Alex Honnold & Hazel Findlay Ascend 3,750ft | Arctic Ascent with Alex Honnold | National Geographic
This is it. It's just me and Hazel, and Ingmikortilaq. Our goal for today is to get as high as we can, and then camp. Then tomorrow, it'll be a big push up the headwall to the summit. Each piece of rock is different, and each wall is different, and it's been weeks since I'd even climbed properly, you know.
Should you go first? Or ... No, you should go. Just watch out for little rocks. Yeah. After we climbed the ropes, we get to the first bit of unclimbed wall. It's so exciting putting my shoes on for the first time in a really long time. And I put my shoes on and I stepped on the rock and I'm like, "Yes, this is why I'm here."
Oh my God, we're climbing! We made good progress through the afternoon. Getting closer and closer to the headwall. Here's Hazel with a really nice view of our route down below the nice arcing swirl of the wall. Pretty cool. Icebergs have gotten even prettier. And the reflections in the mountains, but it's all pretty beautiful. But you know, we're just cruising along.
Yeah, it's sad to not have Mikey up here, huh? Yeah, it's sad. We miss you, Mikey. Oh, this actually is a great place to camp. This is amazing. We should definitely stay right here.
Yeah, it's pretty flat. Yeah, this is really flat and really beautiful. Look at the wall. Oh, you've got your life raft. Is that because we're on a sea cliff? Maybe if I fall off, I'll float down, and then I'll float back to camp. Oh, that'd be nice. That looks pretty comfy.
How do you feel? Pretty good, yeah. Now I just need my sleeping bag. I absolutely love sleeping on walls. It's one of my favorite things about big walling. Can I take a picture? Yeah. It's this moment to actually enjoy the wall and be present and calm with the wall without wanting to just be climbing up it.
That looks sick! How's your bed, Alex? This is actually really comfy. I've gotten pretty ... I just use the rope to prop up my head more and it's very comfortable.