For those in the rock-climbing community, Alex Honnold has been one of the most revered and talked about climbers in the past decade, drawing attention for his speedy ascents of iconic routes without ropes. But it was this year he was catapulted into the global spotlight after the documentary Free Solo, about his solo first ascent of El Capitan, won an Academy Award. If there’s someone who can speak to pushing the limits of human performance, it’s the man who shimmied up a 2,900-foot wall in less than four hours without any equipment. He’ll talk about theoretical boundaries during Aspen Ideas Festival, answering, among other questions, has humanity reached its full physical potential? Honnold continues to prove the answer is no. June 23-26
Photography by: jimmy chin
