John Bachar(1957-2009)
A legend and pioneer in the world of rock climbing, John Bachar earned his legacy through his wholehearted embrace of the controversial art of free soloing. With encouragement from fellow Stonemaster John Long in the early 70s, Bashar experienced his first solo jaunt on Double Cross (5.7+) - a classic route through the iconic desert lands of Joshua Tree.
In the early 1970s, Bashar arrived in Yosemite Valley with a pair of boots, an alto saxophone and a stunning physique, joining a group of brash young climbers known as the Stonemasters. The big-wall climbing styles of the 1960s were giving way to a style known as free climbing, where practitioners sought to minimize their equipment, using ropes only for protection. Bashar pushed this kind of autonomy to levels that might seem dangerous. From then on, Bachar's attraction to hard, methodical training and ropeless climbing led him to take on increasingly challenging routes that criss-crossed California's many iconic climbing destinations, including well sure Yosemite Valley, the world temple of free climbing.
At its core, imagining bold new lines and pushing the standards of what mind and body could do was John Bachar's talent, passion and contribution to climbing history. Bashar didn't just do tough routes solo...he was working solo and laying down the toughest routes in the world at that time. Recounting the day he climbed the notoriously difficult Butterballs of the Valley (5.11c R) in 1979, Bashar said: "I knew I would blow the buzz. I arrived and meditated for 10 minutes and I I just tried to get away. Then I threw off my shirt and ran."
He openly showed his fearless nature to all around him. In 1981, so confident in his ability to solo climb all the climbs in his path, Bashar even posted a promise on the Tuolumne Meadow Board Journal to give "a $10,000 reward for anyone who can follow me for a full day"; Unsurprisingly, no one took up his challenge, and soon after, as if to carve his legendary status in stone, Bashar laid down the exhilarating 300ft Bashar-Yerian route (5.11c R/X), protected by a measly 11 bolts to the anchors.
But his purist practices and his penchant for spice up the climbs don't stop there. Bashar continued to push the boundaries with free solos in the 90s that included Enterprise (5.12b) in Owen's River Gorge and The Gift (5.12c) by Red Rocks.
On July 5, 2009, John Bachar, age 52, died free soloing at Dike Wall near his home in Mammoth Lakes. Mystery still surrounds the details of the incident. Without a doubt, his impact and personal contribution to the development of climbing will remain in the many stories and routes he left behind. "He was an artist," said Dean Fidelman, a contemporary who climbed with him for decades. "He transcended the sport."
In the early 1970s, Bashar arrived in Yosemite Valley with a pair of boots, an alto saxophone and a stunning physique, joining a group of brash young climbers known as the Stonemasters. The big-wall climbing styles of the 1960s were giving way to a style known as free climbing, where practitioners sought to minimize their equipment, using ropes only for protection. Bashar pushed this kind of autonomy to levels that might seem dangerous. From then on, Bachar's attraction to hard, methodical training and ropeless climbing led him to take on increasingly challenging routes that criss-crossed California's many iconic climbing destinations, including well sure Yosemite Valley, the world temple of free climbing.
At its core, imagining bold new lines and pushing the standards of what mind and body could do was John Bachar's talent, passion and contribution to climbing history. Bashar didn't just do tough routes solo...he was working solo and laying down the toughest routes in the world at that time. Recounting the day he climbed the notoriously difficult Butterballs of the Valley (5.11c R) in 1979, Bashar said: "I knew I would blow the buzz. I arrived and meditated for 10 minutes and I I just tried to get away. Then I threw off my shirt and ran."
He openly showed his fearless nature to all around him. In 1981, so confident in his ability to solo climb all the climbs in his path, Bashar even posted a promise on the Tuolumne Meadow Board Journal to give "a $10,000 reward for anyone who can follow me for a full day"; Unsurprisingly, no one took up his challenge, and soon after, as if to carve his legendary status in stone, Bashar laid down the exhilarating 300ft Bashar-Yerian route (5.11c R/X), protected by a measly 11 bolts to the anchors.
But his purist practices and his penchant for spice up the climbs don't stop there. Bashar continued to push the boundaries with free solos in the 90s that included Enterprise (5.12b) in Owen's River Gorge and The Gift (5.12c) by Red Rocks.
On July 5, 2009, John Bachar, age 52, died free soloing at Dike Wall near his home in Mammoth Lakes. Mystery still surrounds the details of the incident. Without a doubt, his impact and personal contribution to the development of climbing will remain in the many stories and routes he left behind. "He was an artist," said Dean Fidelman, a contemporary who climbed with him for decades. "He transcended the sport."
