Alex Honnold on 60 Minutes

In case you missed it after a long day of football, or maybe you were caught up in Jets pre-game, Alex Honnold was on 60 Minutes last night. For the non-climbing bunch (the majority of readers), we’ll allow the “Alex who?” Honnold, formally known as “that crazy kid who climbs in Yosemite without ropes” and probably one of the best climbers in a generation, practices free solo-ing. It’s exactly what it sounds like: climbing by yourself, without ropes or any aid. Falls mean certain death and well, Honnold isn’t dead (yet) and continues to push the limits of the sport.

Before jumping to conclusions, listen to what he says here. He lives in a van (occasionally down by the river), reads a ton and generally gets by on a $1,000 per month (even with that large North Face sponsorship.) It’s the simple life for sure, but you can’t deny his happiness. It reminds me of Patagonia’s “Live Simply” t-shirts. Yeah man. Or hippy happiness. Either way, try not to sweat watching him go. Video after the jump: