| Free Soloing or simply Free Solo Climbing is the | | | | BUILDERING, he has also scaled a number of |
| purest form of climbing, though it carries a great | | | | mountains without the safety of harnesses, ropes |
| amount of risk. The climber or free soloist, | | | | etc. |
| basically climbs alone, that is without a harness, | | | | Another form of free soloing is 'deep water |
| safety belts, ropes or gear that would protect | | | | soloing', where the soloist climbs sea cliffs and |
| him/her from a fall. A 20 feet height is practical | | | | might get saved from injury by falling in deep |
| enough to be considered as free soloing. If a | | | | water. Though only a few possible spots have |
| climber falls it will definitely effect death or cause | | | | been considered to be safe, the danger of soloing |
| severe injury while soloing. Most soloists perform | | | | in such locations is the same. This is because free |
| climbs on known routes so that they are familiar | | | | soloing on sea cliffs has an additional set of |
| with the climb and the level of difficulty, well | | | | dangers from wet holds, waves, more loose |
| below his/her ability. Though this is the only | | | | rocks, birds and difficulties in rescue. |
| precaution taken, many soloists have fallen to | | | | "Observers think[I've] got a death wish. But |
| their deaths even though the climbing routes | | | | there's nothing else that makes me feel so alive. |
| were well below their confines. | | | | When you're free soloing, you can't afford to be |
| Natural risks like loosened rocks or unexpected | | | | distracted. You concentrate on the flow from |
| change in weather are imminent dangers present | | | | move to move to move. You exist only in the |
| while practicing a solo climb. The sport of Free | | | | present." This was the statement made by Derek |
| Solo Climbing is categorized as an extreme sport | | | | Hershey just before the tragic free fall that lead |
| because of the obvious danger. It cannot be | | | | to his death. The 'coming alive' feeling that most |
| approximated on how many climbers free solo, | | | | solo climbers want to experience might create a |
| because majority of rock climbers use ropes or | | | | big problem for them. In June 2005, John V. |
| other sort of protection from a fall. Most of the | | | | ZAZZARA a climber who was using proper |
| climbers admit that they would never climb | | | | equipment for his climb went missing on the steep |
| without any protection. But the fact is that the | | | | snow slopes of Mount McLaughlin. |
| danger in solo climbing is beyond the climber's | | | | This shows that if the climbers who use proper |
| control. | | | | safety gears to avoid danger and those who do |
| In Yosemite National Park, only a single death has | | | | not use, what are the chances of safety for free |
| been registered to free soloing, the case of the | | | | solo climber? Some famous solo climbers known |
| famous Derek HERSEY. Another famous | | | | all over the world today are John BACHAR, Paul |
| personality to free soloing is Alain Robert, better | | | | PREUSS, Dan OSMAN, Henry Barber, Derek |
| known as SPIDERMAN who has climbed dozens | | | | Hershey and Dean Potter. |
| of buildings. This sort of climbing is illegal, but has | | | | Though solo climbing can seem to be an extreme |
| been known as 'BUILDERING'. Along with | | | | sport, there are a growing number of takers. |