What is free climbing vs free solo reddit. r/freesolo:Forget ropes, harnesses, gear.

What is free climbing vs free solo reddit. They said it couldn't be done. Nov 16, 2023 · The Breakdown Many free soloist have died trying, so why do it? Free soloing, the act of climbing without the use of ropes or safety gear, is one of the most daring and controversial forms of rock climbing. 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. This is a place to discuss free solo climbing. I think past ~6m/7m or so you're basically on a microroute and aren't really bouldering any The "Free" part of "Free Solo" means free climbing, which is when someone uses only their hands and feet to climb. And what about protected free climbing with no belayer allowing the use of aid techniques? Roped aid solo? It's absurd. free climbing: using only your body and the rock's natural features to climb, while having ropes as backup in a fall. Realistically, what kind of chance was Alex taking free soloing el cap? Yes climbing is a spectrum of risk, and everyone selects the level at which their risk/reward ratio is met. Free soloing or free solo climbing is a type of rock or ice climbing where climbers, or more commonly known as free soloists, climb alone without using safety equipment such as ropes, harnesses, helmets, and the like. What Is Free Solo Climbing? Free climbing is a form of rock climbing in which the climber can only use their rock-climbing equipment for their protection but not as an artificial aid to help them in ascending a climbing route. The reason a high elo player does this is that damage supports are are better off if they get higher economy due to being used by a smurf. None of them are really hikers, but they all tell me that “Rule 1 of hiking is to not go alone”. Climbing is a deeply personal sport. prepare to bail. Alex Honnold faces the biggest challenge of his career, climbing El Capitan in Yosemite National Park. go line up on the south face of the column. trueFrom this perspective I feel like Alpine climbing is a far bigger accomplishment. (Topo). This just feels like the opinion of someone who hears about Alex Honnold and learned literally nothing else about climbing after that. Oct 3, 2022 · In a new book, Jeff Smoot, author of “Hangdog Days,” launches an encyclopedic investigation into free soloing’s history… and why we do it. It might involve hard, unroped climbing, like a 'free solo' or it might not. He pursues it Free Solo, which means climbing without a rope and alone. It seems so antithetical to our instincts of self-preservation, and yet, guys like Alex Honnold thrive off it. Jun 4, 2022 · The term free soloing is usually applied to steep and technical rock climbing done with only hands and feet, with the sole equipment being climbing shoes and chalk bag, but the word solo also applies to ice climbs and routes done ropeless in the Alps and Greater Ranges. We would like to show you a description here but the site won’t allow us. And you don't fall when you solo. I only meant the comparison with Mcleod's solo as a different way of looking at difficulty. The distinction between these two movies is clear to those with a passing knowledge of climbing history. That said, I'd say most of my climbing partners TR solo regularly. The easiest free route on El Cap is 3,000 feet of free climbing on trad gear, has multiple 5. Climbing Mt. 13)? 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. The protection can’t aid you in your progression up the wall. 12 pitches, and has a 5. 8. Free Solo was meant to have more wide-appeal, while Dawn Wall was more of a climber movie, had laughs, and had a more interesting plot-line. aid climbing: using ropes and gear to pull yourself up the mountain. Free climbing is the type most climbers do: In free climbing, the climber moves up the wall under their own power without using any special gear to help them. 80K votes, 6. "Free climbing" means climbing the natural features of the rock, as opposed to climbing aids (e. Seriously - how much does someone belaying you or tying in really take away from the experience of climbing?? 6. A subreddit for the indoor bouldering community. At the end of this article, you’ll everything there is about free climbing and the difference between free climbing, aid climbing, and free soloing. From advice on which gym to visit to videos of world cup IFSC climbers, you can find it all here. 48 votes, 108 comments. Free Solo is a well known doc about a well known figure doing the most insane shit ever. There is also aid climbing, in which you use tools to attach to the rock instead of using your hands/feet (such as cams, hooks, etriers). With Alex Honnold, Tommy Caldwell, Jimmy Chin, Cheyne Lempe. Alex Honnold kinda had that going on to a degree based on his interviews in Free Solo. Definition of free climbing and free climb ascents. We’re going to investigate all of the different types of climbing within the sport. 170 votes, 33 comments. : r/climbing     Go to climbing r/climbing r/climbing 5. The home of Climbing on reddit. The Dawn Wall is a famous advertisement from the late-60s “mad men” era of advertising where dawn detergent is used to clean up an adorable kitchen mess involving, you guessed it, a messy wall. Free solo is the type of climbing in the video. While their names might suggest similarities, these types of climbing stand apart in their approach, risks, and requirements. It you want a real climbing documentary, I highly recommend the Dawn Wall film. See full list on climbingfacts. Free solo is good, but it's only half about climbing and just as much about mental health and relationships. Free climbing is not using aid (gear, ropes, ladders, etc) for upward mobility; regardless of whether there us a rope for safety. 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. I think most people define free soloing (which is what you're talking about when you say free climbing, free solo is a type of free climbing) as the point where the mat wouldn't really make much difference if you fell in terms of the injuries you'd get. However, most styles of climbing that are considered free climbing do use some sort of protection in case of a fall. Just them and the rock, but I've always thought there might be other underlying reasons for deciding to free solo. Been climbing for about 2 days and didn't want to put in any actual attemps on it but I wanted to check out the big rock looking thing that Alex Handhold free solo'd, just to see it. It was in lieu of hearing my friend retell her story of watching the free soloist climbing that recently died falling in Eldo that really got me thinking about that aspect of the sport. 15+ or 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. g. 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. 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. Jun 29, 2022 · In reply to Trangia: It's to define between the different types of route climbing that you do on your own e. I wrote the following guide to help people understand the distinction! So, what’s the difference between free climbing and free soloing? Free soloing means to climb with no rope to catch you if you fall. Free soloing is an extreme form of climbing without any protection, relying solely on strength and skill. Anything related to indoor (and outdoor) goes. free soloing: same as free climbing minus any and all protection. Free climbing is just the opposite of aid climbing. I am super new to climbing. (I'm talking about class 5 here. Just the climber, a chalk bag, climbing shoes and the crag. I've done this climb many times before and none of my climbing friends are available this weekend. 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. 1K votes, 377 comments. 13- crux. If it's a boulder, it's bouldering. [1][2] Free climbing, therefore, cannot use any of the mechanical tools that are widely used in aid climbing to help the climber overcome the After seeing Free Solo, these thoughts were never prompted. To me it’s As others have implied aero vs climbing is an outdated distinction. r/ freesolo IMO at least a month. I think that it hit so close 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). Apr 16, 2022 · The Dawn Wall and Free Solo are two of the better-known climbing documentaries. I don’t know if that’s true or not, I see plenty people hiking solo, and truly I don’t believe that hiking solo is THAT much more dangerous. Significance of Honnold's 2017 Freerider climb vs 2012 Nose climb This question is probably stupid, but didn't he already free solo the Nose on El Cap in 2012, in addition to doing Watkins and Half Dome within the same 24 hours? How much harder is Freerider compared to the Nose (seems like both are 5. I've seen free solo climbers (Alex Honnold included) carry bail gear with them. 11 and 5. 1. While the risks are evident, the reasons why climbers choose to free solo are multifaceted and deeply personal. 14b solo in Margalef, Spain. It is a common misconception that these terms all refer to the same thing. 7K votes, 401 comments. That's it. So almost everyone who gets on there is going to aid at least a little. When he had to deal with the difficulties of climbing this one, he had a rather intimate knowledge of every little challenge and was able to plan for it while free soloing. Oct 27, 2021 · Nevertheless, free soloing is one discipline that has serious consequences should something go wrong. For the brands that even offer an aero and climbing bike at their top end what you’re actually looking at is variations on price, stiffness/compliance, and aerodynamics. Sep 3, 2023 · Many people will use the terms free solo, solo, and free climbing interchangeably. not weighting any gear or using fixed ropes etc. etriers or mechanical ascenders). "Free solo" climbing is where you do the same, without a rope, or gear for safety. Free Solo: Directed by Jimmy Chin, Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi. That’s called free soloing. Oct 3, 2023 · Learn about the exhilarating world of free climbing and free soloing. Honestly, there's a lot of very specific details involved in 54 votes, 56 comments. IF your goal is climbing around your own rank - pick does not matter. this all comes up when googling either one, so I don't really see any additional value of the website. Free climbing just means using only the rock and your own physical prowess as a means of progression upwards, opposed to, for example, pulling on fixed gear in aid climbing etc. Still not convinced? Consider a hypothetical hardo who climbs big walls using aid techniques but doesn't wear a harness. A lot of the time Brand will make your teamcomp worser then if you would have picked a tank or even an enchanter. A solo can, but doesn't always, involve ropes for a variety of purposes. 8M subscribers in the nextfuckinglevel community. So there are a lot of people climbing at a very high level that have no interest in gaining notoriety. Free indicating that you are free climbing i. Jul 13, 2016 · In free climbing, the climber moves up the wall under their own power without using any special gear to help them move upward (excluding climbing shoes). 14? Free climbing is using your hands and legs directly on the rock -- originally climbers would pull on a lot of gear like pitons, which is called aid climbing. Jul 5, 2024 · What is free soloing? Alex Honnold is the most famous name in free solo climbing (Image credit: JJ Kelly, National Geographic for Disney+) Free soloing is a style of climbing involving no rope and no protection. Just did my first top rope solo, would love to get some feedback on the system I used. e. If a 5. Sep 21, 2023 · Check out some of the world's most legendary, frightening, and ground-breaking free solos of all time. climb a bunch of multi-pitch free routes. Free climbing doesn’t mean climbing without a rope or safety gear. you could make it much simpler. I have to say, I didn't interpret 'pure rock climbing' as meaning free soloing- I would have thought it was ruling out big mountain ascents. I didn't own a rope for a long time because I was climbing with two people that had ropes, and three ropes for three people was overkill. Technically "free soloing" just means you're free climbing (without aid gear, but you can still have a rope) and you're soloing. If it's a face, it's free soloing (without a rope). To my parents and friends solo hiking is like parkour over rooftops. They just don't have the drive to push soloing as hard as Alex does (I'd argue those with the drive to risk it all usually go for alpinism rather than rock-climbing). Yeah, I think it's easy to forget that honnold actually spent months climbing and reclimbing El Capitan with gear to absolutely perfect his route. 12+/5. Jun 1, 2021 · We’ll discuss whether rock climbing solo is safe or not, some common solo climbing activities, and how to find climbing partners. Alex's hardest free solo is at the grade of 13a iirc. But he was a professional climber and he made friends and worked with filmmakers Documentary on Netflix , The Alpinist, don’t read if you haven’t seen it, it’s fascinating, but I do have thoughts and curiosity to share… (SPOILER) below… Share Add a Comment Sort by: Best Open comment sort options Top New Controversial Old Q&A [deleted] • Comment deleted by user Reply reply Blarneylad22 • Free Solo is the story of the people’s movement to “Free Han Solo” from the ice block or whatever it was. In many ways, it’s the purest form of climbing. I was quite disappointed and the only thing saving it from being trash was the emotional impact of Marc's death. The grade isn't the reason he gets his notoriety. Is it possible to top or lead rope solo? Also this may sound like a dumb question but how do you top rope outside? Jun 4, 2025 · All this exposure has a lot of people wondering about free climbing vs free soloing. Find the best posts and communities about Free Solo on Reddit Magnus Midtbø's Onsight Free Soloing Video with Alex Honnold was irresponsible when recorded and irresponsible when published. 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. You don't even permit the possibility of a fall to enter into your mind. So "free solo" means protected unaided climbing with no belayer, right? Wrong, that would be "roped solo". Good guy, I just wish he was around to reap the fame. This is the opposite of aid climbing where you fix gear into the rock and pull up on the gear. 4M subscribers in the climbing community. 16 equivalent? Sketchy balancy slabs that are hard 5. We all do it for different reasons and it means different things to different people. Since watching The Dawn Wall film and reading about the climb and some of the interviews from Tommy, Kevin, Alex Honnold, Beth Rodden, and other involved with the first ascent I’ve got a few questions about free climbing vs aid and what constitutes a first free ascent. 2. We use the term free climbing to differentiate from using the gear to actually help you get up the wall – normally called aid climbing. What Does It Mean To Free Climb Something? Any of you who have climbed Everest; what was that experience like? What was the most difficult part and what was the most amazing part? Nov 2, 2022 · Whether you're a first-time climber or a seasoned mountaineer, at some point, you've probably heard the term "free climbing. Apr 9, 2015 · What re the differences between these 4 styles of rock climbing? Bouldering Aid Climbing Free Climbing Free solo climbing Just goes to show that sport climbing and alpine climbing are wildly different beasts. Personally, I don't free solo on anything regardless of grade - if I'm going up more than enough to hurt myself reasonably badly, I rope in. com When I first started getting into the sport, I was confused about the difference between free climbing and free soloing. You should be climbing with someone, and splitting gear costs really really helps make sport climbing and trad climbing more accessible. 1K comments. Is Alex Honnold's solo more well received because rock climbing is easier to understand? I listened to one of Ueli's last interviews and he mentions that it is very difficult to understand the world of Ueli Steck as there are so few people who can actually experience what doing Oct 16, 2023 · Among the most discussed and often misunderstood are free solo vs free climbing. but at least bivy at dinner ledge. He had free soloed, multiple times, many other Yosemite climbing routes before the documentary was even an idea. Tommy Caldwell absolutely could, and has, 'free' climbed Freerider. Heck, I didn't even think about the ethics of free soloing after I heard about John Bachar or other free soloists dying. No need for a partner. Free climbing without a rope is referred to as Free Soloing. Not to mention the media has made everyone think we’re always free soloing (thx honnold) and painted climbers as suicidal maniacs. If you are using it to move up the wall, that type of climbing is referred to as aid-climbing. Not sure why this was downvoted - sport climbing and alpine climbing/solo-ing are not the same and just because you're a strong sport climber doesn't mean you can or should solo 5. Free solo climbing (or free soloing) is a form of rock climbing where the climber (or free soloist) climbs solo (or alone) and without ropes or any form of protective equipment — they are allowed to use climbing shoes and climbing chalk (or ice tools and crampons if ice climbing). 10 (you will go faster the more free climbing you can do). He's not in Honnold's realm when it comes to free soloing climbs though, so he definitely wouldn't do that. 4 alpine routes. 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. You could go even further down the rabbit hole with 'Free Rope Soloing' but most people tend to assume that the rope solo ascent 235 votes, 27 comments. But, I owned a dozen draws, and one of them didn't own a single one. 4K votes, 290 comments. Climbing using your hands and Free climbing is not the same as free soloing. 11 = easy difficulty for a world-class climber (see chart free = no ropes or any equipment used to make the climb easier, but may use a safety rope for protection solo = no ropes used for protection on-sight = no prior practice/knowledge of the route. " Well, I can never hear the end of it from my friends and family. It is a shameless monetization and clout grab of a life-or-death situation and should be demonetized, age-restricted, or removed from YouTube. The problem with free soloing is that if you do die, best case scenario you're creating a horrific mess somebody else has to clean up; worst case scenario you're damaging the global climbing community with a high-profile accident that will make people think climbing is more dangerous and irresponsible than it is, inspire private landowners to But ultimately, what I found was soloing isn't really compatible with climbing, because a big part of climbing--and particularly the type of climbing I wanted to do--is falling. [1] Free soloing is the most dangerous form of climbing, and, unlike bouldering, free soloists climb above safe The grade does not dictate the danger, it’s the style. r/freesolo:Forget ropes, harnesses, gear. You're a superhuman freak if you can do that in two years. Down climbing is also a skill that I'm sure they are more comfortable with than most roped climbers. Personally, both were great however I liked Dawn Wall slightly more. Everest would be several orders of magnitude more risky than a typical free solo, yet I doubt the OP would view it as an illegitimate activity. What is the difference between free solo climbing vs free climbing. 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. 9 in the valley, preferably 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%. When you're alone on a route the stakes and responsibility and general feeling of seriousness are all much higher. 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. It means they climbed it solo, ie alone with no one else. 247 votes, 41 comments. Equipment is used to protect against a fall, but not to advance on tbe route. Apr 11, 2021 · Free climbing doesn’t mean climbing without a rope or safety gear. Climbing difficulty aside Free Solo is 10x the film this was. Sad and completely avoidable death. Rock Climbing Vs Free Climbing. 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. Alex Huber has free soloed 14a. Apparently, there is a spiritual sequel called "The Alpinist" which features a much less known figure doing even more insane shit. Understand the distinctions between these two challenging forms of rock climbing. Free climbing just means you are climbing up by pulling on rocks, but you are typically still using ropes and gear for safety. " Now that movies like Free Solo and Dawn Wall have brought climbing into the mainstream, however, it can be hard to know the difference between free climbing and other forms of the sport. Here's a beginner guide to the terminologies, definitions and key differences. become solid in all disciplines (crack, slab, ow, chimney) at least 5. Even lowball bouldering and single-pitch sport climbing are not risk-free activities. Has anyone publicized a free solo which is a technically harder climb? Is Heaven Alex Honnold's hardest (highest-rated) free solo? Free solo seems so reckless because they aren't doing that. 11 is the free solo danger crux of the Freerider, then you have to add a danger element on top of the grade of some sort, so the style on the Dawn Wall makes the crutch pitches, what, 5. What about free solo downhill climbing? I knew a guy who onsited La Dura Dura. And with both movies featuring the same sport, an interchangeable cast, and a similar set of locations, it’s no wonder they get confused in the public eye. 5M subscribers in the nextfuckinglevel community. And yes we are scared of falling. Ok, AFAIK Alex is a GOAT in free solo rock climbing right now, but there are others close behind. I love climbing, but I don't love it so much that I'm willing to give up the entire rest of my life for it. Please check this article from my blog to see if you could provide a similar quality? Trad Climbing vs Free Solo Climbing and DM to me for more details please Alex Honnold climbing a V7 boulder problem ~1500 feet / ~500 meters above ground, after already climbing for two hours There are literally a couple dozen total free solo* climbers (free climbing still uses safety gear, just no artificial holds, everything you use to climb must be a natural feature). Free solo climbing should not be done by anyone but an experienced climber that’s okay with taking on a sizable amount of risk. Soloing can also mean going alone with a rope, but free soloing means no rope. 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. The entire concept of free solo climbing is hard for me to comprehend, even after watching this. I found this article on Climbing Narc from 2008, about Dave MacLeod's 5. Aid Soloing, Rope Soloing, Daisy Soloing and Free Soloing. ) That said, people have the right to do their own thing. I mean, Alex was already going to free solo El Capitan whether he got the movie deal or not. What do you guys think? Carpe Diem? edit: spelling Like all things in climbing, can be done safely and smartly, but definitely higher risk because you're alone if something goes wrong. Mar 16, 2016 · Always wanted to go climbing, but don’t know where to start? Use this complete guide to gym and outdoor rock climbing for beginners. I personally love the experience, and its helped me get much better at reading routes. ajwtbjm pjxq ooeh hlbex pcwehr hbg uvgg ubnnd gihsx rqsj