Stolby Style: Siberian Free Soloing

[mistahtut]

In soviet Russia, mountain climbs you!

[magnetsucker]

that's jsut f.....n stupid shit, stupid russians.

Nothing else to say

Yeah Yeah all good, somebody dies.....normal

stupid

[austinjisakson]

You can't let the Soviets win. If the Soviets win, then God has lost...

[unknowncitizen28]

in soviet russia, you climb mountain upside down

[guyNbluejeans]

When people foolishly discard their God-given commonsense, it nearly always turns into a deadly disaster. If you don't believe me, ask the loved ones of Timothy Treadwell.

[CarolSuemoo]

@guyNbluejeans -Actually what this video (and unique climbing culture) shows is how totally natural climbing is for humans... maybe not with the kind of common sense we value, but why not "God-given"?

Interestingly enough, humans are actually the best primate climbers in the world...again, maybe not you or me, but the few who are climbing at the extreme are able,due to discipline and planning and training and perseverance, climb stuff no other apes or monkeys could. Now that's remarkable to me!

[guyNbluejeans]

@CarolSuemoo If God wanted us to climb like monkeys, He would have given us tails. Case closed.;-)

[jreg88]

@guyNbluejeans Why do you keep bringing up God? We EVOLVED from the great apes, who don't have tails but are still able to climb extremely well.

[guyNbluejeans]

@jreg88 I like bringing God up because too many others don't bring Him up enough.

[placeboringnamehere]

@guyNbluejeans then go get a padded barrel and spend the rest of your life in it. I don't let fear of dying prevent me from living. Why tip-toe through life just to arrive safely at death? you can die safely in your house from a myriad of causes. and yes, climbing does increase your odds of an accident, but that is an individual's personal choice that no-one can make for them.

[guyNbluejeans]

@placeboringnamehere A young Japanese girl sat on a barrier railing at Niagara Falls the day before yesterday, they're still looking for her body.

[itzahazylife]

anyone know the name of that song on the fiddle?

[seige184]

That is freaking nuts!

[smokeweedinhell666]

Headfirst down-climbing= deathtrap

[mercuryrazvedka]

The true spirit of climbing, trust the Russians to keep things pure and simple!

[Dave1507]

man, that started to sound real american way back....

[Chibizek]

I like Stolby

Because it is the place there each of them may find the safe way to climb on some rocks

Yes even simple rock may kill you if it wet or snow-capped. But almost all the accidents I know happened with sportsmens. The ordinary people (and me too) does not risk because the instinct of self-preservation say «stop»!

I welcome all of you to our Stolby :) Make friends with the rocks - just trust to it

[tradredpunk]

drive around any major US city for a day and then tell me which is a death wish. it's all a mindset.

[tradredpunk]

it's all a mindset. how many times do you trip and fall going to the refrigerator? It does happen. it's the same for their culture in regards to climbing. They seem happy to me.

[sisusuomi]

Mt. Std. Time,

My story is the same. I've soloed as a young gun but quickly saw friends die in Alaska, Canada, Himalayas, Europe and of course in the Lower 48. Some times a rope is not a good idea if the conditions indicate it but for the most part the rope is a very good safety margine.

Take a look at Fred and you'll see and old bold climber that kept a good belay on.

[mountainstandardtime]

Insanity! Talk about a death wish! If climb you unroped with no belay you gonna die!

I climbed for 20 years. I was always a safe climber. I am around to enjoy life. It only takes one unroped fall and you are either dead, paralyzed or maimed. Listen to these fools talking it up about unroped climbing. Do not listen to this non sense. Life is to short for such antics. Live for your family and to grow old not to impress some one. Few dare devils are still around. They die young before their time.

[oliviamatthews]

or just let people live how they wanna live. don't tell them they should live for your value system.

[ulooklikesomeballz]

man this is what I like to see, its a hazy life, maybe you should clear it up and you would not look like such a ball sack.

[itzahazylife]

the hazy life is not my life, it's what i see everywhere around me..like parents letting their inexperienced kids climb unroped up a cliff..it's an awesome feat if they succeed, but's it's fucking stupidity..it's all just to show off, and because of that desire to show off, there is a large cemetary of dead people back at the village.

[oliviamatthews]

let people make that decision for themselves. that's your OPINION

[alextourk38]

so awesome.

[smokeweedinhell666]

The russians are badasses. Look at all the wicked peaks they've summited. Communisum turned them all into mutants.

[carlobloks]

Nice vid... but I really hate the amount of time they use the word LIKE... pfff

[FrancoCookson]

Brilliant. This video really captures the beauty of soloing.

[13TH1RT33N13]

the air must be very thin up there

[witegetobro]

dude this is craaaazy

[itzahazylife]

anyone know the name of the song in the beginning?

[RishavR]

I'm pretty sure it was made using the Apple program Garage Band.

Some sort of fiddle sample mixed with a drum beat.

[itzahazylife]

most of these people are idiots..if ur going to do something like this, then at least be very good at doing it. they have little kids doing it and shit. at least let them get good before they scale these fucking things without any ropes. jesus christ

[jesusgarciab]

i don't think they are idiots, But I DO consider this trandition to be a little irresponsible. It's just too much for me

[itzahazylife]

well, i dunno..i just think parents who let their completely inexperienced kids do something where they probly have an 80% chance of dying, a little idiotic..i guess u can call it irresponsible, but i call it idiotically irresponible lol..

[oliviamatthews]

ur a slut

[itzahazylife]

just your slut sweet cheeks

[oliviamatthews]

piss off then

[Georgij92]

Thats my dream from childhood! To climb the rocks.

[KaiserBun]

Wow, I think I have to visit this place, solely because of this video - and because of the insanity of the Russians. :]

[hubiubuhuh]

no need to overdramatise so much. locals see it as an extreme activity too. some just go there to party. you should've went with a more pro pack, if you're so afraid of seeing drunk russians fall to their death

[sharaldson]

There is an excellent article by the folks in this video in Alpinist 24.

[Visstas]

Good afternoon! I live in Krasnoyarsk and itself each days off I go there. I confirm, many(a lot of,much) person there goes, but is far from being all climbing. Basically people rise on the simple courses, not representing to serious danger. They do not demand rocky footwear and cords. Complex(difficult) courses many go with equipment - cords, обвязки, delays, carbines. The basic danger on Columns not absence of a cord, but insects, the spiders called "клещами", carrying fatal chronic diseases.

[anderfoo]

@Visstas: I don't know Russian, but according to google and wikipedia, the insects you are talking about are what we call "ticks".

[54spiritedwill54]

Wow. Insanity Prevails. I love it.

[cehawe]

Free Soloing? lol. ridiculous! stupid US middleclass idiots with too much time, that's all. omg pathetic.

[opsin]

Jesus, that was fascinating. You're crazy, crazy bastards, but I wish I could do that...

The sight of someone coming down upside down between faces... Just not something I ever expected to see, ever! It's like, surely no one's mad enough to even want to do that!?

If I didn't have dodgy tendonitis and wasn't a musician, I'd love to get into free climbing.

[guide79]

Everybody downclimbing chimneys, offwidth, slabs headfirst!! I can't get over it, this is the most badass thing I have seen in a long time

[devilaces]

smoking and driving are 2 things that contribute to thousands of deaths every year in north america and europe. people take their kids driving with them all the time. people also smoke in front of their kids encouraging their kids to pick up the habit.

children being exposed to risks as part of culture isn't something to judge too harshly

[GigglingPixieMedia]

Amazing story, amazing place...could have watched this and listened to tales of your trip for hours :-)

[Ecocandle]

Brittany, I haven't seen you since high school. This is Brian Meeks. Janet gave my mom this link. Spectacular video. I am just amazed how scary this stuff you do is. You Rock! (Pun intended)

[Senshi2k6]

who the hell would take their child on something like that?

[enzomatic]

Good 'ol Russian pride at work. Gotta hand it to them, they're a brave bunch.

[zblizz]

I would say foolhardy, not brave..

[enzomatic]

Oh boy, here goes one of those you say tomato I say tomahto...

How someone chooses to do what they love is no grounds to dismiss their intellegence, aptitude, etc.

look at some of the greatest soloist of our time, they knew the consequences of just one mistake. Look at Hersey, Osman, and Reardon. All of which are deceased but only one of them died climbing. I guess I respect everyone out there practicing their dialect of climbing. Don't hate, appreciate...

[gronfilo]

So Old Flameball is now a Patagucci marketing device?? Hmm... does Patagonia condone his recreational antics in national parks??? Did he do his old " Lighted or smoldering material discarded in a manner to create a public safety hazard." trick in Siberia too??

[jamiegaita]

Climbing has it's risks when done safely. These people that are native to this area have the expertise of generations. For someone to do this isn't macho it's just plain stupid. I hope the person that fell "kid" was a young adult making a decision for himself/herself and not brought by parents. If so, the parents should be thrown off also.

[paleolithicera]

Do not impose your limited cultural understanding on the cultures of others.

[Senshi2k6]

Wha???? If rape or pedophelia was considered acceptable in another culture would that mean I should automatically accept it as wonderfull? give me a break. There are things that are part of my own culture I don't like.

[BeriadanwenConny]

That style just makes me sick ... they are amazingly stupid doing those things without any safety... "Oh it's something normal for someone to come up here and kill themselves " (says the hicory with a red nose ) A c'mon people...if u like climbing , climb it safe so u can climb over and over. When u want to climb for the last time , just leave safety behind. And don't ,under any circumstances, force someone else to do this because u might be responsable for their deaths .

[GoDevil007]

you gotta respect them, its a part of their culture, they probably dont have enough money to buy 200 dollar ropes, 100 dollar harnesses and 10 each carabiners, and they have been doing it for over 150 years, thts longer than most other climbing regions, don't say someone is stupid because he or she free-solos, you probably never free soloed, its completely different from sport or trad, you are way more focused, you litterally live your line !

[BeriadanwenConny]

they are not stupid for free-soloing... they are stupid that they do it in packs, bare foot or with slippers and, even if they have it there for generations, doesn't mean that everybody is good at it . It's not about the money either dude... I didn't have ropes or a harness at first, but I didn't climb that high or difficult until I had, borrowed or my own. From my point of view , they are insane. That's all !

[rdpoints]

Say like just a few more time in the commentary, good grief.

[Haldurin]

Reminds me of russian mountaineering...

[ladaladaladalada]

southern central siberia

[noseMF]

harship its work no playing around like monkies LOL

[wasserdagger]

It's amazing how the locals do this ultra-dangerous activity like it's just a Sunday-afternoon "walk in the park"! No gear, no ropes, some without even shoes, and how 'bout those rubber garden clogs with the straps, wow, primitive!

Russians are no doubt the craziest people on earth. Must be the vodka. lol

[SoloGuitaristNet]

Yep! That's Pure Insanity!

[TheonEinHoLogos]

Wild!!!

[beepboopvideo]

Great video for some wild stuff. Thanks for making it!

[LdyChatterleysPlover]

Those Rusks are super crazy. That head-down climbing!

Respekt

[kazziu]

hats down

[progress2007]

i have 2 friends who broke their ancles and lower legs falling from rocks in activity like that.

there is a certain point in not doing it...

[danielfarchy]

Wow. Looks like the kind of thing we do as kids, without thinking twice, but would be petrified to repeat as adults.

[mungeclimber]

speechless, and I climb. trip.

[galacticbeat]

Wow. Insanity Prevails. I love it.

[benelli10]

that was awesome

[dreday3000]

that is crazy, just plain crzy.  I think I might have to go