All and Nothing: Inside Free Soloing

by Jeff Smoot

Overview

"...an excellent resource for anyone interested in the history and psychology of free soloing." — Steve Potter ― Climbing Magazine

• An insider’s perspective on free soloing
• From the author of the critically acclaimed Hangdog Days
• Examines what motivates people to climb without a rope

Once considered a fringe activity, climbing without a rope has entered the mainstream consciousness, largely because of the Oscar-winning documentary Free Solo featuring professional climber Alex Honnold. Yet climbers have been free soloing all along—motivated by reasons as varied as the climbers themselves.

All and Nothing delves into the cultural history of free soloing, ranging across the storied climbing cultures of the Alps, Rocky Mountains, Sierra Nevada, Joshua Tree, Yosemite, the Gunks, Eldorado Canyon, and several other locales. Writer and climber Jeff Smoot explores the interplay of climbing and risk, as well as psychological theories, evolving ethics, the effect of media coverage (particularly the portrayal of extreme sports), and shares original interviews with dozens of free soloists. Smoot also recounts his personal experiences climbing without a rope in the same era as talented climbers like Mark Twight and Peter Croft.

From inside his complex connection to free soloing, he examines our relationship with risk, how we perceive our sense of control, and our perspective on mortality.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781680513325
Publisher:	Mountaineers Books, The
Publication date:	08/25/2022
Pages:	320
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x (d)

About the Author

Jeff Smoot is an outdoor adventure writer and photographer. His memoir Hangdog Days: Conflict, Change, and the Race for 5.14 chronicling rock climbing in the 1980s was a finalist for the Boardman Tasker award. A Seattle native, he resides in Hawaii. Find him online at jeffsmoot.wixsite.com/website.

Table of Contents

Prologue: A Pivotal Moment 11

Introduction: "Are You Crazy?" 17

Part I It's the Ropes That Will Get You Killed

Chapter 1 A Way of Life 27

Chapter 2 No Harm Will Befall You 34

Chapter 3 Lords of the Abyss 43

Chapter 4 The Katoomba Suicide Club 52

Chapter 5 No Compromise 58

Chapter 6 Survival of the Fittest 69

Chapter 7 Kid in a Candy Store 74

Part II Call of the Void

Chapter 8 The Imp of the Perverse 87

Chapter 9 Russian Roulette 98

Chapter 10 Flirting with Death 107

Chapter 11 Extreme Dudes 120

Chapter 12 What If I Let Go? 132

Part III Over the Dreamjunk Wasteland

Chapter 13 Riding-the Edge 147

Chapter 14 Total Control 155

Chapter 15 This Is Your Path 162

Chapter 16 The Heroic Quest 170

Chapter 17 The Shimmering Edge 183

Part IV Under the Influence

Chapter 18 GoPro Heroes 199

Chapter 19 I'm Lucky to Have This as My Job 215

Chapter 20 Taking Up the Challenge 222

Chapter 21 Jumping the Strid 229

Chapter 22 How Do You Talk to Your Kids about Free Soloing? 239

Chapter 23 How Could I Have Stopped You? 246

Part V We'll Quit When We're Dead

Chapter 24 Broken Promises 261

Chapter 25 The Largeness of the Price 267

Chapter 26 A Bit Like Cocaine 274

Chapter 27 He Shakes Hands with Death 279

Chapter 28 The Naked Edge 288

Chapter 29 A Very Fine Line 298

Chapter 30 Welcome Back, My Friend 302

Author's Note 307

Acknowledgments 308

Select Sources 310

Editorial Reviews

08/08/2022

Outdoor adventure writer and photographer Smoot (Hangdog Days) lauds the transcendent experience of free soloing—climbing often hazardous rock faces without ropes or equipment—but is unlikely to convince skeptics to give the sport a shot. Practitioners, he writes, “feel part of a great cosmic unity of man and stone, grooving on the authentic experience realized only in that moment between life and death when all ego disappears.” He covers the history of societies and cultures where climbing without ropes was routine, such as the Bedouins of Jordan and the “bird snatchers” of the Scottish island of St. Kilda (though he fails to consider that these groups were driven to climb by necessity of terrain rather than recreation). Multiple anecdotes detail the fatal falls of free soloists, and the bereaved they leave behind. Smoot in fact ends the work with an account of an experience he had climbing in the central Cascades, reflecting that if he fell, his corpse would never be found and he would leave behind a widow and fatherless children. Despite a voice in his head telling him that he shouldn’t proceed to the summit, Smoot persisted, because clinging to a ledge by his fingers was where he “was meant to be, for better or for worse.” This one’s for the already converted. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

With insight and compassion, Jeff Smoot has done an exceptional job of capturing the complex psychology behind one of the least understood veins of the climbing experience.

clinical psychologist and author of Strange and Dangerous Dr - Geoff Powter

Meticulously researched and splendidly written, All and Nothing is captivating. Read this book, and you’ll have a deeper understanding of not just free soloing, but the call of adventure itself.

Sir Chris Bonington

In All and Nothing, Jeff Smoot thrillingly follows a clear thread from climbing trees to extreme rock solos to the GoPro generation, delving deeply into the sociology, psychology, and spirituality of free soloing.

author of The Mountain Path - Paul Pritchard

…All and Nothing does much to bring free-soloing to the mainstream of climbing discourse. Although Smoot may be reticent to encourage the practice, his personal accounts of free-soloing form the basis of a coherent and inclusive personal philosophy.

Gripped Magazine - Tom Valis

In this deep dive into obsession, Jeff Smoot intermingles psychological research and analysis with what motivates him and other solo climbers to craft a thought-provoking, compelling book.

author of Rising: Becoming the First North American Woman on - Sharon Wood

A rare inside view of solo climbing by someone who practiced it and articulates the risks, rewards, and mindset required to succeed at this very dangerous game. Gripping, insightful, highly recommended.

author of The Storms of Denali and founder of www.thewriters - Nicholas O’Connell

Jeff Smoot’s timely book explores the mystique of free soloing, introducing a fascinating cast of characters across cultures and generations. Weaving in his personal experiences, he analyzes the allure of the pursuit and the psyches of the climbers who cannot resist this dangerous sport. Strikingly honest and intensively researched, All and Nothing is a gripping, often disturbing read.

author of Where the Mountain Casts Its Shadow - Maria Coffey

...an excellent resource for anyone interested in the history and psychology of free soloing.

Climbing Magazine - Steve Potter

[...] the climbing world owes Jeff Smoot a debt of gratitude. This is a good and necessary book.

Peter Bealn Alpine Journal