Alex Honnold

About

Notable as the first solo free climber of Yosemite National Park's Triple Crown, he is also famous for setting a speed record for his climb of Yosemite's Nose of El Capitan. He wrote a book called Alone on the Wall, which is about his personal life and experiences as a climber. Videos on YouTube of his many climbs have amassed millions of views.

Before fame

After briefly studying engineering at the University of California, Berkeley, he became a full-time rock climber. 

Trivia

To save on living expenses and facilitate his climbing career, he made his personal van his permanent home. He has launched a podcast detailing his stories from rock climbing, which streams on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. In January 2025 he broke a world record by free-soloing the Taipei 101, the second largest skyscraper in the world. 

Family life

A native of Sacramento, California, he graduated at the top of his class from Mira Loma High School.

Associated with

He and Joe Simpson are both famous as a result of their rock climbing feats.