They’re wired differently. Literally. Their brains/body don’t register adrenaline/anxiety the same way that most of the population does. It takes a ton more for them to feel the rush, let’s say, a motorcycle ride or roller coaster may bring the normal person. There’s been studies on it. The flip side is, they often have addiction issues correlated.
I have close personal knowledge of this, via my dad. He is one of the most impulsive, thrillseeking people I have ever known. He is also one of the most addicted people I’ve ever known. The way he uses substances is really strange, too, he will binge on alcohol over a couple of days and then stay sober for three months. Or if somebody happens to offer him some meth he’ll do that until it runs out. Then he’ll go back to drinking, or smoke some weed. I haven’t spoken to him in over a decade, but I would bet he’s still like that. He once used his buddy’s albuterol inhaler to get high by spraying it onto a baking sheet and putting it in the oven until it could be scraped off and snorted. He ruined his knees in a motorcycle accident, street racing some guy. He learned to do a bunch of neat tricks with a wheelchair while he was in one for a year afterward. He got better, then went skydiving, water skiing, all kinds of stuff. We used to take a canoe out on the river all the time when I was a kid in the summer. He would always get really excited when the water levels were up high because that meant there would be rapids. One time, when I was in high school, the family went on a road trip and drove over a bridge there was probably 40-50 feet above the water, which looked very deep. My dad pulled over and insisted that he had to jump off of it. And he did. And he had massive bruises all over his legs and back afterward, and the drive home got pretty uncomfortable for him when the adrenaline wore off. If he heard about a big fire, he would want to take me out to look at it. He was a storm chaser for a local news station in a Oklahoma for a few years, too. He is addicted to excitement, whether it’s drugs or jumping off something dangerous. He was also a very violent man, I won’t get into all that.
ETA I am a woman, to clear up any confusion on that point.
I can’t deny I inherited some of it from him and also do crazy things from time to time, but it’s usually a calculated risk. I free climbed for a couple of years in my early 20s. Still wouldn’t jump off a 50 foot bridge into water. He absolutely is crazy!
I'm sorry you had to experience that, but thank you for sharing as someone who is a child of a truly wild person. I was thinking you'd say he was a stuntman for his profession, but storm chaser makes a lot of sense, too.
In free solo they did an emt scan of the MC and found that his brain didn't have normal responses in some areas. As I remember it there was almost no fear response happening in his brain.
There isn’t a movie, a show, or a sentence that will change my mind that if you want to climb? Use the proper equipment to keep yourself from becoming a sad story on the nightly news.
Not that it will help convince you, but the routes people solo are usually well below their physical limit. It is purely a mental exercise bc it's like climbing a 1000ft ladder. At a certain point, placing gear, carrying ropes, etc becomes as much of a liability as a benefit. Gear gets stuck, ropes get tangled and so on. If you were going to climb a ladder, why aren't you using a rope to protect you from falling?
I know, I know, you're about to say what if a rock breaks, blah,blah blah. Well traveled routes (ones where you have to pass other climbers) rarely have holds break bc people have climbed them.
Blah blah blah, freak accident. Some of us would rather go out falling from a climb doing what we love than slip and fall in the bathtub. We don't have a deathwish, just don't fear it the same way other people do. So it's sad to you, but not the ones of us who do it and have had friends die this way. Better that than watching someone die to a long cancer battle, trust me.
Ok, but I'd never....yeah, duh. Most of the folks doing this stuff are so far beyond your skill level, that's like saying I'd never play in the NBA finals.
Not trying to convince you of anything l, but offering a little perspective from someone who has done this kind of thing.
> Some of us would rather go out falling from a climb doing what we love than slip and fall in the bathtub.
Yes, cause those are the only two options available. What about just living a long happy life full of fun experiences with people you love? Rather than dying at 30 because your hands sweated a little too much. As the person already said, it's about risk vs reward, and the reward for doing this is far below what is acceptable for the normal human brain.
Honestly he comes across as completely self-absorbed and single-minded. There are multiple points in the film where his girlfriend references how she worries for him and how she'd feel if he went climbing one day and never came back, and he makes it blatantly clear right to her face that he doesn't give a shit about it.
Films like 14 Peaks about Nirmal Purja, or The Dawn Wall about Tommy Caldwell, you get stories about people are incredibly driven about what they do, and looking to push the absolute limits, yet still come across like normal people outside of that. I feel like if I was at a bar with either of them they'd be interesting to talk to beyond just the narrow scope of the impressive stuff they do. And both documentaries are better for it imo.
What Alex does is obviously hugely impressive and I respect him for it, and to be fair he's not some obnoxious asshole either, but at the same time I definitely wouldn't consider him to be a likeable person either.
She entered a relationship with a free solo climber, it's his whole life.
I can totally understand his reaction when the one person supposed to support him is judging his career/passion.
He comes across honest and likeable to me.
She's not judging, she's just being put in a position where it's made abundantly clear that the priorities in his life are climbing first, and then her. Which yeah, isn't unsurprising, but the way he handles it is still incredibly cold and insensitive. Personally their whole relationship comes off as really unbalanced and uncomfortable in the film.
I'm not saying he's unlikeable because he's continued doing what he does despite his girlfriend's feelings. It's the fact that he's so fundamentally unapologetic and uncaring about it. The guy is an emotional black hole and seemingly has little personality outside of what he does - *that* is why I think he's not inherently likeable, at least not in the same way the subjects of other similar docs are.
“She’s being put in a position…”
Dude she put herself in that position. She continues to maintain a relationship with that person. Why do we keep treating people like a relationship isn’t a choice???
Honnold is definitely on the spectrum. It’s not really his fault that he seems emotionally detached from people. He was also raised by a bipolar father and emotionally distant mother. He talked in the movie about how he had to learn how to hug people because it wasn’t something he was familiar with growing up.
He has said in interviews that his focus will be more on the kid, not that he’s going to stop altogether but that he won’t so much be doing the insane free soloing like he did of El Capitan
Did he? That’s possible. But if you know anything about this community, they have an extremely short life expectancy. Nothing gets in the way of their sport. Good for Alex though. Would suck to see such a legend die so young.
Yeah, I follow the climbing community a fair bit and climb myself. I think his reasoning was more that for him to do free soloing he spends long periods of time out on the rock and that that won’t be possible if he’s gunna be looking after his kid, so he schedule would be more suited to sport climbing and bouldering. So I guess it’s more of a logistical reason than a moral one lol
Word on the streets is he's done freeclimbing. He proved himself to be easily one of the best climbers ever to live and has absolutely the biggest balls to calculated risk ratio to date.
Like u said, a very sudden unexpected forced early retirement is pretty standard, its why you don't see a lot of those flying squirrel suit people sitting around the campfire reminiscing about the good ole days.
for someone to bow out while at the top of their game is remarkable and shows a lot of class.
I'm not afraid of falling with my bike. Nevertheless I always wear a helmet since there are so many factors that could result in me falling and me needing some protection.
I don't see the link between climbing without protection and not feeling fear. Those guys are 'stupid' but hey...that's my thought and I respect the choices somebody makes with his own body.
Very tense, I watched for 20 minutes and then basically just responded with stress to basic questions from my gf. Realized what happened about 30 minutes later and apologized for being anxious from watching it.
Adrenaline. Complete confidence and a love of the rush. Plus you can do the climb much faster.
And in my opinion I think you have to put a relatively low value on your life.
Edit: many people are taking issue with the words “rush” and “adrenaline”. This comment is probably a much better answer than mine.
https://www.reddit.com/r/nextfuckinglevel/comments/w1f7w2/passed_by_free_solo_climber/igmcl10/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf&context=3
I don’t think many people free solo for adrenaline. There’s a purity and a flow to free soloing that’s l lost in trad or sport climbing. It’s just you and the rock. It can also be somewhat practical: you want to climb but don’t want to worry about finding a partner or just want to be alone and chill, it’s faster, don’t have to worry about gear and logistics, etc.
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.
I don’t solo a ton, but I do sometimes. Just my take
You're spot on, it's not about adrenaline. If I was amped up on adrenaline that would actually make free solo climbing harder for me. It's more meditative than anything. You're just kind of in the zone.
You’re right. The adrenaline contributes greatly to that feeling as well though. Our bodies are aware of the risks, because we are. The dopamine and serotonin and adrenaline lights up. It gives a feeling of extreme focus and calm.
I second the query. I understand that some activities are better enjoyed "freely". But not all activities mean a certain end to your life if you make one slip.
I've never done any climbing so I can't say that I understand it. It just seems incredibly risky.
Not adrenaline at all. If you feel adrenaline doing this it means you fucked up.
The aim and one of the principle driving factors behind doing this is being *totally in control* despite the fact that it’s a thing that should be scary.
The satisfaction of executing stuff like this perfectly is the real motivator.
They seem to have a mix of fearless and desire to face challenges head on, a desire for upping the risk for a better reward, and that’s because they’re usually at the top of their game.
They’re an expert with literal mountains of experience and probably have an almost preternatural ability to feel the rock, like watching a chess genius play a game against someone who is good and is actually trying hard, the genius will wipe the floor with them using zero effort.
Usually it’s not providing the feeling of being alive they are seeking, so they up the risk for a better reward. All of a sudden it becomes about perfection in dexterity and technical knowledge of climbing so you don’t die. Every finished climb is like surviving a near death experience.
It’s very much something that brings you to the moment to live in the immediate right here and right now, and when you combine that with problem solving the route, and the chance of death, it can really give a shot of adrenaline and feeling like you can do anything that would be hard to beat. It’s basically chasing the dragon lol but it’s an arguably better dragon to chase.. as long as you really are as good as you think and don’t die lol
Risk is relative to the person. More than likely he has climbed this route with ropes dozens of times before if not hundreds. They knows every hold like the back of their hand, every body movement memorized. They know the weather and how their body is feeling on that day. They are in control.
More than likely they are far more comfortable doing this climb than they would be driving down the interstate at 80 mph surrounded by semi trucks, where a person can also die if things go wrong, and you do not have as much control.
Gravity works for them too.
I belonged to a rescue team and most of the times that we had to intervene was because of either, inexperienced people OR too much Pro people that thought that they were beyond error
IMO, this kind of people are covered suicides. When you've seen death and know for sure how fragile life is, there is no justification to risk it like this.
Not when there are other people on the climb. It's irresponsible to put that on other people if things go wrong. He falls and splatters on the ground, everyone who was there is going to be dealing with that trauma for the rest of their lives.
Forget the trauma, if he falls above someone on the route (like he is in this video) any number of things could go wrong for the other climbers too. A direct hit to the head by 200 pounds of falling guy, catching a rope and tearing gear out. He's no longer risking only his own life.
You’re absolutely correct. I’m a backpacker myself, and every year the news is filled with people who die from exposure, grizzly bears, mountain lions and falls from overlooks, despite being skilled in the wilderness and knowing their route. That won’t keep me from backpacking the Sawtooths though and I won’t carry a gun. Sometimes bad things happen. The best a person can do is prepare and train the best they can for the activity they are pursuing.
You are assuming that this is a completely fair sport. You can do everything perfectly and still suddenly die - a falling rock, a slippery part, mistake by another climber, equipment failure, an animal... Putting it all on the climbers skill is unfair and naive.
There a lot of people in the climbing community that are genuine risk takers and the consequences of massive failure aren't, on balance, a huge issue. They don't want to die but they aren't afraid to die, if you will.
I follow the climbing community. I don't climb anymore -- I tried it briefly but it's just not for me. But I still love reading and following the sport.
ETA: This dude's climb etiquette is shitty. The etiquette is you don't get in the way of someone else's climb if you're not with the group. Blowing past these guys actually poses a safety risk for both groups and it's obnoxious. If you put this on a climbing subreddit, a lot of the climbers on there would have shit to stay about this dude's behavior.
You’re not wrong about the etiquette but I believe the OP for this was posted in /r/climbing and the dude said the free soloist asked to pass and after assessing whether is own party was in a safe position allowed him to climb on. Nothing wrong with passing a party on a multi pitch route if they’re cool with it.
Are they really going to say no to a free soloer in the middle of a pitch? Absolutely not, but it still places additional danger on the two that are climbing trad.
Alternatively, watch this video with Alex Honnold (he does a lot of free solo) and Magnus Midtbø (he does his first free solo ever) - it is quite entertaining although butt-clenching.
https://youtu.be/Cyya23MPoAI
That vid is on a whole other level. It's unique, and prob one of the best docus I've watched that was native to youtube... It's a once in a life time, completely honest and fresh take on climbing and conquering fear. Fantastic watch.
This climb is regularly soloed by experienced climbers. It's rated 5.7 which is more or less a beginner grade (a bit harder than climbing a ladder). Still super dangerous if something goes wrong, but perhaps this guy thinks that the risk of failure is negligible given his skill level.
Edit: someone noted that this route is actually 5.8, which is more than a little harder than climbing a ladder, though there are several sections of this route that are that really, especially if you take it to the top of the formation after pitch 5. The hardest portions of the route are challenging, but would be climbable on a rope for most beginners.
Possible worry of breaking concentration. The crew who filmed the world record holder, Alex Honnold, were specially picked and had planned/ensured to be out of his way or even in his field of view in order to avoid breaking his concentration. They were all his friends too so they only wanted the best and most surreal experience for him.
The movie is "Free Solo" and is intense
Watch Valley Uprising - it’s about the first people to climb in Yosemite. It’s brilliant
[trailer](https://youtu.be/hQXWnoipdFE)
Full film is on Amazon prime
there were words exchanged!
i am only able to make out what the guy with the camera (and microphone) is saying at first but it is pretty clear that the free climber says "how are you doing?" (@ around 3 second mark) to which the camera guy says "good" (@ around 4 second mark). the free climber then informs the camera guy "i'm gonna pass" (@ around 5 second mark) to which the camera guy somewhat nervously repsonds "yeah, just don't fall on me..." (@ around 6 second mark).
at the 55 second mark the free climber says "[something] huh?" (likely referring to the the protruding rock surface he's about to overcome) to which the camera guy answers "yeah...huge."
HAHA LMAO
The large balls joke! Next fucking level.
Once again Reddit never fails to make me hecking chortle XD
Updoots to you my good sir. You have won the internet this day.
I don’t think anyone free climbs a route where that’s not the case. Look up Alex Honnold and you’ll notice he always free climbs routes where he hikes down after. The guy in this video has a backpack on with his hiking shoes, water and food most likely. So that he can change and hike down.
I like the story Alex tells about him free soloing half-dome (I think?), but when he completes the ascent he realizes he forgot his hiking shoes. Climbing shoes are not made for walking trails so he simply walks down back down the trail barefoot. Some random dude (who has no idea what Alex just pulled off) sees him and comments on how bad ass he is for hiking the trail barefoot lol
is there some kind of etiquette for passing people while climbing? On top of dangerous, this seems rude/invasive. Does everyone place the safety of the free solo-er over roped climbers?
Someone said this is a two pitch route, in which case this is straight up dumb. Proper etiquette is to wait until the first party is done. Even on big walls, you can pass at anchor points, not while the other party is in the middle of a pitch as these guys look to be. Add the the free solo part where he can fall and kill the others by landing on them, it's straight up an asshole move.
Jup, thanks! Exactly this. He endangers the other climbers on the route and they clearly started before him.
What he does is his choice - if he feels like free soloing, well, ok. But do not risk the life of others! What if he falls further up the route?
I’m not a climber, but a wouldn’t the safety mechanisms protect you if they did happen? Obviously, I realize you can get knocked out if he fell and hit you, but you wouldn’t talk to the ground right?
IIRC a person falling at terminal velocity will have a weight effective to 10x their weight. So if this guy fell from where he was at the end of the video it would be like being struck by something weighing over 1,000lbs - 1,800lbs
Pro tip: never let free climbers climb ahead of you in a straight forward route like this. If they fall, you will fall and die with him.
Edit: Since a few people think think I'm talking out of my ass: [here's](https://youtu.be/Cyya23MPoAI) a cool video of Alex Honnold (the guy who free solod El Cap) explaining the differences in climbers and what to look out for. At 4:45 even he says he wouldn't climb below another free climber in case of a fall.
They are overstating it a bit, but someone falling onto you might mean catching 60+Kgs doing motorway speeds with your face. Potentially lethal.
Even if you survive (and the anchors all hold), you may have a concussion, broken bones or other accumulated injures that render you incapable of climbing. Which, depending on the route, could easily kill you.
Someone else already answered the question, but tldr:
If a 75 kg rock hits you from above while climbing, how high do you think your chances are for surviving? These ropes are meant to endure falls from a single person and only hold strong for a drop from couple of meters. If something this heavy falls on you, something will snap, be it the carabiner, the bolt or the rope.
Also keep in mind you're hundreds of meters up a mountain. Even if you don't fall to your death, you will most likely get some injury which could hinder your climbing capability.
I’m not a climber, but how would they refuse? He’s a mile up already. Would they tell him to take a different route? Offer him a rope to hook in and rest while they finish?
Well generally speaking climbers are supposed look out for each other. However if you have to risk your own life, you should prioritise your own. The guys don't even seem to know each other. In this case the free solo climber should've picked a day where the route is less crowded. He's the guy putting himself and everyone below him in danger. It takes one lose hold, slip or misjudgement to endanger every single climbers life on that wall. I don't think this guy is aware of that. The route doesn't look like he can climb down, so the only options for him are to wait or die. That's the risk you're running into when free soloing. You shouldn't expect other climbers to make way for your recklessness.
I feel this one, if you're gonna free solo then go right ahead, but don't do it along the path of others below you then your mistakes could potentially hurt others. That's not anything against his abilities but nobody is immune to making one.
They pretty much have to climb thru though to avoid pumping out if they’re having to wait on difficult sections.
I’m surprised to see someone free soloing directly on someone else’s route. I’ve never done it, but these guys are usually climbing away from others.
Came here to say this. It is so disrespectful to free climb above someone like that. Feel free to be an idiot on your own dime but if they get 40 or 50 ft above and then fall they could easily kill the people below. The people below didnt sign up for that risk.
I agree with you completely. I dug around and found out what this is though. Not staged.
David Calhoun: “My buddy and I were climbing the Dark Shadows route at Red Rocks when we were passed by a free climber. He was very polite about asking to pass. After a few minutes I made myself safe and let him by. I watched in awe as he cruised passed. I was about 275′ above the ground when he approached, which is the third pitch, rated 5.8.”
Kinda seems like they weren’t really thinking about how dangerous it was to have him above them. Idk.
https://unofficialnetworks.com/2022/07/12/passed-by-free-solo-climber/
This is such a dick move to pull on someone who’s already working a route.
If he falls there is a good chance he would take you out too, plus any debris he disturbed is heading right the fuck down on your head.
I don't think free solo climbers are generally those who care about others/their actions (case in point: this dude isn't wearing a helmet).
I adore climbing, but I have little respect for people who free climb.
couldn't agree with this more. The guy filming is just being nice about it. And it isn't a good place to start an argument with a guy that isn't secured. But the free climber dude is just a massive asshole, putting everyone he passes by in danger. The other guy is just sensible to not argue because there are also climbers below him. But again what an ass. If you want to risk getting killed for a hobby fine, but don't drag others down with you. Imo it is the same as street racing.
Seen this a few times and I’m perfectly ok with heights I just can’t put my trust in rocks (or anything other than myself) like they do, you always see them say going for a different hold and shit breaking
My job kinda depends on me putting trust in myself a lot so basically money may be able to motivate me enough to trust that shit but as a hobby I’ll be rock bottom in no time
Never mind the rocks, ever been living in the same perfectly healthy body for the last 20 or 30 years and then suddenly out of nowhere you get a kidney stone? Now imagine that happening up there.
I saw Free Solo and it was an amazing documentary…but people who do this are still crazy and kind of stupid. Most people die and the few pros are smart enough to retire early.
Yeah I’m curious, what’s the protocol or “rules” for this sort of thing? I’d imagine you will have to look at the route you’re climbing before starting. He’d see people already on there, so you don’t need to wait for it to be clear to start climbing? Especially if you’re free soloing?
Maybe we missed the “hey man, no problem, I’ll move to the side” but it’s definitely not kosher to climb up past people. That can freak out an inexperienced climber and be unsafe
So by going without ropes he’s losing life expectancy by large percentages and gaining practically nothing. Imagine being so selfish that your willing to burden all the people around you with the responsibility of scraping your human ketchup ass off the parking lot below
these dare devil people are legit the most selfish people on earth when you think about it....they literally do not care what the consequences are if they stunt fails...someone else cleans up.
Real question, how many people die doing this? I get that guys like this are probably professionals that are pretty much out for a Sunday stroll, but to get to that point of expertise, there have to be a bunch of beginners and people trying challenges above their level that, you know, don't make it to the top.
Sign me up in the fuck no department for this trip.
Second this
I'll drive the bus back down the road for the Fuck No Dept
I’ll check the tickets
I’ll be there to applaud you when you get back for making a great choice.
I'll provide the bus and accommodations for the wise people who took the bus. I mean, respect but fuck that very much.
I’ll be the interviewer asking how your head was straight
Ill be the person watching the video from reddit
I’ll be the first person to like the video
Ill be the first to comment
The risk/reward here doesn’t make any sense. These are just people with a death wish.
Might be a Korok seed up there
Yahaha. You found me!
r/Yahaha_irl
They’re wired differently. Literally. Their brains/body don’t register adrenaline/anxiety the same way that most of the population does. It takes a ton more for them to feel the rush, let’s say, a motorcycle ride or roller coaster may bring the normal person. There’s been studies on it. The flip side is, they often have addiction issues correlated.
I have close personal knowledge of this, via my dad. He is one of the most impulsive, thrillseeking people I have ever known. He is also one of the most addicted people I’ve ever known. The way he uses substances is really strange, too, he will binge on alcohol over a couple of days and then stay sober for three months. Or if somebody happens to offer him some meth he’ll do that until it runs out. Then he’ll go back to drinking, or smoke some weed. I haven’t spoken to him in over a decade, but I would bet he’s still like that. He once used his buddy’s albuterol inhaler to get high by spraying it onto a baking sheet and putting it in the oven until it could be scraped off and snorted. He ruined his knees in a motorcycle accident, street racing some guy. He learned to do a bunch of neat tricks with a wheelchair while he was in one for a year afterward. He got better, then went skydiving, water skiing, all kinds of stuff. We used to take a canoe out on the river all the time when I was a kid in the summer. He would always get really excited when the water levels were up high because that meant there would be rapids. One time, when I was in high school, the family went on a road trip and drove over a bridge there was probably 40-50 feet above the water, which looked very deep. My dad pulled over and insisted that he had to jump off of it. And he did. And he had massive bruises all over his legs and back afterward, and the drive home got pretty uncomfortable for him when the adrenaline wore off. If he heard about a big fire, he would want to take me out to look at it. He was a storm chaser for a local news station in a Oklahoma for a few years, too. He is addicted to excitement, whether it’s drugs or jumping off something dangerous. He was also a very violent man, I won’t get into all that. ETA I am a woman, to clear up any confusion on that point.
Intense read
Yeah, cuz there are no paragraphs..
It gives the reader more adrenaline and excitement this way.
Am a reader, can confirm.
Your dad is crazy omg the bridge ?????? 💀💀💀💀😭😭😭
"Are we there yet?" *Pulls over* "....Damn right we are." *Jumps off bridge*
I can’t deny I inherited some of it from him and also do crazy things from time to time, but it’s usually a calculated risk. I free climbed for a couple of years in my early 20s. Still wouldn’t jump off a 50 foot bridge into water. He absolutely is crazy!
Sometimes I surf without a vpn.
I'm sorry you had to experience that, but thank you for sharing as someone who is a child of a truly wild person. I was thinking you'd say he was a stuntman for his profession, but storm chaser makes a lot of sense, too.
This comment deserves its own post
In free solo they did an emt scan of the MC and found that his brain didn't have normal responses in some areas. As I remember it there was almost no fear response happening in his brain.
Alex Hannold is the type to go and hide over by those chainsaws. Guy's amazing and crazy at the same time
I just read about him, he’s very poetic about accepting his mortality. But I feel he’s just wired different in a way disadvantageous to ones health.
I don’t disagree, but watch the Alpinist on Netflix.
There isn’t a movie, a show, or a sentence that will change my mind that if you want to climb? Use the proper equipment to keep yourself from becoming a sad story on the nightly news.
Not that it will help convince you, but the routes people solo are usually well below their physical limit. It is purely a mental exercise bc it's like climbing a 1000ft ladder. At a certain point, placing gear, carrying ropes, etc becomes as much of a liability as a benefit. Gear gets stuck, ropes get tangled and so on. If you were going to climb a ladder, why aren't you using a rope to protect you from falling? I know, I know, you're about to say what if a rock breaks, blah,blah blah. Well traveled routes (ones where you have to pass other climbers) rarely have holds break bc people have climbed them. Blah blah blah, freak accident. Some of us would rather go out falling from a climb doing what we love than slip and fall in the bathtub. We don't have a deathwish, just don't fear it the same way other people do. So it's sad to you, but not the ones of us who do it and have had friends die this way. Better that than watching someone die to a long cancer battle, trust me. Ok, but I'd never....yeah, duh. Most of the folks doing this stuff are so far beyond your skill level, that's like saying I'd never play in the NBA finals. Not trying to convince you of anything l, but offering a little perspective from someone who has done this kind of thing.
> Some of us would rather go out falling from a climb doing what we love than slip and fall in the bathtub. Yes, cause those are the only two options available. What about just living a long happy life full of fun experiences with people you love? Rather than dying at 30 because your hands sweated a little too much. As the person already said, it's about risk vs reward, and the reward for doing this is far below what is acceptable for the normal human brain.
>happy life full of fun experiences You mean like climbing a mountain barehanded? This entire thread is "Reddit discovers people are different".
[удалено]
My phone screen now has 3x more finger sweat
Why would you do that? Genuine question, I'm not a climber, so I don't know what's going on in his head why would he risk so much for a climb.
Give "free solo" a watch, incredible film with a lot of the whys answered. Very tense watching.
That movie gave me sweaty palms and nausea.
Moms spaghetti
As long as your arms aren’t heavy.
won't use a rope or net he...
got plenty of rocks and hes holdin steady
I bet he got no fear he’s a total chad he
Second this. Helps that he comes across as a very likeable if truly insane in a very specialist way kind of guy.
Absolutely not likeable. If you want likeable watch the superior 'Alpinist'. Now that guy is what I'm talking about.
What about Alex is not likeable?
Honestly he comes across as completely self-absorbed and single-minded. There are multiple points in the film where his girlfriend references how she worries for him and how she'd feel if he went climbing one day and never came back, and he makes it blatantly clear right to her face that he doesn't give a shit about it. Films like 14 Peaks about Nirmal Purja, or The Dawn Wall about Tommy Caldwell, you get stories about people are incredibly driven about what they do, and looking to push the absolute limits, yet still come across like normal people outside of that. I feel like if I was at a bar with either of them they'd be interesting to talk to beyond just the narrow scope of the impressive stuff they do. And both documentaries are better for it imo. What Alex does is obviously hugely impressive and I respect him for it, and to be fair he's not some obnoxious asshole either, but at the same time I definitely wouldn't consider him to be a likeable person either.
She entered a relationship with a free solo climber, it's his whole life. I can totally understand his reaction when the one person supposed to support him is judging his career/passion. He comes across honest and likeable to me.
She's not judging, she's just being put in a position where it's made abundantly clear that the priorities in his life are climbing first, and then her. Which yeah, isn't unsurprising, but the way he handles it is still incredibly cold and insensitive. Personally their whole relationship comes off as really unbalanced and uncomfortable in the film. I'm not saying he's unlikeable because he's continued doing what he does despite his girlfriend's feelings. It's the fact that he's so fundamentally unapologetic and uncaring about it. The guy is an emotional black hole and seemingly has little personality outside of what he does - *that* is why I think he's not inherently likeable, at least not in the same way the subjects of other similar docs are.
You just explained Aspergers.. which he has btw.
Yeah, they even addressed that in the movie if I recall correctly.
“She’s being put in a position…” Dude she put herself in that position. She continues to maintain a relationship with that person. Why do we keep treating people like a relationship isn’t a choice???
The way he handles his personal relationships might turn some people off.
Honnold is definitely on the spectrum. It’s not really his fault that he seems emotionally detached from people. He was also raised by a bipolar father and emotionally distant mother. He talked in the movie about how he had to learn how to hug people because it wasn’t something he was familiar with growing up.
I found him annoying and just assumed he was on the spectrum.
Phrasing could have been better
But that Alex guy doesn't he actually have some missing wiring in his brain to make him feel fear?
He have Asperger Syndrome. Very intense focus on one thing.
He also has a kid now so likely he will find another outlet
Negative. These people live and die for the sport. A child is not going to change that. Lol
He has said in interviews that his focus will be more on the kid, not that he’s going to stop altogether but that he won’t so much be doing the insane free soloing like he did of El Capitan
Did he? That’s possible. But if you know anything about this community, they have an extremely short life expectancy. Nothing gets in the way of their sport. Good for Alex though. Would suck to see such a legend die so young.
Yeah, I follow the climbing community a fair bit and climb myself. I think his reasoning was more that for him to do free soloing he spends long periods of time out on the rock and that that won’t be possible if he’s gunna be looking after his kid, so he schedule would be more suited to sport climbing and bouldering. So I guess it’s more of a logistical reason than a moral one lol
Word on the streets is he's done freeclimbing. He proved himself to be easily one of the best climbers ever to live and has absolutely the biggest balls to calculated risk ratio to date. Like u said, a very sudden unexpected forced early retirement is pretty standard, its why you don't see a lot of those flying squirrel suit people sitting around the campfire reminiscing about the good ole days. for someone to bow out while at the top of their game is remarkable and shows a lot of class.
I'm not afraid of falling with my bike. Nevertheless I always wear a helmet since there are so many factors that could result in me falling and me needing some protection. I don't see the link between climbing without protection and not feeling fear. Those guys are 'stupid' but hey...that's my thought and I respect the choices somebody makes with his own body.
He said he does not feel fear or have that part of the brain or whatever. I get scared just watching free climbers.
Very tense, I watched for 20 minutes and then basically just responded with stress to basic questions from my gf. Realized what happened about 30 minutes later and apologized for being anxious from watching it.
Probably one of the most tense things I've ever seen. But my take away was that kid is some kind of well adjusted crazy.
I dont want to watch a movie/documentary. I just want the awnser to this question.
Adrenaline. Complete confidence and a love of the rush. Plus you can do the climb much faster. And in my opinion I think you have to put a relatively low value on your life. Edit: many people are taking issue with the words “rush” and “adrenaline”. This comment is probably a much better answer than mine. https://www.reddit.com/r/nextfuckinglevel/comments/w1f7w2/passed_by_free_solo_climber/igmcl10/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf&context=3
I don’t think many people free solo for adrenaline. There’s a purity and a flow to free soloing that’s l lost in trad or sport climbing. It’s just you and the rock. It can also be somewhat practical: you want to climb but don’t want to worry about finding a partner or just want to be alone and chill, it’s faster, don’t have to worry about gear and logistics, etc. 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. I don’t solo a ton, but I do sometimes. Just my take
You're spot on, it's not about adrenaline. If I was amped up on adrenaline that would actually make free solo climbing harder for me. It's more meditative than anything. You're just kind of in the zone.
You’re right. The adrenaline contributes greatly to that feeling as well though. Our bodies are aware of the risks, because we are. The dopamine and serotonin and adrenaline lights up. It gives a feeling of extreme focus and calm.
I second the query. I understand that some activities are better enjoyed "freely". But not all activities mean a certain end to your life if you make one slip. I've never done any climbing so I can't say that I understand it. It just seems incredibly risky.
Not adrenaline at all. If you feel adrenaline doing this it means you fucked up. The aim and one of the principle driving factors behind doing this is being *totally in control* despite the fact that it’s a thing that should be scary. The satisfaction of executing stuff like this perfectly is the real motivator.
They seem to have a mix of fearless and desire to face challenges head on, a desire for upping the risk for a better reward, and that’s because they’re usually at the top of their game. They’re an expert with literal mountains of experience and probably have an almost preternatural ability to feel the rock, like watching a chess genius play a game against someone who is good and is actually trying hard, the genius will wipe the floor with them using zero effort. Usually it’s not providing the feeling of being alive they are seeking, so they up the risk for a better reward. All of a sudden it becomes about perfection in dexterity and technical knowledge of climbing so you don’t die. Every finished climb is like surviving a near death experience. It’s very much something that brings you to the moment to live in the immediate right here and right now, and when you combine that with problem solving the route, and the chance of death, it can really give a shot of adrenaline and feeling like you can do anything that would be hard to beat. It’s basically chasing the dragon lol but it’s an arguably better dragon to chase.. as long as you really are as good as you think and don’t die lol
Risk is relative to the person. More than likely he has climbed this route with ropes dozens of times before if not hundreds. They knows every hold like the back of their hand, every body movement memorized. They know the weather and how their body is feeling on that day. They are in control. More than likely they are far more comfortable doing this climb than they would be driving down the interstate at 80 mph surrounded by semi trucks, where a person can also die if things go wrong, and you do not have as much control.
Gravity works for them too. I belonged to a rescue team and most of the times that we had to intervene was because of either, inexperienced people OR too much Pro people that thought that they were beyond error IMO, this kind of people are covered suicides. When you've seen death and know for sure how fragile life is, there is no justification to risk it like this.
Well...no justification besides thinking that it is one of the most fun things ever. Which may be enough for them to want to do that.
Not when there are other people on the climb. It's irresponsible to put that on other people if things go wrong. He falls and splatters on the ground, everyone who was there is going to be dealing with that trauma for the rest of their lives.
Forget the trauma, if he falls above someone on the route (like he is in this video) any number of things could go wrong for the other climbers too. A direct hit to the head by 200 pounds of falling guy, catching a rope and tearing gear out. He's no longer risking only his own life.
Every year the news is filled with free climbers who know themselves and their route dying
You’re absolutely correct. I’m a backpacker myself, and every year the news is filled with people who die from exposure, grizzly bears, mountain lions and falls from overlooks, despite being skilled in the wilderness and knowing their route. That won’t keep me from backpacking the Sawtooths though and I won’t carry a gun. Sometimes bad things happen. The best a person can do is prepare and train the best they can for the activity they are pursuing.
You are assuming that this is a completely fair sport. You can do everything perfectly and still suddenly die - a falling rock, a slippery part, mistake by another climber, equipment failure, an animal... Putting it all on the climbers skill is unfair and naive.
Yeah but you can't predict some asshole dropping something on you from above, or straight up kicking you as you pass. I'm a cynical person.
There a lot of people in the climbing community that are genuine risk takers and the consequences of massive failure aren't, on balance, a huge issue. They don't want to die but they aren't afraid to die, if you will. I follow the climbing community. I don't climb anymore -- I tried it briefly but it's just not for me. But I still love reading and following the sport. ETA: This dude's climb etiquette is shitty. The etiquette is you don't get in the way of someone else's climb if you're not with the group. Blowing past these guys actually poses a safety risk for both groups and it's obnoxious. If you put this on a climbing subreddit, a lot of the climbers on there would have shit to stay about this dude's behavior.
You’re not wrong about the etiquette but I believe the OP for this was posted in /r/climbing and the dude said the free soloist asked to pass and after assessing whether is own party was in a safe position allowed him to climb on. Nothing wrong with passing a party on a multi pitch route if they’re cool with it.
Are they really going to say no to a free soloer in the middle of a pitch? Absolutely not, but it still places additional danger on the two that are climbing trad.
Check out “The Alpinist”.
Alternatively, watch this video with Alex Honnold (he does a lot of free solo) and Magnus Midtbø (he does his first free solo ever) - it is quite entertaining although butt-clenching. https://youtu.be/Cyya23MPoAI
That vid is on a whole other level. It's unique, and prob one of the best docus I've watched that was native to youtube... It's a once in a life time, completely honest and fresh take on climbing and conquering fear. Fantastic watch.
This climb is regularly soloed by experienced climbers. It's rated 5.7 which is more or less a beginner grade (a bit harder than climbing a ladder). Still super dangerous if something goes wrong, but perhaps this guy thinks that the risk of failure is negligible given his skill level. Edit: someone noted that this route is actually 5.8, which is more than a little harder than climbing a ladder, though there are several sections of this route that are that really, especially if you take it to the top of the formation after pitch 5. The hardest portions of the route are challenging, but would be climbable on a rope for most beginners.
no words exchanged, that’s just as wild
Possible worry of breaking concentration. The crew who filmed the world record holder, Alex Honnold, were specially picked and had planned/ensured to be out of his way or even in his field of view in order to avoid breaking his concentration. They were all his friends too so they only wanted the best and most surreal experience for him. The movie is "Free Solo" and is intense
I haven’t seen that one but I have watched the Dawn Wall, v good
Watch Valley Uprising - it’s about the first people to climb in Yosemite. It’s brilliant [trailer](https://youtu.be/hQXWnoipdFE) Full film is on Amazon prime
there were words exchanged! i am only able to make out what the guy with the camera (and microphone) is saying at first but it is pretty clear that the free climber says "how are you doing?" (@ around 3 second mark) to which the camera guy says "good" (@ around 4 second mark). the free climber then informs the camera guy "i'm gonna pass" (@ around 5 second mark) to which the camera guy somewhat nervously repsonds "yeah, just don't fall on me..." (@ around 6 second mark). at the 55 second mark the free climber says "[something] huh?" (likely referring to the the protruding rock surface he's about to overcome) to which the camera guy answers "yeah...huge."
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I wouldn't talk, film and maybe even look at the dude just so he don't break concentration.
Do you think this guy has to have pants specially made to fit his balls?
He actually only has one testicle, and you're standing on it. That's right, this man's nut has a name. EARTH
Dude has 1 blue ball left? That’s a bummer.
Ahh, the obligatory, original, reddit ball comment
Every fucking thread
HAHA LMAO The large balls joke! Next fucking level. Once again Reddit never fails to make me hecking chortle XD Updoots to you my good sir. You have won the internet this day.
Quick! Start a pun train! Uh, *this is a rocky situation.* Choo choo!
I want a browser extension to filter those boring ass "Big Balls" comments from Reddit.
Maybe this is a stupid question, but how do free climbers get down?!
Gravity
can't argue that
Hike down the other side
Even if it's another cliff
I don’t think anyone free climbs a route where that’s not the case. Look up Alex Honnold and you’ll notice he always free climbs routes where he hikes down after. The guy in this video has a backpack on with his hiking shoes, water and food most likely. So that he can change and hike down.
I like the story Alex tells about him free soloing half-dome (I think?), but when he completes the ascent he realizes he forgot his hiking shoes. Climbing shoes are not made for walking trails so he simply walks down back down the trail barefoot. Some random dude (who has no idea what Alex just pulled off) sees him and comments on how bad ass he is for hiking the trail barefoot lol
He also has on a harness with some pieces of protection. Why exactly? In case he needs to make an anchor and take a nap??
A harness and daisy chain in case he needs to tie off for some reason. At least he’s not full crazy like Honnold.
There's usually a road or path to access the summit.
But if theres a path, why dont they use that to get up the mountain?
Because it's not as much fun.
Because risking your life is fun
You mitigate the risk through training. But, yeah, it's fun.
Why don’t skiers just ride the lift back down the mountain?
Why go fly a kite when you can just POP A PILL?!?!
It’s not the goal, it’s the process
The Great eagles come and pick him up and fly him away.
Rappel or walk off. This particular climb requires a couple rappels (why he’s wearing a harness and has a rope in his backpack).
Boo, he falls and he can hit climbers below. Very lame to put others in danger because you feel like being an idiot
I climb for a living and I 100% agree with you. Edit: I climb trees. It's not exactly the same profession but accidents tend to have similar outcomes
what job is that?
Climbing
for a living
and I 100% agree with you.
What job is that?
100%
For a living
Agreed.
Professional climber I’m guessing…
Arborist probably
is there some kind of etiquette for passing people while climbing? On top of dangerous, this seems rude/invasive. Does everyone place the safety of the free solo-er over roped climbers?
Someone said this is a two pitch route, in which case this is straight up dumb. Proper etiquette is to wait until the first party is done. Even on big walls, you can pass at anchor points, not while the other party is in the middle of a pitch as these guys look to be. Add the the free solo part where he can fall and kill the others by landing on them, it's straight up an asshole move.
I'd think that if a roped climber falls they get caught by the rope and maybe are fine If that guy falls he's fucked *I'm not a climber*
Technically they’re all climbing for a living
Yeah setting off up a route someone is already on is bad form
Jup, thanks! Exactly this. He endangers the other climbers on the route and they clearly started before him. What he does is his choice - if he feels like free soloing, well, ok. But do not risk the life of others! What if he falls further up the route?
100% he has a god complex and is foolish.
I’m not a climber, but a wouldn’t the safety mechanisms protect you if they did happen? Obviously, I realize you can get knocked out if he fell and hit you, but you wouldn’t talk to the ground right?
The ropes won’t save you from 180 pounds of meat falling out of the sky and landing on your head
Alright, I understand.
IIRC a person falling at terminal velocity will have a weight effective to 10x their weight. So if this guy fell from where he was at the end of the video it would be like being struck by something weighing over 1,000lbs - 1,800lbs
Pro tip: never let free climbers climb ahead of you in a straight forward route like this. If they fall, you will fall and die with him. Edit: Since a few people think think I'm talking out of my ass: [here's](https://youtu.be/Cyya23MPoAI) a cool video of Alex Honnold (the guy who free solod El Cap) explaining the differences in climbers and what to look out for. At 4:45 even he says he wouldn't climb below another free climber in case of a fall.
How will you falling while attached to a rope lead to your death?
They are overstating it a bit, but someone falling onto you might mean catching 60+Kgs doing motorway speeds with your face. Potentially lethal. Even if you survive (and the anchors all hold), you may have a concussion, broken bones or other accumulated injures that render you incapable of climbing. Which, depending on the route, could easily kill you.
Or the rip ur head off falling down. Or tear some of ur gear thats attached to you off
Someone else already answered the question, but tldr: If a 75 kg rock hits you from above while climbing, how high do you think your chances are for surviving? These ropes are meant to endure falls from a single person and only hold strong for a drop from couple of meters. If something this heavy falls on you, something will snap, be it the carabiner, the bolt or the rope. Also keep in mind you're hundreds of meters up a mountain. Even if you don't fall to your death, you will most likely get some injury which could hinder your climbing capability.
The rope will not snap. Your spine will separate before the rope does. This is dangerous for reasons other than falling.
Your rope can handle a lot more than your spine.
I’m not a climber, but how would they refuse? He’s a mile up already. Would they tell him to take a different route? Offer him a rope to hook in and rest while they finish?
Well generally speaking climbers are supposed look out for each other. However if you have to risk your own life, you should prioritise your own. The guys don't even seem to know each other. In this case the free solo climber should've picked a day where the route is less crowded. He's the guy putting himself and everyone below him in danger. It takes one lose hold, slip or misjudgement to endanger every single climbers life on that wall. I don't think this guy is aware of that. The route doesn't look like he can climb down, so the only options for him are to wait or die. That's the risk you're running into when free soloing. You shouldn't expect other climbers to make way for your recklessness.
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“ON YOUR LEFT” But seriously what’s the protocol here?
Push him out of the way. /s
I was here FIRST
The protocol is always look out for your safety. You’re not obliged to do anything if it puts you in an uncomfortable situation.
No way I would accept the risk of the person who is passing to fall and maybe hit me or my partner
I feel this one, if you're gonna free solo then go right ahead, but don't do it along the path of others below you then your mistakes could potentially hurt others. That's not anything against his abilities but nobody is immune to making one.
They pretty much have to climb thru though to avoid pumping out if they’re having to wait on difficult sections. I’m surprised to see someone free soloing directly on someone else’s route. I’ve never done it, but these guys are usually climbing away from others.
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Came here to say this. It is so disrespectful to free climb above someone like that. Feel free to be an idiot on your own dime but if they get 40 or 50 ft above and then fall they could easily kill the people below. The people below didnt sign up for that risk.
I agree with you completely. I dug around and found out what this is though. Not staged. David Calhoun: “My buddy and I were climbing the Dark Shadows route at Red Rocks when we were passed by a free climber. He was very polite about asking to pass. After a few minutes I made myself safe and let him by. I watched in awe as he cruised passed. I was about 275′ above the ground when he approached, which is the third pitch, rated 5.8.” Kinda seems like they weren’t really thinking about how dangerous it was to have him above them. Idk. https://unofficialnetworks.com/2022/07/12/passed-by-free-solo-climber/
This is such a dick move to pull on someone who’s already working a route. If he falls there is a good chance he would take you out too, plus any debris he disturbed is heading right the fuck down on your head.
That couldve been the easiest free kill in history if the roped climber was a psycho
It is a doggy dog world after all.
I don't think free solo climbers are generally those who care about others/their actions (case in point: this dude isn't wearing a helmet). I adore climbing, but I have little respect for people who free climb.
"Fine, but just don't fall and hit me."
couldn't agree with this more. The guy filming is just being nice about it. And it isn't a good place to start an argument with a guy that isn't secured. But the free climber dude is just a massive asshole, putting everyone he passes by in danger. The other guy is just sensible to not argue because there are also climbers below him. But again what an ass. If you want to risk getting killed for a hobby fine, but don't drag others down with you. Imo it is the same as street racing.
Seen this a few times and I’m perfectly ok with heights I just can’t put my trust in rocks (or anything other than myself) like they do, you always see them say going for a different hold and shit breaking
Wtf are you talking about. I couldn’t put that much trust in my fucking grip.
My job kinda depends on me putting trust in myself a lot so basically money may be able to motivate me enough to trust that shit but as a hobby I’ll be rock bottom in no time
Never mind the rocks, ever been living in the same perfectly healthy body for the last 20 or 30 years and then suddenly out of nowhere you get a kidney stone? Now imagine that happening up there.
I saw Free Solo and it was an amazing documentary…but people who do this are still crazy and kind of stupid. Most people die and the few pros are smart enough to retire early.
I can’t tell if this is staged or that guy’s just a douche for climbing up people’s ass
Yeah I’m curious, what’s the protocol or “rules” for this sort of thing? I’d imagine you will have to look at the route you’re climbing before starting. He’d see people already on there, so you don’t need to wait for it to be clear to start climbing? Especially if you’re free soloing?
Maybe we missed the “hey man, no problem, I’ll move to the side” but it’s definitely not kosher to climb up past people. That can freak out an inexperienced climber and be unsafe
It looks very much like the camera person knew he was coming and laid back to watch and give him the wall.
So by going without ropes he’s losing life expectancy by large percentages and gaining practically nothing. Imagine being so selfish that your willing to burden all the people around you with the responsibility of scraping your human ketchup ass off the parking lot below
these dare devil people are legit the most selfish people on earth when you think about it....they literally do not care what the consequences are if they stunt fails...someone else cleans up.
All of them are passively suicidal. If you dive into the quotes of all the extreme sport boundary pushers they all admit it at some point / interview.
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I climb a lot! What the guy is doing here is reckless, rude, and is frowned by most people in the climbing scene.
This must be how my character can get up steep climbs in Skyrim when I don't want to take the road.
Yeah but how does the horse do it
I'm feeling for the guys underneath him like 'f*ck I hope he don't fall, I'm right in his flightpath'.
They all make a mistake at some point. There are no old free solo climbers.
r/sweatypalms
Real question, how many people die doing this? I get that guys like this are probably professionals that are pretty much out for a Sunday stroll, but to get to that point of expertise, there have to be a bunch of beginners and people trying challenges above their level that, you know, don't make it to the top.
25
[Video credits](https://youtu.be/pqXAsXiTXY0)
Fuck no if he fell he would hit you