Thanks to the advancement of technology and the Internet, we humans can record such beautiful and wonderful moments that challenge nature and ourselves. A tribute to Alex Honnold, who dared to challenge the impossible, kept improving, and worked hard day after day to finally realize this almost impossible project. Half Dome, El Cap, Zion Canyon, and free solo are not just the courage to risk death, but Alex's rigorous training, scientific plan, teamwork, high concentration and courage to win. What we can't control is the nature of fear, but continuous professional training has given Alex the habit of highly focused on each climbing movement, and even changed his brain's threshold for fear, making this impossible for humans. Challenges become reality. Bravo!
When watching the Down Wall, there are two most touching moments. One is that Tommy successfully challenged the traverse first, and after waiting for Kevin to try for several days without success, he had to decide to climb to the top alone considering the actual physical exertion and swaying climate factors. When he stood on the first rest platform 1/3 away from the top of the mountain, he did not experience the happiness in his imagination, but an unexpected sense of loneliness was waiting for him. Tommy said a word, it will be the worst thing to climb on El Cap alone. No matter how great the challenge and the success, without friends and comrades to share, all we can get is emptiness and loneliness. Human beings are social animals. Our basic needs are not only water, food, and air. We also need social satisfaction, and we need friends who can understand and embrace the real us and support our ideals. Tommy stood between the cliffs on the Down Wall, looking at the victory in sight, and finally chose to go back to support and encourage Kevin to continue to challenge the traverse and climb the Down Wall together.
Another moment is Kevin, who has challenged the traverse countless times, failed, come again, failed, come again. He made the choice that everyone would do, given the limited time and physical energy, to give up the impossible task and support Tommy to complete his dream of reaching the top. No one would blame him for the choice he made at the time, but the years of hard work and challenges failed. Perhaps the person with the most pressure, regret and disappointment was Kevin himself, but he did not reveal it and continued to cooperate with Tommy to complete his dream. When Tommy came back to support him as he continued to challenge the traverse, the pressure must have been enormous. Once, twice, cut fingers, rest, recover, come again. He finally miraculously succeeded! When he finally reached pitch 16, he burst into a child-like cry with his hands on his face. I think everyone who has experienced countless failures, thought of giving up, and finally regained faith to achieve their goals will have a similar experience.
Rock climbing is a movement that can create flow, more like a sports version of meditation. It requires you to concentrate all your energy on the muscle movement of your body, the transfer of your weight, solve the problem of the climbing route, and also be able to overcome your own fears and fears. Hesitate, build confidence in body and mind, and move slowly and diligently through continuous effort and connection. Physical health is the foundation of mental health. The society is developing too fast, and many mental problems are the price that the physiological evolution of human beings cannot keep up with the speed of social development. The environment we live in is no longer threatened by beasts and hunger, food is readily available, and shelter from wind and rain can meet many desires and needs in time, but our lack of exercise (activity) is troubled by mental stress, Feeling lonely and lost like never before, escaping the inner emptiness under binge, alcohol, binge eating, drugs, work, sex. Climbing may give us some positive consolation! Focusing on the flow of body and mind, enhancing the strength of the body naturally and delicately, and the process of turning fear into a habit under continuous training and challenges can help us relieve the mental pressure of modern society.
I hope everyone has the opportunity and courage to challenge and overcome the wall in their hearts. Viva La Vida.
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