If you want to experience the best of Rock climbing, you go solo. But be warned. It is not for the faint of heart. This type of climbing, as the name suggests, is done alone, without a team. This means that you won’t have much equipment to slow you down, and it also means that the risks involved are much more. Solo climbing is a sport for experienced rock climbers. Beginners would probably injure themselves pretty badly when they try.
Solo Climbing is Rock Climbing’s purest and probably most enjoyable form, but it is also the most dangerous form. It is easy to get injured, and as there are no ropes used in some variations of it, even one slight mistake could cause severe injuries.
There are many variations to Solo Rock Climbing. Some of them are:
- Roped Solo Climbing
- Deep Water Soloing (DWS)
- Free Soloing
- Roped Solo Climbing:
Roped solo climbing is one of the safer variations of solo climbing. The climber is secured to a rope and a self locking device, to avoid falling to the ground if a mistake is made.
Another variation of Roped Solo climbing is Simul solo climbing, where two climbers simultaneously climb, each attached to one side of the rope. This is a speed climbing technique, and one climber helps the other to climb faster.
This method of one climber controlling the rope of the other climber who is currently ascending is known as belaying. The controlling climber is called a belayer.
- Deep Water solo climbing:
Deep Water soloing, also known as psicobloc is done on cliffs overlooking the ocean or sea. This type of soloing doesn’t use ropes or any other equipment to aid in the ascent.
This type of climbing solely relies on the water present below, to avoid injuries. To increase safety levels, psicobloc is usually done during high tide. Psicobloc needs more mental stamina, than physical.
In the eventuality of fall, the climber must conjure up the strength to swim back up. The inability to do this will often result in death, and has happened on more than one occasion.
Some famous psicobloc spots are on the coast of Dorset and Devon, in Calanques near Marseilles, and around the South Pembroke shire coast. Psicobloc is also referred to as Water Bouldering.
- Free Soloing:
Free Soloing is probably the most dangerous and hence, most enjoyable type of rock climbing. Climbers use their bare feet and hands to scale the routes. Absolutely no equipment, even for safety purposes, is used.
Free soloing gives climbers extreme excitement because of the risks involved. A fall during free soloing almost always results in death.
Learn more on Rock Sport Climbing in our recommended materials.
- Our Useful Resource: Rock Climbing Techniques Recourse fro All Skill Levels Audio and eBook
Adventure Sports: Rock Climbing
Solo climbing involves a single climber who uses rope and protection devices to get to the top of the stone structure. Free solo climbing involves a single climber who uses nothing but natural features of the rock formation to ascend.
Rock climbing can be as extreme as you want it
It is a longer climb unaided by any safety equipment and many professionals refuse to do it. Dean Potter, who I have written about several times before, is a master at this. The video above was equivalent to solo climbing.
Tags: Rock Solo Climbing