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I borrowed this book from the library with a maximum loan period of ten weeks. Yet it took me nearly twenty weeks to finish reading it, or them, largely because of the obscure climbing jargon and conversational English used. Besides, if you read the book due to Alex Honnold's world-famous free solo climb of Taipei 101 like me, you might find more than half of the book tedious, as he barely features in those parts.

In order to finish this book, when the first one reached this maximum loan period, I borrowed another one.

《The Impossible Climb- Alex Honnold, El Capitan and the climbing Life》Mark Synnott - Not Only Climbing (Published by Allen & Unwin）

Rather than simply telling the true story of Alex Honnold's free solo ascent of El Capitan, this book uses the climb to introduce readers to the world of climbing. In twelve chapters, it covers the history of climbing and free solo, profiles several legendary figures, and traces how this once pure extreme sport evolved into a sponsored, media-watched activity with film crews on site.

EL Captain

Part One - Youth 攀岩時代的歷史，非專業化狂野的時代

Chapter 1 - The Hom is Going to Solo El Cap

"No fail-safe. Hoping for precision in each grab, in each step." P8

This is the introduction, which depicts the moment the author first heard about Alex's plan to take on the free solo climb of EI Capitan back in 2016.

"Alex was going to climb beyond himself, beyond all of us." P13

Chapter 2 - Crazy Kids of American

This is the chapter about Mark Synnott, the author who is also a climb lover. This chapter depicts how he dropped out from college and took this deadly challenge. There are many specific terms related to climbing in this chapter.

Chapter 3 - A Vision of Stonemasters’ Lighting

About Alex's Youth and how his father inspire him to climb. He had described the college experience as “heinous” (P32). During his teenage, his father passed away. This chapter also covered some stonemasters - how they develop ropeless climbing history.

Chapter 4 - The Stone Monkey

By the dawn of the new millennium, a modern version of the Stonemasters had taken over the Yosemite climbing scene, and with a tip of their hat to the previous generation, they called themselves the Stone Monkeys. This chapter is about their story. They like extreme excitement and making fun, or even regard climbing as social and show off activities. Meanwhile, it differentiates Alex Honnold, who climb alone and take this seriously - “When you do that, and you are not spending all this time spraying, you get a lot more done.” P71

This chapter also depicts the near-death experience during his free solo in Northwest Face of Half Dome (74) This also include his "private hell experience" (P77) - there was a shiny bolt protruded from the rock so he has a temptation to crab the carabiner, but as free solo. He finally chose not to do so and finally survive. This experience made him far more cautious on future climbs.

Part 2 - The Professional World 由瘋狂變為專業，開始有商業贊助經營，紀錄片轉播

Chapter 5 - Crashing the Gravy Train on the Vertical Mile

Mark shared his climbing experience, how this become commercial. Meanwhile, he also shared some dead cases in climbing history. More commercial, more people involved but more lost livings.

"Sherpas, who put their lives on the line each season to establish the ladders and ropes their clients need to climb the mountain. When a massive avalanche broke loose from the Western Cwm and swept across the Khumbu Icefall in April of 2014 (135)"

"April 2014, Sixteen Sherpas lost their lives while their clients sat safety in base camp."

But some climbers replace hard-earned skills and forage with cash and equipment. It pollutes the landscape and local people. Mark also points out the harm caused by commercialization of climbing.

Chapter 6 - The Secret Weapon, Mr. Safety, and Xiao Pung

This chapter depicts the meeting of Mark and Alex, and Alex in his eyes.

Mark firstly meet Honnold with his girl friend - "Hello Kitty". (148) It reveals that Alex was casual in romantic relationships yet utterly dedicated to climbing.

Chapter 7 - NonProfit -

In this chapter, it mentions Alex's outlook on life apart from climbing.

"Those guys to set off across the desert with no backup struck all of us, but they were just trying to live. They didn’t have to create artificial challenges to make their lives hard." 187

Alex aware of inequality and poverty in the world during his climbing trip in Africa. And Mark found he is the kind of person who express himself through his actions 192

Chapter 8 - Secret Down Walls

This chapter depicts Alex's climbing partners, and their life up and down. Tommy Caldwell become the most famous instead of Alex, and the rise of internet and social media change the culture of climbing. On the other hand, Alex prepared free solo University Wall - the preparation is so serious that "at least 99 percent certain of outcome" 208

His another partners, Dean Potter died and he was being criticized as immoral risk taking. Alex won’t agree as it is also risky if people won’t take care of their health 220.

Part Three - Topping Out 挑戰創舉的全記錄

Chapter 9 Amygdala

This is a short chapter about scientific research conducted on Alex - how does he control his fear?

After testing, his brain was normal and healthy, but Zero activation in test (233).

He controls fear by - “slowly expanding the huddle around my comfort zone.”

Alex had survived because he tempered his drive to explore his limits with sober premeditation, diligence, and patience. (240)

Chapter 10 The Source

Impossible is not only for free solo, but also for someone who record this.

Jimmy, as a recorder and partner, is also a professional in climbing - “Being Alex’s documentarians meant that we might one day watch him fall off the mountain.” And it wasn’t just Alex whom Jimmy worried about. Carrying out the filming itself is already extremely dangerous and arduous.

In this chapter, Jimmy also mentioned the importance of programming plan. As camera positions may disrupt Alex's concentration, and it may cause loose rock - danger of dislodging (261)

This chapter also reveals another side of Alex beside climbing. He is not only those who can selectively forget the misery and near misses are willing to return again and again to attempt big, dangerous climb (269), Alex learned from book - “The more humility we have about our ability to make predictions, the more successful we can be in planning for the future.” (270)

By reading, Alex learned "Embrace the mentally", that is by - “I am looking for something repeatable.” (272)

Chapter 11 Her Attitude is Awesome

This Chapter is about how they are going to have feel solo to El Captain. "Her" means Sanni McCandless, Alex's girl friend and wife afterward. Her support was important to Alex. Meanwhile, just minor part of this chapter mentions her. Majority of this part is still about Alan free solo El Capitan climbing. The description of free solo is detailed. Below are some of the most memorable parts or sentences:

“When he mentions he might do something, he’s already made up his mind he is doing it. And, of course, then he does do it.” (282) This is the comment from Mark about Alan. It is the attitude that we should have to become succeed.

“One second, life is grand- the next, you are dying.” (296)

“Alex had found the flow, he was having fun, and the climbing appeared easy - despite the fact that it was anything but. (303)

The problem from heat and weather brings bad impact to free solo. Heat makes the stones not easy to grab. (314)

At the end of this chapter - Alex stopped his trial - It is the courage to walk away in first try - “more courage to back down than to push through” (331)

Chapter Twelve - Fun

The last Chapter - The way how Alex's final success in El Capitan free solo. This includes highly detailed descriptions of climbing that are both professional and fascinating. Nevertheless, I was far more struck by these touching words below:

"You don’t have to be suffering to succeed, you can have it all." (348)

「你不必非得歷經苦難才能成功，你可以擁有一切。」 (348)

“The great thing about a climbing hero is that they’re doing something for no good reason at all. To put that much on the line, to work so hard for something that doesn’t have any quantifiable value, it’s just this wonderful, crazy, uniquely human thing.”(352)

「攀岩英雄最了不起的地方在於，他們所做之事並無任何實質性的功利理由。為了某種毫無量化價值的目標，不惜孤注一擲、竭盡全力——這簡直是一種既美妙又瘋狂、且獨屬於人類的行為。」(352)

"the real essence of the lesson to be learned from Alex was having the courage not just to face down one’s fears but also to follow the process of conscientiousness and premeditation." (366)

「從亞歷克斯身上真正值得汲取的教訓在於：既要有勇氣直面恐懼，又要遵循審慎與深思熟慮的行事過程。」(366)

“to look past it, to think what’s beyond, what other stuff I’m excited about.” Alex (392)

「把目光放長遠些，去思考更遠的事，去想還有什麼讓我感到興奮。」——Alex (392)

“But I’ve been hangboarding every other day, and it’s the other day.” (393)

「可是我一直堅持隔天練一次指力板，而今天正好是該練的日子。」(393)

Can you imagine someone who has just pulled off such a great feat immediately returning to ordinary daily life? My point of view is: You may find his extreme dedication and self-discipline peculiar, yet it is precisely this eccentricity that made his achievement possible.

Overall, this book offers readers abundant knowledge and history about climbing. More importantly, it lays bare the spirit behind Alex Honnold's free solo. I know the vast majority of us lack his courage and skill to scale sheer cliffs. Yet when facing the peaks in life, we can hold fast to Alex's belief and strive to overcome the personal barriers in our lives.

《The Impossible Climb- Alex Honnold, EL Capitan and the climbing Life》Mark Synnott - Not Only Climbing - Book Review (405 pages - The 49the reading in 2026)

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