Alex Honnold on Comparing Himself to Chris Sharma

Рет қаралды 149,311

Күн бұрын

Listen to the full episode 👉 thenuggetclimbing.com/episode...
Or you can check out our library of 150+ interviews with the biggest names in climbing 👉 thenuggetclimbing.com/all-epi...
About The Guest:
Alex Honnold is on the podcast! Who? The guy that free handed Yellowstone? Close enough.
Seriously though, this was such a great interview. We talked about his two most epic solos that nobody heard about, near misses, lessons from other climbing legends like Tommy Caldwell, Jonathan Siegrist, and Peter Croft, pooping while free soloing stories, how the film Free Solo exceeded his hopes and dreams, the commitment to excellence, and much more!
Full Show Notes 👉 thenuggetclimbing.com/episode...
Support The Podcast By Joining Our Patreon
•Exclusive Follow-Up Episodes With Previous Guests
•Ability To Ask Future Guests Questions
•Sneak Peek At Upcoming Guests
•Discounts on Merch
•Ad-Free Episodes
Check It Out 👉 / thenuggetclimbing

Пікірлер: 164

@thenuggetclimbing Жыл бұрын

Listen to the full episode 👉 thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/alex-honnold Or you can check out our library of 150+ interviews with the biggest names in climbing 👉 thenuggetclimbing.com/all-episodes

@powertester5596 Жыл бұрын

“Different strokes, different folks”. Very humble and honest even at his level. Every time I listen to Alex, it’s like listening to a guru. He shares some deep life lessons.

@chrissullivan40 Жыл бұрын

The reason Alex is successful and alive today is because he is brutally honest about his strengths and weaknesses.

@thomassanio8745 Жыл бұрын

A great person realizes their weaknesses. Just another thing that makes Honnold great.

@paulacravello 11 ай бұрын

the reason he is alive is he is obsessed with perfection. He practices and focused a lot . Only when he sure he is in total control he does de solo. It is also true that most of his solo climbing we do not get to see because he goes by himself.

@elmoblatch9787 6 ай бұрын

It's 95% focus, persistence, and talent -- and 5% luck. Alex could be extremely prepared, but if a piece of rock gives way at the wrong time, he would be dead. Alex knows that and he has made the decision that it's worth the risk.

@cathalg312 Жыл бұрын

Honnold is a genuine role model/mentor. Talent, determination, humility, honesty, knows the difference between what he can do with what he wants to do but does it. Because of him his child will have a very happy life...

@nilsp9426 Жыл бұрын

All of that said I admire two things in Alex Honnold that I rarely see in other climbers, no matter their skill: 1) His effortless flow of motion, which looks like he saves tons of energy in the long run and is very elegant 2) His ability to focus, to be in the moment mentally, and remain in a positive mental state Plus he seems like a terrific person in general, humble but not self-defeating, friendly, open-minded and calm. Disclaimer: take this with a grain of salt, I am a total climbing noob in comparison.

@driesvanoosten4417 Жыл бұрын

He's indeed very realistic about his own strengths and weaknesses. I don't know if I would call him humble though. He just doesn't care if others are better, because he only looks at what he think he should be able to do. He compares himselve to others without attaching a value to it, in other words, he can see that someone else is better at something, without attaching a negative to it about himself. That is a very healthy mindset, for anyone really, but certainly for a climber. There will always be people better at some things than you. Celebrating that instead of being competitive about it, makes you a happier person.

@dalelawrence85 Жыл бұрын

I agree with you

@dalelawrence85 Жыл бұрын

Alex is so damn humble. The no-margin-for-error precision of free soloing is what appeals to people.

@Dee-nonamnamrson8718 Жыл бұрын

@@driesvanoosten4417 He's definitely humble. Confidence and humility are not mutually exclusive.

@eurekaflows Жыл бұрын

4:50 Megos out here catching strays.

@jonathanrex 11 ай бұрын

Alex is such an incredibly talented and likeable guy.

@MovementForBJJ Жыл бұрын

Climbing is like track and field. I don’t know why “Marathon runners” have to compare themselves to “100m sprinters”. Let’s start recognising that the different disciplines are totally different events!

@BrumbleJumble Жыл бұрын

Hes literally comparing himself though like what? he wants to climb the route no one else is telling him he should climb the route. no one except for Honnold is even making the comparison.

@driesvanoosten4417 Жыл бұрын

Even if climbing is like track and field, why would it not be interesting or useful to compare climbers? Climbers cross over disciplines all the time. Will Bosi considers himself primarily a lead climber and is probably one of the strongest boulderer in the world right now. Alex compares his own skill, talent, dedication, etc to arguably one of the greatests talents in climbing. I don't see the problem...

@MovementForBJJ Жыл бұрын

@@BrumbleJumble Climbers have a preoccupation with max strength, which isn’t always positive. Alex compares himself to Sharma, saying that Chris climbed a route when he was fourteen that Alex still can’t climb. That’s like Haile Gebreselassie saying he would like to beat Usain Bolt in the 100m. Alex is the greatest ever in his favoured discipline.

@MovementForBJJ Жыл бұрын

@@driesvanoosten4417 Yes, you are correct. Which is why Will wouldn’t be upset if he couldn’t solo El Cap…

@DJ-kg6zq Жыл бұрын

Because climbing will never be like a sport because it’s not a sport. It’s an experience and you don’t want to pigeonhole yourself to only one type of experience, you want to experience it all… experience hehe you only start to think how you’re thinking when you are thinking about how others view you which is a bad way to think… think hehe

@jonathanmartin2146 Жыл бұрын

That is real humility coming from someone atop his sport. Got to love it!!!

@stephenatkins8973 11 ай бұрын

He’s so beautifully humble with no ego whatsoever 🙏

@billbally4419 9 ай бұрын

You dont climb el capitan and half dome with no rope unless you have a big ego.

@fredsantamaria2062 11 ай бұрын

Both Alex and Chris are inspiring climbers to watch! Alex bold and humble Wow! Added tidbit Chris Knuth's send of the Crew in Riffle Colorado 5.14 b/c 1995/1996 should be on the radar.

@Doctor_Yuri Жыл бұрын

I stopped by a vegas climbing gym during a small rain spell at RR. Literally a dungeon. Holds older than my high school diploma. No windows. Staff was cool though

@skip1860 Жыл бұрын

Who fucking cares

@mikeydurden Жыл бұрын

Sounds like Red Rock climbing center on Charleston

@stephenr80 Жыл бұрын

Most of climbing gyms were like that in many countries until the last 10-15 years at least in my country Spain 😅

@Mrperson662 Жыл бұрын

Sounds great!

@Doctor_Yuri Жыл бұрын

@@stephenr80 I've been to some gyms in Oviedo and Malaga! They were a little old but you can have a fresh coffee and beer there, so I think its perfect!

@cwehden Жыл бұрын

Alex's climbing is about the mind, NOBODY on earth has mastered it to the degree he has which is why he's the GOAT free solo climber.

@marcosjuan3142 Жыл бұрын

Alain Robert too

@ethanjohn9940 Жыл бұрын

And Marc Andre-leclerc

@danielwesterlund1905 Жыл бұрын

Dave Macleod has free soloed 8b+, Freerider is 7c+.

@cwehden Жыл бұрын

@@danielwesterlund1905 Comparing Daves high ball boulder to Freerider is total lunacy, not even in the same galaxy despite the 'lower grade' and I'm a big fan of Dave.

@bulgarianb3ast Жыл бұрын

@@ethanjohn9940 this guys is the real goat. Might be the craziest shit I’ve ever seen a human do

@patmayer7222 Жыл бұрын

.......... HELLO from Land o' Lakes,wi.....................great interview,,,.......real deal.......our hero.

@markcounseling Жыл бұрын

His hands hold so much energy it's hard to take one's eyes off them.

@bojanradonjic1850 Жыл бұрын

Hey, I like to watch podcast with video quite a bit and was wondering why do you only share a few clips with videos but not the full podcast?

@sdaiwepm Жыл бұрын

Wow. This shows Alex in such a different light than the movie!

@brandonsparks5786 Жыл бұрын

It's so true, but I have not heard a single interview with Sharma where he was like, "It think I'll free solo El Cap today..."

@IronJohn755 Жыл бұрын

Maybe Alex *would* have sent "Turd Burglar" but has failed on Necessary Evil because of the intimidating name.

@Monscent Жыл бұрын

People forget that being able to REALLY grind and work super hard is a talent in itself.

@craigbritton1089 Жыл бұрын

And the ability to recover from hard training/ climbing. I have seen athletes in multiple sports and with great talent; whose bodies just cannot take the hard effort they put forth. Some of these athletes are probably better suited to become coaches than being performers at a high professional level.

@steviemac2681 Жыл бұрын

true, pyschological traits and temperament are heritable to an extent so the inclination to hard work is itself partly a talent. The best sportsmen like Ronaldo or Haaland are physically talented and high in conscientiousness too.

@matthewglenguir7204 Жыл бұрын

Agreed with all these replies

@UNLIMITED_WMSEEDS 10 ай бұрын

Nah, in my opinion its even more impressive being able to watch TV for 24 hours straight, pound down 5 large bags of potato chips, and 3 liters of Coca Cola without getting off the couch a single time. (Besides to change channels if you have too)

@magne4738 9 ай бұрын

cope

@DerHer-zh7bb Жыл бұрын

Alex should make a TV show where he informs the contestants who don't send that they have lost his respect.

@DerHer-zh7bb Жыл бұрын

Or Chris could have Alex as a contestant on his show and tell him that he's lost his respect if he doesn't send necessary evil

@jodylowe8476 Жыл бұрын

Sharma is a once in a lifetime athlete. He has done two incredibly hard things at once. First, he has been at the top or near the top of two climbing disciplines, sport climbing and bouldering, and second, he has been doing this for for several decades, probably since the mid 90s. Being at the top of two types of climbing for that long is incredible. I cant think of any other athlete who has been that dominant for that long in any sport. Hell even Jordan had to retire at some point.

@peteranelson Жыл бұрын

Kelly Slater...

@ATEC101 Жыл бұрын

Juan Manuel Fangio and Richard Petty. I used to climb 5.12 back in the mid 90's.

@AntoAparicio Жыл бұрын

Kelly slater is on another level

@jodylowe8476 Жыл бұрын

@@AntoAparicio Yeah, but that's just surfing.

@commiehunter733 11 ай бұрын

John Brzenk had a solid 20+ year run as number 1 in armwrestling

@ianhouseworth7552 Жыл бұрын

There are 4 climbing gyms in Vegas. I climb at that 4th one, the inadequate one. Jerry did the same thing with his guide book. I’ve often wondered if there’s some bad blood there or if it’s simply a result of my gym being complete garbage. Whatever, at least we have a real slackline

@Bustah Жыл бұрын

to your point, that slackline is sick

@cantseehimliam7211 Жыл бұрын

what is the outro music?

@iannacario4268 7 ай бұрын

Humility makes a great man a legend.

@devin_AK Жыл бұрын

My son was born in March last year. Since then my indoor boulder grade has gone from V4 to V7 and my onsight trad grade has gone from 5.10 to maybe 5.8. So much depends on what you can/want to prioritize. Alex has nothing left to prove as a once-in-a-generation climber. I sincerely hope he finds the balance that’s right for him and his family

@ThisHandleFeatureIsStupid 11 ай бұрын

Your first sentence didn't match the rest of them. 🤔

@Dee-nonamnamrson8718 Жыл бұрын

A 5.14 is insane to me. I did a 5.11b once, top rope, hang dogging all over the place.

@a-j.2002 Жыл бұрын

Megos catching strays with his legs 😂

@rwhirsch Жыл бұрын

there's power sprinters and there's marathon runners...alex is an extremely fast marathoner. his life is so interesting and the path he's been chosen is extremely interesting to the public...so no regrets.

@deanish Жыл бұрын

7:18 unbelievable swallow here lol

@justindakich878 11 ай бұрын

“Talents differ; all is well and wisely put; If I cannot carry forests on my back, Neither can you crack a nut.” -Emerson

@senorblondie Жыл бұрын

4:50 🤣🤣🤣

@6lu5ky86 9 ай бұрын

Both of these dudes' hands are insane, they'd crush my puny hands in their palms.

@skyex5047 Жыл бұрын

Lol, kudos to Megos legs

@nettewilson5926 Жыл бұрын

Also aren’t people’s muscles different not only in terms of amount but also fast slow twitch etc

@jonathansonnier3078 Жыл бұрын

He may be strong but he has not Soloed what you have Alex. That’s what is so beautiful about climbing there is room for everyone at the top. One person can make something lok. easy that another pert can not even do and you take those same two people to another climbing problem and now the other persons excels

@PeaceFan1 Жыл бұрын

NEVER Compare yourself to ANYONE.. YOU are UNIQUE!!!!

@billbally4419 9 ай бұрын

And will get nowhere in life with that sorry attitude..

@alizand8873 Жыл бұрын

He should start a gym in Vegas.

@Cjones322 Жыл бұрын

The difference is being humble.

@zachansen8293 9 ай бұрын

The thing to remember is that when someone has talent and focus, not everyone is capable of getting to where that person is. You can make up for one or the other, but you can't make up the difference vs someone who has both. I can't "work harder" to get to the NBA or whatever - much less be equivalent to Michael Jordon at his prime.

@Andrew-vw5vb Жыл бұрын

Alex's veins are trying to break out of his arm. Interview pump.

@jannis11 10 ай бұрын

nAice

@zacharylaschober Жыл бұрын

The low quality of gyms in Red Rock amazes me, because having come from Florida where there is one town with two gyms and everything else is hours away but most of the gyms are rather good quality for climbing, I thought maybe they just have such a thriving outdoor climbing community nobody cares to climb inside... Then I went to Colorado and realized that was nonsense.

@Doctor_Yuri Жыл бұрын

The climbing in Vegas is amazing but Vegas itself is not an outdoor community at all, most people dont care. Places like Boulder or other towns in CO, everyone and their grandma bikes/climbs/hikes. Its a bit sad for Vegas but oh well

@billbally4419 9 ай бұрын

Well its florida not known for their mountainous terrain.

@fredericp64 11 ай бұрын

I see a Honnold interview. I click like.

@billbally4419 9 ай бұрын

Unless its about him falling to his death

@fredericp64 9 ай бұрын

@@billbally4419 can't interview a corpse so the thesis still holds lol

@Paul-qy9bb 8 ай бұрын

Alex should design and build his own rock climbing gym in Vegas. Just like Rogan built his own comedy club.

@paulmitchell5349 Жыл бұрын

Alex's self deprecation is close to English levels.

@billbally4419 9 ай бұрын

What does English levels mean?

@billbally4419 9 ай бұрын

British people?

@DJ-kg6zq Жыл бұрын

You better get that strength now, you ain’t getting any younger!! Sounds like type two fun

@highdesertbiker Ай бұрын

After snowboarding for 17 years, I thought I was really good and one day 10-year-old did a double backflip over my head and then I realize I’m not that good

@whynottalklikeapirat 10 ай бұрын

I frequently compare myself to Chris Sharma in public discourse, frankly I consider myself fullt entitled to do so: Chris Sharma can climb - I can’t :D

@listrahtes Жыл бұрын

They cant really be compared. Honnold is a specialist in free solo. Thats his thing. But as a climber in general Sharma is a gazillion times more influential, important , impactful and simply talented in the sport. He opened dozens of defining beautiful new routes in highest difficulty, was strongest climber in the world for years.....etc. Its really no comparison. Honnold is only on the US this media sensation above all other climbers because of the movie. His feature was extraordinary no question. But really Sharma for now decades is world elite in several disciplines. Its unheard of. Just climbing there are hundreds of climbers above Honnold. Its just a fact.

@charlesmartin1121 Жыл бұрын

That may be true, but how many of them would be willing to climb difficult routes without protection?

@listrahtes Жыл бұрын

@@charlesmartin1121 free solo is a different aspect. Why compare. There are some free solo climbers who could do free rider but only the first ascent gets this high media push. That's why nowadays were it's all about marketability you see far less repetitions of strong routes from the elite. Why train months when you get much less recognition. Honnold invested tens of thousands of dollars into this one ascent. It wasn't even Honnolds project originally but Potters. He doesn't have the hardest free solo climb . He has the longest in high difficulty on a big wall. If you want names f.e what David Lama soloed in Himalaya or Ueli Steck is at least as impressive . Crazy things are done in Patagonia...etc Honnolds has the highest free solo at El Capitan.

@charlesmartin1121 Жыл бұрын

@@listrahtes I think there was a misunderstanding, because I was agreeing with what you were saying. Alex Honnold can't climb at the level of Adam Ondra (or Chris Sharma), but neither would those climbers be willing to assume the extreme level of risk of climbing Free Rider without a rope. Free solo is a separate discipline of climbing, but one that is more immediately understandable and compelling to the general public. Hence Alex's far greater name recognition than Ondra, Megos, Sharma, etc...

@zelfjizef454 11 ай бұрын

@@charlesmartin1121 None, because most of them are sane and responsible.

@charlesmartin1121 11 ай бұрын

@@zelfjizef454 So is Alex. He handles risk in a very methodical way.

@jameseagle7261 Жыл бұрын

Alex honnold is far more remarkable as he is doing a genuinely free solo, the ‘no return ‘ fearless attitude is stunning. Christ Sharma always fell from the cliff while free solo, but he dropped into the sea.

@gemigtunnan Ай бұрын

holy shit obi-wan got a buzzcut?

@Slowhand871 Жыл бұрын

Like Alex says go to any climbing gym and a 12 yo will climb better than you.

@sdemosi Жыл бұрын

This is true. 12-14 year old girls who do a bit of gymnastics on the side tend to be amazing gym climbers. There are 3 such kids at my local gym and they kick everyone else's butt. You've got to be insanely strong as a 220-230 lb bloke to compete with their strength to weight ratio and flexibility so I just do my own thing, refine my skills and wonder what it would have been like to start climbing about 3 decades before I did 😂

@stick9758 Жыл бұрын

Did Alex just say we aren’t all created equally? Haha

@billbally4419 9 ай бұрын

Yes and its true

@stevesetzer3361 Жыл бұрын

He has massive hands....

@jondoc7525 10 ай бұрын

Being lighter in climbing is an advantage honnold forgets that . Wonder what he weighs or weighed and the kids weight

@billbally4419 9 ай бұрын

Nobody will ever come close to Alex.

@tr7b410 Жыл бұрын

One wonders if Alex was one of those early Christian monks who climbed mountains to get to their monestaries in a past life.

@billbally4419 9 ай бұрын

Probably just you.

@rdtarcade7644 Жыл бұрын

so funny to see that they always go to chris sharma as this like super talented guy or something when adam ondra is a far more obvious example but they are just too american i guess

@alexgalays910 Жыл бұрын

There's no need to compare them, they are very different. Adam started much younger too. Both are talented.

@rdtarcade7644 Жыл бұрын

@@alexgalays910your comments seems to be complety disconected from mine. just tell me: why are they always picking chris sharma? adam ondra is famous for being insanely strong as a teen unlike chris

@Nightwishmaster Жыл бұрын

@@rdtarcade7644 Probably because Chris Sharma was the topic of discussion and not Adam Ondra. Everybody talks about Adam all the time, not sure what you mean by that.

@craigbritton1089 Жыл бұрын

Sharma was before Ondra.

@rdtarcade7644 Жыл бұрын

@@Nightwishmaster i watched the original video that put things into a different context dont know what your point about adam being talked about has to do with anything though

@ericastier1646 9 ай бұрын

Honnold is not among the best route climbers in the world. I don't think he ever climbed a 9a grade or even 8b. Desperate for a spotlight he did a solo free climbing in Yosemite. I dissaprove of foolhardy stuntmen.

@dawntreader7079 Жыл бұрын

There is one glaring difference between Honnold and Sharma. Honnold is an attention craving narcissist who treats climbing as a means to personal gain and social notoriety. Sharma is a soul climber who climbs for joy, avoids the limelight, speaks softly and thoughtfully, and doesn’t have an ounce of narcissim in him.

@Doctor_Yuri Жыл бұрын

You know Sharma owns his own gyms right? I'm not even trying to debate this, but you're unnecessarily being an asshole and completely wrong at the same time. "soul climber" lmao.

@robertspies4695 Жыл бұрын

what a load

@devonadler5835 Жыл бұрын

😂 wow what'd he do to you

@myotherusernamerules Жыл бұрын

Can you be specific on how he's a narcissist? Because I think the majority disagree with you.

@dawntreader7079 Жыл бұрын

@@myotherusernamerules dude he's been on a red carpet in hollywood promoting himself. box number 1 checked.

@w.harrison7277 Жыл бұрын

It sounds so fake to me when Honnold tries to sound humble. The man is both autistic and narcissistic to the point of sociopathy. But his intelligence allows him to accrue strategems of humble mimicry that he hopes will hide the fact that he only cares about other people to the degree that he's learned to try to, and even then it needs to be flagged to you how great he is for caring. He's obsessed with besting every legend in the sport no matter how distasteful, such as his mocking of the late Dan Osman. Now he's going after Sharma. He consciously tries to associate himself with every legend, then gets you to look at him as even better. And its obvious to me now that this is someone who will not overlay error probability against his aging mind and body, so expect to see them scraping him off the rocks eventually.

@GnomicMaster 10 ай бұрын

I'm going to assume that Alex is a student of climbing history. I think of such greats as Harding, Robbins, Rowell, Pratt, Frost, Sorensen, Bachar, Hersey, Dano, Yabo, Gullich and others who never lived to see Alex do the "impossible" when he free soloed HD and El Cap.

@GnomicMaster 10 ай бұрын

Alex doesn't need to change anything. The greatest climber in human history has nothing to prove.