[ckissick]

There's free solo climbing with no ropes, which Alex is the king of. Then there's free climbing, which uses ropes for protection but not to help for climbing. Then there's aid climbing in which you use the ropes to help pull yourself up the cliff. This speed record is an aid climb, so it's cool, but not as awesome as other things climbers do. But I suppose any other kind of speed record would become too dangerous at some point. Free climbing and solo climbing needs to be done methodically, not quickly.