Free Solo was available on my flight home from Boston last week. I might not have watched it if I wasn’t held captive for six hours, but it was pretty good.
If you don’t know who Alex Honnold is, he’s a super famous rock climber and bike enthusiast.
Some thoughts I had while watching the movie:
- Holy shit, this makes me so nervous I need chalk to just watch this, my hands are so sweaty.
- I don’t know if the movie was just edited this way, but his girlfriend seems like a bitch and he needs a more supportive woman in his life.
- Oh hey that’s my gym! Yay Sacramento Pipeworks!
Honestly, I don’t climb outdoors. I’ve tried, twice. The problem with outdoor climbing is if you fall, you fall onto rock, and if you get injured you’re somewhere with no cell reception that’s miles and miles from the nearest hospital. With indoor climbing, you still get the benefits of being social and building strength but with mitigated risks like padded floors and hospitals that are mere blocks away.
All that said, I just don’t understand indoor cyclists or treadmill runners. I’m sure they would tell me how dangerous it is to cycle or run on the road with cars. And I’d probably tell them that connecting with my environment and being able to travel over an expanse of land under my own power is incredibly satisfying. And I’m sure outdoor climbers would probably tell me the same thing about climbing.
We all take risks for our hobbies, I guess.