Climbing History
A selected history of climbing and mountaineering through the climbers, climbs and media.
3895 Climbers
7641 Climbs
19933 Ascents
Featured
Akira | 9a Sport route at Le Périgord
Akira is a route with a complicated history and a degree of controversy, largely around the fact that first ascenionist Fred Rouhling suggested a grade of 9b at a time when 9a was the cutting edge and no routes had been proposed at 9a+ (though some routes from the era have subsequently been upgraded to 9a+, for example Mutation at Raven Tor). Subsequent ascentionists have suggested 9a is more appropriate. To complicate things even further, the repeat ascentionists chose not use kneebars but did suggest that using them would lower the grade further.
Holds may have come and gone on the first part of the route:
Can confirm via a friend that worked Akira pretty hard that the initial section used to be 8B. His breakdown was 8B to a crap rest on a 3 finger pocket into a second 8B to the lip. He never tried the final rope section (8a?) as he thought it was pointless. [1] [2] [3]
I almost did it [Akira]. I fell at the last move of the boulder crux. I find that section hard for 7C as Bouin and Lucien Martinez have now proposed. It's a boulder of about eight moves, which can be 8A or 8A+ in my opinion. I think the proposal of 9a is correct taking into account that they may have made some moves with kneebars as well. I went 7 or 8 days to try it. The place is quite ugly and I had a hard time finding someone to accompany me. The route is in the same style as Ali Hulk in the Cave of Ali Baba, in Rodellar, but the spot is so ugly that it is difficult to motivate oneself to go there. [4]
Jean-Baptiste Tribout, speaking in 2000:
I visited Akira in 1995 it is certainly one of the hardest routes in the world that I have ever seen, and I climbed on it and managed to do a lot of the moves, but I couldn't do the hardest moves. To be able to link up all thes hard moves into one clean ascent is incredibly hard. It's a completely natural route, which is great! The route i also very technical, and scary in a way because it is 3 to 4m off the ground it's difficult to commit to the moves, and with these moves you could fall flat on your back. [9]
References
[1] https://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,10607.msg621712.html#msg621712
[2] https://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,10607.msg621740.html#msg621740
[3] https://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,10607.msg621741.html#msg621741
[4] https://woguclimbing.com/seb-bouin-lucien-martinez-repiten-akira-opinan-9a/
[5] https://www.grimper.com/news-25-ans-apres-akira-enfin-repetee-etions
[6] https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2020/11/fred_rouhlings_akira_repeated_-_twice-72635
[7] https://www.instagram.com/p/CH52khijvz7/
[8] https://open.spotify.com/episode/4T8j5taHKyu11HnWMKvxWT?
[9] On The Edge Issue 102, page 43
Akira is a route with a complicated history and a degree of controversy, largely around the fact that first ascenionist Fred Rouhling suggested a grade of 9b at a time when 9a was the cutting edge and no routes had been proposed at 9a+ (though some routes from the era have subsequently been upgraded to 9a+, for example Mutation at Raven Tor). Subsequent ascentionists have suggested 9a is more appropriate. To complicate things even further, the repeat ascentionists chose not use kneebars but did suggest that using them would lower the grade further.
Holds may have come and gone on the first part of the route:
Can confirm via a friend that worked Akira pretty hard that the initial section used to be 8B. His breakdown was 8B to a crap rest on a 3 finger pocket into a second 8B to the lip. He never tried the final rope section (8a?) as he thought it was pointless. [1] [2] [3]
I almost did it [Akira]. I fell at the last move of the boulder crux. I find that section hard for 7C as Bouin and Lucien Martinez have now proposed. It's a boulder of about eight moves, which can be 8A or 8A+ in my opinion. I think the proposal of 9a is correct taking into account that they may have made some moves with kneebars as well. I went 7 or 8 days to try it. The place is quite ugly and I had a hard time finding someone to accompany me. The route is in the same style as Ali Hulk in the Cave of Ali Baba, in Rodellar, but the spot is so ugly that it is difficult to motivate oneself to go there. [4]
Jean-Baptiste Tribout, speaking in 2000:
I visited Akira in 1995 it is certainly one of the hardest routes in the world that I have ever seen, and I climbed on it and managed to do a lot of the moves, but I couldn't do the hardest moves. To be able to link up all thes hard moves into one clean ascent is incredibly hard. It's a completely natural route, which is great! The route i also very technical, and scary in a way because it is 3 to 4m off the ground it's difficult to commit to the moves, and with these moves you could fall flat on your back. [9]
References
[1] https://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,10607.msg621712.html#msg621712
[2] https://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,10607.msg621740.html#msg621740
[3] https://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,10607.msg621741.html#msg621741
[4] https://woguclimbing.com/seb-bouin-lucien-martinez-repiten-akira-opinan-9a/
[5] https://www.grimper.com/news-25-ans-apres-akira-enfin-repetee-etions
[6] https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2020/11/fred_rouhlings_akira_repeated_-_twice-72635
[7] https://www.instagram.com/p/CH52khijvz7/
[8] https://open.spotify.com/episode/4T8j5taHKyu11HnWMKvxWT?
[9] On The Edge Issue 102, page 43
Pics + Vids
Featuring 9638 pictures and videos. Try searching for a climber, climb or summit to see pics and videos.
Sungsu Lee on Lucid Dreaming 8C
Pete Whittaker on Orange Piranha 8A+
Stefano Ghisolfi on Silence 9c
B.J. Tilden on Hard Twisted 9a+
Support
If you've enjoyed using climbing-history.org please consider supporting the project by joining the patreon. Your support helps pay for the hosting required to keep the site running. Everyone who donates gets added to the supporters page.
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 4137 podcasts. Try searching for a climber to see podcasts with them, or check out some of these podcasts:
- Carlo Traversi on TrainingBeta, February 2014
- Chris Kalous on Dirtbag State of Mind, September 2021
- Carlo Traversi on The Testpiece Podcast, June 2025
- Adrian Ballinger on The Struggle Climbing Show, February 2025
Library
Featuring 14855 items in the library. Try a search to see what you can find, or check out these library items:
- Smith Rock Film
- Alpine Journal 1924 Vol 36 349-357 Pyrenees Parker (1924) Journal
- A Climbers Guide to Owey Island Guidebook
Recent updates
References
A prolific fantasist. Unusually, he may have had the physical level to do many of his claimed ascents, with feats of strength demonstrated in the School Room [2].
However, in 2010 the claims became more outlandish: an unbeaten amateur boxing record, a sub 2hr30min marathon, a sub 4 minute mile and a very quick solo ascent of the long, loose Hasse-Brandler route. None of these claims have been verified.
This lead to further scrutiny of his prior claims and it transpired that many were likely fabricated [5]. For example, he was unable to name a belayer or any witness of his 2005 claim on Action Directe, despite travelling to the Frankenjura with Chris Doyle to film his ascent.
References
[1] Obsession https://vimeo.com/6848413 by Chris Doyle.
[2] Chris Doyle on UKBouldering.com https://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,16602.msg292502.html#msg292502
We were in the school for about 4 hours that day, he did loads of hard problems on repeat, 1-5-9 campussing loads of times etc.. He got on Perky Pinky but didn't manage to do it in a oner so i spliced two sections together. You can't deny he was bastard strong. I mean Neil Mawson has climbed 8c and he's not in the same book never mind the same page in terms of strength. Malc Smith sent me a message recently, he sounded pretty dumbfounded by it all and said that Simpson was the strongest climber he'd ever seen (and he's seen a few). None of this means much as hard proof is needed but you can't deny he was strong enough.
[3] Keith Bradbury discussing climbing with Rich https://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,31564.msg647020.html#msg647020
I also climbed with Rich outdoors. In fact, I was with him for most that fateful trip in Frankenjura where we wrote off a car, he littered his jizz tissues all over my bed, and he probably didn't do Action Direct. I belayed him on lots of different routes. I did see him warm up on 8b routes (as in, actually doing them). I belayed him on some 9a's which he later claimed although I didn't see him do them. One of those was action direct. I belayed Rich for several sessions on Action Direct. I remember how bad conditions were some days with holds turning black instantly. I remember some days he was really struggling on the route and couldn't do the moves. Other days he would link sections consistently. I also saw him climb from just after the first jump to the top. That's when I realised Rich could definitely do it and it was a case of conditions and a good go. But then I left to go the UK for a week of exams and when I came back he'd ticked off a bunch of stuff... including Action Direct.
[4] Rich Simpson by Steve McClure, Climb Issue 44, page 36
[5] https://ukbouldering.com/threads/simpson-vanishes.16327/
A prolific fantasist. Unusually, he may have had the physical level to do many of his claimed ascents, with feats of strength demonstrated in the School Room) [2].
However, in 2010 the claims became more outlandish: an unbeaten amateur boxing record, a sub 2hr30min marathon, a sub 4 minute mile and a very quick solo ascent of the long, loose Hasse-Brandler route. None of these claims have been verified.
This lead to further scrutiny of his prior claims and it transpired that many were likely fabricated [5]. For example, he was unable to name a belayer or any witness of his 2005 claim on Action Directe, despite travelling to the Frankenjura with Chris Doyle to film his ascent.
References
[1] Obsession https://vimeo.com/6848413 by Chris Doyle.
[2] Chris Doyle on UKBouldering.com https://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,16602.msg292502.html#msg292502
We were in the school for about 4 hours that day, he did loads of hard problems on repeat, 1-5-9 campussing loads of times etc.. He got on Perky Pinky but didn't manage to do it in a oner so i spliced two sections together. You can't deny he was bastard strong. I mean Neil Mawson has climbed 8c and he's not in the same book never mind the same page in terms of strength. Malc Smith sent me a message recently, he sounded pretty dumbfounded by it all and said that Simpson was the strongest climber he'd ever seen (and he's seen a few). None of this means much as hard proof is needed but you can't deny he was strong enough.
[3] Keith Bradbury discussing climbing with Rich https://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,31564.msg647020.html#msg647020
I also climbed with Rich outdoors. In fact, I was with him for most that fateful trip in Frankenjura where we wrote off a car, he littered his jizz tissues all over my bed, and he probably didn't do Action Direct. I belayed him on lots of different routes. I did see him warm up on 8b routes (as in, actually doing them). I belayed him on some 9a's which he later claimed although I didn't see him do them. One of those was action direct. I belayed Rich for several sessions on Action Direct. I remember how bad conditions were some days with holds turning black instantly. I remember some days he was really struggling on the route and couldn't do the moves. Other days he would link sections consistently. I also saw him climb from just after the first jump to the top. That's when I realised Rich could definitely do it and it was a case of conditions and a good go. But then I left to go the UK for a week of exams and when I came back he'd ticked off a bunch of stuff... including Action Direct.
[4] Rich Simpson by Steve McClure, Climb Issue 44, page 36
[5] https://ukbouldering.com/threads/simpson-vanishes.16327/
In the context of his other claims there is doubt around this ascent, however his belayer Dan Tounley has been contacted (by Chris Doyle) and has confirmed the ascent:
Yes, I can confirm Rich done these routes [Liquid Ambar, Hubble] as I belayed him. Makes me laugh that people are doubting him. I tried to log on to U.K Climbing website when I read about the story but unfortunatly my schools sever wouldn't let me (I am in Thailand). Maybe people will stop doubting him now! Maybe he upset someone, I know he can be an arrogant little twat sometimes!!! [1]
Simon Lee has separately been in touch with Dan to confirm the ascent.
Guidebook author Pete Harrison was less convinced:
I've got an extensive collection of emails from reputable people detailing Simpon's various lies - I got involved with trying to clear up his Liquid Ambar claim while producing the NW guide and, as usual, felt like digging deeper once it was obvious he was a serial walter mitty. I've still got Simpson's emails asking me to abide by certain conditions before he'd name his LA belayer. And I've got the email Shark received from Dan Townley in which Dan confirms he belayed Simpson on ascents of LA and Hubble (both times 'early in the morning, no-one else at the crag'. Doesn't match the third-hand account of the people at Parisellas Cave the day Simpson appeared and claimed to have sent LA). Simpson's so dubious and troubled that even having a belayer confirm his ascents isn't credible enough! [3]
References
[1] https://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,16602.msg292046.html#msg292046
[2] Interview in On The Edge Issue 140, August/September 2004, Page 12
[3] https://ukbouldering.com/threads/the-rich-simpson-nostalgia-revisionism-thread.27176/page-2