It _is_ a disparaging view, and it’s _not_ clear he intended to survive all his climbs or he would have been using ropes.

Nothing of valor was achieved, and he performed no virtuous acts. It was a string of stupid, pointless acts which led to his death, and now we have people like you hero-worshipping him.

For my own part, I hope that nobody I love ever attempts something like this.

If it was an experimental pilot pushing the boundaries of flight or something, sure, there are inherent risks but you’re doing everything you can to mitigate the risk.

Climbing without a rope is just turning a past time into a needlessly dangerous pass time, with no benefit or glory.