Watch Alex Honnold’s Speedy Lover’s Leap Free-Solo

Inspired by Dan Osman’s 4:25 Bear’s Reach speed free-solo at Lover’s Leap in Masters of Stone 4 from the 1990s, Alex Honnold tries to better his time in this tribute to the classic, original film.

Osman made a name for himself for hard first ascents, such as Slayer 5.13d in 1990 at Cave Rock, and for his free solos, bridge jumping and rope jumps. “DanO” featured in Eric Perlman’s climbing series Masters of Stone a number of times, and is possibly best known for his speed solo up the 5.7 trad multi-pitch Bear’s Reach at Lover’s Leap near Lake Tahoe in California.

The route gets its name from an enormous reach between two good holds, which Osman did a two-handed dyno on during his free-solo. Honnold doesn’t do the dyno, he said, “I thought about it and did the move many different ways, but ultimately I just hate jumping. Especially ropeless.”

Osman died in 1998 while making a long rope jump from Leaning Tower in Yosemite. Honnold’s reenactment of Osman’s feat puts “the rock back in rock climbing!” as Corey Rich, who filmed the ascent, stated. Honnold bettered Osman’s time from 4:25 to 4:15.

Lover’s Leap