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Alex Honnold

  • World-Renowned Professional Rock Climber
  • First Person to Free Solo Climb the Taipei 101 Building; the tallest buildering free solo climb in history
  • Subject of the Academy Award-Winning Documentary 'Free Solo'

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Alex Honnold did something so difficult that it barely fits into normal categories of sport. He is the only person to have free solo climbed El Capitan, a 3,000-foot wall where the cost of a single mistake is obvious and immediate. It is the kind of achievement that quietly resets expectations of what is possible. What sets Honnold apart is not bravado, but an almost obsessive commitment to preparation, restraint, and knowing exactly when not to go. His ascent, captured in the Academy Award–winning film Free Solo, became iconic because it showed what disciplined thinking looks like when there is nowhere to hide from your decisions. In early 2026, he applied the same principles in a new setting by becoming the first person to free solo climb Taipei 101.

Honnold works in environments that collapse the distance between choice and outcome, leaving no room for ego or noise. That perspective shapes how he thinks about preparation, timing, and responsibility.

On stage, he brings that same grounded confidence. His stories are engaging without theatrics, and his insights translate naturally to leadership and high-pressure decision-making, leaving audiences with a clearer sense of how ambitious goals are actually achieved.

 

Alex Honnold headshot
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Rave Reviews About Alex Honnold
“
Alex was awesome at our event! His humbleness and authenticity won over the group along with, of course, his sheer perseverance and amazing skill to do what he does. He was a pleasure to work with, and went above and beyond to make the day a success for us.

”
Alex Honnold Speaking Reel - Get Sharable Link
Talks & Conversations with Alex Honnold
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Managing Fear and Performing Under Pressure

World-renowned climber ALEX HONNOLD breaks down how fear actually works and how it can be managed rather than ignored. Drawing from moments where mistakes are not survivable, he shows how preparation, focus, and emotional control allow people to perform calmly when the stakes are highest. ...

World-renowned climber ALEX HONNOLD breaks down how fear actually works and how it can be managed rather than ignored. Drawing from moments where mistakes are not survivable, he shows how preparation, focus, and emotional control allow people to perform calmly when the stakes are highest.

Calculated Risk: Decision-Making When It Matters Most

Legendary free solo climber ALEX HONNOLD explores the difference between reckless risk and deliberate decision-making. Using real-world examples from climbs where every move is intentional, he explains how individuals and organizations can pursue bold goals while protecting against catastrophic fail ...

Legendary free solo climber ALEX HONNOLD explores the difference between reckless risk and deliberate decision-making. Using real-world examples from climbs where every move is intentional, he explains how individuals and organizations can pursue bold goals while protecting against catastrophic failure.

 

Achieving the Impossible: What It Takes to Act Boldly

Known for completing climbs no one had attempted before, ALEX HONNOLD shares what it means to commit fully to an unprecedented goal. He unpacks how ambition, planning, and self-belief come together when there is no blueprint and no margin for error. ...

Known for completing climbs no one had attempted before, ALEX HONNOLD shares what it means to commit fully to an unprecedented goal. He unpacks how ambition, planning, and self-belief come together when there is no blueprint and no margin for error.

Purpose Beyond Performance: Sustainability and Long-Term Impact

Explorer and environmental advocate ALEX HONNOLD connects peak performance with responsibility. Through his work advancing global access to clean energy, he discusses how success can be paired with purpose—and how individuals and organizations can think beyond short-term wins to create lasting impac ...

Explorer and environmental advocate ALEX HONNOLD connects peak performance with responsibility. Through his work advancing global access to clean energy, he discusses how success can be paired with purpose—and how individuals and organizations can think beyond short-term wins to create lasting impact.

 

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Books by Alex Honnold
Alone on the Wall

Alone on the Wall

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Press & Media
Learning to Live With Fear - New York Times
The Anxiety of Watching Risk Takers Clash Over Life-or-Death Decisions - New York Times
Alex Honnold's Unique Perspective on Climate Change - Bloomberg
Alex Honnold Answers Rock Climbing Questions From Twitter - Wired
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Biography

The only human to free solo Yosemite’s 3000 foot rock monolith, El Capitan. No rope, climbing alone. More people will walk on the moon than will do what Alex Honnold has done. His extremely rare skill and unmatched mental focus have helped make him climbing’s transcendent, breakout star, inspiring millions around the world.

Beyond his 2017 history-making ascent of El Cap, dramatically documented in the Oscar-winning film Free Solo, Alex is simply one of the hardest working, certainly most accomplished, and greatest climbers to ever live. His feats have blown the doors wide open on the sport of climbing, placing him at the front of mainstream media like 60 Minutes, The New York Times, and the cover of National Geographic. Alex continues to push himself, building on a singular resume highlighted by speed records on The Nose, the famous 24 hour “Triple Solo” of Mt. Watkins, Half Dome and El Capitan, and cutting-edge expeditions in Antarctica, South America, Greenland and elsewhere.

Humble and self-effacing, he is deeply appreciative of the role he plays in culture and uses it in service of something larger than himself. In 2012, Alex founded the Honnold Foundation, an environmental nonprofit that supports organizations expanding access to solar energy around the world. Guided by a simple vision, improving lives while reducing environmental impact, the Foundation has directed multi-million-dollar investments into community-centered, solar-driven initiatives across more than 100 communities in 30 countries.

Alex is always looking for opportunities to share stories from the sport he loves. A host of the Climbing Gold Podcast, Alex explores the unique stories of climbing culture that originally drew him to the sport. Recently he’s led several environmentally-focused documentary and TV projects, putting his climbing skills to use by reaching hard to get to corners of the earth.

Alex lives in Las Vegas with wife Sanni and his daughters June and Alice.

Website | www.alexhonnold.com

Instagram | @alexhonnold

Facebook | @alexhonnold

Twitter | @alexhonnold

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