Free solo climbing

Free solo climbing, also known as free soloing, is a form of free climbing where the climber (the free soloist) foregoes ropes, harnesses and other protective gear while ascending and relies only on his or her physical strength, climbing ability, and psychological fortitude to avoid a fatal fall. Free solo climbing should not be confused with free climbing, in which gear is used for safety in case of a fall, but not to assist the climb. Less risky alternatives to free soloing include bouldering (climbing at heights low enough that a fall would typically be safe) and deep water soloing (climbing where falling would result in harmlessly falling into water).

Reasons for free soloing given by high-profile climbers include the simplicity and speed with which one can climb, a feeling of intense concentration required, and the adrenaline rush. The practice is mostly confined to routes familiar to the climber and whose difficulty lies well within the climber's abilities. However, inherent risks such as loose rocks or sudden change in weather are always present, and some high-profile climbers have been killed this way.

Yosemite climbing program manager and park ranger Mark Fincher said there has been only one confirmed death from free-soloing at the park, that of Derek Hersey, a high-profile free-soloist who died on Sentinel Rock in 1993. The challenge of free soloing single pitch routes is mainly the mental difficulty for the climber of staying focused on what he is doing. Free soloing should usually not be hard in a physical sense. This is not to say, however, that on longer routes unpredictable weather and rock conditions cannot create grave hazards for climbers. Hersey, though a master of solo climbing's physical and mental demands, is believed to have encountered rain during his fatal solo ascent of the 1000-meter Sentinel Rock.[1]

Practitioners

The sport has produced a number of well-known practitioners, made famous by remarkable photos of a climber totally alone and unprotected on sheer cliffs. One of the most famous is Frenchman Alain Robert ("spiderman"), who has scaled dozens of skyscrapers around the world — a sport known as buildering — and many rock walls, without using any safety equipment.

Some of the driving forces in rock climbing and free soloing from 1900 to today: Paul Preuss, Henry Barber, John Bachar, Derek Hersey, Peter Croft, Alexander Huber, Dan Osman, Dean Potter, Alain Robert and Michael Reardon.

Safer alternatives

Free soloing on seacliffs, where a climber falling into deep water may avoid injury, is known as deep water soloing - however, this should only be carried out at very specific sites which have been properly ascertained to be safe for the purpose. Otherwise, free soloing on seacliffs is viewed as particularly dangerous due to the unique combination of hazards such as loose rock, tides, submerged boulders, and difficulty of rescue.

Remaining close to the ground (typically below 25 ft.) and using protective mats is known as bouldering and is another, safer alternative.

Types of rock climbing

Rock climbing may be divided into two broad categories: free climbing and aid climbing.

* Free climbing requires the climber use only his/her bodily strength for upward progress. Commonly confused with "free-soloing" which means to climb without a rope. The essence of free climbing is that, although gear may be used to protect a climber in the event of a fall, the actual "climbing" is being done without the help of any artificial device.

* Aid climbing involves using artificial devices placed in the rock to support all or part of the climber's body weight, and is normally practiced on rock formations that lack the necessary natural features suitable for free climbing.

Other kinds of climbing:

* Lead climbing is a method of climbing in which the climber (here called the "leader") climbs a route from the ground up. To protect him/herself, the climber trails a rope which is managed by a belayer who remains on the ground or at an established anchor. As the leader climbs, he/she can either clip the trailed rope through pieces of traditional gear (cams, stoppers), placed in cracks, or clip the rope through gear already in place (bolts, pitons). If a climber falls while leading, he/she cannot comfortably sit back on the rope and be held by the belayer as in toproping (where the rope is anchored above the climber); rather, the leader will fall twice the distance between his/her position and the most recent piece of protection (a cam, stopper, bolt, etc.) that he/she clipped the rope through (assuming this piece of protection holds).
* Traditional Climbing, or "Trad" Climbing. In Trad Climbing, the leader uses mostly removable gear (and the occasional bolt placed on lead) to protect against falls. As in all forms of lead climbing, the climbing team (a leader and follower, or multiple followers) begins at the bottom of a climb and ascends to the top, the leader placing protective devices in the rock as he/she climbs. Once the leader is finished climbing, he/she establishes a belay. The follower then "follows" the route and removes all of the gear placed by the leader. It is important that the leader be proficient at placing Trad (or clean) gear (cams, stoppers, hexes, tri-cams, etc.) because his/her safety depends upon the soundness of each individual gear placement. Placing trad gear on lead can be time-consuming and thus tiring, sometimes making routes feel harder than their rating. Trad climbing is generally practiced according to ethical principles, that dictate only natural gear placements be made. These same ethical principles have driven many to put their lives in danger rather than place a bolt. If the climbers are exceptionally traditional, the leader will immediately lower to the ground or anchor after a fall (rather than continuing on from where he/she is hanging). It is, with perhaps the exception of Free-soloing, the purest form of climbing. A true traditional ascent will leave no trace of its passage.
* Sport Climbing is a type of lead climbing which involves the use of pre-placed permanent bolts for protection. This frees the leader from the need to carry and place traditional gear. The leader merely clips one side of a quickdraw (two carabiners connected by a loop of webbing) into a bolt and the other into the rope. A typical sport route will require the leader to carry between 6 and 12 quickdraws or "draws," one for each bolt in the string of bolts that protect the route. Sport Climbing, in essence, is focused more on the gymnastic aspects of climbing than the aesthetics or adventure. Sport routes are bolted with safety in mind and also because they generally (though not always) ascend faces that are not protectable by any other practical mean. Bolts, however, are not foolproof. The same stringence concerning safety found in Trad. climbing should apply to Sport climbing as well. In the case of a fall, sport climbers often rest on the rope and begin from where they are hanging, called "hang-dogging." Hard sport climbs often require that the climber literally rehearse every single move several times before he/she can complete a clean ascent (without falls).
* Top Roping involves suspending a rope from an anchor located at the top of a short climb. The climber ties into one end of the rope and is belayed by his belayer who manages the other end of the rope. The belayer can belay either from the top or base of the route. This is distinct from Lead climbing where the climber is not safeguarded by a rope attached to an anchor situated at the top of the route.
* Bouldering may be described as climbing short, severe routes on boulders or small outcrops. While safety ropes from above are occasionally used, most boulderers feel that the most ethical form of protection is a bouldering mat or pad similar to those used by gymnasts. In addition, other climbers standing on the ground may "spot" the boulderer, to help safely guide his or her fall.
* Indoor climbing is a form of climbing that can involve bouldering, top roping, and leading in an indoor environment on wood or plastic holds. For most it will be the easiest way to begin the sport.
* Free solo climbing: Usually describes free climbing without a rope or other protective gear. Free solo climbing is distinguished from solo climbing where a climber progressing alone uses a rope and protection devices including a self belay system.