Climbing History
A selected history of climbing and mountaineering through the climbers, climbs and media.
4088 Climbers
7935 Climbs
20979 Ascents
Featured
Alex Honnold
Alex Honnold is one of the most accomplished solo climbers of all time. His ascents throughout North America and the rest of the world have pushed the soloing standard to new heights.
Most notably, Alex was the first – and to date only – person to free solo a route on El Capitan in Yosemite with his ascent of Freerider in 2017. The ascent was the product of years of preparation, on top of an already groundbreaking solo ticklist, that included Moonlight Buttress (E6), El Sendero Luminoso (7c) and the Regular Northwest Face of Half Dome (E5).
In January 2026 Alex soloed Taipei 101 in Taiwan in an event that was live-streamed on Netflix. [1]
Other Work
Alex co-presents the Climbing Gold podcast alongside Fitz Cahall.
In 2012 Alex founded The Honnold Foundation. The foundation's aim is to improve access to solar electricity.
References
[1] https://www.netflix.com/watch/81987107
[2] Honnold Foundation https://www.honnoldfoundation.org/
[3] Free Solar? Alex Honnold's Other Mission by Natalie Berry (2023) https://www.ft.com/content/fdc13b02-43de-4fce-9068-0d613fa83760
Alex Honnold is one of the most accomplished solo climbers of all time. His ascents throughout North America and the rest of the world have pushed the soloing standard to new heights.
Most notably, Alex was the first – and to date only – person to free solo a route on El Capitan in Yosemite with his ascent of Freerider in 2017. The ascent was the product of years of preparation, on top of an already groundbreaking solo ticklist, that included Moonlight Buttress (E6), El Sendero Luminoso (7c) and the Regular Northwest Face of Half Dome (E5).
In January 2026 Alex soloed Taipei 101 in Taiwan in an event that was live-streamed on Netflix. [1]
Other Work
Alex co-presents the Climbing Gold podcast alongside Fitz Cahall.
In 2012 Alex founded The Honnold Foundation. The foundation's aim is to improve access to solar electricity.
References
[1] https://www.netflix.com/watch/81987107
[2] Honnold Foundation https://www.honnoldfoundation.org/
[3] Free Solar? Alex Honnold's Other Mission by Natalie Berry (2023) https://www.ft.com/content/fdc13b02-43de-4fce-9068-0d613fa83760
Pics + Vids
Featuring 10173 pictures and videos. Try searching for a climber, climb or summit to see pics and videos.
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 4030 podcasts. Try searching for a climber to see podcasts with them, or check out some of these podcasts:
- Stefano Ghisolfi on Lattice Training (2022)
- Ryan Devlin on The Nugget (2022)
- Beth Rodden on The Duffel Shuffle Podcast (2025)
- David Göttler on The Duffel Shuffle Podcast (2026)
Library
Featuring 15068 items in the library. Try a search to see what you can find, or check out these library items:
- Silbergier Film
- Alpine Journal 1888 Vol 13 495-496 AC Proceedings (1888) Journal
- Guernsey: Not-so-New Climbs Guidebook
Recent updates
Dark Castle is the predator fenced area in the north of Kura Tāwhiti Scenic Reserve.
Please be very careful of the fauna and flora if you are venturing in the area. There are many extremely rare plants in the area (like the Castle Hill Buttercup ). Please only climb on the established classics to the south and west of the field. Best to stay away from the more fragile area to the north and any boulders with scree landings.
Because the deep cultural and spiritual ties to tangata whenua (Ngāi Tahu), Kura Tāwhiti was designated as a Tōpuni in 1998. This status reflects Ngāi Tahu’s commitment to protecting the area’s high natural and heritage values.
Please tread lightly and treat this iconic landscape with the respect it deserves.
References
Wuthering Heights is the silhouetted line of boulders on the ridge to the north-west of Kura Tāwhiti Scenic Reserve.
Because the deep cultural and spiritual ties to tangata whenua (Ngāi Tahu), Kura Tāwhiti was designated as a Tōpuni in 1998. This status reflects Ngāi Tahu’s commitment to protecting the area’s high natural and heritage values.
Please tread lightly and treat this iconic landscape with the respect it deserves.