@@Rude_i_Wredne The term 'die doing what they love' isn't meant for high-risk activities. Deliberately doing something without a safety net sounds reckless and suicidal to me.
I once completely froze on the side of a cliff, unable to move. It took me 30 minutes to move a muscle and I have never free soloed again. Now I windsurf and kiteboard for my adventure sport.
@@Ivorytickler12341 lol, they all were badass you like it or not, they died doing what they loved instead of dying in a bed sorrounded by entitled idiots.
@@Ivorytickler12341 You can say the same thing about firefighters who die trying to save people in burning buidings or soldiers who get shot. Dying and wishing you weren't doesn't negate the badassery done before that.
@@gutts7433 People who die free soloing are not saving anyone from a burning building or fighting a war for their country. People climb free solo for adrenaline and for attention, neither of which amount to anything admirable. Just encourages more people to free solo and die pointlessly.
@@stuuuuuuuu I didn't say they were admirable, I said they were badass. Doing something only 0.00001% of the human population is physically and mentally able to do is badass. Even if you think their motivations are degenerate (which really you don't seem to understand at all, it's not for attention since people have been free climbing before social media existed. Alex Honnald for example free climbed for years in the quiet before OTHER people started talking about him. Most free climbers will never be famous or have youtube videos made about them, it's something they do for themselves like most athletes) that doesn't change the fact they're badass.
@@j-note3285 could it be that both the climbers and other people think that they’re invincible because they’re so strong and because they might have done it a few times before. It’s the same as when a known junkie dies, and their family and friends express shock and surprise and said it was totally unexpected.
I once free-soloed a 70-foot cliff on Metacomet Ridge. After I got about 30 feet up and looked down, I realized what a big mistake I had made. One slip is all it takes and you fall to your death, smashing your head on the rocks like a watermelon. Making it up those last 50 feet was terrifying. Then I nearly had a panic attack when it came time to descend. I would have called the fire department to come and rescue me but there was no cell phone service. How these climbers do this, repeatedly, FOR FUN, boggles my mind. I still have nightmares from the one time I did it.
@@PatrickPierceBateman That's scary! 😧I'm glad you survived and (unlike the folks in this video) had the intellectual wherewithal to then realize you should NEVER risk your life again in such a ridiculously stupid way.
This is why i sit at home in front of my PC and do nothing. Almost none of the best people that sit at home in front of their PC and doing nothing in the world have died while sitting at home in front of their PC and doing nothing.
Well I mean, yes, obviously. If there ais a chance of falling, given an infinite time that possibility is certain to occur. But if a free soloist were to free solo a lot of easy routes their whole life, with a lot of preparation for each of them, then it would be more likely that they get to live on. Plus, given that free soloist usually take quite some time before trying to complete a climb, the number of free solos they actually attempt is not that high. So it's perfectly possible for a free soloist to live a full life. I wouldn't be able to name any since I'm not quite that involved in climbing (yet), but obviously Alex Honnold would be a great example.
I never understood free soloing. To me is like playing poker but bringing your entire fortune at every table you sit. Sooner or later you are gonna miss everything no matter how good you are.
It’s one of the safest sports as literally only the best climbers on earth ever get to doing huge free solos, the fatality rate is slim to nil because no amateur would ever even think about doing it. More people die from car crashes than free soloing and yet here we are, playing roulette with our lives every time we get on the road. Free soloing is the least of anyones worries
more ppl die from car crashes because the total # of ppl who drive are many orders of magnitude higher than the # who does free solo. if this much wasn't obvious. surely the average %chance of someone dying on a 1 hour road trip vs a 1 hour free solo is much lower@@colincheshire6366
I used to be a great climber myself when I was younger. But free climbing completely vertical mountainsides is totally insane. I would never have done it even if a lot of money was being offered.
I will admire the outstanding athletic ability and strength of these people. I will never understand or admire intentionally doing something so extremely risky and knowing the smallest mistake will kill you.
because falling in the bath tub is some how a better way to go out..fyi your not going to live forever..let me guess your going to be 17 forever and never get old
Makes sense. There’s a point and time in all sports where the body begins to slow down and these guys had reached their limit. They just so happened to have pushed their luck.
@@ronjon7942 can you tell me the name of a high level free climber who has lived to the median life expectancy in the USA or Europe? That’s around 73 years but I will take the age of 70 if you can name 5 or more.
As a rock climber in my youth I had a poster on my wall with a climber falling off and saying ‘If only every thing in life was as reliable as gravity!”
Oh my goodness I watched one of Alex Honnold's climbing videos last week and that night was dreaming I was on the side of a mountain climbing and I was terrified out of my mind. Suddenly I woke up and sat up in bed that thought, "wow that was crazy I'm so glad I woke up that was a nightmare" So I got a drink of water and then went back to sleep and suddenly I was dreaming I was back on the mountain. That was ridiculous, never had the same dream twice in one night. These guys lived and died on the edge. Hard to comprehend.
They all eventually do. If you can walk. You can do it pretty good but you still trip every once in a while. Free climbing is literally like playing Russian roulette.
@@durrantalan He was responding to the original comment, not the reply - so the correction was fine. If someone's responding to another reply generally they'll have @(username) in their comment.
it is its own form of mental iIIness i have no doubt about that. the same as crawling around in the deepest most claustrophobic holes in the ground whatever that pastime is splaggurting or whatever its called
Dan Osman died because he accidentally jumped over the guideline and therefore the rope that was supposed to catch him rubbed up against the guideline and the friction heat did the rest. Weathered ropes certainly didn’t help, but I doubt new ones would’ve made much of a difference.
@EstradaDuran-sg6co he died because he wanted to squeeze in one more jump that day and he made a mistake. I wouldn't call that foolish clown behavior. Shit happens!
Dan died because he changed his jump angle after lengthening his rope further than he normaly did consequently crossing his rope and the friction cut his rope. Black Diamond examined the ropes and said they were fine.
@@euddudufududIf you intentionally have children and then proceed to knowingly do something incredibly dangerous knowing that said activity can deprive your children of their provider and give them a lifetime of trauma if you died, then you are a reckless and selfish father who can't put the well-being of your own children ahead of getting your personal thrill
@@josephnissenson3252 soon or later that father will die anyway, i can agree with you in some way and yea if u want do dangerous things its better when u dont have a kids but people change and u cant return the kids, dont forget also that u have only one life so i dont know how much u love kids u still have only one life and nothing more, so i can also understand that father
I remember one time free soloing where I ran into a spot I didn't think I could get out of. My leg started shaking, and I thought I would fall to the rocks below and either die or be paralyzed. Somehow, I pulled through and I made it. There have been a number of others simliar to that. I'm lucky I lived through so many climbs, it's a very, very dangerous hobby.
-longstory- on a "mission" of a "hike" I once unintentionally found myself clinging to the side of a mountain, held in place with a grip on a few clumps of dried grass and the wind holding me up. . .as I pondered my obituary. I'd never considered myself an "adrenaline junkie," but after that experience, I could at least understand the "appeal." B---)
John Bachar fell on his warm up crag near his home in Mammoth Lakes. No broken holds were found. He had mentioned to some friends that he occasionally found his arms unresponsive for no apparent reason but I am NOT saying that is what happened, but a possibility. Happy to jam with him on his sax in Truckee at a mutual friend’s wedding the summer before his accident as we did bitd in Tuolumne from time to time
There was no "no apparent reason". He was in a car accident coming back from an outdoor sports convention in Salt Lake City a couple years prior. His girlfriend and business partner died. John broke his neck and the problem with his arms was due to residual neurological damage from the car accident.
@@AndyTomaselli I don't doubt you. I never wanted to bring up the accident and he never said anything about it to me. I don't remember who told me she died, but it was just after it happened.
11a was a warm up before he broke his neck. Not after. He had stated in one interview that he was not going to solo that hard ( 11s) in the future. As someone with a fused neck; I know about sudden weakness in odd ways; like not being able to pick up an upside down ceramic bowl that weighs less half a pound; while still being able to do a one arm; one finger pull-up. ( Which I lost the ability to do after my second broken neck) For me; 5.12 hard crimps were better than 5.8 jugs. And I learned that with the neuropathy; the loss of some abilities is not a gradual decline; but a drop off the edge of a plateau.
@@craigbritton1089 Who ever said anything about 11a? Mr. Kamikaze is 10a. It was at the bottom of Mr. Kamikaze that he was found. We used to solo Mr. DNA (5.8), to the left of Mr. Kamikaze back in the eighties, to set up top ropes for other stuff further to the west, like Black Leather, before that area was bolted. Mr. Kamikaze was my first lead and I think it took like two RPs, maybe even just one.
Dan Osman jumped on his rope, and the rope broke. He wasn’t free soloing, he was using a climbing rope like it was a bungee cord. He was tied into his rope and harness, free soloing (as you mentioned) uses no gear, except chalk
If I remember correctly he had done this jump for a television special and went back weeks later to get his gear and decided to repeat the jump when the rope broke.
They always die sooner or later if they keep climbing long enough. It's only a matter of time before a small mistake happens or a stone falls under your feet or Hands and death is certain..🤔😐
there's no way they dont know that, its just that they're insane. thats the bit you're missing. hey it could be worse. some end up with a basement full of corpses instead
My experience free soloing, slight as it was, turned out to be an admission to myself that I wasn’t going to get much better technically as a climber. Further improvement as a climber was going to take more work than I was willing to give. So you turn to grades you’ve mastered and seek to re-capture the high by manipulating other variables.
Add Aaron Livingston to this list . He died just a few months ago free climbing in California. He was a seasoned professional climber. I attended his tribute in Heber City Utah just over a month ago. So heart breaking to see the grief on his parents faces.
Apparently, this legend Alex Honnold's heart rate is always 55 and his brain part amygdala shows 'no fear signs'. But if he had done a small mistake, he'd die. These folks are romanticising recklessness and disregard for life.
@@user2j3ycg4dfI’d leave him alone. From what I understand he’s very careful about where he’s free soloing. He climbs with the usual equipment to check things out so he’s not just charging in there. It also sounds like he does this with climbs he’s done a number of times before. Like El Capitain. My guess if he ever goes down it will be by a rock fall. Interestingly enough a couple of years ago two people got hit by a rock fall on El Cap. They didn’t fall they had full gear. The two heard it, the guy swung himself to protect his wife and took the full force of the rock fall. Neither of them fell off as I remember but the man died. After all my blithering I doubt Honnold is going to die from any kind of mistake. I could be wrong about this though I hope not. Maybe I ought to amend this. Not a mistake he could anticipate.
I don't know if this are tragedies (except Dan Osman) in the sense that these people knew the risks and the stakes of what they did. Of course it's sad to lose inspiring, young, healty people but they died on their terms. Great video honoring them.
I am what many would call a brave person in a million ways. I traveled to many countries on my own exploring exotic lands and harsh forboding climates solo without a hint of fear at any time. BUT the fear of heights is absolutely fully my greatest fear that I cannot overcome. I do not know why , but get me in a situation way high up with nothing but air surrounding me , and I just panic like you cannot believe (airplane is okay)(edge of a cliff not) . I mean absolute shut down catatonic panic generated from deep in my being. I do not for the likes of me know how people do this free climbing discipline. I do not even know how people live in skyscrapers with expansive picture windows showing the view down below. I keep my feet on the ground .
I’d believe it and I suspect it’s not that unusual. People are just different in how they react to a situation. At one extreme you have people terrified to cross a road, or even to leave a home. No shame in what you’re born with. It’s not something you asked for.
When I joined the army back in 73 I applied for the commandos course. First time on the confidence course ended my hopes of being one of the few, was RTU'd that same day.
Dude. Fear of heights is NOT "panic," nor would you wish to "overcome" it. It's survival instinct. Babies are born with only two fears: Loud noises and falling. If free soloists are able to overcome this fear of heights, it's not "bravery." It's delusion. Altogether too often, it's a temporary delusion.
I hate heights. I've been a roofer. I've had knives pulled on me in a corner store parking lot at 2 in the morning by a group of strung out gangsters. Roofing was scarier.
@paulworgan6599 sure they do think about it you eat right exercise feel good raise kids get a job have friends etc.people love you want to see you around for years depend on you lots of reasons to grow old
Not Peter Croft and not Alex Honnold. Honnold, after accomplishing his life goal, has given up the free solo game as an unnecessary risk. Peter Croft retired a long time ago. Free solo careers are usually short lived. I've been climbing all my life but 'Free Solo' was the scariest movie I've ever seen. I free soloed a 5.9 once (two grades below my capability) with 6 pitches that I had already climbed half a dozen times with a rope. I got gripped, I got terrified, and I will never do it again. It takes a different kind of person entirely.
Croft and Bachar impress me more than Honnold because they didn't have a lot of people before them showing what was possible. Anyone can build an airplane after the Wright brothers show a machine can fly. Its a different world after you already have proof of concept.
As someone who loves climbing, i will never free solo anything higher than 5.6. Not worth the risk, id rather walk to the crag and walk out but understand the appeal
Don't judge security by the grade as much as what you know you're solid at. Instead don't solo any move you can't reverse if you want to be conservative.
@bman6065 100% true, I just meant 5.6 because it seemed low enough most all moves should be reversible, but yea grade doesn't take a lot of variables into account for soloing I suppose
Never mind free soloing, I wouldn't even try rope climbing. I got into bouldering after watching Alex Hannold's "Free Solo" through my fingers with my heart in my mouth.
I was in Banff Alberta when I was 19 with a friend. We hiked up a mountain and stopped at a waterfall and I started to climb what was natural looking stairs, luckily he stayed behind. Anyway I ended up not being able to get down so I kept going up,I pulled myself over a ledge and right between my hands was a pin with a climbing loop that's when I knew I was in trouble. I kept going up and I'm talking like every foot and hand placement had to count or I was dead. That lasted 3 hrs until I found a way down. My buddy was pissed at me wondering where I went. I told him that he had no idea what I went through and he would 100% died if he would have followed. I did some praying on the side of that mountain.i can't remember the name of the mountain but it was on the same road as as military school I think
'Show me a man who never made a mistake and I'll show you a man who never made anything.' Theodore Roosevelt. A free climber gets the opportunity to make a mistake and that's it. You'll never make another one.
"Show me a man who never made a mistake and I'll show you a man who never made anything." - What did this guy ever make, other than a RUclips compilation video?
Michael Reardon didn’t fall. He wasn’t climbing when the rogue wave took him - he was on rocks below a cliff. Same could have happened if he’d been rock fishing…(as it does!)
@@tjaderharris8915 I did. Climbed alongside him (never with him of course, as I only saw him tie in once ever!) a fair few times in Ireland. He was a force of nature!
I climbed a 200 ft rock face in Oklahoma. I was actually having fun until about 100ft. Looked down and had a mini panic attack. I did not look down again until I reached the top. Never did that again!
most eventually fall to their deaths. adrenaline sports are like that, you get a chemical high from from it, it feels good but you always have to progress to get that good feeling. Mountain climbers, structor climbers, Wingsuit proximity flyers, Mountain bikers, skiers and snowboarders, motor sports.... Some people cant live without it, cant live until they are an inch away from death, that inch gets smaller and smaller until the funeral, fortunately i had a terrible life saving injury and was forced to learn how to manage my addiction
Just watched tunnel tragedies, people stuck for hours in pain, suffering, cannot move. Falling from a high rock might be scary for a few moments, but then it’s over. I can live with that.
Dude was 53! When he lost grip and fell!! I mean CoMe ON DuDe!.. You made it and had a rep for being a Badass.. Soo Continue Bro?! 53..I mean we all know what happens when we reach that age!! R.I.P to them ALL.
It’s not (all) about that. But, my understanding is he had a family? At that point, it’s not about only ‘you’ and it’s time to safety up. On second thought, it’s still not about rep, but it is self-centered, even selfish or narcissistic, behavior. Not fair to wife, kids, family, friends. And what do you mean ‘was 53!’ I’m 54! Geez, We’re not dead! Well, he is, but still.
I love backpacking. I’ve spent a lot of time backpacking all over Yosemite National Park. I absolutely love the place. I’ve never been attracted to climbing though. And I’m glad.
what is wrong with you people? it almost seems like you want free soloists to die. even if you don't agree with them surely you can't sink that low, right?@@glen5599
@@r2020E I’m definitely familiar with gravity. I’ve fallen many times over the years. There is a risk involved, but it’s smaller than if I were 700ft up.
@user-vt2cr8qd1b You are correct. During my training to become an AMGA climbing guide, my instructor told a story about a young man who was killed, falling 1 foot while bouldering. Apparently, he was parallel to the ground when he fell, hitting his brain stem on a sharp rock. The impact separated his brain stem, and he died instantly.
Dan Osman was not doing a "free fall". He was doing a giant rope swing when two ropes rubbed against each other, severing the one that was supporting him. I worked on a small construction crew in Boulder, CO in the early 90s. Most of the crew were avid climbers and at lunch we'd sit around and they'd talk about the crazy climbers they'd known. I'd ask, "where's he now?", "Dead" they'd answer. They were used to climbing big walls (not free-soloing but with ropes and protection) like the Diamond on Long's Peak, and that idea terrified me, but I was used to walking on bare framing; tops of walls (3.5"), joists, rafters, beams, and ridges, which scared them because there was no protection, no rope.
It’s ridiculous in my opinion. And I’m sure most of these people have families and friends. Passion or not, it’s a selfish adrenaline rush and nothing more. It would be like saying that the tower climbers of today are athletes. Yeah, it takes practice and skill, but that doesn’t make it a sport, or something to strive towards or admire. It’s not like they couldn’t use safety equipment, they chose not to. Whether for ego, adrenaline, or both. Had they used safety equipment, they could have continued doing what they love without devastating their loved ones. It would be like if in boxing, being hit with one punch killed you immediately every time, and everyone knew this, yet they still boxed each other regardless, and people were killed regularly in the sport became of this. At some point, your passion or need for adrenaline don’t justify what you’re doing. And of course, it’s their lives, they’re free to do whatever they want with them. But this is my opinion on it.
@@StumbIingforward No, it's not like your boxing metaphor. If you've never been a risk taker it's hard to make you understand. You are challenging yourself each time and proving to your self that you can do what so many others fear to try. Many of the great figures in history have been motivated and achieved by that feeling. Maybe it is selfish, but it's what makes men win wars, win the olympics, become great painters and writers, an achieve greatness in many other fields of endeavor.
@@kshepard52 I disagree. I believe that even if it’s driven by passion, at some point it crosses the line into stupidity (no offense to any of these people). I understand what you’re saying, and I agree, but to an extent. The people that are climbing giant buildings without safety equipment for example, it’s definitely an incredibly impressive skill, and just having the guts to do it is insane, but it’s stupid. Just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should. At some point it’s just math, and you’re knowingly making a gamble to achieve whatever it is you’re trying to achieve, the thing is is that what you’re gambling is your very existence here on Earth. This doesn’t apply to just free climbing. It goes for anything. Let’s say you got your thrill from having people shoot apples off of your head, well do it a thousands times and you’re almost guaranteed to get shot in the head. At some point the thrill, or whatever it is exactly that specific person gets out of it, isn’t worth the price.
@@StumbIingforward When someone shoots apples off your head you aren't in control. This is about challenging yourself, and what others think isn't as important as achieving what you set out to do. It's affirming who I am, other's opinions are secondary. It's a private challenge and a private satisfaction. You need to have faced and surmounted a tough challenge to understand.
Paul Preuss not only climbed without a rope, he climbed down the same routes to return, which is seriously more difficult. He died while trying to free an overhang. Without climbing shoes, just old alpine boots. This legendary man had serious ethics and respect for nature and the rock itself, both qualities that have been lost forever, as the "sport" climbing absurdity has pushed hordes of impotent urban masses to "conquer" the rocks, depriving them for the only thing that matters: soul.
No matter how good you are at something your luck will eventually run out, all it takes is one Oops, and it is already too late. It’s said that cats have nine lives, yet they eventually all run out😊
Gravity rules ! I could not in truth say I am shocked or sadden by these falls. I love the outdoors and hiking but if I make a dumb mistake I might have to spend an uncomfortable night in the woods. I always carry enough extra stuff in my pack that I will not be too bad off. These people do not get away with one goof-up. hold on tight, get home safe.
Hey if this is your passion in life then I respect it.. I’m just glad no family and close friends are into it. My gf and I climb at the gym which is like crossing the monkey bars to these guys, but it’s thrilling enough, a great workout, and no one’s dying
@@EstradaDuran-sg6co you do not know what you are talking about. Dan would set up routes for total strangers who wanted to TR climbs they couldn't lead. Often with his own rope. And then belay them as well. It is tragic that he broke his own rule of throwing a weighted pack or haul bag; for new jump set ups.
@@EstradaDuran-sg6co I think you revealed yourself as a heartless troll. And Dan would jump first; so that if something went wrong; it would fail on him. But I bet you think that also makes him a clown.
Anyone dumb or crazy enough to free solo gets what they deserve if they fall. You have to be nuts. Everyone makes mistakes and with this it just takes one and you're usually dead. Even Alex Honnold - perhaps the best at it - had a terrible fall over a pretty big height and just got lucky that he survived.
Doing something so inherently dangerous should elicit no surprise (or much sadness) when falls occur. Some things are foundationally just plain stupid.
@@Thankyouchef climbing take so little time compared to how much basking in the limelight you get for climbing free hand with no equipment. You just can't get the attention any other way.
We just had a solo'er die where i live. He climbed a 5.12b that ended halfway up the wall, down climbing was a must and it is added difficulty - he fell. No one in the community was all that surprised because the guy was pretty reckless about his soloing. Two of these climbers did not fall while soloing so why include them?
Dan O didn't fall doing a free solo. He was doing a large rope pendulum when it happened. I've been a climber since the early 90's and remember it well. I have climbed all over the US and have achieved some amazing and terrifying climbs, but I have never and will never climb unprotected by rope/gear.
@@user2j3ycg4df "Free climbing" just means you're not using "aid", equipment that aids your ascent. Portable ladders, rope ascenders and other stuff like that. Harness, helmet, rope, cams, belay devices, stuff that protects you if you fall, still falls within "free climbing". There's also "rope solo", where you use protective gear, but don't have a partner to belay you. It's extremely hard work, but you have protection so you don't die if you fall. "Deep water solo", climbing above water without protective gear, so when you fall you just get wet. All of these are types of "free climbing", and so is "free solo".
Do these guys think they will survive or do they know they'll die doing this? I mean, it seems like a foregone conclusion. If you do this you will die doing it.
One time my friend wanted to show me a "secret spot" in a park by the river. The river was huge, because it's Scotland, and so the water was flowing fast and rapidly, especially because it had rained earlier. Little did I know that to get to this secret spot, we had to climb and shimmy on this cliff at the edge of the river. She completely balanced and walked across the narrow edge, one side a shrubbed up wall, the other the river. I, being a Toronto city girl, was holding on to the cold wet shrubs and moss for my dear life. It was nice when we got there. But we couldn't go back the way we came. She said an "easier" route was climbing up a cliff edge. That was my first and only free climb. She went up first, and I could see where she needed to put her foot, but she didn't. She started panicking, so I started panicking. But she took her time and got up. I was terrified, one wrong move and we would fall down and hit the rocks below on the river. The tree branches were pretty thick though, so I was able to rely on that for support as "steps". I have 0 upper body strength as a girl, so I used my knees to level myself up. I felt so proud of myself when we got up though, so much adrenalin!
I wana say i feel bad, but i guarantee these dudes were risk takers and had to know it was only a matter of time. Plus they went out doing something they loved. Props for that.
@@dboboc maybe people should learn that being selfish it's not a bad thing. if some random guy on the internet can understad what free solo meant to them, i bet their families had a bigger picture of it and better understanding.
Part 2 to this is up! ruclips.net/video/c4jiPTGWz2U/видео.html
Sharks left the chat.
Your video is 4:25 long same as Osman record.
Well said
Ok
A sport reserved for people who succeed 100% of the time.
Well apparently not lol
@@thesoundsofearth4454 LOL! 🤣
or people wanting to die doing what they love
100% - 1
@@Rude_i_Wredne The term 'die doing what they love' isn't meant for high-risk activities. Deliberately doing something without a safety net sounds reckless and suicidal to me.
I once completely froze on the side of a cliff, unable to move. It took me 30 minutes to move a muscle and I have never free soloed again. Now I windsurf and kiteboard for my adventure sport.
That’s why none of these people are badass to me. On their way down the are wishing to God they hadn’t of done it.
@@Ivorytickler12341 lol, they all were badass you like it or not, they died doing what they loved instead of dying in a bed sorrounded by entitled idiots.
@@Ivorytickler12341 You can say the same thing about firefighters who die trying to save people in burning buidings or soldiers who get shot. Dying and wishing you weren't doesn't negate the badassery done before that.
@@gutts7433 People who die free soloing are not saving anyone from a burning building or fighting a war for their country. People climb free solo for adrenaline and for attention, neither of which amount to anything admirable. Just encourages more people to free solo and die pointlessly.
@@stuuuuuuuu I didn't say they were admirable, I said they were badass. Doing something only 0.00001% of the human population is physically and mentally able to do is badass. Even if you think their motivations are degenerate (which really you don't seem to understand at all, it's not for attention since people have been free climbing before social media existed. Alex Honnald for example free climbed for years in the quiet before OTHER people started talking about him. Most free climbers will never be famous or have youtube videos made about them, it's something they do for themselves like most athletes) that doesn't change the fact they're badass.
Why the rock climbing community is ever shocked is beyond me
That’s what I’ll never ever understand either, they’re experts, until that one oops, which always comes sooner or later.
It's like reading the obituary of someone in their 90s' and it says they died unexpectedly. Really?🤔😆
Really, they always say their death sent shock waves through the climbing community as if it never happened before and was completely unexpected.
@@j-note3285 could it be that both the climbers and other people think that they’re invincible because they’re so strong and because they might have done it a few times before.
It’s the same as when a known junkie dies, and their family and friends express shock and surprise and said it was totally unexpected.
😂😂😂😂😂
I will free solo my stairs. That's it.
The banister is aid.
And that has its riska
You're lying
be careful Mark
Famous free solo climber Patrick Erdlinger died that way. No jk.
(Search for "La Vie Au Bout Des Doigts", magnifique.)
I once free-soloed a 70-foot cliff on Metacomet Ridge. After I got about 30 feet up and looked down, I realized what a big mistake I had made. One slip is all it takes and you fall to your death, smashing your head on the rocks like a watermelon. Making it up those last 50 feet was terrifying. Then I nearly had a panic attack when it came time to descend. I would have called the fire department to come and rescue me but there was no cell phone service. How these climbers do this, repeatedly, FOR FUN, boggles my mind. I still have nightmares from the one time I did it.
how did you get down?
Congratulations on living. Maybe you should try it one more time to overcome your fear.
@@jin-soopak3983 Very carefully.
@@PatrickPierceBateman That's scary! 😧I'm glad you survived and (unlike the folks in this video) had the intellectual wherewithal to then realize you should NEVER risk your life again in such a ridiculously stupid way.
If you had to descend anyway why didn’t you just start your descent at the point of regret?
this is why i fish. almost none of the best fisherman in the world have died while fishing
Other than from bears but yeah
@@SometimesTurtle Or drowning.
This is why i sit at home in front of my PC and do nothing. Almost none of the best people that sit at home in front of their PC and doing nothing in the world have died while sitting at home in front of their PC and doing nothing.
Rock/cliff fishing is dangerous asf
@@jessed0308 🤣🤣
I imagine this is fatal 100% of the time, if you do it long enough.
Well I mean, yes, obviously. If there ais a chance of falling, given an infinite time that possibility is certain to occur. But if a free soloist were to free solo a lot of easy routes their whole life, with a lot of preparation for each of them, then it would be more likely that they get to live on. Plus, given that free soloist usually take quite some time before trying to complete a climb, the number of free solos they actually attempt is not that high. So it's perfectly possible for a free soloist to live a full life. I wouldn't be able to name any since I'm not quite that involved in climbing (yet), but obviously Alex Honnold would be a great example.
It's like autoerotic asphyxiation. You keep doing it your going to die.
heard the same thing about living...
@@---yx7ti with the exception of Enoch and Elijah it's just a matter of when, where and how.
We all die. It is not the length of life that matters most, but more what we do during the short time allotted to each of us.
I never understood free soloing. To me is like playing poker but bringing your entire fortune at every table you sit. Sooner or later you are gonna miss everything no matter how good you are.
Some things don't seem worth it on the outside, but these climbers saw it differently
they literally have a different brain than normal people
lethally negligent disregard
It’s one of the safest sports as literally only the best climbers on earth ever get to doing huge free solos, the fatality rate is slim to nil because no amateur would ever even think about doing it.
More people die from car crashes than free soloing and yet here we are, playing roulette with our lives every time we get on the road. Free soloing is the least of anyones worries
more ppl die from car crashes because the total # of ppl who drive are many orders of magnitude higher than the # who does free solo. if this much wasn't obvious. surely the average %chance of someone dying on a 1 hour road trip vs a 1 hour free solo is much lower@@colincheshire6366
I used to be a great climber myself when I was younger. But free climbing completely vertical mountainsides is totally insane. I would never have done it even if a lot of money was being offered.
They have a deathwish.
@@twhis9843 Who sponsors this? Red Bull? Completely irresponsible of them. It even sounds like attempted murder.
I rocked climbed when I was in my 30's. I did it when I lived in VT, however, the frre climbing shit is/was not for me. That shit is just crazy.
And that's the reason why the only one considering you a great climber is you.
@@patriklindholm7576 So, great climbers are the ones that try and die?
I will admire the outstanding athletic ability and strength of these people. I will never understand or admire intentionally doing something so extremely risky and knowing the smallest mistake will kill you.
Adrenaline high
because falling in the bath tub is some how a better way to go out..fyi your not going to live forever..let me guess your going to be 17 forever and never get old
@@SpaceRanger187Wow you’re really stupid aren’t you 😂
I guess they must have death wish.
@@SpaceRanger187Personally, I'd rather die from old age rather than falling 100 ft. to my death. That's just me. I'm kind of funny like that. 4:20
Interesting, they all died during their last climb.
Makes sense. There’s a point and time in all sports where the body begins to slow down and these guys had reached their limit. They just so happened to have pushed their luck.
@@forastero54321whoosh
@@forastero54321 whoosh.
Learn something new every day
You slow down instantly after a fall.
It's not a matter of if, but when.
Considering most of those who free climb live to be old, no, no, it isnt. But hey, on the flip side, 98 dumb people gave you thumbs up
This sport is the art of trying to live by trying to die.
Nope. Opposite - not trying to die. Love to live. Just a different expression of it.
@@ronjon7942 can you tell me the name of a high level free climber who has lived to the median life expectancy in the USA or Europe? That’s around 73 years but I will take the age of 70 if you can name 5 or more.
@@ronjon7942 Really funny way of loving to live by getting really close to dying all the time though...
As a rock climber in my youth I had a poster on my wall with a climber falling off and saying ‘If only every thing in life was as reliable as gravity!”
"He died doing what he loved" - Im sure that's what their last thought is...
That’s what their loved ones say. Their last thought was wtf…
Im pretty sure they would rather be alive doing something else - or do they love smashing into a mountain, dying in agony & destroying their family
"Bet he was happy"
Last thought in question:
"Fuck."
@@Andmau2552 That's the most realistic thought.
Oh my goodness I watched one of Alex Honnold's climbing videos last week and that night was dreaming I was on the side of a mountain climbing and I was terrified out of my mind. Suddenly I woke up and sat up in bed that thought, "wow that was crazy I'm so glad I woke up that was a nightmare" So I got a drink of water and then went back to sleep and suddenly I was dreaming I was back on the mountain. That was ridiculous, never had the same dream twice in one night. These guys lived and died on the edge. Hard to comprehend.
No joke, those vids are an anxiety factory when you know he's going to make it.
I love Alex.. he's amazing.. I really hope I never hear about him falling.
I watched the one he climbed with Magnus. Literally my palms were sweating profusely.
Lol this was so funny to read 😂😂😂😂 especially the part you woke up then went back to dreaming
You went back for round 2 !!! 😱😂
it's almost like if you climb without ropes you tend to die
LMAOOOOOOO
sOuRCe PLeAsE
They all eventually do. If you can walk. You can do it pretty good but you still trip every once in a while. Free climbing is literally like playing Russian roulette.
A rock can crumble and shift, even if you’re abilities, grip, and belief never lets you down
vortex I would say that every climber has had a hold fail while leading and if you're not roped..........it's bye, bye.
*Your, not you’re.
Your correction is wrong. The original poster’s use is correct as it’s short for “…if you are not roped…”
@@durrantalan He was responding to the original comment, not the reply - so the correction was fine. If someone's responding to another reply generally they'll have @(username) in their comment.
@@jumpinjojohahaha bet you feel silly
These people are incredibly brave, talented, skilled, strong, and stupid.
You cant be stupid and able to climb a 5.10d. It's extremely technical.
it is its own form of mental iIIness i have no doubt about that. the same as crawling around in the deepest most claustrophobic holes in the ground whatever that pastime is splaggurting or whatever its called
And dead.....you forgot dead
They were all considered one of the best in the sport, but every great climber is only 1 slip away from not being so great...
went from being "great" to dead clowns lol
@@EstradaDuran-sg6cotoo much edge
@@EstradaDuran-sg6co wow so edgy...
The END 🪦
@@anteater1818yup, a real legend; like Alexander The Great…
Dan Osman died because he accidentally jumped over the guideline and therefore the rope that was supposed to catch him rubbed up against the guideline and the friction heat did the rest. Weathered ropes certainly didn’t help, but I doubt new ones would’ve made much of a difference.
He died because something was damaged in his brain that disrupted his ability to make rational decisions.
so dan died because he was a foolish clown?
@EstradaDuran-sg6co he died because he wanted to squeeze in one more jump that day and he made a mistake. I wouldn't call that foolish clown behavior. Shit happens!
@@EstradaDuran-sg6co Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.
@@EstradaDuran-sg6co go read a comic book instead of bashing people greater than you
Dan died because he changed his jump angle after lengthening his rope further than he normaly did consequently crossing his rope and the friction cut his rope. Black Diamond examined the ropes and said they were fine.
These deaths were neither untimely nor tragic. These men courted Death. Challenged it. They died following their own hubris.
“A man’s got to know his limitations.”
What pissed me off is the guy who had kids and said he wasnt going to stop doing what he loved. He died 2 months later
people aren't slaves of them children , kids is not everything
Oh jeez what a valuable life lesson. Thanks I guess.
@@euddudufududYou child and your spouse are your priorities, if they are not, then you are a miserable person.
@@euddudufududIf you intentionally have children and then proceed to knowingly do something incredibly dangerous knowing that said activity can deprive your children of their provider and give them a lifetime of trauma if you died, then you are a reckless and selfish father who can't put the well-being of your own children ahead of getting your personal thrill
@@josephnissenson3252 soon or later that father will die anyway, i can agree with you in some way and yea if u want do dangerous things its better when u dont have a kids but people change and u cant return the kids, dont forget also that u have only one life so i dont know how much u love kids u still have only one life and nothing more, so i can also understand that father
I remember one time free soloing where I ran into a spot I didn't think I could get out of. My leg started shaking, and I thought I would fall to the rocks below and either die or be paralyzed. Somehow, I pulled through and I made it. There have been a number of others simliar to that. I'm lucky I lived through so many climbs, it's a very, very dangerous hobby.
-longstory- on a "mission" of a "hike" I once unintentionally found myself clinging to the side of a mountain, held in place with a grip on a few clumps of dried grass and the wind holding me up. . .as I pondered my obituary. I'd never considered myself an "adrenaline junkie," but after that experience, I could at least understand the "appeal." B---)
LOL
Definitely not funny when you're doing it. @@christianbell8347
I get sweaty palms just reading this.
John Bachar fell on his warm up crag near his home in Mammoth Lakes. No broken holds were found. He had mentioned to some friends that he occasionally found his arms unresponsive for no apparent reason but I am NOT saying that is what happened, but a possibility. Happy to jam with him on his sax in Truckee at a mutual friend’s wedding the summer before his accident as we did bitd in Tuolumne from time to time
There was no "no apparent reason". He was in a car accident coming back from an outdoor sports convention in Salt Lake City a couple years prior. His girlfriend and business partner died. John broke his neck and the problem with his arms was due to residual neurological damage from the car accident.
@@midi510 his girlfriend at the time survived the accident but his business partner did not. She is now a mother and doing well.
@@AndyTomaselli
I don't doubt you. I never wanted to bring up the accident and he never said anything about it to me. I don't remember who told me she died, but it was just after it happened.
11a was a warm up before he broke his neck. Not after. He had stated in one interview that he was not going to solo that hard ( 11s) in the future.
As someone with a fused neck; I know about sudden weakness in odd ways; like not being able to pick up an upside down ceramic bowl that weighs less half a pound; while still being able to do a one arm; one finger pull-up. ( Which I lost the ability to do after my second broken neck)
For me; 5.12 hard crimps were better than 5.8 jugs. And I learned that with the neuropathy; the loss of some abilities is not a gradual decline; but a drop off the edge of a plateau.
@@craigbritton1089
Who ever said anything about 11a? Mr. Kamikaze is 10a. It was at the bottom of Mr. Kamikaze that he was found. We used to solo Mr. DNA (5.8), to the left of Mr. Kamikaze back in the eighties, to set up top ropes for other stuff further to the west, like Black Leather, before that area was bolted. Mr. Kamikaze was my first lead and I think it took like two RPs, maybe even just one.
Dan Osman jumped on his rope, and the rope broke. He wasn’t free soloing, he was using a climbing rope like it was a bungee cord. He was tied into his rope and harness, free soloing (as you mentioned) uses no gear, except chalk
exactly. Nothing to do with free soloing. Also very stupid to use worn gear.
If I remember correctly he had done this jump for a television special and went back weeks later to get his gear and decided to repeat the jump when the rope broke.
When you obviously comment without watching the video..
My hand can free solo all the way down to the bottom of the Doritos bag and back up with the last chip!! I am a legend.
I have never seen a solo climber grow old.
They always die sooner or later if they keep climbing long enough. It's only a matter of time before a small mistake happens or a stone falls under your feet or Hands and death is certain..🤔😐
Agree!
there's no way they dont know that, its just that they're insane. thats the bit you're missing. hey it could be worse. some end up with a basement full of corpses instead
I cannot get on my two story roof without a safety harness
I'm an arborist so I climb trees occassionally. I don't leave the ground witout being tied in. But I'm a giant wussy lol. Also I'm working
Good on you, you sane person.
Wow. Bachar lived to 52 free climbing. Legendary!
Madness at the best. They are telling its pushing boundaries.
Reardon didn't fell, he was dragged into the sea by a rogue wave after a succesful climbing
Osman didn't fall either.
That wave story - I’d not heard of that. That truly sucks.
My experience free soloing, slight as it was, turned out to be an admission to myself that I wasn’t going to get much better technically as a climber. Further improvement as a climber was going to take more work than I was willing to give. So you turn to grades you’ve mastered and seek to re-capture the high by manipulating other variables.
Derek Hersey was my uncle ❤️
Add Aaron Livingston to this list . He died just a few months ago free climbing in California. He was a seasoned professional climber. I attended his tribute in Heber City Utah just over a month ago. So heart breaking to see the grief on his parents faces.
A sport restricted to super-athletic psychiatric patients.
Apparently, this legend Alex Honnold's heart rate is always 55 and his brain part amygdala shows 'no fear signs'. But if he had done a small mistake, he'd die. These folks are romanticising recklessness and disregard for life.
@@user2j3ycg4dfI’d leave him alone. From what I understand he’s very careful about where he’s free soloing. He climbs with the usual equipment to check things out so he’s not just charging in there. It also sounds like he does this with climbs he’s done a number of times before. Like El Capitain.
My guess if he ever goes down it will be by a rock fall. Interestingly enough a couple of years ago two people got hit by a rock fall on El Cap. They didn’t fall they had full gear. The two heard it, the guy swung himself to protect his wife and took the full force of the rock fall. Neither of them fell off as I remember but the man died.
After all my blithering I doubt Honnold is going to die from any kind of mistake. I could be wrong about this though I hope not.
Maybe I ought to amend this. Not a mistake he could anticipate.
😂😂😂
I don't know if this are tragedies (except Dan Osman) in the sense that these people knew the risks and the stakes of what they did. Of course it's sad to lose inspiring, young, healty people but they died on their terms. Great video honoring them.
These certainly were tragedies for the poor guys who had to scrape their remains off the ground.
Dunno about that - ignoring safety equipment is just arrogant IMO.
@@davidlloyd1526 Reckless and suicidal IMO.
Not tragedies at all. Play stupid games win stupid prizes
@@davidlloyd1526i wonder if after they slipped, they wished they had a rope
I am what many would call a brave person in a million ways. I traveled to many countries on my own exploring exotic lands and harsh forboding climates solo without a hint of fear at any time. BUT the fear of heights is absolutely fully my greatest fear that I cannot overcome. I do not know why , but get me in a situation way high up with nothing but air surrounding me , and I just panic like you cannot believe (airplane is okay)(edge of a cliff not) . I mean absolute shut down catatonic panic generated from deep in my being. I do not for the likes of me know how people do this free climbing discipline. I do not even know how people live in skyscrapers with expansive picture windows showing the view down below. I keep my feet on the ground .
I’d believe it and I suspect it’s not that unusual. People are just different in how they react to a situation. At one extreme you have people terrified to cross a road, or even to leave a home. No shame in what you’re born with. It’s not something you asked for.
When I joined the army back in 73 I applied for the commandos course. First time on the confidence course ended my hopes of being one of the few, was RTU'd that same day.
Dude. Fear of heights is NOT "panic," nor would you wish to "overcome" it. It's survival instinct. Babies are born with only two fears: Loud noises and falling. If free soloists are able to overcome this fear of heights, it's not "bravery." It's delusion. Altogether too often, it's a temporary delusion.
I hate heights.
I've been a roofer.
I've had knives pulled on me in a corner store parking lot at 2 in the morning by a group of strung out gangsters.
Roofing was scarier.
Why do you think airplanes are okay for you? Do you fear being "exposed" at heights?
They will say things like he died doing what he loved .I will say I'm 75 doing what I love ,breathing😊
Not everyone wants to live to be old.
@paulworgan6599 sure they do think about it you eat right exercise feel good raise kids get a job have friends etc.people love you want to see you around for years depend on you lots of reasons to grow old
Not Peter Croft and not Alex Honnold. Honnold, after accomplishing his life goal, has given up the free solo game as an unnecessary risk. Peter Croft retired a long time ago. Free solo careers are usually short lived. I've been climbing all my life but 'Free Solo' was the scariest movie I've ever seen. I free soloed a 5.9 once (two grades below my capability) with 6 pitches that I had already climbed half a dozen times with a rope. I got gripped, I got terrified, and I will never do it again. It takes a different kind of person entirely.
Alex honnold Never given up free soloing to this day…
i hope alex keeps to that idea. some people give something up and then go back. he's DAMN lucky he's survived this long. his ascents were insane.
Alex hasn't nor can stop until he meets his demise.
Croft and Bachar impress me more than Honnold because they didn't have a lot of people before them showing what was possible. Anyone can build an airplane after the Wright brothers show a machine can fly. Its a different world after you already have proof of concept.
As someone who loves climbing, i will never free solo anything higher than 5.6. Not worth the risk, id rather walk to the crag and walk out but understand the appeal
Don't judge security by the grade as much as what you know you're solid at. Instead don't solo any move you can't reverse if you want to be conservative.
@bman6065 100% true, I just meant 5.6 because it seemed low enough most all moves should be reversible, but yea grade doesn't take a lot of variables into account for soloing I suppose
Never mind free soloing, I wouldn't even try rope climbing. I got into bouldering after watching Alex Hannold's "Free Solo" through my fingers with my heart in my mouth.
I was in Banff Alberta when I was 19 with a friend. We hiked up a mountain and stopped at a waterfall and I started to climb what was natural looking stairs, luckily he stayed behind. Anyway I ended up not being able to get down so I kept going up,I pulled myself over a ledge and right between my hands was a pin with a climbing loop that's when I knew I was in trouble. I kept going up and I'm talking like every foot and hand placement had to count or I was dead. That lasted 3 hrs until I found a way down. My buddy was pissed at me wondering where I went. I told him that he had no idea what I went through and he would 100% died if he would have followed. I did some praying on the side of that mountain.i can't remember the name of the mountain but it was on the same road as as military school I think
baldy?
Insane story. That's straight from a nightmare, ty for sharing
Years ago I scared the crap out of myself free soloing and quit climbing then I got into whitewater rafting where most mishaps are survivable.
This is why I write books.
'Show me a man who never made a mistake and I'll show you a man who never made anything.'
Theodore Roosevelt.
A free climber gets the opportunity to make a mistake and that's it.
You'll never make another one.
Thanks Theodore
@@raymodramsawak7463 You're welcome.
God bless da Americans..cos I loved dem since I was six years old..
"Show me a man who never made a mistake and I'll show you a man who never made anything." - What did this guy ever make, other than a RUclips compilation video?
@@TangoNevadamaybe something helpful like a job and having kids
Michael Reardon didn’t fall. He wasn’t climbing when the rogue wave took him - he was on rocks below a cliff. Same could have happened if he’d been rock fishing…(as it does!)
Thank you for posting this. Did u know Mike?
@@tjaderharris8915 I did. Climbed alongside him (never with him of course, as I only saw him tie in once ever!) a fair few times in Ireland. He was a force of nature!
@@DREAPADOIR
Yep, he was a good guy. Thank you for correcting the video.
Same with Osman. He was repeating a swing he had done on television but the equipment was no longer stable.
Natural selection at work, my friends.
I climbed a 200 ft rock face in Oklahoma. I was actually having fun until about 100ft. Looked down and had a mini panic attack. I did not look down again until I reached the top. Never did that again!
Rope?
@@qigongkylar944 no rope and I was about 15 years old. That was my last free climbing endeavor
If you die doing this it isn’t unfortunate. It’s inevitable.
dead right!
That isn't true at all. There are more people who have done free solo that haven't died compared to those who have.
@@Vexreal_ If you die doing this it isn’t unfortunate. It’s inevitable.
@@viperrecords3288 you repeating the comment doesn't add anything, you just say some dumb shit twice
@viperrecords3288 that's just saying "if you die doing something, then you died doing it". That doesn't mean anything
most eventually fall to their deaths. adrenaline sports are like that, you get a chemical high from from it, it feels good but you always have to progress to get that good feeling. Mountain climbers, structor climbers, Wingsuit proximity flyers, Mountain bikers, skiers and snowboarders, motor sports.... Some people cant live without it, cant live until they are an inch away from death, that inch gets smaller and smaller until the funeral, fortunately i had a terrible life saving injury and was forced to learn how to manage my addiction
😂😅😂😅 smaller and smaller jah you got me there
only time ive heard someone call a life threatening injury fortunate
Life is a dangerous sport the moment excitement is required 📌
Just watched tunnel tragedies, people stuck for hours in pain, suffering, cannot move. Falling from a high rock might be scary for a few moments, but then it’s over. I can live with that.
Found it interesting that Alex Honnold has moved to Las Vegas and finds that Red Rock and Mt. Charleston are providing him ample climbing challenges.
I hope someday this list doesn’t include Alex Honnold.
It will if he doesn't stop. Dude has a kid now. Time to hang it up
Really can't feel too sorry for these guys...
so what
its definitely the result of having a few loose wires up there
Dude was 53! When he lost grip and fell!! I mean CoMe ON DuDe!.. You made it and had a rep for being a Badass.. Soo Continue Bro?! 53..I mean we all know what happens when we reach that age!! R.I.P to them ALL.
It’s not (all) about that. But, my understanding is he had a family? At that point, it’s not about only ‘you’ and it’s time to safety up. On second thought, it’s still not about rep, but it is self-centered, even selfish or narcissistic, behavior. Not fair to wife, kids, family, friends.
And what do you mean ‘was 53!’ I’m 54! Geez, We’re not dead! Well, he is, but still.
I love backpacking. I’ve spent a lot of time backpacking all over Yosemite National Park. I absolutely love the place. I’ve never been attracted to climbing though. And I’m glad.
I’m glad I’ve never been attractive heroine or crystal meth! 😅
You don't have to free solo to climb, there's a ton of safety gear and techniques. You don't even have to climb high, you can just boulder.
Great video. Very well put together. Great info as well. Thanks
Anthunnad5570
Pity the falls were not videoed- complete with sound- so they could be replayed in slow motion.
Merci pour le souvenir de Paul Preuss. Il était le pionnier. Grand respect à tous les autres.
Alex Honnold will be on this list in due time, mark my words.
The END 🪦 is coming for him !
what is wrong with you people? it almost seems like you want free soloists to die. even if you don't agree with them surely you can't sink that low, right?@@glen5599
This is why I enjoy bouldering. It’s tough, but the falls aren’t very far down.
FYI falling from just your own body height can easily be fatal if you hit your head
@@r2020E I’m definitely familiar with gravity. I’ve fallen many times over the years. There is a risk involved, but it’s smaller than if I were 700ft up.
@user-vt2cr8qd1b
You are correct. During my training to become an AMGA climbing guide, my instructor told a story about a young man who was killed, falling 1 foot while bouldering. Apparently, he was parallel to the ground when he fell, hitting his brain stem on a sharp rock.
The impact separated his brain stem, and he died instantly.
Dan Osman was not doing a "free fall". He was doing a giant rope swing when two ropes rubbed against each other, severing the one that was supporting him.
I worked on a small construction crew in Boulder, CO in the early 90s. Most of the crew were avid climbers and at lunch we'd sit around and they'd talk about the crazy climbers they'd known. I'd ask, "where's he now?", "Dead" they'd answer.
They were used to climbing big walls (not free-soloing but with ropes and protection) like the Diamond on Long's Peak, and that idea terrified me, but I was used to walking on bare framing; tops of walls (3.5"), joists, rafters, beams, and ridges, which scared them because there was no protection, no rope.
It’s ridiculous in my opinion. And I’m sure most of these people have families and friends.
Passion or not, it’s a selfish adrenaline rush and nothing more.
It would be like saying that the tower climbers of today are athletes. Yeah, it takes practice and skill, but that doesn’t make it a sport, or something to strive towards or admire. It’s not like they couldn’t use safety equipment, they chose not to. Whether for ego, adrenaline, or both.
Had they used safety equipment, they could have continued doing what they love without devastating their loved ones.
It would be like if in boxing, being hit with one punch killed you immediately every time, and everyone knew this, yet they still boxed each other regardless, and people were killed regularly in the sport became of this.
At some point, your passion or need for adrenaline don’t justify what you’re doing.
And of course, it’s their lives, they’re free to do whatever they want with them. But this is my opinion on it.
@@StumbIingforward No, it's not like your boxing metaphor. If you've never been a risk taker it's hard to make you understand. You are challenging yourself each time and proving to your self that you can do what so many others fear to try.
Many of the great figures in history have been motivated and achieved by that feeling. Maybe it is selfish, but it's what makes men win wars, win the olympics, become great painters and writers, an achieve greatness in many other fields of endeavor.
@@kshepard52 I disagree. I believe that even if it’s driven by passion, at some point it crosses the line into stupidity (no offense to any of these people).
I understand what you’re saying, and I agree, but to an extent.
The people that are climbing giant buildings without safety equipment for example, it’s definitely an incredibly impressive skill, and just having the guts to do it is insane, but it’s stupid. Just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should. At some point it’s just math, and you’re knowingly making a gamble to achieve whatever it is you’re trying to achieve, the thing is is that what you’re gambling is your very existence here on Earth.
This doesn’t apply to just free climbing. It goes for anything. Let’s say you got your thrill from having people shoot apples off of your head, well do it a thousands times and you’re almost guaranteed to get shot in the head.
At some point the thrill, or whatever it is exactly that specific person gets out of it, isn’t worth the price.
@@StumbIingforward When someone shoots apples off your head you aren't in control. This is about challenging yourself, and what others think isn't as important as achieving what you set out to do. It's affirming who I am, other's opinions are secondary. It's a private challenge and a private satisfaction. You need to have faced and surmounted a tough challenge to understand.
climber falls to death free soloing. shocked.
YT commenter has no girlfriend. Astounded.
Trying to do free solo all the time is like trying to kill yourself everytime
Paul Preuss not only climbed without a rope, he climbed down the same routes to return, which is seriously more difficult. He died while trying to free an overhang. Without climbing shoes, just old alpine boots. This legendary man had serious ethics and respect for nature and the rock itself, both qualities that have been lost forever, as the "sport" climbing absurdity has pushed hordes of impotent urban masses to "conquer" the rocks, depriving them for the only thing that matters: soul.
🤮
The END 🪦
So he didn’t climb down? He fell off and died?
depriving them of the only thing that matters: handsfree orgasms from pegging
People with these types of personalities don't live long.
We need to redefine the meanings of tragedy and comedy because these ain't the former.
No matter how good you are at something your luck will eventually run out, all it takes is one Oops, and it is already too late.
It’s said that cats have nine lives, yet they eventually all run out😊
Extreme sports participants do not have "untimely" deaths, they simply exhale.
Or splatter.
It amazes me that people are shocked when people die in this sport.
Gravity rules ! I could not in truth say I am shocked or sadden by these falls. I love the outdoors and hiking but if I make a dumb mistake I might have to spend an uncomfortable night in the woods. I always carry enough extra stuff in my pack that I will not be too bad off. These people do not get away with one goof-up. hold on tight, get home safe.
I hate gravity!
Hey if this is your passion in life then I respect it.. I’m just glad no family and close friends are into it. My gf and I climb at the gym which is like crossing the monkey bars to these guys, but it’s thrilling enough, a great workout, and no one’s dying
All they need to do is take a GoPro! The cameraman never dies.
"Pride comes before a fall" Literally...
Dan Osman's ropes rubbed against each other where one was knotted; that melted the rope and caused it to break.
osman was a clown
@@EstradaDuran-sg6co you do not know what you are talking about. Dan would set up routes for total strangers who wanted to TR climbs they couldn't lead. Often with his own rope. And then belay them as well.
It is tragic that he broke his own rule of throwing a weighted pack or haul bag; for new jump set ups.
@@craigbritton1089 you just described a clown
@@EstradaDuran-sg6co I think you revealed yourself as a heartless troll.
And Dan would jump first; so that if something went wrong; it would fail on him.
But I bet you think that also makes him a clown.
@@craigbritton1089
I'm guessing you resort to taunts whenever you don't get your way. dan was a pos DEAL WITH IT
Anyone dumb or crazy enough to free solo gets what they deserve if they fall. You have to be nuts. Everyone makes mistakes and with this it just takes one and you're usually dead. Even Alex Honnold - perhaps the best at it - had a terrible fall over a pretty big height and just got lucky that he survived.
Doing something so inherently dangerous should elicit no surprise (or much sadness) when falls occur. Some things are foundationally just plain stupid.
I have climbed with ropes and even that is scary when you are stuck on narrow ledge and unable to get a grip on anything.
Solo climbing is nuts.
The ultimate proof that we're here for a good time not a long time.
Well to be fair they all would have been around a lot longer if they used safety equipment. Probably would still be having a good time, alive.
@@Thankyouchef climbing take so little time compared to how much basking in the limelight you get for climbing free hand with no equipment. You just can't get the attention any other way.
These guys rightfully don't deserve life insurance. They have had a good time, anyways, but their families needlessly suffer.
@@user2j3ycg4df I beg your pardon there's an insurance salesman out there and he's absolutely certain everybody deserves life insurance.
Pride .... ego...... / NO HUMILITY
We just had a solo'er die where i live. He climbed a 5.12b that ended halfway up the wall, down climbing was a must and it is added difficulty - he fell. No one in the community was all that surprised because the guy was pretty reckless about his soloing. Two of these climbers did not fall while soloing so why include them?
Gee, they actually fell? What a surprise!
Dan O didn't fall doing a free solo. He was doing a large rope pendulum when it happened. I've been a climber since the early 90's and remember it well. I have climbed all over the US and have achieved some amazing and terrifying climbs, but I have never and will never climb unprotected by rope/gear.
Being "fearless" doesn't seem to be the smartest approach to take with free solo climbing.
Has someone said “They died doing what they loved” yet?
yah the priest that put them in the ground said they died doing what they loved, becoming a giant pizza.
I noticed that there are no old free climbers
Do not confuse free climbing with free solo!!!
@@albertorebora2512 Oh, there are 2 types of 'free' suicides, then.
@@user2j3ycg4df "Free climbing" just means you're not using "aid", equipment that aids your ascent. Portable ladders, rope ascenders and other stuff like that. Harness, helmet, rope, cams, belay devices, stuff that protects you if you fall, still falls within "free climbing". There's also "rope solo", where you use protective gear, but don't have a partner to belay you. It's extremely hard work, but you have protection so you don't die if you fall. "Deep water solo", climbing above water without protective gear, so when you fall you just get wet. All of these are types of "free climbing", and so is "free solo".
Do these guys think they will survive or do they know they'll die doing this? I mean, it seems like a foregone conclusion. If you do this you will die doing it.
It wouldn’t be an adrenaline rush if it weren’t dangerous. It wouldn’t be dangerous if people didn’t die. The circle continues.
One time my friend wanted to show me a "secret spot" in a park by the river. The river was huge, because it's Scotland, and so the water was flowing fast and rapidly, especially because it had rained earlier. Little did I know that to get to this secret spot, we had to climb and shimmy on this cliff at the edge of the river. She completely balanced and walked across the narrow edge, one side a shrubbed up wall, the other the river. I, being a Toronto city girl, was holding on to the cold wet shrubs and moss for my dear life. It was nice when we got there. But we couldn't go back the way we came. She said an "easier" route was climbing up a cliff edge. That was my first and only free climb. She went up first, and I could see where she needed to put her foot, but she didn't. She started panicking, so I started panicking. But she took her time and got up. I was terrified, one wrong move and we would fall down and hit the rocks below on the river. The tree branches were pretty thick though, so I was able to rely on that for support as "steps". I have 0 upper body strength as a girl, so I used my knees to level myself up. I felt so proud of myself when we got up though, so much adrenalin!
Just one more booster is all ya need 😆
Free soloing at 52 is legit suicide.
I wana say i feel bad, but i guarantee these dudes were risk takers and had to know it was only a matter of time. Plus they went out doing something they loved. Props for that.
They were extremely selfish, “doing what they loved” that devastated their families and friends.
@@dboboc maybe people should learn that being selfish it's not a bad thing.
if some random guy on the internet can understad what free solo meant to them, i bet their families had a bigger picture of it and better understanding.
@@dboboc I'd imagine some of these great climbers would be encouraged by their family/friends after proving their success, despite the risks involved
I guarantee you that the last thing in their mind were not any positive or happy thoughts, but an overwhelming fear.
The END 🪦 again !
Rest in Peace Derek Hersey. RIP. (you are very missed, still)
When one of the most interesting things about your sport is the amount of people who die practicing it... That's Wild!
Free soloing is not a sport, in the same way that skeet shooting is a sport, but going to war is not a sport.
Uli Steck should be mentioned especially since there are other alpinists on this list.