Motivations
Reasons for free soloing given by high-profile climbers include the simplicity and speed with which one can climb, for example Alex Honnold's two hour and fifty minute ascent of the 2,224 foot Regular Northwest Face route on Yosemite's Half Dome, a route normally demanding multiple days. Other reasons given are the intense concentration required and, for some, the adrenaline rush. The practice is mostly confined to routes familiar to the climber and whose difficulty lies well within the climber's abilities. However, inherent risks such as loose rocks or sudden change in weather are always present. Some high-profile climbers have been killed free soloing, including John Bachar, Derek Hersey, Michael Reardon, Vik Hendrickson, Robert Steele, Tony Abbott, Dwight Bishop, Jimmy Ray Forrester, Jimmy Jewell, Tony Wilmott, John Taylor. The challenge of free soloing typically lies in the mental difficulty of staying focused, not in the physical difficulties of the climbing itself.
Read more about this topic: Free Solo Climbing
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