Alex has also done hundreds of other free solo's, some of which match the second place on this list. You could likely have filled all the places with just Alex Honnold's climbs.
@@captainzursee3071 adam ondra is good for speed climbing. But alex honnold is just good with climbing difficult places. Alex honnold climbed places where no one would dare climb without equipment. Alex was considered the best climber after he climbed el capitan without equipment. El capitan is considered to be one of the most dangerous to climb since it has narrow, small and smooth surfaces.
@@edjaedavid6362 Adam Ondra is not good at speed climbing, Adam Ondra is good at very demanding and highly technical routes, in fact he alongside Alex Megos have the only ascents of a 9c, silence and bibliographie respectively. Alex was never considered the best climber, best free solois maybe, but physically he is outclassed by most pro climbers, and lastly, el cap is not just one route, the one alex honnold did was freerider, a 7c+, which is not easy, but not extremely difficult either.
mmm maybe, but respect other climbers too. The second choice is a 800 meters free solo climb, that's just a little less than El Cap, its amazing too. Alex is amazing but there are more than one special climber, just saying.
When I watched Free Solo you could instantly tell that something about Alex's brain is different from most people. Whether he's climbed so much that he just simply no longer feels fear or he was always that way, the man is incredible.
Alex Honold is a combination of physical and mental strength. He is not technically the best climber but has a greater mental strength than most. He is not the guy with the greatest mental strength, think about wingsuiters ( some of those belong more to the crazy/suicidal field ), think about alpinists who climb weak pieces of snow/ice with 0 warranty. Also think about apneists who are slowly dying, slowly getting crazy because of the gas mixture in their body, and have to come back to the surface alone. Free solos are very impressive because of the combination of physical and mental strength but also because of the beautiful pictures it gives. Think that for a well trained fellow climbing a vertical wall is like walking on the edge of a busy road's sidewalk ( you miss a step, fall and get hit by the bus ). What Alex does is astonishing ! There are a bunch of other amazing fellows. The best are the one who die of elderness. They managed to find the sweet spot.
Yeah, this helped me overcome my fear of heights and venture up in the to attic - For a good whole 5 seconds before rushing down. Next goal: Overcome fear of spiders.
It is very worth mentioning on any list of great solos: In 1987, Peter Croft soloed Astroman (IV, 5.11d) and the north face of the Rostrum (IV, 5.11c) in a single day. At the time, this was staggering.
@@garyreno6795 Someone smarter than I am once observed "In a game where men die young - beware the old guy." That statement (and the crown) goes to Peter Croft IMO. The Ulysses of soloing...
@@geraldwilson8340 It’s insane to believe people like Croft exist. There’s just something so otherworldly about an old guy doing stuff that most people die young doing.
@@gothamwarrior Yeah and I think in the Free Solo movie, Croft mentioned almost as an aside, that he soloed Astroman and/or The Rostrum like 60 times. Honnold gasped LOL. Croft's attitude and example about soloing is it in my opinion; and I took that attitude from interviews as, 'Accept it. Accept that it's dangerous as hell and don't do it for shallow ego reasons i.e., showing off, reputation.' I think he understands that this is a game where men die young for sure - and if Bachar can die...that means ANYBODY, ANYBODY, ANYBODY can. Sobers me right up...and I "third class" too at age 57. You know, the first VHS version of Moving Over Stone had Doug Robinson and Croft discussing it. Croft said 'I can do this right now and in few years, if my limits go down, then I'll just try to do a bunch of 5.8 pitches.' Humility and honesty man... The last time I saw Moving Over Stone, the Astroman solo was edited out along with that conversation I mentioned. Scary thing: In this age of everything on social media, the very the definition of "professional climber' = you put almost every minute of your life, every pitch, every problem, route...everything - on Instagram etc. Keeping it personal is now totally de-incentivized.
Mental but hugely impressive. Watched tge Alex Honnold documentary with acrophobia whilst shutting myself but couldn't turn look away. Absolutely incredible. He has a mind resolve that must baffle even the leading scientists in that field. What an individual
the brain scan confirmed what we all knew that alex's brain is a little different than the average human. It has to be for him to do what he does, feats like these are what make humans so amazing
I remember one of his interview questions was, “what happens if you get nervous up there?” He smiled and said, “If I get nervous, I’m dead.” He’s amazing.
He said that his amygdala was the same as everyone else's just that the pictures of heights didn't stimulate him as it would others a due to years de-sensitizing to such images. As he put it "if they had thrown a snake into the machine with him, it would have lit up like a Christmas tree"
Mountain climbing is not a well known sport. What Alex Honnold has done, if compared to football, is like a running back rushing for over 10,000 yards in one season. He is the greatest athlete in human history. Well done Alex, well done!
If only it was about the tiny hand holds to hold onto… the most terrifying part is the foot holds and reading the route. Honnold knew every single inch of that wall too - beyond anything, these people are insanely talented and crazy af lol
Anyone who finds free soloing interesting should check out the following climbers: Derek Hersey, Jon Bachar, Dan Osmond, MIchael Reardon, Patrick Edlinger, Peter Croft and Dean Potter. Those are just a few names that come to mind aside from Honnold. A lot of those climbers are from the 80's/90's, and all of them had/have done really impressive solos. Six of seven have passed on, unfortunately. Only Hersey and Bachar died soloing. Reardon's death is linked to climbing solo, in that he free solo down climbed an easy route in Ireland and was swept out to sea. Peter Croft is the only one still alive. They are all legends, check them out.
Thanks! Free Solo has pointed me down the climbing rabbit hole, and it isn't getting better. I already dove deep into the lives of Caldwell and Chin, but it's hard to know who the legends are or where to look when observing from ignorance. Your list is helpful! 👍
The reason guys like Alex Honold don't go to snow/ice. David Lama also ended up in an avalanche and most great alpinists did end up in a crevice or serac.
@@henriklybeck579 Yes. I think his brain is different from years and years of perseverance, and focus. Not the other way around. Though ... from his mother, we know that Alex was always a risk taker, even as a little boy. I think he was also blessed that his mom let him be one. But I believe that his focus and attention to task has made his neuronal pathways different to others as regards fear and anxiety.
FYI: you guys are reacting to inaccurate test results. The FMRI shown in Free Solo did not prove anything conclusive about Alex's fear tolerance. Don't let me ruin the narrative though - I know that's more important to most people than actual science is. 😒
@@ThisHandleFeatureIsStupid I like how you informed us that it was inaccurate without providing any information as to why it was inaccurate. probably because you're talking a load of bullshit
At number one though, there should be Ueli Steck's solo speed climb of the Eiger north face in 2 hours and 22 minutes. 1800 meters vertical in the most challenging north face in the alps. He also soloed the two other legendary alpine north faces of the Matterhorn and Grandes Jorasses. This, for me is the most daring and craziest athletic achievement of all time, by a comfortable margin! I don't mean to take anything away from Alex Honnold's legendary climb, but the Eiger's north face is terrifying no matter how you climb it because of constant rock and ice falling...
“Today I had a good track, good conditions, and I was pulling some gear that made it quite safe, and I believe it makes much more sense this way,” Alex Honnold had no equipment meaning one wrong move and he’d be dead. Climbing with gear affords you a sense of security that free soloing doesn’t.
so where is Marc Andre Leclerc in all this? You know, the young Canadian who Alex said he looks up to in the Free Solo docu. The Alpinist documentary was about him. Brette was his girlfriend. He was no glory seeker but he did glorious things out there. Anyone who Alex says is insanely talented deserves a top listing, at the very least for Alpine sport RIP Marc Andre
Narrator: Free solo is climbing without harness or any other climbing equipment Me: WHY Edit:: it was meant to be a JOKE. I wouldn't be watching this if i wasn't interested in it
@@JonCollinsMedia Do you have a link for that information? I would guess the Zigzags would be pretty stiff if done free. What else did he have trouble on?
@@josephastier7421 Well if u see the documentary there is this little part of the climb where he had to trow like a karate kick, And dude that was fuckingg scaryy!!
The real list of best free solos of all time: 1.Alex- El Cap 2.Alex- Half Dome 3.Alex- Astroman and the Rostrum in a single day 4.Alex- Moonlight Buttress
Not that simple of a question. Depends what criteria you use for the ranking. Alain Robert soloed la nuit du lézard which is 8a+ so 5.13c. Freerider on El Cap is 5.12d. There are many other examples of free solos harder than 5.12d. There is one interview where Alex Honnold says Alain Robert soloed harder stuff than he did. I haven't done enough research to say exactly which solo is the hardest and it's probably subjective because it's a combination of grade, length, etc. I'm just saying it's not as straightforward as you say.
To be honest his Half Dome free solo is the most impressive, he's quoted as to saying in many parts of the climb that he thought he might not make it admits he was scared and regretful. I quote him, he said "I got away with that one"..
Free Rider was way harder and way higher. His free solo of Half Dome was unbelievable but there’s no way his climb of Free Rider is less impressive. He was just more prepared for Free Rider than he was on Half Dome.
@@Psilocy-ben I think we'll have to ask Alex since neither of us know which one he would do again (obviously the one that would be less likely to kill him)
@@Electronic424 he’s said in many interviews that el cap was his ultimate goal and the most impressive wall to ever free solo. Half dome was just the stepping stone.
Dear Stefair, Thank you for a lovely show case of Free Solo Climbing. Please remember to always include the grade of the climb with the name when you show a climb, so that we can gauge the difficulty of the accomplishment that these climbers have achieved. Additionally, when making a "top 10 list", please rank them on the grade or height or both, as it is less subjective. Most climbers separate buildering from rock climbing, since buildering usually cannot be graded accurately and is quite different to rock climbing. So it might be better to have a separate video for buildering ranked by height. Thank you so much for hearing me out. I hope my feedback is constructive and helps to make better videos. Regards DAB
@@finbarshields Good question. I wouldn't know. All I know is that I used to climb 5.11 with 5.12a my best red point ever, but after getting older I now climb 5.8 to 5.10. Soon my kids will out climb me! Hahaha
Part about amygdala was bad too. Not a surprise he has less activity. Probably not because he's fearless (which he is not), but because he is smart enough to truly know that pictures are not dangerous (it's how he was tested). And on climb, well he practiced and thought about it a lot. So he is used to that risk.
Alain Robert is most known for building climbs, but he did some crazy free solo rock climbing before his injury (grade 8). More impressive IMO given how much more dangerous it is.
That's what I was going to say, a lot of people didn't even know this sport existed before Alex Honnold released the documentary... Alain Robert has been freesolo since the 1980s on rock, and Alex Honnold himself has said this on video, that Alain has done freesolo climbing in places with difficulties that no one today dares to do.
You left off the second greatest free solo ever. That award goes to Peter Croft, Dean Potter and Alex Honnold for Astroman. They are the only 3 people to ever free solo it.
We're fascinated by these heroic people who accomplish these insane feats, overcoming fear. Sure they practice, and know their limitations. But to be clinging onto a basically smooth surface thousands of feet above the trees is mind blowing. Still, if you really think about it, there are dangerous sports people participate in all the time where they could die if they make a mistake. Racers of all types die all the time, as do extreme divers. Even track and field athletes sometimes blow their hearts out. Even you could look at your phone at the wrong minute on your daily commute and get blindsided at high speed. Really, we're all on that ledge all the time in this life. We're all hanging on by our finger tips.
@KHABIB TIME!!! In the type of circumstances that Karens usually bring it up its unneccessary, but when you are worried about your kids climbing up mountains without any security meassures whatsoever of course its justified.
You forgot Jim Reynolds free solo of the Afanasieff on Cerro Chalten. I think this one is especially notable because he actually down climbed the route.
It absolutely isn't haha. There are MANY more physically taxing feats. It's certainly one of the most impressive, and perhaps unrepeatable feats, though.
@@stell3854 Sure! Just off the top of my head, here's 2 recent ones. Ross Edgley swam the entire circumference of the UK, took him 157 days. An inhuman feat of endurance. And even more recently, the record for the quickest round of Munros was broken (Munros are mountains in Scotland with a height of over 3000ft). Donnie Campbell did all 282 of them in 31 days, now bear in mind that you must do it under your own steam i.e. no motorised vehicles to get between them, only bikes and kayaks! I'm not sure if you understand how insane this is, but the upshot is, it's quite frankly far more impressive in terms of physical endurance than Honnold's ascent of El Cap. I don't want to take anything away from Alex, his ascent of El Cap is absolutely incredible and awe inspiring. But just because he did it without ropes, that does not make it one of the most extreme physical achievements. I am quite sure that he'd agree himself. And there are many more examples...
@@vincentmoon9187 those achievements you stated don’t come nearly as close to honnolds achievement when you take into the fact of how dangerous it was.
Fear or not fear, if you miss, you fall. Fear is often a warning, a protection to not do deadly things. Great men and women know how to manage it and override it. They are so much confident in their skills and talents.
Mark andre is the goat, he was not just climbing on rock, he was doing it on ice and snow and rock on winter, and he didn't do it for fame, the fact that most of his accomplishments were not filmed, he barely had some photos on the top of the mountains that he climbed, so if anyone doing a video about the best free soloists mark André Leclerc deserves a spot if not the first
@Alvaro Dowell Why? Do you think Usain Bolt trained less? Just because a man has no fear of heights doesn't make him the greatest athlete of all time. That's ridiculous! His feat was great on El Capitan, but that's it, just great! But he's not the greatest athlete ever which I seem to hear alot (I know you didn't).
@@T.R.U.T.H.. I have difficulty with your thought process. Climbing, and especially free solo style of climbing, has a level of difficulty and commitment to task that not only makes it a great sport and makes great athletes but it also has a commitment to self discipline of mind that other sports do not have. Hunnold is quite different to others, in that he is most disciplined. Over time (has participated in the sport for many years, for many months of a year, many hours of a day) over space (has climbed all types of rock, on many land masses, at many altitudes) and over his self (pushes his levels, focuses his mind, controls his fear). Usain Bolt .. probably doesn't have to worry about dropping to his death many thousands of feet below, so - there's that.
I remember climbing 🧗 a mango 🥭 tree 🌳 and few minutes later my all family and few friends were there to witness how the firefighters 🚒 rescue me up using the longest ladder 🪜 #FACTS
Your given life to live, to explore, to conquer, and most importantly to do whatever it is that makes you feel alive and what makes you appreciate life itself. So what are you waiting for? Go live.
I love hiking in the mountains, love high places, and have done some scary paths, but free climbing like that? You couldn't pay me enough, even if I was in the physical shape to do it.
Just got back from a scuba diving trip to Cozumel and was feeling pretty good about some of the fears I've overcome...then I see this and can barely watch the video. Guess I have a long way to go.
The reason is because it's nothing but fake news! Alain Robert should have been at least 2nd. I agree with first place though, Alex is a beast on a mountain!
You should consider Dave McLeod's free solo fo 8b+/5.14a as a contender for your next video. In terms of sheer difficulty, his solo ascent of Darwin Dixit at Margalef in Spain remains unmatched. For reference, Honnold's solo of Freerider is a mere 5.13a in terms of difficulty, although one can argue that the massive scale of El Cap adds a lot to the difficulty, where one mistake means death. Just food for thought, in case you missed it!
Not gonna lie, I thought Alex Honnold would hold at least two of these. And they do kinda mention it at the end. So maybe they just wanted to mention various climbers?
Even the most best experience rock climbers have fallen to their death" proving how far you can go past your limits is not worth you life, I don't care who you are keep it up and you'll find out the hard way
A lot of free soloists has died either from climbing or some tragic accident. To be alive and well such as Alain Robert, you're one lucky guy. He has soloed 8as in his prime.
5.11a is not a danger rating. It indicates difficulty. For most people, it would be fairly difficult but for many climbers it's considered as the top end of moderate routes. To put it is perspective the hardest climb in the world right now is 5.15d. Harrington's climb is still an incredibly difficult accomplishment because of the mental aspect of free solo and the length of the route, but 5.11 is well within her comfort zone as far as pure grades go.
Just think of how many noteworthy climbs that have been accomplished which we don't even know nothing about. These dudes are so pure the potential for profit and recognition doesn't even factor into their motivation. I heard Honnold say the lowest NFL salary is still more than double what a world class climber could hope to make in a year. Pretty commendable imho.
Not saying I could ever do something like this but my understanding is all Urban Free Soloing is by far easier because of the uniformity of the structures...
Alex Huber's solo of "The Communist," 5.14a is one of the most impressive to me. Its only 70 feet, but is far more technical than anything on this list.
Honnald soloed to Big to Flail that is a V10 and 60 feet tall (5.13d). And he’s soloed 1,000 climbs so his combined body of work is exceptional more difficult than anything anyone else has ever done. And even though portions of El-Cap don’t reach the 5.14 rating, to climb a 5.13 after climbing 2,000 feet without a legit break can’t be explained in difficulty, not to mention the mental difference of doing it at thousands of feet in the air.
Part 2 is up everyone! Check it out at: ruclips.net/video/ZcEARSzSHIk/видео.html
I free solo'd my stairs 6 times today and fell twice
Are you ok?
Hahahahaha nah but you good
Stop day drinking mate
U are my hero!
Use more chalk
Alex has also done hundreds of other free solo's, some of which match the second place on this list. You could likely have filled all the places with just Alex Honnold's climbs.
@@captainzursee3071 which walls did he free solo?
@@julienboisvert223 he didn't he has always used rope
@@captainzursee3071 adam ondra is good for speed climbing. But alex honnold is just good with climbing difficult places. Alex honnold climbed places where no one would dare climb without equipment. Alex was considered the best climber after he climbed el capitan without equipment. El capitan is considered to be one of the most dangerous to climb since it has narrow, small and smooth surfaces.
@@edjaedavid6362 Adam Ondra is not good at speed climbing, Adam Ondra is good at very demanding and highly technical routes, in fact he alongside Alex Megos have the only ascents of a 9c, silence and bibliographie respectively. Alex was never considered the best climber, best free solois maybe, but physically he is outclassed by most pro climbers, and lastly, el cap is not just one route, the one alex honnold did was freerider, a 7c+, which is not easy, but not extremely difficult either.
mmm maybe, but respect other climbers too. The second choice is a 800 meters free solo climb, that's just a little less than El Cap, its amazing too. Alex is amazing but there are more than one special climber, just saying.
When I watched Free Solo you could instantly tell that something about Alex's brain is different from most people. Whether he's climbed so much that he just simply no longer feels fear or he was always that way, the man is incredible.
He likely has some variation in the way his brain processes fear.
Alex Honold is a combination of physical and mental strength.
He is not technically the best climber but has a greater mental strength than most.
He is not the guy with the greatest mental strength, think about wingsuiters ( some of those belong more to the crazy/suicidal field ), think about alpinists who climb weak pieces of snow/ice with 0 warranty. Also think about apneists who are slowly dying, slowly getting crazy because of the gas mixture in their body, and have to come back to the surface alone.
Free solos are very impressive because of the combination of physical and mental strength but also because of the beautiful pictures it gives.
Think that for a well trained fellow climbing a vertical wall is like walking on the edge of a busy road's sidewalk ( you miss a step, fall and get hit by the bus ).
What Alex does is astonishing !
There are a bunch of other amazing fellows. The best are the one who die of elderness. They managed to find the sweet spot.
ruclips.net/video/w_ceQDz3P9g/видео.html
He has aspergers. Brain just functions differently is all.
Much agreed.
Watching this has inspired me to finally see what’s in my attic.
Please be careful. I lost 3 Sherpa trying to summit the attic stairs.
Yeah, this helped me overcome my fear of heights and venture up in the to attic - For a good whole 5 seconds before rushing down.
Next goal: Overcome fear of spiders.
I think Marc Andre' Leclerc deserves a spot up here especially next to Brette..... dude was next level RIP Marc you were a legend
absolutely, I was looking for him, but Brett is very accomplished too I did not know she was so talented
I was looking for his name cuz I forgot, thank you
Agree with you, even Alex admit it he was to another level !! R. I. P...
Alex is #1 my friend.
me " Wtf is Acrophobia"
also me **palm sweat intensifies**
Acrophobia is the fear of being in the air or seeing anything related to falling from the sky
i can rely so much lol
me " Wtf is acrophobia"
also me *ball sweat intensifies*
Fear of spiders.as getting tickled on the hands by one of those and that's chips for certain.
Ironically the last thing you'd want when climbing :D
If you look closely their hands are covered with cocaine, that’s why they’re climbing in the first place. 💀
literally no one has ever made that joke before
I don't do cocaine, I just love the way it smells.
@@roberthuot7887 I like the texture of it in my eye
The pictures were taken from a police helicopter.
Thanks for telling me , i thought it was flour , and the climb was a gateway to a baking tv show
I like how the #3 girl wears a helmet for safety.
Obviously if you fall down the helmet won't do any good, but if a small rock falls from above it can save your life I think
@@pietropietro5466 yeah exactly. Imagine climbing the face of a cliff and a rock the size of golf ball or baseball hits you in the head, your done.
This comment is a sarcastic joke
Should #3 even be on this list? Or even in the top 100?
It is very worth mentioning on any list of great solos: In 1987, Peter Croft soloed Astroman (IV, 5.11d) and the north face of the Rostrum (IV, 5.11c) in a single day. At the time, this was staggering.
I was waiting for someone to acknowledge this!
@@garyreno6795 Someone smarter than I am once observed "In a game where men die young - beware the old guy." That statement (and the crown) goes to Peter Croft IMO. The Ulysses of soloing...
@@geraldwilson8340 It’s insane to believe people like Croft exist. There’s just something so otherworldly about an old guy doing stuff that most people die young doing.
@@gothamwarrior Yeah and I think in the Free Solo movie, Croft mentioned almost as an aside, that he soloed Astroman and/or The Rostrum like 60 times. Honnold gasped LOL. Croft's attitude and example about soloing is it in my opinion; and I took that attitude from interviews as, 'Accept it. Accept that it's dangerous as hell and don't do it for shallow ego reasons i.e., showing off, reputation.' I think he understands that this is a game where men die young for sure - and if Bachar can die...that means ANYBODY, ANYBODY, ANYBODY can. Sobers me right up...and I "third class" too at age 57. You know, the first VHS version of Moving Over Stone had Doug Robinson and Croft discussing it. Croft said 'I can do this right now and in few years, if my limits go down, then I'll just try to do a bunch of 5.8 pitches.' Humility and honesty man... The last time I saw Moving Over Stone, the Astroman solo was edited out along with that conversation I mentioned. Scary thing: In this age of everything on social media, the very the definition of "professional climber' = you put almost every minute of your life, every pitch, every problem, route...everything - on Instagram etc. Keeping it personal is now totally de-incentivized.
Marc-André Leclerc was insane too. He free climbed a bunch of insane peaks back to back.
to back to back to back to back…….
'you will always feel fear, but .. the only way to truly manage your fear is to broaden your comfort zone' Alex Honnold
Truly, the greatest athletic feat by Alex Honold ever done by any sports personality
Mental but hugely impressive. Watched tge Alex Honnold documentary with acrophobia whilst shutting myself but couldn't turn look away. Absolutely incredible. He has a mind resolve that must baffle even the leading scientists in that field. What an individual
the brain scan confirmed what we all knew that alex's brain is a little different than the average human. It has to be for him to do what he does, feats like these are what make humans so amazing
I remember one of his interview questions was, “what happens if you get nervous up there?” He smiled and said, “If I get nervous, I’m dead.” He’s amazing.
He said that his amygdala was the same as everyone else's just that the pictures of heights didn't stimulate him as it would others a due to years de-sensitizing to such images. As he put it "if they had thrown a snake into the machine with him, it would have lit up like a Christmas tree"
That scan didn't confirm shit.
The test was inaccurately controlled. 😒
Mountain climbing is not a well known sport. What Alex Honnold has done, if compared to football, is like a running back rushing for over 10,000 yards in one season. He is the greatest athlete in human history. Well done Alex, well done!
I'm not sure we will ever see another climber like Alex Honnold. When you look at his career it is incredible.
Watch Marc andre lecrec. he's on a different planet better. rip
Then you don't know Marc andre
@@josephbuzzard9360He's dead though.
Alex congratulations on your free solo climbing feats. You are an amazing individual.
If only it was about the tiny hand holds to hold onto… the most terrifying part is the foot holds and reading the route. Honnold knew every single inch of that wall too - beyond anything, these people are insanely talented and crazy af lol
Thankyou for choosing Alex as number one
Of COURSE Alex Honnold gets #1
He's absolutely amazing. 👍
Anyone who finds free soloing interesting should check out the following climbers: Derek Hersey, Jon Bachar, Dan Osmond, MIchael Reardon, Patrick Edlinger, Peter Croft and Dean Potter. Those are just a few names that come to mind aside from Honnold. A lot of those climbers are from the 80's/90's, and all of them had/have done really impressive solos.
Six of seven have passed on, unfortunately. Only Hersey and Bachar died soloing. Reardon's death is linked to climbing solo, in that he free solo down climbed an easy route in Ireland and was swept out to sea. Peter Croft is the only one still alive. They are all legends, check them out.
Dan was a machine...
ruclips.net/video/8e0yXMa708Y/видео.html
No women? Catherine Destivelle is my favourite.
Thanks! Free Solo has pointed me down the climbing rabbit hole, and it isn't getting better.
I already dove deep into the lives of Caldwell and Chin, but it's hard to know who the legends are or where to look when observing from ignorance.
Your list is helpful! 👍
what about adam ondra?
@@dezcanso1540 Shut up.
That sucks about the climber at number 2. He risks life climbing mountains to die in an avalanche. Man, rest in peace.
The reason guys like Alex Honold don't go to snow/ice. David Lama also ended up in an avalanche and most great alpinists did end up in a crevice or serac.
Marc andre rip 🙏
Thank you for showing that brain scan!
I knew there had to be something different about Alex's brain.
That terrifies me just watching it.
It's worth mentioning that his brain reacting differently might be because of all the risky climbs he's done.
@@henriklybeck579 Yes. I think his brain is different from years and years of perseverance, and focus. Not the other way around. Though ... from his mother, we know that Alex was always a risk taker, even as a little boy. I think he was also blessed that his mom let him be one. But I believe that his focus and attention to task has made his neuronal pathways different to others as regards fear and anxiety.
FYI: you guys are reacting to inaccurate test results. The FMRI shown in Free Solo did not prove anything conclusive about Alex's fear tolerance.
Don't let me ruin the narrative though - I know that's more important to most people than actual science is. 😒
@@ThisHandleFeatureIsStupid I like how you informed us that it was inaccurate without providing any information as to why it was inaccurate. probably because you're talking a load of bullshit
@@manju1045 The control group was one guy. Do your own fucking research.
Wolfgang Güllich do "separate reality" free solo in the 80s and schocked the climbing world. no words about this milestone of free solo...
At number one though, there should be Ueli Steck's solo speed climb of the Eiger north face in 2 hours and 22 minutes. 1800 meters vertical in the most challenging north face in the alps. He also soloed the two other legendary alpine north faces of the Matterhorn and Grandes Jorasses. This, for me is the most daring and craziest athletic achievement of all time, by a comfortable margin! I don't mean to take anything away from Alex Honnold's legendary climb, but the Eiger's north face is terrifying no matter how you climb it because of constant rock and ice falling...
“Today I had a good track, good conditions, and I was pulling some gear that made it quite safe, and I believe it makes much more sense this way,”
Alex Honnold had no equipment meaning one wrong move and he’d be dead. Climbing with gear affords you a sense of security that free soloing doesn’t.
so where is Marc Andre Leclerc in all this?
You know, the young Canadian who Alex said he looks up to in the Free Solo docu. The Alpinist documentary was about him. Brette was his girlfriend.
He was no glory seeker but he did glorious things out there.
Anyone who Alex says is insanely talented deserves a top listing, at the very least for Alpine sport
RIP Marc Andre
Exactly, just watched The Alpinist so expected to see him on this list, then realised it’s from 2019.
He'd be most of the list
He deserve to be on at List
marc andre should be here.
Dude was otherworldly
Narrator: Free solo is climbing without harness or any other climbing equipment
Me: WHY
Edit:: it was meant to be a JOKE. I wouldn't be watching this if i wasn't interested in it
Watch the film free solo you get an idea why and how @A Wanderer
It seems like they should still be allowed to call it a free solo if they use a harness as long as it's not attached to anything.
@@TheMICMusicInspirationChannel what’s the point then?
@@474yx 🙄
@@474yx he was kidding I guess.
3:35 "Maybe this wasn't such a great idea after all"
"shit, there's a spider"
zainal abidin Lamo
His climb up half dome almost killed him twice. Dude is crazy.
@@JonCollinsMedia Do you have a link for that information? I would guess the Zigzags would be pretty stiff if done free. What else did he have trouble on?
@@josephastier7421 Well if u see the documentary there is this little part of the climb where he had to trow like a karate kick, And dude that was fuckingg scaryy!!
3:32 "It remains 'arguably' the most difficult free solo climb ever conquered." No. It's not arguable. No one is arguing over that.
And i cannot imagine that anyone ever will - or could!
No Mount Robson Marc Andre Leclerc
@@pierrelarochelle7759 Yeah, that was awesome and Marc Andre was crazy skilled and brave.
The real list of best free solos of all time:
1.Alex- El Cap
2.Alex- Half Dome
3.Alex- Astroman and the Rostrum in a single day
4.Alex- Moonlight Buttress
And Sendero Luminoso...
Alex... The G.O.A.T!!!
@@italianfranca Yea that could arguably take the place of moonlight buttress. I should make it 5 and put that one in as well.
Why is Alex doing Astroman and the Rostrum in a single day more impressive than Peter Croft doing the same back in 1987?
@@PJCelis cause he did it a lot faster, but I guess there's something to be said about Peter doing it first. Toss up
Not that simple of a question. Depends what criteria you use for the ranking. Alain Robert soloed la nuit du lézard which is 8a+ so 5.13c. Freerider on El Cap is 5.12d. There are many other examples of free solos harder than 5.12d. There is one interview where Alex Honnold says Alain Robert soloed harder stuff than he did. I haven't done enough research to say exactly which solo is the hardest and it's probably subjective because it's a combination of grade, length, etc. I'm just saying it's not as straightforward as you say.
To be honest his Half Dome free solo is the most impressive, he's quoted as to saying in many parts of the climb that he thought he might not make it admits he was scared and regretful. I quote him, he said "I got away with that one"..
Free Rider is way harder than the Northwest Regular Route.
Free Rider was way harder and way higher. His free solo of Half Dome was unbelievable but there’s no way his climb of Free Rider is less impressive. He was just more prepared for Free Rider than he was on Half Dome.
@@Psilocy-ben I think we'll have to ask Alex since neither of us know which one he would do again (obviously the one that would be less likely to kill him)
@@Electronic424 he’s said in many interviews that el cap was his ultimate goal and the most impressive wall to ever free solo. Half dome was just the stepping stone.
Free Solo was by far one of the best documentaries I have ever watched! Absolutely amazing!
Mountain Goat Elder: Look at our children. I may now rest in peace.
Words can't describe how incredible these climbs are in every level
Dear Stefair,
Thank you for a lovely show case of Free Solo Climbing. Please remember to always include the grade of the climb with the name when you show a climb, so that we can gauge the difficulty of the accomplishment that these climbers have achieved.
Additionally, when making a "top 10 list", please rank them on the grade or height or both, as it is less subjective. Most climbers separate buildering from rock climbing, since buildering usually cannot be graded accurately and is quite different to rock climbing. So it might be better to have a separate video for buildering ranked by height.
Thank you so much for hearing me out. I hope my feedback is constructive and helps to make better videos.
Regards
DAB
Thanks for the feedback, keeping it in mind!
"A high danger ranking of 5.11a." That's the difficulty grade hahaha.
LOL I also noticed that immediately. Additionally, I have never heard of "five-one-one-A", only "five-eleven-A".... hahahaha
Yeah, does this guy climb?
@@finbarshields Good question. I wouldn't know. All I know is that I used to climb 5.11 with 5.12a my best red point ever, but after getting older I now climb 5.8 to 5.10. Soon my kids will out climb me! Hahaha
finshields it’s kind of obvious from his language that he doesn’t
Part about amygdala was bad too. Not a surprise he has less activity. Probably not because he's fearless (which he is not), but because he is smart enough to truly know that pictures are not dangerous (it's how he was tested). And on climb, well he practiced and thought about it a lot. So he is used to that risk.
Alain Robert is most known for building climbs, but he did some crazy free solo rock climbing before his injury (grade 8). More impressive IMO given how much more dangerous it is.
That's what I was going to say, a lot of people didn't even know this sport existed before Alex Honnold released the documentary... Alain Robert has been freesolo since the 1980s on rock, and Alex Honnold himself has said this on video, that Alain has done freesolo climbing in places with difficulties that no one today dares to do.
@@fabiolm5339 he kept on climbing with three fingers paralysed and a permanent dizzyness . Wow. And still does at 60.
Even though I know how it ends, my hands and feet still sweat when watching Free Solo 😂
Me too, and my armpits and my balls
I let my niece borrow Free Solo and she cheated and googled Alex first to see if he made it.
Totally agreed with number 1 man!!
What about TOMMY?
You left off the second greatest free solo ever. That award goes to Peter Croft, Dean Potter and Alex Honnold for Astroman. They are the only 3 people to ever free solo it.
@Northwest Adventure ..... tied in with The Rostrum as the double stack. Peter Croft is a true legend
Dean potter on a slack was also amazing to watch.
I like how they still wear helmets.
Yeah that way if a rock falls and hits their head it doesn’t kill them
Rock fall from above.
Thought it was to keep there sandwiches in
I mean they're not crazy
I think my MRI would show the exact opposite of Alex Honnald's. I'm still shaking from watching this video.
You know someone doesn't climb when they say "five point one one A" lol
after seeing the alpinist it makes me so happy to see Brette succeed
Alex holds at least the top ten free solos and undoubtedly many more before he’s done
Did you not watch the alpinist
We're fascinated by these heroic people who accomplish these insane feats, overcoming fear. Sure they practice, and know their limitations. But to be clinging onto a basically smooth surface thousands of feet above the trees is mind blowing. Still, if you really think about it, there are dangerous sports people participate in all the time where they could die if they make a mistake. Racers of all types die all the time, as do extreme divers. Even track and field athletes sometimes blow their hearts out. Even you could look at your phone at the wrong minute on your daily commute and get blindsided at high speed. Really, we're all on that ledge all the time in this life. We're all hanging on by our finger tips.
My hands are sweating so much, my phone is slipping from my grasp. I just pray my daughters don't ever want to climb like this.
feelesh
Bit of an exaggeration
@@doggoboggo1792 Absolutely not. But if it suits you to think you know how I feel when I'm watching this, go ahead.
feelesh
Not saying I do but saying your phone is slipping from your grasp, like it’s a video but maybe your afraid of heights
@KHABIB TIME!!! Caring for your familys safety is not a cowardly thing to do. Fucking edgelord...
@KHABIB TIME!!! In the type of circumstances that Karens usually bring it up its unneccessary, but when you are worried about your kids climbing up mountains without any security meassures whatsoever of course its justified.
Good Lord, Alex is insane. Bless his heart!
Rest in Peace Hansjörg. Wonderful that your achievements have been mentioned in this video.
You forgot Jim Reynolds free solo of the Afanasieff on Cerro Chalten. I think this one is especially notable because he actually down climbed the route.
Alex Honnold's free solo of El Capitan is the greatest physical feat in the history of mankind. Period!!!
It absolutely isn't haha. There are MANY more physically taxing feats. It's certainly one of the most impressive, and perhaps unrepeatable feats, though.
@@vincentmoon9187 name some (no hate I'm just interested)
@@stell3854 Sure! Just off the top of my head, here's 2 recent ones. Ross Edgley swam the entire circumference of the UK, took him 157 days. An inhuman feat of endurance. And even more recently, the record for the quickest round of Munros was broken (Munros are mountains in Scotland with a height of over 3000ft). Donnie Campbell did all 282 of them in 31 days, now bear in mind that you must do it under your own steam i.e. no motorised vehicles to get between them, only bikes and kayaks! I'm not sure if you understand how insane this is, but the upshot is, it's quite frankly far more impressive in terms of physical endurance than Honnold's ascent of El Cap. I don't want to take anything away from Alex, his ascent of El Cap is absolutely incredible and awe inspiring. But just because he did it without ropes, that does not make it one of the most extreme physical achievements. I am quite sure that he'd agree himself. And there are many more examples...
@@vincentmoon9187 those achievements you stated don’t come nearly as close to honnolds achievement when you take into the fact of how dangerous it was.
I heard that Hillary Clinton actually ripped the tag off of a mattress... lol
Fantastic and nerve-wrecking even from the comfort of my chair.
Thank you.
I wish you rainbows.
What about Alex honnald cendero luminoso, half dome? I think you can make just one video on Alex alone
Exactly
Fear or not fear, if you miss, you fall.
Fear is often a warning, a protection to not do deadly things.
Great men and women know how to manage it and override it.
They are so much confident in their skills and talents.
Alain Robert has free-soloed some 8 grade routes.
He should have been at least 2nd in this video. He's at least twice as good as that chick who was 3rd.
Mark andre is the goat, he was not just climbing on rock, he was doing it on ice and snow and rock on winter, and he didn't do it for fame, the fact that most of his accomplishments were not filmed, he barely had some photos on the top of the mountains that he climbed, so if anyone doing a video about the best free soloists mark André Leclerc deserves a spot if not the first
When you end up on the deep side of RUclips
NickFriddas the best side 😏😏
Deep side? Ha
I like it deep.
@@sithsaiyan4529 ew
@@sithsaiyan4529 lol
Well done ... Alex is exceptional and in tune with the climb
This video is so underrated!
polarice404 thank you!
@Alvaro Dowell Why? Do you think Usain Bolt trained less? Just because a man has no fear of heights doesn't make him the greatest athlete of all time. That's ridiculous! His feat was great on El Capitan, but that's it, just great! But he's not the greatest athlete ever which I seem to hear alot (I know you didn't).
@@T.R.U.T.H.. I have difficulty with your thought process. Climbing, and especially free solo style of climbing, has a level of difficulty and commitment to task that not only makes it a great sport and makes great athletes but it also has a commitment to self discipline of mind that other sports do not have. Hunnold is quite different to others, in that he is most disciplined. Over time (has participated in the sport for many years, for many months of a year, many hours of a day) over space (has climbed all types of rock, on many land masses, at many altitudes) and over his self (pushes his levels, focuses his mind, controls his fear). Usain Bolt .. probably doesn't have to worry about dropping to his death many thousands of feet below, so - there's that.
My hands are sweaty just watching these videos. wtf? The rank 1 guy is INSANE.
Watch The Alpinist documentary
Marc Andre Leclerc is better
I remember climbing 🧗 a mango 🥭 tree 🌳 and few minutes later my all family and few friends were there to witness how the firefighters 🚒 rescue me up using the longest ladder 🪜 #FACTS
Your given life to live, to explore, to conquer, and most importantly to do whatever it is that makes you feel alive and what makes you appreciate life itself. So what are you waiting for? Go live.
I’m laying in bed and my heart still pounding and I feel like I have to pee while watching this.
You chose to mention Alain Robert Tower climbing, when he free soloed much more difficult cliffs routes earlier in his career
I love hiking in the mountains, love high places, and have done some scary paths, but free climbing like that? You couldn't pay me enough, even if I was in the physical shape to do it.
Just got back from a scuba diving trip to Cozumel and was feeling pretty good about some of the fears I've overcome...then I see this and can barely watch the video. Guess I have a long way to go.
This is a good video. I’m shocked at the low amount of views.
Appreciate it! :)
The reason is because it's nothing but fake news! Alain Robert should have been at least 2nd. I agree with first place though, Alex is a beast on a mountain!
I like how he says “I chose Alex Honnold” for number one like he had a choice at all ha
Imagine climbing these walls without harnesses and getting killed while hiking
Imagine not doing any of the above and commenting about an unfortunate accident.
@@fabreasy304 imagine assuming the OP hasn't free solo'd anything and making a smart comment outing yourself as an ass.
People do die doing this .
I'd say the number two free solo is also Alex Honnold. His solo Ascent of direct Northwest Face of Half Dome. Unrepeated.
I fell off the ladder and dropped 8 ft, does that count
You're fuggin gnarled, dude. 🤘😣🤘
I am told Death went to El Capitan that day to collect Alex but passed out from fear while watching the climb.
Made my day
Should I make a part 2? 😁
You should consider Dave McLeod's free solo fo 8b+/5.14a as a contender for your next video. In terms of sheer difficulty, his solo ascent of Darwin Dixit at Margalef in Spain remains unmatched. For reference, Honnold's solo of Freerider is a mere 5.13a in terms of difficulty, although one can argue that the massive scale of El Cap adds a lot to the difficulty, where one mistake means death. Just food for thought, in case you missed it!
@@sam-yau I'll check it out for sure, thank you!
Yes
Stefair Yes! And btw, what editing software do you use? Just wondering, because this video was perfect!
@@lorentshegdal9135 Thank you sir! I use Sony Vegas Pro 14.
Alex is just such an incredible dude🔥
Bro all it requires is for them to lose focus for like 2 seconds and they lose their grip and fall to their death. Fuck that shit.
It's astonishing to me. I literally can't even look at a photo taken of a high place without feeling sick.
I free climbed Mount Dora in Florida. Elevation 127 feet above sea level. I damn near slipped on my way back down.
Exactly what i was looking for. Nice video ty
Not gonna lie, I thought Alex Honnold would hold at least two of these. And they do kinda mention it at the end. So maybe they just wanted to mention various climbers?
Even the most best experience rock climbers have fallen to their death" proving how far you can go past your limits is not worth you life, I don't care who you are keep it up and you'll find out the hard way
I’m actually a pretty badass free soloist myself. Try doing it horizontally, whew.
I am so light horizontally that I don't even feel gravity in that way.
Marc Andre deserves to be on this list for several of his solo's
It will take years to train me then only I can watch this video ..
A lot of free soloists has died either from climbing or some tragic accident. To be alive and well such as Alain Robert, you're one lucky guy. He has soloed 8as in his prime.
Yes this vid eared a like & agreed that Alex is the best EVER! 👊
Still hasn’t climbed Indian face in snowdonia only handful of brits have done that one 🤐
Absolutely amazing. No words. Thank you.
5.11a is not a danger rating. It indicates difficulty. For most people, it would be fairly difficult but for many climbers it's considered as the top end of moderate routes. To put it is perspective the hardest climb in the world right now is 5.15d.
Harrington's climb is still an incredibly difficult accomplishment because of the mental aspect of free solo and the length of the route, but 5.11 is well within her comfort zone as far as pure grades go.
He put her on this list for "reasons"
Just think of how many noteworthy climbs that have been accomplished which we don't even know nothing about. These dudes are so pure the potential for profit and recognition doesn't even factor into their motivation. I heard Honnold say the lowest NFL salary is still more than double what a world class climber could hope to make in a year. Pretty commendable imho.
Where are Dan Osman? Maurizio "Manolo" Zanola? Alex Grüber?...
My amygdala already off the charts just watching a picture of Alex at 4:37
Me who slips on the stairs very often watching this like 👁👄👁
Not saying I could ever do something like this but my understanding is all Urban Free Soloing is by far easier because of the uniformity of the structures...
Alex Honnold is a genius of all time in rock climbing. Like Beethoven in music, Schumacher in F1...
Don't forget Cal Worthington... and his dog"splot"... lol
No, Alain Robert is. He has very hard free solos rock climbing before Alex had, and of course hundred free solos building climbs.
This entire list could be comprised of Alex Honnold and Mark LeClaire. Wow
acrophobia is That what's called? well then I have it. I get Nervous on Ladders.
that's OK ill play it safe & play my Guitar. : )
Right. Every time I climb, I have to rebuild my callouses.
There is no callous that granite cannot tackle. It is a curse.
I tried the guitar... but the strings were to high from the neck... lol
@@ronaldstarkey4336 that took me a minute to get. Good one though
To do those climbs without rope or parachute is completely mental, mad mad mad😵
Title: best free solos of all time
Thumbnail: deep water solo
Brett deserves her own movie!
Alex Huber's solo of "The Communist," 5.14a is one of the most impressive to me. Its only 70 feet, but is far more technical than anything on this list.
Honnald soloed to Big to Flail that is a V10 and 60 feet tall (5.13d). And he’s soloed 1,000 climbs so his combined body of work is exceptional more difficult than anything anyone else has ever done. And even though portions of El-Cap don’t reach the 5.14 rating, to climb a 5.13 after climbing 2,000 feet without a legit break can’t be explained in difficulty, not to mention the mental difference of doing it at thousands of feet in the air.