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Alex Honnold, a solo free climber, born August 17, 1985 in Sacramento, California, was the first to free climb the Regular Northwest face of Half Dome (NWHD) in Yosemite Valley on September 6, 2008. A solo free climber uses no ropes or harnesses, safety gear or partnered help in the ascent, relying instead on emotional and physical strength, knowledge of the climbing surface and technique. The ascent of NWHD took two hours and fifty minutes and covered approximately two thousand feet. For perspective, an epic achievement in its own right, the first ever Grade IV ascent of this same wall on Half Dome was completed in 1957 by a team of climbers including the iconic Royal Robbins, over a five day period, using ropes and other safety equipment standard during that time.
Prior to the free ascent of NWHD, Honnold free soloed Moonlight Buttress in Zion National Park, Utah in April 2008.