The Dark Wizard-HBO Doc (Dean Potter is a legend)

No thanks.

I’d rather see a show about an evil wizard

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The Dark Wizard

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I figured this was yet another thread about black Snape.

It’s a good documentary. Through Episode 3 you see Potter has some serious demons inside and Alex H comes along and rocks his world with what he does in the world of climbing.

Yeah I really can’t stand Honnold after this. A supreme dork/douche. I imagine the makers of this documentary (who seem to be old friends of Dean) knew what they were doing by shining a light on how much of a prick Alex is and how disliked he is in the community. Alex seems to be on the spectrum too so I bet he was oblivious to it in real time.
Do I think Alex cares personally? Nah, he’s a robot. But I bet his wife is pissed and his public image is going to take a major hit from this one. Alex is the greatest climber of all time no doubt, but he has the underactive amygdala which eliminates any form of fear.

Alex was basically born with a human cheat code so I find what Dean did much more impressive because while he’s a thrill seeker, he was very cognizant of how death was always knocking on the front door whenever he accomplished his feats. That Chinese rope walk in last night’s episode There’s just more realness and the common man element to Dean that I can appreciate. I’m also surprised Jimmy Chin (he’s the man) hasn’t been interviewed yet. Him and Dean were pretty close back in the day.

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his public image is going to take a major hit from this one

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Really? For what? Saying that he didn't find Dean's epic routes that difficult? Or conveying that he wasn't a big fan of Potter's "look at me" antics? Give me a break. Honnold didn't say anything over the line. Potter was likely a dickhead to Honnold when he was alive. And God forbid him being super polite and cordial with park rangers as opposed to a dickhead provocateur.


Honnold is pretty universally liked in the climbing community from what I can tell. The only people that have a problem with him are the people whose records he breaks, or people jealous of his ability. I guess some people have a problem with his risk taking but that's neither here or there. He doesn't even claim to be "the best" or anything like that. He's said himself that he isn't the best rock climber out there.

Sure, Honnold's demeanor is so practical and pragmatic that it can rub people the wrong way, but he's never come across as a douche to me, and I've listened to many interviews with him, seen him on many shows and docs. That's just the way he is. He could be A LOT more egotistical considering his accomplishments.

Dude is also VERY charitable and is involved with several humanitarian projects out of his own pocket.

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I think Honnold is just autistic. Some people on the spectrum can come off like a dick because they're blunt and have a hard time understanding the emotions of others.

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Totally agree. He reminds me of a friend's kid (who is an absolute genius and currently at MIT). Learning has come easy to him, but he also works crazy hard at the things he's passionate about. He's also perceived, by many peers and parents of peers, as something of a dick because he's socially awkward and he doesn't really have the EQ to filter himself or sugarcoat things. He can come across as disdainful of others (and he might be to some extent) and often says things that are NOT the "proper" thing to say in a social situation but which is usually an honest representation of how he sees things. I think that Honold is similar in that he doesn't mean to come off as a dick, but he just does at times anyway.

I would say Potter can get f'ed for climbing and screwing with Delicate, but....

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Those rope grooves weren’t created in one event.

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It's sandstone, it doesn't take much. Especially with some camera crew tagging along. Wasn't the only thing he screwed with in Arches.

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Also, why would Dean lie?

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Because he took a lot of shite from most of the state and his sponsors for it. He lost sponsors. Laws got changed to make sure we could prosecute any f'ers that tried it after. It was a publicity nightmare, of course he was going to claim he didn't cause damage.

There is plenty of places in Utah to go do shite outside of our national parks, hell you can get permits for some places in parks. He knew what was up with the wording.