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What's the scariest lead that you've ever done? 12-Apr-2009 At 2:29:01 AM freesolo

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several over the years, including seconding a route in Crimea yesterday. (will try to do a TR soon on that).

i led this old school 5.9 chimney at index, in the US. very strenous, very tough gear placements, was running out of strength, so gave up on gear and threw for a crimp and just made it. my partner got out of the way on the ledge below, knowing if i fell, i would have hit him before rolling off the ledge to...

another one was Ramadan at Ben Lomond. extremely nice crack but just wasnt in good enough shape for it. not so much scary but a huge struggle with many hangs.

another was castleton tower in Utah, in the US. did the original Kor-Ingalls route and the 3rd pitch in the chimney with no gear and a definite broken leg or back fall had me pissing my pants.

one more in the US at smith rock. it was about a 20 and i was climbing well so ran it out. the first 6m fall fractured the rock around my highest piece, so i backed it up. the next 3 falls at the crux resulted in a sprained ankle after hitting the wall sideways. felt bad cause it wasn't my rope and i should put more gear in before the crux. went back about 5 years later and cruised it without even breathing hard. so my crack technique is much improved.

and another at yosemite. got off route after my partner set up a belay at the end of the second pitch (so it's all his fault). started up a nice corner but just couldn't make the move over a roof to a glass slab. knew the gear would blow if i fell. spent 30 minutes looking at it. found out later it was an 18, we were supposed to be on a 16. saw the real third pitch from there, down climbed for my gear and led the next 4 pitches, one of them a 110foot run out on a thin slab while my partner was tied off to one old piton. i told him if i fell. he was going have to find his own way down cause i'd be dead. but the climbing was good and forced me to focus like never before on thin edges, body position and breathing.

but the scariest two moments of my climbing life were rappelling, but maybe that's another thread.

as for one of the other posters who talked about "little john right". it's wicked, wicked hard!