Free solo climbing reddit. This subreddit is for unexpected twists in videos and gifs.
Free solo climbing reddit. Free Solo (2018) - "Jimmy Chin's Oscar-winning documentary following Alex Honnold's journey to become the first person to ever free solo climb Yosemite's 3,000ft high El Capitan Wall. Celebrated as one of the greatest athletic feats of any kind, Honnold’s climb sets the ultimate standard: perfection or death. Free solo climbing is akin to me getting into the formula car without a triple layer fire suit, no fire gloves, no fire boots, no helmet, no Hans device, no five point harness, etc. " [1:40:04] Insane first time gym climber free solos to top of roped wall and brags on Insta about getting yelled at by staff for almost dying 1K votes, 377 comments. We're basically watching people play Russian roulette. I climb up to 5. It looks like the Oscars agreed. The climbing footage in Free Solo was more epic, but as an overall film, I agree with you that Dawn Wall was better for the reason you listed. It is a shameless monetization and clout grab of a life-or-death situation and should be demonetized, age-restricted, or removed from YouTube. In running shoes, no less. Free Solo Fictional Short Film In years following the Oscar winning film, Free Solo, the act of soloing may have grown to become a glamorized endeavor. Share Sort by: Top Open comment sort options Add a Comment [deleted] • The entire concept of free solo climbing is hard for me to comprehend, even after watching this. Forget ropes, harnesses, gear. Celebrated as one of the greatest athletic feats of any kind, Honnold’s climb set the ultimate Apr 29, 2021 · On April 11, 2021, 31-year-old climber Josh Ourada fell approximately 150 to 200 feet while free soloing Nutcracker, on the Manure Pile Buttress, Yosemite. Does anyone here just think free soloing is a bad idea because it can inspire lesser climbers to get themselves killed? Or do climbers die with ropes anyway as long as they're irresponsible? In the grand scheme of climbing, a 5. Ppl r free to take whatever risks they want but climbing anything without they possibility to survive in the event of a mistake or broken hold ect. With no ropes or safety gear, this would arguably be the greatest feat in rock climbing history. I can climb high 5. Seeing how small the holds are and precarious the moves like the karate kick and thumb switch in the boulder problem are, I figure these no way that all of these moves are 100%. It’s a bunch of purpose built gear that will scar rock permanently and end up in a landfill for the temporary enjoyment of the privileged and lends zero advancement of humanity. In other words, free climbing would use ropes and bolts to stay safe in the case of a fall, but you can’t ascend the rope to skip a section of climbing, or stand on a bolt to rest. Free solo ice climbs virtually guarantee death at some point no matter how careful the climber. It was certainly tense and exciting. From the filmmakers of Meru comes Free Solo, a stunning, intimate and unflinching portrait of free soloist climber Alex Honnold, as he prepares to achieve his lifelong dream: climbing the face of the world’s most famous rock, the 3,200-foot El Capitan in Yosemite National Park, without a rope. Warren Harding's FA, Royal Robbins's first ground up, Jim Bridwell's one day ascent Lynn hill's free ascent, Alex Honnold and Tommy Caldwell's sub 2hr. Putting others in an uncomfortable situation or forcing them to haul out your massively injured body after a fall isn't an intrinsic property of soloing. plenty of actual climbing is low angle and also not bolted. A willingness to subject yourself to danger isn't a skill, and it's not something that should define a good climber. Reply reply [deleted] • Gollum is the GOAT of free solo climbing Reply reply More replies thepoltone • Sort of depends on how one goes about it. Alex's hardest free solo is at the grade of 13a iirc. After Honnold solo'd Half Dome, I started to notice a lot of misuse of the term "free climbing". Is it possible to top or lead rope solo? Also this may sound like a dumb question but how do you top rope outside? I think it's fair to assume that Honnold's days of free soloing are over. But also, if you are free soloing something that you have previously done roped, is well under your max grade, etc, you just get your head together and continue up. I'm guessing the couple treated it like an exposed hike, rather than what immediately springs to mind when I hear "Free solo" climbing. I just hate the association that without ropes is somewhat "purer", that's such BS. It is possibly the most historic rock climb in the world. Oct 3, 2025 · Balin Miller, famed solo climber, died after rappelling off the end of his rope on El Capitan. 12+ sport routes and mostly only solo when I need to move fast on alpine routes. Oct 22, 2018 · For most of the documentary, the filmmakers do an admirable job of scrutinizing Honnold's plan, which is why it's so jarring when they stop. Free solo seems so reckless because they aren't doing that. Climbing magazine caught up with Ourada in a phone call to find out more details about the accident and to learn how his recovery is going. Do you guys think I can do it? or if I even should? and if I can, then some websites or advice would be helpful. In terms of climbing grades, Alex Honnold has done some hard free solo's but there are a few climbers who have solo'd harder routes - grade wise. Imo the Nordic's greatest mountaineer; before doing Mt Everest he climbed K2, without oxygen (with a climbing partner who got injured halfway up, so he summited solo). Down climbing is also a skill that I'm sure they are more comfortable with than most roped climbers. What do you guys think? Carpe Diem? edit: spelling 276 votes, 248 comments. I see so many people going out to solo popular routes at very crowded places who will straight up climb down climb right over you instead of waiting on ledges for other climbers to pass. Free Solo is on Disney+ so if you haven’t already seen it you can watch it for free by using the Disney+ free trial. 283 votes, 57 comments. 13c/d). He had free soloed, multiple times, many other Yosemite climbing routes before the documentary was even an idea. Watch Free Solo on Disney+, it's insane. I am feeling pretty confident because I can climb V1 and V2 and occasionally a V3. Sometimes it gets hard find someone to climb with me as much as I'd like, and Im thinking of doing my first solo climb up Nevado de Toluca, Mexico (quite an easy 1-day climb) this Saturday. But I see too many inexperienced soloists climbing at their limit or climbing long, challenging routes with no bail ropes. It's also the most obvious feature on the Free climbing is not using aid (gear, ropes, ladders, etc) for upward mobility; regardless of whether there us a rope for safety. In this realm, a select few climbers have pushed the boundaries of what's possible, achieving ascents that leave us mere mortals in awe. . Magnus Midtbø's Onsight Free Soloing Video with Alex Honnold was irresponsible when recorded and irresponsible when published. If you said "greatest feat of rock climbing without ropes" ok. Reply reply [deleted] • Comment deleted by user Reply reply more replies [deleted] • Free solo trad is the purest form of climbing Reply reply more repliesMore replies more repliesMore replies I respect people like Honnold for the initiatives he takes on with such a large platform, but can't take someone who thinks climbing 3000ft without any safeguards is a good idea seriously. 30 votes, 11 comments. 5 years climbing. Climbing difficulty aside Free Solo is 10x the film this was. Anyone interested in watching a 3 hour 56 min, only climbing video of Alex Honnold freesoloing freerider? Sep 28, 2018 · The Academy Award and BAFTA winning film FREE SOLO from award-winning documentary filmmaker E. The grade isn't the reason he gets his notoriety. The protection can’t aid you in your progression up the wall. 8 slab isn't a big deal, but I can appreciate why it makes you feel uncomfortable. 9? In Free Solo, Honnold mentions at one point how maybe his free solo of el cap is one of those risky climbs that you squeak out once in your life. 1. Alex Huber has free soloed 14a. does anybody have any experience with climbing the flatirons? I am thinking freeway because that’s the easiest. Only like 2% of rock climbers do this. Jun 11, 2025 · Free solo climbing is an extreme form of rock climbing where the climber ascends alone, without any ropes, harnesses, or protective gear. Just them and the rock, but I've always thought there might be other underlying reasons for deciding to free solo. Nothing about climbing is ethical. edit I stand corrected the record time for The Yosemite Tripple Crown was 18hrs 50min by Jordan Cannon and Scott Bennett in June of 2021. It you want a real climbing documentary, I highly recommend the Dawn Wall film. This is a place to discuss free solo climbing. Edit: just to clarify, the article describes this as a beginners course, but there seems to be a consensus that it is much more difficult than that. Free soloers: be honest, why do you do it? Most interviews I've heard from athletes who free solo say it's because it's the purest form of climbing. Whether or not one chooses to bring gear with them to bail, as long as Not to mention the media has made everyone think we’re always free soloing (thx honnold) and painted climbers as suicidal maniacs. After watching Free Solo you really do get the sense that he’s not going to be able to stop and doesn’t really appreciate or maybe worry about the stakes of a bad climb. Brad Gobright, 31, fell around 300m (1,000ft) to his death in El Potrero Chico in northern Oct 3, 2025 · Learn everything about the Balin Miller livestream fall — his age, TikTok video, Reddit reactions, final interview, and climbing legacy. Free soloing produces less waste roped climbing, and impacts the environment less. Plenty of reasons to not just blindly trust that a scramble labeled class 4 will be easy peasy not a free solo Also like…. Alex Honnold is the best in the world, and the best of all time, in the particular niche of climbing he has chosen to specialise in, namely free soloing big walls. Any free soloists or climbers with an opinion? I'm curious to know why Free Solo is getting so much more buzz in the non-climbing community than Dawn Wall? They're both solid documentaries. If you are using it to move up the wall, that type of climbing is referred to as aid-climbing. Free soloing with a harness and some gear provides options for bailing that aren't really present with a pure free solo. : r/climbing Go to climbing r/climbing r/climbing I've seen free solo climbers (Alex Honnold included) carry bail gear with them. Seriously - how much does someone belaying you or tying in really take away from the experience of climbing?? Free Solo (2018) - "Jimmy Chin's Oscar-winning documentary following Alex Honnold's journey to become the first person to ever free solo climb Yosemite's 3,000ft high El Capitan Wall. 4 ridge on Ypsilon Mountain in Rocky Mountain National Park. I'm the most cautious climber in the world, so I'm no free solo junkie defending my practice. But Honnold was the record holder for awhile. and rated a 5. Chai Vasarhelyi and world-renowned photographer and mountaineer Jimmy Chin, follows free soloist climber Alex Honnold as he prepares to achieve his lifelong dream: climbing the face of the world's most famous rock the 3,200-foot El Capitan in Yosemite National Park without a rope. 299 votes, 87 comments. Chai Vasarhelyi and world-renowned photographer and mountaineer Jimmy Chin, the directors of “MERU,” comes FREE SOLO, a stunning, intimate and unflinching portrait of free soloist climber Alex Honnold, as he prepares to achieve his lifelong dream: climbing the face of the world’s most famous rock the 3,200-foot El Capitan in Yosemite Nov 15, 2023 · This is the exhilarating world of free solo climbing, where the stakes are as high as the peaks themselves. This comprehensive streaming guide lists all of the streaming services where you can rent, buy, or stream for free 2. I've done this climb many times before and none of my climbing friends are available this weekend. Has anyone publicized a free solo which is a technically why is "pure rock climbing" without ropes. 71 votes, 21 comments. With all due respect, the person who passed seemed to have had a lot of experience both scrambling in the flatirons, and just generally with climbing - as well as being essentially a sub-elite trail runner. Free solo climbing is a special form of free climbing but is different from the main forms of free climbing — sport climbing and traditional climbing — that use climbing protection for safety. r/ freesolo Join 3 Posted by Free solo is good, but it's only half about climbing and just as much about mental health and relationships. 14b solo in Margalef, Spain. The Mount Rushmore of climbing docs are Meru, Free solo, the dawn wall, and the Alpinist. It just made me realize that free soloing isn't this scary, untouchable thing—you solo routes that are well within your ability, and don't let ego get involved, and it's actually a fantastic way to move over the rock without anything holding you back or dictating your pace. I am super new to climbing. Free Solo (2018) - Follow Alex Honnold as he becomes the first person to ever free solo climb Yosemite's 3,000ft high El Capitan Wall. What's the hardest free solo ever done? Dean Potter's passing has me looking at a lot of his videos (Heaven 5. "On Sight" means you climb it clean, without falling, your very first time trying the "route" (the combinations of rock formations that make up useful holds, and how hard the climb is going to be) "Solo" means without protection, like he was. 11s outdoors and even freeway was an eye-opener for me. Oct 3, 2025 · Alaskan climbing influencer Balin Miller has died after falling from El Capitan, the iconic granite rock formation in Yosemite National Park. The summit (2012) - another climbing doco about the 2008 K2 disaster. Nothing wrong with passing a party on a multi pitch route if they’re cool with it. Something to do while your stuck at home! : r/climbing Like you can climb 5. 4K votes, 290 comments. Reply reply Sad and completely avoidable death. I mean, Alex was already going to free solo El Capitan whether he got the movie deal or not. We talk about warning signs of putting yourself or others in harms way, I think free soloing should be approached in the same way. Although even in the niche others have achieved things nearly as impressive, for example Hans-Jörg Auer's solo of The Fish in the Dolomites, on a similar scale to Freerider, only slightly easier, and done with much less prior The free soloist climber prepares to achieve his lifelong dream: climbing the face of the world’s most famous rock — the 3,000-foot El Capitan in Yosemite National Park — without a rope. It seems so antithetical to our instincts of self-preservation, and yet, guys like Alex Honnold thrive off it. It just doesn't make sense to tie in for broken up low 5th class climbing when you need to finish before afternoon thunder storms. " When people ask whether they "should do" a climb, this is basically asking the group to provide a risk assessment for the climber. The death occurred during a solo climb and marks the third fatality in the park this I want to climb the flatirons without a rope. Yeah he’s a fuckin idiot. She was an experienced climber on a beginner’s climbing course, but because she was free *solo climbing, there was always the potential for death. The home of Climbing on reddit. Copy link Embed r/freesolo members online Sort By: FeedAbout Rank by size Top 30% Rank by size Home Popular Mar 30, 2024 · Let’s start with some cold hard numbers to get an idea of how much free solo contributes to solo climbing deaths and accidents. I solo climb all the time, but sometimes I forget to use my focus to locate handholds and then I have to deploy my glider, nothing worse than hitting the ground and using up all your medical berries cause you forgot which button deploys the glider. 0. The fun part about soloing is often the absence of the weight and hassle of extra equipment. 4M subscribers in the climbing community. The fall was livestreamed. This film explores a man's controversial motivations behind free soloing. So, keep watching, because we're winning big in the world of free solo rock climbing, just like we're winning big in America! Free Solo (2018) - "Jimmy Chin's Oscar-winning documentary following Alex Honnold's journey to become the first person to ever free solo climb Yosemite's 3,000ft high El Capitan Wall. Free soloing is the only ethical way to climb, change my mind. May 7, 2019 · We declared Free Solo to be the best climbing movie ever made last September. From award-winning documentary filmmaker E. 2K votes, 541 comments. This subreddit is for unexpected twists in videos and gifs. 8 comfortably, that's fine if you want to solo, but among other groups of climbers, is beyond what I think is reasonable. Unlike traditional free climbing, which uses ropes and anchors for safety, free solo If you would like a memorable free solo start out on freeway which is on the second Flatiron and is rated 5. My question is: Have you personally lost a friend or loved one climbing? If so, how long had you been climbing at that point? In my second year of climbing my best friend died in a top roping accident. We're climbing to new heights, making America the greatest it's ever been. And I'm glad about that. Free climbing without a rope is referred to as Free Soloing. I don't climb anything without a rope. You’re not wrong about the etiquette but I believe the OP for this was posted in r/climbing and the dude said the free soloist asked to pass and after assessing whether is own party was in a safe position allowed him to climb on. It is considered the purest and most dangerous form of climbing, as a single fall can result in severe injury or death even from relatively low heights such as 20 feet. Or did you forget about the existence of trad rated less than 5. El Capitan was a world record climb for Honnold. Been meaning to build a website to clarify, so I finally threw one together this morning: What if He Falls? The Terrifying Reality Behind Filming “Free Solo” (2018) Share Add a Comment Sort by: Best Open comment sort options Best BlackFire68 • Find out how and where to watch "Free Solo" online on Netflix, Prime Video, and Disney+ today – including 4K and free options. We would like to show you a description here but the site won’t allow us. [Trailer] Trailer Share Sort by: Best Open comment sort options Best Top New Controversial Old Q&A Add a Comment yhnukas • How does Alex Honnold get down? So I was climbing today--high balling--and after I topped out, I realized I had to down climb from where I was since there was no good path to just walk down from where I was. Jul 11, 2023 · On Sunday, July 9, a Boulder, Colorado, woman died after falling 500 feet while free soloing Blitzen Ridge, a classic 5. ” Many posted tributes to Miller on social media, saying they had watched him climb on a TikTok livestream for two days before his death and referring to him as “orange tent guy" because of his distinctive camp setup. It got me wondering how Alex Honnold and other free soloists get down when they top out. 11M subscribers in the Unexpected community. Oct 3, 2025 · A 23-year-old Alaskan climber, Balin Miller, died after falling from El Capitan in Yosemite National Park. Free climbing means without any gear to aid the climb, so you only use your hands and feet to climb (but you still have safety gear to catch you fall). NPS is investigating. And yes we are scared of falling. Purely anecdotally, almost every climbing fatality I hear about involves people who were roped up, and died because of gear placement failure, ground fall, abseils gone wrong, rockfall, avalanche, storm etc. Anyone know? Free solo climbers are the backbone of this great nation, just like our hardworking people. Risk assessment needs to be based on individual skill levels, experience, and the complexity and risks associated with the climb (the chance of something bad happening as well as consequences). Free soloing ice is not usually the time to try and pull off completely unnecessary and avoidable tool swaps, especially just for some GoPro footage that no one but your mom and granny will care about unless things go horribly wrong. I found this article on Climbing Narc from 2008, about Dave MacLeod's 5. What happens on the Nose almost marks chapters of climbing history in the US if not the world. As for what's accepted however, it's entirely a personal thing. Find out where to watch Free Solo online. Oct 4, 2025 · Alex Honnold completed the first free solo climb of El Capitan in 2017 for the documentary “Free Solo. thanks! Share Add a Nov 29, 2019 · A world-renowned American free solo climber has died attempting to descend the side of a cliff face. I was quite disappointed and the only thing saving it from being trash was the emotional impact of Marc's death. Oct 2, 2025 · Miller wasn’t exactly a household name in the climbing world, like Alex Honnold, star of the Academy Award-winning documentary “Free Solo,” but his exploits were impressive enough to catch 338 votes, 18 comments. Follow Alex Honnold as he attempts to become the first person to ever free solo climb Yosemite's 3,000 foot high El Capitan wall. Is absolutely dumb. Free solo is the type of climbing in the video. 180 votes, 87 comments. Realistically, what kind of chance was Alex taking free soloing el cap? 24 votes, 17 comments. When it comes to rock climbing as a whole, it is a generally safe sport. 12d/13a might be his hardest?), and in one he mentions Beat Kammerlander, who I'd never heard of (he soloed at least 5. 3infc4 pjmbo3 3r veotrz q37d7up h35 0kew nu nexty 5vsi
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