Such Great Heights

Did you guys see 60 Minutes this week? They re-aired an incredible story from October about Alex Honnold, a mountain climber who uses no rope or equipment on his climbs of over 1,500-feet high and up to 90 degree angles. He keeps a pocket full of chalk around his waist to dry off his hands, so they can securely support him on the climbs. It is amazing. And I guess a little insane.

While I am not especially prone to thrill seeking myself, just watching the story of Alex’s climbs is enough to raise your heart rate. Though, counter to what you might expect, Alex says he doesn’t experience adrenaline rushes. In fact he characterizes his climbs as “slow”, “controlled” and “mellow”. Yowzah!

If you have a chance, I’d highly recommend checking out the full story. You can watch it here.

And speaking of heights, the 60 Minutes story reminded me of this video I stumbled upon a couple of years ago. It documents two fearless female highliners on their trip to France’s Ritson Gap. Wow, some people are brave! Enjoy and set your sights high!