On the Nose: A Lifelong Obsession with Yosemite's Most Iconic Climb

by Jayme Moye, Hans Florine

Hans Florine embodies the genius of "and"--collaborative and competitive, fast and safe, audacious and disciplined, visionary and quantitative. The themes that run through Florine's 101 ascents of Yosemite's most iconic route can benefit people who will never climb a rock, indeed anyone inspired by the idea of a passionate, lifelong quest of any type. --Jim Collins, author of Good to GreatHans Florine is a big-wall climbing legend in his own time. He holds the speed record on the Nose route of El Capitan, a 3,000-foot granite cliff in Yosemite Valley that's considered the Everest of the rock-climbing world. Ascending the Nose takes most climbers anywhere from 12 to 96 hours. Florine, along with climbing partner Alex Honnold, does it in an astounding 2.5 hours.But Florine's story is not one of super-human athletic prowess; it's one of persistence and dogged determination. In 30 years of climbing, he's ascended the Nose a mind-blowing, death-defying 100 times, more than anyone else ever has, and most likely ever will. In On the Nose, Florine describes the most dangerous, pivotal, and inspirational of those climbs, providing a rare look inside the adrenaline-charged world of competitive climbing in Yosemite Valley. He tells of his very first attempt on the Nose, which ended in failure after 14 hours, his friendships (and rivalries) with climbing's most colorful personalities, and his battle with Dean Potter to secure the definitive speed record on the Nose--an endeavor that's been called the wildest competition known to man.Perhaps most interestingly, Florine attempts to answer the question why. Why would anyone undertake one of the greatest adventure epics on earth 100 times? His answers provide unique insights on how to live a satisfying life, how to achieve big goals, and how an otherwise ordinary guy can become a rock star.

Genres: Sports, Mountaineering, Nonfiction, Climbing

240 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 1, 2016

Reviews

[Amar Pai · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hans Florine has it figured out. What a great life! I can see why he and Alex Honnold got on so well-- they're both affable nerds / obsessed jocks. Bandaloop founder Amelia Rudolph says it well in her blurb for this book: "I have always admired how Hans embraces competition as a universal way we can help each other become the best we can be, rather than a way to rise above others. Though he clearly knows how to “rise above” in many ways, he does so with kindness, puppy-like enthusiasm, and good will."

Loved the appendix at the end with descriptions of every time Florine has climbed the Nose (100+!!)

[Cara · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love climbing and I love reading about climbing, especially climbing that is way harder than I can do. Hans Florine has climbed the Nose more times than anyone else and has held multiple speed records in his decades of climbing the route. His story is fun and interesting, but Florine is not a writer. The dialog in the book is painfully cheesy and his storytelling is weak. I listened to the audiobook version of On the Nose, which is read by Florine himself. The audio is spiced up with sound effects and music, but Florine struggles to read his own writing aloud, putting in awkward pauses, weird intonation, and stumbling over some words. I found that aspect to be very distracting. His accounts of specific, individual ascents of the nose are exciting and detailed, and Hans discusses climbing with many of the best climbers in the world, sharing stories of what they are like as people and as climbing partners. I would have liked a bit more reflection on what climbing means to Florine rather than just detailed accounts of ascent after ascent, but On the Nose is a fun read if you like reading about climbing!

[Xzs · Rating 4 out of 5]

An inspiring book about the life and experiences of Hans Florine, a climber skilled at speedy ascents. He has climbed the Nose of El Capitan more than 100 times and has held the speed record up the Nose several times. The book is an easy read that gives the reader a glimpse into the psyche of a climber. It’s motivating to read about the drive, passion, focus and sheer grit that it takes to climb. I also enjoyed learning a bit about the Yosemite climbing scene through this book!

[Julio Gagne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fast read, which is perfect, since Hans is the greatest speed climber in history. Very enjoyable, mixing Yosemite history with climbing technique education but never boring and never “inside baseball”. I met Hans in the 90s and found him an energetic, passionate guy who was and still is a great spokesman for climbing.

[Valene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Listen to audio book on my runs! Very good and entertaining

[Steven Bollhoefer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun book

[Ishita · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review:

I think its my itch for the world of traveling that is changing my focus from usual cabaret of fiction to the world of non-fiction that potrays the itchy feet in one way or the other.

""Why on earth would anyone climb the Nose one hundred times (or 101 times, as of the date of this publishing)? I’m not sure that’s the right question. How about this one: Why on earth would anyone work a job they don’t care about, day after day, for 261 days a year? Or this one: Why would someone who has a choice settle for “good enough” instead of going after great?""

The anecdote from the author explains the entirety of the book. While the preview paints a stark picture of why Yosemite is considered as one of the greatest rock climbing feat, the simplicity with which the geophysical elements were described for the layman helps in creating the first step through which the reader is going to see this book. The tone of personal narration helped in understanding and appreciating the grit and determination the author had towards his obsession with the Nose. From a fledgling in the rock-climbing career and his first failure that ended in 14 hears, author has beautifully recounted his growth in character and personalisation while respecting the nature that has challenged him and provided him with the strength to overcome that very challenge. The true essence of the book is this very growth and journey and as a reader, I personally resonated well with this more than anything else.

""Looking back, I think the collaboration was extra appealing to me because it flew in the face of the idea of El Captain as a battleground. I loved competition, bur I’d choose collaboration over war any day. ""

For a biography to be successful, it requires everything: the journey, the hopes and dreams, the colorful personalities that comes with friendships and rivalries. The author was successfully able to capture that and take the readers along for a reminiscing journey. For a novice like me, some of the technical aspects of rock climbing might appear to be baffling; to be honest I didn’t even know such things existed. Having been a novice once, Hans understands this very dilemma and has made the effort to make it simpler for the reader to understand, appreciate and get intrigued by it. I definitely am. The easy style of writing shows his familiarity with the role of mentoring and the candid bond it requires.

My opinion: I absolutely loved the book. I may not ever get into the scene of rock climbing, but the vivid picture of the sport and the Yosemite definitely keeps calling to my attention.

My rating: 5 out of 5

[Shawn P · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I could give this book 10 stars I would. This was written with such ease and passion that I fell in love with El Capitan just experiencing it from his words.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Before reading this book, people should watch the documentary Valley Uprising. It gives a great history and background about climbing in Yosemite and the climbers of the Golden Era, Stone Masters, and Stone Cutters. This book probably encompasses the last part of that to present day.

I am not a fan of autobiographies/biographies of non "historical figures". However, this book did keep me interested. He managed to give a nice history of climbing's evolution as well as introducing the colorful people within the climbing world. It was all done without the grandiose quality of other books of similar subject.

I also enjoyed the selected climbs up The Nose and the details of certain pitches. I'm in no way a big wall climber or a trad climber, but this book made me want to go buy some pro and start training.

3.75/5 stars. Definitely for readers who have an interest in the subject area. I can't see it holding the attention of people otherwise.

[Alina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great climbing book, with just the right mix of history, climbing neediness, and autobiography.