Let’s Talk About The Extreme Rock Climbing

If you were to call traditional rock climbing, those that use artificial climbing aids, extreme then what would you call solo rock climbing?

As you might now, what is generally considered the safest rock climbing variant, those that uses ropes and nuts and cams to aid the climb as well as provide protection, usually occurs several hundred feet in the air.

This is because traditional rock climbing is more on exploratory and trailing, as opposed to the focus of endurance, stamina, and concentration on solo rock climbing.

And when you rock climb a mountain face that’s thousand feet above sea level even though you’re well secured with bolts and nuts, many people never fail to call it extreme.

But what is extreme rock climbing really? One of the extreme rock climbing is the Simultaneous Rock Climbing. Like traditional rock climbing, these rock climbing variant uses artificial climbing aids and protections.

The only thing that begs to differ is that, the belayer climbs simultaneously with the lead climber. As you can see, this rock climbing variant requires that both should be very experienced climber and well acclimated to the locale.

That is because if a fall occurs, the outcome may be deadly. In a traditional rock climb, one of the belayer’s functions is to be a second ready in the event the lead climber falls. The belayer arrests the fall by securing the rope.

If the carabiners fail, there is still the belayer’s influence on the rope that can halt the fall. In simultaneous rock climbing, there is no belayer. Instead, there are two climbers that have the potential to fall. If this happens the fall would drag the next man along.

However, without stopping to belay, simultaneous rock climbing is speedier than traditional rock climbing. This is method is sometimes used to avoid an approaching bad weather, and when the goal is already in sights.

To counter the impeding problem, the lead climber usually attaches several protections in place, hoping all would hold. Another, the most deadly of the extreme rock climbing, is the Solo Rock Climbing.

This extreme rock climbing variant makes use, aside of a chalk bag, nothing else. No harnesses, no ropes, no climbing aids, nada.  The climber has to make use of the existing features of the rock face for purchase and makes use of his total concentration as protection.

Make no mistake, in solo rock climbing, you just don’t die, you get squashed hard that it will take a spatula to remove the grease your remains made.

There are nevertheless several people that made successful careers as solo rock climbers. One of the most noted is Alain Robert, well known for his infamous climbs up on notable landmarks, including the Petronas Towers.

And as a warning there are also those that didn’t make it. I would like to mention Derek Hersey, a British rock climber. May his soul rest in peace.