John Bachar, Peter Croft, Michael Reardon, and Derek Hersey are all known for being expert at a very dangerous style of climbing. What style of climbing is it and which of them are still alive? Which climber is famous for free-soloing Astroman in Yosemite?
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Derek Hersey (1957 – 28 May 1993) was a British rock climber and for many years, an icon of the Boulder, Colorado climbing scene. Hersey was a master of unroped "free solo" climbing, often in the 5.10-5.11 range. Few climbers have tried to repeat his achievements, which include many of Colorado's hardest traditional routes.
Originally from Manchester, Hersey was also known for his beatnik lifesytle and easygoing personality. Hersey was universally regarded as a kindly, modest man with a weakness for Toothsheaf Stout, his favourite beer. He referred to Eldorado Canyon as his 'office', where he could be seen on any day of the week, as long as he wasn't on a road trip to Yosemite National Park, or someplace else. He also referred to Boulder, Colorado's Liquor Mart as 'The Shrine', and described his climbing-chalk bag as 'my bag of courage'. Hersey was featured in Climbing Magazine, and posthumously, in the film Front Range Freaks.
Hersey was perhaps most famous for his exploits in Eldorado Canyon, but his resume includes many other remarkable ascents (and descents). Among them was his free-solo ascent of Crack of Fear, a sustained 5.10+ off-width route at Lumpy Ridge, Colorado; and an amazing effort on the Diamond (a 275-m wall on Longs Peak), when he free-soloed ascents of two routes and downclimbed another in a single day.
Derek Hersey died on May 28, 1993, in an accident while soloing the Steck-Salathe route without protective gear, on Sentinel Rock in Yosemite National Park. He apparently encountered slippery rock when bad weather moved in, and fell several hundred feet to his death. His is the only confirmed death from free soloing in Yosemite.
Palmer says:
Peter Croft was first to free solo Astroman in Yosemite. Peter Croft and John Bachar are still alive and Michael Reardon and Derek Hersey are both dead (Michael Presumed). The style of climbing is free soloing.
* John Bachar, Peter Croft, Michael Reardon, and Derek Hersey are all known for being experts at free-soloing, a style of climbing where no protection is used.
* Peter Croft is famous for free-soloing Astroman in Yosemite.
* Derek Hersey died free-soloing Sentinel Rock in Yosemite in 1993 where it is believed that he encountered rain.
* Michael Reardon is presumed dead after being hit by a rogue wave and washed out to sea while deep water soloing in County Kerry, Ireland.
* Peter Croft and John Bachar are currently guiding for Vertical Adventures Rock Climbing School in Southern California.
Peter Croft is the only remaining soloist. John Bachar died soloing at Dike Wall near Mammoth Lakes, California on July 5, 2009.
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