Scrambling/Soloing: Where do you draw the line?

[-wren-]

it's not an aspirational standard

Well said.

One important aspect of Honnold's shtick that seems to be misunderstood is as Tom suggested: Though he solos harder than most of us will ever climb, he doesn't get too excited doing it (his brain is broken, but the concept still applies). So if your heart rate is spiking on some 5.easy with exposure, you're taking a bigger risk than Honnold coolly hiking 13b over millions of air. Unfortunately I think the impression made by the sensationalization of his feats is what a badass he is and not why your average hard climber won't survive long doing the same things.

I definitely agree with everything you and Tom have both said. Reading the 2nd edition of alone on the wall really changed my perspective on him and I honestly think it’s quite unlikely that anyone will come along and match his sheer volume of soloing - let alone scale and difficulty - in my lifetime. I would honestly be pretty scared to see anyone try.

Unfortunately I think that an increased amount of people that aspire to solo moderate/hard routes can be partially attributed to his rise to fame. Definitely not a consequence the producers of the documentary were hoping for…

[JaredJohnson]

IMO, the division between scrambling and soloing has little to do with grades, and lots to do with what terrain you can comfortably onsight in approach shoes, without producing adrenaline.

Kinda random but two things I've found (besides just gathering more and more experience) that seem to have helped me a lot with keeping my cool during climbing that's further up my personal "technical" / "free solo" scale:

- downclimbing on autobelay in the climbing gym. I prepped for the CP north buttress this way because I'd heard "class 5 downclimb" and it intimidated me. It helped me get used to the process of moving my limbs around looking for something but not freaking out if I don't immediately find anything. And just increased my confidence that yes this sort of thing can be handled

- yoga ... I'm not a fanatic but just a little bit of basic stuff done regularly has helped my breathing a ton, both being able to consciously control my breathing, and unconsciously maintaining some semblance of deep breathing

It's hard to say, and it's not a competition at all anyhow, but between these two practices and the last couple of years of experience, I feel like I've pulled ahead of the pack quite a bit on what sort of 5.easy exposed stuff I can comfortably and safely solo and find to be super fun. This from someone who began his climbing career absolutely terrified on the keyhole route.

[seano]

Thank you - appreciate the comment! I'll probably be "that guy" wearing a helmet on boulders. Can't afford another hit on the head. Your thought about easy mountaineering is spot on.
Read your Brouillard and Peuterey ridges report - your headspace and written clarity of your experience are impressive. Incredible photos. Hope your leg and toe are healing well. Would've loved to be a fly on the wall when the ER doc chastised you!

Yeah, definitely avoid any more knocks to the head for a year, even if it makes you "that guy."

The irritated doctor was older, and therefore only spoke Italian, so his admonitions were filtered through the younger orderly. The Italian hospital was an experience in itself. Things are almost back to normal despite my negligence in caring for my injuries, though I haven't tried putting on rock shoes.

[zootloopz]

chiming in here as someone that's been pushing my limits in low 5th terrain recently without a climbing background.

my mountain mentor first took me on the crestone traverse as my 14th & 15th fourteeners back in 2019, as well as the 5.4 north arete on the 1st flatiron as my first "scramble" in the flatirons last year. my confidence and navigational skills have been built early and often, and outside of having my mentor to lead, I have been incrementally working my way up in terms of technical ability, sustained periods of exposure, and mental stamina.

this summer I've had the pleasure of exploring/leading the matterhorn to wetterhorn traverse, teakettle, dallas, ridge direct on eolus, capitol for the 3rd time, len shoemaker to thunder pyramid, little bear's west ridge direct to the blanca traverse, and the trinity traverse via west trinity's north face as well as numerous new routes in the flatirons.

my rules so far include keeping 3 points of contact as often as allowed, testing rock before committing substantial body weight to it, moving gracefully and quietly, not pulling or pushing on rocks harder than needed and predicting the direction a rock will shift if it DOES move, and staying in the place mentally where im not getting pumped on adrenaline or the fight / flight response. i'm at the spot currently where i feel comfortable leading 5.3-5.4 routes in my trail runners as long as the conditions are top notch.

i'm starting to wear my helmet more often as my skills grow even in less consequential terrain because i see more of the potential for dumb ways to hit ones head.

part of this process has been researching routes and recognizing how much potential there is to wander off into mid 5th terrain and when/where this potential factors in on the route. knowing to temper my confidence in these areas has kept me from wandering too much into terrain that "looks more fun". but ive certainly found myself on what feels like mid 5th multiple times. in these moments i can revert to a calm and calculated state to start progressing back towards easier / more secure terrain.

i also know im a bit more uncomfortable on 5.4 slab than i am in a 5.4 chimney. knowing what features you're likely to encounter, the type of rock, etc.

part of this process is also knowing that if im not feeling near 100% to have a backup plan in mind. there have been a couple of times ive bailed off class 3/4 linkups because i was feeling a bit dizzy / loopy and not well balanced on my feet.

bringing the stoke early and often, staying highly mentally engaged with your hand and foot placements, positivity, confidence in the face of adversity, and ramping up your skills are all keys in my mind to getting into this type of terrain.

all this being said, i can see how i couldve gotten myself into trouble a few times already. i recognize im still new in this space and have much to learn. bad things can happen that are out of our control. spontaneous rock fall is a thing. weather is a thing. making a mistake every once in a while is a thing. i dont yet feel comfortable going above 5.4 without a competent leader. i am greatly appreciative of exploratory climbers / endurance atheletes such as seano and andrew hamilton for their wonderful contributions to these types of lines, as well as everyone else providing beta so others can go in more informed and prepared.

this is an important discussion and one worth reflection. trust no rock and be ready for the worst.