John Bachar | Famed rock climber, 51

John Bachar, 51, a noted rock climber, died Sunday after a fall from Dike Wall cliff near his Monmouth Lakes, Calif., home.

Mr. Bachar became famous for his exploits as a free-soloist. He practiced the most dangerous form of climbing, which does not involve ropes or safety equipment.

He began climbing as a teenager, dropped out of UCLA to pursue the sport full time and in the 1970s and '80s was famed for his sheer climbs in Yosemite National Park. In 2006, he was in a car accident that fractured five vertebrae but returned to climbing.

He also was director of design for Acopa International L.L.C., a Las Vegas company that makes rock-climbing shoes. - AP