Kick Rocks Magazine

05

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

TOP 10 PLACES

Best places in California to see the beautiful superbloom—February-July.

GEAR GUYS

Best camping gear picks from Blake and Tony Yeager—the Gear Guys.

LEAD STORY

One of these 7 places may be America’s next national park.

INTERVIEW

Dikpal Thapa: Risking it all for one image.

FEATURE STORY

What sunscreens are best for you—and the planet?

FEATURE STORY

Want to try foraging food? Here’s how to do it safely.

COVER STORY

Alex Honnold: The Fearless Climber Who Conquered El Capitan Without a Rope.

EDITORIAL STAFF

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Leia Baines

ASSISTANT EDITOR

Jack Finnigan

ART DIRECTOR

Sarah Franklin

COPY EDITORS

Isla Monroe

Leo Santiago

STAFF WRITERS

Miles Howard

Chris McNamara

Kelsey Mulvey

Eric Rosen

Blake Yeager

Tony Yeager

Elaina Zachos

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Sruthi Gurudev

Eben Harrell

Dikpal Thapa

STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS

Christian Beutler

Jimmy Chin

Jacob Frank

Howie Garber

Toomas Tartes

Chad Taylor

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Saed Hindash

Fran Pa

Charles Rabada

Taylor Reed

Annie Spratt

Dikpal Thapa

GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Sarah Franklin

MARKETING DIRECTOR

Gabriel Blackwell

FROM THE EDITOR

Summer is here, and with it comes the promise of adventure. Whether you’re planning a backpacking trip in the mountains, a kayaking excursion on a remote river, or a weekend camping trip with friends, this is the season to get outside and explore.

In this issue of our magazine, we’ve put together a collection of stories, tips, and advice to help you make the most of your outdoor adventures. From interviews with outdoor industry leaders to profiles of inspiring adventurers, we’ve got something for everyone.

One of the things we’re most excited about in this issue is our feature on the best national parks to visit this summer. We’ve scoured the country to find the most breathtaking landscapes, the most challenging hikes, and the most unique experiences that each park has to offer. Whether you’re a seasoned park veteran or a first-time visitor, we think you’ll find something to love in this feature.

We’ve also got some great tips for staying safe and healthy on your outdoor adventures, including advice on how to prevent and treat common injuries, as well as tips for staying hydrated and avoiding heat exhaustion in hot weather. And of course, we’ve got plenty of gear reviews and recommendations to help you find the best equipment and apparel for your next adventure.

We hope you enjoy this issue of our magazine and that it inspires you to get outside and explore the world around you. As always, we welcome your feedback and suggestions for future issues.

Happy adventuring!

Sincerely,

Leia Baines

Photo by Aaron Bauer-Griffin

Photo by Ron And Patty Thomas

Photo by Daniel J Barr

Photo by Education Images

Death Valley

Chino Hills Sate Park

Briones National Park

Carrizo Plains

Mount Diablo State Park

Point Dume Natural Preserve

Photo by Mimi Ditchie

Photo by Patricia Marroquin

Photo by Wenli Li

Photo by Robyn Beck

Photo by Shimona Carvalho

Photo by Sumiko Scott

gear guys

We’ve taken the time to list all of our favorite backpacking gear in one place. This dream list has options for any type of trail treader. Whether you love to go fast with the lightest backpacking gear or are just curious as to what items our testers have labeled the best hiking gear, we’ve got options. We also consider the best value options to help you save money.

backpacking gear

— Blake & Tony, the Gear Guys

Best Overall Backpacking Backpack: Granite Gear Blaze 60 | $300, REI.com

Men’s Best Overall Hiking Boots: Salomon Quest 4 Gore-Tex | $230, REI.com

Best Overall Backpacking Backpack for Women: Osprey Renn 65 | $190, REI.com

Women’s Best Overall Hiking Boots: La Sportiva Ultra Raptor II Mid GTX | $145, REI.com

Best Overall Energy Bar: Kate’s Real Food | $30 for 12, REI.com

Best Overall: Snow Peak Titanium Spork | $10, REI.com

Best Overall Filter for Personal Use Sawyer Squeeze | $41, REI.com

Best Budget Down Sleeping Bag: Mountain Hardwear Bishop Pass 30 | $245, REI.com

Women’s Best Overall Down Jacket: Rab Neutrino Pro | $280, REI.com

Best Overall Down Jacket: Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer/2 | $360, REI.com

Best Overall Pocket Knife: Benchmade Mini-Barrage 585 | $189, REI.com

Best Combination of Lightweight and Durability: SlingFin Portal 2 | $329, REI.com

Best Bang for the Buck: Moon Lence Backpacking Chair | $30, REI.com

One of these 7 places may be America’s next national park.

By Miles Howard

It’s been more than two years since West Virginia’s New River Gorge became America’s most recent national park, and since then, outdoor recreation has continued to soar in popularity. The National Park Service manages more than 400 sites across the United States, but less than 20 percent (63) are national parks with the scale and amenities that can support heavy visitation. Currently, 20 states do not have a national park.

There are many benefits to having a national park. They can be a boon for regional tourism and bring federal resources for conserving land that may be vulnerable to development or invasive species. “You want to ensure public access and the protection of the resources,” says Kristen Brengel, senior vice president of government affairs at the National Parks Conservation Association.

So where could the next national park be? The U.S. is full of worthy candidates. But national parks are created through congressional legislation, and there are many considerations, including available infrastructure such as roads and

restrooms. Community advocacy can help fuel the effort. With strong local and federal support, the following sites stand a good chance of becoming America’s 64th national park.

Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park, Georgia

The verdant human-made knolls

here are a vivid window into more than 17,000 years of Indigenous habitation. The ancestral homeland of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park is a leading contender for the next national park slot, thanks to a robust community initiative and bipartisan support in Congress. “We know that our

From the world’s largest intact temperate rain forest to an Apache “Wonderland of Rocks,” these stunning landscapes have all the makings of a future National Park Service site.

Journey to the ancient past to discover 17,000 years of Native American heritage just across the Ocmulgee River from downtown Macon. Enter the continent’s only reconstructed Earth Lodge with the original 1,000-year-old floor, climb to the top of the Great Temple Mound, see prehistoric trenches and the site of a Colonial British trading post. Annual events include the Ocmulgee Lantern Light Tours during Macon’s Cherry Blossom Festival in the Spring and the Ocmulgee Indian Celebration held every third weekend in September. | ExploreGeorgia.org

ancestors are buried in this land, and national park status would establish protections,” says Tracie Revis, director of advocacy for the Ocmulgee National Park & Preserve Initiative.

Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve, Idaho Despite seemingly endless sand dunes and lofty peaks, Idaho never seems to be top of mind as a hub of nature. Perhaps that’s why it doesn’t have a national park. Craters of the Moon could fill that void with its otherworldly expanse of lava flows, cinder cones, lava tube caves, and sagebrush. In fact, there has been serious talk about turning the expanse into a national park since the early 20th century.

Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument, Maine Central Maine is home to the most contiguous undeveloped forest east of the Mississippi River and the largest moose population in the

Lower 48. Open to the public since 2016, Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument is a gateway to more than 87,000 acres of Maine’s interior wilderness in the shadow of Mount Katahdin, the northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail.

Turning the monument into a national park would expand access to more mountains, bogs, and waterfalls throughout the region while mitigating the visitor strain on Acadia, New England’s only national park.

North Crater flow at Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve. | Photo by Jocob W. Frank

Spread across a wild landscape offering spectacular views of Mount Katahdin, Katahdin Woods and Waters invites discovery of its rivers, streams, woods, flora, fauna, geology, and the night skies that have attracted humans for millennia. | NPS.gov

Chiricahua National Monument, Arizona

It’s easy to see why the homeland of the Chiricahua Apache Nation is often called a “Wonderland of Rocks.” The monument is a labyrinth of towering stone spires (“hoodoos”) and eye-popping balanced rock formations. Arizona’s representatives in Congress have already introduced a bipartisan national park re-designation bill, and advocates see the creation of such a park as an opportunity to establish a long-term working relationship between the NPS and tribes with ancestral roots in national park lands.

Shawnee National Forest, Illinois

With 289,000 acres unfolding into oak-hickory forests, wetlands, canyons, and roller-coaster topography (a real draw in one of America’s flattest states), it’s no wonder this diverse area has been at the center of national park conversations for some time. A redesignation could protect Shawnee’s woodlands and eclectic botany from logging, while spotlighting a unique zone of ecological convergence. “There are coastal plain elements here that are actually left over from the time of the dinosaurs, when the oceans were configured differently,” says Jean Sellar, a member of the

Sierra Club’s Shawnee Group Executive Committee.

Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, New Jersey and Pennsylvania

The point where the Middle Delaware River cleaves its way through the iconic Appalachian range has been popular with travelers since the height of the railroad era. The area also contains fossilized reefs whose preserved trilobites and cephalopods offer a window into prehistoric oceans. Today’s visitors continue to generate robust tourism revenue in a region that has struggled economically,

Stand among the “Wonderland of Rocks” at the Chiricahua National Monument. In this territory, you’ll find yourself in almost 12,000 acres of unadulterated Arizona nature. Located near the town of Willcox (about 90 miles from Tucson), travelers from all over experience this site of unique rock formations and Arizona history. | VisitArizona.com

according to a study by the National Parks Conservation Association. A national park designation could deliver more dividends to nearby communities while ensuring stronger protections for an essential zone of geologic history.

Tongass National Forest, Alaska

The largest intact temperate rainforest in the world is a sprucescented haven for bald eagles, moose, and bears. Tongass National Forest got a boost from the Biden administration earlier this year in the form of “Roadless Rule” protections that will block logging and road construction through over nine million acres of the forest. A new national park here could offer sustainable public access.

Shawnee National Forest is more than 320 million years old, with rock formations odd and majestic and sunsets worthy of National Geographic. A short stone path gives view of 3,300 acres of old-growth forest, and a section of the River to River Trail enters from High Knob—a great lookout. | Photo by Taylor Reed

A view of the Delaware Water Gap sets the scene for miles from Mt. Tammany on a colorful autumn day. | Saed Hindash for LeighValleyLive.com

Tongass National Forest is important to some Indigenous communities. The Tlingit nation has continuously inhabited Southeast Alaska for thousands of years, efficiently subsisting on the natural bounty offered by the Tongass and other wildlands. Hundreds of years ago, they were joined by the Haida and Tsimshian nations, which similarly live off the land. | Photo by Howie Garber

How I got the shot: Dikpal Thapa it all for one image

The travel photographer trekked to the edge of a cliff with no protective gear, surrounded by the world’s largest honeybees, to capture this shot of Nepal’s honey hunters.

on risking

Tell us about this image. This shot was taken near the remote village of Bhujung in central Nepal’s Lamjung district. The Indigenous Gurung community have been harvesting honey for centuries, trekking deep into the forest to collect the sticky delicacy from wild Himalayan bees. The practice was first captured by French photographer Eric Valli in 1988, and those shots have stayed with me ever since I first laid eyes on them as a child. The bold and gripping images, which encapsulated a corner of my country, fascinated me entirely, stirring a desire to witness the event myself. In this shot, a honey hunter is coming down from the top of a cliff, bare footed and without any protective gear; every tool the Gurung use during the harvest is hand crafted with local resources

How did you achieve the shot?

I captured this moment using my Nikon D810 and Sigma 50mm Art F1.4 lens. I always travel with three lenses, which I rely on equally and switch depending on the situation: 24-70 and 70-200 f2.8 for their versatility, and 50 mm f1.4 for portraits. Most of the time, I end up using the 24-70 or 70-200 in situations such as this image. But here, to capture the details of the bees buzzing around and the motion of the hunter, I opted for the fast and crisp Sigma 50 mm.

What were the challenges at play?

I had to trek for a day into the Nepalese wilderness with the party of hunters. The harvest site is hard to get to, at the edge of a cliff. To get a clear shot, I had to reach it without any proper protective gear myself, risking my life. A fire is lit to smoke the bees out of their hives, and while the insects aren’t harmed, they turn on whoever is nearby in retaliation. I got stung multiple times and ended up with a swollen

eye. Due to the smoke and swarm of aggressive bees, I could only take my camera out occasionally, but I made the best of it.

On location, what elements do you seek out for a successful shot?

As a travel photographer, my aim is to show my audience the emotions and environment of the places or people I’m visiting as they are, without distorting their reality. I want to create a shot that invokes curiosity, that encourages people to travel themselves.

Was this assignment typical of your career as a photographer?

I dreamt of witnessing this event and covering this story ever since I got my hands on my first camera. But when everything finally fell into place, the decision to travel was very spontaneous, which meant that all preparation went out of the window. The honey hunting expedition happens twice a year, mainly around the month of April, but the date is never set in stone. The hunters make a very quick decision depending on their scouting reports, religious beliefs and the weather. One day they decide, the next they leave. When I travelled to Bhujung, I took a chance. Luckily, after spending a few days at the village, I got to make the journey to the largest honeybees in the world.

What advice would you give to someone starting out in travel photography?

Travel for yourself, even when you’re on assignment. Travel photography is all about presenting what you see and what you experience. So, go above and beyond an assignment’s needs and take as much as you can from that place. You might visit it again, but you can’t go back to that particular moment.

The Gurung ethnic group has been collecting wild honey in the Himalayan foothills of Nepal for centuries. | Photo by Dikpal Thapa

What sunscreens are best for you—and the planet?

Harmful chemicals from sunscreen can damage coral. Here’s how to protect both your skin and the reefs.

By Elaina Zachos and Anderic Rosen

The world’s coral reefs are suffering, and chemicals commonly found in sunscreen contribute to the problem. By the numbers, the problem is daunting: 14,000 tons of sunscreen are thought to wash into the oceans each year; 82,000 chemicals from personal-care products may be tainting the seas; about 80 percent of corals in the Caribbean have been lost in the last 50 years due to pollution, coastal development, and warming waters.

But there are some bright ideas for offering reef relief. Some destinations, such as Hawaii and Palau, ban harmful sunscreens. Here’s how you can protect both your skin and coral reefs.

The sunscreen problem

When you swim with sunscreen on, chemicals like oxybenzone can seep into the water, where they’re absorbed by corals. These substances contain nanoparticles that can

disrupt coral’s reproduction and growth cycles, ultimately leading to bleaching. Even if you don’t swim after applying sunscreen, it can go down drains when you shower. Aerosol versions of sunscreen can spray large amounts of the product onto the sand, where it gets washed into our oceans.

Humans might be responsible for this contamination, but we’re also capable of helping heal these

Photo by Charles Rabada

fragile underwater ecosystems. On May 1, 2018, lawmakers in Hawaii passed a bill banning the sale of sunscreens containing oxybenzone and octinoxate, another harmful chemical. Hawaii was the first state to pass such a measure, which went into effect as a law on January 1, 2021.

On November 1, 2018, the small island nation of Palau announced it too would ban selling or using sunscreens that contain chemicals harmful to coral reefs. Palau is a pristine archipelago known for having one of the largest marine reserves on the planet.

Smart steps for reef relief

Even with government bans, certain types of sunscreen can be used to guard against burns and skin cancer. Use these tips on sunscreen and other ways to help you protect yourself and the corals.

1. See what’s inside: “We recommend the use of reef-safe sunscreen free of oxybenzone,” says Peter Gash, managing director of Lady Elliot Island, near the Great Barrier Reef. Choose mineral-based sunblocks that use zinc oxide or titanium dioxide—“non-nano” size particles that can’t be ingested by corals. If you’re not sure whether a sunscreen has nanoparticles, consult the Consumer Products Inventory.

2. Check the list: Haereticus Environmental Lab publishes a list each year of what sunscreens are safe for the environment, and the Environmental Working Group rates products with SPF values— including some 650 sunscreens and 250 moisturizers—on their environmental impact.

3. Skip the spray: Aerosols cause much of our sunscreen to miss its mark and fall to the sand, where it can easily wash into the ocean. Research the resort: Some hotels are now helping guests be more responsible. For example, Aqua-

Aston properties throughout Hawaii offer free reef-friendly sunscreen in “eco kits” and via dispensers in the hotels’ public areas.

4. Put the SPF in your outfit: Wearing hats, shirts, and other apparel incorporating UV protection can reduce the amount of sunscreen you need by up to 90 percent, and these items will likely last longer than a bottle of sunscreen.

5. Take cover: Pick shady spots for games and bring an umbrella, or better yet, a beach tent to create your own shade. Some beach tents come with cool perks, such as awnings and mini pools.

Reefs at risk around the world Coral reefs all over the world are threatened by pollution, and many of the most popular destinations have the most at-risk coral. Australia’s Great Barrier Reef and the bays of Hawaii, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Israel are especially vulnerable.

The Great Barrier Reef is one of the planet’s most spectacular underwater treasures. The reef’s colorful corals serve as a submerged garden for a marine ecosystem that draws visitors to the area from all over the world. Snorkelers and scuba divers can swim alongside some of

the thousands fish species that make the reef their home. Lucky travelers might even catch a glimpse of the resident dugongs or sea turtles.

Oahu’s Hanauma Bay, a state park that was formed within a volcanic cone, is another favorite destination. The area’s turquoise surf and vibrant coral gardens lure nearly one million tourists each year, making the spot one of Hawaii’s best places for snorkeling. The bay is home to 450 species of fish and has the largest mass of reef anywhere in Oahu.

Visitors to Hurricane Hole at the Virgin Islands Coral Reef National Monument, located off Saint John, can snorkel in the mangroves with coral, fish, and marine invertebrates. The submerged monument protects 22 miles of marine habitat, including 30 coral species.

At Israel’s popular Eilat Coral Beach Nature Reserve, bridges built above the reefs allow visitors to get a peek at the coral and the colorful fish it houses. Scuba divers can also explore the reefs for a more intimate view.

If coral reefs die, we will have lost a vital ecosystem. We could also hurt our global economy—reefs are a major tourist attraction and source of income for these popular vacation spots.

The Great Barrier Reef is among the most diverse marine environments in the world, hosting 5,000 types of mollusks, 1,800 species of fish, and 125 kinds of sharks. Much of this diversity is threatened by warming seas and ocean acidification. | Photo by Chad Taylor

Want to try foraging food? Here’s how to do it safely.

Skip the grocery store checkout line. From raspberries to wild garlic, your favorite fresh foods may be hiding in plain sight.

By Sruthi Gurudev

In the middle of a Colorado firspruce forest ravaged by wildfire, Andy Better crouches to inspect an abundance of burn morels that have sprouted in a clearing.

The morels are grayish-brown in color, with pitted ridges running along the surface of their caps. He slices one of the morels lengthwise

with a small knife, and confirms that the inside is hollow. Hollow is a good sign—that means the morel is safe to eat.

The young naturalist isn’t just observing the fungi’s characteristics. He’s foraging for his dinner.

Foraging has faced an upswing in

popularity in recent years, with more people seeking information on social media and experts guiding their online followers to find edible species.

Ingredients normally purchased at a store are often hidden in plain sight: tucked into the woods near our homes, or in our own backyards.

Markus Ernst, leader of a mycology club based in Switzerland, forages for wild mushrooms. Fungi are sought after by individuals looking to forage their foods, but in order to stay safe, foragers must know how to properly identify the right species. | Photo by Christian Beutler

How to start your foraging journey

Those just starting their foraging journey often rely on online communities, such as hobbyist Facebook groups or popular Instagram accounts, like Forage Colorado, where wild food educators post foraging tips and techniques.

Beginners should narrow their scope to more easy-to-find foods. WildFoodUK.com lists the “four F’s” of commonly foraged food: fruit, foliage, flora, and fungus. Popular wild edibles include both traditionally beloved plants and fungi—like raspberries, wild garlic, and chanterelle mushrooms—as well as nettle and dandelions.

Create a plan before you head to the woods. List what wild foods you want to gather, study the location you’ll forage in, and determine likely spots where they can be found. Then, consider downloading plant identification apps like iNaturalist, PictureThis, and WildEdiblesForage.

Foraging safely

Across the Atlantic, Leo Richards, a young wildlife filmmaker behind the Youtube Channel Natural World Facts, takes a train into a remote, ancient woodland in his native Britain, where picturesque glades and moors are grazed by wild ponies.

“When deadwood falls here,” Richards says, “it provides a great habitat for fungi to grow. These fungi cycle nutrients back into soil, and play a crucial role in the environment. And many of the fungi are also delicious.”

When Richards forages, he uses the iNaturalist app to take photographs of mushrooms he finds. The app uses a mix of AI and a vast user network of 3.2 million to help identify biodiversity around the world.

“There are a lot of risks in foraging for fungi. Because there are tons of lookalikes, you can’t rely only on visual guides.”

The Blusher mushroom is one such example. The mushroom “blushes” pink when it is bruised, an indicator that it’s safe to eat. However, this species has a poisonous “copycat” called the panther mushroom, which looks nearly identical. Solely identifying these species through an app could lead to misidentification. While iNaturalist will yield results and other identification data based on the images taken, Richards suggests using more than one method to check.

Even if technically safe to eat, some plants have to be prepared in a specific way to be edible to humans. Elderberries, commonly used in syrups, pies, and jams, possess cyanogenic glycosides, molecules that can be toxic if the elderberry is not completely ripe and cooked before consumption.

A study from the National Library of Medicine found that consuming unripe elderberries can also lead to sub-acute cyanide poisoning, with

“I use other components to cross reference, such as determining the season, physical characteristics, and information from websites such as WildFoodUK.”

Richards laughs, adding that “one mushroom could be safe to eat, but another one that looks just like it could be deadly. The only way to spot the difference might be from looking at the gills or the color inside.”

symptoms of anxiety, headache, vomiting, nausea.

Foraging responsibly and legally

It’s important to forage responsibly, taking only what you need. Many animals depend on the same foods popular with foragers. Research suggests foragers should only take one-tenth to one-third of a patch, and take nothing if there is only one patch available.

Photo by Annie Spratt

“There are nuances of ethical foraging,” says Orion Aon, the educator behind the ForageColorado Instagram account.

“If the species you’re foraging is invasive or damaging, like garlic mustard, it’s beneficial to take as much as possible,” says Aon.

“Ask yourself if the population is healthy enough to take from, and if the plant will continue to thrive if some parts of the patch are gone.”

For example, it is advised that for wild garlic, ramps, and onions, it is better to take the leaves and leave the bulb underground. However, if there’s an abundant population, taking the bulbs is advisable, because it can help give other plants room to grow.

Be cognizant of the land you’re foraging on too. Pollution from harmful chemicals, pesticides or land near lots of foot traffic, busy roads, industrial facilities, and urban spaces exposes plants to contamination, making them unsafe to eat.

Some wild spaces, like state or national parks, may be protected and prohibit foraging. If unsure, you can consult information found in the Forest Service, Fish and Wildlife Department, or by checking with your local Bureau of Land Management office.

Foraging is natural

Foraging doesn’t have to be intimidating.

“People are scared of nature, scared of eating food directly from the outdoors, because it’s seen as dirty,” Richards laments. “Though it’s not double-wrapped in plastic at a grocery store and selectively bred to be bigger and prettier, it’s still food.”

Foraging isn’t only a means to find food, however. It can help strengthen our relationship with the wild.

Tucked under Richards’s arm is a basket of chanterelles and chickenof-the-woods mushrooms.

Tonight will be a stew. But there’s a greater added benefit: he’s connected with nature. Richards smiles as he recalls his foraging experiences.

“There’s something special about these places. They need to be

cherished. Being among the trees, the plants...it helps me rekindle my connection with the natural world.”

He’s in awe of the wild spaces that host so much dazzling life, from the network of mycelium underground to bushes bursting with ripe berries. And now, he knows where and when to find his favorite foods.

Photo by Fran Pa

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FREE SOLO

Interviewing Alex Honnold: The Fearless Climber Who Conquered El Capitan Without a Rope

As a pioneer of “free solo” climbing—a controversial discipline in which cliff faces are scaled without safety ropes and failure results in death—Honnold, 35, knows how to perform under pressure. His free-solo ascent of the 3,000-foot El Capitan, in Yosemite National Park, was captured in a 2018 Oscar-winning documentary. “Preparation,” he says, “is what stops the fear.”

How have you developed the focus required to free solo?

That’s actually the one aspect of it I don’t need to practice. It’s not that I’m gifted. Free soloing just forces me to focus naturally. It’s a by-product of being on a wall without ropes: You have to perform, so you flip that switch. For me, the preparation lies more in physical training and route planning.

What has led to the biggest breakthroughs in your climbs?

There’s a creative element to solving problems, like figuring out how to climb certain sections of wall. But when I’m free soloing, I’ve already prepared and want to stick to the plan. I don’t want to be improvising. That would bring more uncertainty and risk into the equation. So most of my creative processing comes on

rest days when I’m lying around somewhere safe, just thinking about climbing. That’s when I’ll envision “enchainments”—combinations of climbs that people have never done before.

Is the way you train— memorizing and rehearsing your plan—typical?

Visualizing how you’re going to navigate a difficult section is pretty common. Where are my hands going to go? Where should I place my foot? Even recreational climbers in gyms make plans for themselves before they leave the ground. With free soloing, you’re both remembering or anticipating how to do certain climbs and trying to imagine the emotional component. What will it feel like to be up high in a crazy, contorted position without protection during a difficult stretch? When I’m not climbing, I spend most of my time reading books about training, psychology, and performance. If I get one good idea from one book, that’s a success.

All that memorization of a climbing route seems like a skill in itself. Definitely. I remember reading that chess grandmasters can look at a game in progress and, with just

a glimpse of the board, memorize where all the pieces are. But if they look at a board full of randomly placed pieces, they can’t remember the positions much better than a novice, because the board doesn’t look like part of any game they’ve seen before. I’ve also learned to think in patterns and remember large blocks of sequences. With El Capitan, I had 3,000 feet of climbing memorized.

How do you decide which risks are worth taking?

The casual observer might think free soloing is all crazy and reckless. But you can’t have a long career unless you spend a tremendous amount of time thinking about risk and minimizing it to ensure your own safety. There’s a brief scene in Free Solo where an fMRI shows that the amygdala in my brain responds differently than a “normal” person’s to low levels of fear stimuli, and most viewers come away saying, “There’s something unique about his brain.” I find that slightly irritating, because I’ve spent 25 years conditioning myself to work in extreme conditions, so of course my brain is different—just as the brain of a monk who has spent years meditating or a taxi driver who has memorized all the streets of a city would be different.

Organizations are beginning to value neurodiversity. That’s just a fancy manner of referring to people who see things slightly differently. Obviously, the more eyes you have on a problem, the more likely you are to find unique solutions. I spent the past two months bolting new routes on this cliff near my home in Las Vegas with a friend of mine who’s probably the strongest professional sport climber in America. I’m taller, but he’s stronger, so I have to be a little bit more creative about how I’m using my body. It’s been interesting to try to figure out the best way to climb these sections of rock with somebody who’s so different.

“Free solo” implies an individual pursuit. Do you prefer that or collaboration?

On the whole, climbing is very collaborative. Even during the two years we filmed Free Solo, I did a giant rope linkup with [the climbing legend] Tommy Caldwell. I climb with partners all the time. Free soloing is only a few climbs a year.

So what’s the key to great teamwork in such high-stakes situations?

Trust. In climbing, your partner is literally holding your life in their hands. I have a roster of people I want to climb with because we have the same standards and considerations around safety. I know they’re going to make the exact same decisions I would.

How do you manage climbing with someone less experienced or talented?

In a guiding role, it’s easy: You just take over as team captain and do what needs to be done. The real danger is when two people think they’re climbing as equals but are bringing very different opinions on safety to it.

Do all your climbs help prepare you for free solos?

A lot of it—with a rope, with

partners, or on easy terrain—is strictly for pleasure and relatively relaxed. But there is value in all the time and mileage on rock, feeling comfortable. It’s hard to sustain the intensity you need to free solo, so I think there’s something to be said for making that effort only when I need to.

Recently you’ve been “speed climbing”—working with a partner to summit big walls as quickly as possible, often trying to break time records. What have you learned prepping and executing on those climbs?

A lot of creativity is involved in that hunt for efficiency. To trim the fat from the system, to eliminate waste, you have to come up with new ideas. For example, can we implement a different strategy through one section that might allow us to climb with less equipment? We spend a lot of time talking it out, gaming out scenarios.

Kaizen and other management concepts involve looking for continuous improvement— small changes that add up. Yes, that philosophy of marginal gains is central to climbing. When I have a big goal—like free soloing El Cap—I look at everything I do. I’m training, I’m watching my diet, I’m making sure I sleep enough. I’m outrageously focused on constant improvement. But when I’m just climbing with friends, with no clear goal on the horizon, I’m off the program. I have a casual lifestyle mode: I stay up late watching TV and eating dessert. The key is to have the right balance and not be on or off the program too long.

Have you integrated data into your training?

Climbing is only just catching up to where other sports were 30 years ago in putting together plans for people training for big routes the way marathon runners prepare for big runs. I’ve always kept a food and

Photo by Jimmy Chin

climbing journal, but it’s basic stuff, and I only recently started wearing a heart-rate monitor and a GPS.

I’m sure there’s huge potential for applying big data to climbing—but right now it hasn’t had a big impact on the sport.

Since the El Cap ascent, how have you been thinking about your career?

I still love soloing, and I’ve been doing it a fair amount. But after achieving that life dream with El Cap, nothing is calling to me quite as much as it did. There’s literally nothing else like it in the world. That’s what I’ve been struggling with. When you know that nothing you do in the future will ever matter as much as what you’ve already done, it does take a little steam out of you. Even if I do something more cuttingedge or physically impressive, there won’t be an award-winning film about it, so people won’t think it’s as meaningful. Of course, that’s not all that matters. The most important thing for me is to be a good climber. But to know you’ll never be able to impress somebody again—that it’s all downhill from here—is sad. So I’m at a crossroads and trying to figure out what’s next. I have a few ideas. A lot depends on the pandemic, because travel—particularly international travel—is still hard.

Could you apply some of the skills you’ve developed as a climber to figure out the next stage of your life?

It’s clichéd, but I do think climbing teaches you goal setting, work ethic, and perseverance. The majority of the time you spend sport climbing, you’re failing: falling off and then trying to figure out how not to fall. Climbing reminds you that to get better at anything, you’ve got to put in a tremendous amount of time and effort and keep beating your head against a wall to figure it out. So I guess my advice to myself would be to “keep moving.” I started the Honnold Foundation, which gives grants to advance solar energy around

the world, because I wanted a positive outlet for the material rewards that were coming in from the film and doing commercials. Otherwise there’s no benefit to being famous. At least now I’m funneling a significant portion of my income to causes that matter. We’ll be giving away a million dollars in grants this year.

You do give away a lot of your income. Should everyone follow that lead?

I have strong opinions about this, I guess because I lived in a van for 10 years. I had a purpose—to be the best climber I could be—so I didn’t need many material possessions, and I was probably happier than most people, because I was doing exactly what I loved at the highest level. The less stuff you have, the more focused you are on the things that matter. And that’s good, because we live on a planet with finite resources. I have a house and more possessions now, but I still live by that philosophy.

You spent the third anniversary of your El Cap ascent at a Black Lives Matter protest in Las Vegas. What moved you to take to the streets? Every individual has an obligation to make the world a slightly better place than they found it. For me, that’s mostly manifested in environmental advocacy. But I was raised in middle-

class suburban California and have never had to really struggle. The more I learn about racial injustice, the more I feel an obligation to do something about it.

Climbing is a pretty white sport. What needs to happen to make it more diverse?

The growth of climbing gyms in cities has made it more accessible, and that’s changing the demographics. Kai Lightner, who’s African American, has eight national championship titles. The sport is growing here and internationally.

Are you worried that as climbing becomes more popular, the natural areas in which it’s practiced will be damaged? When you see pictures of queues for the summit of Everest or lines of cars to get into Yosemite, does it bother you?

Not at all. I think that people who have positive outdoor experiences are more likely to support environmental protection, which will be better for the planet in the long term. The growth in climbing and hiking is still a tiny, tiny pushback against the popularity of video games and people being sedentary and indoors. It’s worth having a crowded Yosemite if those people then vote to protect their public lands.

Photo by Jimmy Chin