Page 30 - ARUBA TODAY

A30 PEOPLE & ARTS
Friday 28 September 2018
In 'Free Solo,' a steeper challenge for Honnold than El Cap

By JAKE COYLE tentially lethal for a free so-
TORONTO (AP) — The im- loist, making both the onset
portant thing to rock climb- of love and the presence
er Alex Honnold is that the of film cameras unpredict-
movie screen be big. IMAX, able factors in a zero-sum
whatever. But big. game.
It's shortly before the Toron- "Soloing always come from
to International Film Festival some kind of particular
premiere of "Free Solo," the mental space. And it has
documentary that chroni- taken some effort to culti-
cles Honnold's legendary, vate the right space for a
ropeless ascent up Yosem- relationship, the right space
ite's El Capitan, a 3,000-foot to still climb at a high level
wall of sheer granite and and just try to balance it,"
possibly the world's most says Honnold.
fabled rock face. Honnold The high stakes also trans-
has just come from free so- ferred to the film crew.
loing — climbing without Chin, himself an expert
safety gear — a 69-story climber, estimates that he
luxury apartment building and the team of veteran
in Jersey City, New Jersey. climbers spent more than
From a hotel window he 30 days rigging and shoot-
scans the Toronto skyline ing on El Cap. The danger is
but doesn't see anything very real. Many renowned
much appealing. "It has to In this Sept. 10, 2018 photo, climbers Sanni McCandless, left, and Alex Honnold, subjects of the solo climbers have died; just
be inspiring aesthetically," documentary film "Free Solo," pose for a portrait at the InterContinental Hotel during the Toronto in June, two experienced
he says. International Film Festival in Toronto. climbers, Jason Wells and
Honnold, 33, is widely ac- Associated Press Tim Klein, fell to their death
knowledged as the great- while "simul-climbing" El
est free-solo climber in the ing achievement, the four- challenge, though, is an dating, on his book tour. Cap with ropes.
world. And in a sport that hour climb is still spoken of open question. Jimmy Chin And then he met her. We "You're a pro, but when
demands absolute perfec- in hushed reverence. The and Elizabeth Chai Vasar- were not expecting that," you have that much ex-
tion from its strivers —death New York Times called it helyi's "Free Solo," in theaters says Vasarhelyi. posure and you're moving
is the only alternative — "one of the greatest athlet- Friday, not only chronicles The two make an appeal- that much equipment and
Honnold's feat on El Cap ic feats of any kind, ever." Honnold's famed ascent, ing and revealing match. you're filming on top of it
is his masterpiece. An al- But whether scaling El Cap and the months of prepa- McCandless, articulate and thinking about your
most unfathomable climb- was Honnold's greatest ration and anguish leading and assertive, pushes back friend, it's a tremendous
up to it, but also an argu- against the less mature, amount of physical and
ably steeper challenge for bluntly honest Honnold, mental exertion," says Chin.
the 33-year-old Honnold: long a bachelor adven- "The crew was tortured by
moving out of his van and turer. Vasarhelyi shakes her the idea that maybe you'll
maintaining a long-term re- head. "It's painful at times," be filming your friend's
lationship. she says, smiling. "Extremely death."
"Anybody, if you took two painful." Vasarhelyi says the tension
years of their life, you would Case in point: When Hon- was highest when Honnold
see some growth, hope- nold, shortly after meeting made his first, aborted solo-
fully," Honnold says. "But it's Sanni, is shown saying that ing attempt of El Cap de-
easy to see growth when she will come and go like spite a recent injury. She
you're starting at zero." previous girlfriends. Later, felt he wasn't prepared.
After settling whether "Free they buy a place in Las Ve- "But I don't think our role as
Solo" would screen on IMAX gas and are seen refrigera- filmmakers was to tell him
(it wouldn't), Honnold was tor shopping. not do it," she says. "And
joined by Sanni McCand- "How do you feel about that's weird, right? Espe-
less, his girlfriend of several that line, Sanni?" Honnold cially when there's a life on
years. Just as Chin and asks. the line."
Vasarhelyi, the filmmaking "How do YOU feel about McCandless has also had
couple of the celebrated that line?" she retorts. to come to terms with Hon-
"Meru," were beginning "That's just one of many nold's obsessive pursuits.
their film three years ago, lines in the film I'm slightly "I don't think I ever wished
McCandless slipped Hon- horrified to hear back," says that he wouldn't do it. I
nold her number at a book Honnold. "That's kind of the wanted him to not want
signing. The exceptionally nature of two years of film- it, but I never wanted him
dedicated but goofy and ing. They just have so much to not to do it," she says.
boyish Honnold (in the film, material of me saying ter- "Knowing that he does
he sums up the fearsome rible things." want it, you realize he's go-
specter of El Cap with the What makes "Free Solo" so ing to be so bummed if he
phase "I mean, dude") is at fascinating is how these never brings it to fruition."
first almost comically inept developments influence "Free Solo" in some ways
at making room for some- Honnold just as he prepar- demystifies soloing which,
one else in his life. ing to take his biggest risk to some can sound like lu-
"When we started he was as a climber. Just the slight- nacy. Honnold's prepara-
online dating, or on-phone est distractions can be po- tion is extreme. q