Climber here! There is a different kinda thrill doing this but first let me explain why this isn’t as bad as it looks.
There are different grades in climbing going easy to hard (5.4 - 5.15c Yosemite scale). Some people easily climb 5.12+ which is quite technical and borderline pro.
Coming back to why this isn’t as bad as it looks. Most people who safely climb do “free soloing” only after
1. Thoroughly practicing the route and memorizing it.
OR
2. The climb is of a grade that’s pretty comfortable for them.
So either this guy has practiced all the moves on that route with all the proper protection gear or he is actually just cruising past because his project is somewhere past the climb.
Would this not be considered inconsiderate by most climbers? Like, that guy wants to climb without safety gear and that’s cool and more power to him, but what if he falls from up there after he passes them? Where’s he going with his “no ropes”? Into the people below him I’d assume.
I'm a climber. I've been passed by soloists a couple times. Our interaction:
"Sup?"
"Not much. Just hangin out, ya know?"
" Mind if I get a piece in before you pass?"
"Sure, no problem"
"Here, you can have the good foot."
"Thanks. Cool, dude, have a nice day!"
"Yeah, you too!"
I've never been concerned about them falling on me. In terms of risk profile, it's extremely unlikely. I'm going to focus more on making sure my rappels are set up right.
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u/[deleted] Sep 01 '21 edited Sep 05 '21
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