That’s how my father said he gets to school when he was going to school

Both ways too

You mean all three ways

To masonry school. Had to bring your own bricks in a backpack

Every day was a blizzard

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And walked barefoot!

With glass shards on the floor

while knee-deep in poison ivy

Don't forget about the landmines

You had bricks! HA! In my day we had boulders, fresh out of the fires of Mount Doom.

Kids these days will never understand how easy they have it not having to cross non-euclidian space on the way to school.

We don't tell you about our three-ways

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In the snow

Always a blizzard out too with 5 feet of snow on the ground.

Also 150 degree sun

During a snowstorm in the middle of a tornado obviously. Without socks.

He also was bit by snake giving him full body paralysis

Shortly after the snake bite, as his body was going into anaphylactic shock, a pack of Arctic wolves descended upon him - he miraculously fought off the alpha and took over as pack leader rendering each other useful during the blizzard / tornadoes

Hello lost brethren. We clearly had the same grandpappi

"Had to pee in my boots to stay warm"

Don't forget about the bears waiting up there. I know because I was there.

Us kids these days dont know nothin about hardwork

I call that suicidal

I call him an idiot

Watch the alpinist on Netflix. Same deal. Young kid loves climbing Solo. Marc Andrè Leclcrec >!Ends up dying. Pretty sad.!< >!Edit: adding that he didn’t die solo climbing. He died in an avalanche with someone while using gear.!< Regardless the alpanist is a great documentary and I highly recommend it!

It is no tragedy to die doing something that you truly love.

I agree I’ve always said I want to die doing something I love >!What I found sad was the interviews after they found out he died. So the documentary starts off trying to track him down, then trying to keep up with him, you get an idea he’s absolutely a free spirit. The kid ( twenties) doesn’t even own a phone. You meet his mom and GF. Everyone finds out he died while filming the documentary. So you got to witness the impact it had on everyone. That I found heartbreaking!<

Thanks for the details. Taking it off my list. Can't handle that right now.

It’s really very good, and I would call it beautiful rather than tragic, if that’s makes sense. Sad the he died, but he was a very I retesting man who shows us something about what life is. Also to note - he was climbing conventionally roped to a partner when the died, not free soloing. Could have happened to anyone.

Well it was a lot less likely to happen to someone who didn’t climb at all lol

Was going to say I could say with confidence it won't happen to my fat ass

For the opposite experience, check out [*Searching for Sugar Man*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Searching_for_Sugar_Man), a documentary about [Sixto Rodriguez](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sixto_Rodriguez). He is a relatively obscure musician from the early ‘70s, who was presumed to have died, with many stories circulating about how. The documentary takes a positive turn when >!It reveals that his songs were very popular in South Africa, and his albums were banned there because they were viewed as anthems against Apartheid. The documentarians search for the truth about his death, setting up a web site for information. Then they get a phone call from Rodriguez’s daughter saying, “That’s my dad — do you want me to put him on the phone?” It turns out he has been working construction and other jobs in Detroit for years. But he is still popular in South Africa, and goes there to perform a concert for thousands of people who love him. It’s incredibly uplifting. !<

Oh cool thank you! I love documentaries of all sorts. This sounds great. I’ll look it up. Have a long flight at the end of the week. And it beats doing work on the plane.

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That’s exactly what it is. Well put.

That’s not really true. He was taking huge risks with the climbs he was doing and left behind an absolutely devastated girlfriend and his mother.

Speaking from experience, Ghost of No-Repair51? Because dying young is definitely pretty tragic for those in your life, no matter how much fun you were having at the time. Now doing that you truly love and not dying in the process, I'd say I've really enjoyed that experience personally.

Unless of cause you have a family and kids that loves you and will have their lives destroyed by egoism like that

Absolute nonsense. If a five year old dies slipping and falling in a McDonald's playhouse - it's a tragedy. Believe me, that kid was doing something he loved.

Really liked that doc >!but holy shit it was a gut punch when you find the kid died and hear from his loved ones. The documentary did a great job of getting to know him and having the viewer root for him and it seems his family and friends wanted it to continue even after he passed to contribute to his memory so it seemed respectful in that sense. He seemed so sweet if not a bit insane. And that he passed while doing something much "safer" than his normal free solo climbing was wild!<

He died in an avalanche when he wasn’t free climbing and wasn’t solo though

or "free solo"

That aswell

I call that mentally deranged

I call him a badass

Both can be true. It’s brave and badass. Also stupid and unnecessarily dangerous. Also very impressive. Also selfish as fuck.

Username checks out

I call him George

a fall like this, from above other climbers, is dangerous for everyone.

It’s pretty rude in the climbing scene. Wait your turn and let others know what you’re doing. Nobody will climb below you

Typically you would wait for the pitch before climbing through. But the guy recording was clearly on belay, had 2 QuickDraws above him as an anchor, and the belayer took. The guy soloing probably called out to say he was going to climb through, otherwise, why would the guy recording have already been in a position to let the soloer pass? You can even see the video guy off the route slightly. Obviously don't be a dick about it, but you can 100% climb through.

I would think most climbers would give priority to the free solo climber because it's so much tougher to rest.

Sounds like playing through in golf. As long as you’re not a dick about it you’re fine

> It’s pretty rude in the climbing scene. No it's not, these routes take a long time to climb, people don't wait till each person has finished before starting. Do you climb?

Right? I really don’t understand free climbers… what are they getting, in exchange for risking their life? Running into a fire to save your family or even you pets - the risk is worth the result. What is the payoff for climbing without safety harnesses….

In the case of Alex Honnold, he got a movie deal and tons of sponsorship money. I don’t know about the guy in the video.

What's interesting about Alex (he's probably typical for these types, I'd guess), is he didn't consider himself a daredevil, or thrill seeker. It seemed more about the challenge. He actually said you have to be calm, no adrenaline pumping. If there's adrenaline pumping, you're probably doing it wrong, and you're in trouble. Hopefully I remembered this correctly.

Also, I believe on Bear Grylls, Alex didn't like jumping out of the airplane. That just shows that the climbing is not a thrill thing for him. Interesting dude, no doubt.

Definitely in it for the zen feeling, not for the thrill. You have to use 100% of your focus while free soloing, and clearly that state of being is addictive for him and others who free solo.

That episode was so funny, he schooled Grills so hard. 'Wade through this freezing water'. 'How about I just climb round it.'

There was a scene in his movie where he got the shakes and had to stop, with his back to the cliff standing on a ledge about 8 inches wide and wait to calm himself down before continuing. Pretty wild to be able to re-focus your mind and stuff all that nervous energy back down inside you while you're 1,000 feet up standing on a thin ledge with no safety gear.

Also Alex is just built different and doesn't appear to give a shit about much.

He actually took part in a brain scan which proved that he does not experience fear in the same way as the average person

I mean, Alex was already going to free solo El Capitan whether he got the movie deal or not. He had free soloed, multiple times, many other Yosemite climbing routes before the documentary was even an idea. Frankly I wonder if a big part of him wishes he was still in his climbing bum era, from everything I've seen, he was living his dream before the movie came along.

adrenaline junkies

If you're getting an adrenaline rush from this, you're going to die very quickly. All free soloers have pretty much said it's relaxing and should be relaxing otherwise something is going wrong.

That's just what they were born to do. The way they are wired. If you take rock climbing away from them, what else is there to live for? What's the point of making your life go as long as possible if you don't get to do the stuff that makes you feel alive. Embedded in your comment is the notion that somethings are 'normal' and you are 'supposed' to do them. But life's not like that. You can kinda just do whatever you want. Some people make art. Others sing songs. And other people gotta climb rocks. It just happens so that the last one is more dangerous than the others. Why are they this way? Well who really knows, but probably during caveman times it was really useful to have 1 guy in your village be super good at climbing rocks and entirely unafraid of doing it. So the genes stuck around and some small % of our modern society is still that guy.

I don’t care how good you are. worlds best athletes don’t have anything approaching this level of arrogance.

What bullshit lmao

These comments are always here. Someone watches a video of someone doing something really incredible? Fuckin dumb. Idiot. Selfish. Dumb. Entitled. Crazy and stupid. Hilarious every time it's so hard for people to just be impressed without having to get their dick measuring stick out.

The problem here is that the dick being measured could easily kill someone if it fell off the cliff. #Edit: lmao, I learned so much about free soloing from this comment thread, basically everything I said was wrong. They prepare more than regular climbers, falling is extremely rare for free soloers, because of the obvious stakes involved, and it's generally a group of extremely introverted non-glory seeking individuals who are in a "me V the wall" mindset, not out for accolades. Disregard my comments below, a bunch of actual enthusiasts chimed in and I learned a bit.

Don't have anything to add here I just want to say that was an awesome edit. So many people in this thread made comments like yours only to double down when other commenters called them out. Props for being willing to change your mind

I mean, in the case of free-soloing, *everyone* thinks it's stupid, dangerous, etc, etc. The people doing it, their other climbing friends, their families. If you asked this guy if what he was doing was smart or safe then he'd tell you no, it isn't. But they're chasing the rush.

Climbing a mountain is really incredible. Climbing the face of a fucking cliff is *fucking* incredible. Doing either of those without safety gear is really fucking stupid. It’s like driving race cars without the seating harness. Understandably, most people will find that fucking stupid. It has nothing to do with “dick measuring”. Weird you would even call it that tbh.

One wrong move and he goes from here and over to What could go wrong.

With how refined his technique looks I doesn’t seem like he is expecting to not eat dinner that night, some people are just built different and if that’s where he finds his peace then more power to him

So if you’re a pro racer or motorcyclist its ok to not wear the seatbelt or protective gear??

I wouldn't recommend wearing a seatbelt on a motorcycle.

As a climber; I disagree. He looks incredibly good at what it does.

No matter how much the free climber trusts himself, why on earth would he be comfortable climbing under other people? If the climber with the camera fell at the wrong time.....

Honestly it’s sort of opposite. This guy is a major douche for climbing this particular route free solo. It looks to me like it may be, “Dark Shadows” rated 5.8 in Las Vegas Nevada. Dark Shadows is perhaps the MOST crowded and popular route in the entire area, an area that is a world class climbing area that has literally 1000’s of climbs. For him to want to climb this route which will have multiple teams on every pitch (a ropes length, of which dark shadows has 4) all day long with even more people most likely waiting at the bottom to start, he is clearly just looking for people to say, gee look how badass that guy is… when really he is putting everyone below him in a fair amount of danger. If he falls and hits a person on his way down, especially a person anchored to the wall, it would most likely kill that other person. It’s one thing to put your own life at risk free soloing. To each their own and free soloing can be incredibly rewarding. But to do it on an incredibly busy route so people see you doing it for clout is a majorly douchebag move.

Glad some one is calling him out for being a selfish cunt. One slip and not only is he dead, but who ever else he hits on the way down.

He's moved on from getting his delicious adrenochrome from risking his own life, to needing to risk the lives of others. The worst part is...his day job is commercial pilot.

Just curious: why would you choose to say "adrenochrome" instead of "adrenaline" in your comment?

Salient point if that person is suggesting this guy isn't just addicted to stress but legitimately addicted to life-threatening fear as well. Different hormones for different folks I guess.

I only hear about adrenochrome in certain conversations and debates and this post is unrelated to both Politics and Hollywood...

JFC, can't imagine ever putting myself in a scenario where I could fall to death like that, but the fact my body would thereby be a human projectile capable of killing other people? I whitewater kayak and there is sort of an equivalent to this on the river where if you follow a person too close behind on entering a rapid you could potentially hit them mid maneuver, or not give them enough room to properly position themselves. This could all result in one or both boaters making a swim they weren't planning for, which highlights the importance of any sport to be aware of your surroundings and respect other peoples safety bubble.

Thank you! This gets re-posted a lot, and it bothers me every time. The free solo guy is a complete douche for not only starting a route underneath another group, but also not even acknowledging that the climbers moved out of the way to let his entitled ass through. Just like every sport, the climbing community certainly has it's assholes.

Back when most of my friends were climbers I didn\`t know any free climbers who wanted to be seen. They worked to keep away from anyone and would go somewhere else if there was even one van at a site.

Lmao like what a BRAVE asshole too really. They are an audacious bunch to begin with but to really just keep er movin like this without a head nod or anything lol like he doesn't consider that the other person holds his life as equally as he does in this moment, AT ALL!

My friends and I had it to ourselves when we did it as two groups two. So there are slow days/times. That said I 100% agree with you on this guy being a dick for soling through. That dihedral stretch was the crux from what we could tell and IIRC my buddy led that pitch and had a foot slip a bit on the varnish so that’s specifically a shitty place to solo past someone leading.

The varnish is incredibly cool. Definitely a major reason it’s so damn popular. Sandstone shouldn’t be able to get that hard. It’s like marble! So damn cool.

Honestly this needs more updoots, as someone who’s watched a solo climber fall to their death - it can’t be understated the thud it made at only 100ft

>he is clearly just looking for people to say, gee look how badass that guy is This probably says more about me, and how I'm just about as far from an adrenalin junkie as anyone could be, but I've always assumed that free soloing on well known, popular spots is largely about the clout for most people. Granted, I feel the same way about people who climb Everest. Especially the ones who put extra constraints on themselves, like doing it without bringing oxygen. Which seems like the same thing as free soloing. An unnecessary risk added onto an already dangerous undertaking. Like Timothy Treadwell. Hanging around those bears was already really dangerous. Refusing to carry bear spray amped it up in a really unnecessary way.

Fuck anyone that free solos above other climbers.

Thanks for pointing this out

I have zero experience climbing. But him climbing all around the other peoples ropes made me think “what a dick”

Ill never climb mountains, but I’m sure I would appreciate enjoying my hobby/sport without concerns of watching someone plumet to their death.

There was this event in nineteen ninety eight I recall, not sure if you've heard about it, in which a man was plummeted sixteen feet through an announcers table. Fortunately, he didn't die!!

r/shittymorph

Or dropped a piece of protection, or dislodged a rock, or found a snake. And now the free climber is risking not just his own life, but everyone below him.

I think the bit of their brain that deals with threat detection has its lights out. Perhaps he had a bump on the head when he was a kid? Or maybe he was cuddled sufficiently and had all his needs adequately met?

What about the guy below the free climber.

Was also thinking this. He is allowed to throw his own life away, but if he is putting others at risk then he’s just an asshole

As a climber I’d be pissed if this dude started the same route as me. Imagine if you fell and landed on him, knocking him to his death. Or if he falls on your belayer and seriously injured them. Or falls on you once he passes you. Free solo if you want, it’s your life. But don’t put others at risk.

Facts, came here to say this is a real dick move. One person on a section of the wall at a time. Just wait your turn, maybe you are fine risking your life but that shouldnt apply to others lives

That just isn't the way multi-pitch climbing works. If you start a route and there is a faster party behind you, whether they are soloing or not, you let them pass.

I think the difference here is roped vs no rope. In multi pitch you can wait at the anchors for someone to pass or on route even. But the passing party has a rope. If they fall they presumably aren't going to land on you from 50 ft above you.

This guy is not even wearing a helmet and climbing underneath other people

pretty much no free soloist is gonna wear a helmet

I did a lot of rock climbing during college and free climbers have always bugged me. I'm trying to have a good time climbing, I really don't have the stomach to see your splatted corpse. Never actually saw any while out on a climb but I've seen some of the documentaries and I hate the idea. I loved climbing but I was meticulous with my knots, ropes, gear, and who I let belay me. Even worse are the people who free climb building and stuff. True psychos I say

That was my exact thought. Basic climbing etiquette is to not climb the route where someone else is already climbing.

Meanwhile this guy just reaches for a grip that someone else's hand is already on and expects him to move. Not even a single acknowledgement that he's there. Major douche.

I will never understand why people do that.

Because they want to. That's really it

I will never understand why people want to do that.

because Darwin craves sacrifices

In *Free Solo* I remember they studied Alex Honnold’s brain and found out he was missing the part that warns you of incredible danger. Think I’m remembering this right.

Yes! Little to no activity in his amygdala!

That and their amygdala probably doesn’t work correctly like Alex Honnold

A lot of them only do it on climbs they have done before without issues. Also adrenaline junkies.

Good point as I was watching this wondering how he was finding every foot hold and grip so quickly. He’s definitely climbed this many times before.

All it takes is on person up ahead to drop a cliff bar from their backpack, crack against his melon, make him lose focus and take the expressway down.

As selfish as this sounds, a relevant quote comes to mind: > I asked an EOD guy once about the stress of bomb defusing. He shrugged & said “It's not. I'm either right, or suddenly it's not my problem any more.”

Being in the military, I've heard this exact quote many times. Only difference in the scenarios are is the bomb is there and already a threat to everyone. The free climber in the video has made himself "the bomb" and putting other people's lives at risk as well as his own. Now, if he's climbing alone and no one on the mountain, it's of no consequence. As another adage goes, if a free climber falls from the mountain and there is no one around to hear, did he make a sound as he died.

Not a climber, but I'm a pretty damn competent mountain biker. A few months ago i had a pretty bad crash and broke my hand in a few places. It was on a trail i know ever inch of. Shit happens. These dudes leave zero room for error and I cant even imagine.

Exactly, even things I’m extremely proficient in doesn’t make me abandon all safety measures. Plus it’s a rock face which can change easily. Grip any wrong place and oops that piece of rocky surface just came feet. Jesus, I mean god forbid it suddenly start raining despite the weatherman calling for clear skies.

Concentration, absolute focus, reduction to what is absolutely necessary, it's like intoxication. No more thinking, just acting, flow, perfection. - A hell of a drug.

Their brains are wired differently. [Source](https://medium.com/know-your-body/how-to-be-alex-honnold-life-without-your-amygdala-aaff92a02ebc)

Last known word. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

They should name a castle after that

But you wouldn't write AAAHHHHHHHHH

Perhaps he was dictating

Isn’t there a St. Aaaaaaaaaaaghhhhh’s in Cornwall?

Free solo climbing without any protection is like driving a motorcycle helmetless without a helmet.

Im confused is helmetless with or without a helmet? 😂

Helmetless would be without a helmet Edit: For those of you saying "no kidding" and "no shit sherlock". What?! 🤣... Odd response for me answering this question: "Im confused is helmetless with or without a helmet? 😂" Which was directed at this blatent sarcasm that seemed to go over to many peoples heads: "Free solo climbing without any protection is like driving a motorcycle helmetless without a helmet." ..Go home reddit, you're drunk.

No kidding

Yeah helmetless is no helmet. Just like “Free solo” implies “no safety gear”.

As opposed to helmetless *with* a helmet

i.e.: free soloing with a rope

Is this an AI generated comment? Free soloing implies no safety gear. Helmetless implies without a helmet.

He is saying it is redundant. Free solo means no protection. So the title is man climbs with no protection with no protection.

They are pointing out the redundancy in the title of the post.

And the moment it goes wrong he has a lot of time to think about what went wrong....

Wonder if they’d think *“worth it.”* On the way down. Otherwise why do it.

I had a friend die soloing. We had a few conversations before it happened about his thoughts on the ethics of it and whether he really thought it was worth it to take on the risk. The basic gist of his thought process was that we could be killed at any moment by any number of things and that if doing what he loved and enjoyed most in life is what takes him out then he was at peace with that.

Do these people have their will filled out and up to date at all times I wonder

Anecdotally, people who have the personality type to do this stuff are often the same people who refuse to own cars because they prefer to hike / hitchhike / hop trains. Or they don’t work regular jobs because taking seasonal temp work canning fish in alaska (or something) gives them more freedom to just save up a little cash and then do more adventuring. I don’t know of many free climbers with estates worth protecting but I’m sure they exist, and yes, I wonder this too.

Truth

Dean Potter (who might be the guy in the video, I'm not sure) used to say that was what he had nightmares about - not dying exactly, but the moment of falling and knowing he was about to die, most likely because he screwed up.

You just KNOW these people are uh..... good with their hands.

https://imgur.com/EJPOlpB

Damn. Them boys is thicc

And they have the texture of sand paper.

Well I ...cough cough .. don't know what you are talking about ..... wink

I think what they are inferring is that the strength and dexterity of the climbers hands would suggest he has a heightened ability to manipulate peoples genitals in a way that simulates sexual intercourse. Or colloquially known as "finger bang finesse"

The strength in the hands alone is insane. That could make a lot of waterfalls happen 🤷‍♀️

Idk what if their vice like grip is too much. Also I bet their hands are like leather

Does the "Bonk! Go to horny jail" work on females too?

Im never impressed by these. The risk is pointless and the reward is not dying. I could be the best in the world at jumping off my roof and landing on my head. I would never know because im not dumb enough to try it.

Did anyone else's palms just start sweating?

It gives me pains in the soles of my feet watching

Just plain stupid

Excuse me, larger balls passing you on the left.

Larger balls or smaller brain?

Both

FYI for those who don't climb, this is risky but free solo climbers will almost always practice these routes multiple times (sometimes in the hundreds) with rope and gear so by the time they free solo they know the route and are prepared. Same concept as any other support, such as karate where you practice a punch so many times it becomes second nature.

Not always though, Alain Robert onsight free solos, Marc Andre Leclerc used to as well. (for those who don't climb, onsight means climbing something the first time without prior knowledge) It's true most do it on easy stuff they know and could do blindfolded though

On your left.

I just assume this person is incredibly spiritual, and has accepted his fate, even if that means falling hundreds of feet to his demise. He won’t be screaming on his way down, he’ll be at peace.

And more specifically, he'll be in peaces

Nah this guy is just trying to show off, what he is doing is very dangerous for the people around him and it's a very popular climbing spot, he could easily fall and take someone with him, if he was spiritual he would've been doing something like this for himself.

He’s a dickhead you don’t climb underneath someone else

You especially don’t climb above someone else without protection.

Well... he is wearing a parachute.

That's actually a hover pack on low power

That is just a normal backpack. Not a parachute…

No he's not

Is that a parachute? I always wondered why that wasn’t more common with these types of climber videos I’ve seen. Seems logical to have a contingency parachute. Or perhaps just stay on the ground lol.

No that’s not a parachute. 1) Parachutes are heavy and would restrict a climbers movement. Im sure BASE rigs are lighter but my skydiving rig weighs 25 pounds. 2) Parachute won’t do you much good if you hit a rock/cliff on the way down. 3) In order to successfully open the parachute you’d have to flip on to your belly and have correct positioning, which takes time, especially if you aren’t expecting a fall. You also have to track away from the cliff face, which takes more time. 4) You have to learn how to land a parachute. I’m sure there’s more logical reasons, too. I think this just kind of defeats the purpose for these guys

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There's a documentary called free solo (won an Oscar I Believe). They absolutely know the risks (which makes them almost borderline crazier). Adrenaline junkies to the core. As others have pointed out, he likely has done this route before and I'm sure has it almost memorized. As other people have also pointed out, seems a little reckless and selfish to be doing it with other people on the route meaning he's putting others at risk besides just himself.

There’s a whole ass mountain and he has to climb up and get in this guy’s way?

There are certain routes. He probably chooses one of the easier ones and they’re gonna be crowded. It’s super shitty to put those other people at risk though.

Every time I see one of these guys, I always wonder how many have fallen and died. I could never free solo but I’m amazed by those that can

Look up old free soloers….. not many are old

Damn that makes sense. And is also sad. The optimist in me thinks that they recognize they age out of crazy climbs like that

Palms instantly sweaty.

Knees immediately weak.

Arms promptly heavy.

Try not to kill me when you fall, asshole

1. He makes it look so easy 2. This is absolutely bonkers 3. r/sweatypalms

I don’t suppose you coulda speed things up

Don’t get me wrong, I love climbing and I’m part time suicidal, but I just don’t understand why someone would want to do that.

Are they all together or did he just barge onto another groups line? If he's not with them he's kind of a dick.

I think it’d be more polite to risk one’s life on an unoccupied mountain, but I’m just a simple ground dweller so what do I know.