The memory of reading this book is pretty vivid as far as book-remembering goes. This is probably because I read it two years ago on a plane ride from Chicago to Munich, and finished it in 6 hours without putting it down. I didn't even use the bathroom or eat. I don't think I've read any book in my adult life in one sitting like that.
Yes, it was that good. It's way too cliche to say a book is inspiring, but I'm going to do it anyway: this book was inspiring. Steph Davis's writing is open, beautiful, and candid. It's a wonderful conglomeration of climbing, travel, life, love, loss, gain, fear, and dogs. I encourage you to 1) enjoy these videos (that never get old in my opinion) and 2) check out her blog.
Steph Davis: So In Control from Prana Living on Vimeo.
Salathe Wall from steph davis on Vimeo.
What is up with free soloing...? How long is the average climbing career once people 'reach' that level?
ReplyDeleteAt some level, every climber freesolos. If you climb a third-class ridge unroped where a fall might be fatal, that's essentially freesoloing. Indeed, you could argue that any unroped scrambling is a form of freesoloing.
ReplyDeleteThat said, there are a handful of "high-end" free soloists that are pushing the bounds by climbing terrain that almost all climbers demand a rope on. And yes, some of them do die. But not as many as you might think. Most get scared and retire from freesoling before they have an accident.
Some do free-solo regularly for decades. Peter Croft free solos a series of hard (5.9-5.11) routes nearly every day and he is probably in his early fifties. John Bachar, who died in a free-soloing accident, did the same for the vast majority of his life...
I'm not sure high-end free soloing is necessarily something to strive for though. The consequences of a mistake are very very high.
Jason