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 John Bachar (March 23, 1957 – July 5, 2009) was an American rock climber. Noted for his skill at free soloing, he ultimately died during a free solo climb. A fitness fanatic, he was the creator of the climbing training device known as the Bac ...

), 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 Mixed climbing is an ice climbing discipline used on climbing routes that do not have enough ice to be regular ice climbs, but are also not dry enough to be regular rock climbing, rock climbs. To ascend the route, the mixed-climber uses ice-cli ...

(which is featured in the 2021 climbing documentary film, ''

The Alpinist ''The Alpinist'' is a 2021 American documentary film directed by Peter Mortimer (filmmaker), Peter Mortimer and Nick Rosen (American filmmaker), Nick Rosen about Marc-André Leclerc, a free-spirited and little-known 23-year-old Canadian rock cli ...

''), 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

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 Free climbing is a form of rock climbing in which the climber can only use climbing equipment for climbing protection but not as an artificial aid to help them in ascending the route. Free climbing, therefore, cannot use any of the tools that ...

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,

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 Bouldering is a form of rock climbing that is performed on small rock formations or artificial rock walls without the use of ropes or harnesses. While bouldering can be done without any equipment, most climbers use climbing shoes to help sec ...

, 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

the term

solo climbing Solo climbing (or soloing) is a style of climbing in which the climber ascends a climbing route alone and deliberately without the assistance of a belayer (or "second"), or being part of any rope team. By its very nature, solo climbing present ...

– 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 Great Gable is a mountain in the Lake District, United Kingdom. It is named after its appearance as a pyramid from Wasdale, though it is dome-shaped from most other directions. It is one of the most popular of the Lakeland fells, and there are ...

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 Donald Desbrow Whillans (18May 19334August 1985) was an English rock climber and mountaineer. He climbed with Joe Brown and Chris Bonington on many new routes, and was considered the technical equal of both. Early life Born and brought up in ...

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 Clif Bar & Company is an American producer of energy foods and drinks. The company's flagship product, Clif Bar, was created by Gary Erickson and Lisa Thomas. The company is based in Emeryville, California, and was privately held until 2022 when ...

, 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,

, a free soloist who was previously dropped by Clif Bar, was featured in the 2018 documentary ''

'', 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 Jimmy Chin (born October 12, 1973) is an American professional mountain athlete, photographer, skier, film director, and author. Chin has been a professional climber and skier on The North Face Athlete team for over 20 years. In 2006, Chin achi ...

, 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: *

– 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, ''

''. *

Hansjörg Auer Hansjörg Auer (; 18 February 1984 – 16 April 2019) was an Austrian mountaineer, noted for his free solo climbs, and particularly of ''Fish Route'' in the Italian Dolomites, the first-ever big wall solo at . ''National Geographic'' descr ...

– 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 Alain Robert (; born Robert Alain Philippe; 7 August 1962) is a French rock climber and urban climber. Nicknamed "the French Spider-Man" or "the Human Spider", Robert carries out free solo climbs of skyscrapers using no climbing equipment ex ...

– the early 1990s and 2000s pioneer of

buildering Buildering (also known as edificeering, urban climbing, structuring, skywalking, boulding, or stegophily) describes the act of climbing on the outside of buildings and other artificial structures. If done without ropes or protection far off the ...

, 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 Patrick Edlinger (15 June 1960 – 16 November 2012) was a professional French rock climber. Edlinger is considered a pioneer and a legend of sport climbing. He was the second-ever climber in history to ascend routes of grade with ''Nymphodal ...

– 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 Buoux (; ) is a commune in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France. Located on the north side of the Luberon, the town is known for the high cliffs that surround it, making it a popular venue for ...

, 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''. *

– 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 Ron Fawcett (born 6 May 1955) is a British rock climber and rock climbing author who is credited with pushing the technical standards of British rock climbing in traditional, sport, bouldering and free soloing disciplines, in the decade from the ...

, , Brad Gobright,

Dan Goodwin Daniel Goodwin (born November 7, 1955, in Kennebunkport, Maine) is an American climber best known for performing gymnastic-like flag maneuvers and one-arm flyoffs while free soloing difficult rock climbs on national TV and for scaling towering ...

Colin Haley Colin Haley (born 2 September 1984) is an American alpinist known for fast ascents of technical routes on mountains around the world. Haley is perhaps best known for his traverse of The Torres (Cerro Torre, Torre Egger, Punta Herron, and Aguja S ...

Derek Hersey Derek Geoffrey Hersey (26 October 1956 – 28 May 1993) was a British rock climber who specialized in free soloing, and was for many years an active participant in the Boulder, Colorado climbing scene in the United States. (Gives Hersey's date ...

, Jimmy Jewell, John Long,

Dave MacLeod Dave MacLeod (born 17 July 1978) is a Scottish rock climber, ice climber, mixed climber, and climbing author. MacLeod is known for being the second-ever person to free solo a graded route (''Darwin Dixit'' in Margalef, in 2008), and for clim ...

Dan Osman Daniel Eugene Osman (February 11, 1963 – November 23, 1998) was an American extreme sport practitioner, known for the dangerous sport of free-soloing, rock climbing without ropes or other safety gear. He participated in rope jumping, fallin ...

Dean Potter Dean Spaulding Potter (April 14, 1972 – May 16, 2015) was an American free climber, alpinist, BASE jumper, and highliner. He completed many hard first ascents, free solo ascents, speed ascents, and enchainments in Yosemite National Park and ...

, Paul Preuss, and

Tobin Sorenson Tobin Sorenson (June 15, 1955 – October 5, 1980) was an American rock climber and alpinist famed for establishing bold first ascents on Yosemite big walls, in the Alps, Canadian Rockies, and New Zealand. Early life and education A California ...

. 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 Stephanie "Steph" Davis (born November 4, 1973) is an American rock climber, BASE jumper, and wingsuit flyer. She is one of the world's leading climbers, having completed some of the hardest routes in the world. She has free soloed up to , an ...

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 :

free soloed ''Kommunist'' in the Tyrol, Austria; the first-ever free solo at grade . * 1993 :

free soloed ''Compilation'' in Omblèze, France; the first-ever free solo of an graded route. * 1987 :

Jean-Christophe Lafaille Jean-Christophe Lafaille (31 March 1965 – 27 January 2006 resumed was a French climber noted for a number of difficult ascents in the Alps and Himalaya, and for what has been described as "perhaps the finest self-rescue ever performed in the ...

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 La Roche-des-Arnauds (; ) is a commune in the Hautes-Alpes department in southeastern France. Population See also *Communes of the Hautes-Alpes department The following is a list of the 162 communes of the Hautes-Alpes department of F ...

, France; considered the first-ever free solo at the grade of . * 1986 :

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,

, the first-ever free solo at ; considered a feat that was a decade ahead of its time. * 1982 :

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 :

free soloed

via '' Freerider'', first-ever big wall solo at ; becomes Oscar-winning film, ''

''). * 2007 :

free soloed ''Fish Route'', on

, 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 ''

'' "Adventurer of the Year". * 2002 :

free soloed, the 1,500 ft ''Hasse-Brandler'' on the Cima Grande,

, 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. *

, died (October 5, 1980; age 25) while free soloing

Mount Alberta Mount Alberta is a mountain located in the upper Athabasca River Valley of Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada. J. Norman Collie named the mountain in 1898 after Princess Louise Caroline Alberta. It is the most difficult of the 11,000ers fro ...

'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 ...

. *

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 ...

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 Grand Teton is the highest mountain of the Teton Range in Grand Teton National Park at in Northwest Wyoming. Below its north face is Teton Glacier. The mountain is a classic destination in American mountaineering via the Owen-Spalding rout ...

peak in Wyoming. *

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 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 primarily ...

. ''

'' magazine reported that a number of prominent free solo practitioners died in related or other extreme sports, including:

(died at age 35 while rope jumping at Yosemite), Michael Reardon (died age 42 while

sea cliffs when he was carried out to sea by a rogue wave),

(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 ...

Potrero Chico El Potrero Chico is an internationally renowned rock climbing, and big wall climbing, area in the Mexican state of Nuevo León, outside the town of Hidalgo, within Sierra del Fraile protected area. El Potrero Chico is a unique geological f ...

), 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 ...

Howse Peak Howse Peak is the highest mountain in the Waputik Mountains, a subrange of the Canadian Rockies. It is located west of the Icefields Parkway, above Chephren Lake, on the continental divide between Alberta and British Columbia. At , it is the 4 ...

Related disciplines

* Alpine speed solo climbing: Some leading

alpine climber 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 alpin ...

s 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 Dani Arnold (born 22 February 1984)Christian ThieleInterview in: '' alpin.de'' 6/2016. is a Swiss extreme mountaineer. Life and career Arnold grew up in the Canton of Uri and developed a passion for mountaineering at an early age. He first co ...

, whose rivalry was featured in the 2021 film, ''Race to the Summit''. *

Buildering Buildering (also known as edificeering, urban climbing, structuring, skywalking, boulding, or stegophily) describes the act of climbing on the outside of buildings and other artificial structures. If done without ropes or protection far off the ...

: Some free soloists scale buildings, such as

("The French Spider-Man"), and

("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

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

. *

Highball bouldering Bouldering is a form of rock climbing that is performed on small rock formations or artificial rock walls without the use of ropes or harnesses. While bouldering can be done without any equipment, most climbers use climbing shoes to help sec ...

, 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 Marc-André Leclerc (October 10, 1992 – March 5, 2018) was a Canadian rock climber, ice and mixed climber, and alpinist. He is known for his solo ascents–often in winter–of major ice and alpine climbing routes. In 2016, he completed the fir ...

, whose free-solo ice-climbing on the Stanley Headwall features in the 2021 film, ''

'', 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

and

in setting solo alpine speed records. * ''

'', a 2021 documentary film about the late Canadian alpinist

, featuring various free solo ice and alpine ascents. *''

'', a 2018 documentary film about

's free solo climb of '' Freerider'' on El Capitan. *''King Lines'', a 2007 documentary film about

, featuring his free solo climb of the DWS route, ''

Es Pontàs Es Pontàs ("the big bridge" in the Catalan language) is a natural arch made from limestone in the southeastern part of the island of Mallorca in Spain. The arch is located on the coastline between the Cala Santanyí and Cala Llombards in the muni ...

'' , 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 ''Hard Grit'' is a 1998 British rock climbing film directed by Richard Heap and produced by Slackjaw Film, featuring traditional climbing, free soloing, and bouldering on gritstone routes in the Peak District in Northern England. It is considered ...

'', a 1998 documentary film about rock climbing on gritstone routes in the British

, which features free soloing.

Notes

References

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