Free Soloing

I haven’t read all the posts
I see it has jumped a few pages.
Years ago (many) I read a study about climbers, accidents and death.
I remember falling to death was high on the list of ten and dying driving home was Uno.

John Langston wrote:Yet, I don't consider myself a soloist, not by a long shot.

Uh, yeah, John. You are a soloist.

Bob D'Antonio wrote: I not Angry but I'll give my take on it. Close to 99 percent of time when I went soloing it was by myself and rarely anyone else around.

Very respectable Bob, I feel that is how you can get the absolute most out of the experience for me as well.

lucaskrajnik wrote:I see that your guys's goal is to live a long fulfilling life..thats rad!...While I am aiming to have a FUN and exactly what i want to do, not others. Im am only alive for a small amount of time,"you wana do something, now is the time"

This was pretty much my attitude when I was 18 and foolish.

I don't think you guys need to be so hard on the boy. I think its worthwhile to get the perspective of a typical male teenage rock climber. Were you all so different at that age? I nearly killed myself on numerous occasions; all attitude, no substance, laugh it off, on to the next stupid act.

Lucas, believe it or not, your perspective will change over time, and (with a little luck) you'll end up old and grumpy like the rest of us.

Jason Isherwood wrote:perhaps you should have taken some English classes

Jason Isherwood wrote: not too mention the fact

You're pretty much begging for it.

Monomaniac wrote: This was pretty much my attitude when I was 18 and foolish. I don't think you guys need to be so hard on the boy.

I think that's the point we're trying to get across; I don't see a problem with knocking him around a little bit -- soloing shouldn't be taken so lightly.

Thanks to Appelhans also for trying to make the world a safer place for all rescuers.

I'll do what I can to splat in convenient locations.

Monomaniac wrote: This was pretty much my attitude when I was 18 and foolish. I don't think you guys need to be so hard on the boy. I think its worthwhile to get the perspective of a typical male teenage rock climber. Were you all so different at that age? I nearly killed myself on numerous occasions; all attitude, no substance, laugh it off, on to the next stupid act. Lucas, believe it or not, your perspective will change over time, and (with a little luck) you'll end up old and grumpy like the rest of us.

Speaking for myself and I'd guess others, it's not the climbing attitude but the people attitude that raises eyebrows and hackles a bit. You don't need to be a deferential boyscout to avoid calling strangers on a thread chickensh*ts. Especially when several of them are certified bad*ss hardmen :)

Monomaniac wrote:You're pretty much begging for it.

Touché...I suppose I should have proofread my post.

Hello everyone,

Sounds like some of you are very current in the soloing scene. Cheers. Closest I've ever come to the Tao are soloing...good stuff.

While not downsoloing 5.10 these days I do continue to enjoy the pursuit.

I have soloed in all conditions. Alone, in groups with men wearing costumes, in crampons, barefoot, naked, to get laid, to beat a storm, with a watch, because the mushrooms made me do it, to save my life, to make my lungs burn...etc

All are valid, with more mileage under my belt, very few would I omit.

The question of how far out to push the boat is never a clear one is it?

The profit vs. loss formula and risk formula are equations only we can answer for ourselves. As we pair bond, breed, acquire our "estates" and what have you the variables in the formula compound.

This is an answer we come up with individually, each time we get out.

I remember very vividly when I was 20, shirtless and clinging to the last pitch of Yellow Spur, how "not having it" felt. That day changed my life forever, making me realize that both the boat was out a little too far, and that only I!!!! was responsible for my circumstance.

Be honest with yourself, and the rest is 3rd class

Shawn Mitchell wrote: Speaking for myself and I'd guess others, it's not the climbing attitude but the people attitude that raises eyebrows and hackles a bit. You don't need to be a deferential boyscout to avoid calling strangers on a thread chickensh*ts. Especially when several of them are certified bad*ss hardmen :)

Fair enough, you don't need to be a BS, but you need to be able to consider the consequences of your actions.

I suspect part of the "I'm 18" state of mind is the inabality to see beyond one's self. For example, the 'if I die soloing, i'm the only one who suffers, so nobody but me get gets a vote' mentality.

I have one of those 18 yr olds, and am well aware of the "me" side of things. To him, at the moment, I am basically an ATM machine, but he can be so loving and thoughtful when he really sits down and thinks about it,.....I said "when". Takes a while to learn you're not bullet proof.

Lucas, I think I might have found a potential climber partner for you: Mike SC

Highligths from his Personal Page:

Personal: Male
Favorite Climbs: the one your not on
Other Interests: bagging hoes
Personal/Favorite web site: none specified
Likes to climb: Trad, Sport climbs
Trad: Leads 5.11c Follows 5.12b
Sport: Leads 5.12a Follows 5.12b

More information:

Lead climbing rules, TR is for those who can only pose,
Way to many posers on this site posting pics of them and their hoes.
Greenhorns to the scene
you know what I mean,
writing posts about routes they can't even clean.
TR photos don't mean a thing,
so just grow a pair
and step up to the scare!

Well I prefer to climb with older gentleman..above 45 at least.

"In pure rockclimbing free soloing is attractive for the joy of moving competently and unfettered with only the belay of one's mind and body working smoothly to produce an art- to be high above the ground yet be in complete control, but know that such control comes only from mastery of the rock and oneself. Unroped soloing by an expert in the proper state of mind can be a joyful experience, but as they look at the rocks below they realize that only a moment's lack of concentration, a split second's faltering in will or attention, and they will be off the rock with the ground coming up very fast. Though he may be moved by romantic notions of the freedom of soloing, the most unromantic common sense must govern the soloist's actions on rock. So before you take leave of your friends, consider well the seriousness and possible consequences of going alone." Royal Robbins 1973 Advanced Rockcraft

"All climbing achievement must be relative to the methods employed. Ends and means are equally important, and free climbing necessarily involves restrictions. Imagine a lone climber standing below a 30-foot wall of glass, overhanging and without flaw. The chance of success would be near zero, and the climb, if achieved, would be of near-infinite accomplishment." Jim Erickson 1980 Rocky Heights

"Don't slap rude and sail if you're shaky at the grade." Sic Mic

John Langston wrote:PTFTW

Darren Mabe wrote: ?

John still doesn't get that rc.com lingo falls on deaf ears outside their sandbox. Then he throws a Big Lebowski reference in there.

WTFIWWJ???!!!