Posted: 1/1/2009 8:05:59 AM EDT
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I used to climb when I was young but never anything this extreme
Normally after 5.9 you have to do Aid Climbing. 5.10 plus Solo is just asking for it. Near the end of the video there are some nice leader falls |
By the way...the Climber in this video
Dan Osman (February 11, 1963 – November 23, 1998) Here is a picture of him leaping for a Hand Hold... during a Free Climb (unroped) Note his hands are completely off the cliff. 
The white stuff on his hands is called Chalk..it absorbs sweat and makes your hands less slippery |
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Death
He died on November 23, 1998 at the age of 35 after his rope failed while performing a "controlled free-fall" jump from the Leaning Tower rock formation in Yosemite National Park. The failure was investigated by the National Park Service with assistance from Chris Harmston, Quality Assurance Manager at Black Diamond Equipment. Harmston concluded that a change in jump site angle probably caused the ropes to cross and entangle, leading to the rope cutting by melting.[2] Miles Daisher, who was with Osman when he made the jump, stated that the ropes used in his fatal jump had been exposed to inclement weather - including rain and snow - for more than a month before the fatal jump, but that the same ropes were used for several shorter jumps on the previous and same day, this was said to be his last jump before he retired.[3] IBSSPSGWSP In before somebody says play stupid games win stupid prizes |
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Quoted:
what does 5.9 and 5.10 mean? Climbs are rated. any thing that is 5.0 tends to be steep enough where you would want to be roped Anything above 5.9 normally has finger and foot holds that are so small most climbers are unable to climb it without resorting to Artificial climbing where their weight is supported by the protection they place into the rock walls. So...after 5.9 it normally goes A1 - A6 depending upon the rock stability. Sometimes the Rock is rotten or loose granite and it is extremely unstable. I've had flakes of granite break off under me resulting in 60 foot leader falls in Yosimete in 1981. But I digress During the 70's climbing shoes and climbing techniques improved allowing a climber to climb unassisted 5.9+. After 5.9 its 5.10a,b,c then 5.11a,b,c all the way up to 5.12 sometimes 5.13 |
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Subdivisions of class five climbing
In Mountaineering, Freedom of the Hills, author Ed Peters explains the subdivisions of class 5: "The experienced climber, having accomplished or attempted free climbs of varying degrees of difficulty in the YDS class 5 range, gains an understanding of the level of difficulty involved. To the beginner, however, these ratings are simply a set of numbers, understandably, easy if rated 5.0 and impossible if rated 5.13. To provide a slightly better understanding within the class for the beginner the following tongue-in-cheek description is provided: 5.0 to 5.4 There are two hand- and two footholds for every move; the holds become progressively smaller as the number increases. 5.5 to 5.6 The two hand- and two footholds are there, obvious to the experienced, but not necessarily so to the beginner. 5.7 The move is missing one hand- or foothold. 5.8 The move is missing two holds of the four, or missing only one but is very strenuous. 5.9 The move has only one reasonable hold which may be for either a foot or a hand. 5.10 No hand- or footholds. The choices are to pretend a hold is there, pray a lot, or go home. 5.11 After thorough inspection you conclude this move is obviously impossible; however, occasionally someone actually accomplishes it. Since there is nothing for a handhold, grab it with both hands. 5.12 The surface is as smooth as glass and vertical. No one has really ever made this move, although a few claim they have. 5.13 This is identical to 5.12 except it is located under overhanging rock." Ratings are established on lead; the follower has a somewhat easi |
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Quoted:
From what I hear Dans accident had more to do with the length of the rope. He was getting off using longer and longer ropes for his falls. Pushing the envelope of the strentgh. He did the first 1000' jump and nailed it - got into the record books. Left his ropes up for several weeks and then went back to pick up all his gear. He decided to jump it again and the rope broke. Dan's last jump |
For those of you that'd like to give (roped) climbing a try, keep an eye on the SF. I'm going to organize an arfcom camp-out in the Daniel Boone National Forest in Kentucky (Red River Gorge) sometime this year. There will be rappelling too, for those in the typical arfcom shape (round). 
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The white stuff on his hands is called Chalk..it absorbs sweat and makes your hands less slippery This exotic compound called "chalk" sounds interesting. Where can I learn more about it and its applications? I see I'm not the only person intrigued by this exotic compound. I like to swing around on a high metal bar and on rings suspended from the ceiling. "Chalk" sounds promising. Anybody know a good source? 
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Quoted:
I used to climb when I was young but never anything this extreme Normally after 5.9 you have to do Aid Climbing. 5.10 plus Solo is just asking for it. Near the end of the video there are some nice leader falls Pity he died. |
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Quoted:
The adrenaline rush from doing something like that must be un-fucking-real. Talk about intestinal fortitude.  What its like to take a leap with Dan Osman |