Climbing History
A selected history of climbing and mountaineering through the climbers, climbs and media.
4197 Climbers
8118 Climbs
21623 Ascents
Featured
Rhapsody | E11 Trad climb at Dumbarton Rock
Rhapsody is a trad route at Dumbarton Rock in Scotland first climbed by Dave MacLeod in 2006. It was the hardest trad route in the world at the time and maintains a substantial reputation, featuring 8c+ climbing, and potential for huge falls onto tiny gear from the 8A crux at the top of the route.
The route starts by climbing the majority of Requiem (around 7c+ to here) to a poor rest before an intensely technical sequence up the headwall above. The line is somewhat eliminate at the top, forcing a line of maximum difficulty to the very top of the crag rather than reaching out to an arête. [2]
The route has become a test piece for sport climbers who want to test their mettle, with repeats coming from an international cohort.
Around the time that he made the second ascent, Sonnie Trotter also added a variation called Direquiem which takes the headwall but finishes left, rather than going to the highest point of the crag.
References
[1] E11 2006 film by Paul Diffley
[2] https://davemacleod.blogspot.com/2008/12/home-in-winter-wonderland.html
Rhapsody is a trad route at Dumbarton Rock in Scotland first climbed by Dave MacLeod in 2006. It was the hardest trad route in the world at the time and maintains a substantial reputation, featuring 8c+ climbing, and potential for huge falls onto tiny gear from the 8A crux at the top of the route.
The route starts by climbing the majority of Requiem (around 7c+ to here) to a poor rest before an intensely technical sequence up the headwall above. The line is somewhat eliminate at the top, forcing a line of maximum difficulty to the very top of the crag rather than reaching out to an arête. [2]
The route has become a test piece for sport climbers who want to test their mettle, with repeats coming from an international cohort.
Around the time that he made the second ascent, Sonnie Trotter also added a variation called Direquiem which takes the headwall but finishes left, rather than going to the highest point of the crag.
References
[1] E11 2006 film by Paul Diffley
[2] https://davemacleod.blogspot.com/2008/12/home-in-winter-wonderland.html
Pics + Vids
Featuring 10502 pictures and videos. Try searching for a climber, climb or summit to see pics and videos.
Gabriel Kern on Inshallah 8c+
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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 4271 podcasts. Try searching for a climber to see podcasts with them, or check out some of these podcasts:
- Mary Eden on The Climbing Majority (2023)
- Brooke Raboutou on Climbing Gold (2024)
- Jon Glassberg on CIA - Climbing Intelligence Agency (2025)
- Andy Salo on Written in Stone (2025)
Library
Featuring 16110 items in the library. Try a search to see what you can find, or check out these library items:
- Dosage Vol. I (2002) Film
- Alpine Journal 1961 393-395 Hardie NZ Notes (1961) Journal
- Tremadog & Cwm Silyn (1989) Guidebook
Recent updates
References
Lakes climber, boulderer, guide and coach. Kettle's coaching is notable for its emphasis on movement quality.
Climber and climbing photographer most active in the 80s and 90s.
Eryri fixture climbing numerous new routes and developing bouldering areas from the 1980s to 2020s.
References
North Welsh fixture climbing numerous new routes and developing bouldering areas.
References
Yorkshirewoman who made many first female ascents in the 1970s and 1980s.
Likely first ground-up ascent
References
Norwegian big wall climber and free climber active in the early 1980s. Doseth made important ascents on the Trollveggen and climbed in Yosemite. He died on the descent after making the first ascent of the Norwegian Route on Great Trango.
References
Norwegian big wall climber and free climber active in the early 1980s.
References
Cuban-American climber, civil rights lawyer, climbing guide, and founder of the Access Fund.
Brady Robinson:
Armando Menocal’s tireless efforts to defend climbing access have shaped the landscape of climbing in the US and Latin America, enabling countless climbers to enjoy the sport. He is remembered as a passionate advocate, a visionary leader, and a champion for climbers’ freedom. Anyone who knew him can never forget his incisive curiosity, easy laugh and beaming, gap-toothed smile. [1]
References
[1] Obituary by Brady Robinson, October 2024 https://www.climbing.com/people/remembering-armando-menocal/
Sheffield based member of the Alpha club, active on Gritstone and peak limestone in the early 1960s.
References
[1] https://smhccg.org/rock-climbing/medusa/
[2] https://footlesscrow.blogspot.com/2012/08/steve-dean-reviews-alpha-males-story-of.html