hear the guy who's been climbing his whole life sound that way, it's serious.
After watching what Alex has done we all know he's not on the same level as a normal human being in the fear scale. Magnus shouldn't even showed up on site, no one put a gun to him. If you don't want to play with your life just say no, they're all adults.
Great interview! Also really entertaining editing 👍🏻
Thanks so much! Full interview with Mag is hitting the podcast this week 💪
@@thestruggleclimbingshow looking forward to it 👏🏻
Whatever luck Alex lives by, bless him 😂
I think deep down there is a part of us that is excited about soloing, mixed in with a lot of fear lol
✅
Yes nice finally realistic thing has been said
I was freaking out watching that video coz Magnus seemed so stressed, my heart kept pounding like crazy untill they reached the summit.
Though in Alex's defense I would say that he knew and understood how good a Climber Magnus is and that it would be a cakewalk for him, which Magnus himself acknowledges here that there was no chance he would fall off unless he really freaked out.
Alex has no perspective on his own abilities let alone those of others. He's a fall waiting to happen. He takes risks and gets lucky all the time.
@@whatilearnttoday5295you can’t get “lucky” at his skill level. Absolutely zero room for getting “lucky”.
@@badfrostbyte6171 He's been lucky more than a few times you can bet on this.
@@badfrostbyte6171he absolutely can get lucky and there is absolutely room for luck in every single solo he does and you can read how unprepared he was for free solos he did not only on rock but on modern buildings
I'm glad this was finally talked about openly.
Armatron is an easy route, and to anyone thats climbed it knows that you spend more time placing nuts on that glorious chunky brown sections than climbing sometimes!
People are way too quick to project their own fears onto him or their own unrelated experiences, even though most of us might as well be crawling while Magnus is an olympic sprinter in this sport.
I also hope it introduces a broader conversation about solo climbing in general, which is far more common in trad and alpine climbing than many casual climbers believe. If you spend enough time in the mountains you will end up in sections were falling means dying, and your level of comfort with that increases hopefully over time. For a mere mortal that is usually 4th class or 5.2 climbing, but considering someone who climbs 5.15 that level of acceptance is wider.
I think you're downplaying the main criticism that people are placing on Alex. You're right that some people are projecting their own fears, but a lot of people in here have made some very valid arguments. The main one I see and agree on, is the fact that Magnus was persuaded based on false premises of there being zero cracks and the mountain being very chalky. Magnus literally said he isn't very skilled at cracks and was definitely a large factor in being hesitant to climb.
Turns out that there was a crack section on the climb, which Magnus became visibly stressed at raising the stakes and the danger for his life. For example someone else here mentioned the issue that this amount of stress could cause, so much as one could forget their own technique. Magnus literally had to tell Alex to put down the camera to help guide him through that segment. Then at 8:30 Magnus even said he started to lose his trust in Alex...
Bottom line is Alex should have done a better job at evaluating the route so that Magnus would have had the best information to make an informed decision to put his life at risk climbing free-solo.
@@bobithpopit3193 I’ve climbed the route and it’s quite popular. That section isn’t a crack climb, your simply pulling on pockets inside a crack. You don’t hand jam, fist jam, foot jam, finger lock, ring lock or arm bar a single move on the climb.
@@Doctor_Yuri I don’t know why your personal anecdotal experience of the climb takes precedent over the experience that Magnus had and the emotions he displayed before and after the climb. Did you free solo that route?
@@bobithpopit3193 it’s not anecdotal, I’m literally describing the route. The personal part is whether I though it was easy or not, which is irrelevant. It’s not a crack climbing section, Magnus just freaked out because he simply saw a crack and assumed that. I don’t blame him, I’m sure that was scary but it was simply nerves not reality. I encourage you to do the route yourself, it’s super fun. Link it with Myster Z for a full day
This video will sit in my head for long.
This feels even more nerve wracking!
Ill watch anything featuring Magnus.
More videos with Mag coming out soon. You can also listen to the full interview I did with him on the podcast, and watch the full uncut video of our conversation, available to patrons over at patreon.com/thestruggleclimbingshow 💪
And Alex:)
I just watched this first time yesterday.
Even though Magnus is a grown man and can make his own decisions, it still feels off when you see someone getting persuaded to risk their life for a video and looking stressed on a podcast talking about it. It was an amazing video, but ethically still feels off no matter what Magnus says
Everytime he talks about it he's visibly stressed. Ofc he is gonna say it was his decision etc. and it was. But still, soloing isnt something you should "talk someone into" for a damn video. Or any reason really besides maybe saving your family or some s.
I think this is a great learning video, don't let people talk you into risking your life for clicks. Magnus could have chosen to hike to the top.
@@TravisHi_YT He should have brought at least minimal gear to secure himself quickly in case of a panic attack
That's your subjective reality.
There are many valid subjective realities and none of them are wrong, not even Alex Honnold's.
@@S0ulinth3machin3 We all know that Magnus is a grown man and was his decision to climb it. Doesnt make it any less selfish an unsympathetic to actively and vehemently try to convince someone of doing something that undoubtedly will put their life in danger.
I already felt that Alex had a socipathic way of thinking when I first watched his movie, but since then, watching a bunch of his interviews, videos and especially this story with Magnus... it made it even more clear to me.
Makes it very hard to side with that guy
That was the scariest real video I’ve ever seen.
Peer pressure. I don't know I don't think Alex should have pushed it that far with Magnus. He obviously wasn't ready. He had no time to prepare mentally and he's never climbed there before.
“He obviously wasn’t ready” you say as he successfully scaled the side of a cliff…
Alex is a menace 😂😂
Complete menace, glad he had a kid and stopped free soloing
What shoes did Magnus use for this climb? I think I remember him telling it was a soft gym shoe?
Scarpa Veloce, I think. Happy to be corrected if wrong
@@boogaloo4640 thanx.
he seems kind of spooked by that experience
in my opinion someone doing free solo has no business talking someone else into it. i mean thats a decision you have to make totally for yourself without any external influence. i think this free solo with video was a mistake. quite thrilling entertainment but a mistake. it should not be done doing it like this.
Isn't it very rare to solo flash? I thought climbers usually practice route with ropes, check holds, prepare route (remove loose debris).
I think Alex solo flashes pretty often (so long as it is well below his limit), so he thought it would be okay to have Magnus do the same.
alex is so considerate. i dont think he would have taken mag solo
i think i speak for everyone that watched that video.... my hands are so sweaty
That video stems from:
-Alex lack of social skills and really falling in love with the idea of doing another free solo with Magnus.
-Magnus being a people pleaser and hating to say no.
It seemed like Magnus said no 10 times and yes 1 time. I do agree with the comments saying he might have gotten ptsd from that day.
Agree. Insane.
At the end of the day Magnus was very proud that he did it, has no regrets, and really enjoyed the once in a lifetime experience. We are on this earth one time and at some point or another in our short lives a friend or family member has convinced us to go outside of our comfort zone and we are infinitly better better and more resilient because of it. He knows the ultimate decision was his and I think if you ask him he would agree.
@@JoeNoSay I'm don't think I agree with any of this, except maybe for the last half of the last sentence.
thats fine you are able to believe whatever you like; even if its wrong. @@riksstaden4927
that is some crazy parasocial shit. you don't know somebody that you watch on youtube.
Best climb ever. A special moment in history. Next up. Free climbing trees 🌳.
I don't intend on watching the whole video. The anxiousness in his voice after the fact is enough for me to think this was an experience he regrets
Yeah, the video where he watched it with his girlfriend (who had no idea he was going to do it) is even worse.
It's like she doesn't know whether to be bemused by Alex, angry at him, or grateful for him making sure Magnus got up fine.
At least you admit that youre not informed and not willing to listen to the guy who did actually did it and how he feels yet totally comfortable to pass judgment on what you dont know/understand👍
5:08 if you want to actually educate yourself instead of passing judgment based on ignorance
I was nervous the whole time watching the video
Me too
It's one thing to risk your own life - and a completely different thing to risk someone's. The preparation in that case should be flawless - "let's hope Magnus won't die today" just doesn't cut it.
And as we can see from both this and Alex's interview, he made at least two important mistakes - with the chalk and with the crack, in both cases misinforming Magnus.
Alex's preparation for this climb was thus anything but flawless - and I don't see him publicly admitting that. Also, can't help wonder - if instead of Magnus it would be Alex's own son or his brother, would his attitude towards this preparation still be so carefree?
It seems that Magnus still feels affected by the experience. We've all seen novice climbers freeze or panic, and soloing a route when he was not 100% ready was perhaps more likely to lead to a catastrophe. Sports psychology talks about Catastrophe Theory and the sudden collapse of performance at a certain arousal level. To be honest, Alex was not qualified to judge whether Magnus would panic.
Armchair psychology is a dead practice, get with the times.
@@T1ddlywinks Seems you have very little real climbing experience and never had friends die soloing.
@@T1ddlywinksI am not a fan of armchair psychology, but it seems that Honnold is guilty of of that, not this random commenter. If the question on the table is "Is it possible that Magnus will panic and on his first time free soloing?", the burden of proof is on a person who answers no. Yes is the safe answer, so it is the one you must take if you don't have evidence in any direction. This is a life or death matter so if you want to say no, you had better have some good reason to say it. Honnold does not appear to have had any reason beyond "Magnus is a good climber, he'll be fine and won't panic". That is the irresponsible armchair psychology.
@@Jesse_Carl exatcly
Exactly, he could judge Magnus technical level to see enough of spare abilities, but not what will be his psychological state
i do agreed with the comment regarding the unfairness of Honnold bringing Magnus out there. Magnus clearly looked super uncomfortable/stressed and then almost peer pressured into completing this free Soloing. Maybe i am wrong, but if something serious had happened i think a lot more attention would've been brought to that point. Either way respect to both climbers!
If Magnus had fallen the entire view of Alex would have changed on a dime.
I agree!@@luckyspurs
Anyone looking at this interaction with all the what ifs is just the fear that prevents many from doing many things. The discourse between Alex and magnus was fascinating to me. I guess I am confused by the negative reaction towards Alex. Comments about him being anti social personality disorder or narcissistic.
The issue I have with that is two fold- unless you’re licensed to determine that you have no business speculating publicly about it and it’s borderline defamation. Two, it’s peoples own fears that generate these comments. The only person who can speak to what happened is Alex and magnus. I saw the video when it came out and ironically to magnus it was the mental part of the climb where he needed support from Alex. I also believe the climb really put into perspective how fragile life is. What people are hearing from Magnus seems like regret but I don’t think that’s it at all. It’s more oh shit I felt so out of control mentally .
Alex is one of one. And nothing in his behavior to me says selfish. He donates one third of his income to his charity. Jesus Christ can you imagine what the world could be if every millionaire donated one third?
Can't Imagine Alex mind.
2:53 little did he know, the rock face was pressure-washed and polished the day before...
Should your first significant free climb experience ever be a route you've not done before?
I would never do that , but if i had to , I would want Alex guideing and coaching me.
Are you sure? You'd be scared to death and Alex would say "cool, keep going".
wow
But anyway guys, the gym is the gym, camera or not.
There is a huge difference, at least for me, in climbing indoor and outdoor
I don't buy that Alex was 'reckless' per se. I can't imagine that he would entertain such a situation if he believed, even for a moment, that there was even a 0.0001% chance of anything other than a happy ending. That said, I think forgetting what it's like to be a beginner is pretty common amongst people at the top of their game. In this case, despite their visual similarities, he and Magnus are athletes in fundamentally different sports.
He entertains such situations regularly. He will fall eventually.
Of course there was a greater than 0.0001% risk.
There was surely greater risk hahahhaha. People are delusional.
You're talking about a man who described his climbing Burj Khalifa without ropes as "you do the same V4 boulder problem, 112 times in a row".
Did anyone else think that the two climbers below with ropes were there just in case Magnus did loose it, or am i flying kites here ?
I believe Alex 100% had confidence that Magnus could do this climb easily. It's just he didn't take into account how not being familiar with the the route, type of rock, and area could, and did, affect Magnus. Like Magnus said, If he had climbed that route with a rope first, and then soloed it, he would have been stress free.
xjudoflip. When you know you have a rope you feel fairly safe, even when leading, but unroped.....It becomes a real head game that I never wanted to try because I knew I could easily make a mistake and that would pretty much be it....
Ok, not sure if this was reassuring.
I need a chalk bag just to watch this video
😅
It’s almost a statistical certainty that Alex or his friends will be involved in a serious accident if they keep soloing. It is not for me to judge whether that makes it the wrong decision or not
Yup, saw that with Ueli Steck who I had the good fortune of meeting. They no longer feel any risk, and just carry on. One issue out of their control, like a piece of rock breaking, and that’s it.
If you watch the original video, Alex spends a lot of the start talking about the friends he used to do this with that aren't about anymore.
Which can't have been reassuring.
I don't even like watching Pete Whittaker and Tom Randall climb stuff that's 30 metres high in the Lake District, without ropes.
And they've done them all dozens of times.
Magnus, deep-down, probably thought he was at risk of falling and wanted to stop filming because of it. Most likely the thought of dying on camera was getting to him, so he needed a moment to chill out. Anyway, just guessing, wasn't there to see it.
I think he was way nervous in spots. It really looks like a fun adventure though if you can do it.
Peer pressure kills
We all know that Magnus is a grown man and was his decision to climb it. Doesnt make it any less selfish an unsympathetic to actively and vehemently try to convince someone of doing something that undoubtedly will put their life in danger.
I already felt that Alex had a socipathic way of thinking when I first watched his movie, but since then, watching a bunch of his interviews, videos and especially this story with Magnus... it made it even more clear to me.
Makes it very hard to side with that guy
I think he's just wired differently. He doesn't sense fear like the rest of us do so he probably doesn't understand this kind of a feeling.
@xXxBladeStormxXx I agree, and that's basically being a sociopath in a nutshell. Not feeling emotions the way others do and being incapable of sympathizing with the emotions of others. Doesn't make him any less sketchy as a climbing partner.
"wired differently" yeah bro thats what sociopaths are 😭😭😭
Dude has a headset on and is not even using the mic 😭
Of course Magnus would be defending Alex and he might not have - literally- forced Magnus into this but there was definitely peer pressure involved and that's undeniable just based on Magnus's behaviour, expressions and body language throughout the whole video.
I have respect for Alex's achievements but he's an adrenaline junkie - everyone who plays with their lives in pursuit of thrill is one - and you should never let these people influence you if you yourself don't have this gene in you.
@tyraster. I used to climb but couldn't bring myself to free solo. I don't have the head for it. I got the same vibe as you regarding Alex's nudge towards Magnus doing it.
Any criticism of Alex and Magnus is basically ridiculous. It was excellent coaching. Both guys are humble and professional.
Watching Alex talk Magnus into free soloing is like watching some dude try to convince his gf to do butt stuff, but much more successfully!
😂
I personally would free solo Mount Everest. I’ve never climbed before but it doesn’t look difficult and I’m an athlete
Just remember that Steve Irwin thought he was invincible as well. He died rather unexpectedly, as it was expected that someday it would happen.
"You know he never thought he would have a long life. He just always kind of had this sense that his life would be cut short." This is Terri Irwin talking about a conversation she had with Steve Irwin before he died. Steve never thought he was invincible.
Why do my finger tips hurt when I see people do heights?
So Alex is that friend that mom hated.
I think it was extremely irresponsible of Alex to invite Magnus to free solo on video. If someone wants to free solo, I think it is completely acceptable for them to take that risk, but I don't think its right for a free soloer to even hint to anyone else that they should join in the activity. The decision to risk your life is not one that should ever be made under any amount of pressure.
I trust that Magnus is an adult who made his own decision. However, he certainly would not have decided to do it if Alex hadn't invited him and then kept assuring him it would be fine.
I don't think Honnold was being malicious or knowingly irresponsible, it just seems that his perception of acceptable risks is extremely warped. That is ok, so long as he only takes on those risks himself, but I hope he (and other soloers) will be more careful about influencing other people's decisions.
Well, Magnus is top-tier climber and it changes everything. It would be irresponsible for Alex to invite an average climber, but that's not the case. As Magnus said, at the end of the day he was the one who made the choice. He was fully conscious of the risks he would take, he knows perfectly his weaknesses.
Ultimately Magnus made the choice to free solo. No one could convince me to risk my life like that, especially if I knew as much as Magnus did about the task.
Magnus could have chose to simply hike to the top, which they talked about a lot, it still would have been a great video regardless.
I think it was fine. Sometimes someone needs a little push to do something extraordinary that they otherwise wouldn't have done. Like Magnus said in the video, he has free solo'd with Alex before and has climbed for 25 years. It seems like Alex's perception of risk was spot on in the video. He said Magnus would be fine, might get a little bit stressed at points but will ultimately be able to handle things just fine. That's exactly what happened. These guys also know that if Magnus wants to back out, they can call a rescue in or probably borrow gear from the other climbers in the area. Magnus never had to keep going just because he started.
I feel the same way about any high risk activity. Regardless of how good somebody is at something, I'm not going to pressure them into adding risk they didn't ask for. If someone asks me about motorcycle riding/racing, I'll give them guidance, but I'm not going to try and talk someone into it.
In the video he says he can't wait to bring his kid free soloing with him when he's ready lol.. at least this shows its not malicious intent more just warped as you say
why is he trying to convince people to risk their life doing something so pointless? it’s not worth it. free soloing is stupid and should not be attempted by anyone with a will to live. not saying it should be outlawed, but if you’re that obsessed with climbing, you got some issues. And you should listen to the sane people that tell you not to do it.
The problem is these guys worship Alex. They will always defend his mental gymnastics and crazy justifications. The truth starts to slip out a bit here 7:35
I get a very bad feeling from honnold regarding this
Why would you allow a guy with no real sense of risk peer pressure you into making his same decisions?
I'd never do that even if I were in shape to. But I'd do it before I did potholing/cavediving...
Well this was an achievement...
Is it just me, or does Magnus actually seem like he has a bit of PTSD from the experience?
100%. For example, 8:50 - 9:30 when he's talking about "camera off" moment he becomes visibly distressed, especially towards the end where his breath shallows and his mouth dries....he goes back to that moment, you can see it in his eyes, and I don't think it's a particularly fond memory. We all love you Magnus, been following you for years, I'm happy everything is ok, but we were all scared with you!
I think this whole ordeal needs to be put to bed and Magnus given time to make peace with it and move on in his own way.
Yeah, why would someone talk you into doing something like this? He could literally have fallen to his death. That's not cool, man.
@@chrisbrowne5036 usually in this kind of extreme sport, when someone say they don't feel like doing it, that's it.. doesn't matter whether you think the person is up for it or not, he should have respected that decision, so.. this dude is really not cool at all.
@@jesterpklAlex has no real sense of the risks. He does the things he does because his brain doesn't work that way.
He genuinely looked more freaked out than Marte in the video where he watched it with her.
Why do your palms drip with sweat like this?
Way too short.
Watch the full 90 minute version when it is uploaded.
Lol Alex unintentionally ruined Magnus life 😂
He wasn't pressured into it but I firmly disagree with both him and Alex on this activity. Free soloing is such bs, like driving without a seatbelt, putting your thrill above the value of your life for yourself and for others. I just hate it tbh
It’s not really similar at all because ur only risking ur own life
@@largeshaftzac8027 Similar to what? My driving example is also risking your own life and not others. Despite that I still think its wrong just as I think its wrong to commit suicide if it can be prevented. When I mentioned others I meant that people who care about the person will be greatly affected not to mention the disrespect toward the people that raised the person.
@@MrFredde9999 driving without a seatbelt increases the risk of others getting hurt in a crash, therefore ur example isn’t analogous. Also I simply disagree that it’s wrong to kill itself if you want to but that’s not really relevant
@@largeshaftzac8027 Driving alone without a seatbelt increase the risk of hurting others? Sounds weird but doesn't matter. I'm happy to debate why its still wrong to risk your own life if you want
@@MrFredde9999 Kk Coolio, let me here what u think
Magnus is making some great content and fair play to him he’s probably on track to become a future Darwin awards winner much like Alex honnold.It’s all entertainment
All I can see watching this video is someone who befriended a charming psychopath talking in a dissociated state about a very real risk he took in the context of that friendship. I think the only reason this doesn't disturb more people is that statistically most haven't had someone with ASPD in their life.
If Magnus had fallen to his death the conversation about "equal responsibility" and how far is too far to push somebody who is saying no would look so differently, and we'd be discussing Alex's level of culpability. The footage of the club is emotionally reminiscent of the scenes in Dahmer when the victim is first invited back to Jeffrey's place but very much still alive, they're only in the early stages of being a victim, but it's too late to leave. It's only different because we know how the ending from the beginning.
Magnus would have never flashed a challenging free solo if it wasn't for Alex's coercion. Alex pulled out every trick in the book to get Magnus to do that climb -- lying, omission / withholding information, gaslighting, and the most important trick of all: to veil it with confidence and the exact "right" words, "respectfully" and "kindly".
A psychopath I used to know often recited "the most effective way to manipulate somebody is if they can't sense you're doing it at all." He was a lifetime criminal, never faced any consequences. They're out there. Alex strikes me as one. "This is how you coach somebody into free soloing" is better viewed as an admission of manipulation. Watch 1:23 - 3:30 again.
Magnus' big error is that he suppresses his true feelings and his body's intuitive knowing that the risk isn't really worth the risk; that there's something just not quite right for him going on. This isn't in his value system, but he did it anyway, instead of saying a more clear "no".
If Magnus fell to his death, Alex likely would have felt maybe disappointed and inconvenienced, while most of us would never be the same, bereft and traumatized. Alex's unique lack of caring goes beyond not being able to experience typical human fear- to the point of not showing evidence of valuing life. No one who *actually* wants to embody the value of having a friend only say yes to the things they feel really good about would be so consistently committed to getting what they want in the way we see in Alex.
*footage of the *climb*; apparently there are sentences I failed to proofread
thank you for this well putted analysis
I like Alex, but thought this was not cool. You are "playing" with someone's life. More power to Alex if he wants to do this stuff, but to coerce someone else was kind of crappy.
100% peer pressure. He's just defending Alex at this point.
Why are climbers not using liquid chalk?
It sticks much better and gives you a 5x better grip than slippery dry sh1t...
Because it needs two hands to put it on? I guess you could just float in air while you apply liquid chalk on your hands.
Also almost all liquid chalks contain quite a lot of rosin, what makes them unsutable for outdoor use.
While rosin makes the grip better in controlled environment it's turning into amber-like substance when exposed to UV light.
And that's exactly where the issue lies - as long as rocks are exposed to direct sunlight using chalk with rosin will make them slippery AF in no time.
Btw that also damaged a lot of rocks in Fontainebleau, still in the times before chalk got popular.
I actually really dislike that video. It has peer pressure, danger for the sake of views, and the general call for help/prideful death embrace that poisons a lot of climbing. The other stuff Magnus does is way more entertaining and makes climbing feel more inviting.
That's an invalid viewpoint.
@@knd4rkst4rk, how?
If you're gonna say something like that you should present an argument
I'm a third party outsider random RUclips account. I'm actually not even sure how I feel about it, my minds open. But you make yourself look more invalid for just saying that without any explanation.
Really reckless. Reckless by Alex just to get his kicks out of watching Magnus getting stressed. Alex really went down in my estimation after watching the video.
i was a huge fan of Alex after seeing Free Solo but this video made me scared of him. talking him into it after he says no and lying multiple times. so sketchy
So so true. Share your feelings. He seems like an egoist and even a psychopath
He didn’t lie, he forgot about the crack because crack climbing isn’t a big deal to him. And he expected chalk on the walls but there weren’t any at that day, maybe it wasn’t getting climbed too often. I don’t think Alex lied on purpose
@@user-kk2fb3dw8h I don’t know if he lied, but your version of the events sounds completely irresponsible and dangerous
@@youdeserveicecreamI agree I have seen Alex in multiple videos and interviews and I don’t think he’s capable of lying. But plenty of others here are either telling outright lies or distorting what happened so bad it turns into a narrative that is false.
That was really fucked by Alex tbh. It was clear Magnus wasnt comfortable and only did it because it was a thing with Alex. Alex is used to accepting these risks, Magnus is not. Ofc, magnus is his own man and can say yes or no - but it was still f'ed up.
Magnus literally said he'd been free climbing with Alex before.
Either Magnus has agency and made the decision of his own accord as a grown man, or Alex controlled him into doing it. Only one of those things can be true, and Magnus himself said it was the former.
Also, Magnus has always sounded like a guy that's into testing his physical ability, not danger.
When you hear him talk about how easily he could have got into other sports, but just happened to get into this one.
naaah magnus is a victim fr 💀
As great as the video was, I think it's incredibly irresponsible to talk someone into something they don't want to do if there's a risk of death involved. Betting your own life is one thing, betting someone else's is another.
I free soloed that for my first time ever climbing
I have to say this armchair, or more accurately given the mental capabilities displayed, wheelchair mentality shown by a large number of commenters regarding the situation is entirely frustrating and perplexing. Alex did nothing wrong - there is not even slightly any justifiable argument that vilifies his actions. Magnus made his own decisions. It doesn't matter what that decision is about he made his decision. People like are you the reason that there are attempts to outlaw everything life - gambling as a good example. Everyone has a right to make their own decisions, you can't apply YOUR own decision making logic and understanding to it, that's not how the world works. And you can't neuter the entire world experience based on your like curated safe-zone bubble of what's acceptable or not. If someone want to dive head first off a building with nothing more than a wingsuit let them. If someone wants to sky dive while holding their parachute in their hand instead of it being already on their back, let them. If someone free solos, let them. Peer pressure does not apply because it is a fictitious concept - it doesn't matter where the idea came from, your actions are your own and that is the end of the story and discussion.
I agree with most of what you said except for peer pressure not existing, while it by itself may not exist I can see a number of verified psychological phenomena working together to form something similar for example mob mentality where people feel pressured to perform actions people around them are doing that’s one of the main ways riots form one person starts being violent and then to others near them it feels more acceptable to be violent, and the Abilene effect in which the group as a whole may decide something that is against the preferences of many or all of the group members. Also while this is admittedly anecdotal I would and have done things with one group of friends I would never have the confidence to do myself or with another group because we all trust each other and all have similar or complementary skill sets and while both of those things by themselves aren’t peer pressure I could see them creating something that appears like peer pressure.
Peer pressure and the bystander effect are real things, for you to insinuate they are not just makes you sound like a fool.
Most people will do anything to avoid responsibility which is all peer pressure is. Magnus owned the decision yet the viewers cling to their own habits and blame someone else, Alex.
@@RandomPlaceHolderNameor more accurately in psychology terms they project their own fears onto Magnus and say how they would react.
Listen my mom convinced me to go on this ride at an amusement park and I had a horrible panic attack. But she didn’t know about my anxiety and ultimately I was mad at myself for letting it happen (even if it was all in my mind).
@@santi_super_stunts2573yeah I was shocked at his conclusion peer pressure isn’t real. It’s more accurate to say as we age and mature the effect of peer pressure lessens but it’s not gone. Example what do people buy for clothes or listen to some women talk about clothes.
A part of me feels like something in alex wanted to put him in a position where he could die.
If he did die Alex would have just said whoops.
This is a weird situation. I think Alex wanted him to die or something.
Ya, not cool. You don't "convince" someone to free solo. What if he lost it? Would Honnold just walked away with "well he made his own decision"? Would he go to the funeral with Magnus's girlfriend there? Awkward! Now that would take some balls to show up for that! I bet he wouldn't. Just think about how worried the film crew was when Honnold did El Cap. And yet he did not care one bit about this.
Honnold blamed his girlfriend for dropping him but who put the knot in the end of the rope? Not him, the more experienced climber. It looks to me Honnold, maybe subconsciously, just wanted to illustrate that you can win all this stuff in a gym but I am the man out here. He's lucky it turned out well because if Magnus would have lost it I am sure he would have been remembered for that for the rest of HIS life.
This is a good lesson for new leaders. NEVER let someone else tell you something is easy! Always be skeptical and make your own decision. Because it's not their ass on the line it's yours.
I very much doubt Alex would have been able to 'just walk away' had Magnus fallen to his death. He'd be hated for talking him into it & probably lose sponsors etc
Pretty much what I said. I don't think he thought it through as to if it did happen. I am mostly painting a scenario of if it did happen. I have no idea of what he would do in that case. @@boogaloo4640
Unfortunately, I had the same feeling that something was not right in their relationship, and it was coming from one side. Magnus being called 'handsome' was, for me, a most revealing comment.
@@sean6387 Revealing in what way?
Fully agree. Its not something to "talk someone into". I get that Magnus says it was his decision. Ofc hes gonna say that. But he clearly wouldnt just have done it out by himself if honnold wasnt there pushing him. I think its major messed up.
Every video like this kills people, rock climbing with ropes is the only way to not die. Don't end up dead at 22 like my friend she died free solo climbing.
You should really dont do this Magnus. Itś not worth it.
Alex is insane, and I dont really care that Magnus is an adult, at the end of the day, its not worth it. Be an adrenaline junkie on your own time, Alex.
I totally understand why it seems crazy to many of us on the outside, but if you listen to any of Alex‘s interviews, (a couple of which are on my podcast, and many elsewhere), you’ll come to understand that Alex is in fact the opposite of an adrenaline junkie.
@@thestruggleclimbingshow He says that. In his words.
But his actions? Come the f on.
@@thestruggleclimbingshow
I probably dont have to remind you how Marc-André Leclerc died. You can be the best climber on the planet, all you need is one freak accident and its game over.
For Alex, thats an acceptable price to pay (according to him, youll probably die of a car accident on the way to the crag) but somehow, more free soloists have died at the crag than driving towards the crag so maybe don't trust Alex's statistics.
What he did, was not funny or cool, it was just plain irresponsible.
PS: I've seen Alex with Bear grylls, I know he can lie (Bear has no climbing skills)
Marc Andre was killed in an avalanche, not on a free solo. I asked Magnus to specifically address all of the folks out there who have voiced their opinion that Alex was irresponsible in inviting him to solo. Magnus said flat out that those comments weren’t fair. Alex’s actions and career show that he’s not an adrenaline junky (he seeks to remove adrenaline from all of his climbs). You can of course form your own opinion, but Magnus is clear on his own opinion of it.
He's incapable of being an adrenaline junkie, he's wired up differently to most.