Climbing icon John Bachar dies after apparent Mammoth Lakes fall

[strollingbones]

The climbing community mourns the death of free-soloing legend John Bachar, who died Sunday afternoon after an apparent fall at Dike Wall near his home in Mammoth Lakes.

Details are sketchy and Outposts will update this item as more becomes known. Bachar, who was born in 1957, was famous largely for his accomplishments on difficult routes within Yosemite National Park.

He is survived by a young son named Tyrus

Climbing icon John Bachar dies after apparent Mammoth Lakes fall | Outposts | Los Angeles Times


i know a lot of you are going who?

watch the clip:

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0oIeK0YtclU&NR=1]YouTube - Bachar solos Crack A Go Go[/ame]

 

[WillowTree]

that gives me the heebie jeebies!

 

[xotoxi]

 

[Big Black Dog]

It's a sad thing for anybody to die - especially in an accident BUT no need to tempt fate. Pretty dangerous sport with no room for a mistake.

 

[strollingbones]

yes dog....its very dangerous the soloing....not many do it overall...in the east....i am not sure...most soloing seems to be in the west....i am waiting for cmm to comment...he will know more about it ..i am sure...of course what is there to know...he was found a the bottom of a climb...dead....you have to assume he fell....any time there is a climbing accident...resulting in a death.. there is a full investigation of it...normally trying to find out what failed...belayer error....or equipment....but with this....we will never know...

 

[Coloradomtnman]

Just saw the thread. And heard about it from Bones.

Bachar was a legend. One summer in Yosemite he said he wouldn't use a rope for the entire season, and didn't. That was in the 70s. Bachar really brought extreme free-soloing to the forefront of extreme style climbing, as it was relatively unheard of except when climbing really easy routes. I thought he'd be the first to outlive the chances that one takes when a climber doesn't use a rope.

I've done some crazy free-soloing, not a lot, and it was mostly easy. I still free-solo but not anything difficult and usually only when speed is safety. I don't do it at anywhere near the level of Bachar or other insane climbers like Dean Potter, Alex Huber, Peter Croft, etc. who climb things without a rope that I can't even got off the ground attempting it.

This will shake the climbing community around the world.

He most certainly fell and died. Why he fell is another matter. He might've slipped, got stung by a bee, hit by a falling rock, who knows... That's the chance one takes without a rope: any little thing goes wrong and its over.

Here's Dan Osman (now dead but not from free-soloing, just from being crazy) speed free-soloing near the same area where Bachar died.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fpm0m6bVfrM]YouTube - Dan Osman speed climbing a cliff[/ame]

Here's Osman on something incredibly difficult sin rope.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=viy9pWTGNys]YouTube - Dan Osman, No ropes, Sin Cuerdas, Free Solo[/ame]

Dean Potter on El Cap (The Nose - 3300 feet in like 4 hours)

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvmzhyAygdE]YouTube - free solo[/ame]

The reason he tells the other climber not to touch him should be obvious.

Like the saying goes: There are old climbers, and there are bold climbers, but...

 

[strollingbones]

Dan Osman Last Huge Jump of His Life - Video


DAN OSMAN'S DEATH VIDEO....DO NOT WATCH IF THAT WILL GET TO YOU.