Alex Honnold's Most Legendary Climbs

Alex Honnold’s mind-boggling free solo ascents (no ropes!) of the planet’s toughest peaks have made him the greatest rock climber in history. Maybe you saw his record-breaking ascent of Yosemite’s El Capitan, featured in the Oscar-winning documentary Free Solo? Throughout his career he’s redefined the sport of rock climbing and challenged our notions of human potential and physical limits in awe-inspiring fashion.

Let’s take a look at a few of his most memorable ascents:

El Capitan - Yosemite, CA
The one. Alex was already a legend, but his daring and inspiring free solo ascent of El Cap captured in the film Free Solo is truly the stuff of history. From the years of preparation to the sheer danger and audacity of its execution, this climb etched his name in books and will forever be remembered as a watershed moment not only in climbing but in the limits of human performance.

“El cap was the culmination of a very long journey for me and was everything I had worked towards as a climber for many years. It was fucking awesome!” 

El Sendero Luminoso - México
Conquering the legendary cliffs of El Potrero Chico in Mexico was no easy feat as this legendary line is perhaps the finest in all of Mexico. Tall, sheer and requiring extreme precision, the 15 pitches tapped Alex’s determination and nerves of steel.

“Fun fact about this climb, Sendero actually has a tower-like feature from which you would normally rappel, but because I was free soloing I had to continue up nearly another thousand feet of a rarely climbed wall so I could reach the summit of the actual mountain, El Toro, and then hike down.”

The Moonlight Buttress - Zion National Park, Utah
A legendary climb in the heart of Zion National Park’s red rocks, it’s known for its 1,200 foot sheer sandstone face and namesake rock formation, it’s arguably one of the most stunningly beautiful climbs in the world.

“I came to Zion after spending much of my winter climbing in Indian Creek, UT, which has many similar-style sandstone cracks so I showed up feeling fit and confident and the solo went smoothly.”

Half Dome - Yosemite, California
An iconic peak that’s one of the world’s most recognizable climbs, this granite beast offers countless challenges and ascents. 

“I did very little preparation for my free solo of Half Dome and so, unsurprisingly, it wound up being a harrowing experience. I didn’t do any hard big wall free soloing for a year and a half afterwards.”

Don't forget to check out our all-new Alex Honnold-inspired bricc, Free Solo Scrub!