Climbing Gear FAQs
What is slacklining?
Slacklining is a sister sport of climbing that was developed by climbers as another diversion out on the rock. The sport requires a strand of webbing to be tautly fixed between two solid points. This webbing is near flat and is about an inch-and-a-half wide. The object of the sport is to walk across this webbing barefooted while it sways up and down and side to side. In a way, it’s like tight-rope-walking except the rope moves a lot. The sport can be done a few feet off the ground or over great chasms.
What sport did veteran climber Dan Osman create and ultimately die doing?
Rope-jumping. This sport was created by renowned climber Dan Osman who died while doing it off Leaning Tower in Yosemite National Park on November 23 1998. This sport involved rigging climbing rope across a large chasm; this was then rigged with another climbing rope hanging down the center of the first horizontal rope. The jumper, hooked to the second rope, would jump off a cliff at a forty-five degree angle to the first rope and free fall until rag-dolled at the end of the line. This sport is similar to bungee-jumping but is much more dangerous because of the suspension system and due to the fact that climbing rope doesn’t stretch nearly as much as bungee-cord.
What is free-soloing?Free-soloing is a type of climbing that doesn’t use ropes, harnesses, or other safety devices. It is the true challenge of climbing because it requires such focus and psychological fortitude as well as innate skill and strength. Free solo routes are usually bolted easier sport or trad routes that the climber simply climbs without any protection. Easier routes are chosen because without any form of safety a very technical route would simply be too dangerous. Still, this is one of the most extreme forms of rock climbing and should not be taken lightly. Some free-solo climbers have done very long routes in a single day because they don’t have to spend any time placing protection.
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