Back on June 3,Alex Honnold became the first climber in history to free soloYosemite's 3,000-foot El Capitan. That means he climbed the entire wall without arope,harness, or any other kind of safety equipment. Even more impressive: thewhole climbonly took him threehours and 56 minutes.
That feat was certainly his most audacious, but it washardly the first time Honnold has made headlines for ropeless ascents: the 31-year-old is famous for his bare-bones climbingapproach. He also's well-known for livingsimply out of a 2016 Dodge van that he drives from one climb to the next.
But ask him what he can't live without and it turns out there are a few things on that list. We recently called him up and got the details.
Backpack
is a perfect mid-size bag that carries everything. I bring it with me pretty much everywhere: it carries my rope and rack, my shoes, harness, water, food, a jacket. With that, I’m good for the whole day.
Noise Canceling Headphones
These are a must-have for traveling. I listen to a lot of movie soundtracks. I'll sleep to the Avatarsoundtrack or Gladiator—I find them quite peaceful. I hiked into the Torre Valley in Patagonia listening to the Batman soundtrack. It's the most beautiful hike you can imagine.
Water Bottle
I only drink water and I usuallyuse a. It’s small enough that you can use it as cup in streams. In Patagonia, there’s so much fresh water around, you never need to carry more than a half liter. Plus, the hard plastic means you can use it to roll out your legs and IT band whenever you get where you’re going.
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I have a really good breakfast routine. I’ve been eating. I add chia seeds, flax seed,and hemp milk. I've eaten the same breakfast for the last six months. Sometimes, I prepare everything but the milkthe night before and leave it sitting out, especially while training for El Cap.I've been getting up at 4:45in the morning, so it's nice to just pour hemp milk and you’re good to go. It feels well balanced with carbs and protein.
Burly Phone Case
I use my iPhone every day. It's in my pocket on every climb. But I needed a sturdy case for it so I don't crush the screen when I’m climbing the Chimney. The has been working well.
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I always travel with two journals. One is just for climbing where I list all the routes I've climbed in a very specific format: “I climbed this route on this day and it took this long.”It's very clinical and sterile. My climbing journal is a standard . The entry from El Cap on June 3 reads:”'6-3-17. Freerider. 5.12D. Solo!!! 3:56. Felt amazing, smooth and awesome.”
Then I have a training journal where I keep dietary notes and training logs. In the back, I make notes, like to-do lists or memorizing sequences for climbs. It's one of those black-and-white . It has some random dude’s name on it—Cody something. My mom is a retired professor and it came from her.