Kurt Smith

Change Log

Climbs bolted by Kurt Smith

Threads

Instagram.com | ifsc.results.info

Also known as: The General

Quick Info ˅

From:	USA 🇺🇸
Gender:	Male
Hardest Boulder (Worked):	7B
Hardest Sport (Worked):	8b
Notable Partnerships
John Bachar
Scott Cosgrove

Important early developer of sport climbing in North America at Rifle, New River Gorge and El Potrero Chico. One of only a few climbers to have a shoe named after him.

References

[1] https://www.outsideonline.com/business-journal/brands/independent-sales-rep-kurt-smith/

[2] https://open.spotify.com/episode/2HdoMrUcGe11ZyxWAYmL5n?

[3] https://www.rockmillclimbing.com/beta-blog/kurt-smith

[4] https://www.weighmyrack.com/shoe/evolv-general

Contributors

duncancritchley

49 contributions since 10th November 2025.

remus

32 contributions since 23rd December 2023.

Quick Info

From:	USA 🇺🇸
Gender:	Male
Hardest Boulder (Worked):	7B
Hardest Sport (Worked):	8b
Notable Partnerships
John Bachar
Scott Cosgrove

Important early developer of sport climbing in North America at Rifle, New River Gorge and El Potrero Chico. One of only a few climbers to have a shoe named after him.

References

[1] https://www.outsideonline.com/business-journal/brands/independent-sales-rep-kurt-smith/

[2] https://open.spotify.com/episode/2HdoMrUcGe11ZyxWAYmL5n?

[3] https://www.rockmillclimbing.com/beta-blog/kurt-smith

[4] https://www.weighmyrack.com/shoe/evolv-general

Contributors

duncancritchley

49 contributions since 10th November 2025.

remus

32 contributions since 23rd December 2023.

Podcasts

The Enormocast, December 2023

Pics + Vids

No pics or vids yet.

Ascents

6 recorded ascents.

Year	Climb	Grade	Style	Date
1984	Bachar-Yerian Third ascent. With Ed Barry.	E6	Alternate Leads \| ground up	1984
	now this route brings back some good and bad memories... ed barry and i went to do the 3rd ascent. i lead the first, he lead the second and starting down climbing right below the first real bolt on 2nd pitch, (45 above the belay). a knob broke and he fell, right for my head, i moved right and he hit my shoulder and went another 40 ft before i caught him. he got to the belay pasty white! "I'm not going back up there man" was all he could say.. we waited a little while for the adrenaline to subside and then i decided to give the second pitch a try because i did not want to come back and lead that first pitch again! ed snapped out of his funk and went and sent the pitch. I broke a hold 40 above a bolt on the 3rd but hung on and made it to the horizontial and the cam placement that i really was happy to get. Then there are two more pitches of funky scary climbing to the summit. Most people rap after the third and i say that's bull shit! you have to do the whole route to call it a send! It is an amazing line, bolts are far away and the climbing is COMMITTING! LIKE CLIMBING USED TO BE! so go for it and realize you are climbing more than just a route, you are climbing a vision of the past that required first ascentionist's to have guts to get the glory..! enjoy and yes there are new bolts there so no more 1/4 bolts to get you puckered... [1] References [1] http://www.supertopo.com/climbing/thread.php?topic_id=375380
	Midnight Lightning Fourth ascent.	7B	Boulder \| worked	1984
1985
1986
1987
1988	The Dunce Cap First ascent.	7c+	Lead \| worked	1988
1989
1990
1991
1992	Slice of Life First ascent.	8b	Lead \| worked	1992
	First route in Colorado to be graded 5.14 (8b+). Subsequently downgraded with the discovery of numerous kneebars.
1993
1994	The Shaft With Scott Cosgrove.	E8	Lead \| did not finish	1994
	An epic ground-up attempt that ended 10m of climbing short of success. "We ended up spending about three months working the route, from the bottom up, the next summer, following in the footsteps of TM Herbert and Yvon Chouinard, who did the route in 1965 with no fixed ropes or support. We wanted to find the same kind of adventure and honor the first ascent in the same style". (Kurt Smith) References [1] https://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/13201214301/Scott-Cosgrove-1964-2016
	El Sendero Luminoso First ascent.	7c	Alternate Leads \| worked	1994
	with Jeff Jackson

Climb	Grade	Style	Ascent Date	Suggested Grade
Slice of Life First ascent.	8b	Lead \| worked	1992
First route in Colorado to be graded 5.14 (8b+). Subsequently downgraded with the discovery of numerous kneebars.
The Dunce Cap First ascent.	7c+	Lead \| worked	1988
El Sendero Luminoso First ascent.	7c	Alternate Leads \| worked	1994
with Jeff Jackson

Climb	Grade	Style	Ascent Date	Suggested Grade
Midnight Lightning Fourth ascent.	7B	Boulder \| worked	1984

Climb	Grade	Style	Ascent Date	Suggested Grade
The Shaft With Scott Cosgrove.	E8	Lead \| did not finish	1994
An epic ground-up attempt that ended 10m of climbing short of success. "We ended up spending about three months working the route, from the bottom up, the next summer, following in the footsteps of TM Herbert and Yvon Chouinard, who did the route in 1965 with no fixed ropes or support. We wanted to find the same kind of adventure and honor the first ascent in the same style". (Kurt Smith) References [1] https://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/13201214301/Scott-Cosgrove-1964-2016
Bachar-Yerian Third ascent. With Ed Barry.	E6	Alternate Leads \| ground up	1984
now this route brings back some good and bad memories... ed barry and i went to do the 3rd ascent. i lead the first, he lead the second and starting down climbing right below the first real bolt on 2nd pitch, (45 above the belay). a knob broke and he fell, right for my head, i moved right and he hit my shoulder and went another 40 ft before i caught him. he got to the belay pasty white! "I'm not going back up there man" was all he could say.. we waited a little while for the adrenaline to subside and then i decided to give the second pitch a try because i did not want to come back and lead that first pitch again! ed snapped out of his funk and went and sent the pitch. I broke a hold 40 above a bolt on the 3rd but hung on and made it to the horizontial and the cam placement that i really was happy to get. Then there are two more pitches of funky scary climbing to the summit. Most people rap after the third and i say that's bull shit! you have to do the whole route to call it a send! It is an amazing line, bolts are far away and the climbing is COMMITTING! LIKE CLIMBING USED TO BE! so go for it and realize you are climbing more than just a route, you are climbing a vision of the past that required first ascentionist's to have guts to get the glory..! enjoy and yes there are new bolts there so no more 1/4 bolts to get you puckered... [1] References [1] http://www.supertopo.com/climbing/thread.php?topic_id=375380

Climb	Grade	Style	Ascent Date	Suggested Grade