The biggest name in climbing is going viral on TikTok with a hilarious response to another video. Alex Honnold, best known for his extreme ropeless climbing adventures and the film “Free Solo,” is also an athlete for North Face.
The outdoor clothing brand shared this clip on TikTok, which serves as light marketing for the company’s parka jacket:
In the video, Honnold responds to a popular video of an influencer saying, “Call me crazy, but I’ve never liked store bought pesto.” The video then cuts to Honnold, who responds, “That’s crazy, Susi. Kind of like this time I onsight soloed this route called Shune’s Buttress in Zion.”
From there, Honnold documents the epic adventure, which included heavy snow and slippery rocks. All without a rope. Even once Honnold completed the climb, he had to find the snow-covered trail and hike eight miles back to the trailhead. For those that don’t know, “onsight” means Honnold had no prior knowledge about the climbing route and it was his first attempt at it. Something only a legendary climber like Honnold could pull off in these circumstances.
The original video is part of a TikTok trend from a video by Susi Vidal, who explains how to make your own pesto. Since then, multiple videos have popped up using the clip, with most people responding with mocking disbelief. In Honnold’s case, he took the high road with a crazy story that tops “disliking store bought pesto.”
Climbing Shune’s Buttress
According to Mountain Project, the climb is about 800 feet and includes eight separate pitches. The route is rated a 5.11+, making it only for experienced climbers, most of whom would spend most of the day on the wall.
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