Climbing History
A selected history of climbing and mountaineering through the climbers, climbs and media.
2788 Climbers
5243 Climbs
13505 Ascents
Featured
Biographie | 9a+ Sport route at Céüse
Bolted in 1988 by Jean-Cristophe Lafaille [1]. Arnaud Petit climbed the pitch to a half height anchor in 1996 at a grade of 8c+. The full pitch was given the name Biographie but was later renamed Realization by the first ascenionist Chris Sharma. In line with French tradition the line is now known by the original name, Biographie.
The route became famous as one of Chris Sharma's first big new routes and one of the earliest routes given 9a+, though notably not the first (several routes previously given 9a have subsequently been upgraded). His extended efforts on the route were documented in the film Dosage Volume 1.
At one point Chris wanted to call it Get a Life, thankfully he changed his mind! [3]
References
[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=suVH2BuFEh0
[3] https://open.spotify.com/episode/14eXBiZUrV7LetCF132iNS?
Bolted in 1988 by Jean-Cristophe Lafaille [1]. Arnaud Petit climbed the pitch to a half height anchor in 1996 at a grade of 8c+. The full pitch was given the name Biographie but was later renamed Realization by the first ascenionist Chris Sharma. In line with French tradition the line is now known by the original name, Biographie.
The route became famous as one of Chris Sharma's first big new routes and one of the earliest routes given 9a+, though notably not the first (several routes previously given 9a have subsequently been upgraded). His extended efforts on the route were documented in the film Dosage Volume 1.
At one point Chris wanted to call it Get a Life, thankfully he changed his mind! [3]
References
[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=suVH2BuFEh0
[3] https://open.spotify.com/episode/14eXBiZUrV7LetCF132iNS?
Pics + Vids
Featuring 6807 pictures and videos. Try searching for a climber, climb or summit to see pics and videos.
Noah Wheeler on The Big Bad Wolf (8C)
Mike Adams on Haston Dyno (7C+)
Simon Hibbeler on Be Kind (8B)
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You may also be interested in the Mountain Heritage Trust, a charity dedicated to preserving the rich history of climbing and mountaineering. Their collection includes many unique and valuable items, from rare guidebooks through to the boots worn by Doug Scott on the 1977 Ogre expedition.
Explore
Fancy a look around? You can browse by climber or by climbs, or you can check out some lists. For example
- All sport ascents of 9b or above
- British women who have climbed 7C or above
- British men who have climbed 8c or above
Podcasts
Featuring 3297 podcasts. Try searching for a climber to see podcasts with them, or check out some of these podcasts:
- Laurence Guyon on Allez Podcast, January 2024
- Kev Shields on The Mountain People Podcast, September 2023
- Cory Richards on Clipping Chains, July 2024
- Niall Grimes on The Enormocast, December 2021
Library
Featuring 10747 items in the library. Try a search to see what you can find, or check out these library items:
- La Dura Complete Film
- South America, Argentina, Argentine Patagonia, Chalten Massif, Aguja Saint Exupery, North Face and East Face Variation (2002) Journal
- Grudie Crags (2020) Guidebook