FREE SOLO – Review

Free solo climber Alex Honnold on the rock face of Yosemite’s El Capitan, in National Geographic’s FREE SOLO. Photo courtesy of National Geographic Documentary Films (c)

Climbing a sheer mountain face is scary enough, but imagine doing it without even a rope. FREE SOLO follows just such a daring feat, as Alex Honnold scales Yosemite’s El Capitan…. without a rope. This National Geographic documentary offers breath-taking, dizzying views as the climber tackles the peak.

Yosemite’s daunting 3,000 foot high El Capitan rock face had never been climbed free solo when Alex Honnold set his sights on it. The documentary follows Honnold as he becomes the first person to climb it with no ropes or other safety gear, perhaps the greatest accomplishment in rock climbing history.

FREE SOLO follows Alex Honnold over about two years as he prepares for this never-before feat. The documentary was the winner at the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival 2018 for the People’s Choice Award for Documentary, and it is easy to see why. The film not only gives viewers those thrilling mountain vistas and nail-biting climbing footage, but goes beyond covering the technical details of Honnold’s preparations for the monumental task. It also takes us into his personal life, what makes him take such risks and his unique story. We end up as charmed and intrigued by him as we are impressed with his climbing prowess and icy nerves.

It isn’t just the rope that this remarkable athlete does without – it is all climbing safety equipment, apart from special shoes. Just the climber and the mountain. There is a purity in that, as strange as it seems to us ordinary folks.

The documentary is more than climbing footage, offering a range of interviews with friends, family, and film crew that give us insight on climbing and how the film was shot. The film features interviews with other climbers including Tommy Caldwell and Peter Croft, plus commentary from filmmaker Jimmy Chin, cameramen /climbers Cheyne Lempe and Mikey Schaefer, Alex’s girlfriend Sanni McCandless, and Alex’s mother Dierdre Wolownick.

Alex. Honnold also speaks about climbing, offering a bit on why he pursues such a dangerous avocation. No, not avocation, but profession, as Honnold also is an author, writing about his exploits, funding the next climb. Of course, there is no equipment to buy for Honnold.

Honnold left home at 19 after his dad died to become a climber, living in a van he purchased while he traveled around climbing.. His parents sent him to an international school, and apparently he is quite bright although he tells us he was always shy and a bit of a loner. As soon as he discovered climbing, it was all he wanted to do, and with his solitary tendencies, free solo climbing felt natural.

Although Honnold still lives in a van at the beginning of the film, he has a new girlfriend Sanni McCandless, a budding romance we watch grow as the film unfolds.

Honnold has a reputation for focus and for fearlessness. Some of his famous climbs include Moonlight Buttress at Zion National Park and Half Dome at Yosemite. Alex asserts he feels no fear despite the obvious danger of free solo. He contends it is safe, despite how it looks, because he knows what he is doing and is thoroughly prepared for each climb. Interestingly, the film includes a segment where an MRI confirms his lack of fear.

While Honnold isn’t afraid to climb sheer rock faces without a rope, even he considers Yosemite’s El Capitan scary, due to the pure difficulty of it. Honnold calls El Capitan “the most impressive wall on earth.” Nobody had ever free soloed it for good reason.

As he prepares for the El Cap climb by tackling other peaks, workouts and repeatedly climbing El Cap itself with ropes, we get to know Alex. He is brutally honest yet has an appealing, open personality. He is a quirky character who lives to climb but has a surprising boyish charm.

Climbing El Cap with ropes, over and over, is key to learning the rock face to free solo it. Alex picks the route known as Free Rider as the best one to climb El Cap. He is joined by one of his childhood idols, climber Tommy Caldwell, as he practices for the ascent. Caldwell offers some of the film’s best observations on the upcoming challenge, as well as a professional and personal perspective on Alex.

The climbing challenge is unique and so is the film-making. No Go Pro here. Filmmaker Jimmy Chin is a climber too, which is necessary in order to get the best shots. At the same time, they do not want to get in Alex’s way, and certainly not endanger him. Free soloing is a solitary thing and takes concentration, and there is concern that the presence of a camera crew could distract Alex and endanger him by some accidental slip. The camera crew, all climbers themselves, as also concerned about interfering with Honnold’s enjoyment of the unique historic experience, and discuss how best to ensure that and his safety.

While Honnold is fearless about free soloing, it is obviously the most dangerous kind of climbing. Many famous climbers have fallen to their deaths, and the risk of seeing someone die is a reason some of the camera men hesitated to join the project.

The film culminates with bracing, harrowing and glorious footage of Alex Honnold’s historic ascent, capping to documentary with a thrilling moment.

Whether one cares about rock climbing or not, FREE SOLO is a thrillingly entertaining film, filled with unexpected set-backs and triumphs, as well as an appealing personal portrait of a rare and supremely gifted human being.

RATING: 4 out of 5 stars