It could be Alain Robert though (maybe!?). Most non climbers seem to talk about the 'spiderman'
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=abseiling
Having climbed with him a tiny bit, I'd say he's undoubtedly the most comfortable/ talented guy I've ever seen on rock. Not much ego, and hard as it may be to believe, is doing these solos for the right reasons, i.e. his own. So I think if he does come a cropper it'll be some objective hazard and bad luck.
As if dangerous is good but only up to a point and beyond that it's bad.
Every time you do anything you make an assessment of the risks and he is willing to accept a level of risk which is pretty unimaginable to most people.
How about a comparison between his solos and some of the names over the years on big mountain FA's. Much fewer risks outside his control in my view, safer than Alan Hinks, though both avoid the dreaded sedentary haribo risk.
Quote from: tim palmer on January 19, 2014, 10:42:08 amEvery time you do anything you make an assessment of the risks and he is willing to accept a level of risk which is pretty unimaginable to most people.I don't think the level of risk he's taking is really that unimaginable. Absolute difficulty isn't as important as relative difficulty, and I can certainly contemplate soloing something big that's well below my max, especially with extensive practice.
As much as i appreciate that he is doing these solos 'for himself' and its 'his life' and in many ways it isn't any more dangerous that lots of things people do. If he does fall off, someone is going to find him and then get help to clean the mess and I imagine that would be pretty traumatizing and i'm sure their are friends and family that would be devastated by the loss.
I really hate the idea of getting to the point where I think I actually might kill myself.
Quote from: JamieG on January 20, 2014, 10:35:59 amAs much as i appreciate that he is doing these solos 'for himself' and its 'his life' and in many ways it isn't any more dangerous that lots of things people do. If he does fall off, someone is going to find him and then get help to clean the mess and I imagine that would be pretty traumatizing and i'm sure their are friends and family that would be devastated by the loss.The same holds true for the aforementioned F1 drivers (although the safety of the cars if vastly improved these days), motorcyclists (racing or on the road), skiiers (recent case in hand being Schumacer), general cars on the road (as accidents can and do happen, even to the most cautious of drivers as there are things beyond control, i.e. others).I recall reading about the accidents last year on El Cap where someone died when a block fell. They were using ropes. No doubt traumatizing for YOSAR members who were involved in the rescue and the families. Does that mean that they shouldn't have been up there?
Maybe you get to the point where you might actually kill yourself more often than you think, you just don't find out because you don't fall off?