“No Cameraman Can Handle the Stress”: BTS Video Clearly Explains to Fans Why Rock Climbing Legend Alex Honnold’s Best Work Might Go Unfilmed

Watching Alex Honnold climb can be really nerve-racking. Watching that speck of a human in the backdrop of larger-than-life rocks is liable to make anyone nervous. But that is not where it ends for Alex Honnold. Honnold is a free solo-er, which means no ropes or protective equipment for him when he’s conquering mountains and climbing rocks.

Not many people like to film Alex Honnold while he’s free soloing a climb, which makes sense because it’s scary and dangerous. But some valiant cameramen have attempted to do so despite all odds. Peter Mortimer, the filmmaker who shot Honnold’s Phoenix free climb, is one such person. So we’re lucky enough to watch Alex Honnold free-climb, one of the hardest pitches ever free-soloed in Yosemite, The Phoenix.

Alex Honnold conquers The Phoenix, and fans are spellbound

Honnold went for The Phoenix free solo in the year 2011. Recently, Peter Mortimer released a video of Honnold climbing The Phoenix, and fans can’t take their eyes off the screen, even though they are terrified for Honnold. One fan writes, “Shows why so many of his solos are not filmed. No cameraman can handle the stress.” Another fan gives his view, “I could never handle the stress of being around Honnold soloing hard routes. This footage and Magnus’ climb recently gave me the shivers..”

Read more: “A Means to An End”: Fame Means Very Little to Extreme Sports Icon Alex Honnold

Yet another person commented, “I found myself clutching my desk while watching this, and making weird faces, as if I was there willing him on to climb it. Holy s–t that was insane…thanks so much for sharing this footage. Simply incredible.”

Not everyone was about the thrill and danger of the experience. Some people were just appreciative of the person that Alex Honnold is. One fan wrote, “Alex is a true gem of a human being. I want him to be around for a long, long, time! Thank you for this filming. Really precious!” Another fan was of the opinion, “There is very little I watch that gives me any emotional response; this is off the charts though. I find it difficult to comprehend what this man is capable of and how he accomplishes it.”

Peter Mortimer created a masterpiece

Honnold is not the only one who got praised. People were particularly impressed with the film-making as well. One fan wrote, “Thank you so much for putting us there as best you could. The sounds, the perspectives, and the pure intensity are all so incredible when we are given a chance to watch one of the best athletes work. Absolutely a masterpiece of climbing film in this one.”

Another person wrote, “So very grateful you captured this historic moment in climbing history! Also what an amazing feat, and to be able to witness it firsthand and Alex being critical of his performance… well done!” Peter recalls the experience saying, “One of the scariest things about filming Alex soloing is he moves so slowly. You don’t know if he’s stuck or has a sequence wrong. You just sit there and hold your breath.”

The amount of courage that went into making this film is truly noteworthy. The strength it took to be an encouraging yet silent presence must have been a challenge for Mortimer. But he must have done something right because Honnold was clearly in the zone the entire time.

Watch this story: The Rock: Top 6 highest grossing movies