![]() ![]() With these thoughts in the back of my mind, I brought my 9-year-old and 11-year-old girls to see “Free Solo.” Not only did I want to go to see what all Wilderness Adventures kids would be talking about this summer on their trips to Yosemite, but I also wanted my kids to witness this amazing human achievement. We are in the internet age where videos of kids hucking the cliff, climbing the tree, or “shooting the chutes” is not done for adrenaline or passion only, but also with an eye for the amount of likes you can get when you post your video online. Couple that with the knowledge that so many of the kids who come on our programs at Wilderness Adventures believe that fame can be achieved with a GoPro and a daredevil stunt with a stunning wilderness backdrop. Living in Jackson, that reality is always in the back my mind. They felt truly themselves living in these hills surrounded by these peaks, and spending their time with people whose every moment is spent dreaming of the next adventure. They were people who felt the pull of the mountains and the allure of the challenges found in nature. All were accomplished outdoorsmen and women. Some of them were campers or staff of organizations that I worked for that strive to teach the essence of a healthy relationship with the outdoors. All those great people were under the age of 40. During that time of our lives, my wife, Catherine, and I attended more funerals than weddings. Between 20, four friends of mine lost their lives in separate incidents adventuring in the mountains. ![]() You see, I live in a place where good people have lost their lives in the outdoors. ![]() The fact that we’re printing the story does, however, reflect a belief that it is an interesting and worthwhile read. Opinions expressed in the story do not reflect the opinions of Fatherly as a publication. This story was submitted by a Fatherly reader. The movie is ripe with critical messages that kids need today, but I worry that, unless highlighted, they might be lost in the masterful cinematography and sheer accomplishment of Honnold’s climbing El Cap with nothing but a pair of shoes and a chalk bag. ![]() But, as a father of four and a youth outdoor educator, I believe it is not the most important story of “Free Solo” for our kids. The pure intensity and inherent risk involved in Honnold’s feat is undoubtedly the film’s main attraction. The excitement around the documentary began early in mountain towns such as our own, so it was with pride and disbelief that we watched as the hype spread to communities outside of our bubble…culminating in an Oscar win for the film. I loved “Free Solo.” Our whole community here in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, was captivated by the film and by Alex Honnold’s historic ropeless ascent of El Capitan. ![]()
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