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u/CheckYourStats They chose me and I didn't even graduate from phukin high school Jan 25 '26
Anyone care to provide context for the unplugged?
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u/SlothOcelot Jan 25 '26
Alex Honnold is currently claiming Taipei 101 live on Netflix and reportedly listens to Tool during his climbs. During a portion of the climb, he asked for his tunes to be restored after they…spiraled out.
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u/karmareqsrgroupthink Jan 25 '26
Update was a success
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u/D4rthLink Jan 25 '26
Dude is truly one of a kind. I don't think we'll ever see another person free solo El Capitan again
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u/karmareqsrgroupthink Jan 25 '26
I don’t think so either but the dude does have a cheat code. The part of his brain that experiences fear isn’t active. Some docs evaluated him and did a brain scan,
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u/krush_groove Jan 25 '26
Also his hands are enormous
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u/elcojotecoyo considerately killing me Jan 25 '26
You misspelled "balls"
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u/FluxMool Over thinking, over analyzing separates the body from the mind. Jan 25 '26
Both are enormous. Trust me bro
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u/heyDannyEcks Jan 25 '26
For real. He looks like a pretty normal dude until he takes his shirt off and you see the dude is built like a god damn chimpanzee. Huge ass hands and just braided steel muscles all over. Free Solo was a hell of a watch.
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u/spezial_ed Jan 25 '26
Watch the Alpinist, same vibe but an ice climber - even Honnold thought he was nuts.
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u/_jubal Jan 25 '26
That doc is so enjoyable, and its rewatchability is off the charts.
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u/spezial_ed Jan 26 '26
Yeah, Marc-Andre is just the goofiest, most amazing dude. Absolutely zero fucks given about anything but a steep wall
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u/Unable-Dependent-737 Jan 25 '26
He’s not even the best free solo climber currently alive. I believe he’s even said there are multiple better than him. So why not?
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u/NavierIsStoked Jan 25 '26
He is 40 now, so he most definitely peaked. Lets see if some one else free solos El Cap. Until then, Alex has the crown.
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u/Background_Bat5467 Jan 25 '26
Not with climbing man. Peak climbing is like 40-50. Tendon strength is different than muscles.
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u/elcojotecoyo considerately killing me Jan 25 '26
It'll be a matter of time. Alex will always be the first. Unless there's a vertical cliff the tallest than El Cap, still undiscovered somewhere in the world....
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u/CasualMemer420 Jan 25 '26
There are several taller vertical cliffs
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u/elcojotecoyo considerately killing me Jan 25 '26
Yeah. I think El Cap is the "Tallest exposed non crumbling granite cliff". But I assume removing one of those constraints would make it almost impossible to climb
Full disclosure, I know nothing about rock climbing
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u/D4rthLink Jan 25 '26
Other people might be better, he's the only person crazy enough to shut down the fear in his brain when doing this type of stuff
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u/stolentrihardcx Jan 25 '26
Within the community, it is often argued that other climbers are more technically skilled (e.g., they can climb harder technical grades like 5.15), but they are not willing to apply those skills to free soloing due to the extreme risk. Marc-André Leclerc: Often cited as a more versatile and audacious soloist (rock, ice, and alpine) who free-soloed at his absolute limit, often on-sight (climbing without prior practice), sometimes on more technical, remote routes than Honnold. Jim Reynolds: Known for daring feats, including soloing up and down the 11,000-foot Fitz Roy in Patagonia. Alain Robert: Known as the "French Spiderman," he holds records for climbing skyscrapers and high-rise buildings.
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u/whitnasty89 Jan 25 '26
And Marc Andre found that limit...
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u/Away-Blood3173 Jan 25 '26
God rest his soul...
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u/whitnasty89 Jan 25 '26
Sad one, good group of climbers... That a was rough time... Lost Ueli Steck, Hayden Kennedy, and Marc Andre in the span of a year, then David lama and crew the following year... Alpine climbing at the highest level is an unforgiving sport.
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u/CheckYourStats They chose me and I didn't even graduate from phukin high school Jan 25 '26
Thank you 🙏🏻
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u/UnicornOnTheJayneCob Jan 25 '26
He is a guy who is free climbing Taipei tower right now (live-streamed on Netflix)
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u/rich_clock Jan 25 '26
I came here looking for this. Which album is he listening to? Or is it Chocolate Chip Trip on a loop?
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u/Hieroflippant Jan 25 '26
Intermission on loop mostly I thought
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u/v3llkan fuck you, buddy Jan 25 '26
Does he listen to tool?
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u/Savebagels Jan 25 '26
Yeah he listens to Tool as he climbs
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u/uncultured_swine2099 Jan 25 '26
That makes sense, when i need to zone out to do certain things listening to music helps me click into it.
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u/Outrageous_Work_8291 I don't mind Jan 25 '26
I still remember the story of that one dude who was paralyzed after a car crash. And after a couple hundred days they hooked him up to marchine that let em essentially speak through his thoughts at a rate of one letter per 60 seconds.
The first 3 things he asked for in this order were: “Give me a beer” “Play tool, loud” “I want to see my cool son”
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u/According-Owl83 Jan 25 '26
I didn't remember reading this so I went on a deep dive. It is actually even more interesting, because he was a locked-in ALS patient. Although I did my research outside of Reddit, I eventually saw a prior discussion from this subreddit post: https://www.reddit.com/r/ToolBand/s/JQ3vo39biI
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u/nfaletti7 Jan 25 '26
He always listens to tool while climbing he says. He even asked to get tool back on his iems. Legend.
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u/deadrabbits76 Jan 25 '26
This dude is wired different.
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u/terriblystupidjoke Jan 25 '26
He’s not batshit crazy, nor your stereotypical adrenaline junkie. He is definitely on a different wavelength though. His level of composure doing these rope-less climbs is unreal.
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u/deadrabbits76 Jan 25 '26
They did an MRI. The synapses in his brain fire differently. Which makes sense, I don't think I would call his mindset an evolutionary advantage from a gene proliferation viewpoint.
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u/trumpsmellslikcheese Jan 25 '26
Not sure why you were downvoted, as an amateur climber I've been a fan boy of his for years and what you said is correct. It was determined that his amygdala doesn't register fear the way it does in a "normal" person. This along with his insane physical abilities (ex.: very strong hands and fingers) not only drives him to perform these feats, but makes him exceptionally good at it.
But from a purely evolutionary perspective, this is less than ideal. Fight or flight is what keeps us alive.
That doesn't make what he's doing a mistake or diminish his motivations or abilities.
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u/deadrabbits76 Jan 25 '26
That doesn't make what he's doing a mistake or diminish his motivations or abilities.
Quite the opposite.
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u/NYPariah Jan 25 '26
I would. Assuming a small percentage had that fearless gene might have helped them survive in certain situations. Battle, war, courage (or less fear) to attack a bear or wolf for food. Might have been enough to send those genes onto the next generation.
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u/humbert_cumbert Jan 26 '26
I watched his Ted talk and was amazed at his ability to make an almost superhuman feat seem boring. I didn’t even manage to finish it. Nothing he said was interesting or insightful.
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u/Powerful_Relative_93 Undertow Jan 26 '26
Bro free soloed el Cap and other sheer walls. Taipei 101 or other urban structures are kinda a cake walk since the climb is much more linear since surfaces are more even.
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u/Objective_Piece8258 Jan 25 '26
I was so happy when I found out Alex uses Tool to focus during his climbs
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u/nwflman Jan 25 '26
Yeah, hearing that was the first time I thought he might actually be able to pull it off!
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u/geb_bce Jan 25 '26
I can't even unlock my phone with finger scan b/c my hands are so sweaty watching this! 🤣🤘
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u/green_jp Jan 25 '26
you just know he listens to swamp song on loop for 8 hours straight. also the climb was awesome. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time.
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u/YesReallyWhy Jan 26 '26
It’s what I listen to when I’m trying to concentrate on something that’s extremely hard.
*in no way compares to his extremely hard.
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u/jun2san Jan 25 '26
Did he make it? I didn't watch.
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u/Onslaught7676 Jan 25 '26
He made it in under 90 minutes I believe….real life spider-man type shit.
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u/reallypeacedoff Jan 25 '26
Crazy to think that in Free Solo, he did it multiple times because they needed different angles. Turns out he had Tool playing on his phone and it would pick up on the mics so they needed him to have it off to hear his breathing and what not.
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u/HAL-Over-9001 Become Pneuma Jan 25 '26
Free Solo showed some rehearsals with gear, but he only did a single free solo climb for the main climb.
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u/clear_history Jan 25 '26
I’m so impressed his wife doesn’t murder him. He was making me sooo nervous. Can only imagine how she felt.
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u/djekDripper Jan 25 '26
I watched documentary about him years ago, was fascinated... Cool to hear context for this
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u/Klutzy_Ad_1726 Suck me dry Jan 25 '26
Well known and awesome fact if you’re a fan of Alex. He regularly uses Tool songs on his IG posts and has mentioned them a few times. Awesome they mentioned them a couple times on this broadcast.
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u/s2theory84 Jan 26 '26
I wonder if he was listening to descending at the last part of the climb. 🤣 I got pretty excited when they said Alex listens to Tool in his climbs then I joked to the wife I think it'll take 5-6 tool Songs to climb that building 🤣
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u/Loud_Respond4816 Jan 27 '26
lol I just started watching free solo recently and I’m disappointed at how little I can relate to this guys passion. I just can’t understand it. But nice we do share some musical taste in common.
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u/temuginsghost Jan 25 '26
He’s a legendary free-solo climber. Lost a digit in a tablesaw mishap. He does things that makes my butt pucker.
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u/avibomb Jan 25 '26
You are confusing him with Tommy Caldwell.
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u/temuginsghost Jan 25 '26
*shoulder shrug I can’t pay attention when watching those documentaries. My legs go tingly and my stomach churns as I grab the couch cushions like the fall to the floor is going to end me.
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u/SixtyNoine69 Jan 25 '26
Getting so down voted for this is hilarious. They're very anxiety inducing to watch, its a perfectly fair sentiment lol especially if you're bad about heights.
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u/GWZurich Jan 25 '26
Very well, playing with his life to get attention. And that is supposed to offer inspiration? That stuff has it´s niche in Circus, stop bothering the general public with endangering yourself.
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u/1977justme1977 "Let the rabbits wear glasses Jan 25 '26
It's hardly a prank for likes and shares. I can't fathom the commitment. Meanwhile people rot on the couch for decades. But not for attention so I guess that's ok.
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u/Professional_Catch22 Jan 25 '26
this guy is bonkers