Texas Quickdraw Chain Free Solo Guy

SinRopa wrote:

There’s gotta be some reason he went that way...just wondering if he’d explained the rationale.

I up-clip the snappy hooks.

There, I did it for him. I know you like to gnaw on a bone and all, but, come on, there are just some situations you have to appreciate as performance art.

Gotta say..this one's so weird that if I didn't know (of) Tim so well I'd say someone hacked his account to post a super troll !

Not sure about the "50 ft webbing" method, but substitute a piece of dynamic rope for the chain of quickdraws is a "safer" way to "semi-solo". PLUS, it just doesn't seem to make sense that anyone would spend the $$$'s to by, how many??, 10-15 quickdraws when for 1/10 that $$$'s you could do it with a long sling or piece of cord and maybe 2 or 4 biners. That's why I thought it a "troller".

Robert Hallwrote: Gotta say..this one's so weird that if I didn't know (of) Tim so well I'd say someone hacked his account to post a super troll !

Seriously. This guy exists and that is a real picture of him in Austin. He has been climbing this way for a while now. Only recently did a local again try to reach out to him.

Are the bolts on the routes he's climbing really spaced that closely that he can clip the bolt above, while still being able to reach the bolt "below"? He's Via Ferrata'ing that sheeeet.

And so, if he can't, he just leaves like a $100 in quickdraws behind, dangling?

New climbing style: Free Yolo

If he fell, his instinct would probably be to grab the chain of draws with his hand, and his muscles would absorb most of the energy.  I of course agree a piece of rope would be better.

Some thoughts
1) Alex Honnold is shown ~ climbing this way in various movies (eg on mt watkins and the nose-- alternating free soloing with climbing ropeless with two daisy chains), so it's not that surprising that some people out there might be inspired to copy the technique (albeit without really understanding how to do it properly).

2) I remember hearing that some El cap aid speed climbing records were set by a dude climbing with just two daisy chains.

Long Rangerwrote: Are the bolts on the routes he's climbing really spaced that closely that he can clip the bolt above, while still being able to reach the bolt "below"? He's Via Ferrata'ing that sheeeet.

And so, if he can't, he just leaves like a $100 in quickdraws behind, dangling?

For me definitely not close enough.  Those watching his latest climb said he reaches down and unclips the lower bolt and reclips it to the next bolt.  There is a period of time where he is clipped into nothing at all and he slipped at that moment but managed to hang on.  They also said he is climbing 5.11s this way.

Enjoy the show while it lasts! BTW, Y’all masking and climbing? Just kidding, I know you’re not. Who cares, up klip the durp a hurrs and send the lime-choss!

I actually had a good size rock dropped on me by a (different) guy doing similarly dumb stuff at the Greenbelt.  Myth Wall actually.  There's a ton of loose stuff over the top of the wall and at this point, this guy is knowingly endangering people below.

If anyone wants to get the police involved and wants me to get in touch and relay my story, just PM me.

So as an aside, with closely-bolted areas like this, it looks like it might actually be easier to use a via ferrata setup than to rope solo. Thoughts? The biggest danger I can see is that you'd be committing your life to a single bolt without redundancy.

David Kwrote: So as an aside, with closely-bolted areas like this, it looks like it might actually be easier to use a via ferrata setup than to rope solo. Thoughts? The biggest danger I can see is that you'd be committing your life to a single bolt without redundancy.

He isn't doing it like a via ferrata though he has one chain of quickdraws he has to reach down and unclip meaning he is free soloing in the time it takes him to reclip higher.  If he added a second chain of quickdraws to be able to clip into a bolt at all times it might reduce the sketch factor some but still a terrible method.

Just proves  Darwins theory of evolution

Adam Wwrote:

He isn't doing it like a via ferrata though he has one chain of quickdraws he has to reach down and unclip meaning he is free soloing in the time it takes him to reclip higher.  If he added a second chain of quickdraws to be able to clip into a bolt at all times it might reduce the sketch factor some but still a terrible method.

Eeeeeeeee. Seems like you're adding unneeded danger by having to reach down to unclip. That's where the accident is waiting to happen.

june mwrote: Just proves  Darwins theory of evolution

Does it? Kind of a head-scratcher how he exists.

Too weird to live, too rare to die, I guess. 

When the route description says 'bring 8 quickdraws...'

Masters of Stone V 

Dan Daugherty wrote: Someone needs to get him a stick clip!

Just get a buddy and a rope! Seems he's got enough quick draws!

Harry Harphamwrote: If anyone wants to get the police involved and wants me to get in touch and relay my story, just PM me.

Yeah, pretty sure you can keep the Police out of this *insert eye roll*

Daisy me rollin', they hatin'.