Most of you have probably heard by now about the tragic death of rock climbing legend John Bachar. Bachar revolutionized the sport of rock climbing. His free soloing (climbing without ropes or other means of preventing a climber from falling) gained himself, and the sport in general, national media recognition and coverage.

He was tragically found dead this Summer at the base of Dike Wall in Mammoth at the age of 52, presumably having fallen to his death while free soloing. I say presumably because no witnesses have come forward, so officially all we can do is speculate.

Bachar was famous for challenging rock climbers to keep up with him while he free solo climbed, offering up to $10,000 if they could stay with him for a day of free climbing. Reportedly, no one took him up on it.

One thing you'll notice is that many of those who push the envelope wind up making a mistake or otherwise suffering an untimely misfortune at some point that costs them their lives. Even speaking outside of rock climbing, there are examples like Tim Treadwell (the Grizzly Bear guy) and Steve Irwin (the Crocodile Hunter).

Most of the time these tragic deaths leave lasting impressions on the activity/sport that the individuals leave behind. Sometimes those impressions do more bad than good, as was certainly the case with Treadwell. His reckless and utterly foolish actions of trying to become a "bear whisperer" cost not only his own life, but his girlfriend's, and directly at least two Grizzly Bear's. Indirect consequences emerged as well, the public perception of bears in general suffered.

But there are some that can be beneficial, as would be the case with Bachar who left a legacy that improved the sport of climbing. It is certainly not up for debate how much Bachar meant to the sport in general, sometimes it takes someone stretching the boundaries of normal thinking to get attention, and without that attention this sport would not be where it is today.

Other free soloists that have lost their lives in accidents are;

• Michael Reardon
• Derek Hersey
• Dan Osman
• Steve Bird

Reardon and Bird were swept off sea-cliffs by waves, events deemed as "freak accidents". But still, that is part of the risk involved, so maybe they shouldn't be considered a freak accident at all. Some climbers choose to free solo over the ocean because of the obvious cushion the water provides. Ironically, the ocean has inherent dangers as well that can add to the risk.

Dan Osman was arguably one of the highest profile climbers ever. He not only climbed without the safety of a rope or rigging, but at a rapid pace deemed speed climbing. You can "YouTube" him and see his famous Lover's Leap solo speed climb, where he races his stop watch up the 400 foot face in under four and a half minutes. Like Bachar, Osman brought immense recognition to the sport of rock climbing and deserves a lot of credit from all of us.

Osman died while doing a controlled free fall (similar to bunjee or base jumping), another thrill he enjoyed in which he would jump off cliffs or objects attached to a rope. Ironically, it was the rope (or more specifically, the rigging of the rope) that failed and cost him his life.

Derek Hersey was a British-born solo climber who died while free soloing a rock face in Yosemite in 1993.

Most solo climbers only do so after "mastering" a route with multiple climbs while properly secured with safety rigging. For Bachar, it was a way of life. He simply climbed without ropes, that was who he was and the legacy he lived. He was rumored to have climbed routes as difficult as 5.13 without a rope.

For me it is hard to imagine that not catching up to you at some point. A cramp in your leg, an itch in your nose, or even a Scorpion or Rattlesnake in a crack or hold could close the book on your life. It is simply difficult to imagine being so perfect at such a difficult sport to make a habit of free soloing.

However, it is hard to argue with the motives of these individuals, and for all intents and purposes they are in most cases only endangering their own lives. It should be the goal of everyone of us to get the most out of our time on Earth, and be able to do that in the manner that we see most fit so long as it does not negatively impact others.

They're a breed of climber that I admire, but can't help question.

Anyways, long story short, I'd like to hear some opinions about what you think about these people. Is it foolish? Is it insane? Is it impressive? What do you think? Post your comments in our message forums, I started a thread for it already in the Climbing Chat Forum.