(CNN)Any
doubts as to whether Alex Honnold was the greatest rock climber of all
time were doused when the American did something that no one thought was
humanly possible.
In June 2017, the 33-year-old became the first person to climb Californian granite monolith El Capitan without any ropes -- a skill known as free soloing.
Situated
in Yosemite National Park, USA, the gargantuan rock face soars 3,200
feet into the air, standing almost 500 feet taller than the Burj Khalifa
-- the world's tallest building.
There is simply no room for error. If he slips, he falls. If he falls, he dies.
"When
I know what I'm doing and I'm climbing well, then it feels meditative,
kind of relaxing and beautiful," Honnold told CNN Sport.
His achievement has since been immortalized in a breathtaking BAFTA-winning National Geographic documentary "Free Solo," which has been nominated for Best Documentary at this year's Oscars.