Climbing History
A selected history of climbing and mountaineering through the climbers, climbs and media.
3513 Climbers
6918 Climbs
17949 Ascents
Featured
Action Directe | 9a Sport route at Waldkopf
Action Directe is a sport route in the Waldkopf area of the Frankenjura in Germany. It was first climbed by Wolfgang Güllich in 1991 who suggested a grade UIAA grade of XI which equates to roughly 8c+/9a. It has since settled at 9a making it one of the first of the grade in the world.
The route is famous for its brutal, uncompromising climbing on one- and two-finger pockets. While training for the first ascent Wolfgang famously made use of the first campus board in the world (the board was erected in the Campus Centre gym in Nürnberg, hence the name).
After an easier initial section leading to a ledge and hands-off rest the route consists of around 20 hand moves, a pure power-endurance testpiece.
The route is named after the French far-left militant group.
References
[1] Written in Stone, Nov 2023 https://open.spotify.com/episode/3XjUWgzU7IMJgEWPzequbq?
[2] Written in Stone interview with Ben Cossey, Nov 2023 https://open.spotify.com/episode/0jLxfy5CRlOTykTmtG7MZe?
[3] Written in Stone interview with Alex Megos, Nov 2023 https://open.spotify.com/episode/5nhDlvoMlXj4jvCROnwSh6?
Action Directe is a sport route in the Waldkopf area of the Frankenjura in Germany. It was first climbed by Wolfgang Güllich in 1991 who suggested a grade UIAA grade of XI which equates to roughly 8c+/9a. It has since settled at 9a making it one of the first of the grade in the world.
The route is famous for its brutal, uncompromising climbing on one- and two-finger pockets. While training for the first ascent Wolfgang famously made use of the first campus board in the world (the board was erected in the Campus Centre gym in Nürnberg, hence the name).
After an easier initial section leading to a ledge and hands-off rest the route consists of around 20 hand moves, a pure power-endurance testpiece.
The route is named after the French far-left militant group.
References
[1] Written in Stone, Nov 2023 https://open.spotify.com/episode/3XjUWgzU7IMJgEWPzequbq?
[2] Written in Stone interview with Ben Cossey, Nov 2023 https://open.spotify.com/episode/0jLxfy5CRlOTykTmtG7MZe?
[3] Written in Stone interview with Alex Megos, Nov 2023 https://open.spotify.com/episode/5nhDlvoMlXj4jvCROnwSh6?
Pics + Vids
Featuring 8649 pictures and videos. Try searching for a climber, climb or summit to see pics and videos.
Jules Marchaland on Titan Assis (8C)
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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 3907 podcasts. Try searching for a climber to see podcasts with them, or check out some of these podcasts:
- Chris Sharma on The Nugget, November 2024
- Will Anglin on The Nugget, November 2023
- Alex Megos on The Careless Talk Climbing Podcast, October 2023
- Francis Sanzaro on The Struggle Climbing Show, March 2025
Library
Featuring 11020 items in the library. Try a search to see what you can find, or check out these library items:
- Masters of Stone 5 - Dan Osman Film
- University of Wyoming Outing Club (1968) Journal
- Into the Blue (1996) Guidebook
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References
References
References
To flash felt like a pure challenge of execution. I had margin on each move, but not enough to make any mistakes. About as satisfying as it gets. [3]
References
[1] Mentioned in Careless Talk E172
The first Climbers' Club guide where technical and E grades featured in the main body of the guide. Prior to this they had been considered experimental and consigned to a separate section.
Three months from receipt of manuscript by the editor to publication to get it on shelves in time for Easter! [1]
References
[1] Moss, Alan., Haigh, Peter., Baker, Nigel., Milburn, Geoff. British and Irish Climbing Guidebooks 1894 to 2011: A Collector's Guide. United Kingdom: British Mountaineering Council, 2012.