Summary of The Violent Downfall Of The World’s Best Climber

00:00:00 - 00:10:00

John Backer was the greatest solo free climber in the world. He was known for his bold free soloing routes and first ascents. However, he died in 2009 after falling while soloing a route in Mammoth Lakes, California. He is remembered by fellow climbers for his skills as a free soloist and his legendary status.

• 00:00:00 John Backer is considered the best solo free climber in the world. He started climbing at the local hotspot of Stony Point, California, with other young climbers. His obsession with the sport led him to pursue dangerous free soloing routes, which gained him international recognition. However, things would soon take a turn for the worse. Before we can talk about that, we need to talk about today's sponsor, Magic Spoon. Magic Spoon is a cereal that boasts high protein, low carbs, and zero sugar. Backer was so impressed with the product that he sent a sample to Crag. Magic Spoon also has four flavors: cocoa, fruity frosted, peanut butter, and mint chocolate.
• 00:05:00 John Backer is considered the greatest rock climber of all time. In 1981, he offered a $10,000 reward for anyone who could follow him for a day of climbing. No one took him up on the offer. Afterward, he went on a spree of unprecedentedly bold free solos and first ascents. However, by the 1990s, most climbers were no longer interested in traditional style climbing; they preferred to master the sheer gymnastic difficulty of hard-roped climbs. This shift led to a rift between Backer and his former climbing partner, Calc. Eventually, Backer became the lone voice of traditional style climbing.
• 00:10:00 John Backer was a world-class climber who was known for his free soloing abilities. In 2009, he slipped and fell while soloing a route in Mammoth Lakes, California, and was pronounced dead shortly afterwards. Backer's death was not a surprise to author Jeff Smoot, who accepted it with admiration as part of the game he chose to play. Backer is remembered by fellow climbers for his skills as a free soloist and his legendary status.