Jason D. Martin weighs in on the American Alpine Institute blog:
It’s hard for me to universally condemn soloing because for some the reward is worth the risk. Most soloists don’t see what they’re doing as being that risky because they’re on terrain where they feel extremely comfortable. Does that mean I’m going to solo 5.10 or even 5.5, at this point in my life, probably not. Each of us has to make our own decisions about the risks that we take while climbing. And it is not really our jobs to dictate what’s right and what’s not right to those outside our parties who are unlikely to impact anyone else.
At altitude even a solo class 1 hike exposes you to risk – not class 5 risk obviously – but the risks are there. Going solo isn’t on my agenda any time in the near future and when and if I do go solo it will probably be on class 1-3 terrain. That said, I admire people who have the physical (and mental) skills that allow them to go solo with reasonable safety.
Philosophically, I believe in personal freedom. I also believe that pushing ourselves and taking calculated risks is beneficial. However, we live in a world where personal freedom is slowly slipping away and risk, no matter how slight, is seen as the enemy.
By the way, the climber featured in the above video is still with us. Her impressive climbing resume can be found at destivelle.com.
