Free solo

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

As a free solo ( English for free solo ) is when climbing the commission of a climbing route called single-handedly waiving technical materials and securing means. The term usually implies fatal consequences of a crash. For example, short climbing routes directly above the sea should not be viewed as free soloing, but rather as deep water soloing . Climbing very high bouldering problems , so-called highballs, is also not regarded as free solo climbing. Free solo should not be confused with free climbing or free climbing , which is generally very well secured. Instead, it can be classified as a special form of free climbing.

motivation

Climbers choose their free solo routes mainly for personal challenge, but sometimes also for attention, as climbing is difficult to make money compared to more popular sports. Getting involved in exposure, as is the case with solo climbing, brings with it a proximity of the highest intensity of life and danger of death. This is exactly the attraction that drives most free solo climbers to such life-threatening actions.

With a free solo ascent, the climber generally knows the route so well that he can climb it grip by grip and step by step in his mind's eye. As a rule, a sensible athlete will only tackle the route chosen for a free solo if he is 100% sure that his physical and mental form on the day allows this type of ascent. By Wolfgang Güllich is known for example that he long every morning for several days starting a route was that he wanted to commit free solo, only a short time to turn back empty-handed. Only when he was sure one morning that he could really make it that day did he successfully climb the route.

Free Solo in the top area (excerpt)

Well-known representatives of free solo climbing are or were u. a .: Kurt Albert , Dani Arnold , Hansjörg Auer , John Bachar , Thomas Bubendorfer , Peter Croft , Stephanie "Steph" Davis , Wolfgang Güllich , Derek Hersey , Alex Honnold , Alexander Huber , Robert Jasper , Dave McLeod , Dan Osman , Dean Potter , Albert Precht , Paul Preuß , Andreas Proft , Herbert Ranggetiner , Alain Robert and Ueli Steck .

Single pitch routes

All difficulty information is given in international French degrees of difficulty .

  • 1985 First ascent of the Adrenalin route (8b) in the Northern Franconian Jura by Wolfgang Güllich in a free solo.
  • In 1986 Wolfgang Güllich mastered the roof route Separate Reality in the Yosemite Valley at a height of 200 meters with a difficulty level of 7a +.
  • 1993 Alain Robert climbed the Gorge of the Verdon (8b)
  • In 2004 Alexander Huber improved the maximum sport climbing difficulty level for the free solo ascent with the Communist route on UIAA X + (8b +)
  • In 2006 Herbert Ranggetiner climbed his route www.hornhaut.ade in East Tyrol (8b)
  • In 2008 Dave McLeod climbed the route Darwin Dixit in the Spanish climbing area Margalef for the first time, a route free solo rated with French 8c.
  • In 2010, Andreas Proft climbed barefoot the route The First and Last (8b) in the Spanish climbing area Bernia .

Multi-pitch routes

  • In 2002 Alexander Huber climbed the 500-meter-high Hasse-Brandler on the Große Zinne, rated 7a + .
  • 2007 climbed Hansjörg Auer , the famous route way through the fish (7b +, 900 m high) on the Marmolada -Südwand free solo.
  • In 2014, Alex Honnold climbed the El Sendero Luminoso (5.12d, 7c +) route, a 15-pitch tour near Monterrey, Mexico.
  • In 2017, Alex Honnold climbed the Freerider route (5.12d, 1000 m ascent) free solo in under four hours. It was the first free solo ascent of a route on El Capitan .

Freesolo in urban space

Freesolo can also be climbed on skyscrapers or steel lattice structures. The unsecured lattice climbing / extreme lattice climbing (also LC Solo) is the oldest form of urban extreme climbing.

Already 140 years ago there were the first freesolo lattice climbers (extreme lattice climbers) on man-made buildings. Even nowadays there are freesolo lattice climbers as well as some freesolo rock climbers who try both types, most of them cite the grid climbing as easy to medium in the difficulty scale, because you almost always have a good grip, however, many climbers also stated that the physical exertion is similar to that of rock climbing.

See also

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Sebastian Schwertner: Climbing Guide Frankenjura, Volume 1, 5th edition, Panico Alpinverlag, Köngen 2008, ISBN 978-3-926807-89-2 ; P. 34
  2. ↑ climbing.de: Dave MacLeod climbs "Darwin Dixit" (8c) free solo Access: April 2nd, 2008
  3. ↑ klettern.de: Andreas Proft climbed barefoot and free solo 8b. Accessed May 8, 2010

literature

  • Robert Bösch: Solo climbing provokes . In: The Alps . No. 2 , 2005, p. 22–24 ( sac-cas.ch - only accessible after login).