Jake's Reviews > Alone on the Wall

I will spend the rest of my life kicking myself for failing to see the film Free Solo on the big screen in 2018. Nonetheless, the Oscar-winning documentary about Alex Honnold’s 3,000-foot ascent of El Capitan without rope or other safety gear, played with plenty of intensity on my tablet last month. Next, I began binging relevant YouTube climbing videos. Inevitably, I wound up reading Alex’s book Alone on the Wall, co-written with David Roberts. I used the B&N Nook eBook, specifically the expanded edition which features two new chapters Alex wrote about free soloing El Capitan.

Alone on the Wall marks my first foray into big-wall rock climbing literature. Disclaimer: I am not a climber and never expect to become one. Still, I enjoyed Alone on the Wall a great deal. Much of my enjoyment came from having already seen Alex’s major climbs via those jaw-dropping videos mentioned above. The book, utilizing longform writing, discusses the climbs’ background and aftermath in greater detail than fast-paced YouTube clips can.

The book utilizes efficient to-the-point chapters, each of which spotlight a major climb. Along the way, the narrative reveals significant details of Alex’s personal life, including family, romance, and climbing community. There is also compelling discussion of ethical issues related to filming climbs, especially dangerous free solos. I valued how the book alternated between first-person passages by Honnold and third-person passages by Roberts. This format invites healthy debate by juxtaposing Alex’s viewpoint and memories with contrasting observations by his co-author and other climbers.

Some of the technical details and terminology were lost on me, but I never felt completely lost. The overall narrative held my interest. Again, it helped greatly that I’d seen many of these climbs ahead of reading. Had I not done that, the narrative would have been much harder to visualize. My eBook edition did include some still images.

I would assume Alone on the Wall is now must-read for climbers. I also recommend it for non-climbers like me who have seen Free Solo and want to keep exploring the topic. Still, you really need to see the climbs. Here is a list of short documentaries I consider must-see. Free excerpts are easy to find on YouTube. Better yet, the complete documentaries are available for streaming—some free, and others for on-demand rental/purchase:

Alone on the Wall
Honnold 3.0
A Line Across the Sky
El Sendero Luminoso ft. Alex Honnold

All of the above films showcase climbs discussed in the book. The first three are from Sender Films. The fourth video can be viewed free on The North Face’s YouTube channel. Enjoy!