A Challenging Ascent: Climbing in New York, USA in 2009

Peter T.: There was a lot of discussion and analysis of Alex’s and others mental approaches to difficult sections of climbs. I also liked descriptions of the climbers’ younger antics.

United States on Jul 23, 2023

lee lowther: Superb read

United Kingdom on Jul 03, 2023

semianne: Dachte erst, es könnte etwas langweilig werden, da ich Free Solo (Honnold@El Capitan) und Meru von Jimmy Chin schon kannte, aber Synnott bringt noch so viel mehr Hintergrundwissen und Episoden mit rein, dass es echt Spaß macht. Wem die Barbarian Days, Welcome to Paradise, Now Go to Hell oder One Breath gefallen, für den könnte auch das was sein.

Germany on Mar 12, 2021

Orangesmartie: A well researched and entertainingly written account of an unusal climber on amazing piece of stone. Triple A: awesome, amazing, absorbing!

United Kingdom on Feb 10, 2021

Dan Holloway: I love anything about climbing, so I devoured this. All of it is really interesting but just under half is actually about the El Cap free solo that it's (understandably) marketed in relation to.

The other thing to note is that if you are a real climbing fan, or even if you've seen Valley Uprising, Free Solo, and a selection of Patagonia and North Face videos, you will find all the stories familiar. There aren't many details at all that haven't been covered elsewhere, though the author does a nice job of bringing them together, and I like the "one-on-one-off" structure that's similar to Born to Run (a chapter about Alex, then one about climbing history, rinse, repeat).

United Kingdom on Jul 23, 2020

day: I marvel at the talent of the creators of FREE SOLO. I appreciate the magnitude of Alex Honnold's accomplishment. I have years of climbing history in my experience. And I THOUGHT that I knew "what was happening" regarding Alex's free solo of El Capitan, but it was not until I read Mark Synnott's account did I fully understand what was going on inside Alex's mind and what actually enabled him to succeed. Many say that they are surprised at the lack of focus in this book on Alex's climb, yet I beg them to read this book again to see the bigger picture for this very young man(?)boy(?) to achieve something no one thought possible, and without a trainer or coach, with all of his skill coming from his own self-will and discipline. He is truly remarkable and an inspiration. He is totally sane. There is nothing wrong with his amygdala. His dreams during his youth is what drives him. And he drives himself with incredible self-care. I am very grateful for having discovered this book that Mark wrote and I can totally appreciate why he wrote it as he did. He found a way to get an "inside view" of Alex that could not have been conveyed by any other means in my opinion. Congratulations Mark...

United States on May 30, 2020

William Capodanno: I'm afraid of heights so rock climbing is not a sport that would be something that I spend my time doing. However, I'm in awe of those pushing the limits of what is humanly possible, why they choose to and how the accomplish such feats. "The Impossible Climb" is an account of the first free solo (no ropes) of El Capitan in Yosemite by renowned climber Alex Honnold.

I've read some of the criticisms that that the book devotes very little to the actual historic ascent of El Cap. While I don't think that is an unfair assessment, I think that all the context and history of climbing in Yosemite as well as Honnold's other climbs in the Middle East, Morocco, etc. added invaluably to this story --- particularly for non-climbers. There was a lot of technical talk that went right over me (although it did prompt me to read more on climbing outside of this book) , but I'm not critical of that as I expect even the most casual rock climbers were interested in the particular techniques and challenges these athletes face.

Ultimately, I found this book to be a fascinating peek into the world of these athletes and someone like Honnold who is pushing boundaries. I'll admit that before...

United States on May 18, 2019

Nancy J McNamara: I've read a couple of books on this subject, including Alex's own autobiography (co-written) but found this book to be much easier to follow, especially during the technicial explanations of climbing terms. Although the story followed Alex's life story so far, it was made even more interesting by numerous interjections of the history of rock climbing and the climbing masters over the ages, (including the author's personal story). Alex is a big of an enigma both his fellow climbers and to the world at large, so I felt the author really got a good handle on who this guy is and what makes him tick - and how he manages to free solo the scariest rocks in the world.

Canada on Mar 22, 2019

B. Goddard: I have never, and I shall never climb a cliff of any height, but devouring Mark Synnott's brilliant and riveting book The Impossible Climb gave me enormous joy. If, as a reader, you crave context, and there is context galore, this book is for you. If you wonder how these elite climbers, both male and female, balance the hunger for risk with the recognition that staying alive is essential to providing the very opportunities for that risk taking, this book will move you and challenge your assumptions about the sport. If you harbor a fascination for the history of great climbers and their historic expeditions, this book provides a rare, even profound education. Yes, the book culminates with Alex Honnold's epic free solo of El Capitan, but this book is about so much more. There are so many impossible climbs described in this book, not just the final one. It is about the ethos of climbing, the passion that possesses every climber. Synnott invites you into this universe, on every level, and what every reader will be able to see and understand and feel is the absolute honesty, the fierce authenticity that such a life requires. This book is, of course, about the human condition. It is no...

United States on Mar 12, 2019