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As I remember Bachar could barely watch Yabo’s shakey freesolo of Spiderline at J-tree. If given the opportunity to watch someone FS (even something historic like Alex Honnold doing Half Dome, yikes), I’d pass. Curious if you could watch someone freesolo

Yabo soloing made EVERYONE uncomfortable. I've seen lots of other people third class stuff, including Bachar, and typically they were so solid you'd swear you couldn't pull them off with a tow cable.

graham wrote:As I remember Bachar could barely watch Yabo’s shakey freesolo of Spiderline at J-tree. If given the opportunity to watch someone FS (even something historic like Alex Honnold doing Half Dome, yikes), I’d pass. Curious if you could watch someone freesolo

I like to watch --- good strong climbers -----

When it's SHAKEY noobs/bragerts/idiots....... I run to someplace else. I do not wish to have "The Big Splat" imprinted in my brain.

Bodies are bad enuf.....


And graham.... where you there?

I was.

I keep trying to figgure just who you are????

Did you go to the "reunion" ?????????

no, I don't want to see the splat again.

I'm with Guyzo on this one. A super strong climber who just walks something is amazing to watch. Unfortunately about 95% of the free-solo'ists DON'T fall into that catagory.

I watched John Bachar solo Spider Line, The Beaver, Hot Rocks, Left Ski Track, and many more. Watching John was a real treat. He was a truly beautiful climber. The thought of him falling never crossed my mind.

On one of my first days climbing in California Julie Lazar and I were setting up to climb "Ride A Wild Bago" on Sports Challenge Rock. Up comes this ripped dude in short shorts, and he politely asks if he can go ahead of us. But of course. He was up and gone in a moment, and as I lead the pitch afterwards I tried to move as well as he.

rpc wrote:no, I don't want to see the splat again.

you saw where another 50yr old lady fell off the same spot I assume....that was weird, 30 days apart?

Dow Williams wrote:

rpc wrote:no, I don't want to see the splat again.

you saw where another 50yr old lady fell off the same spot I assume....that was weird, 30 days apart?

Yeah. Never going back to the n. face of the landing...I don't want to be hit by anything tossed off the top.

I watched Steph Davis free solo Nutcracker several years ago. A truly beautiful sight, in more ways than one

Guyzo wrote:And graham.... where you there? I was. I keep trying to figgure just who you are???? Did you go to the "reunion" ?????????

Well kinda, I remember watching the slideshow of Yabo’s FS of Leave it to Beaver at the ol’ Rock & Ice Shop (in Fullerton?). My hands were sweating the whole time.

I was around back in the 70s and early 80s. I lurked around the fringes and watched the Stonemasters do their thing. Although I've seen plenty of StoneMaster climbing, its always been roped. I never witnessed any of the StoneMasters freesoloing. I’m Rick Graham (no relation to StoneMaster Mike Graham) and climbed with the guys out of the ol’ Pack & Piton shops in Glendora and Upland. Stopped climbing in the early 80s, but recently (~2006) started getting back on the rock. I don’t think we’ve ever met, but if I see you I’ll give you a shout out

Please do....

Chuck, 19 out of 20 solos you've seen are sketch? BS

The overwhelming majority of solos are no more dangerous, or sketchy looking, than your average person walking the side walk beside 50mph traffic.

The most interesting perspective is when group soloing, on Royal Arches, or After Six for example. Looking up and down and seeing your friends, cruising casually, having a blast.

If you think soloing is dangerous, please do go away and don't watch. That negative energy is not needed.

I once was soloing at Josh and some duffus starting yelling at me. "Hey, if you want to kill yourself that's fine, don't make us watch" on 5.4 cracks. I thought to go find him and explain that the only dangerous thing potentially going on was his yelling and negative energy, but I down climbed the other side of the formation and left.

I walked away the day Yabo was soloing Spider Line. I watched from a distance where I couldn't see the base or hear the splat if it happened. I watched Yabo solo lots of other stuff and it was always scary and heartbreaking to watch.

Bachar on the other hand, and lots of the other Stonemasters, would just float routes, even hard ones. I could tell it was Bachar on the rock from a looooong ways away. He was just THAT smooth and climbed very differently than ANYONE else. Truely a thing of beauty.

I still solo some easy stuff and if I ever feel sketchy I quit for the day. It should flow or you should just not be there.

MikeTX wrote:looking closely at the photo below, we have matt the bad a$$ doing a roped climb in the middle of the picture. that bulge goes at 5.11d. we also have mr. free solo on the left side of the photo. the ramp (snakes head) goes at 5.5. i watched people free solo this thing a bunch of times one weekend last month. did i do it? no way. i'm still too new...and skeered. but i did watch. i also watched them hop over to that bolder below the end of the ramp. it was wild.

TX.... Please ID this place..... it looks very cool.

and your smart not to free solo, if ya don't feel it.

brandon wrote:That negative energy is not needed.

I do not watch but I also do not care.