At the age of sixty-six, Dierdre Wolownick became the oldest woman to climb El Capitan, the iconic 3,200-foot "big wall" in Yosemite. Earlier that year, her son, Alex Honnold, stunned and terrified the world by climbing the same 1/2 mile vertical wall without ropes—a free solo assent. Should we see Honnald’s climbing as reckless? A sophisticated dance with passive-aggressive self-harm? Or does our strong emotional reaction to his mastery and success in this solitary sport say more about our own...
