Is This The World's Best (And Scariest) Deep Water Solo?

What happens when water turns to rock and your once safe landing is transformed into a no fall zone? In the world of deep water soloing, that's when you're entering the territory of the S3's. For deep water soloists, climbs aren't only graded for their difficulty but for their level of danger too. The S grade gives the climber an idea of the route's height, landing and the possibility of injury from a fall. Starting way down at S0 with short climbs above clear, deep water, the grades max out at S3, where things start to get truly serious. In this video, Neil Gresham, renowned deep water soloist and all-round great climber sets out to climb one of Britain's most intimidating S3's; 'The Abyss.' The route's modest grade of 7b may make it seem like an easy prospect, but one look at the line confirms that it is anything but. Steep, imposing and very long, 'The Abyss' was established by Britain's preeminent free-soloist, Julian Lines, perhaps the only man capable of looking at the route's landing and still considering the line a goer.