Drew Ruana

Instagram.com | YouTube.com | 8a.nu | reddit.com

Quick Info

From: USA 🇺🇸
Gender: Male
Hardest Boulder (Worked): 8C+
Hardest Sport (Worked): 9a

Drew Ruana is an American climber with an extensive list of V16 ascents including first ascents of "Distortion" V16, "Insomniac" V16, and "Maxwell's Demon Sit" V16. Growing up in the Vertical World climbing team in Seattle, Drew established many of the hardest routes in the Pacific Northwest in the late 2010s, with first ascents of "Brave New World" 9a and "The Assassin" 9a, the hardest routes in Washington and Oregon respectively. Following a brief spell in Salt Lake City where Drew competed on the IFSC circuit, Drew enrolled at the Colorado Schools of Mines in Golden, Colorado where he graduated with a degree in Computer Science in 2025. Alongside other goals, Drew is trying to tick every problem 8B+ or harder in Colorado.

References

[1] AMA on reddit.com/r/climbharder, January 2023 https://www.reddit.com/r/climbharder/comments/100qfg5/pro_rock_climber_drew_ruana_ama/

[2] AMA on reddit.com/r/climbharder, June 2023 https://www.reddit.com/r/climbharder/comments/14bxa21/drew_ruana_ama_round_2/

Contributors
150 contributions since 24th March 2021.
34 contributions since 3rd June 2024.
34 contributions since 18th November 2025.
33 contributions since 4th August 2025.
ben
6 contributions since 28th January 2025.

Quick Info

From: USA 🇺🇸
Gender: Male
Hardest Boulder (Worked): 8C+
Hardest Sport (Worked): 9a

Drew Ruana is an American climber with an extensive list of V16 ascents including first ascents of "Distortion" V16, "Insomniac" V16, and "Maxwell's Demon Sit" V16. Growing up in the Vertical World climbing team in Seattle, Drew established many of the hardest routes in the Pacific Northwest in the late 2010s, with first ascents of "Brave New World" 9a and "The Assassin" 9a, the hardest routes in Washington and Oregon respectively. Following a brief spell in Salt Lake City where Drew competed on the IFSC circuit, Drew enrolled at the Colorado Schools of Mines in Golden, Colorado where he graduated with a degree in Computer Science in 2025. Alongside other goals, Drew is trying to tick every problem 8B+ or harder in Colorado.

References

[1] AMA on reddit.com/r/climbharder, January 2023 https://www.reddit.com/r/climbharder/comments/100qfg5/pro_rock_climber_drew_ruana_ama/

[2] AMA on reddit.com/r/climbharder, June 2023 https://www.reddit.com/r/climbharder/comments/14bxa21/drew_ruana_ama_round_2/

Contributors
150 contributions since 24th March 2021.
34 contributions since 3rd June 2024.
34 contributions since 18th November 2025.
33 contributions since 4th August 2025.
ben
6 contributions since 28th January 2025.

Lists

Podcasts

Library

Pics + Vids

No pics or vids yet.

Ascents

63 recorded ascents.

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

Smith's hardest route to date.

References

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUHuxJPttXk
Brave New World 9a Lead | worked 19th Oct 2016
First ascent.

References

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-5om6lG_d8
New World Order 8c+ Lead | worked 1st Aug 2015

Aged 13.
Climb Grade Style Ascent Date Suggested Grade
Over 110 sessions.

References

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWcHFl3AV6c

[2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7NsgCSJraqY
8 sessions.

References

[1] https://www.instagram.com/p/B7zPaDap17g/

[2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ql4XnjGclLw

[3] https://www.reddit.com/r/climbing/comments/19c5qgd/comment/kixjpq4/

References

[1] https://www.instagram.com/p/CD9LZH9DRD-/

[2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xorFvE4Zt8Y
First ascent.

References

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

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

References

[1] https://www.instagram.com/p/CRKU4iJDtVL/

[2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZD3wY2-ULY

[3] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYW1dK9Fz9M
First ascent.

References

[1] https://www.instagram.com/p/ChXpzvwOyh1/

[2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nBb9DYxQyA8

[3] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mdcU78FbLU
Second ascent. Around 35 sessions.

Feels harder for 16 than a lot of the other 16s I've done. I think the fact that it does not have a second ascent while Creature [from the Black Lagoon], Box [Therapy], Sleepwalker, all those ones have been repeated quite a few times. [2]

References

[1] https://www.instagram.com/p/CkLkD07LQRl/

[2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwoS56c08Fk
First ascent.

References

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

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

References

[1] https://www.instagram.com/p/ConS7qXOdJm/
Second ascent.

References

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

References

[1] https://www.instagram.com/p/B74kBmcp3dw/
First ascent.

References

[1] https://www.instagram.com/p/B8ZD7BpJF6u/

[2] https://www.instagram.com/p/B8XdHE7JCza/

[3] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6Lcv-J76Wc
1 session.

References

[1] https://www.instagram.com/p/B9VjE0jjLVs/
Second ascent.

Drew originally took 8C+ for this boulder, but after Shawn and Brooke Raboutou did it he stated he agreed with their downgrade to 8C

References

[1] https://www.instagram.com/p/CCyeC_9j-7u/

[2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8VwgjiZKIo
First ascent.

References

[1] https://www.instagram.com/p/CFm0gdYDEkf/

[2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vHtXZX2tElQ

References

[1] https://www.instagram.com/p/CLLAgtRD2kw/
Third ascent.

References

[1] https://www.instagram.com/p/CMqTuDoDUx4/

[2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zv2qGjyChS0
First ascent.

References

[1] https://www.instagram.com/p/CNB54OFjUn3/

[2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWydR0r60fA

References

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

[2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zeJKkxbrx7Q

References

[1] https://www.instagram.com/p/CNyU-o5jKzT/
Variant 8C Boulder | worked Before 9th Aug 2021
First ascent.

References

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ObMfh8bLZu4
First ascent.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uaaVdtKn6-w

https://www.instagram.com/p/CcdODFpFu8y/
First ascent.

This was called “Small Arms” v12, then holds broke (or got pried off 🤷‍♂️)…. Gonna go with “Big Arms”? First ascent post break, probably in the V15 range. Lincoln Lake’s version of Squamish’s Singularity . Get some!

References

[1] https://www.instagram.com/p/CfzX3hQlb-C/
First ascent.

References

[1] https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cjbqo7Kg3wY/

[2] https://youtu.be/rD4tiFwFSB0
First ascent.

References

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAYzthQdVkU
First ascent.

References

[1] https://www.instagram.com/p/CupC2Inrrew/=

References

[1] https://www.instagram.com/p/CoIKr05uwrT/
First ascent.

References

[1] https://www.instagram.com/p/CpgYMYjO2XL/

References

[1] https://www.instagram.com/p/Cr6j9yJuhvX/

Drew mentioned that a small foothold had broken off since the FA, but it did not affect the original beta.

References

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GaYYVvpOY3U

[2] https://www.8a.nu/news/drew-ruana-cant-stop-sending
Hummingbird 8C Boulder | worked 11th Jun 2023
First ascent.

References

[1] https://www.instagram.com/p/Ctm0RMduFt8/
First ascent.

References

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTbYesqk4Uk
Direct North 8B+ Boulder | worked 31st Dec 2015

References

[1] https://www.instagram.com/p/B4qCwYhj079/

References

[1] https://www.instagram.com/p/CFwzORGD3vZ/

[2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09jyswiVGoY

References

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

References

[1] https://www.instagram.com/p/CHvTkwRjttN/?hl=en
Second ascent.

References

[1] https://www.instagram.com/p/CN-2n0XDeQE/
First ascent.

References

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HW6QSAqFVro

First ascent post-break. Agreed with PRob that it could potentially be 8C

References

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9s0FVeWsOUk

References

[1] https://youtu.be/_v0R90XMsq4

[2] https://www.instagram.com/p/Cei7afWuN_R/

[3] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOZDktz8qlA

References

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOrw5F-cQMs

References

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwDZY7Pc_Uc

References

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BK9pymSMl40
First ascent.

References

[1] https://www.instagram.com/p/CqfzOzEv4eZ/

References

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EFbgFTlxP0c
The Wheel of Wolvo 8B+ Boulder | worked 26th Jun 2023
Midnight Express 8B+ Boulder | worked
When Life Gives You Lemons Low 8B+ Boulder | worked
First ascent.

References

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_6-ehV-qnnQ

References

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojcMyjXefIg
Insurgency 8B+ Boulder | worked

References

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVExFfiTpSg
Shadow Walker 8B+ Boulder | worked

References

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufCcZiOraWA
First ascent.

References

[1] https://youtu.be/73f0vj0TUnQ?t=92
Climb Grade Style Ascent Date Suggested Grade
Climb Grade Style Ascent Date Suggested Grade