Member-only story
Our Aim Must Exceed Our Grasp
It was June 2017 when Alex Honnold free soloed El Capitan in Yosemite National Park. The New York Times described it as “one of the greatest athletic feats of any kind, ever.”
Mr. Honnold became famous for succeeding. It is, without question, an incredible — singular — accomplishment. While you admire him for the feat, you can also criticize him for doing something so reckless. If he’d fallen to his death, the narrative would have become a cautionary tale to others who might consider the attempt.
Of course, Alex didn’t wake up one morning, strap on his La Sportivas, and go free solo El Capitan. He spent over a year preparing and training, climbing Freerider over and over again until he had literally memorized the sequence required to get to the top. He also spent considerable time learning to manage his fear.
I’m not a climber, but any good climber will tell you to plan ahead. You have to look for holds that align with your next move to both maintain flow and conserve precious energy.
Most people will never attempt what Mr. Honnold accomplished. Of course, we all have situations in life where the stakes can feel just as high. Diligence, repetition, and courage are required to face our own El Capitan.
The figurative free solo climbs we face often vary in intensity. Sometimes, the increase is…
