The Psychology Behind Alex Honnold’s Courage

Alex Honnold climbed El Capitan in Yosemite National Park with no rope or harness in 2017. The rock formation is over 7,500 feet tall, and he only could use his hands, feet, and friction on the granite. How was he able to do this? 

Honnold grew up in California and started climbing when he was a little kid. In his early adult years, he lived in a van for around a decade so he could sleep and wake up near his favorite climbing spots. Now, Honnold is a professional rock climber who is best known for free solo climbing, where one climbs massive rock walls without ropes or safety equipment. He relies entirely on his skill and mental regulation.

In the Netflix documentary Free Solo, doctors used fMRI machines to analyze how Honnold processes fear in his brain. Doctors showed Honnold triggering fear-based images, but his amygdala was barely triggered. The amygdala is the part of the brain responsible for processing fear and threat. In most people, it reacts strongly to danger, but in Honnold’s, the scans perceive it to be unusually faint. This helps us understand how he can climb a 3,000-foot rock wall without protection while remaining calm. 

But Honnold himself pushes back on the idea that he’s somehow fearless or biologically has a different brain. Honnold insists that fear exists for him, just like it does for everyone else, but how he deals with it is why he is different, stating that he works “through the fear until it’s just not scary anymore” in Free Solo.

There are multiple psychological mechanisms processing in Honnold’s brain that do not require biological predispositions. Habituation occurs when repeated exposure to a feared situation reduces the brain’s fear response. For Honnold, years of climbing at extreme heights taught his brain to remain calm rather than panic.

Top-down regulation is when the rational, thinking part of the brain consciously controls emotional reactions. When a person uses planning and logic to stay in control, fear does not automatically take over. Honnold’s practice of memorizing routes, using repeated movements, and knowing the feeling of success allows his brain to override instinctive panic responses. 

A flow state is a mental condition of total focus and immersion in a task. In flow, distractions fade and actions feel automatic. Performance becomes highly efficient and time can feel distorted. Honnold enters this state when he climbs, where fear does not vanish but no longer interrupts his movements.

For Honnold, courage is not a personality trait but a skill developed through discipline and preparation. What appears reckless is actually the result of careful training, memorization, and repetition that makes even the most dangerous climbs feel familiar.