Free solo climbing, also known as
free soloing, is a form of
free climbing and
solo climbing where the climber (or
free soloist) performs alone and without using any ropes, harnesses or other protective equipment, relying entirely on his ability instead. Unlike in
bouldering, free soloists typically climb above safe heights, where a fall would always result in serious injury or death. In ordinary free climbing, instead, safety gear is used to protect from falls, although not to assist the ascent.