Climbing History
A selected history of climbing and mountaineering through the climbers, climbs and media.
3562 Climbers
7094 Climbs
18376 Ascents
Featured
Royal Robbins
Royal Robbins was an extremely influential climber from the USA in the late 1950s and 1960s. He was part of a generation of climbers who established Yosemite as a world class climbing destination and made first ascents and repeats of many now-famous routes there.
Robbins was also very influential in terms of the climbing style and ethics he espoused. Many of the values he championed, such as minimising reliance on fixed ropes, minimising the use of bolts and climbing from the ground up remain core to what is considered good style in modern big wall climbing. After visiting the UK and using nuts and chockstones for protection Robbins, together with Yvon Chouinard, Robbins became an early proponent of 'clean climbing': the use of chocks over pitons as a means of minimising damage to the rock.
In later life Robbins struggled with arthritis in his hands which made climbing difficult. Because of this Robbins focused his energy on his business ventures and, later, on white water kayaking. He made first descents of several rivers in the US and further abroad.
References
[1] https://www.instagram.com/p/CU4qXc5J8i7/
[2] https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=6849687261751921&set=a.126453404075374
[3] Smart, D. (2023). Royal Robbins: The American Climber. United States: Mountaineers Books.
[4] Ament, P. (1998). Royal Robbins: Spirit of the Age. United States: Stackpole Books.
[5] Robbins, R. (2010). To Be Brave: My Life. United Kingdom: Pink Moment Productions.
[6] Robbins, R. (2010). Fail Falling. United States: Pink Moment Press.
[7] https://open.spotify.com/episode/3ce65n5RTjNYnXYEBJAH1A?
Royal Robbins was an extremely influential climber from the USA in the late 1950s and 1960s. He was part of a generation of climbers who established Yosemite as a world class climbing destination and made first ascents and repeats of many now-famous routes there.
Robbins was also very influential in terms of the climbing style and ethics he espoused. Many of the values he championed, such as minimising reliance on fixed ropes, minimising the use of bolts and climbing from the ground up remain core to what is considered good style in modern big wall climbing. After visiting the UK and using nuts and chockstones for protection Robbins, together with Yvon Chouinard, Robbins became an early proponent of 'clean climbing': the use of chocks over pitons as a means of minimising damage to the rock.
In later life Robbins struggled with arthritis in his hands which made climbing difficult. Because of this Robbins focused his energy on his business ventures and, later, on white water kayaking. He made first descents of several rivers in the US and further abroad.
References
[1] https://www.instagram.com/p/CU4qXc5J8i7/
[2] https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=6849687261751921&set=a.126453404075374
[3] Smart, D. (2023). Royal Robbins: The American Climber. United States: Mountaineers Books.
[4] Ament, P. (1998). Royal Robbins: Spirit of the Age. United States: Stackpole Books.
[5] Robbins, R. (2010). To Be Brave: My Life. United Kingdom: Pink Moment Productions.
[6] Robbins, R. (2010). Fail Falling. United States: Pink Moment Press.
[7] https://open.spotify.com/episode/3ce65n5RTjNYnXYEBJAH1A?
Pics + Vids
Featuring 8900 pictures and videos. Try searching for a climber, climb or summit to see pics and videos.
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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 3956 podcasts. Try searching for a climber to see podcasts with them, or check out some of these podcasts:
- Steven Dimmitt on Dirtbag State of Mind, January 2023
- Anna Hazlett on Lattice Training, September 2021
- Taylor McNeill on The Careless Talk Climbing Podcast, November 2023
- John Allen on Jam Crack Podcast, May 2020
Library
Featuring 11022 items in the library. Try a search to see what you can find, or check out these library items:
- Psyche - Steve McClure - Magic Numbers Film
- Asia, Pakistan, Karakoram, Panmah Mustagh, Latok I, North Ridge, Attempt; Tony Tower, Releasing Bad Energy (2007) Journal
- Cwm Idwal (Revision of 1958) (1964) Guidebook
Recent updates
Named after the Franklin bouldering pads that were starting to be used at the time of the FA, and were of much use to protect the shoddy landing.
So named because the line is tall and beautiful.
So anmed because the route is between Psycho, Adrenaline Rush and Little Cenotaph, and PAL was a dogfood at the time which contained marrowbone jelly. [1]
References
[1] https://ukbouldering.com/threads/boulder-problem-names-climbing-history.34883/post-721689
So anmed because the route is between Psycho, Adrenaline Rush and *Little Cenotaph, and PAL was a dogfood at the time which contained marrowbone jelly. [1]
References
[1] https://ukbouldering.com/threads/boulder-problem-names-climbing-history.34883/post-721689
References
Originally given 8c but upgraded following repeats. Jerry Moffatt named the route in memory of his brother, who loved Liquidambar trees.
First climbed by Jerry Moffatt after a long layoff, during which he got into fast motorbikes. A powerband on a bike is the specific RPM range where an engine produces its maximum torque and power.