Free solo climbing, or free soloing, is a form of rock climbing where the climbers (orfree soloists) climb solo (or alone) without ropes or other protective equipment, using only their climbing shoes and their climbing chalk.[1] Free soloing is the most dangerous form of climbing, and, unlike bouldering, free soloists climb above safe heights, where a fall can be fatal. Though many climbers have free soloed climbing grades they are very comfortable on, only a tiny group free solo regularly, and at grades closer to the limit of their abilities.[2]
Some climbers' profiles have been increased by free soloing (e.g. Alex Honnold and John Bachar), but some question the ethics of this, and whether the risks they are undertaking should be encouraged and commercially rewarded.[3][4] "Free solo" was originally a term of climber slang, but after the popularity of the Oscar-winning film Free Solo, Merriam-Webster officially added the word to their English dictionary in September 2019.[5]
In addition to free soloing on single-pitch and multi-pitch rock climbs, including the even longer big wall climbing that features in the Free Solo film, free soloing is performed in a wide range of climbing types including, ice climbing and mixed climbing (which feature in The Alpinist film), as well as setting speed climbing records on alpine climbing routes (i.e. a mixture of rock and ice climbing), which features in the Race to the Summit film.
Free solo climbing (sometimes referred to as soloing in the UK, or third-classing in the US),[6] is where the climber uses no climbing protection whatsoever (and as with all free climbing, no form of climbing aid is used either);[6] they may only use their climbing shoes and climbing chalk to ascend a single-pitch, or a multi-pitch/big wall climbing route.[6] Free solo climbing is a special form of free climbing but is different from the main forms of free climbing, sport climbing and traditional climbing, which use climbing protection for safety. In theory bouldering is also free solo climbing (i.e. it also uses no aid or protection) but is usually not referred to as such except in the case of Highball bouldering, where falls can be serious.[6] The most committing forms of free soloing are on multi-pitch – and the even longer big wall – routes, where any retreat is very difficult.[6]
Inalpine climbing the term solo climbing – as distinct from free solo climbing – can be used where the solo climber carries a rope and some aid climbing equipment to overcome some of the most difficult sections.[7] In addition, the term rope soloing is used for any solo climber who uses a rope and a form of self-locking device for continuous climbing protection on the route; this is also not considered as free solo climbing.[7]
Many early 20th-century rock climbers who began to free climb (i.e., avoiding any form of aid), were often practicing free solo climbing (or rope soloing), as the effectiveness of their climbing protection (usually a rope around their waist) was minimal. In the history of rock climbing, the first ascent of Napes NeedlebyW. P. Haskett Smith in June 1886 – an act that is widely considered to be the start of the sport of rock climbing – was effectively a free solo.[8] Early leaders of free climbing such as Paul Preuss, were also strongly interested in free solo climbing as being ethically purer. The 1958 ascent by Don WhillansofGoliath, one of the world's first E4 6a routes, was effectively a free solo (with a rope around his waist).[9][10] By the 1970s, when climbing protection was sufficiently developed to be effective, the discipline of free solo climbing began to stand apart.[6]
Many climbers praise free soloing, while others have concerns regarding the danger and the message the ascents send to other climbers.[11] Many companies have taken these views into account when working with free soloists. Clif Bar, the nutrition bar company with long ties to climbing, dropped the sponsorship of five climbers in 2014, citing the risks they take and stirring a debate about how much risk should be rewarded.[12]
However, The North Face and Red Bull have promoted free soloists and helped the free soloing community grow.[13][14] In addition, Alex Honnold, a free soloist who was previously dropped by Clif Bar,[15] was featured in the 2018 documentary Free Solo, which was met with critical acclaim and won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. The director of Free Solo, Jimmy Chin, talks in the film about the ethics of undertaking the documentary, and the effect that his film team and project could have had on the outcome.
Even in the climbing community, free soloing is controversial. In 2022, when Climbing did a feature on free soloing, they caveated all articles with: "This article is not an endorsement of the practice", and emphasized that in their research amongst climbers, it was only practiced by a very small minority, with many telling Climbing: "I have in the past but not anymore".[6]
In 2022, climbing author and occasional free soloist Jeff Smoot wrote All and Nothing: Inside Free Soloing, which explored through interviews why some rock climbers free solo, including analyzing his own motivations.[16] He described the feeling of self-control over one's fears as a form of addiction that had brought benefits to his life outside of climbing.[17] He also found a wider range of motivations than he expected telling The Seattle Times, "Are free soloists crazy? They may be. Are they crazier than anybody else? I don’t think so, just in a different way".[17]
While many rock climbers have free soloed routes (single-pitch or big wall/multi-pitch), at climbing grades well below their ability, a very small minority have practiced free soloing regularly, and at grades closer to their overall limits. The most prominent of this smaller group are those who have broken new grade milestones in free solo climbing and gained a significant profile from their soloing:[6]
Hansjörg Auer – the prolific big wall and high-altitude big wall free soloist, whose 2007 free solo of Fish Route was then the most daring in climbing history.[6][18]
Alexander Huber – one of the strongest rock climbers of the 1990s who set free solo grade milestones in single-pitch free soloing (with Kommunist), and big wall free soling (with the Brandler-Hasse Direttissima).[6]
Alain Robert – the early 1990s and 2000s pioneer of buildering, but who also broke important new free solo grade milestones in the 1990s.[6]
Wolfgang Güllich – one of the strongest rock climbers of the late 1980s who set free solo milestones (Weed Killer), and did the iconic solo of Separate Reality.[6]
Catherine Destivelle – a leading female climber of the late 1980s, who made iconic free solos in single-pitch (El Matador), and big wall (Bonatti Pillar).[6]
Patrick Edlinger – a leading European free soloist of the 1980s, with iconic big wall free solos in the Verdon Gorge and Buoux, as featured in the 1982 climbing film, La Vie au bout des doigts.[6]
Antoine Le Menestrel [fr] – prolific free soloist whose 1985 free solo of Revelations jumped several grade milestones in free solo climbing.[6]
Peter Croft – a prolific Canadian free soloist of the 1980s, who pioneered big wall free soloing with The Rostrum and Astroman.[6]
John Bachar – first free solo "superstar" and prolific American soloist of the late 1970s/early 1980s, who pioneered big wall soloing (Nabisco Wall).[6]
Free soloing is less common amongst female rock climbers, however, as well as Catherine Destivelle, the following female climbers are historically notable free solo practitioners: Steph Davis and Brette Harrington, both of whom have free soloed single-pitch and big wall routes.[6]
2019 : Relatively unknown Italian climber Alfredo Webber, aged 52, free soloed Panem et CircensesinArco, Italy, first-ever free solo of an 8c (5.14b).[19][20]
A number of notable free solo practitioners have died while free soloing:[6]
Paul Preuss (3 October 1913; age 27) died in 300-metre (980 ft) fall from the attempted first ascent of the North Ridge of the Mandlkogel (in the Gosaukamm) as a free solo.[6]
Jimmy Jewell died (31 October 1987; age 34) free soloing the easy route Poor Man's Peuterey (graded UK-Severe) at Tremadog, North Wales taking a short-cut.[6]
Alpine speed solo climbing: Some leading alpine climbers have set speed climbing records on classic alpine climbing routes – particularly the six great north faces of the Alps – that are done as free solos as using ropes and other protection would take too long. Notable alpine free solo speed climbers include Ueli Steck and Dani Arnold, whose rivalry was featured in the 2021 film, Race to the Summit.[a][27]
Buildering: Some free soloists scale buildings, such as Alain Robert ("The French Spider-Man"), and Dan Goodwin ("Skyscraperman"), who have scaled dozens of skyscrapers around the world—a sport known as buildering—without any safety equipment.[28]
Deep-water soloing (DWS), is a subtype of solo climbing performed on rock faces overhanging water where in the case of a fall, the climber lands in the water.[6] Deep-water routes can involve falls of 20–40 metres (66–131 ft), and thus a risk of serious injury.[6] Noted DWS climbers include Chris Sharma.[29]
FreeBASEing, is a subtype of free solo climbing performed on long multi-pitch big wall routes with a BASE jumping parachute as the sole means of protection. A falling climber opens their parachute to arrest their fall.[6] It was pioneered by Dean Potter.[30][31]
Highball bouldering, is where the boulder exceeds 7–10 metres (23–33 ft) in height, and any fall, even where bouldering mats are used, presents a risk of serious injury.[6] Where highball bouldering ends and free soloing begins is a source of debate.[32]
Ice climbing: Some ice climbers are notable for ice free soloing, as well as mixed free soloing. As well as the specific risks of free soloing, ice-free soloing brings the additional serious and unpredictable risk of parts of the ice route spontaneously breaking off. Notable ice-free soloists include the late Marc-André Leclerc, whose free solo ice climbing on the Stanley Headwall features in the 2021 film, The Alpinist, and Dani Arnold.[33]
^The film includes a public dispute between the pair when Arnold used the in-situ fixed ropes on the Hinterstoisser traverse on the Eiger during his record ascent, which Steck felt violated Arnold's ascent as being a proper free solo
^"Free solo". Cambridge Dictionary. 2023. Retrieved 2 October 2023. (of climbing up rocks, mountains or buildings) done with no ropes or other equipment: Free solo climbing shuns the use of ropes or other safety equipment.
