Climbing History
A selected history of climbing and mountaineering through the climbers, climbs and media.
3536 Climbers
7003 Climbs
18133 Ascents
Featured
Dave Graham
Dave Graham is an American boulderer and sport climber who is known for his extremely technical climbing style that makes a lot of use of toe hooks and knee bars, as well as his longevity in the sport and his extensive collection of first ascents.
Graham started climbing in 1997 and very quickly worked his way through the grades, climbing his first 8b+ sport route just a year later. By the end of 2000, he had climbed 9a, bouldered 8B and made a historic flash of C'Était Demain (8A). But that was just the start.
Some of his notable ascents include The Story of Two Worlds (fa), Action Directe (fourth ascent), From Dirt Grows the Flowers (fa), The Island (fa) and The Ice Knife (fa).
References
[1] Interview with Udo Neumann in Céüse https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2bZsFZdpgs
[2] Interview with PlanetMountain.com, 2001 https://www.planetmountain.com/en/news/interviews/dave-graham.html
[3] Interview with climbing.com 2022, https://www.climbing.com/people/what-ive-learned-dave-graham/
Dave Graham is an American boulderer and sport climber who is known for his extremely technical climbing style that makes a lot of use of toe hooks and knee bars, as well as his longevity in the sport and his extensive collection of first ascents.
Graham started climbing in 1997 and very quickly worked his way through the grades, climbing his first 8b+ sport route just a year later. By the end of 2000, he had climbed 9a, bouldered 8B and made a historic flash of C'Était Demain (8A). But that was just the start.
Some of his notable ascents include The Story of Two Worlds (fa), Action Directe (fourth ascent), From Dirt Grows the Flowers (fa), The Island (fa) and The Ice Knife (fa).
References
[1] Interview with Udo Neumann in Céüse https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2bZsFZdpgs
[2] Interview with PlanetMountain.com, 2001 https://www.planetmountain.com/en/news/interviews/dave-graham.html
[3] Interview with climbing.com 2022, https://www.climbing.com/people/what-ive-learned-dave-graham/
Pics + Vids
Featuring 8773 pictures and videos. Try searching for a climber, climb or summit to see pics and videos.
Dylan Soin on Isles of Wonder (8B)
Tyler Landman on Smiling Buttress (8B+)
Ted Kingsnorth on Devolution (8c)
Support
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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 3932 podcasts. Try searching for a climber to see podcasts with them, or check out some of these podcasts:
- Favia Dubyk on The Struggle Climbing Show, January 2023
- Emil Abrahamsson on The Struggle Climbing Show, November 2024
- Chris Schulte on Jam Crack Podcast, April 2019
- Allison Vest on The Enormocast, June 2019
Library
Featuring 11021 items in the library. Try a search to see what you can find, or check out these library items:
- Snowbird 1988 (1988) Film
- Alpine Journal53 1942 279-280 Proceedings (1942) Journal
- Lliwedd (1972) Guidebook
Recent updates
References
[1]
Originally 5.13b, currently 5.12c.
The 'theft' of the climb's first free ascent in the early 90s and attendant bolting controversies reputedly set free climbing in Zion back a decade. Through many subsequent ascents, both free and 'clean aid', the route has become easier than it was when Peter Croft and Jonny Woodward first freed it. The placing and removal and weighting of hundreds of cams has eroded the sandstone, widening the cracks. What was once a fingertip layback in the dihedral is now studded with apertures that accept at least a knuckle. The walls are scratched and whitened by the hauling of bags. We did our best, depositing our supplies by abseil rather than hauling, but our ascent still made a contribution to the wear. The route is compromised, and so are we; it is only the easing of difficulty that brought it close to our ability in the first place. [1]
References
[1] https://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/features/moonlight_buttress-12928
References
[1] https://www.infoboulder.com/varazze.php?mod=news&ID=1119
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?