Free solo climbing

Free solo climbing is a very risky kind of rock climbing where the climber has no safety ropes or protective gear. They only wear special climbing shoes and use climbing chalk to help their hands grip. Because they have no safety net, even a small mistake can be very dangerous.

Some famous climbers have become well-known for free solo climbing. People like Alex Honnold, Alex Huber, Alain Robert, and John Bachar have done this type of climbing, which has made people talk a lot about whether it is a good idea to take such big risks.

Free solo climbing can be done in many places, not just on regular rock walls. Climbers sometimes do it on ice, on mixed surfaces of rock and ice, or even try to climb very fast on very tall mountains. The 2018 film Free Solo helped many people learn about this dangerous sport.

Description

Free solo climbing is a type of rock climbing where the climber uses no safety ropes or protection. They only wear special shoes and use chalk to help their hands grip. This is very different from other types of climbing where climbers use ropes and safety gear to protect themselves.

Even though some shorter climbs without ropes are called bouldering, free solo climbing is usually done on much taller routes where falling could be very dangerous. Over time, as better safety equipment was developed, free solo climbing became its own special form of the sport.

Public view

Many climbers like free soloing, but others worry about how dangerous it is and what it might tell other climbers. Some companies think about these worries when they work with climbers who free solo. For example, Clif Bar, a company that makes food for climbers, stopped working with five climbers in 2014 because of the risks they take.

But other companies, like The North Face and Red Bull, support free soloists and help this group of climbers grow. In 2018, a climber named Alex Honnold was in a movie called Free Solo. The movie was very popular and even won an award. The person who made the movie, Jimmy Chin, talked about the choices they made while making the film.

Even among climbers, free soloing causes debate. In 2022, a climbing magazine called Climbing wrote about free soloing but said it was not encouraging the practice. They shared that only a few climbers actually free solo, and many said they used to but stopped.

That same year, a writer named Jeff Smoot wrote a book called All and Nothing: Inside Free Soloing. In his book, he talked to many climbers who free solo to learn why they do it. He shared his own thoughts and feelings, describing how facing fears gave him strength in other parts of his life. He also found that people who free solo have many different reasons for doing it.

Notable climbers

Many rock climbers have climbed without safety ropes on easier routes, but only a few do this regularly on very hard routes. Some of the most famous climbers known for climbing without ropes include:

• Alex Honnold – a well-known climber in recent years, famous for climbing a very hard route without ropes in 2017, which was made into a film called Free Solo.
• Hansjörg Auer – known for climbing tall, difficult routes without ropes high up on mountains.
• Michael Reardon – won an award for his daring climb without ropes in 2005.
• Alexander Huber – one of the best climbers of the 1990s who set new records for climbing without ropes.
• Alain Robert – a pioneer in climbing tall buildings without ropes.
• Wolfgang Güllich – set early records for climbing without ropes in the 1980s.
• Catherine Destivelle – a leading female climber who also climbed without ropes on difficult routes.
• Patrick Edlinger – famous for his climbs without ropes in Europe in the 1980s.

Other climbers known for their climbs without ropes include Ron Fawcett, Brad Gobright, Dan Goodwin, Colin Haley, Derek Hersey, Jimmy Jewell, John Long, Dave MacLeod, Dan Osman, Dean Potter, Paul Preuss, and Tobin Sorenson.

Among female climbers, Steph Davis and Brette Harrington are also known for their climbs without ropes.

Evolution of grade milestones

Single-pitch routes

Main articles: List of grade milestones in rock climbing § Free-solo, and History of rock climbing

In 2019, an Italian climber named Alfredo Webber, aged 52, free soloed a route called Panem et Circenses in Arco, Italy, which was the first-ever free solo of an 8c (5.14b) grade. In 2004, Alexander Huber free soloed Kommunist in the Tyrol, Austria, the first-ever free solo at grade 8b+ (5.14a). In 1993, Alain Robert free soloed Compilation in Omblèze, France, the first-ever free solo of an 8b (5.13d) graded route. In 1987, Jean-Christophe Lafaille free soloed Rêve de gosse, at La Roche-des-Arnauds, France, considered the first-ever free solo at the grade of 8a+ (5.13c). In 1986, Wolfgang Güllich free soloed Weed Killer, at Raven Tor, in the Peak District, the first-ever free solo at 7c (5.12d); that same year, Gullich also did the iconic solo of Separate Reality 7a+ (5.12a). In 1985, Antoine Le Menestrel free soloed Revelations, at Raven Tor, Peak District, the first-ever free solo at 8a (5.13b). In 1982, John Bachar free soloed Baby Apes, at Joshua Tree National Park, probably the first-ever free solo at 7b (5.12b). In 1961, John Gill free soloed the first ascent of Thimble, the first-ever redpoint, and thus the first-ever free solo, at 7a+ (5.12a).

Big wall, multi-pitch routes

Main articles: List of grade milestones in rock climbing § Free-soloed, and History of rock climbing

In 2017, Alex Honnold free soloed El Capitan via Freerider, the first-ever big wall solo at 5.13a (7c+); this became an Oscar-winning film, Free Solo. In 2007, Hansjörg Auer free soloed Fish Route, on Marmolada, in the Dolomites, Italy, the first-ever big wall solo at 5.12c (7b+) (35-pitches). In 2005, Michael Reardon free soloed Romantic Warrior in the Sierra Nevada, USA, the first-ever big wall solo at 5.12b (7b) (10-pitches). In 2002, Alexander Huber free soloed the 1,500 ft Hasse-Brandler on the Cima Grande, Dolomites, the first-ever big wall solo at 5.12a (7a+).

Climber fatalities

Some climbers who chose to climb without safety ropes have sadly had accidents while doing so.

These include climbers like Paul Preuss, who fell while attempting a very tall climb, and Jimmy Jewell, who took a shortcut on a climb and fell.

Other climbers such as Tobin Sorenson and Derek Hersey also had accidents while climbing without safety ropes.

Many of these climbers were known for their skill and bravery, but climbing without safety equipment can be very dangerous.

Related disciplines

Free solo climbing has a few related activities. One is deep-water soloing, where climbers scale rock faces above water. If they fall, they land in the water, but this can still be very dangerous.

Other related activities include alpine speed solo climbing, where climbers race up very tall mountain routes without safety gear. There is also buildering, where people climb tall buildings without any safety equipment. Highball bouldering is another activity where climbers attempt very high boulder problems without safety mats, which can be very risky.

In film

Several films have focused on free solo climbing, both on rock and ice. These include:

• Race to the Summit, a 2023 documentary about climbers Ueli Steck and Dani Arnold trying to set speed records.
• The Alpinist, a 2021 film about Canadian climber Marc-André Leclerc, showing his climbs without safety ropes.
• Free Solo, a 2018 film about Alex Honnold’s climb of Freerider 5.13a on El Capitan.
• King Lines, a 2007 film about Chris Sharma, including his climb of Es Pontàs 9a+ in Mallorca.
• Hard Grit, a 1998 film about climbing in the British Peak District, which includes free solo climbs.
• Skyscraper Live, a 2026 Netflix special about Alex Honnold’s climb of the Taipei 101 building.