[jasonkester]

shouldn't someone tell him that almost every free soloist dies [early and spectacularly]?!

This is indeed all too true, but surprisingly very few of them actually die while free soloing. It's nearly always something they took up later that was even more dangerous, such as base jumping, rope jumping, motorcycle riding, etc. that gets them. And even when it is rock climbing that does it, it tends to be on an easier route, with objective chance (Hersey) or suicide (Bachar) eventually deciding things.

One thing you can say about most serious free soloists is that they know their limits on rock.

[junke]

Do we really have evidence about Bachar's suicide?