Built for Free Soloing: What Makes Alex Honnold Different?

Known for climbing without ropes or safety equipment, Alex Honnold built a reputation for being one of the most fearless rock climbers in the world. After free soloing El Capitan in Yosemite National Park, rock climber Honnold continues to redefine the limits of human capacity. Recently, he challenged his limits again by free soloing Taipei 101, one of the world's tallest buildings, which was streamed on Netflix.

Alex Honnold at Yosemite - Photo Credit: Alex Honnold Gallery

Standing 1667 feet tall, Taipei 101 presents a different kind of challenge compared to natural rock walls. Climbing skyscrapers requires the climber to adapt to surfaces made of steel, glass, and other materials with lower friction than rock. Additionally, the specific design of Taipei 101 is especially difficult to climb. Brittanica explains that Taipei 101 is designed in a way that is reminiscent of ancient Chinese culture: “The largest section of the building, between the base and the spire, consists of eight modules, or groupings, of eight stories each (eight being an auspicious number in Chinese numerology). The building also expresses its distinctively Chinese character in its resemblance to a stalk of bamboo or an elongated pagoda.” The skyscraper’s eight overhanging sections, symbolizing growth, prosperity, and strength, make the journey to the top more difficult. As with his previous climbs, Honnold accomplished this climb without any protection, meaning Honnold had to be extra cautious, and any mistake could have been lethal.

Taipei 101 - Photo Credit: CFOTO/ Future Publishing via Getty Images

Honnold’s significant accomplishments raise a larger question: what allows him to take such extreme risks without being overwhelmed by fear?

To answer this question, I interviewed the Stevenson science department faculty members Becca Upjohn and Johanna Kroenlein, who gave me an answer from a neuroscientific perspective. They both stated that the Amygdala, a part of the human brain, identifies danger and initiates immediate reactions. Additionally, according to the Cleveland Clinic, the amygdala is a “major processing center for emotions. It also links your emotions to many other brain abilities, especially memories, learning, and your senses. When it doesn’t work as it should, it can cause or contribute to disruptive feelings and symptoms.” Kroenlein pointed out that the amygdala detects threats and “triggers the fight or flight response,” a reaction that people automatically respond to in order to prepare to fight or run away from potential threats. Given lower amygdala activity, Upjohn predicted that Honnold's reduced amygdala reactivity would keep him calm and in a safer situation during his climb.

In a Nautilus article, in order to reveal the uniqueness of Honnold, neuroscientist Jane Joseph, who was curious about how Honnold experiences fear less than others, reports using a “functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) brain scanner” to detect activities in Honnold’s brain. Joseph stated that the amygdala of normal people lights up quickly in response to danger, triggering fear and the fight-or-flight response. In contrast, Honnold’s brain showed notably lower amygdala activity when viewing disturbing or frightening images, aligning with Kroenlein and Upjohn’s view.

Honnold’s unusual activation in the amygdala raises another question: Is fear tolerance something people are born with, or can it be developed over time? Kroenlein responded that “exposure therapy” helps people build fear tolerance by confronting fear-inducing objects, situations, or memories in a safe, controlled environment. Furthermore, Joseph from Nautilus clarified that Honnold compensates for fear by relying heavily on intense preparation, practice, and rational calculation. Honnold carefully practices every move before the actual climb and treats risk analytically, without emotion. Therefore, although he is talented due to his low amygdala activation, Honnold’s consistent practice enhances his fear tolerance, making him a successful and fearless climber.

Overall, Alex Honnold, who keeps pushing the limits of human endurance through insane climbs without protection, has a unique brain structure that allows him to experience less fear than most people. Additionally, Honnold quotes, “This is not scary, because this is what I do,” suggesting that fear can be reshaped through hard work, showing how fear can be trained into something deliberate and controlled. Honnold’s successes in free solo challenge us all to push ourselves past our limits, highlighting the underlying potential everyone has. But please don’t think about free soloing Taipei 101!