The ascent of Alex Honnold. If scaling a 1,600-foot rock face seems terrifying, imagine scaling it without ropes or a harness. That's what Alex Honnold recently attempted in Yosemite National Park, using nothing more than his hands and feet. "60 Minutes" cameras were strategically placed along the climb, capturing every harrowing move. Correspondent Lara Logan interviews the man now being hailed as the best climber alive. The following script is from "Alone on the Wall" which originally aired on Oct. 2, 2011 and was rebroadcast on Jan. 1, 2012.
Lara Logan is the correspondent. Jeff Newton, producer. From time to time we come across someone who can do something so remarkable that it defies belief and, in this case, seems to defy gravity. He's a 26-year-old rock climber from Sacramento, California, but not just any rock climber. It's a kind of climbing called free-soloing and the penalty for error is certain death.
This past summer, we met up with Alex at Yosemite to watch what he does first hand. Long: Yeah. ESPN - OTL: The Legend of Zenyatta - E-ticket. NGLEWOOD, Calif. -- We are driving to Costco to buy beer for a horse. Not just any beer. It has to be Guinness. The horse likes Guinness, likes it room temperature, likes it at a certain time of day. So assistant trainer Michelle Jensen and I are taking the truck to a strip mall. This is my introduction to Zenyattaland. We get into the store and I'm laughing. "You almost have a master's degree," I say to Jensen, "and you're buying beer for a horse? " "Not just a horse," she says. Now we're both laughing, as Michelle pushes the cart toward the checkout line. The horse will get her Guinness. I arrive at Barn 55 at Hollywood Park near the end of Zenyatta's storied career. It's early morning, and the backside is waking up. Zenyatta is 19-0 and she has one race left, the Breeders' Cup Classic.
She lives on a street named after her. And the races. "She's not really a morning person," says Liza G. "She loves herself," says Ann Moss, co-owner, with husband Jerry Moss. John Shirreffs is the trainer. Zenyatta: That's Why The Lady Is A Champ - SportsCenter.com. Getty ImagesIt's typical to find Zenyatta with nobody behind her, even during a practice run. With a victory at this evening's Breeders' Cup Classic, an undefeated Zenyatta can cement her legacy atop the list of the greatest fillies ever.
At 19-0, she's one-and-a-quarter miles away from a perfect record and a five million dollar payout to head into retirement. That's equine domination unlike anything the horse racing world has seen. In fact, here's a look at the greatest lady horses to grace the race track: Rags to RichesIn 2007, this filly did something no other filly had done in 102 years: win the Belmont Stakes. Then again, she's also the great granddaughter of 1977 Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew. Great bloodlines can obviously go a long way. Personal EnsignAfter winning the Kentucky Derby in 1988, she would become the first horse in 80 years to retire with an undefeated record (13-0) in 1989. Zenyatta, 'It Girl' of America, Comes Up Short in Breeder's Cup. <br/><a href=" US News</a> | <a href=" Business News</a> Copy Tall, dark and absolutely gorgeous, Zenyatta is the "It Girl" of America.
But the 6-year-old came up a head short at the Breeder's Cup Classic today in her bid to go a perfect 20-0. Still, even finishing her career 19-1, and she's accomplished things no other racing horse ever has. "It's as if you're in a Ferrari on the freeway, " said Mike Smith, "and everyone else just isn't. " The absolute mistress when it comes to a dramatic finish, Zenyatta's known for being slow out of the gate, then whipping around that final corner, passing the rest of her competitors on her way to yet another win.
"She's not in no (sic) hurry to go anywhere, and man, when she decides to; she can turn it on like no other," he said. That's what happened today, but after making her move out of the pack on the stretch, she just couldn't overtake Blame. Those workouts should have ended a year ago.