Free solo climbing deaths reddit It’s a big jump from climbing in a gym to free soloing but less of a jump from scrambling through somewhat difficult and dangerous approaches and taking long runouts on trad climbs to free soloing. 9 C2); first ascents of big walls in Zion National Park and the Jul 11, 2023 · A 26-year-old Boulder woman died Sunday after she fell 500 feet during a free-solo climb on the Four Aces of Blitzen Ridge in Rocky Mountain National Park, park officials said. Add your thoughts and get the conversation going. e. Does anyone here just think free soloing is a bad idea because it can inspire lesser climbers to get themselves killed? Or do climbers die with ropes anyway as long as they're irresponsible? Jul 18, 2023 · Bailee Mulholland, 26, was on Blitzen Ridge on Ypsilon Mountain, a jagged, but relatively easy climb, according to experienced rock scramblers, but one that highlights the risks climbers take Jul 5, 2019 · Two prolific free soloists, Austin Howell and Robert Dergay, have died in separate, but similar accidents this year. Jul 11, 2023 · A 26-year-old woman plummeted 500 feet to her death while free-solo climbing inside a national park in Colorado Sunday, according to officials. Nov 29, 2019 · A world-renowned American free solo climber has died attempting to descend the side of a cliff face. Free climbing = Using gear only as a safety measure. Go home from that trip and put all my ice climbing gear on eBay My buddy Anton was the one that initially found you and sat with you until RMR came. Jul 2, 2019 · Free soloing 5. He's still the only one to free solo El Capitan edit on the edit Honnold holds three Guinness world records as of now In more dangerous types of climbing, there are more factors to consider such as rockfall, poorly protected pitches/poor anchors, free soloing, avalanches/icefall, storms, simul-climbing, etc. It's not really regular. Having to explain to an insurer the different between "free climbing" and "free soloing" proves that most people are uninformed, even the ones that should be informed. In my climbing circles (so not strangers I read about on the internet) I can think of 3 trad multi-pitch deaths. If those climbers are actively climbing 4 hours a day, that's around 1 death per 40,000 hours in Yosemite Huh, that is more dangerous thanI thought. With difficult aid climbing you are deliberately putting yourself in danger, you know you're putting yourself in danger, and you have to stand there and watch that flake you're hooking onto flex with nothing but body weight placements for the last 20 feet. free solo the movie, while of course is expressed as "way outside the limit of every climber on earth" also show him on rest days doing stuff "easy" for him and get it in their head that oh ok it's not so serious. I do know free soloing is stupid and we should try to minimise the idolation of people doing it. In my opinion, free soloing for the sake of free soloing is an indefensibly selfish pursuit unless you What they did in Dawn Wall is multi-pitch free climbing. Free soloing is high consequence but should be 100% controlled. Some of them were widely known for their climbing accomplishments, establishing new routes on Mt. He and I are big scramblers of the Flatirons as well, so this was pretty sobering. Unless you’re going to only boulder or free solo, you need to trust your gear. Overall, as a new climber you should be aware that when done properly the sport is fairly safe, but you need to be 100% on your game at certain moments Jan 9, 2023 · Others died free soloing or in rappelling accidents; they died of rockfall, exposure, avalanches, altitude sickness, or while participating in other mountain sports. Generally this is defined by whoever created (established) the climbing route. Also, the only thing better than climbing is more climbing so climbing faster is better than climbing slow. Mar 1, 2019 · “Free Solo” makes its commercial-free television debut on Sunday, March 3 (9 p. Only the super experienced climbers free solo and they only do it . But it doesn't matter. Like as a backlash to the mainstream media who calls him the world's best climber they go in the opposite direction and say "He only climbs moderate hard routes and can climb without rope because of some brain deficiency" First of all the research suggests that's the effect of years of training and exposure. 8 multi pitch called frogland. Summary: Male and female out climbing, female fell and died. Hardest videos for me to watch on the entire internet (x-post from /r/videos) Skip to ~1:10 for more climbing related content. Halfway up that route I pretty much made up my mind that I had no more interest in ever going ice climbing again, rock climbing was just much more fun and more me and not so cold. Alex Huber has free soloed 14a. One of the best probably. 4M subscribers in the climbing community. In terms of climbing grades, Alex Honnold has done some hard free solo's but there are a few climbers who have solo'd harder routes - grade wise. Free Solo is a great movie—one of the best climbing films to date—and you should go see it. I have lead up climbs in sketchy situations, but never where a fall would cause death. The grade isn't the reason he gets his notoriety. Nov 28, 2019 · Acclaimed American free solo climber Brad Gobright died Wednesday attempting to descend down the side of a cliff face in El Potrero Chico, Mexico, a popular rock climbing destination in northern Free solo climbing is a special form of free climbing but is different from the main forms of free climbing — sport climbing and traditional climbing — that use climbing protection for safety. The woman’s climbing partner, who was uninjured and called for help on his cellphone, was hoisted off the ridge by a Colorado Air National Guard helicopter Sunday night. It's extremely calm and meditative. That doesn't mean you can't use protection though. In “The Alpinist,” Leclerc explored the Brad Gobright was lost to the same issue and was a professional climber/free soloist. ” Part of me wants to say people are free to free solo, but I think it's dangerous for more than just them. Posted by u/Chidar - 5 votes and 13 comments Not that many risky but no more dangerous then any other extreme sport and a lot safer than free climbing or base jumping or the like you have to remember the vast majority aren't hanging or cranes with one hand like on YouTube. I don’t solo a ton, but I do sometimes. You can aid solo or free solo. It is a shameless monetization and clout grab of a life-or-death situation and should be demonetized, age-restricted, or removed from YouTube. 3M subscribers in the climbing community. 13a); an in-a-day solo ascent of the Salathé Wall (5. edit I stand corrected the record time for The Yosemite Tripple Crown was 18hrs 50min by Jordan Cannon and Scott Bennett in June of 2021. m. The issue I have is that the films that make free soloing out to be some kind of accessible activity for all climbers. Mar 30, 2024 · We have lost some climbing legends to free soloing, but if this is any consolidation, they died doing something they loved. Mountain project lists that section as a 5. I definitely don't condone it. Falling on a free solo like this is basically certain death. Edit - y’all I want to clarify cuz I wrote this comment in a fever dream: 1) no the only people who die are not base jumpers and yes people die free soloing all the time; 2) I meant more FAMOUS free solo climbers have descending than ascending, especially there is an association between base jumpers and free solo people; 3) it is common 147 votes, 107 comments. 9+ or mid 10) free-solo and i told him that it was pretty selfish. Free climbing is anything that isn't aid. One of my friends did a 5. Magnus Midtbø's Onsight Free Soloing Video with Alex Honnold was irresponsible when recorded and irresponsible when published. The woman, Stopped in Red rocks outside Vegas and climbed a brilliant 5. 4 ridge on Ypsilon Mountain in Rocky Mountain National Park. 13, in her quest to get there she learned exactly nothing about placing gear. Pitch = A climb as far as you can safely go with a rope. Saying that climbing is safe implies that there is a safety factor that is beyond our control. Marc-André Leclerc (October 10, 1992 – March 5, 2018) was a Canadian rock climber, ice and mixed climber, and alpinist. It's a type of free climbing that doesn't use ropes and is bigger than a boulder problem. 5 deaths per 25,000-50,000 climber days in Yosemite. And it isn't brave to be in the constant presence of death. Yes climbing is a spectrum of risk, and everyone selects the level at which their risk/reward ratio is met. I'm guessing the couple treated it like an exposed hike, rather than what immediately springs to mind when I hear "Free solo" climbing. Jul 14, 2023 · A 26-year-old woman who was killed Sunday while free-solo climbing a ridge on Ypsilon Mountain in Rocky Mountain National Park has been identified by the Larimer County coroner as Bailee Mulholland. 25 years old Jonas Hainz who has free soloed long multi-pitch routes up to 5. Jul 11, 2023 · On Sunday, July 9, a Boulder, Colorado, woman died after falling 500 feet while free soloing Blitzen Ridge, a classic 5. 228 votes, 182 comments. Feb 25, 2019 · Last night, two of climbing’s biggest stars—co-director Jimmy Chin and free soloist Alex Honnold—took the stage at the 2019 Academy Awards and accepted an Oscar for Best Documentary Film for Dec 4, 2024 · In a little more than a decade, he graduated from a 40-foot climbing wall at a health club in rural Utah to a stunning range of accomplishments: multiple free ascents of El Cap, including Freerider (5. I've done both. Over the last six years the 31-year-old Lombard, Illinois, resident spent more time climbing without a rope than with one. I am aware that I can get injured even in the best circumstances. Alex's hardest free solo is at the grade of 13a iirc. 12a died last year. With 20' of 1-inch webbing, I can make a much safer and much more comfortable harness for barely any more than that kid paid and a lot less work 235 votes, 57 comments. It's just your body getting yourself up the rock. Climbing is inherently unsafe, as is free-solo climbing. John Bachar, a legend in the rock climbing world, is often remembered for his near-mythical status long before the likes of Alex Honnold took to the stage. But alpinism is a lot riskier. Sep 14, 2021 · In “Free Solo,” Honnold wrestled with continuing to test the limits as he embarked on a new relationship with a woman who wanted marriage and kids. Dave mccleod soloed some 8c+/14c Darwin Dixit in Margalef, 8c/14b While I think media/uninformed definitely exaggerate the risk, it definitely is deadlier than hiking. Plus 3 abseiling deaths, all trad multi-pitch rather than alpinism. Falling on an approach is not certain death. Even lowball bouldering and single-pitch sport climbing are not risk-free activities. She absolutely loved climbing and so many other things, such an incredibly inspiring soul. That's not how placing pro works. Free Solo is a really good documentary about free soloing I'd you haven't seen it, it's rock climbing though and not ice climbing. But I don't think the approach scramble comparison is a good one. A 5. Apr 29, 2021 · On April 11, 2021, 31-year-old climber Josh Ourada fell approximately 150 to 200 feet while free soloing Nutcracker, on the Manure Pile Buttress, Yosemite. But as others have said, safe climbing is far safer than you think it is right now. Complacency still affects the best. Everest’s Kangshung Face, in the Gunks, in Greenland, in Patagonia, and so on. OK, now that that’s settled…. Those dangerous situations are different than a purposeful free solo. You have to be a certain type of person to do that crazy shit as well. Yes seriously. It's also 5. One lifelong brain damage from a sport leading accident. Free solo climbing is akin to me getting into the formula car without a triple layer fire suit, no fire gloves, no fire boots, no helmet, no Hans device, no five point harness, etc. 12 was common for Austin Howell. When you purposefully put other peoples physical and psychological safety at risk (beyond nomral levels- ignoring existing safety and rules) it becomes a selfish act. Rocks can always break, regardless of how good you are. Oct 22, 2018 · The film Free Solo, which documents Honnold’s groundbreaking El Cap solo via Freerider, is this concept distilled. I've honestly never seen anyone climb with such beauty and grace, she had true talent from her pure love for climbing as a whole. This might mean personally checking the rope or anchor condition before you climb, I don’t know. 75K subscribers in the BestOfLiveleak community. He is known for his solo ascents–often in winter–of major ice and alpine climbing routes. Before I move on, let’s get one thing out of the way. Free soloing getting heavy publicity makes me frustrated because it popularizes a very small portion of the climbing community. Best of Liveleak Jun 20, 2023 · The Twinkie solo encapsulated many idiosyncrasies of Howell’s free soloing: climbing hard, steep routes that had awkward descents; a tendency to climb with his shoes untied, or without chalk Soloing is so incredibly much faster, you can climb multiple pitches in the time it takes for the gumby at the pitch 2 stance to un-clusterfuck his belay station thus minimizing the time you were in the danger zone below said gumby. I also think it gives the sport somewhat of a tougher image with many people since that is what they initially associate with climbing. NPS says there are 2. Free soloing ice is not usually the time to try and pull off completely unnecessary and avoidable tool swaps, especially just for some GoPro footage that no one but your mom and granny will care about unless things go horribly wrong. 7 (he leads 5. This is not a review. Rock climbing deaths do happen. Climbing Mt. In 99% of situations, that situation is always within your control. They missed Southtyrolean alpine guide Diego Zanesco (62) who died free soloing. Every safety rule is written in the blood of countless others. Yeah. 1% of the time they climb. His climbing partner luckily landed on a ledge and survived without injury. Watch Free Solo on Disney+, it's insane. Brad Gobright, 31, fell around 300m (1,000ft) to his death in El Potrero Chico in northern Free climbing is using your hands and feet on the rock to climb, aid climbing uses a bunch of gear to help you ascend. And yes we are scared of falling. 13 pitch? In running shoes, onsight solo? I'm pretty sure no one in the world has ever attempted that, even in climbing shoes. We dated for a year in my freshman year of high school. 12d) and Golden Gate (5. And that's not okay to me. I wouldn't condemn free soloing because at the end of the day, its your life and if you understand the risks and choose to participate that's just your choice. Be the first to comment Nobody's responded to this post yet. Naturally, we had a few questions: Q: Making that climb and watching it on film Savannah was one of my best friends and climbing partners. That means there is around 1 death per 40 years of full time climbing in Yosemite. . A purposeful free solo in a public area like Yosemite puts other climbers at risk, and forces people to be party to the free soloist's risk taking if something goes wrong. , National Geographic Channel). Climbing magazine caught up with Ourada in a phone call to find out more details about the accident and to learn how his recovery is going. --Edit: With additional information it sounds like the couple were experienced climbers/outdoor enthusiasts. 1. Free soloing = No gear. Both have a manageable level of risk where, if managed correctly, becomes negligible. I'm sure this guy was incredible at what he did. I am seeing so many dumb takes on him recently. TL;DR terms Aid climbing = Using gear in the actual climbing. However, it is the logical conclusion of "free climbing," freeing yourself from the need of a rope. My niece climbs hard 5. But Honnold was the record holder for awhile. The home of Climbing on reddit. 99% of people who free climb use ropes. In theory, bouldering is also free solo climbing (i. I'm confused by the description above, though. it also uses no aid or protection) but is usually not referred to as such except in the case 1K votes, 377 comments. Everest would be several orders of magnitude more risky than a typical free solo, yet I doubt the OP would view it as an illegitimate activity. He was pressed for time on the rappel from an 11 pitch climb and didnt want to tie the safety knots,He rapped right off the edge and fell to his death. Soloing is not using protective gear to catch you if you were to fall. 13, so the climber probably has learned how to place gear. Jul 12, 2023 · Free-solo climbing is done without ropes, assistance or safety equipment and has become increasingly popular over the last few years, spurred partly by the success of the documentary “Free Solo. You're thinking of Free Solo, which is what this guy is doing. We would like to show you a description here but the site won’t allow us. 4. Unfortunately, the second fatal free solo accident in the region in just 2 years. 185 votes, 48 comments. eslqz dbsbw axhckf ayly wmajtw qlf ybvd evybji clbc wgar nywv iwd rabfa hwxv fpyggnt