What Alex Honnold did on 3,200 feet of sheer granite is a spire of human achievement.
The New York Times commemorated his ascent in Yosemite National Park thus: "Alex Honnold's free solo climb of El Capitan should be celebrated as one of the greatest athletic feats of any kind ever."
His climb - using no rope, no gear, just bodily mechanics - made the cover of National Geographic and Outside Magazine. He was a guest on Jimmy Kimmel who quipped "it's a miracle you're alive."
Honnold is the first to reach the summit of the famous mountain without rope, and in all likelihood is the first to even try it. It was four hours of peak exertion after years of mental and physical preparation. It was all documented by a camera crew. This film debuted in Canada only a few weeks ago and will be screened in Prince George next week thanks to the local branch of the Alpine Club Of Canada.
"At first I was thinking about how much I'd love to see Free Solo, but how unlikely it was to ever come to Prince George," said Angeline Spears, chair of the Prince George Section of the Alpine Club Of Canada. "Then it hit me. Why didn't the club bring it to Prince George? Do it ourselves?"
The arrangements were made and Spears said more like it are in the works. For example, the club hosted the viewing of another film The Dawn Wall, earlier this year and will also host a mini-festival of rock climbing films later this winter called the Reel Rock Fest.
This is in addition to the courses and guided excursions the club does in the local area, which has an almost endless supply of adventures for the activities under the purview of the club: rock climbing, hiking, mountaineering, ice climbing, backcountry skiing and split-boarding, snowshoeing and just about any other form of ambulation in the outdoors.
What they are not is a club devoted to extreme sports. Spears is a second generation member of the club, her father Frank is currently on the national Alpine Club Of Canada (ACC) executive as the vice-president for activities. She said this club, nationally and locally, is for anyone who enjoys even the most basic of outside experiences. It can sustain your casual relationship with nature or it can lead you at your own pace up to the highest peaks of backcountry immersion.
"I've heard these stories about 'the first time I touched the rock, I just knew...' but that wasn't not me at all," she said.
"I went out with my dad at 16 and just wanted to go home. I wanted my cell phone, I wanted to watch TV. But along life went, I got to a different place in my mentality, I went out with my dad again but this time it was different. It clicked. It wasn't this light bulb in my brain, but I enjoyed it and I wanted to do it again, and it grew from there."
Now she is an experienced ice climber and rock scrambler.
She is one of about 180 members of the local chapter of the club, half of whom are also members of the UNBC Outdoors Club which gets automatic membership with the ACC.
It's one of the smaller sections among the 24 that comprise the ACC nationwide, but it is busy. So busy that many of the courses they offer and exertions they lead have more interested people than available spots. One of the local club's focuses this year is teaching backcountry trip leadership so more trained people can supervise and thus allow for more participants on each activity.
"It's a great membership, and we want to see it grow. We are a very busy group, there's a lot of energy, a lot of sharing of information and supporting each other," Spears said.
It makes events like the screening of this film all the more important, as a fundraiser as well as a social connection.
Free Solo will be shown at Famous Players Theatre for a private viewing on Dec. 5 at 7 p.m.
The only way into the show is online purchase via the Eventbrite website. A limited number of seats are available. Click the link on the homepage of the Prince George Section of the Alpine Club Of Canada to check availability.
While you're there, poke around on their calendar of events to see the courses, trips, social events and meetings you can also take part in throughout the year.
