Alone on the Wall

By: Alex Honnold, David Roberts

Narrated by: Andrew Eiden, Will Damron

Only a few years ago, Alex Honnold was little known beyond a small circle of hardcore climbers. Today, at the age of 30, he is probably the most famous adventure athlete in the world. In that short time, he has proven his expertise in many styles of climbing and has shattered speed records, pioneered routes, and won awards within each discipline. More spectacularly still, he has pushed the most extreme and dangerous form of climbing far beyond the limits of what anyone thought was possible.

Free soloing, Honnold's specialty, is a type of climbing performed without a rope, a partner, or hardware - such as pitons, nuts, or cams - for aid or protection. The results of climbing this way are breathtaking, but the stakes are ultimate: If you fall, you die.

In Alone on the Wall, Honnold recounts the seven most astonishing climbing achievements so far in his still-evolving career. He narrates the drama of each climb along with reflective passages that illuminate the inner workings of his highly perceptive and discerning mind. We share in the jitters and excitements he feels waking in his van (where he lives full time) before a climb; we see him self-criticize in his climbing journal (a veritable Bible for students of the sport); and we learn his secrets to managing fear. Veteran climber and award-winning author David Roberts writes part of each chapter in his own voice, and he calls on other climbers and the sport's storied past to put Alex's tremendous accomplishments in perspective.

Whenever Honnold speaks in public, he is asked the same two questions: "Aren't you afraid you're going to die?" and "why do you do this?" Alone on the Wall takes us around the world and through the highs and lows in the life of a climbing superstar to answer those fascinating questions.

©2016 Alex Honnold and David Roberts (P)2015 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Great book, lacking performance

The guys reading the book are not familiar with climbing. Numerous areas are mispronounced as well ratings for climbs. 5.11 would be pronounced five-eleven not five-one-one, and at one point they referred to it as the Down wall instead of the Dawn wall. Interesting book, provides a glimpse at the mind of Alex.

Great book, poor performance

Very odd performance - the reader mispronounces common names and words, such as Tuolomne, Salathe, and "5.11"

Not Reaching Great Heights

Is there anything you would change about this book?

I am a big fan of Alex Honnold - both for his climbing and for his social action. I truly wanted to like this audio book. I definitely should have simply bought the book itself and forgone the audio version. I would've had Alex Honnold read his portion of the book. He is very well known and has a very recognizable voice. The person who read in his place was simply adequate. There were some mispronunciations, and every time he spoke, it reminded me that Alex Honnold was not reading the book.

What other book might you compare Alone on the Wall to and why?

Eiger Dreams, The Tower, Into Thin Air...

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Andrew Eiden and Will Damron ?

I would've cast Alex Honnold to read Alex Honnold. It was truly distracting to listen to someone else who was obviously not him.

Did Alone on the Wall inspire you to do anything?

Yes - check who is narrating more closely in the future.

Any additional comments?

The book is likely quite good. The readers were also good. But not having Alex read his portions was a mistake by the producers.

Good story, decent writing, lazy reading

Okay, though uninspiring writing. Alex Honnold remains an interesting character, although I wish more time were spent delving into a more in depth look at his personality and climbing. I suppose to appeal to a broader audience the climbing specific discussion temains superficial, but I wonder if there are really that many non-climbers interested in this? I would love to hear more discussion on his worldview, particularly his atheism. All in all the book reads like a bloated resume, it hits all the main accomplishments, but does very little to flesh out Alex's personality beyond what we might glean from a 20 minute interview. The narration was fairly atrocious, with the readers mispronouncing the names of famous climbers like Chris Sharma , John Bachar, John Salathe, and numerous others. Other places names and words are mispronounced as well, cached and Saint Exupery come to mind. Common climbing terms, especially YDS ratings like 5.11 are sometimes handled correctly, othertimes botched.

Like starting a solo climb, I was not able to stop

until I got to the finish. This is a powerful account of Alex's life in climbing. I would recommend this to anyone, climber or not. I will probably listen through a few more times myself.