
Free solo climbing, or free soloing, is a form of
rock climbing
Rock climbing is a climbing sports discipline that involves ascending climbing routes, routes consisting of natural rock in an outdoor environment, or on artificial resin climbing walls in a mostly indoor environment. Routes are documented in c ...
where the climber (or ''free soloist'') climbs
solo
Solo or SOLO may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Characters
* Han Solo, a ''Star Wars'' character
* Jacen Solo, a Jedi in the non-canonical ''Star Wars Legends'' continuity
* Kylo Ren (Ben Solo), a ''Star Wars'' character
* Napoleon Solo, fr ...
(or alone) without
ropes
A rope is a group of yarns, plies, fibres, or strands that are twisted or braided together into a larger and stronger form. Ropes have high tensile strength and can be used for dragging and lifting. Rope is thicker and stronger than similar ...
or other
protective equipment
Personal protective equipment (PPE) is protective clothing, helmets, goggles, or other garments or equipment designed to protect the wearer's body from injury or infection. The hazards addressed by protective equipment include physical, electr ...
, using only their
climbing shoes
A climbing shoe is a specialized type of footwear designed for rock climbing. Typical climbing shoes have a tight fit, an asymmetrical downturn, and a sticky rubber sole with an extended rubber rand to the heel and the toe. Different types of s ...
and their
climbing chalk. Free soloing is the most dangerous form of climbing, and, unlike
bouldering
Bouldering is a form of rock climbing that is performed on small rock formations or Climbing wall, artificial rock walls without the use of ropes or Climbing harness, harnesses. While bouldering can be done without any equipment, most climbers ...
, free soloists climb above safe heights, where a fall can be fatal. Though many climbers have free soloed
climbing grades
Many climbing routes have grades for the technical difficulty, and in some cases for the risks, of the route. The first ascent, first ascensionist can suggest a grade but it will be amended for the ''consensus view'' of subsequent ascents. W ...
they are very comfortable on, only a tiny group free solo regularly, and at grades closer to the limit of their abilities.
Some climbers' profiles have been increased by free soloing (e.g.
Alex Honnold
Alex Honnold (born August 17, 1985) is an American rock climber best known for his Free solo climbing, free solo ascents of Big wall climbing, big walls. Honnold rose to worldwide fame in June 2017 when he became the first person to free solo a f ...
and
John Bachar), but others question the ethics of this, and whether the risks they are undertaking should be encouraged and commercially rewarded.
"Free solo" was originally a term of climber
slang
A slang is a vocabulary (words, phrases, and linguistic usages) of an informal register, common in everyday conversation but avoided in formal writing and speech. It also often refers to the language exclusively used by the members of pa ...
, but after the popularity of the 2018
Oscar
Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to:
People and fictional and mythical characters
* Oscar (given name), including lists of people and fictional characters named Oscar, Óscar or Oskar
* Oscar (footballer, born 1954), Brazilian footballer ...
-winning film ''
Free Solo
Free solo climbing, or free soloing, is a form of rock climbing where the climber (or ''free soloist'') climbs Solo climbing, solo (or alone) without Climbing rope, ropes or other Rock climbing equipment#Protection devices, protective equipmen ...
'',
Merriam-Webster
Merriam-Webster, Incorporated is an list of companies of the United States by state, American company that publishes reference work, reference books and is mostly known for Webster's Dictionary, its dictionaries. It is the oldest dictionary pub ...
added the word to their English dictionary in September 2019.
In addition to free soloing on
single-pitch and
multi-pitch rock climbing routes — including the even longer
big wall climbing
Big wall climbing is a form of rock climbing that takes place on long and sheer multi-pitch climbing, multi-pitch climbing routes, routes (of ''at least'' 6–10 pitches or 300–500 metres) that require a full day, if not several days, to ascen ...
that features in the ''Free Solo'' film — free soloing is also performed in a wide range of other climbing-types including for example in the discipline of
ice climbing
Ice climbing is a climbing discipline that involves ascending routes consisting entirely of frozen water. To ascend, the ice climber uses specialist equipment, particularly double ice axes (or the more modern ice tools) and rigid crampons. ...
and of
mixed climbing (which is featured in the 2021 climbing documentary film, ''
The Alpinist''), as well as in setting speed-climbing records on
alpine climbing
Alpine climbing () is a type of mountaineering that uses any of a broad range of advanced climbing skills, including rock climbing, ice climbing, and/or mixed climbing, to summit typically large routes (e.g. multi-pitch or big wall) in an alpi ...
routes (which is featured in the 2023 climbing documentary film, ''Race to the Summit'').
Description

Free solo climbing (which is sometimes just called ''soloing'' in the UK, or ''third-classing'' in the US),
[ is where the climber uses no climbing aids (as per all free-climbing), but in addition, uses no form of ]climbing protection
Rock-climbing equipment varies with the specific type of climbing that is undertaken. Bouldering needs the least equipment outside of climbing shoes, climbing chalk and optional crash pads. Sport climbing adds ropes, harnesses, belay dev ...
whatsover.[ The free solo climber may only use their ]climbing shoes
A climbing shoe is a specialized type of footwear designed for rock climbing. Typical climbing shoes have a tight fit, an asymmetrical downturn, and a sticky rubber sole with an extended rubber rand to the heel and the toe. Different types of s ...
and climbing chalk as they ascend the climbing route
A climbing route () is a path by which a Climbing, climber reaches the top of a mountain, a rock face or an ice-covered obstacle. The details of a climbing route are recorded in a climbing guidebook and/or in an online climbing-route database. De ...
.[
Free solo climbing is a special form of free climbing but is different from the main forms of free climbing — ]sport climbing
Sport climbing (or bolted climbing) is a type of free climbing in the sport of rock climbing where the Lead climbing, lead climber clips their climbing rope, rope — via a quickdraw — into pre-drilled in-situ bolt (climbing), bolts for their ...
and traditional climbing
Traditional climbing (or trad climbing) is a type of free climbing in rock climbing where the lead climber places removable protection while simultaneously ascending the route; when the lead climber has completed the route, the second climber ...
— that use climbing protection for safety. In theory, bouldering
Bouldering is a form of rock climbing that is performed on small rock formations or Climbing wall, artificial rock walls without the use of ropes or Climbing harness, harnesses. While bouldering can be done without any equipment, most climbers ...
is also free solo climbing (i.e. it also uses no aid or protection) but is usually not referred to as such except in the case of highball bouldering, where falls can be serious.[ The most committing forms of free soloing are on multi-pitch — and the even longer ]big wall
Big or BIG may refer to:
* Big, of great size or degree
Film and television
* Big (film), ''Big'' (film), a 1988 fantasy-comedy film starring Tom Hanks
* ''Big'', a 2023 Taiwanese children's film starring Van Fan and Chie Tanaka
* ''Big!'', a ...
— routes, where any retreat is very difficult.[
In ]alpine climbing
Alpine climbing () is a type of mountaineering that uses any of a broad range of advanced climbing skills, including rock climbing, ice climbing, and/or mixed climbing, to summit typically large routes (e.g. multi-pitch or big wall) in an alpi ...
the term solo climbing – as distinct from ''free solo'' climbing – is used where the climber carries a rope and some aid climbing equipment to overcome the most difficult sections.[ In addition, the term rope soloing is used for any solo climber who uses a rope and a form of self-locking device for continuous climbing protection on the route; this is also not considered as ''free'' solo climbing.]
Many early 20th-century rock climbers who began to free climb (i.e., avoiding any form of aid), were often practicing free solo climbing (or rope soloing), as the effectiveness of their climbing protection (usually a rope around their waist) was minimal. In the history of rock climbing
In the history of rock climbing, the three main sub-disciplines – bouldering, Pitch (climbing), single-pitch climbing, and big wall climbing, big wall (and multi-pitch climbing, multi-pitch) climbing – can trace their origins to late 19th-ce ...
, the first ascent of Napes Needle by W. P. Haskett Smith in June 1886 – an act that is widely considered to be the start of the ''sport'' of rock climbing – was effectively a free solo. Early leaders of free climbing such as Paul Preuss, were also strongly interested in free solo climbing as being ethically purer. The 1958 ascent by Don Whillans of ''Goliath'', one of the world's first E4 6a routes, was effectively a free solo (with a rope around his waist). By the 1970s, when climbing protection was sufficiently developed to be effective, the discipline of free solo climbing began to stand apart.[
]
Public view
Many climbers praise free soloing, while others have concerns regarding the danger and the message the ascents send to other climbers. Many companies have taken these views into account when working with free soloists. Clif Bar, the nutrition bar company with long ties to climbing, dropped the sponsorship of five climbers in 2014, citing the risks they take and stirring a debate about how much risk should be rewarded.
However, The North Face
The North Face is an American outdoor recreation products company. The North Face produces outdoor clothing, footwear, and related equipment. Founded in 1968 to supply climbers, the company's logo draws inspiration from Half Dome, a distinct ...
and Red Bull
Red Bull is a brand of energy drinks created and owned by the Austrian company Red Bull GmbH. With a market share of 43%, it is the most popular energy drink brand as of 2020, and the third most valuable soft drink brand, behind Coca-Cola and ...
have promoted free soloists and helped the free soloing community grow. In addition, Alex Honnold
Alex Honnold (born August 17, 1985) is an American rock climber best known for his Free solo climbing, free solo ascents of Big wall climbing, big walls. Honnold rose to worldwide fame in June 2017 when he became the first person to free solo a f ...
, a free soloist who was previously dropped by Clif Bar, was featured in the 2018 documentary ''Free Solo
Free solo climbing, or free soloing, is a form of rock climbing where the climber (or ''free soloist'') climbs Solo climbing, solo (or alone) without Climbing rope, ropes or other Rock climbing equipment#Protection devices, protective equipmen ...
'', which was met with critical acclaim and won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature
The Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature Film is an award for documentary films. In 1941, the first awards for feature-length documentaries were bestowed as Academy Honorary Award, Special Awards to ''Kukan'' and ''Target for Tonight''. The ...
. The director of ''Free Solo'', Jimmy Chin, talks in the film about the ethics of undertaking the documentary, and the effect that his film team and project could have had on the outcome.
Even in the climbing community, free soloing is controversial. In 2022, when ''Climbing
Climbing is the activity of using one's hands, feet, or other parts of the body to ascend a steep topographical object that can range from the world's tallest mountains (e.g. the eight thousanders) to small boulders. Climbing is done for locom ...
'' did a feature on free soloing, they caveated all articles with: "This article is not an endorsement of the practice", and emphasized that in their research amongst climbers, it was only practiced by a very small minority, with many telling ''Climbing'': "I have in the past but not anymore".[
In 2022, climbing author and occasional free soloist Jeff Smoot wrote ''All and Nothing: Inside Free Soloing'', which explored through interviews why some rock climbers free solo, including analyzing his own motivations. He described the feeling of self-control over one's fears as a form of addiction that had brought benefits to his life outside of climbing.][ He also found a wider range of motivations than he expected telling '']The Seattle Times
''The Seattle Times'' is an American daily newspaper based in Seattle, Washington. Founded in 1891, ''The Seattle Times'' has the largest circulation of any newspaper in the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest region. The Seattle Time ...
'', "Are free soloists crazy? They may be. Are they crazier than anybody else? I don’t think so, just in a different way".
Notable climbers
While many rock climbers have free soloed routes (single-pitch or big wall/multi-pitch), at climbing grades well below their ability, a very small minority have practiced free soloing regularly, and at grades closer to their overall limits. The most prominent of this smaller group are those who have broken new grade milestones in free solo climbing and gained a significant profile from their soloing:[
* ]Alex Honnold
Alex Honnold (born August 17, 1985) is an American rock climber best known for his Free solo climbing, free solo ascents of Big wall climbing, big walls. Honnold rose to worldwide fame in June 2017 when he became the first person to free solo a f ...
– the most prolific and well-known free soloist of the 21st century, whose 2017 free solo of the route '' Freerider'' on El Capitan
El Capitan (; ) is a vertical Rock formations in the United States, rock formation in Yosemite National Park, on the north side of Yosemite Valley, near its western end. The El Capitan Granite, granite monolith is about from base to summit alo ...
became the iconic film, ''Free Solo
Free solo climbing, or free soloing, is a form of rock climbing where the climber (or ''free soloist'') climbs Solo climbing, solo (or alone) without Climbing rope, ropes or other Rock climbing equipment#Protection devices, protective equipmen ...
''.[
* Hansjörg Auer – the prolific big wall and high-altitude big wall free soloist, whose 2007 free solo of ''Fish Route'' on ]Marmolada
Marmolada (Ladin language, Ladin: ''Marmolèda''; German language, German: ''Marmolata'', ) is a mountain in northeastern Italy and the highest mountain of the Dolomites (a section of the Alps). It lies between the borders of Trentino and Ven ...
was then the most daring in climbing history.[
* Michael Reardon – prolific free soloist whose 2005 free solo of ''Romantic Warrior'' won him '']National Geographic
''National Geographic'' (formerly ''The National Geographic Magazine'', sometimes branded as ''Nat Geo'') is an American monthly magazine published by National Geographic Partners. The magazine was founded in 1888 as a scholarly journal, nine ...
s "Adventurer of the Year".[
* ]Alexander Huber
Alexander Huber (born 30 December 1968) is a German rock climber who is considered one of the greatest and most influential climbers in the history of rock climbing. Huber came to prominence in the early 1990s as the world's strongest sport c ...
– one of the strongest rock climbers of the 1990s who set free solo grade milestones in single-pitch free soloing (with ''Kommunist''), and big wall free soloing (with the ''Brandler-Hasse Direttissima'').[
* Alain Robert – the early 1990s and 2000s pioneer of buildering, but who also broke important new free solo grade milestones in the 1990s.][
* ]Wolfgang Güllich
Wolfgang Güllich (24 October 1960 – 31 August 1992) was a German rock climber, who is considered one of the greatest and most influential climbers in the history of the sport. Güllich dominated sport climbing after his 1984 ascent of ''Kan ...
– one of the strongest rock climbers of the late 1980s who set free solo milestones (''Weed Killer''), and did the iconic solo of '' Separate Reality''.[
* ]Catherine Destivelle
Catherine Destivelle (born 24 July 1960) is a French rock climbing, rock climber and Mountaineering, mountaineer who is considered one of the greatest and most important female climbers in the history of rock climbing, history of the sport. She c ...
– a leading female climber of the late 1980s, who made iconic free solos in single-pitch (''El Matador''), and big wall (''Bonatti Pillar'').[
* Patrick Edlinger – a leading European free soloist of the 1980s, with iconic big wall free solos in the ]Verdon Gorge
The Verdon Gorge (French language, French: ''Gorges du Verdon'' ) is a river canyon located in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Regions of France, region of Southeastern France. It is about 25 km (15.5 mi) long and up to 700 metres (0.4 ...
and Buoux, as featured in the 1982 climbing film, ''La Vie au bout des doigts''.[
* – prolific free soloist whose 1985 free solo of ''Revelations'' jumped several grade milestones in free solo climbing.][
* Peter Croft – a prolific Canadian free soloist of the 1980s, who pioneered big wall free soloing with ''The Rostrum'' and ''Astroman''.][
* John Bachar – first free solo "superstar" and prolific American soloist of the late 1970s/early 1980s, who pioneered big wall soloing (''Nabisco Wall'').][
In addition, several other free solo practitioners are considered historically notable in free solo climbing and include the following: Ron Fawcett, , Brad Gobright, Dan Goodwin, Colin Haley, Derek Hersey, Jimmy Jewell, John Long, Dave MacLeod, Dan Osman, Dean Potter, Paul Preuss, and Tobin Sorenson.][
Free soloing is less common amongst female rock climbers, however, as well as Catherine Destivelle, the following female climbers are historically notable free solo practitioners: Steph Davis and Brette Harrington, both of whom have free soloed single-pitch and big wall routes.][
]
Evolution of grade milestones
Single-pitch routes
* 2019 : Relatively unknown Italian climber Alfredo Webber, aged 52, free soloed ''Panem et Circenses'' in Arco
Arco may refer to:
Places
* Arco, Trentino, a town in Trentino, Italy
* Arco, Idaho, in the United States
* Arco, Minnesota, a city in the United States
* ARCO Arena in Sacramento, California, home of the Sacramento Kings
Companies
* ARCO (b ...
, Italy, first-ever free solo of an .
* 2004 : Alexander Huber
Alexander Huber (born 30 December 1968) is a German rock climber who is considered one of the greatest and most influential climbers in the history of rock climbing. Huber came to prominence in the early 1990s as the world's strongest sport c ...
free soloed ''Kommunist'' in the Tyrol, Austria; the first-ever free solo at grade .[
* 1993 : Alain Robert free soloed ''Compilation'' in Omblèze, France; the first-ever free solo of an graded route.]
* 1987 : Jean-Christophe Lafaille free solo
Free solo climbing, or free soloing, is a form of rock climbing where the climber (or ''free soloist'') climbs Solo climbing, solo (or alone) without Climbing rope, ropes or other Rock climbing equipment#Protection devices, protective equipmen ...
ed ''Rêve de gosse'', at La Roche-des-Arnauds, France; considered the first-ever free solo at the grade of .
* 1986 : Wolfgang Güllich
Wolfgang Güllich (24 October 1960 – 31 August 1992) was a German rock climber, who is considered one of the greatest and most influential climbers in the history of the sport. Güllich dominated sport climbing after his 1984 ascent of ''Kan ...
free soloed ''Weed Killer'', at Raven Tor, in the Peak District
The Peak District is an Highland, upland area in central-northern England, at the southern end of the Pennines. Mostly in Derbyshire, it extends into Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Staffordshire, West Yorkshire and South Yorkshire. It is subdivi ...
, first-ever free solo at ; that same year, Gullich also did the iconic solo of '' Separate Reality'' .[
* 1985 : free soloed ''Revelations'', at Raven Tor, ]Peak District
The Peak District is an Highland, upland area in central-northern England, at the southern end of the Pennines. Mostly in Derbyshire, it extends into Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Staffordshire, West Yorkshire and South Yorkshire. It is subdivi ...
, the first-ever free solo at ; considered a feat that was a decade ahead of its time.[
* 1982 : John Bachar free soloed ''Baby Apes'', at ]Joshua Tree National Park
Joshua Tree National Park is a List of national parks of the United States, US National Park located in southeastern California, straddling north-central Riverside County, California, Riverside County and part of southern San Bernardino County, ...
, probably the first-ever free solo at .
* 1961 : John Gill free soloed— onsight—the first ascent of ''Thimble'', the first-ever redpoint, and thus the first-ever free solo, at .[Ament, Pat (2002). ''Wizards of Rock: A History of Free Climbing in America'', Wilderness Press]
Big wall, multi-pitch routes
* 2017 : Alex Honnold
Alex Honnold (born August 17, 1985) is an American rock climber best known for his Free solo climbing, free solo ascents of Big wall climbing, big walls. Honnold rose to worldwide fame in June 2017 when he became the first person to free solo a f ...
free soloed El Capitan
El Capitan (; ) is a vertical Rock formations in the United States, rock formation in Yosemite National Park, on the north side of Yosemite Valley, near its western end. The El Capitan Granite, granite monolith is about from base to summit alo ...
via '' Freerider'', first-ever big wall solo at ; becomes Oscar-winning film, ''Free Solo
Free solo climbing, or free soloing, is a form of rock climbing where the climber (or ''free soloist'') climbs Solo climbing, solo (or alone) without Climbing rope, ropes or other Rock climbing equipment#Protection devices, protective equipmen ...
'').[
* 2007 : Hansjörg Auer free soloed ''Fish Route'', on ]Marmolada
Marmolada (Ladin language, Ladin: ''Marmolèda''; German language, German: ''Marmolata'', ) is a mountain in northeastern Italy and the highest mountain of the Dolomites (a section of the Alps). It lies between the borders of Trentino and Ven ...
, in the Dolomites
The Dolomites ( ), also known as the Dolomite Mountains, Dolomite Alps or Dolomitic Alps, are a mountain range in northeastern Italy. They form part of the Southern Limestone Alps and extend from the River Adige in the west to the Piave Va ...
, Italy, first-ever big wall solo at (35-pitches).[
* 2005 : Michael Reardon free soloed, onsight, ''Romantic Warrior'' in the ]Sierra Nevada
The Sierra Nevada ( ) is a mountain range in the Western United States, between the Central Valley of California and the Great Basin. The vast majority of the range lies in the state of California, although the Carson Range spur lies primari ...
, USA, first-ever big wall solo at (10-pitches); wins ''National Geographic
''National Geographic'' (formerly ''The National Geographic Magazine'', sometimes branded as ''Nat Geo'') is an American monthly magazine published by National Geographic Partners. The magazine was founded in 1888 as a scholarly journal, nine ...
'' "Adventurer of the Year".[
* 2002 : ]Alexander Huber
Alexander Huber (born 30 December 1968) is a German rock climber who is considered one of the greatest and most influential climbers in the history of rock climbing. Huber came to prominence in the early 1990s as the world's strongest sport c ...
free soloed, the 1,500 ft ''Hasse-Brandler'' on the Cima Grande, Dolomites
The Dolomites ( ), also known as the Dolomite Mountains, Dolomite Alps or Dolomitic Alps, are a mountain range in northeastern Italy. They form part of the Southern Limestone Alps and extend from the River Adige in the west to the Piave Va ...
, first-ever big wall solo at .
Climber fatalities
A number of notable free solo practitioners have died while free soloing:
* Paul Preuss (3 October 1913; age 27) died in a fall from the attempted first ascent of the North Ridge of the Mandlkogel (in the Gosaukamm) as a free solo.[
* Jimmy Jewell died (31 October 1987; age 34) free soloing the easy route ''Poor Man's Peuterey'' (graded UK-Severe) at ]Tremadog
Tremadog (formerly Tremadoc) is a village in the Community (Wales), community of Porthmadog, in Gwynedd, north west Wales; about north of Porthmadog town centre. It was a urban planning, planned settlement, founded by William Madocks, who boug ...
, North Wales
North Wales ( ) is a Regions of Wales, region of Wales, encompassing its northernmost areas. It borders mid Wales to the south, England to the east, and the Irish Sea to the north and west. The area is highly mountainous and rural, with Snowdon ...
taking a short-cut.[
* Tobin Sorenson, died (October 5, 1980; age 25) while free soloing Mount Alberta's North Face in the ]Canadian Rockies
The Canadian Rockies () or Canadian Rocky Mountains, comprising both the Alberta Rockies and the British Columbian Rockies, is the Canadian segment of the North American Rocky Mountains. It is the easternmost part of the Canadian Cordillera, w ...
.
* Derek Hersey died (28 May 1993; age 36) while free soloing the ''Steck-Salathé'' Route on Sentinel Rock
Sentinel Rock is a granitic peak in Yosemite National Park, California, United States. It towers over Yosemite Valley, opposite Yosemite Falls. Sentinel Rock lies northwest of Sentinel Dome.
Geology
Sentinel Rock formed when masses of rock ...
in Yosemite
Yosemite National Park ( ) is a national park of the United States in California. It is bordered on the southeast by Sierra National Forest and on the northwest by Stanislaus National Forest. The park is managed by the National Park Service ...
.[
* Dwight Bishop fell (19 July 2004; age 49) while climbing alone and unroped along the Grand Traverse route on Grand Teton peak in Wyoming.
* John Bachar died (5 July 2009; age 52) in a free solo accident at Dike Wall near ]Mammoth Lakes, California
Mammoth Lakes is the only incorporated town in Mono County, California, United States. It is located immediately to the east of Mammoth Mountain, at an elevation of . As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 7,191, reflecting a ...
.[
* Michael J. Ybarra died (July 2012; age 45) climbing solo on The Matterhorn Peak in California's Sierra Nevada Mountains.][
'']Climbing
Climbing is the activity of using one's hands, feet, or other parts of the body to ascend a steep topographical object that can range from the world's tallest mountains (e.g. the eight thousanders) to small boulders. Climbing is done for locom ...
'' magazine reported that a number of prominent free solo practitioners died in related or other extreme sports, including: Dan Osman (died at age 35 while rope jumping at Yosemite), Michael Reardon (died age 42 while rock climbing
Rock climbing is a climbing sports discipline that involves ascending climbing routes, routes consisting of natural rock in an outdoor environment, or on artificial resin climbing walls in a mostly indoor environment. Routes are documented in c ...
sea cliffs when he was carried out to sea by a rogue wave), Dean Potter (died age 43 while wingsuit flying
Wingsuit flying (or wingsuiting) is the sport of skydiving using a webbing-sleeved jumpsuit called a wingsuit to add webbed area to the diver's body and generate increased lift, which allows extended air time by gliding flight rather than just ...
when he crashed at Yosemite), Brad Gobright (died age 31 while abseiling
Abseiling ( ; ), also known as rappelling ( ; ), is the controlled descent of a steep slope, such as a rock face, by moving down a rope. When abseiling, the person descending controls their own movement down a static or fixed rope, in cont ...
at Potrero Chico), and Hansjorg Auer (died age 35 in an avalanche
An avalanche is a rapid flow of snow down a Grade (slope), slope, such as a hill or mountain. Avalanches can be triggered spontaneously, by factors such as increased precipitation or snowpack weakening, or by external means such as humans, othe ...
at Howse Peak).[
]
Related disciplines
* Alpine speed solo climbing: Some leading alpine climbers have set speed climbing records on classic alpine climbing routes – particularly the six great north faces of the Alps
The six great north faces of the Alps are a group of vertical faces in the Swiss, French, and Italian Alps known in mountaineering for their difficulty, danger, and great height. The "Trilogy" is the three hardest of these north faces, being th ...
– that are done as free solos as using ropes and other protection would take too long. Notable alpine free solo speed climbers include Ueli Steck
Ueli Steck (; 4 October 1976 – 30 April 2017) was a Swiss rock climber and alpinist. He was the first to climb Annapurna solo via its South Face (though this is disputed by some), and set speed records on the North Face trilogy in the Alps. ...
and Dani Arnold, whose rivalry was featured in the 2021 film, ''Race to the Summit''.
* Buildering: Some free soloists scale buildings, such as Alain Robert ("The French Spider-Man"), and Dan Goodwin ("Skyscraperman"), who have scaled dozens of skyscraper
A skyscraper is a tall continuously habitable building having multiple floors. Most modern sources define skyscrapers as being at least or in height, though there is no universally accepted definition, other than being very tall high-rise bui ...
s around the world—a sport known as buildering—without any safety equipment.
* Deep-water soloing
Deep-water soloing (DWS), also known as psicobloc (from "psycho-bouldering"), is a form of free solo climbing where any fall should result in the climber landing safely into deep water below the climbing routes, route. DWS is therefore considere ...
(DWS), is a subtype of solo climbing performed on rock faces overhanging water where in the case of a fall, the climber lands in the water.[ Deep-water routes can involve falls of , and thus a risk of serious injury.][ Noted DWS climbers include ]Chris Sharma
Chris Omprakash Sharma (born 23 April 1981) is an American rock climber who is considered one of the greatest and most influential climbers in the history of the sport. He dominated sport climbing for the decade after his 2001 ascent of '' Real ...
.
* FreeBASEing, is a subtype of free solo climbing performed on long multi-pitch big wall routes with a BASE jumping
BASE jumping () is the recreational sport of jumping from fixed objects, using a parachute to descend to the ground. BASE is an acronym that stands for four categories of fixed objects from which one can jump: buildings, antenna (radio), antenna ...
parachute as the sole means of protection. A falling climber opens their parachute to arrest their fall.[ It was pioneered by Dean Potter.
* Highball bouldering, is where the boulder exceeds in height, and any fall, even where ]bouldering mat
A bouldering mat or crashpad (also sketchpad) is a nylon-enclosed multi-layer foam pad used for Protection (climbing), protection when bouldering. Bouldering mats help prevent climbers from injuring themselves from the continuous and repeated fall ...
s are used, presents a risk of serious injury.[ Where highball bouldering ends and free soloing begins is a source of debate.
* ]Ice climbing
Ice climbing is a climbing discipline that involves ascending routes consisting entirely of frozen water. To ascend, the ice climber uses specialist equipment, particularly double ice axes (or the more modern ice tools) and rigid crampons. ...
: Some ice climbers are notable for ice free-soloing, as well as mixed free-soloing. As well as the specific risks of free soloing, performing it on ice adds the serious and unpredictable risk of parts of the ice route spontaneously breaking off. Notable ice free-soloists include the late Canadian Marc-André Leclerc, whose free-solo ice-climbing on the Stanley Headwall features in the 2021 film, '' The Alpinist'', the late Austrian mountaineer who fell while free soloing on the , and Swiss mountaineer Dani Arnold.
In film
A number of notable films have been made focused on free solo climbing (both on rock and on ice) including:
* ''Race to the Summit'', a 2023 documentary film about the rivalry between Ueli Steck
Ueli Steck (; 4 October 1976 – 30 April 2017) was a Swiss rock climber and alpinist. He was the first to climb Annapurna solo via its South Face (though this is disputed by some), and set speed records on the North Face trilogy in the Alps. ...
and Dani Arnold in setting solo alpine speed records.
* '' The Alpinist'', a 2021 documentary film about the late Canadian alpinist Marc-André Leclerc, featuring various free solo ice and alpine ascents.
*''Free Solo
Free solo climbing, or free soloing, is a form of rock climbing where the climber (or ''free soloist'') climbs Solo climbing, solo (or alone) without Climbing rope, ropes or other Rock climbing equipment#Protection devices, protective equipmen ...
'', a 2018 documentary film about Alex Honnold
Alex Honnold (born August 17, 1985) is an American rock climber best known for his Free solo climbing, free solo ascents of Big wall climbing, big walls. Honnold rose to worldwide fame in June 2017 when he became the first person to free solo a f ...
's free solo climb of '' Freerider'' on El Capitan.
*''King Lines'', a 2007 documentary film about Chris Sharma
Chris Omprakash Sharma (born 23 April 1981) is an American rock climber who is considered one of the greatest and most influential climbers in the history of the sport. He dominated sport climbing for the decade after his 2001 ascent of '' Real ...
, featuring his free solo climb of the DWS route, '' Es Pontàs'' , in Mallorca
Mallorca, or Majorca, is the largest of the Balearic Islands, which are part of Spain, and the List of islands in the Mediterranean#By area, seventh largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.
The capital of the island, Palma, Majorca, Palma, i ...
.
*'' Hard Grit'', a 1998 documentary film about rock climbing on gritstone routes in the British Peak District
The Peak District is an Highland, upland area in central-northern England, at the southern end of the Pennines. Mostly in Derbyshire, it extends into Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Staffordshire, West Yorkshire and South Yorkshire. It is subdivi ...
, which features free soloing.
See also
* Free climbing
* Rope soloing
* Solo climbing
Notes
References
Further reading
*
*
External links
13 Best Free Solo Climbers in the World
''HardClimbs'' (November 2023)
VIDEO: Catherine Destivelle Free Soloing Devils Tower, Wyoming
''Rock & Ice
''Rock & Ice'' is a magazine published by Outside focusing on rock and ice climbing. The first issue came out in March 1984. The first publisher was Neal Kaptain. George Bracksieck worked for him, beginning in January 1984, and the two became e ...
'' (February 2018)
VIDEO: The Fallen Soloist
''Climbing Magazine'' (May 2019)
{{Extreme sports
Types of climbing
Free solo climbing