Royal Robbins

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Quick Info

From: USA 🇺🇸
Date of birth: 3rd February 1935
Age: 82 years old
Date of death: 14th March 2017
Gender: Male
Hardest Trad (Onsight): E1
Notable Partnerships
Yvon Chouinard
Tom Frost
Chuck Pratt
Joe Fitschen
Liz Robbins
TM Herbert

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?

Contributors
92 contributions since 8th October 2025.
52 contributions since 3rd June 2021.

Quick Info

From: USA 🇺🇸
Date of birth: 3rd February 1935
Date of death: 14th March 2017
Age: 82 years old
Gender: Male
Hardest Trad (Onsight): E1
Notable Partnerships
Yvon Chouinard
Tom Frost
Chuck Pratt
Joe Fitschen
Liz Robbins
TM Herbert

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?

Contributors
92 contributions since 8th October 2025.
52 contributions since 3rd June 2021.

Podcasts

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Ascents

13 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
Salathé Wall 8a+ Aid | worked 1961
First ascent. With Tom Frost and Chuck Pratt.
The Thimble 7a+ Lead | did not finish

I considered my greatest failure to be my efforts on the thimble. I could see that even if I worked on it forever I would never achieve it.
Climb Grade Style Ascent Date Suggested Grade
Climb Grade Style Ascent Date Suggested Grade
West Face E5 Aid | ground up Between 3rd Jun 1967 and 7th Jun 1967
First ascent.
Steck - Salathé E2 Alternate Leads | worked 1953
Second ascent. With some points of aid.

Second ascent, over two days.

References

[1] Roper, S (1994). Camp 4: Recollections of a Yosemite Rockclimber. USA: The Mountaineers
Steck - Salathé E2 Alternate Leads | repeat 1963
With Tom Frost.

In 3 hours 14 minutes. An early example of speed climbing in Yosemite, Robbins' response to a fast ascent by Frank Sacherer.

References

[1] Jones, C (1976). Climbing in North America. USA: University of California Press for the American Alpine Club p350.
Open Book E1 Lead | onsight 1952
First ascent.
Human Fright E1 Lead Jun 1952
First ascent.
Regular Northwest Face HVS Aid | worked 1957
First ascent.

The first grade VI climb in North America.
Nutcracker Suite HVS Lead | onsight 1967
First ascent. With Liz Robbins.
Climb Grade Style Ascent Date Suggested Grade
North America Wall A3 Aid | ground up Between 22nd Oct 1964 and 31st Oct 1964
First ascent.

References

[1] https://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12196533100/The-North-America-Wall
Tis-sa-ack A3 Aid | worked Oct 1969
First ascent.
Wall of Early Morning Light A3 Alternate Leads | ground up Between 30th Jan 1971 and 5th Feb 1971
Second ascent.

Robbins started the route with the aim of erasing it by chopping the bolts and rivets, considering the 330 holes drilled by the first ascent party to be excessive. After two pitches, Robbins stopped chopping the bolts and rivets because (according to Lauria):

the quality of the aid climbing was much higher than he had ever expected of Harding or Caldwell and, of course, it was also taking us an awful long time to chop all those goddam bolts. [1]

TM Herbert's view of the ascent:

What was this most important event I witnessed in February? It was not a climb which raised American climbing standards, but rather it was the elimination of a climb which had lowered the standards. This winter Royal Robbins and Don Lauria chopped the first 300 feet of bolts out of the bolt-ladder route on El Capitan, while completing the second ascent in five-and-a-half days [2].

References

[1] Harding, Warren (1990). Downward Bound: a Mad! guide to Rock Climbing. Birmingham, Alabama: Menasha Ridge Press. pp. 165–167.

[2] https://climbing-history.org/library/8192/comment-on-the-two-ascents-of-the-wall-of-morning-light
The Nose A2 Aid | worked 1960
Second ascent. With Joe Fitschen, Tom Frost and Chuck Pratt.

The second ascent, and first continuous ascent over 7 days.