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Long Ranger · Joined Jan 2014 · Points: 362 May 7, 2019 · Boulder, CO I wish him a speedy recovery too.



I'm trying to figure out where he might have been. Perhaps just climber's left of Dodge Block, Tunnel Var. (Between that and Free For All)? Or, above Dodge Block, continuing onto the summit (above where Freezeway is).



Stating that he's done routes on the Second "hundreds of times", and the pitch being "5.13" seem a little exaggerated.

Parachute Adams · Joined Mar 2019 · Points: 0 May 7, 2019 · At the end of the line Long Ranger wrote: I wish him a speedy recovery too.



I'm trying to figure out where he might have been. Perhaps just climber's left of Dodge Block, Tunnel Var. (Between that and Free For All)? Or, above Dodge Block, continuing onto the summit (above where Freezeway is).



Stating that he's done routes on the Second "hundreds of times", and the pitch being "5.13" seem a little exaggerated. Agreed. Dude sure was breathing hard (sketched).

P. W. · Joined Mar 2010 · Points: 90 May 7, 2019 · Unknown Hometown about RMR going to get him.



Is anyone else annoyed by his casual closing to his YouTube comment?



I wouldn't recommend climbing new routes without practice or ropes to anyone lol. Personally that smells of arrogance and not really appreciating how close he came to dying. Here's an article about RMR going to get him.Is anyone else annoyed by his casual closing to his YouTube comment?Personally that smells of arrogance and not really appreciating how close he came to dying.

Brendan Blanchard · Joined Oct 2010 · Points: 590 May 7, 2019 · Boulder, CO Long Ranger wrote: I wish him a speedy recovery too.



I'm trying to figure out where he might have been. Perhaps just climber's left of Dodge Block, Tunnel Var. (Between that and Free For All)? Or, above Dodge Block, continuing onto the summit (above where Freezeway is).



Stating that he's done routes on the Second "hundreds of times", and the pitch being "5.13" seem a little exaggerated. Yeah, 100% chuff. You can see he's left of the Tunnel Variation from the video (:35 -:41), but he's not as far left as the chimney in Free for All. He's somewhere between there, and was *not* about to do any 5.13 -- the first responder, a local ultra runner and scrambler found him in un-resoled Saucony's.

TheBirdman Friedman · Joined Jan 2010 · Points: 65 May 7, 2019 · Eldorado Springs, Colorado This is how the Flatirons get closed to soloing.



Just in case there was any debate as to how much of a chuffer this guy is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bffxg41rPjk



He literally edited a video of him soloing earlier that day and captions it with:



"Woke up early to a beautiful climb.

Fell 60ft 2 hours later.

Full falling vid in profile."



It's like he's trying to drive traffic to his accident video.



Look man, I hope you recover because I don't wish injury on anyone. However, you should seriously re-evaluate why you're climbing and your ability to do so safely. There is no 5.13 on the Second. Where you fell is more likely 5.6 or below. If there is any chance of you falling on the second (other than an unforeseeable hazard which didn't happen here like rain or broken rock), you shouldn't be on it unroped because you're just jeopardizing access for all of us.

HughC · Joined Jul 2015 · Points: 15 May 7, 2019 · Fort Collins, CO That is freakin spooky, especially since I have soloed the Flatirons a bunch of times. Cant believe he is alive. Is there any 5.13 on that face? Did he mean 5.3? I'm too lazy to research, but my fuzzy memory says nay.

Ryan Pfleger · Joined Sep 2014 · Points: 25 May 7, 2019 · Tahoe It was Anton Krupicka that found him. I remember reading it on his Strava. Anton thought he fell from Dodge Block or Free For All. Judging by the holds in front of him in the video when he fell he must have been on a horizontal roof for it to be 5.13. This should be required viewing for all twenty something males that watch Free Solo. Hope he makes a quick and complete recovery!

Long Ranger · Joined Jan 2014 · Points: 362 May 7, 2019 · Boulder, CO TheBirdman Friedman wrote: This is how the Flatirons get closed to soloing. That would be an interesting vote, considering the OSMP is all about conservation and preservation. I would guess that includes the history and style of the climbing in the park, which very much includes scrambling its formations.



Brendan Blanchard · Joined Oct 2010 · Points: 590 May 7, 2019 · Boulder, CO HughC wrote: That is freakin spooky, especially since I have soloed the Flatirons a bunch of times. Interesting. I found it a bit comforting as someone who logs literally miles of rock in the Flatirons every year. I sometimes come home from days where I've done 3-5K feet of scrambling on 5.0-6, knowing it all felt casual, but wondering if I was ever mistaken for feeling that way. Sure, anything could go wrong, but it helps to know that many of the cases where it does involve incredible lack of foresight or experience or both. Interesting. I found it a bit comforting as someone who logs literally miles of rock in the Flatirons every year. I sometimes come home from days where I've done 3-5K feet of scrambling on 5.0-6, knowing it all felt casual, but wondering if I was ever mistaken for feeling that way. Sure, anything could go wrong, but it helps to know that many of the cases where it does involve incredible lack of foresight or experience or both.

HughC · Joined Jul 2015 · Points: 15 May 7, 2019 · Fort Collins, CO Brendan Blanchard wrote: Interesting. I found it a bit comforting as someone who logs literally miles of rock in the Flatirons every year. I sometimes come home from days where I've done 3-5K feet of scrambling on 5.0-6, knowing it all felt casual, but wondering if I was ever mistaken for feeling that way. Sure, anything could go wrong, but it helps to know that many of the cases where it does involve incredible lack of foresight or experience or both. I think what spooked me out is how quick it was for him to cover that distance. And having a visual in that go pro format - I think it makes it more hyper-surreal for me. (I think I may have invented a word, but lets let that slide.)

Paul L · Joined Dec 2016 · Points: 230 May 7, 2019 · Portland, OR Woah. Lucky to be alive to post his footie.



The whole thing is really strange, though. I don't know the climbing on the Flatirons at all, but his description and comments sound completely unreal, and a little unhinged.

Why not post the whole scramble?

I don't think anyone would intentionally throw themselves 60' down a rock face, unless they intended to die, but it certainly seems like he's trying to hype it now that it happened....

Ross Goldberg · Joined Oct 2017 · Points: 53 May 7, 2019 · Los Angeles, CA Who the fuck goes solo scrambling and then decides they want to onsight free solo "5.13" in sneakers? His story reeks of BS