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Alex Honnold

Climbing · United States

Alex
Honnold

World Record
1World Record
Never Been Done
3Never Been Done
1Legend
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Photo: Foto: Christopher Michel / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

Nine hundred metres of granite. No rope. Three hours, fifty-six minutes.

About Alex

Alex Honnold is an American rock climber known for free soloing — climbing without ropes or protection. His 2017 free solo of El Capitan's Freerider is regarded as the hardest ever performed and was documented in the Oscar-winning film Free Solo. He holds speed records on the Nose, including the first sub-two-hour ascent, and runs the Honnold Foundation, which funds solar energy access projects.

The moments

Iconic
achievements

World Record
2012

Honnold and Florine Set Nose Speed Record at 2:23:46

Alex Honnold and Hans Florine climbed the Nose route on El Capitan in 2 hours, 23 minutes and 46 seconds, setting a new speed record for the iconic Yosemite wall.

Never Been Done
2014

Honnold and Caldwell Make First Fitz Traverse Ascent

Alex Honnold and Tommy Caldwell completed the first ascent of the Fitz Traverse, a five-day enchainment of the Cerro Chaltén group. The climb earned them the Piolet d'Or.

Never Been Done
2017

Honnold Free Solos El Capitan, a World First

Alex Honnold became the first person to free solo El Capitan, climbing the 884-metre Freerider route without ropes in 3 hours 56 minutes.

World Record
2018

Honnold Breaks Two Hours on El Capitan's Nose

Alex Honnold and Tommy Caldwell became the first to climb El Capitan's Nose in under two hours, topping out in 1 hour 58 minutes 7 seconds.

Never Been Done
2026

Honnold Free Solos Taipei 101 in 95 Minutes Live

Alex Honnold completed the first free solo ascent of Taipei 101, reaching the summit in about 95 minutes during a live broadcast.

The record

  1. 2012Honnold and Florine Set Nose Speed Record at 2:23:46World Record
  2. 2014Honnold and Caldwell Make First Fitz Traverse AscentNever Been Done
  3. 2017Honnold Free Solos El Capitan, a World FirstNever Been Done
  4. 2018Honnold Breaks Two Hours on El Capitan's NoseWorld Record
  5. 2026Honnold Free Solos Taipei 101 in 95 Minutes LiveNever Been Done