The single free solo
Alex Honnold has completed one verified free solo of the entire El Capitan Nose route, in June 2017. He has not repeated a full big wall free solo on El Capitan, though he has made earlier, partial free ascents and trained on the wall using top rope and bouldering. The 2017 ascent was a landmark feat in climbing, unroped and entirely on natural features.
2017 free solo of the Nose
The ascent
On 3 June 2017, Honnond free soloed the Salathé Wall (commonly called the Nose route) on El Capitan in Yosemite National Park, completing the approximately 2,100–2,300-foot (roughly 700–750 meter) route without a rope, partner, or protective aids beyond a small safety pad. The climb took about 3 hours and 56 minutes from the ledge to the summit, filmed by Jimmy Chin, Alex Honnold, and Mikey Schaefer. It remains the only free solo of El Capitan’s classic big wall lines by any climber.
Preparation and risk management
Honnold spent years rehearsing moves on replica walls and visiting the cliff to beta the line. He parked a pad below key fall areas and minimized exposure where possible, though high objective risk remained. The ascent drew widespread attention for its technical difficulty and psychological stakes, and was documented in the film Free Solo.
Earlier interest 2008 to 2016
Before 2017, Honnold worked the big wall on top rope and practiced free segments. Notably, in 2008 he free climbed the first 600 feet of the route known as Regular Northwest Face (often called the “Citizen” or “Camp 4 to Regular” project), a famous and very hard opening pitch, but did not complete the entire wall free. He also free climbed parts of the Muir Wall and other variations, yet never again attempted the full Nose free solo until 2017.
Notable climbing milestones on El Capitan
- 1958: Warren Harding, Wayne Merry, and George Whitmore make the first ascent of the Nose via siege style climbing (aid).
- 1975: Royal Robbins makes the first free ascent of the Salathé Wall (Nose), the first big wall free climb at big wall standards.
- 1993: Tim O’Neill completes the first rope solo of the Nose (ground-up, alone, with a rope).
- 2012: Alexander Huber ascends the Nose in a fast free climb (with falls) in under 2 hours.
- 2017: Alex Honnold free solos the Nose, the first and only verified free solo of El Capitan’s classic big wall lines.
Clarifying common misunderstandings
Honnold has climbed El Capitan many times using ropes and has free climbed sections, but the widely recognized and verified free solo of the entire major route is limited to a single instance: the 2017 Nose ascent. Claims of additional full big wall free solos are not supported by public evidence or widely reported by climbing media. Subsequent El Cap visits by Honnold have involved partners or ropes.
Summary table
| Date or Period | Activity | Verified Detail | Source Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Partial free climb (first 600 ft of Regular Northwest Face) | Free climbed the opening pitch “Citizen” (approx 600 ft) | Climbing reports and media |
| 2012 | Rope solo & fast free attempts | Rope solo and fast free ascents by others; Honnold top roped | Climbing publications |
| June 3, 2017 | Free solo of the Nose (Salathé Wall) | Free solo of entire major El Capitan big wall route (~2,100–2,300 ft), completed in 3:56 | Film Free Solo, guidebooks, Yosemite rangers, Honnold interviews |
| Post-2017 | Repeated big wall, no additional full free solos | To date, no verified repeat of a full big wall free solo of El Capitan by Honnold or others | Guidebook records, climbing community consensus |
Training, preparation, and legacy
Honnold’s approach to El Capitan combined physical training on similar terrain, extensive mental rehearsal, and meticulous route knowledge. His free solo of the Nose stands as a singular achievement in climbing history, often cited as the pinnacle of commitment and technical mastery. Since 2017, he has described the climb as a personal capstone rather than a model to be repeated, emphasizing the unique combination of factors that made the 2017 ascent possible.