Bachar Dies While Soloing

This post has nothing to do with my weekend adventures:

I never met John Bachar, I'd only read about him in climbing books and magazines. But even so, I looked up to him as a climber and greatly respected his traditional ethics and penchant for free-soloing. While I was in Joshua Tree, many of the routes I climbed were old Bachar routes. His .10s were hard, his .11s were classic, and every one of his .12s I tried was impossible -- for me that is. He free soloed every one.

Here is what Rock and Ice and Climbing Magazine had to say:

On July 5, 2009, confirmation arrived that John Bachar died while free soloing. Bachar was found at the base of the Dike Wall, which is situated near Mammoth Lakes, California, where John and his son Tyrus lived.

In every sport there are men, myths and legends. In the world of rock climbing and free soloing without a rope, John Bachar was all three.

Controversial and uncompromising, Bachar pushed the boundaries of what was possible, and at the same raised the world's standards. A true rock star as a teenager, Bachar soloed 5.11 when 5.12 did not yet exist. He bouldered harder and climbed stronger than anyone. He refused to compromise his strong traditional style "ground up" ethics along the way.