Contents
Half the book is written by Honnold (his sections are denoted in italics), recollecting his climbs along with his old logbook notes. The other half is written by David Roberts, an accomplished climber and author, who offers commentary on Honnold's life and achievements, background for his most significant climbs, and notes from interviews with Honnold's family and climbing partners.
The book starts with Honnold's free solo climb of Moonlight Buttress, a 1,200-foot sandstone cliff in Zion National Park, on April 1, 2008. At the time, Honnold was 22 years old and unknown outside the climbing community. Later that year, he free soloed the Regular Northwest Face of Half Dome, a 2,000-foot wall in Yosemite Valley. These two solo climbs, both unprecedented, launched him to wider fame; a film covering his Half Dome achievement (also titled Alone on the Wall) and a 60 Minutes interview were released shortly after.
As Honnold became more famous, he gained opportunities to climb in more remote locations, such as Mount Kinabalu in Borneo or the Ennedi Plateau in Chad, and to collaborate with notable mountaineers including Conrad Anker and Mark Synnott. Honnold continued to attempt ambitious projects in Yosemite, such as setting the speed record on the Nose route of El Capitan with Hans Florine and completing the "Yosemite Triple Crown"—free climbing El Capitan, Half Dome, and Mount Watkins with Tommy Caldwell in under 24 hours. Honnold and Caldwell also completed the first full traverse of the Fitz Roy range in Patagonia in 2014.
Throughout the book, Honnold also discusses climate change and his desire to reduce carbon emissions by avoiding unnecessary travel. After gaining sponsorships and more income, he created The Honnold Foundation to help expand solar energy projects around the world.
Reception
Alone on the Wall was positively reviewed by Gripped magazine, who wrote that "the vivid descriptions captured by Honnold and Roberts will surely cover the book’s pages in a fine layer of palm sweat." [2] Barbara J. King, writing for NPR, said Honnold "engagingly conveys his love of climbing" and commended his environmental message. [3] UK Climbing praised the book's candidness in discussing Honnold's thoughts and personal relationships, saying it was "way more than just a collection of hand-sweating stories." [4]
Nathaniel Rich, writing for The Atlantic , highlighted the "meticulous, technical detail" of Honnold's descriptions of his climbs, but states that Honnold resists introspection, similar to many other successful athletes. Rich calls the book a "celebration of nonthinking", suggesting that Honnold's nonchalance discussing his greatest achievements is connected to his composure during climbs, and essential to his success as a free soloist. [5]
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