Video of a 40 ft. fall while soloing

Awesome friends...probably wouldn't be so funny with his brains on a rock.

alexdavis wrote: Good thing he wasn't free climbing.

He was free climbing, right until he fell. Free climbing is defined by anytime you ascend a route without falling, whether with a rope or without.

camhead wrote: He was free climbing, right until he fell. Free climbing is defined by anytime you ascend a route without falling, whether with a rope or without.

He should have practiced "free down climbing" right around the 2:40
mark of the questionable video.

He was free climbing, but then he was free falling.

Mark E Dixon wrote:It's a new thing called DDS- deep dirt soloing. I'm surprised you guys haven't heard of it. Seriously though, y'all are being a little harsh. Every climber I know has done some pretty idiotic things, especially me. For his kid's sake, I hope he dials back the risk meter. But at least he didn't bring a dog to the crag. Mark

DUDE, I was eating breakfast, and now I coughed oatmeal up my nose I was laughing so hard, DDS, NOW that is classic.

roger fritz wrote: He should have practiced "free down climbing" right around the 2:40 mark of the questionable video.

I think down climbing needs to be mentioned a few more times.

People have asked me if I climb without protection, not in those words, and I'm puzzled they know or care about it. It was on TV, ?60 minutes?, so now I know.

I describe down climbing and insure I get the message across. I do not climb up past what I'm comfortable down climbing and have down climbed. It is harder to down climb because you can not so easily see down.

If this guy climbed under his top rope level, had a crash pad, and a spotter; this would be a non event. But it is a free country as people say.

scott nearing wrote: I think down climbing needs to be mentioned a few more times. People have asked me if I climb without protection, not in those words, and I'm puzzled they know or care about it. It was on TV, ?60 minutes?, so now I know. I describe down climbing and insure I get the message across. I do not climb up past what I'm comfortable down climbing and have down climbed. It is harder to down climb because you can not so easily see down. If this guy climbed under his top rope level, had a crash pad, and a spotter; this would be a non event. But it is a free country as people say.

Crash pad and spotter???? For a solo? What?!?!

Whoa...he traverses off to the right for whatever reason...onto Fish Lips? No man's land for sure. He'd a been better down climbing and or traversing left into the chimney if he was going to bail.

Didn't look that solid. Wonder if he's ever even led Extreme Unction?

Scary. Foolish. Yikes.

scott nearing wrote: I think down climbing needs to be mentioned a few more times.

I routinely practice down climbing. When climbing an unknown route or getting off route it can get dicey real quick. In my humble opinion, I believe backing off a route is much better than decking from 40- feet. I wish the girlfriend would have caught the actual fall so I could see what I have been missing by down climbing!

I mentioned this before earlier in the thread...

A few years ago there was a video floating around of a guy who was soloing a route with a toprope hung on it. As he fell, he grabbed the rope. Although it only slightly slowed his fall, it kept him upright and he walked away with only minor injuries.

I tried to find the video, but my search skills are sadly lacking. One of you internet sleuths should find that video and post it up. It belongs in this thread.

NC Rock Climber wrote:I mentioned this before earlier in the thread... A few years ago there was a video floating around of a guy who was soloing a route with a toprope hung on it. As he fell, he grabbed the rope. Although it only slightly slowed his fall, it kept him upright and he walked away with only minor injuries. I tried to find the video, but my search skills are sadly lacking. One of you internet sleuths should find that video and post it up. It belongs in this thread.

http://vimeo.com/7858740#at=0

It's funny because he talks about it like he knows something. Have at it guys!

If you look up the route on MP, it is 5.9 with a crux off the ground and right before the anchors. Genius.

Dudebro obviously didn't watch this film. if he'd only known

http://youtu.be/5-AJLo4whSQ

Brendan Blanchard wrote: It's funny because he talks about it like he knows something. Have at it guys! If you look up the route on MP, it is 5.9 with a crux off the ground and right before the anchors. Genius.

The comments that he made speak volumes..."I don't know how that happened"..."I have never fallen on that before"..."I am cocky, I mean confident"..."I am OK"...

roger fritz wrote: The comments that he made speak volumes..."I don't know how that happened"..."I have never fallen on that before"..."I am cocky, I mean confident"..."I am OK"...

I honestly can't believe that anyone would post a video like that, he fell, he failed, and he tries to recover it through talking about it like a climbing film interview inter-spliced with climbing footage. It doesn't work.

"There is certainly no reason for a recreational climber to ever even consider it."

John Long, on the topic of free soloing, How to Rock Climb!

Brendan Blanchard wrote: It's funny because he talks about it like he knows something. Have at it guys! If you look up the route on MP, it is 5.9 with a crux off the ground and right before the anchors. Genius.

It's ok guys, he learned his lesson, so now he's gonna "stick with 5.8 and below soloing."

Wow.

Thanks Brendan. That was the one I was talking about. It was even worse than I remember. It would be interesting to know if the guy from the "how to survive a free solo" vid is still climbing.

Brian in SLC wrote:Whoa...he traverses off to the right for whatever reason...onto Fish Lips? No man's land for sure. into the chimney if he was going to bail. Didn't look that solid. Wonder if he's ever even led Extreme Unction? Scary. Foolish. Yikes.

Ever led it? Hell, there is no way he ever climbed it. I bet he went up there one day, it was swarmed with people as it always is and he watched a few people then hatched a brilliant plan with less than brilliant ideas.

rging wrote: I bet he went up there one day, it was swarmed with people as it always is and he watched a few people then hatched a brilliant plan with less than brilliant ideas.

While he still has a chance, I hope that the teacher called "Consequence" moved him towards "Wisdom" for his future decisions and actions.