Solo

I have free soloed several routes in the flatirons and eldo. Until today, these experiences filled me with nothing but confidence and exhilaration. I considered myself a very solid and headstrong climber and considered the risks involved in those solos to be very calculated and acceptable. That being said, i've never told a family member or my girlfriend of 5 years with whom i share a home about any of my free solo exploits.

Today, about 400 feet off the deck on the 1rst flatiron, my calf started cramping severely. I looked down and the spasms looked like someone was poking my calf with sticks; i could barely move my foot. I was able to back up a couple moves to a small ledge, drink some water, stretch a bit and then scramble up and towards the north end of the 1rst on easier terrain. At that moment, I wasn't really freaking out or anything. A tame down climb from the far north side got me on the ground. I spent the next 40 minutes sliding down the hill and post=holing through snow in my shorts. Once on the ground the flood of introspection hit ....girlfriend, family, public perception of another "crazy rock climber" dying, my own disbelief that something had gone wrong on a 5.4 in perfect weather ect. ect. It shook me like no climbing incident has shaken me in 10+ years.

I would be curious to hear of other soloing mishaps and others' evaluations of what happened. I don't think I'll ever be able to solo again...would you? Its all I can think about right now, but its not exactly open for discussion at dinner. Hope to hear some thoughts.

Dude, it happens. I was soloing "Calypso" in Eldo one day. I think I know how to solo a 5.6. I had a meltdown of the worst sorts partway up the 1st pitch.

One of the scariest things I have ever climbed was back down that pitch. I don't know why, but I melted.

Not too long ago I took some friends of mine climbing and My best friend decided he'd try his hand at cleaning the anchors, he climbed the route and anchored and untied just fine but after that he froze. He had forgotten how to tie back in after him hanging there and me trying to talk him through tying in with no luck for twenty minutes or so I decided to solo up and help him. There was no walk off or a scramble and we only had the one rope. It was only a 40-or 45 five foot pitch 5.6 sport climb but right off the deck I was terrified. So I was scared shitless trying to calm down my friend who is scared shitless and in the mean time I stopped paying attention and matched me feet on this little ledge that turned out to be a nasty little choss pile. So both my feet came out from under me , luckily I had a hold of an awesome jug. Got back up finished the climb tied my friend back in and rapped off after him. I was only 30 feet off the deck, I can't imagine being sketched out at 400.

Your post reminds me of the story of Duncan Ferguson soloing a 5.11 on the Bastille. When he reached the top he felt so invincible he got an irresistible urge to jump off, believing he'd be able to fly. He controlled the urge by thinking about his family then he down-climbed the route and never soloed again.

I've had a couple of incidents while soloing--a bad cramp in my forearm and a huge wasp attack but I still solo occasionally on very easy routes.

Almost got nailed by some large chunks of ice yesterday on the 1st. I was traversing to get onto the main route about 50 ft from the base so I wasn't exactly on jugs. Earlier I got sketched out in tennis shoes trying to get to the base of the 1st from the spy. Last year I tried to free solo the 4th in crappy tennis shoes. At least I think it was the 4th, I don't really know. I just kinda wandered around and saw a cool face. Anyways, I get about 200 ft up this real shallow and wide crack that I was applying opposing pressure to in order to continue upward progress, and was hit by the reality of my situation. THE hardest downclimb I have ever done.

The thing that attracts me to free soloing is the control and the focus. Once you realize there are things that are beyond your control free soloing becomes a bigger commitment, not to be entered into lightly.

hiphopanonymous wrote:I don't think I'll ever be able to solo again...would you? Its all I can think about right now, but its not exactly open for discussion at dinner. Hope to hear some thoughts.

Hope you are doing well. Don't sweat it too much, but you are the only one who can make a decision about what you want to do. I think I remember a quote attributed to John Long where he stated that no one has a right to egg another person on to solo something... However, if you have been doing it for a while now, then I think you have become pretty smitten. Well, join the club, and proudly proclaim it too. Just factor in the consequences, and accept what you are doing can have a negative outcome. So can driving on I-25 for that matter. None of us get out of this world alive; make your peace with what you do, and then strive to be the best that you can at it. Perhaps consider what Preuss en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_…(climber) had to say; in that you should be able to down climb whatever it is that you are trying to climb up. I think you pulled off your "moment" with some aplomb. Cheers.

When moving belays, topping out, route finding, or some other situation a lot of times I'll end up doing a bit of off rope climbing. It seems like I always end up reflecting on it later and feeling guilty and stupid though at the time I felt like it was not very dangerous. I take this to mean that I climb off rope for the wrong reasons: urgency, like it will take too much time to be belayed a few feet when there are great holds etc. I reflect latter that the possible consequences do not justify these reasons. I think for some people it is justified: if the risk and seriousness of it is the reason. In that case I would think that a close call would only reinforce ones experience of perseverance.

i camped out on top of the 1st pitch of hair city for a couple absolute water tight hours before making what i believe to be a FFBPR (first free butt puckered retreat) by traversing off to the right to meet the hill as it rose (slowly...thank god) to meet me. i don't know what happened. things were peachy, stopped on the big ledge for about 10 minutes, stretched out for a few, pulled one move off and freaked out...like a drunk the morning after, i made a lot of promises...with the exception of a few incidents and momentary lapses of reason, i have lived up to those promises. i stopped soloing. i had soloed sporadically for years before that. sometimes near (about a number grade) below my on-sight limit...like an ex _____(fill in the blank...smoker, meth head, coin collector, bath tub rubber duck...) i still long to solo routes and will even 'train' for certain solos but i knew that minute that i was out of my depth. i am not that guy. for me it was a posture. a posture that i could not maintain. accepting that was the hardest. i wanted to be that guy. i (luckily) knew a couple of 'those' guys. i liked all of the selfish and lilly white (yes, i do mean our socio/economic demographic) hyperbole. you will know if you are a soloist. you know if you are not. all the flowery and manufactured emotions aside, it is pretty simple. i deeply admire soloists and the art of soling. derek (god rest his soul), michael (god rest his soul), john, peter, alex; soloists. me- husband, brother, son, friend, weekend warrior, surfer, dork... you?

Scott said it well, its not for everyone

he is my story... i have soloed a number of route well under how hard i climb and i am scared to death everytime, but i dont let it control me except on time and that one time is all it took. i was soloing this long(330 feet) 5.3 slab climb on day because i couldnt find a partner. this route i had done over twenty times before this instance and knew everymove, i had even soled it twice by moonlight only... well one day i was about 200 hundred feet up when my foot slipped on a smear... it didn't faze me for the rest of the climb i just shook it off and kept climbing but i started freaking out on the way down, i was getting legit mad at myself for risking it all. if i had fallen the two hundred foot fall would have finished when i rolled of another 150 foot cliff. i was upset with myself for taking the risk and i haven't soloed since, will i again maybe do i plan for it no. that's my story i had wanted to be a soloist and i did enjoy it for the while i did it but not anymore i guess that's just my climbing life evolving...

My voluntary solo stories are ordinary. However, the time I was forced to solo was a bit freaky.
I was climbing with a new partner (whom I won't name). We were both relatively new to climbing. The route was Osiris on the Book at Lumpy ridge. Pretty casual under normal circumstances, but inexperience turned this into a day I still talk about to this day.
I led the short second pitch (A little too short as it turns out). I set up the belay a bit too low, which left my partner a bit short on the third pitch.
When my partner came to the end of the rope, short of the belay ledge, he thought the best option was to untie and solo the rest of the pitch. I was then left to fend for myself two pitches off the ground. I didn't feel comfortable free soloing the pitch while carrying two ropes plus cleaning the gear he had left on the pitch, so I decided aid-soloing was the safest option. Not having ever aid soloed before, I had to invent a system on the fly. It was frightening, to say the least. He was a bit confused when I got to Fang Ledge and immediately rapped to clean the pitch. When he asked why I did not just free solo it I told him to fuck himself.
Thus started my hobby of aid-soloing. I've since learned to do it properly.

Funny, I've had very similar experiences to some mentioned, thinking they were unique! First pitch of Calypsos- On a cold winter day, I exited the corner/roof and froze- Wondering how long it would take for someone to help (later finished the pitch).

After freaking on the apparent choss of the West Chimney of the Bastille, I escaped to the Blind Faith Ledge, and sat. After 20 minutes, terrified, I finished the West Buttress.

(I wrote a couple short stories about those experiences if you're interested: Here and Here )

eliclimbs wrote:First pitch of Calypsos- On a cold winter day, I exited the corner/roof and froze-

I think that spot is thought provoking even with a rope.

I don't free solo, except for low angle climbs--where broken holds seem less certain to be a death sentence. Last fall, I soloed the First Flatiron. About a month earlier, I climbed it for the first time with my teenage son, and decided protection was so sparce that gear was more hassle then help.

The friction on the first two pitches stuck in my mind as the crux. Passing that, I relaxed and settled in to the climb.

About 6 pitches up, approaching and entering the slot that leads to the ridge, I couldn't find positive holds to feel 100% solid. Downclimbing wasn't an option. The weird part is, I wasn't scared. After a few minutes' pause, I decided doing insecure moves strongly and smoothly was better than clinging and clawing for security I couldn't find.

So, with an awkward reach I did a stretched lean/lieback on smeared feet, grabbed better edges, and kept going. (Yes, I know I'm describing 5.6, but that's what it felt like.)

I always expected being less than solid up high would spark exploding fear and turn body and brain to jelly. On that day, it didn't. It seems it should have been an important event, or at least provoked reflection associated with a mortal near miss. I feel a little guilty it was neither terrifying nor an occasion of soul-searching.

I've soloed the Third since then, but without a passage comparable to the slot. I'm ambivalent about going back to the First, but expect I will...unless something clicks and I see it as monstrously selfish and irresponsible.

Shawn Mitchell wrote: About 6 pitches up, approaching and entering the slot that leads to the ridge, I couldn't find positive holds to feel 100% solid.

that spot is always scary to me also. if I'm not feeling solid that day I bail off to the right where there is an easier roof and then follow the ridge to the summit.

Phil Lauffen wrote: that spot is always scary to me also. if I'm not feeling solid that day I bail off to the right where there is an easier roof and then follow the ridge to the summit.

Same experience for me. The earlier pitches weren't that bad (especially given the lack of pro) but that freaked me out and I bailed right.

I've soloed other big stuff, like Snake Dike and the East Face of Whitney, both of which were rewarding probably only in retrospect, since I had pretty gripping moments on both where, if I could have, I would've downclimbed but couldn't.

Even though both were about 20 yrs ago, I still remember that friction pitch on Snake Dike, which is just also balancy steps up into those sloping scoops with bad hands, and not being able to find the end of the Fresh Air Traverse on Whitney and climbing up and down both of the Shaky Leg Cracks (left is 5.6/7 ow and the right is 5.8/9 exposed lieback) mentally willing myself to commit.

I finally see an old sling tied around a chockstone in a chimney way off to the left and assuming that's the route. It get steep around that chockstone, which is just a jammed flake. I reach up and grab the thing with both hands and my feet cut loose, and I can feel the thing moving in my hands. I can easily go the rest of my life without experiencing that feeling again.

Last summer I was in Eldo with my girlfriend, we had been climbing for a week or so there. I had mentioned to her that I would really like to solo the bastille crack, but didnt really get into it, (she wanted nothing to do with it and didnt even want to hear about it, understandably) she wanted to lead "werksup" to warm up. After topping out we started the downclimb traverse off the top of the bastille. When we got to the old railroad grade we saw a dude sitting on the bench a ways down, half his face was crimson red, for some reason I cant quite comprehend I truly thought it was a birth defect, or that he had gotten into some bad poison ivy...wtf? (he was a ways down and i couldnt really tell from there that it was blood.) We continued down the steps towards the base of the Bastille, when we were almost to the bottom a fire truck, ambulance, and paramedics pulled up. He had successfully soloed the bastille, and in his hype put on his sneakers and started the traverse, slipped and ended up falling about 30 feet to the slope, what a bummer, and buzzkill.

I guess it goes to show that you gotta keep focused and in the "zone" even when your on really easy rock.

Fat Dad wrote: Same experience for me. The earlier pitches weren't that bad (especially given the lack of pro) but that freaked me out and I bailed right.

Fat Dad, you've climbed in Colorado? Just a road trip...or what brought you out here, when? By the way, I'm not sure I have Eric's contact info. Our contact has been very limited. But I'll look for it.

Uh, sorry for the drift, hipho. To be topical, I'll say in my limited soloing experience, I like granite best, because it seems most solid.

PS: Fat Dad, did you have a lot of beta, intuition, peripheral vision? How did you know to go right? I powered up because I didn't know there was anywhere else to go.

PPS: Your account of the wedged flake on Whitney just filled my morning with UncalmAdrenaline.

Hank Caylor wrote:Dude, it happens. I was soloing "Calypso" in Eldo one day. I think I know how to solo a 5.6. I had a meltdown of the worst sorts partway up the 1st pitch. One of the scariest things I have ever climbed was back down that pitch. I don't know why, but I melted.

I soloed calypso a few times, but it's gotten slick. As a result, it's off the list. I've soloed Tagger more recently than Calypso.

As for soloing stories, it's the occasional wasp encounters on lead that keep me thinking it unwise to get into strange situations while soloing. What would you do, reflexively, in a swarm? I'd probably end up falling. I fist-jammed a copperhead once in Red River Gorge too- a scarey incident on lead, a potential disaster soloing.

If interested in the concept, read the route description here:
mountainproject.com/v/color…

JLP wrote: Then - and this is the most important part - you post all over the internet about it!! Hey - maybe 1-2 of you should talk to Mark about smoking a load of weed before you head up! Probably calm your nerves and relax your muscles a bit!

You make me laugh, anonymous wanker. You really do.

From what I've seen, you contribute little to these forums other than self-righteousness and ragging on others for doing things that you don't agree with. I'm 100% sure that stems from your ignorance; I see it all the time.

--Marc

Wow, just checked in on this after my original post. Some very thoughtful and relative comments.

JLP: I can assure you my motivations for posting my story had nothing to do with internet fame or notoriety; hence my anonymity. Many of your posts are kind of funny, and sometimes the people receiving your ridicule and degradation kind of deserve it. This time, your kind of just being a dick. I can't speak for Marc, but I'd be pretty pissed if you advertised my illegal activity.

My free solo mishap was an emotional event that I did not want to burden friends and family with. They wouldn't understand anyway. For whatever reason, hearing others experiences helps me digest the results of my decisions a little better. It was a personal decision to climb un-roped. I have always done it by myself, with no spectators, and this is actually the first time I've ever discussed it afterwords. Maybe someday I'll be super tough-guy know it all and won't need to seek such discussions. Until then, I appreciate this forum.

Thanks guys, for sharing your insight and thoughts.

Shawn,
I've climbed probably three or four days in CO if you count bouldering at Flagstaff. In the early 90s I was contemplating moving to Boulder. I didn't like my big firm job in downtown LA, found out I did well enough on the CA bar to waive into CO, so came out for a long weekend to look around.

I was waiting for a friend driving in from Jackson when I soloed the First Flatiron. I had a copy of what I think was the Rossiter guide (Boulder North I think) that had handwritten topos of the route. So I just copied that and stuffed it in my pocket. Soloed the E. Face, up the N. Ridge and down soloed some 5.0 from the top.

The following day I dragged my friend up the Third Flatiron and Calypso (staying on topic). Pudgy friend from law school who never climbed before but was a total natural. Flew up Calypso. The crux for him was removing the gear.

Clearly though, I never made the move.

This is an incredible thread everyone, thanks to all!!

Free soloing is not for me but I have other stories to relate.

I was a full time ski instructor for a number of years and saw my share of accidents, I had to fill out big long reports. Almost every time it was on terrain easy for the student in my class.

Once I had a strong Level 4 class, they were all pushing their limit on blue runs and we decided to ski easy terrain down for the end of the day. A lady fell while pushing herself across a dead flat catwalk with her poles, she broke her collar bone in 3 places.

Probably when we are on easier terrain we all let our guard down. To those of you who solo, keep your guard up. That feeling some are reporting of invincibility is probably the scariest thing I have read here.