Call it inevitable that Dan Osman found the fatal edge of his signature sport, a thing known as “free-falling.” But were his leaps of faith – and thus his sad death – as profound as he imagined? Or just stunt taken to foolish extremes?
Video of Dan Osman climbing the Bear’s Reach route on Lovers Leap near Strawberry, California in 4 minutes, 25 seconds.
Climbing sheer rock faces of hundreds or thousands of feet is more a religion than a sport, demanding dedication, patience, mental and physical strength, grace, and a kind of obsession with detail that is crucial just to survive. Its artists are modern-day ascetics who often sacrifice nine-to-five jobs, material goods, and the safety of everyday life to pit themselves and their moral resoluteness against an utterly unforgiving opponent.
Fall of the Phantom Lord, edited by Andrew Todhunter.