Climbing History
A selected history of climbing and mountaineering through the climbers, climbs and media.
3656 Climbers
7282 Climbs
18969 Ascents
Featured
Will Bosi
Will Bosi is a climber from Edinburgh in Scotland. He first came to prominence as a competition climber, but has since become one of the leading climbers across both sport climbing and bouldering. In 2020 he became only the second Brit to climb 9b with La Capella, and in 2025 he made the second ascent of Excalibur (9b+), becoming the first British climber to climb the grade.
Much of Will's most notable climbing since 2022 has been in bouldering. In 2022 he made the first ascent of Honey Badger (8C+) at Badger Cove, and later that year climbed Alphane (9A). He has since added Burden of Dreams (9A), Return of the Sleepwalker (9A) and Spots of Time (9A). In 2025 Will made the first ascent of Realm of Tor'ment (9A), making him the first person to climb five 9A boulders.
Will continues to push himself on projects such as Silence (9c), Terranova (8C+) and the Dumby Project.
References
[1] My Climbing Journey April 2023, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmmMbpCsSuA
[2] Interview with Lattice Training https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cn1dJNPfAfc
[3] https://www.climbing.com/people/interview-will-bosi-spots-of-time/
[4] Interview with Emil Abrahamsson Jan 2026 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OygaAqejUTg
[5] https://fanatic-climbing.com/will-bosi-sur-une-ile-deserte-will-bosi-on-a-desert-island/
Will Bosi is a climber from Edinburgh in Scotland. He first came to prominence as a competition climber, but has since become one of the leading climbers across both sport climbing and bouldering. In 2020 he became only the second Brit to climb 9b with La Capella, and in 2025 he made the second ascent of Excalibur (9b+), becoming the first British climber to climb the grade.
Much of Will's most notable climbing since 2022 has been in bouldering. In 2022 he made the first ascent of Honey Badger (8C+) at Badger Cove, and later that year climbed Alphane (9A). He has since added Burden of Dreams (9A), Return of the Sleepwalker (9A) and Spots of Time (9A). In 2025 Will made the first ascent of Realm of Tor'ment (9A), making him the first person to climb five 9A boulders.
Will continues to push himself on projects such as Silence (9c), Terranova (8C+) and the Dumby Project.
References
[1] My Climbing Journey April 2023, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmmMbpCsSuA
[2] Interview with Lattice Training https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cn1dJNPfAfc
[3] https://www.climbing.com/people/interview-will-bosi-spots-of-time/
[4] Interview with Emil Abrahamsson Jan 2026 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OygaAqejUTg
[5] https://fanatic-climbing.com/will-bosi-sur-une-ile-deserte-will-bosi-on-a-desert-island/
Pics + Vids
Featuring 9228 pictures and videos. Try searching for a climber, climb or summit to see pics and videos.
Yves Gravelle on So What 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 4047 podcasts. Try searching for a climber to see podcasts with them, or check out some of these podcasts:
- Sam Watson on The Nugget, March 2026
- Jim Pope on The Careless Talk Climbing Podcast, August 2022
- Näilé Meignan on Allez Podcast, February 2024
- Michaela Tracy on Jam Crack Podcast, February 2016
Library
Featuring 11025 items in the library. Try a search to see what you can find, or check out these library items:
- The Treasure from a Distant Land (2025) Film
- Alpine Journal51 18-28A Scott Russell Jan Mayen (1939) Journal
- Wye Valley (1997) Guidebook
Recent updates
Climb the traverse Kani (7C+), but finish up Mushi (8A) rather than Ninja Gaeshi (7A).
References
References
References
The second 3-Dan (7C+/8A) in Japan, after Kani.
First ascensionist Toshimichi Kusano:
After 'Kani', I already knew what I wanted to try next. The line started on Ninja Gaeshi, then reached out toward a seductive lip hold that seemed to beckon climbers closer — this would become Mushi (“Bug”). It was a legendary line, said to have been spotted and attempted by the British superstar Jerry Moffatt when he visited Japan in 1984. And yet no one had seriously tried it since.
It wasn’t hard to see why. The first left-hand vertical hold is slick and tiny — enough to make most people give up right there. Still, I kept going. After that hold, I’d try lunging across from a left-hand crimp in a kind of cross move. No good. It didn’t feel possible.
But I couldn’t stop thinking that maybe one day it would be. I started visiting Mitake more often. And really, at that point, that stunning and mysterious line felt like it belonged to me alone. There was no reason not to try.
Then winter — the season when holds stay dry — came to an end. As always, spring brought a mix of urgency and doubt. Around then, I went to Mitake with Takahashi, a tall friend. We were trying to work the upper section, and he pushed me from below so I could stick to the wall. There was this tiny dimple I’d always noticed from the ground — I finally touched it. “This could work.”
He pushed me up again, and this time I grabbed that dimple with my right hand and started the sequence. I launched my left hand for the lip — and stuck it. “It goes!”
I can’t even remember if I went back for one more session or not, but now that I’d found the move, I was so excited to try again.
It was a crisp, sunny day in May 1996. I felt good. I began my usual quiet warm-up. Every move on Mushi was big, but it wasn’t cold, so my body moved well. I matched my right hand to that little dimple. I still had strength. I popped to the lip. My hand stuck. From here, it was unknown territory. But the holds were clear, my body moved naturally — and I climbed it. I stood on top of the boulder.
In Japanese, when someone is obsessed with something, we call them a bug for it — like a “climbing bug.” I wanted climbers to become bugs for climbing, and of course, to move across the rock like insects, freely and playfully. That’s why I named the line Mushi.
References
[1] Mitake Bouldering Guide
An obvious traverse line across the Ninja Gaeshi boulder, finishing up that climb.
The first 3-Dan (7C+/8A) in Japan.
Video Description [2]:
Grade discussion for those who care:
Potion Master felt like a V13 intro boulder into a hard slab, maybe V11. The entire boulder is my style so it's hard to give it a grade. I would welcome some consensus and a downgrade if needed. I could see it being V13.9 or V14.0.
References
Allegedly conceptualised by John Yablonski whilst under the influence of LSD. Named after the Jimi Hendrix song as it was considered as unlikely as lightning striking at midnight and for the lightning bolt shaped hold.
References
[1] https://kletterszene.com/stories/the-classics-boulder-midnight-lightning/
5.11c
First climbed in 1959 by Warren Harding, Glen Denny and Chuck Pratt as the East Face of Washington Column. Although this ascent was mainly aided, the Harding Slot - free climbed at a notional 5.9 - is still a considerable challenge for many despite its relatively low grade. Named after the Jimi Hendrix song.
References
[1] https://www.mountainproject.com/route/105845493/astroman