Discussion Topic |
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marky
climber
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Topic Author's Original Post - Nov 16, 2007 - 02:16am PT
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Post 'em if you got 'em.
Bonatti - Le Petit Dru
Buhl - Nanga Parbat
Messner - Everest
Croft - Astroman
Shipley - Keeler Needle
House - K7
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Darren D.
Social climber
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Nov 16, 2007 - 02:21am PT
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Reardon - EBGB's (I still get the heebeegeebees thinking about it!)
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Jaybro
Social climber
The West
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Nov 16, 2007 - 02:22am PT
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shipley, Conness way weirder than Keeler, except for the weather...
Jaybro ( and everyone else) out of the bed each morning, what is scarier than that?
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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
sorry, just posting out loud.
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Nov 16, 2007 - 03:04am PT
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Alexander Huber - 2004 Free Solo Ascent of the Kommunist (5.14a), Austria
(source wikipedia)
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Riotch
Trad climber
Kayenta, Arizona
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Nov 16, 2007 - 08:39am PT
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Charlie Fowler's onsight free solo of the DNB on Middle Cathedral!!!
I'm not sure when he did this, but it was the mid '80s at the latest.
If you've done the route you know what I'm saying.
Badass!!
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WanderlustMD
Trad climber
Lanham MD
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Nov 16, 2007 - 08:53am PT
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Reardon, Romantic Warrior. I think he did it onsight...
Potter, California Roulette
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Norwegian
Trad climber
Placerville, California
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Nov 16, 2007 - 09:04am PT
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norwegian - fat merchant crack onsight and downclimb
i know, loud mouth soup
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rick d
Social climber
tucson, az
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Nov 16, 2007 - 09:44am PT
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wiggins scenic cruise (@ 16)
hersey- name it (I like the photo in the black w/ arrow)
rusty baillie Polar Circus
rob slater slipstream
me, layback (oh, yea- I didn't finish that one)
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TwistedCrank
climber
Ideeho
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Nov 16, 2007 - 10:19am PT
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anytime anyone solos anything anywhere is definately ballsy imho
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AP
Trad climber
Calgary
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Nov 16, 2007 - 10:23am PT
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Frank Jourdan, a German who likes to visit Canada. Some of his solos:
Andromeda Strain (part of a huge enchainment involving a number of routes on Athabasca and Andromeda)
Grand Central Couloir
NE face Howse peak (2nd ascent Blanchard Robinson route)
N face Cromwell
E face Assinniboine (Cheesmond Dick route 2nd ascent)
all of the above except for Assinniboine were done in a very short time period.
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Dragon with Matches
climber
Bamboo Grove
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Nov 16, 2007 - 10:35am PT
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After soloing hardish (for me) stuff that was rehearsed into submission, I felt about as bold as my grandma.
Onsight is a whole different game and I'm in awe of men & women with those kinda stones.
Barber
Buhl
Twight
Reardon
Paul Preuss
That Norwegian dude in his bamboo raft across the Pacific, or whatever.
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paganmonkeyboy
Trad climber
the blighted lands of hatu
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Nov 16, 2007 - 10:52am PT
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maybe slightly different then what you are after, but i was blown away by Goran Kropp's everest trip...
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k-man
Gym climber
SCruz
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Nov 16, 2007 - 10:58am PT
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Potter on Heaven, that was pretty ballsy.
His Half Dome ascent was outside the box.
Some of those solo slacklines.
A bunch of high-altitude mountaineering stuff.
Gullich on Separate Reality
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Josh Higgins
Trad climber
San Diego
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Nov 16, 2007 - 11:45am PT
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Is Bachar even mentioned in this thread yet?
Nabisco Wall
Moratorium (onsight)
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hashbro
Trad climber
Mental Physics........
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Nov 16, 2007 - 11:46am PT
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Randy Vogel on Stoner's Highway (79'?)
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TwistedCrank
climber
Ideeho
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Nov 16, 2007 - 11:47am PT
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Bacher on Solitary Confinement
Yabo on Spiderline
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Blowboarder
Boulder climber
Back in the mix
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Nov 16, 2007 - 11:59am PT
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damn, this thread is making my hands sweat.
some of those jtree solos are beyond my comprehension.
EBGB's? wtf?
i thought i was coming off every move.
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Handjam Belay
Gym climber
expat from the truth
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Nov 16, 2007 - 12:36pm PT
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Frank Jourdan. Noone ever remembers him. I recall a story about him hiking up to Chasm Lake in RMNP with his wife and children. He sprinted up the Black Dagger/Yellow Wall and met them back at the lake where they'd been hanging out watching.
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wbw
climber
'cross the great divide
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Nov 16, 2007 - 01:35pm PT
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That picture of Derek Hersey in the Black with the arrow, in Climbing Magazine was my one Galen Rowell moment. He was soloing the Scenic Cruise on a day when he soloed three routes. I was sitting on the South Rim, watching in awe as Derek lapped North Chasm View Wall. Amazing!
As Derek was finishing his second route, (I think Journey Home although the memory is a little fuzzy on that) I left my photographer's duties to drive back around to the other side. On the way back I stopped in Montrose and picked up the Big Mac that Derek had ordered for his stamina food for the day. I found him back at the campground lounging. When he saw the Big Mac, his eyes lit up with enthusiasm, he gulped it down and then ran down the Cruise Gully to complete the "Triple Crown".
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KP Ariza
climber
SCC
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Nov 16, 2007 - 03:06pm PT
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Stoner's Highway has been free soloed? '79 would mean it was done in EB's to boot(no pun intended) DAMM!
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Ksolem
Trad climber
Monrovia, Ca
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Nov 16, 2007 - 03:33pm PT
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I suppose this route is just a highball, but I remember the day well.
I was hangin’ around hvcc with Hidetaka one afternoon, and Too Strong comes running up all excited about a new route which someone had done in Hall Of Horrors. So we motor on over there and walk back to check out this Jane’s Addiction business. Too Strong goes first and leads it right off, clipping the draws on for me. I pull the cord and ascend without incident. At this point you can tell there are some wheels turning in Mr. Suzuki’s head. Then he says “I think I free solo.” A couple of minutes later he’s back down, handing Too Strong his quickdraws with a sparkle in his eyes and a big grin on his face.
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hashbro
Trad climber
Mental Physics........
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Nov 16, 2007 - 03:33pm PT
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Hey Kenny, if my memory is working right, Randy free-soloed the thing back then and it certainly would have been E.B's.
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Nov 16, 2007 - 03:43pm PT
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Yes, never heard, (or don't remember) about The Stoner's solo.
I'd believe it; pretty surprising still...
Dan Michael Figures on a Landscape.
I'm reading the Henry Barber biography, "On Edge" by Chip Lee. Henry's solo of The Strand comes out as pretty stretchy for a few reasons. Henry did so many high level solos during his time.
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HighGravity
climber
The burning south
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Nov 16, 2007 - 03:50pm PT
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One name to rule them all...Gill.
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KP Ariza
climber
SCC
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Nov 16, 2007 - 03:53pm PT
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Dan Goodwin- Mickey's Beach Crack(R.I.P.) 5.12b barefoot
Alain Robert & Patrick Edlinger- French Limestone
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survival
Big Wall climber
arlington, va
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Nov 16, 2007 - 04:01pm PT
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Yabo- Book of Job
Me on Karate Crack and whatever that 10a thing on Lembert Dome is called!
Didn't Bachar do Nabisco wall?
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bhilden
Trad climber
Mountain View, CA
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Nov 16, 2007 - 04:03pm PT
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Georg Winkler, Winkler Crack, Winkler Tower, Dolomites - 1887! (that's not a typo!). This was the first ascent of any of the spectacular Vajolet Towers. And since this is a tower and he brought no rope he had to downclimb his first ascent! Badass way back when.
Bruce
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graham
Social climber
Ventura, California
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Nov 16, 2007 - 07:48pm PT
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My opinion on Bachar’s defining solo moment was doing New Dimensions. A lot of guys were doing long 5.9’s and 10’s but stepping beyond that that far off the deck wasn’t for anyone until John got it in him to show it was possible. Yeah he’s done a slew of others since and Nabisco via butterballs ranks high on the list but as he confides the moratorium really caught his attention.
I hadn’t heard about Randy doing Stoners. That stands out most on that rock for me.
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Jaybro
Social climber
The West
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Nov 16, 2007 - 08:00pm PT
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Riotch, I'm thinking that was ~'78 we did it in maybe -83 and Charlie had already done the solo and it scared us on the onsight
Nowegian, I onsight soloed Fat merchant but did not downclimb it, yar!
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Trad
Trad climber
Northern California
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Nov 16, 2007 - 09:33pm PT
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Croft - Fish Crack
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Jaybro
Social climber
The West
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Nov 16, 2007 - 09:37pm PT
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There are all kinds of crazy solos out there, etched in time. Boggles MY mind... But ya know, it's the right person at the right time, when all is in alignment... I think a lot of them seemed a bigger deal to others later, than they did to the first hand participants, at the time...
When we did the DNB(and the casual rte on the diamond)it was in the shadow of Charle's ascent (s) and that was kind of spooky, I was really glad to meet him, climb with him and get to kinda know him years later, I appreciated those ascents more, and got an idea of why he did them, and that he wasn't crazy.
Todd Skinner once asked me how the 'whatever it is' (.10b with a bolt) variation of McCarthy West would be for an onsight solo. I strongly attempted to discourage him from trying that; "you could die!" at the end of the next day when I came home from the tower, he had done it, no prob. Wasn't that weird for him. right person, right day...
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wildone
climber
Where you want to be
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Nov 17, 2007 - 12:05pm PT
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I'm still a little blown away by Russ's daisy solo of -was it Zodiac?- El Cap.
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Mighty Hiker
Social climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Nov 17, 2007 - 12:56pm PT
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So what about fearsome or inspiring solos by women? Or are they excluded by the name of the thread?
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Nov 17, 2007 - 01:21pm PT
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Good question, Anders.
We know Steph Davis has more recently done some stuff...
Here's one for the ages though, from the rich tradition of climbing in Saxony circa 1907 in the Elbsanstein towers, near Dresden:
"Oliver Perry Smith (1884 - 1969) put in some 32 ultra hard first ascents. Near the end of his climbing career, just before he returned to the US, he was found in a bar one afternoon by some aspiring climbers. They badgered him for his drinking saying that he was going downhill. Smith, after a few more drinks went out that afternoon and soloed the first ascent of a route known as the Perry Riss, roped but completely without protection. One can still make out where he later returned and carved his name, "Perry S", and the rock halfway up the 5.8 to 5.9 crack to quell doubts about his impressive ascent.
The Perry Riss (or crack) was done first in 1907 and remains a classic, despite its utter lack of protection."
-from "On Edge, the life and climbs of Henry Barber"
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Riotch
Trad climber
Kayenta, Arizona
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Nov 17, 2007 - 01:33pm PT
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Mighty,
I think Steph Davis has pulled some pretty "ballsy" solos.
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bachar
Trad climber
Mammoth Lakes, CA
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Nov 17, 2007 - 02:43pm PT
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Croft on Astroman....
Changed climbing forever.
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tradcragrat
Trad climber
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Nov 17, 2007 - 06:04pm PT
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Werd.
Humar Dhaulagiri. Technical difficulties up to M7+ and M6 at high altitude, solo. I don't think he self-belayed either.
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Mighty Hiker
Social climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Nov 17, 2007 - 06:07pm PT
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How about Messner on the North Face/Northeast Ridge of Chomolungma, in August 1980? Solo from base camp up, no one else on the mountain, monsoon snows completely covering all previous evidence of human presence. His route may not have been technically all that hard, but was quite a feat.
Buhl's summit dash on Nanga Parbat also comes to mind.
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Watusi
Social climber
Newport, OR
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Nov 17, 2007 - 11:58pm PT
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Do remember going up to The Gallery (Red Rocks) to work on "The Gift" I was close to red point, saw JB on something, I guess it must have been "The Sissy Traverse," 5.13, soloing like it was just your typical boulder prob. Flawless, to be sure! After this inspiration I made my project, only to find he had recently walked this solo previously!
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Fat Dad
Trad climber
Los Angeles, CA
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Nov 18, 2007 - 12:12am PT
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Robbins soloing El Cap's East Buttress in a pair of Tretorns.
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AndySan Diego
Trad climber
San Diego, CA
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Nov 18, 2007 - 01:54am PT
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Croft's Solos of the Minarets Traverse, Astroman & the Rostrum. Bachar's solo of the Nabisco Wall. Can't remember but didn't JB or Yabo solo Leave it to Beaver? Has anyone else Soloed Astroman?
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Mr. D
Trad climber
West Coast
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Nov 18, 2007 - 11:30am PT
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"Has anyone else Soloed Astroman?"
Dean Potter
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scooter
climber
Moss Landing CA
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Nov 18, 2007 - 12:05pm PT
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Dragon W/ Matches
Thor Hyderdall (sp), the dude on the raft. Maybe it was kinda chill sometimes though, since they took the time to hand catch sharks for fun. Yer not f-ing with the sharks if yer gripped.
P-Dub
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graham
Social climber
Ventura, California
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Nov 18, 2007 - 12:39pm PT
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What Kevin said
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hashbro
Trad climber
Mental Physics........
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Nov 18, 2007 - 02:22pm PT
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Graham,
I quite clearly recall the notable instant our lives changed when we suddenly understood just what was possible as you read a hand-written letter to a small pack of boulderers at Pirates Cove underneath AnnaBelle.
It was a letter that Bachar had written to you with a postmark from the Yosemite PO. As you read the words to the pack of somewhat innocent of teenagers (the likes of Evans, Cox, Vogel, Fry) and some less innocent 20-somethings like Accomazzo, Long, Muir, we sweated bullets, couldn't believe it and finally believed it; imagining ourselves out there on a blank Yosemite wall without a rope.
Bachar had irretrievably changed our world by free soloing the Nabisco Wall and writing home to tell about it.
This was an almost "ancient" moment of our elders telling stories around the campfire. We, the youth had now had our mind and now our beliefs stretched beyond what we thought was possible.
Thanks for that John, and I must say, "pretty impressive" that you made it to 50. Keep it up and see ya at Kevin's for the next reunion......
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Apocalypsenow
Trad climber
Cali
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Nov 18, 2007 - 03:25pm PT
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Josh's mantel move, into his tent, after keeping up with Tucker on "Too Much Jack," and Chalky's class II ascent on the high ball boulder problem at the Leap..."Running From the Law."
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Brian
climber
Cali
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Nov 18, 2007 - 03:46pm PT
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There are many solos by women that deserve to be in a thread about soloing, no doubt. But I'm reading Steph's book right now and she makes an interesting point. To paraphrase, she finds either of the following two cases insulting: (1) when women are excluded simply because they are women, even when they are sending notable routes; (2) when women are praised for ascents that are not really notable simply because they are women. Not sure what this means in a thread about the "definitive" ballsy solo, as that implies one definitive act. I can't say I'd really be able to think of a candidate for that honor, male or female. However, in thread about "watershed ballsy solos" or "notable ballsy solos" would be easier to contribute to and, I think, more fun.
In that spirit, I'll note that I can think of lots of notable solos, but one that has not been mentioned above is Jello's own "Metanoia" on the North Face if the Eiger.
Brian
PS--I don't want to open this can of worms again, but I think Steph's book is quite good.
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John Vawter
Social climber
San Diego
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Nov 18, 2007 - 08:53pm PT
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Did anyone mention Greg Cameron's solo of Lost Arrow Chimney in 1978 or '79?
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the kid
Trad climber
fayetteville, wv
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Nov 19, 2007 - 01:07pm PT
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Bachar's solos are legendary. Nabisco wall, baby apes and many others...
One i got to witness and take pictures happened one day @ Donner Summit.
I had wanted to solo manic depression for years and John and i took a trip to tahoe summer of '86. I had the route wired (many leads and tr's over the years)and did it on tr to refresh and then sent it on solo...
JB had never done the route, and after i sent it, he tr it once, pulled the rope and walked it! as solid as if he had done it a 100 times!
ks
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Norwegian
Trad climber
Placerville, California
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Nov 19, 2007 - 01:28pm PT
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Jaybro -
the old soloist's adage of "don't climb up anything that you cant downclimb" came into play on my fat merchant crack ascent - i had to choose between soloing the wet 5.8 upper part of the pitch, or downclimbing the 10b offwidth. i struggled with that decision for a good while and then decided to slip down that crack.
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James
climber
A tent in the redwoods
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Nov 19, 2007 - 02:11pm PT
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Panic in Detroit! Good job Kurt.
And John's prolific soloing never ceases to impress me.
Three years ago, my friends and I ran around the Joshua Tree campground firing off the warmup circuit of solos, trying hard to catch the shadows of our betters. Yabo, Bachar, Long, Cashner, the stories of Tobin, Charlie Fowler on the DNB, Werner Braun onsight free soloing Cream, the Vendetta at the Cookie, and a 98% solo of Astroman.
The younger generation has big boots to fill.
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bachar
Trad climber
Mammoth Lakes, CA
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Nov 19, 2007 - 02:16pm PT
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Watusi, Curt and others - thanks for the flattering comments!
Just for the record I never soloed "The Sissy Traverse", 13a. I on sight flashed it with a rope. I did solo "The Gift" twice (listeneing to James Brown's 'Living in America" of course!).
Henry Barber's solo of the Steck Salathe was truly mind boggling at the time!
Use a rope folks!
-jb
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AKDOG
Mountain climber
Anchorage, AK
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Nov 19, 2007 - 04:11pm PT
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No one has mentioned Tom Gilge (sp.) yet. He soloed many things, once when I was working on Leave it to beaver (on top rope), He offered to belay me, we headed over from hidden valley, as I was setting up the top rope, he soled up the route and met me on top like it was no big deal.
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Ed Bannister
Mountain climber
Riverside, CA
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Nov 19, 2007 - 04:48pm PT
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John Bachar- Father Figure
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tradcragrat
Trad climber
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Nov 19, 2007 - 04:59pm PT
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It's pretty cool how the great soloists like Bachar, Reardon, Croft, Potter, etc. can be in that perfect state where they feel in control in the scariest situations. I aspire to have that sort of confidence, but I cannot achieve it (yet). However, the few times I have soloed, I thought I was going to die, kept it together and survived, and realized two minutes after I got down how much fun it was. Soloing's weird like that.
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TrundleBum
Trad climber
Las Vegas
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Nov 19, 2007 - 05:09pm PT
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Why mention all the ones that have been already?
Jimmy Dunn:
FA of Cosmos, first elcap route put up solo I believe ?
John Bouchard:
many fine solos in the Chamonix area but, comes to mind...
FWA of the 'Black dike' cannon cliff N.H
Bouch' actually did his solo a few days before calendar winter, December 18,1971
So he went back (I think because the other guys 1/2 couldn't believe it)..
and did the second ascent a few days later with:
Barber, Wilcox and Bragg.
http://www.neclimbs.com/index.php?PageName=routes&RouteID=430
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James
climber
A tent in the redwoods
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Nov 19, 2007 - 06:04pm PT
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Laps on the Gift eh John? Rad.
Alex Honnold's soloed some rad stuff in the past year and a half- Pipeline a 10d 500 foot offwidth in Squamish onsight, the Lightning bolt cracks in the Creek onsight, Astroman/Rostrum, Chud in Rifle-13a, Lots of other random sh#t in Squamish, the Steck Salathe, pretty solid.
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aldude
climber
Monument Manor
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Nov 19, 2007 - 08:10pm PT
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Cesen - Jannu,Lhotse
Reardon - Gaia,Needles - on sight FA , free solo
Borne - first 7 pitches Flying Buttress Direct - on sight FFA, 5.12 free solo
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Watusi
Social climber
Newport, OR
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Nov 19, 2007 - 08:19pm PT
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John, I wasn't quite sure which one that was you were on...It's been ages since I was there.
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AP
Trad climber
Calgary
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Nov 19, 2007 - 10:16pm PT
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I thought that Cesen's ascents had been discredited, even the Jannu one in light of his lies about Lhotse.
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WBraun
climber
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Nov 19, 2007 - 10:19pm PT
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Alex Honnold is the new "Bachar"
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Jello
Social climber
No Ut
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Nov 19, 2007 - 11:33pm PT
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We are comparing apples, to oranges, to alfalffa to Swiss chard, as all such "ultimate this", or "ultimate that" climbing discussions end up doing. All the protagonists mentioned are great artists. Let's celebrate their unique visions, and consequent realizations.
-ArtisticJello
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WBraun
climber
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Nov 19, 2007 - 11:37pm PT
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Yes
There is only "One Ultimate".
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aldude
climber
Monument Manor
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Nov 20, 2007 - 12:45am PT
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I believe Cesen - call me gullible but he was free soloing 5.13c @ the time.
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James
climber
A tent in the redwoods
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Nov 20, 2007 - 01:05am PT
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"The New Bachar" Werner? Alex's got arms like Bjorn Borg; skinny, forearms and biceps matchin in size and protruding in a single stick of mucle from his shoulders, hair cut either goofishly short or completely unkempt, and constantly lurking about in a tan down North Face jacket, thirty years old, with grease stains on the front pockets, and down sticking out the elbows, asking for a climbing partner. Alex's talent lies merely in his obsession with climbing. Besides Bachar had flare back in the day- a stylish doo, short shorts, and tube socks.
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Inner City
Trad climber
East Bay
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Nov 20, 2007 - 01:14am PT
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This thread is so enlivening! I can't solo (Arrow Peak this summer notwithstanding) but marvel at the amazing accomplishments of others. To chime in with all the luminaries here is phenomenal for a guy who has only the ne ridge of Bear Creek to claim (rerated!). It's all relative eh? Happy Thanksgiving all.
Dave R.
p.s. Croft once left me a voice mail recommending the regular start to SE face of Clyde Min. When we made it to the summit, we saw his journal entry, 8 AM!!
Jeez. Some people...weekenders do NOT rule!
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Darren D.
Social climber
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Nov 20, 2007 - 01:21am PT
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"Didn't Bachar always have a stylish doo, short shorts, and tube socks?"
If you consider a poney-tail a stylish doo, from the pics I have seen, JB's was second to none. I doubt he's still able to style his hair so nicely.
And what's up with the John Stockton-style shorts? If I wore shorts that short everybody at the crag would need sunglasses from the glistening UV radiation from my pasty white thighs. :)
The tube socks I can understand. Definite style.
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Anastasia
Trad climber
California
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Nov 20, 2007 - 01:52am PT
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Dan Osman
He was remarkable to me for I knew his name before I even started climbing. I think it was seeing him "flag" (doing a handstand on the side of a cliff, arms stiff, feet pointed to resemble a stretched out flag) while soloing. It was a very impressive picture.
Reardon...
He was such a great spirit. I am not surprised that the sea decided to take him to be her own.
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Responding to other posts...
John wearing his bowling hat while soloing is pretty stylish.
As for John's hair, he can still grow it long and put it in the exact same pony tail. Now don't give him ideas! That look is coming back!!!
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zaphod42
Sport climber
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Nov 20, 2007 - 08:41am PT
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I saw this thread and had immediately think about this recent solo ascent which has been called a milestone in alpine soloing:
Quote:
"Austrian Hansjörg Auer has free-soloed the legendary route “The Fish” on the South Face of the Marmolada in Italy, completing the 900-meter 5.12c in just under three hours. The 33-pitch Via Attraverso il Pesce (aka “The Fish”) was established in 1981 and is famed for its serious, sustained free climbing on massive slabs of limestone. The climb was free-climbed solo in 1990 by Maurizo Giordani, but the Italian self-belayed on nine pitches. "
Auer climbed it 3 years ago (but coulnt RP it), and just rappeled it down before the solo attempt to check out the cruxes...
see also:
http://www.climbing.com/news/hotflashes/thefishfreesolo/
http://www.planetmountain.com/english/News/shownews.lasso?l=2&keyid=35619
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the kid
Trad climber
fayetteville, wv
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Nov 20, 2007 - 01:31pm PT
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1st solo of manic depression...1986
i will dig up the killer shot of Bachar on his solo later that kick ass day...
ks
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bachar
Trad climber
Mammoth Lakes, CA
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Nov 20, 2007 - 03:39pm PT
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Yabo on first solo of Spiderline, 11c/d - also first lead!
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James
climber
A tent in the redwoods
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Nov 21, 2007 - 03:01am PT
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Kurt, and John:
Bad ass pictures.
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the kid
Trad climber
fayetteville, wv
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Nov 21, 2007 - 12:08pm PT
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JB,
you should post that pic i took of you on manic! it shows the line and great exposure. great shot of Yabo! man i miss that guy and his endless energy!
keep those pics coming folks...
ks
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Mike Bolte
Trad climber
Planet Earth
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Nov 21, 2007 - 12:30pm PT
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Modesto Mutant
Trad climber
Santa Cruz, CA
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Nov 21, 2007 - 12:44pm PT
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Henry Barber's solo on Sentinel was epic in it's day (early 70's) I remember how stunned Robbins was.
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eeyonkee
Trad climber
Golden, CO
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Nov 21, 2007 - 03:35pm PT
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Seems like I looked up when Barber soloed the SS recently, and it was 1973. I was thinking earlier that it was more like 1975. In any case, that ascent had a bigger affect on me personally, than any other solo.
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Handjam Belay
Gym climber
expat from the truth
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Nov 21, 2007 - 05:46pm PT
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Dano owns it in that pic
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tom woods
Gym climber
Bishop, CA
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Nov 21, 2007 - 07:18pm PT
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Yabo did the first lead of Spiderline free solo? Does that mean it was a top rope before he went for it?
Sounds like a piece of lore that needs to be remembered around the campfires of hidden valley.
Tom
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Barbarian
Trad climber
all bivied up on the ledge
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My Nov 1977 solo of The Pirate at Suicide.
OK....it was on aid....but it was my first aid pitch....and it was solo...with a prussik belay.
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Scared Silly
Trad climber
UT
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Some great mtn solos:
Cassin Ridge - Mugs in a single push
N. Face of Grand Teton in Winter - Alex Lowe 24 hour car-to-car
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don coyote
climber
mahogany ridge
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Amongst other solos mentioned here, I believe Charlie Porter did the first solo of the cassin ,albeit not in one push. Charlie Fowler soloed the Freney pillar and also did a pretty amazing solo on the south face of Taulliraju.Oh yeh,I guess Mick Fowler did too. There must be scores of heavy solos that have never come to the publics attention even in the relatively small close knit climbing community.For some,I believe,thats part of the game.Either way,It seems to me that on-sights and alpine solos are the pinnacle of that dance.good things!
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drljefe
climber
Old Pueblo, AZ
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Mar 19, 2009 - 06:59pm PT
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*BUMP*
There is some good stuff in here!
People do some nutty stuff.
But it's in need of updating now, with
Alex Honnold's solos of
The Regular Route On Half Dome and
Moonlight Butress in Zion.
Someone told me Dean soloed Illusion Dweller BAREFOOT!
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Climbing dropout
Trad climber
Vancouver, BC
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Apr 25, 2009 - 03:29am PT
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Fowler on DNB is sick stuff, glad i had a rope & partner
BUT ....
Croft told Hamish and I, that night, after our ascent of Astroman, he doesn't remember how many times he soloed it !!! Three times for sure, four times is a possibility.
Everyone in Squamish knew back in the 80's that the really cool prelude to those solo Astroman ascents of Peters was the fact that Peter DOWNCLIMBED the the endurance corner, the first time, to make sure it was all possible, then reversed direction and summitted. Who else is claiming that ?
How often does this route get climbed now ? It's the best free climb I ever did.
The question is, who has soloed Astroman more than once ? That last pitch 10c face climbing .... must be horrendous unroped. Has anyone replaced those shitty bolts ?
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jbar
Social climber
urasymptote
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Apr 25, 2009 - 03:54am PT
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buhl - Piz Badile & Cima Ovest
& of course
Catherine Destivelle - Also on Lavaredo but Cima Grande as well as solo winter ascents on the north face of the Eiger and Matterhorn.
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jahlgrim
Trad climber
here
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Apr 25, 2009 - 04:13am PT
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It was posted earlier but worth mentioning again; Reardon soloed Romantic Warrior, Needles CA onsight.
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the Fet
Supercaliyosemistic climber
Tu-Tok-A-Nu-La
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Apr 25, 2009 - 04:52am PT
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El Capitan, James T. Kirk, 'nuff said.
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Climbing dropout
Trad climber
Vancouver, BC
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Apr 25, 2009 - 05:00am PT
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BC Sasquatch onsight flash apres sunset new route solo Eldrid River Mainline wall, granite, 2500'. Powell River, BC. I have it all on GEN III night vison high def video
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Jack Burns
climber
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Apr 25, 2009 - 12:52pm PT
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roadie - alaska highway (i think he soloed another big squam route too)
i remember the doctor and heavy duty telling me about a guy they called "the berserker" onsight soloing routes in indian creek, up and down, no trailing the rope and rappelling. he apparently onsight soloed the classic route Sinestra, that always stuck in my head. anyone who's done that route knows about the "crack switch" halfway up. i can't imagine what it would feel like to be at the beginning of that move, up there after all that fist jamming and have to do that crack switch. then downclimbing the whole route. whew! they said this Berserker guy later died in an avalanche. an oliver moon character perhaps?
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bachar
Gym climber
Mammoth Lakes, CA
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Apr 25, 2009 - 01:00pm PT
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The day I took this shot of Peter Croft soloing the Rostrum, he soloed it two more times for a total of three full laps in about two hours. He downclimbed the first four pitches from the traverse ledge each time as well to get to the base...
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ec
climber
ca
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Apr 25, 2009 - 01:03pm PT
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'always liked that shot John. Inspirational...
 ec
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bachar
Gym climber
Mammoth Lakes, CA
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Apr 25, 2009 - 01:21pm PT
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On one of my rest days I was at Degnan's Deli eating a giant deli sandwich and Croft sits down next to me, also with a big ass sandwich. He had chalk up to his elbows and I asked him what he's been doing. He didn't want to say but I finally coaxed it out of him. He told me he had just soloed Astroman and the Rostrum (it was only noon at that point).
My jaw dropped. all I could say was, "Cool...man". He said he might go do some other stuff that afternoon.
After all these years I never found out what else he did on that day until last month at a BBQ. He told me he went down and soloed New Dimensions and then the Nabisco Wall. I asked him why those and he said he had wanted to solo the four major groundbreaking Yosemite solos all in one day! "Cool...man", was all I could say again....
Croft on the "Balls"...
Edit: I was August the day I took this photo, must have been in the low 90's. I asked Peter if it was too hot. Of course he said no. After he soloed it I went to the top, coiled my ropes and hiked down. It was hot as hell and all I wanted to do was go swimming in the Merced. I couldn't find him anywhere. we were the only people there too. I finally looked up at Nabisco Wall and there he was soloing it again... in his Fire Flyers approach shoes!
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Rankin
climber
Bishop, CA
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Apr 25, 2009 - 03:52pm PT
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Great thread. There used to be a video out there of Dan Osman soloing The Gun Club (12c) at the New. If you get a chance to check that out, you should. A disturbing solo. The Gun Club is not the kind of route that makes one think 'I could see soloing that...' No way. Super thin, bouldery crux, with a landing fit to mangle. Seeing Dano on it, it's very obvious that he didn't have the route wired, and was near his limit. You can feel the tension of everyone there to witness his struggle to survive. Truly a black art. Hat's off to Dano for The Gun Club. Holy sh#t.
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Studly
Trad climber
WA
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Apr 25, 2009 - 07:28pm PT
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That photo of Croft on Butterballs is the epitome of badass Yosemite climbing. I get a head rush and a flash pump just looking at the picture.
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Handjam Belay
Gym climber
expat from the truth
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Apr 25, 2009 - 08:08pm PT
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I knew this kid, Cameron? Grew up in Montrose. Most unassuming dude. Owned the Black Canyon. Totally on par with other ascents here.
Earl Wiggins back in the day on the Cruise. 2nd free ascent?
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Mark Hudon
Trad climber
Hood River, OR
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Apr 25, 2009 - 08:22pm PT
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No matter the route, it looses a lot of "ballsy" if the climber has done the route more than a couple of times. Wireing out a route and then soloing it is showmanship, not ballsy.
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RDB
Social climber
way out there
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Apr 25, 2009 - 08:23pm PT
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Robbins, Muir wall and Edith Cavell
Porter, Zodiac and the Cassin
Bouchard and Twight, Chamonix
Fowler, DNB and the Eiger Direct
Jordan, Canadian Rockies
Jeff or Alex Lowe..take your pick on the solos
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noshoesnoshirt
climber
dangling off a wind turbine in a town near you
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Apr 25, 2009 - 08:28pm PT
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"Wireing out a route and then soloing it is showmanship, not ballsy"
What if there is no one to see the show? What if the climber never says anything about it?
Sometimes it's more of a proof of one's competence to one's self.
edit: And sometimes soloing is just good clean fun (and you can clock a lot of mileage quick)
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Mark Hudon
Trad climber
Hood River, OR
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Apr 25, 2009 - 09:21pm PT
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What if there is no one to see the show? What if the climber never says anything about it?
Soloing should be all about that. These days though, it's more to get press and further one's commercial career.
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BrentA
Gym climber
Roca Rojo
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Apr 25, 2009 - 09:32pm PT
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Cameron Cross maybe?
Mark. THat is exactly the type of fellow I'm talking about here.
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noshoesnoshirt
climber
dangling off a wind turbine in a town near you
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Apr 25, 2009 - 09:33pm PT
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I see your point.
As a youth I tried to solo to impress others (read: hot chicks) and it always felt very very wrong.
When I matured enough to stop caring what others thought I finally found the fun zone.
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bachar
Gym climber
Mammoth Lakes, CA
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Apr 25, 2009 - 10:13pm PT
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Hudon's right. If ya' got a route wired it ain't no big thing to solo it and get a picture.
Soloing all the time for weeks, months, and years all the time gets kinda' tricky.
The Laws of Probability start adding up. Your mind knows it too.
That's when it starts to get ballsy.
On sight solo...
as ballsy as it gets.
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Oxymoron
Big Wall climber
total Disarray
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Apr 26, 2009 - 12:57am PT
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Porter-Asgard.......Nuff said.
Boldness incarnate.
Holy freaking Cow. Pure Death.
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Wayno
Big Wall climber
Seattle, WA
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Apr 26, 2009 - 01:19am PT
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I was drinking beers with Dave Yerian at Tenaya beach one afternoon and we decided to go solo the Great White Book just for the hell of it. When we passed these two Brits that were climbing it, one of them said bollocks among some other choice words and Yerian said something like go back to England. Bollocks is kinda like ballsy. Does that count?
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James
climber
My twin brother's laundry room
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Apr 26, 2009 - 01:48am PT
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Like JB said- onsight soloing is where it's at. Definitely the best stuff I've done has always been onsight. The magic dissipates when you repeat a route. Dialing the moves on a climb and then going cordless brings false feelings of security and therefore an increase in danger due to possible carelessness- at least that's what I've always felt. Stay on your guard out in the high lonesome.
Ballsy is a rather subjective term. Honnold's solo of Moonlight buttress was definitely rad but that route is pretty secure if you climb solid 5.12 like Alex. His solo of Half Dome...now that was putting it out on the line. On the slab pitch by the top, Honnold stepped up and down, stabbed his finger through the hole of a fixed biner, and finally committed, smearing his foot on a tiny rugosity and nailing the finish jug. Scary.
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Evel
Trad climber
Rocky mountains
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Apr 26, 2009 - 02:44am PT
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I've seen one mention of Paul Pruess(sp). He did some rad sh#t way back in the day. As for myself, I onsighted the Casual route on the Diamond a couple years ago. Made it back into town for lunch beers.
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Studly
Trad climber
WA
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Apr 26, 2009 - 10:45am PT
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A couple months ago while on Olive Oil at Red Rocks, we watched a guy coming off Jackrabbit Buttress to our left. He was climbing solo unroped and downclimbed over the edge of a overhang, down a overhanging crack and into a long chimney that looked very burly and then down. I conject he must have soloed Geronimo possibly and was descending but what a hairball descent as it is normally 4 raps to get off that thing.
Anyone have any idea who that could have been??? It was wild to watch him on it.
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Blakey
Trad climber
Newcastle UK
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Apr 26, 2009 - 02:13pm PT
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Porter's 11 day solo of Mt Asgard and its 60 mile approach. It took him 4 trips in to get all the gear to the base, and then he had to crawl most of the way out with frostbitten feet after the fun was over.
I was in the Pang valley that year - 75 was it not and we met Porter as he was ferrying his loads in. All very strenuous and about as remote and committing as you could get....
I spent most of my time in the valleys looking out for bears!
Steve
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marv
Mountain climber
Bay Area
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some Alaskan fare:
first Charlie Porter and then Mugs Stump on the Cassin
Waterman on Hunter. Unreal.
alex Honnold has been tearing it up on rock lately (Moonlight Buttress).
how about Norman Clyde for just about everything in the Sierra, done "onsight" with no "beta" in primitive gear
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enjoimx
Trad climber
SLO Cal
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Honnold soloing the Nose in 5+ hours.
Myself soloing Oak Tree Flake TO Bay Tree Crack, Swan Slab.
Just spectacular.
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Johnny K.
Mountain climber
Southern,California
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Derek Hersey- The naked edge O_O
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the kid
Trad climber
fayetteville, wv
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Barber- the sentinel- mid 1970's?
All Bachar solos..
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DanaB
climber
Philadelphia
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Lots of impressive soloing was done with primitive equipment. In 1937 Emilio Comici soloed his route on the Cima Grande in 3.5 hours. It's almost 2000 feet long and the first 1/2 (more or less) overhangs a bit.
Claudio Barbier, in 1959, soloed the Cassin route on the Cima Ovest (1500+ feet) the Comici route on the Cima Grande, and three other long routes in the area in 14 hours. Messner soloed The Phillip-Flamm in 1969, 40 pitches, 5.10, 1969. And Michel Darbellay, first solo of the Eiger north face, 1938 route, 1963.
Don't forget Peter Haan's solo of the Salathe.
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Johnny K.
Mountain climber
Southern,California
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Nov 10, 2010 - 11:21am PT
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Yup Dingus,that is the only footage I have seen and familiar with.
Amazing thread.
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Fat Dad
Trad climber
Los Angeles, CA
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Nov 10, 2010 - 02:37pm PT
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So much radness. I am not worthy. I got totally gripped soloing Snake Dike.
Anyways, did anyone mention Michael Reardon's solo of the Edge at Tahquitz? Not nearly as hard as some of his solos, but man oh man, talk about insecure.
Also, did anyone confirm Vogels's solo of Stoner's Highway? No offense to the guy, but that sounds a bit too out there. I think of the press Charlie Fowler got for soloing the DNB. Have to imagine Randy would have received greater accolades (assuming anyone knew about it).
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MisterE
Social climber
Bouncy Tiggerville
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Nov 10, 2010 - 03:35pm PT
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Just read this whole thread, and didn't see Derek Hersey's triple solo of the Diamond in a day. I think he had a single Big Mac for food.
Great solos all around on this thread.
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Spider Savage
Mountain climber
SoCal
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Nov 10, 2010 - 03:47pm PT
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Spider Savage - Motzart's Wall - 1990 - 5.7
(okay, well- it was a big deal for me)
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bubble boy
Big Wall climber
topanga, CA
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Nov 10, 2010 - 06:03pm PT
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Met a guy out in JT a decade ago, just going through his circuit - "I try to do about 3000 feet" he admitted after I my hounding. No spray, no press, no internet blog, no sponsors to please. Don't know who it was and never found out. Just somebody out there running up 3000 feet of 5.9 a day, for himself.
Sometimes the ballsiest thing about soloing is doing it, but never telling.
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marty(r)
climber
beneath the valley of ultravegans
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Nov 10, 2010 - 06:50pm PT
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Charles Cole on "Queen of Spades".
Andy Kirkpatrick (if I remember right) on "Reticent Wall"--wasn't that his first visit to the Ditch?
Jeff Lowe on the Eiger, recounted in David Robert's superb "Moments of Doubt"
Steve House's FA of "Beauty is a Rare Thing" on Denali
Any of that stuff J.C. Lafaille did in the Alps
Lots of under-the-radar stuff that never makes the trades
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Johnny K.
Mountain climber
Southern,California
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Nov 10, 2010 - 06:57pm PT
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bubble boy
Met a guy out in JT a decade ago, just going through his circuit - "I try to do about 3000 feet" he admitted after I my hounding. No spray, no press, no internet blog, no sponsors to please. Don't know who it was and never found out. Just somebody out there running up 3000 feet of 5.9 a day, for himself.
Sometimes the ballsiest thing about soloing is doing it, but never telling.
Sounds like he is enjoying life in peace.=D By chance was he a smaller fellow,dark hair/complexion with a very soft spoken voice?
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Levy
Big Wall climber
So Cal
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Nov 10, 2010 - 07:24pm PT
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I can't believe it's not in here already but Alex Honold's solos of:
Crucifix 5.12 b
Rainbow wall 5.12 a/b
Prince Of Darkness 5.10+ & downclimbed Dream of wild Turkeys 5.10a
How about soloing the Crucifix? A Bridwell, et al. route that saw free attempts rebuffed until Peter Croft free climbed it in the early 1980's. So if I am correct, Bard, Kauk & Bachar were never able to free climb the route & now alex solos it in an easy day outing.
Total radness!!
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Fat Dad
Trad climber
Los Angeles, CA
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Nov 10, 2010 - 07:47pm PT
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Mark Wilford's solo of the 1938 route on the Eiger sounded memorable.
I almost forgot about Michael Reardon's solo of the Pirate (.12c).
Charlie Porter on the Dawn Wall after dropping all his bivy gear.
Hermann Buhl's solo of the Cassin Route (lots of 5.9 and .10a) in a pair of mountain boots.
Robbins' first solo ascent of the Captain (the Muir).
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k-man
Gym climber
SCruz
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Nov 10, 2010 - 08:08pm PT
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Isn't there a story of Bachar on Last of the Mohicans, a route in Spain?
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Maysho
climber
Soda Springs, CA
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Nov 10, 2010 - 09:25pm PT
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Lots of rad solos here...
Levy, Howdy! Just to give a bit of correct history...
I too am really impressed with Honnolds' solos, and the Crucifix is rad, but the whole thing was freed way back in the day except for 20 feet at the start that was a dripping garden of ferns, and moss. Yes a number of hotshots of the day (my humble self included) yarded through it while freeing everything else, but mostly because we didn't feel like putting in the work to clean it. When I did it I had to dig through inches of mud to find the fixed pins, and like others I thought for sure it would go free, but someone would need to spend some time with a trowel. So Peter C. did exactly that, spent an afternoon cleaning it on aid, then sent it from the ground the next day, and as we all expected, it turned out to be a short bit of 12b once the crack was unearthed.
What the heck, not in the league with today's crazy solos, but I will nominate for the ballsy list one of the few I did, the Silver Strand Ice Climb, onsight, 1984. I had the day off, the thing formed up for the first time in years. I was fit, partner bailed, and it seemed like a good day to go for something rad. I borrowed some lousy tools, and had an adventure I will never forget.
Peter
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tuolumne_tradster
Trad climber
Leading Edge of North American Plate
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Nov 10, 2010 - 09:29pm PT
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Eric Jones, Eiger Nordwand
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TomCochrane
Trad climber
Santa Cruz Mountains and Monterey Bay
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Nov 11, 2010 - 12:35am PT
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me in the Tetons:
1961 Direct Exum Ridge
1962 Irene's Arete
1963 Grand Teton North Face
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'Pass the Pitons' Pete
Big Wall climber
like Ontario, Canada, eh?
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Nov 11, 2010 - 01:25am PT
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Tomaz Humar's nine-day solo ascent of the South Face of Dhaulagiri remains one of the raddest climbs ever made in the Himalaya.
http://www.planetmountain.com/English/ice/himalaya/Humar/
He sent me this photo of the M7+ dry tooling he did at 7700m - makes my hands sweat every time I look at it:
Crazy bugger was so tough he pulled out his own abscessed tooth with a pair of pliers.
When he came to Yosemite to solo Reticent Wall, nobody would give him a topo! So I gave him a copy of the one I had annotated:
As he had never soloed a big wall before, I thought it prudent to hook him up with a copy of Chongo's book:
After a few mini big wall tutorials, like how to build a 2:1 haul system, he sent of course. Check out Tomaz' Euro-style aiders, which hang on a fifi, and are attached with long 5mm daisies:
Super nice guy, I miss him for sure.
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Johnny K.
Mountain climber
Southern,California
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Jan 23, 2011 - 11:55am PT
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Ohh look a climbing thread =) up
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ß Î Ø T Ç H
Boulder climber
bouldering
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John Vawter :
Did anyone mention Greg Cameron's solo of Lost Arrow Chimney in 1978 or '79? Found this entry on the LAC "beta" thread, username: Grug,
"Sitting here recovering from shoulder surgery and going through this site is bringing back a flood of memories. Only a few friends know this hopefully interesting free-solo story - so here it is.
The inspiration, really, was Henry Barber's free solo of the Steck Salathe - in 1977, I think. I was intrigued by this, and in 1978, I too, free-soloed the Steck-Salathe. I did it the same way Henry had done, I brought a long sling and a carabiner with me to protect the one scary piece of face climbing. The whole climb took about an hour and a half to complete.
The Steck-Salathe was a climb I had done several times before, and, frankly, free-soloing it did not seem to be such a big deal, in retrospect. It occurred to me that an on-site free-solo of a Yosemite classic would raise the stakes. I don't remember what made me think of the Lost Arrow Chimney - it wasn't a climb that was really on my radar or anything, but I was very confident in the wide crack arena and figured there was no way that I couldn't free-solo 5.10a.
So, sometime in the late Spring of 1979, I let some of my friends in on it and told my buddy Alan Chase that if I didn't show up for dinner the next night, to walk up the Falls trail the following morning and throw a rope down to the notch so I could prussik out.
I left in the morning, excited, of course. I brought a paperback book, "The Myth of Sysiphus", that I stuffed in my cotten warmup pants, just above the ankle. The climb went quickly and rather uneventfully. Because I figured that I might have to hang out at the notch all day anyhow, I took my time - hanging out at certain ledges - but still the whole climb took only about 3 hours. Like on the Steck-Salathe, I took a long runner and a carabiner. I used the runner on a fixed pin at the scary, flakey section discussed in this post, and then abandoned it.
When I topped out on the notch, there was a party setting up to do the tyrolean traverse of the spire. Two clearly inexperienced guys were at the notch, and one guy in particular, was really spooked and could not believe that I had soloed up to that point. I asked if I could use their ropes to get out. Both guys ended up jumaring up to the top of the wall. I was expecting that maybe they would send jumars down for me, but after the second guy went up, nothing happened for like 15 minutes, in spite of my yelling. So I got out two small cords and prussiked their rope to the top of the wall.
I hiked back to Camp 4 with little fanfare. I do remember John Long congratulating me the next morning." http://www.supertopo.com/climbing/thread.php?topic_id=372567
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k-man
Gym climber
SCruz
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Aug 25, 2011 - 12:29am PT
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Didn't some guy solo the W. Face of Leaning Tower without a rope, just clipping fixed gear and such with a small loop of rope?
El Cap/ Half Dome solo link-ups, certainly rad. You know that a bunch of those pitches are sans rope.
However, once NWFHD gets a free solo, other things kinda pale, even though they are totally badd-asss.
PS. That Tomaz H. post is inspiring. Sad read of his bio.
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wstmrnclmr
Trad climber
Bolinas, CA
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Aug 25, 2011 - 01:24am PT
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Mark Wagner......The Edge, Thaquitz around '96
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Patrick Oliver
Boulder climber
Fruita, Colorado
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Aug 25, 2011 - 04:26am PT
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Yes Jim Collins free soloed the Naked Edge, as did Derek Hersey,
and probably others by now.
To free solo is a mind thing. You need to be a good climber,
but there are lots of phenomenal climbers who don't have the
temperament or desire to free solo. In England, where Derek
was growing up, it was often cold, and no one wanted to stand
around and belay, so they would solo routes one after another,
side by side sometimes at Stanage, for example. It became so
natural to Derek's experience, and he became so confident at it,
he readily took to it here. Strangely many climbers could do much
harder single moves than Derek, but he could solo near his limit.
One time, and I think I've told this story somewhere else,
he and I went to climb Country Club Crack. Derek had not done it
before, and he had a lot of trouble figuring out those first
delicate moves, what some people now say might be closer to 5.12
than 5.11. Anyway, he couldn't do it that day. But returning,
he managed it. As soon as he could climb it, he was ready to
solo it and did free solo the route not too much later. When I
have soloed I have wanted to keep a much wider margin of safety....
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AP
Trad climber
Calgary
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Aug 25, 2011 - 02:21pm PT
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Frank Jourdan was mentioned earlier. Anyone who has done a big limestone North wall in the Cdn Rockies knows it can be a cerebral experience even with a partner and modern gear. 5.9 is not like anything else you have ever climbed. This is an old report but highlights the man's energy and skills
David Dornian wrote the following about Frank Jourdan's summer for the Calgary Mountain Club World News' alpine report in 1994.
A stiff little reminder of what can be accomplished when you put a few caffeine pills into your butt bag, hang a couple of ropes and your shoes off your harness, and get out whilst everyone else is still "waiting for things to come into condition"
What did YOU do on your summer vacation? In July, visiting German alpinist Frank Jourdan managed a quick two-week trip to the Canmore/Banff/Jasper corridor to finish off a North American tour.
Discovered sleeping in his car at the ACC clubhouse parking lot in Canmore, he was taken into town by staff, coffeed up, and the following amazing tale was extracted in halting English.
It seems that a few days previously, Frank had driven north to the Columbia Icefields where he soloed a route he referred to as "Skyladder Direct" on Mt. Andromeda. He then descended the line, crossed the glacier to the northeast, and ascended "The Shooting Gallery". From there, he traversed the summit of Andromeda, climbed down one of the "Practice Gullies" and moved across too the base of "The Andromeda Strain".
In the dark now, he ascended the "Strain" by headlamp, carried on past the Andromeda/Athabasca col, over the summit of Athabasca in blowing conditions and what he called "...very strong snow" and arrived back at the parking lot 45 hours after he had left.
There's more.
Moving north a bit, Frank then soloed the Robinson/Arbic on the North Face of Cromwell.
And more...
Next, he attempted the North Face of Alberta. Going up without a rope, Frank decided he didn't like the inconsistent nature of the rock band above the icefield, and so he traversed off the face and descended the NE ridge. As a consolation, he bagged the peak by the Japanese Route before returning to the highway.
And still more...
He drove to Jasper and had a look at the North Face of Edith Cavell, coming down because of wet rock and unconsolidated snow.
And finally.
Returning south past Mt. Kitchener, where he soloed the Grand Central Couloir - "Only to be climbed ven zer's eis..." - apparently spending over an hour tunneling through the summit cornice.
Wait...
After resting and cragging around Canmore for a few days, Frank decided that he wanted "...perhaps one more peak" before he headed home to Germany. When he showed up at Acephale around noon on Sunday, looking for Todd, we mercilessly insisted that he have a go on Mirror Stage 12b. Heh, heh. After all, we pointed out to this quiet little guy in the pilled fleece, there was already a rope on it; he might as well give it a shot. Protesting that he was "probably quite tired...", he dutifully pulled on a pair of shoes and sent the rig first try. A little while later, he did the same to Bleu du Ciel 12b, loosing his feet during the hideous sloper match at the crux and simply pulling up and locking off while he reached across for the next crimp edge in the sequence.
Now willing to let him be our friend, we engaged Frank in conversation. Turns out he had spent the day before climbing the Blanchard/Robinson on the North Face of Howse Peak, avoiding the A3 chimney and block via the ice in the gash out right (which he admitted was slow going and "very technical" [and which Peter Arbic, the only other person to go that way, reportedly characterizes as "Death" - ed.] and had been forced to sleep on the mountain that night, prior to descending and running up to meet us at the crag.
Dave Dornian
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go-B
climber
Sozo
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Aug 25, 2011 - 07:57pm PT
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Subject: The Italian Virginity Test
Mario is planning to marry and asks his father how he could tell if his bride-to-be is still a virgin.
His father says, "Mario, all the Italian men I know use three things for what we call a Do-It-Yourself Virginity Test Kit - - - A small can of red paint, a small can of blue paint, and a shovel."
Mario asks, "And what do I do with these three things, Papa?”
His father replies, "Before you climb into bed on your wedding night, you paint one of your balls red and the other ball blue. If your new bride says, 'That's the strangest pair of balls I've ever seen!',
. . . you hit her with the shovel!
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Johnny K.
climber
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Sep 22, 2011 - 10:28pm PT
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lets keep this moving along...
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Stewart Johnson
climber
lake forest
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Sep 23, 2011 - 11:16am PT
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guy lacelle for soloing most of the ice in north america!
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matty
Trad climber
under the sea
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Sep 23, 2011 - 01:47pm PT
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Honnold on Phoenix!
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Batrock
Trad climber
Burbank
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Sep 23, 2011 - 01:54pm PT
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Has anyone mentions Honnold's solo of Moonlight? That was the most impressive solo ever made IMO.
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AlexCobbs
Trad climber
Santa Fe, NM
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Dec 14, 2011 - 12:12am PT
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I'm really impressed with Jason "Singer" Smith's solo of Midgard Serpent on Mt. Thor.
Also Mike Libecki's solo ascents both in Baffin and Antartica are bold and amazing.
Charlie Porter's epic solo of Mt. Asgard in 1975 was way ahead of it's time.
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ms55401
Trad climber
minneapolis, mn
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Dec 14, 2011 - 12:19am PT
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Andy Parkin on Vol de Nuit, Patagonia
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Reeotch
Trad climber
4 Corners Area
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That Alain Robert stuff is amazing!
I'd like to hook one of these guys (Robert, Honnold, Croft)up to a brain scan while they're soloing extreme routes like this. I think their brains must be different than most folks.
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Johnny K.
climber
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Jun 24, 2012 - 11:13am PT
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Photo by Kevin Worrall
ttt
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Jun 24, 2012 - 01:33pm PT
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Kevin's last name is Worrall for proper credit. Iconic soloing shot because Dan so clearly isn't the least bit desperate or stressed...leaving the viewer in a quandry! LOL
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can't say
Social climber
Pasadena CA
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Jun 24, 2012 - 01:38pm PT
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Did anyone mention Bob the Aid Man's FA of Time Machine? Twenty or so foot section of cord and bottlecaps for copperheads.
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bvb
Social climber
flagstaff arizona
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Jun 24, 2012 - 04:04pm PT
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Ah, Bob the Aid Man. Last time I saw or heard of him was in San Diego in the mid-late 80's. What became of him?
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Johnny K.
climber
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Nov 22, 2013 - 12:32am PT
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climbing....yes.
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ß Î Ø T Ç H
Boulder climber
extraordinaire
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Nov 22, 2013 - 01:14am PT
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Dano os soloing "baboon safari" one of my iron butte routes 11.A. One of the COUNTLESS soloes i watched him do from 12D to 5.3. Great scan and tribute. Thanks.
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Vitaliy M.
Mountain climber
San Francisco
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Nov 22, 2013 - 02:26am PT
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I soloed Tenaya peak....FEKIN ONSIGHT BRO!
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John Mac
Trad climber
Littleton, CO
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Nov 22, 2013 - 09:23am PT
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I still think Jeff Lowe's Metanoia solo was one of the greatest feats of all time.
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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
Nothing creative to say
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Nov 22, 2013 - 09:54am PT
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Onsight solo of 5.11 ow count. Check the Balch thread.
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ghisino
climber
Italy/France
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Nov 22, 2013 - 11:07am PT
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1991 Alain Robert, La Nuit du lézard 8a+, Buoux, France
it is considered the boldest solo ever done in france, as the route is both cruxy (dyno in the middle) and sketchy (delicate slab at the top, often failed).
one legend says that Robert had tried to onsight the route during the same day (falling near the top!) and then soloed it out of frustration...
another nice french tale says that "pshitt" (the bolter of Pichenibule) was soloing a famous Verdon OW crack and was surprised by some rain near the crux.
He passed his chalkbag's cord around a small tree and waited for the weather to improve, half wedged into the crack....
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Vitaliy M.
Mountain climber
San Francisco
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Nov 22, 2013 - 11:11am PT
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Onsight solo of 5.11 ow count. Check the Balch thread.
Jim soloed first 40-50 ft of one. Part in which you could heel toe/or get half of you inside. He wasn't gonna risk and get out from it into wide fists/stacks and down-climbed from there. Even though going almost 50 ft up is really ballsy, he did not finish the pitch (I am pretty glad he didn't try. Even though I knew he was in control, I was really nervous for him anyway, he is a really good guy!).
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steve shea
climber
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Nov 22, 2013 - 11:20am PT
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Steck, Annapurna SF
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10b4me
Ice climber
Bishop/Flagstaff
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Nov 22, 2013 - 12:13pm PT
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I still think Jeff Lowe's Metanoia solo was one of the greatest feats of all time.
+1
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Synchronicity
Trad climber
British Columbia, Canada
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Feb 19, 2014 - 05:17pm PT
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bump
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ms55401
Trad climber
minneapolis, mn
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Jan 18, 2015 - 05:40pm PT
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dude who soloed the Ragni on Cerro Torre
and again, the next season, in a storm. Unreal.
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coolrockclimberguy69
climber
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Jan 18, 2015 - 07:43pm PT
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^^Markus Pucher
The "ballsy solos" that always grip my frontal lobes are the ones told over campfires attached to names that you've never heard.
I remember hearing about some dude they called "The Berserker" who would onsight solo up and down routes in Indian Creek. I remember someone talking about him onsight soloing up and then downclimbing Sinestra. Those of you who have done this route can understand how intense this seems. I'm kinda convinced that The Berzerker was just some Oliver Moon fictionality dreamt up over a few beers. They say he died in an avalanche in Canada. Throw another log on the fire.
Same guy also told me about this kid Pat who died falling off the route Thin Ice in the California Needles. He'd solo up Coyne Crack (11d), tap the chains, solo back down. He had just started climbing two years earlier.
Stories around a campfire. I keep hearing things about a dude named Cameron going for it in the Black Canyon without a rope. Too bad climbers are so dead set on not "spraying" about climbing because some of us like to have our minds blown about what kind of crazy sh#t random no-names are doing out there.
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healyje
Trad climber
Portland, Oregon
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Got to second Porter on Asgard for sheer scope and scale of what was contemplated given the time - way, way beyond mere ballsy. Also Charlie's '78 solo of the Casual Route stands out for me.
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Jaybro
Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
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Jun 10, 2015 - 05:16am PT
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Sadly, no Clif bars for anyone on this Thread!
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hamie
Social climber
Thekoots
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Jun 10, 2015 - 11:36am PT
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Honnold. U Wall, Squamish.
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Andy de klerk
Mountain climber
South Africa
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Jun 16, 2016 - 09:42am PT
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Colin Haley. Infinite Spur.
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ms55401
Trad climber
minneapolis, mn
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Alex Honnold
FFS El Capitan (via Freerider)
2017
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