Honnold lives out of his van, spending less than a thousand dollars per month

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alex_Honnold

Why?

Ask seano

Because he wants to. The guy likes climbing and being in the mountains. You can't be in the mountains if you're on sitting on your couch in the suburbs. Not the lifestyle I'd chose, but it seems pretty clear he is living his life like that on purpose. Looks like he's having a pretty good time doing it too.

awilsondc wrote:Because he wants to. The guy likes climbing and being in the mountains. You can't be in the mountains if you're on sitting on your couch in the suburbs. Not the lifestyle I'd chose, but it seems pretty clear he is living his life like that on purpose. Looks like he's having a pretty good time doing it too.

He wants to climb, but I doubt that he wants to live in a van. One can climb and stay in hotels. The question is: why he is making so little money?

I googled "Alex Honnold wealth". He's got plenty of money it would appear, you just don't need to spend much when you live out of a van.

awilsondc wrote:I googled "Alex Honnold wealth". He's got plenty of money it would appear, you just don't need to spend much when you live out of a van.

That was a good idea.

http://www.celebritynetworth.com/riches ... net-worth/

Note, however, that he got his $500,000 by spending only $1,000 a month for ten years and saving the rest. Would not he be that economical and stayed in hotels he would have none.

So he is not poor, but earning about an average American salary.

Other famous athletes from that list have hundreds of millions and this is while they have been spending an $1,000 a day.

This is one of those questions where; if you have to ask, you probably won't understand the answer.

But, anyways, there is and always has been a strong undercurrent of minimalism in the climbing world. Why pay a couple hundred bucks a night for a hotel when you can sleep in you comfy van, with all of your stuff, at the trailhead.

Jump out of your van, go climbing > tourons and hotels

Dave B wrote:This is one of those questions where; if you have to ask, you probably won't understand the answer.

But, anyways, there is and always has been a strong undercurrent of minimalism in the climbing world. Why pay a couple hundred bucks a night for a hotel when you can sleep in you comfy van, with all of your stuff, at the trailhead.

Jump out of your van, go climbing > tourons and hotels

You can't camp at trailheads, only at campgrounds. When the temperature is good for climbing during the day, at night it is close to freezing. Getting out of the van and go to restroom is very uncomfortable. And using those shabby public showers is not pleasant either. It is not comparable to a minor discomfort of having to drive additional ten minutes from the hotel. So the only real reason is as you wrote "Why pay a couple hundred bucks," meaning that the climbers do not have much money. So my question was: why they don't have much money?

I don't want to judge or be a dick, but your worldview seems oddly comfort-centric to be contributing to a mountaineering forum.

Anyways, of course you can camp at trail heads. Maybe not major ones in the busiest national parks in the US, but you can certainly camp at many a trail head near many a climbing area.

As far as why don't climbers make more money? Dunno. Don't care. I'm inspired by Alex, Tommy, Renan, Jimmy, Conrad, Cedar, Chris, Aaron, Colin etc etc. for their commitment to the sport. The commitment in the absence of some desire for wealth is what is inspiring.

Professional climbing would only suffer from NFL/NBA type pay schedules, IMO.

Simkin wrote:

Dave B wrote:This is one of those questions where; if you have to ask, you probably won't understand the answer.

But, anyways, there is and always has been a strong undercurrent of minimalism in the climbing world. Why pay a couple hundred bucks a night for a hotel when you can sleep in you comfy van, with all of your stuff, at the trailhead.

Jump out of your van, go climbing > tourons and hotels

You can't camp at trailheads, only at campgrounds. When the temperature is good for climbing during the day, at night it is close to freezing. Getting out of the van and go to restroom is very uncomfortable. And using those shabby public showers is not pleasant either. It is not comparable to a minor discomfort of having to drive additional ten minutes from the hotel. So the only real reason is as you wrote "Why pay a couple hundred bucks," meaning that the climbers do not have much money. So my question was: why they don't have much money?

Depends on your definition of "camp". There are a few where even sleeping in your car is not allowed, but most are fine with that. I do that for my single day car-to-car trips.....pull up the night before, kick the seat back, wake up for Climbing time.

Dave B wrote:I don't want to judge or be a dick, but your worldview seems oddly comfort-centric to be contributing to a mountaineering forum.

Even if I were comfort-centric, as you wrote, this would not be incompatible with mountaineering. It is not acrophobia, right?

Dave B wrote:Anyways, of course you can camp at trail heads. Maybe not major ones in the busiest national parks in the US, but you can certainly camp at many a trail head near many a climbing area.

Honnold's major ascents were at Yosemite and Zion.

Dave B wrote:As far as why don't climbers make more money? Dunno. Don't care. I'm inspired by Alex, Tommy, Renan, Jimmy, Conrad, Cedar, Chris, Aaron, Colin etc etc. for their commitment to the sport. The commitment in the absence of some desire for wealth is what is inspiring.

Why don't care? This great country on God's green earth should reward high-achievers, shouldn't it?

Dave B wrote:Professional climbing would only suffer from NFL/NBA type pay schedules, IMO.

Professional climbers will not agree with you.

C'mon people, this guy is pulling everybody's leg, I think so, I hope so!

Marcsoltan wrote:C'mon people, this guy is pulling everybody's leg, I think so, I hope so!

Trolling for sure because if he knew anything about it he'd get that Alex can certainly sleep in a hotel if he wanted, he doesn't want to. Actually, some sponsor would pay for them. Alex has no real interest in his celebrity at all and has decided, I think, that if he has it he might as well try and use it for some good. I've met him and they don't come much more down to earth and I hope that doesn't happen while he's climbing. Good guy!

Tonka wrote:if he knew anything about it he'd get that Alex can certainly sleep in a hotel if he wanted

If you read this thread you would know that we have figured out that he earns an average American salary.

The question is: why he is so far behind other famous sportsmen?

If Simkin is asking an honest question why doesn't Alex Honnold make more money than he does (or for that matter Tommy Caldwell). Its because in the US, fringe sports athletes aren't valued, irregardless of their athletic achievements. Some are actually making good on endorsements, but the vast majority of Americans (sorry for being US-centric) could care less about Alex Honnold or Tommy Caldwell, outside of the 15 min of fame on 60 Minutes or such,. The vast majority of Americans care about Kim Kardasian or some ego-centric pro sport athlete/brat; and without that kind of exposure, the value of sponsorships won't draw that kind of money either.