Ben Moon

Instagram.com | UKClimbing.com | ifsc.results.info | en.wikipedia.org | moonclimbing.com

Quick Info

From: United Kingdom 🇬🇧
Date of birth: 13th June 1966
Age: 59 years old
Gender: Male
Hardest Boulder (Worked): 8B+
Hardest Boulder (Flash): 8A
Hardest Sport (Worked): 9a
Hardest Sport (Onsight): 8a+
Hardest Sport (Flash): 8a
Notable Partnerships
Jerry Moffatt
Malcolm Smith
Mark Pretty
Chris Plant
Sean Myles
Contemporaries
Fred Nicole
Klem Loskot
Marc Le Menestrel
Antoine Le Menestrel
Jean-Baptiste Tribout

Ben Moon is a British sport climber and boulderer. Throughout the 80s and 90s he was at the cutting edge, establishing and repeating many of the hardest routes and problems in the UK and Europe.

Ben was an early proponent of sport climbing in the UK at a time when trad climbing dominated and the use of bolts was very controversial. Statement of Youth (8a) which he established in 1984 was one of the first 8as in the UK. While many routes relied to varying degrees on bolts and pegs from aid ascents, Statement is an early example of a route that was bolted specifically so it could be free climbed.

Alongside Jerry Moffatt, Marc Le Menestrel, Antoine Le Menestrel and others Ben was at the forefront of the 80s sport climbing revolution which saw difficulty increase massively over the course of the decade: having climbed Statement of Youth in 1984 with some difficulty, by 1989 Ben had established Agincourt (8c) and Maginot Line (8c), two of the hardest sport climbs in the world at the time. In 1990 he made the first ascent of Hubble (9a), originally suggested at 8c+ it is now a contender for one of the first 9as in the world alongside Action Directe (9a).

In the early 90s he invested significant time into what would become Northern Lights (9a) at Kilnsey. Despite a protracted siege over several years Ben was unable to make the first ascent, being beset with injuries and poor conditions on the route. It seems likely that frustration with this process partly led to him spending an increasingly large amount of time bouldering.

As with sport climbing he was a very capable boulderer and established or repeated many of the hardest problems in the UK at the time. Problems such as 8 Ball (8A+), Cypher (8B) and Voyager SDS (8B+) are enduring hard classics.

2013 saw a resurgence after a period away from serious climbing, firstly climbing Mecca Extension (8c) at Raven Tor, then in 2015 climbing Rainshadow (9a) at Malham Cove just shy of his 49th birthday.

Moon Climbing

Ben is the founder and sole owner of Moon Climbing. Born out a previous business called S7, the brand initially focused on clothing and bouldering accessories. They are now best known for the Moonboard which spawned an entire category of climbing wall products, where users can climb on a standardised board and share problems via an app.

References

[1] Interview with Simon Lee, September 2013 https://vimeo.com/75374593

[2] Training in the cellar with Jerry Moffatt, 1989 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LceV005nte0

[3] The Real Thing

[4] Stone Love, 2001 film by Ben Pritchard https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FguueX9jM78

[5] 80's Birth of Extreme by Al Hughes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jkj3Buhfi2k

[6] Statement of Youth, 2019 Film by UKClimbing and Nick Brown https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zeqI9axxrco.

[7] https://www.facebook.com/climbing.in.the.80s/photos/a.270388289694020/942618999137609

[8] https://www.facebook.com/climbing.in.the.80s/photos/a.270388289694020/876401569092686

[9] One Summer by Ben Pritchard, 1994 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RnGf69g6Igc

[10] A Sport Climbing Pioneer: The Story Of Ben Moon, Interview with Matt Groom, 2023 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xfyU4KHvioM

[11] Interview with Adrian Berry March 2005 https://web.archive.org/web/20061022044659/http://www.planetfear.com/article_detail.asp?a_id=460

[12] https://open.spotify.com/episode/7b64enKBPgbOPR9gK7T4nZ?

[15] On The Edge Issue 84, page 40

[16] https://moonclimbing.com/News/post/trad-ethics-ben-moon

Contributors
257 contributions since 22nd December 2020.
TdG
149 contributions since 22nd May 2025.
6 contributions since 21st December 2024.

Quick Info

From: United Kingdom 🇬🇧
Date of birth: 13th June 1966
Age: 59 years old
Gender: Male
Hardest Boulder (Worked): 8B+
Hardest Boulder (Flash): 8A
Hardest Sport (Worked): 9a
Hardest Sport (Onsight): 8a+
Hardest Sport (Flash): 8a
Notable Partnerships
Jerry Moffatt
Malcolm Smith
Mark Pretty
Chris Plant
Sean Myles
Contemporaries
Fred Nicole
Klem Loskot
Marc Le Menestrel
Antoine Le Menestrel
Jean-Baptiste Tribout

Ben Moon is a British sport climber and boulderer. Throughout the 80s and 90s he was at the cutting edge, establishing and repeating many of the hardest routes and problems in the UK and Europe.

Ben was an early proponent of sport climbing in the UK at a time when trad climbing dominated and the use of bolts was very controversial. Statement of Youth (8a) which he established in 1984 was one of the first 8as in the UK. While many routes relied to varying degrees on bolts and pegs from aid ascents, Statement is an early example of a route that was bolted specifically so it could be free climbed.

Alongside Jerry Moffatt, Marc Le Menestrel, Antoine Le Menestrel and others Ben was at the forefront of the 80s sport climbing revolution which saw difficulty increase massively over the course of the decade: having climbed Statement of Youth in 1984 with some difficulty, by 1989 Ben had established Agincourt (8c) and Maginot Line (8c), two of the hardest sport climbs in the world at the time. In 1990 he made the first ascent of Hubble (9a), originally suggested at 8c+ it is now a contender for one of the first 9as in the world alongside Action Directe (9a).

In the early 90s he invested significant time into what would become Northern Lights (9a) at Kilnsey. Despite a protracted siege over several years Ben was unable to make the first ascent, being beset with injuries and poor conditions on the route. It seems likely that frustration with this process partly led to him spending an increasingly large amount of time bouldering.

As with sport climbing he was a very capable boulderer and established or repeated many of the hardest problems in the UK at the time. Problems such as 8 Ball (8A+), Cypher (8B) and Voyager SDS (8B+) are enduring hard classics.

2013 saw a resurgence after a period away from serious climbing, firstly climbing Mecca Extension (8c) at Raven Tor, then in 2015 climbing Rainshadow (9a) at Malham Cove just shy of his 49th birthday.

Moon Climbing

Ben is the founder and sole owner of Moon Climbing. Born out a previous business called S7, the brand initially focused on clothing and bouldering accessories. They are now best known for the Moonboard which spawned an entire category of climbing wall products, where users can climb on a standardised board and share problems via an app.

References

[1] Interview with Simon Lee, September 2013 https://vimeo.com/75374593

[2] Training in the cellar with Jerry Moffatt, 1989 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LceV005nte0

[3] The Real Thing

[4] Stone Love, 2001 film by Ben Pritchard https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FguueX9jM78

[5] 80's Birth of Extreme by Al Hughes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jkj3Buhfi2k

[6] Statement of Youth, 2019 Film by UKClimbing and Nick Brown https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zeqI9axxrco.

[7] https://www.facebook.com/climbing.in.the.80s/photos/a.270388289694020/942618999137609

[8] https://www.facebook.com/climbing.in.the.80s/photos/a.270388289694020/876401569092686

[9] One Summer by Ben Pritchard, 1994 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RnGf69g6Igc

[10] A Sport Climbing Pioneer: The Story Of Ben Moon, Interview with Matt Groom, 2023 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xfyU4KHvioM

[11] Interview with Adrian Berry March 2005 https://web.archive.org/web/20061022044659/http://www.planetfear.com/article_detail.asp?a_id=460

[12] https://open.spotify.com/episode/7b64enKBPgbOPR9gK7T4nZ?

[15] On The Edge Issue 84, page 40

[16] https://moonclimbing.com/News/post/trad-ethics-ben-moon

Contributors
257 contributions since 22nd December 2020.
TdG
149 contributions since 22nd May 2025.
6 contributions since 21st December 2024.

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Ascents

82 recorded ascents.

This timeline is missing some ascents where the date of the ascent is unknown.
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Climb Grade Style Ascent Date Suggested Grade
First ascent.

The first 9a in the world.

While working the route Ben managed to drop the french 7c upper section after climbing the start, much to the horror those watching. However he came back a few days later and finished the job.

Ben originally gave it a grade of E9+ 7b/8c+.

He climbed the route again in 1992, a few days before Malcom Smith’s ascent.

References

[1] Mountain Issue 134 (1990), page 13 /library/11317/mountain-134

[2] https://www.facebook.com/climbing.in.the.80s/photos/a.270388289694020/3419096724823145

[3] https://www.facebook.com/climbing.in.the.80s/photos/a.270388289694020/464271993638981

Ben spent 3 days working the line and 2 days on redpoints. He reached a high point moving left towards the top of the route. He then got injured and was unable to try the line any more. [1]

References

[1] https://www.planetmountain.com/en/news/interviews/ben-moon-british-rock-climbing-legend-interview.html
Over 100 sessions.

References

[1] https://www.facebook.com/climbing.in.the.80s/photos/a.270388289694020/458296474236533

[2] https://open.spotify.com/episode/7Cw2lfbvQUQGSkioxTLLoo
Around 19 sessions.

25 years after his first 9a, Hubble.

References

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdKeEk6sSD0

[2] https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2015/06/ben_moon_on_rainshadow_9a_-_im_over_the_moon-69776

References

[1] On The Edge Issue 100, page 55
Liquid Ambar 8c+ Lead | worked 1991
Second ascent. 5 sessions.
Sea of Tranquility 8c+ Lead | worked 1993
First ascent.

Done in 1995, within 2 days of climbing Le Super Plafond.
Le Super Plafond 8c+ Lead | worked 1995

References

[1] https://www.instagram.com/p/Bqkgmd_AYsM/

[2] https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2018/11/evolution_8c+_by_ben_moon-71782

An early repeat. Over the space of 9 days Ben climbed the three hardest routes in France at the time: La Rage de Vivre, Le Minimum and Le Spectre du Sur-Mutant.
First ascent.

References

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jkj3Buhfi2k @ 53mins

[2] https://www.facebook.com/climbing.in.the.80s/photos/a.270388289694020/289577857775063
First ascent.

Ben returned in 1991 to run some laps on the route

An early ascent. Used in the media at the time to extol the benefits of bouldering for climbing stamina routes!
Make it Funky 8c Lead | worked 1993
Third ascent.
Macumba Club 8c Lead | worked 1995

Red pointed Mecca Extension today, finally. 8c? maybe a soft one. Back to the main event on Thursday, Evolution.

An early repeat. Over the space of 9 days Ben climbed the three hardest routes in France at the time: La Rage de Vivre, Le Minimum and Le Spectre du Sur-Mutant.

An early repeat. Over the space of 9 days Ben climbed the three hardest routes in France at the time: La Rage de Vivre, Le Minimum and Le Spectre du Sur-Mutant.
Mecca - The Mid-life Crisis 8b+ Lead | worked Between 1st Sep 1988 and 1st Dec 1989
Second ascent. 2 sessions.
Eugenics 8b+ Lead | worked 2020
Fifth Dimension 8b+ Lead | worked 20th Jun 2020
First ascent.
La Rose et le Vampire 8b Lead | worked 1986
Third ascent.
Zeke the Freak 8b Lead | worked 4th Aug 1987
First ascent.
Lockdown 8b Lead | worked 3rd Jun 2020
First ascent.
Revelations (Pre-1999) 8a+ Lead | worked 1985
Chouca 8a+ Lead | worked 1985
Third ascent.

First re-ascent after the block had come off.

References

[1] Mountain Issue 134 (1990), page 13 /library/11317/mountain-134

References

[1] Llanberis Slate. United Kingdom: Ground Up, 2011.

[2] Ed Douglas ‘Statement: The Ben Moon Story’, Vertebrate Publishing, 2015

[3] Mountain Issue 140 (1991), page 15
Masterclass 8a Lead | worked 1984
Third ascent.
First ascent. 5 sessions.

References

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jkj3Buhfi2k

[2] https://moonclimbing.com/News/post/trad-ethics-ben-moon
Hot Fun Closing 8a Lead | worked 1986
First ascent.
The Untouchables 8a Lead | worked 1991

References

[1] Mountain Issue 140 (1991), page 15

References

[1] Mountain Issue 141 (1991), page 14 https://climbing-history.org/library/11320/mountain-141
Second ascent.

References

[1] Mountain 138 (1991), page 18 /library/11319/mountain-138
Harder than The Dark Half.

References

[1] Mountain 138 (1991), page 18 /library/11319/mountain-138

At the time one of the hardest flashes on peak district limestone.

Ben's first english 6a, just two years later he'd make the first ascent of Statement of Youth!

References

[1] https://www.instagram.com/p/CWxoLMvIUCZ/
Climb Grade Style Ascent Date Suggested Grade
Superman SDS 8B+ Boulder | worked 1994
First ascent.

Ben did all the moves but wasn't able to link it on a top rope.

References

[1] Hard Grit (1998)
First ascent.

References

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hp5iLBp601g

[2] https://open.spotify.com/episode/7Cw2lfbvQUQGSkioxTLLoo
Monk Life 8B+ Boulder | did not finish

Before Malcolm Smith made the first ascent Ben came close to doing it, falling off near the end.

References

[1] https://youtu.be/RnGf69g6Igc?t=1899
First ascent. 3 sessions.

References

[1] https://youtu.be/uaWvY1jMT6A?si=BXFKo-KQR0MCY6gC
First ascent.

Ben used a pogo foot kick technique, which also became known as a Moon Kick after Ben’s ascent.

References

[1] https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2002/03/slipstones_project_completed-3016

[2] https://www.instagram.com/p/C37y0IGoDq6/
Second ascent.

References

[1] https://vimeo.com/35565873
Second ascent.

References

[1] Confirmed Ben made the second ascent via email correspondence, 30th November 2023.
Voyager 8B Boulder | worked 16th Nov 2005
First ascent.
Second ascent.

'I spent six hours on the one move, before finally realising it and yet I am still unaware of what I had done differently to all my previous attempts. Six hours over three days over three weeks. What really happened during this period?'(2)

References

[1] On The Edge Issue 99, page 73

[2] Ed Douglas, ‘Statement: The Ben Moon Story’, Vertebrate Publishing, 2015
First ascent.

References

[1] https://youtu.be/RnGf69g6Igc?t=1057
First ascent.

References

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gO71X2Zr3is

Immortalised in The Real Thing, 1996 (@46:30)

References

[1] https://youtu.be/brbxoKEgsw0?t=2789

[2] https://www.instagram.com/p/CZH5SvrIe6H/
First ascent.

References

[1] https://www.instagram.com/p/C3qPcrdIOMD/

[2] On The Edge Issue 103, page 10

References

[1] https://youtu.be/hIX4qErutvw?t=2468
First ascent.

References

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tGPm5hMpO-Q
Snot
Indoor 		8A+ Boulder | worked
First ascent.
First ascent.

References

[1] On The Edge issue 114, page 44

[2] https://youtu.be/RnGf69g6Igc?t=2181
Third ascent. Second go.

One fall from the easy lower section.
Stick It 8A Boulder | worked Nov 1993

References

[1] On The Edge Issue 73, page 9
Underworld 8A Boulder | worked 2000-2001
First ascent.

References

[1] https://www.climbingclubsouthaustralia.asn.au/bolfa/February-2006.pdf

[2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EnjquBmQZJY
First ascent.

References

[1] https://www.instagram.com/reel/DTpfgehiM9-/

References

[1] On The Edge Issue 84, page 21
I am Curious (Yellow) 7C+ Boulder | worked 1990s
First ascent.
Mushin' 7C+ Boulder | worked 1990s
First ascent.
After Midnight 7C+ Top Rope | flash Nov 1993
Thriller 7C+ Boulder | flash Nov 1993
Second ascent.

References

[1] https://www.instagram.com/p/BRVFCw0gV67/

References

[1] https://youtu.be/RnGf69g6Igc?t=173

Thinking it to be a new problem, climbed via a long move from the crack to a pocket.

The Force 7C Boulder | flash Nov 1993

With the toe on the rail method. [1]

It's hard, but not that hard. [1][2]

References

[1] Hard Grit (1998)

[2] On The Edge Issue 67, page 10
Ben's Roof 7C Boulder | worked
First ascent.

References

[1] https://www.instagram.com/p/DQzMUqIiIvJ/
First ascent.

References

[1] Mountain Issue 134 (1990), page 13 /library/11317/mountain-134
Midnight Lightning 7B Boulder | worked Nov 1993
Second go.
Climb Grade Style Ascent Date Suggested Grade
Equilibrium E10 Top Rope | worked 1993
Strawberries E7 Lead | yo-yo 1984
Climb Grade Style Ascent Date Suggested Grade

Ben got close but never quite managed to finish it off. [1]

References

[1] Confirmed via email with Ben

[2] https://youtu.be/RnGf69g6Igc?t=1728
Snot 8A+ Boulder | worked
First ascent.