John Bachar dies free-soloing

[Dr. Dasypodidae]

I am reading Walter Bonatti's most recent book (see Ricardo Cassin passing thread), whose story must have been an inspiration for John Bachar.

 

[blacklab2020]

Months Later This is Still Striking

I have spent most of my life idolizing great climbers and being inspired to just climb as fluid and smooth as possible.

With this, every year I have friends or relatives ask, did you hear about a climber that died on Everest, did you hear about two that were lost in Alaska, did you hear about K2, did you hear about Mt hood.

At first my reaction (in my head) was, why... what did they do? Most often times I found it easy enough to dismiss the incident because I blamed their decision (as easy as it is to do sitting at home). Also most often the incidents are related to weather, high altitude, and big mountains, which all contain many factors that a beyond our control (A reason I probably have stayed away from the full on pursuit of high altitude mountaineering). And often the reason for the incident just makes sense.

However, recently I am becoming more weary as I hear of a friend who shattered his ankles after a groundfall while ice-climbing because he didnt check his rappell rope before leaning back. Later Todd Skinner's fall (was a shock, but also understood and set aside in my mind because of what i understood to be neglect in the condition of his harness). Wolfgang Gullich passed in a car crash (but the significance of the incident is not as dramatized, because car crashes are so common)

But John's Case stands out to me. Here is someone who has always defied everyone for a long time. For a long time people just thought he was crazy/stupid/whatever. However, if there was someone to solo climbs, John was the one to do it. I think those that understood why he was the person to do this could in part relate it to the flawless technique that he manage to consistently maintain. I spent a few hours reflecting on this last night and came away with a sense of pain in the incident that I never found in any other concerning someone I didnt know. His climbing was something that was so extreme and so perfect and lasted for so long that you CANT believe that it wasnt forever. The explanation of why this happened just doesnt exist in someone who did this for so long (but is simple when you step back)

Here's to John for his endless style under so much pressure and example of perfection.