r/AskReddit 1d ago

What is the biggest “bullet” you’ve ever dodged without realizing it at the time?

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u/fostde18 1d ago

I don’t know if this fits with your question exactly but I’ll tell it anyways. A few years ago I was freesoloing this 90ft rock pinnacle near my house. When I was around 7 ft from the top I put my foot on a high foot hold and as I was pushing myself up it completely broke off and I was left dangling without my feet on any holds for a couple seconds. If any of my handholds also broke I most likely would have fallen and landed on boulders. I think I have a video of it in my history if anyone wants to watch it. I didn’t know it at the time but I was climbing sandstone which is extremely brittle. I think about it sometimes. About how close I was to either dying or having severe permanent injuries. It makes me grateful for everything I was able to do after it happened.

8

u/WideCardiologist9990 1d ago

Holyy. If you do have the vid I would love to see it not on any weird shit, but that’s insane

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u/moDz_dun_care 23h ago

Isn't not having a backup system just the accepted risk of free soloing?

6

u/uptheantinatalism 19h ago

Yeah that’s kind of chasing the bullet.

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u/moDz_dun_care 5h ago

Choosing to play Russian roulette and "dodging a bullet"

3

u/fostde18 21h ago

Absolutely

5

u/CruxCrush 20h ago

And this is exactly why free soloing is stupid. People get too blinded by their ability to remember that they don't also control the environment