Half-Dome's Regular Northwest Face. These words are enough to inspire awe and wonder, in many avid rock climbers. Just the idea of being in Yosemite Valley can get a climber revved up. However, Half Domes Regular Northwest Face stands at 2000 feet or so with 23 pitches, this bad-boy is quite the feat for any climber to be proud of. While some rock-climbers take up to 3 days to obtain that amazing view from the top, some incredibly gifted climbers have been known to be doing their victory dance in less than 2 hours. That is, it was worthy of bragging rights up until September 06, 2008. That was the day that Half-Dome's Regular Northwest Face was soloed by Alex Honnold in just a few hours. Other people have attempted to free-solo this incredible route before, but none of them could quite manage it, all of them needing rope lines in at least one of the 23 pitches. Alex rehearsed the route once or twice before the solo and then went for it. This is by no means Honnold's first taste of soloing success. He has been one of the most talented climbers to hit the scene in the last few years. Last year he made quite a splash in the headlines when he free soloed two of Yosemite's most popular routes; the Rostrum and Astroman both in the same day. He also nailed a beautiful solo ascent of the Moonlight Buttress in Zion National Park in Utah. Some even called his amazing display of finger holds and speed in Zion the greatest free solo climb in history. The truth is he had his work cut out for him if he wanted to attract the same amount of press-time and attention this year, and he found a way, but I am sure Honnold could care less about press time. In an interview Honnold said that Half-Dome's Northwest Face was actually simpler than Moonlight Buttress in terms of technicality, but the sheer length of the climb coupled with the fact that the hardest parts of the route are found near the top made Half-Dome's Regular Northwest Face a much more difficult climb over-all. Honnold also claims that fear for his safety is never a factor when he solos, stating that he would never attempt and unassisted climb if he were not confident he could do it. Some of Honnold's astonished admirers are wondering what new feats Honnold will accomplish in the 2009 season. Many are pointing to Yosemite's crown jewel of climbs- El Capitan. Honnold has said nothing about his future plans, but you can be assured that he will be watched closely.
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