Climbing History
A selected history of climbing and mountaineering through the climbers, climbs and media.
3982 Climbers
7759 Climbs
20380 Ascents
Featured
The Walk of Life | E9 Trad climb at Dyers Lookout
A route with a complicated history. An indirect line called Dyer Straits was originally climbed by Ian Vickers that used a lot of pegs (although the pegs were not placed by Vickers) [2]. James Pearson then removed the pegs and added a direct start suggesting the lofty grade of E12. The route was quickly repeated by Dave Macleod (who was injured at the time) who suggested a downgrade to E9.
The harsh criticism which was levelled at James from the climbing community for over grading the route led to him moving to Innsbruck to get away from the UK climbing scene.
James has subsequently discussed how, having grown up bouldering and leading short, bold routes on the gritstone, The Walk of Life was well outside his comfort zone and, lacking the skills to recognise his own weaknesses, then led him to suggest such a lofty grade. [1]
References
[1] https://open.spotify.com/episode/2HAuDaq2kSHM6L7vdDu6uu?
[2] https://www.planetmountain.com/en/news/climbing/james-pearson-interview-after-the-walk-of-life.html
A route with a complicated history. An indirect line called Dyer Straits was originally climbed by Ian Vickers that used a lot of pegs (although the pegs were not placed by Vickers) [2]. James Pearson then removed the pegs and added a direct start suggesting the lofty grade of E12. The route was quickly repeated by Dave Macleod (who was injured at the time) who suggested a downgrade to E9.
The harsh criticism which was levelled at James from the climbing community for over grading the route led to him moving to Innsbruck to get away from the UK climbing scene.
James has subsequently discussed how, having grown up bouldering and leading short, bold routes on the gritstone, The Walk of Life was well outside his comfort zone and, lacking the skills to recognise his own weaknesses, then led him to suggest such a lofty grade. [1]
References
[1] https://open.spotify.com/episode/2HAuDaq2kSHM6L7vdDu6uu?
[2] https://www.planetmountain.com/en/news/climbing/james-pearson-interview-after-the-walk-of-life.html
Pics + Vids
Featuring 9850 pictures and videos. Try searching for a climber, climb or summit to see pics and videos.
Jerry Moffatt on Psycho! (Free) E6
Tim Blake on Madame Allure 8B
Michaela Kiersch on New Base Line 8B+
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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 3868 podcasts. Try searching for a climber to see podcasts with them, or check out some of these podcasts:
- Drew Ruana on The Nugget (2020)
- Emily Harrington on The Struggle Climbing Show (2024)
- Conrad Anker on First Ascent (2025)
- Chantel Astorga on The Enormocast (2025)
Library
Featuring 14900 items in the library. Try a search to see what you can find, or check out these library items:
- Masters of Stone II (1993) Film
- Alpine Journal 1986 161-170 Warren Turner (1986) Journal
- Black Rock Quarry Guidebook
Recent updates
The hardest route in Romania when it was established by Adam Ondra in 2018.