Many of us have a deep fascination with rock climbers. Big wall climbers in particular captivate our wonder and attention as we marvel that their daring feats of courage. And in the movie Alone on the Wall from Sender Films fans are introduced to a new breed of climber and the most breathtaking alpine style of all.

Alex Honnold is one of those guys who has distinguished himself as a climber doing amazing things. Climbing the Yosemite big wall of Half Dome without a rope is what he’s best known for but he says there’s more to him than that.

“I hate to be defined as a free soloist,” he said. “I spend like 99 percent of my time climbing with a rope, climbing with climbing with my friends. So it’s kind of annoying to be pegged as THE free-soloist, because that’s just a small part of what I do.”

At the 2010 Banff Mountain Film Festival I had the chance to talk to Alex about his life in climbing and what makes this reluctant free-soloist tick.

You check out Alex Honnold and his life in climbing the movie Alone on The Wall part of the First Ascent  series now DVD at Sender Films.com.

Music this week by Chad Farran

The Joy Trip Project is made possible with the support of sponsor Patagonia