Climbers from USA

Globetrotting US climber, one of the best in the world in the mid-70s, bold free-soloist. Responsible for solving many last great problems away from his New England base, notably in Yosemite and Australia. Climbing on the Czech and Dresden area sandstone influenced his purist style: avoiding both hammered gear and cams, frequently climbing shoeless, often free-soloing.

References

[1] https://open.spotify.com/episode/3mRDxd0iy2989qL5xCNMuh?

[2] Interview with Mark Synnott, 2008 https://www.climbing.com/culture/henry-barber-interview

[3] Interview with Ken Wilson, Mountain 35 (1974), page 34 /library/11054/mountain-35

[4] https://www.henrybarber.com/categories/media/media_1-1.php

John Long:

Unlike many pontifical climbers who, having made their mark, silently slip into history, Bridwell’s initiative has redoubled with each new route. Indeed he has maintained a level of motivation rarely matched by any climber anywhere. Yet this same motivation has occasioned controversy, fisticuffs and vindictive slandenngs from fellow cragsmen. [4]

Bridwell's sage advice to Leo Houlding and Jason Pickles, prior to their attempt on The Prophet (E9):

Just remember boys, it’s fine line between badass and dumbass [5]

References

[1] Portrait by Dean Fidelman

[2] https://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/13201214821/Jim-Bridwell-1944-2018

[3] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysF9wx4X08A

[4] Interview with John Long in Mountain 79 (1981), page 22 /library/11090/mountain-79

[5] https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/jam-crack-the-niall-grimes-climbing-podcast/id1065991509?i=1000774041461

American big wall climber, most known for his speed ascents and linkups in Yosemite.

In 2025, alongside Michael Vaill, he became part of the second team to complete the El Cap Triple in under 24 hours, following Alex Honnold and Sean Leary. [1]

References

[1] El Cap Triple post: https://www.instagram.com/p/DLG3qSwxRoF/

[2] Climbing.com 'Profile of Climber' article: https://www.climbing.com/culture-climbing/profile-climber-jordan-cannon/

Beth Rodden is an American big wall and trad climber. In 1998 she became the youngest woman to climb 8b+ with her ascent of To Bolt or Not to Be (8b+) at Smith Rock at age 18.

In August 2000, along with her then-boyfriend Tommy Caldwell and fellow climbers Jason Smith and John Dickey, she visited the remote Kara Su valley in Kyrgyzstan with the aim of climbing some big walls in the area. Already a very bold proposition given her relative inexperience on big walls the trip took a dramatic twist when the team was kidnapped and held hostage by rebels from the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan. [1]

The team were marched over remote terrain with little food or water for 6 days. At one point they were left alone with a single captor. While walking along a narrow path, Tommy was able to push the remaining captor over a cliff, allowing the team to escape. It was presumed that the captor had died, but it later transpired that he had survived the fall.

Beth later spoke about the event as a significant source of trauma, and how she struggled for a long time to process it. [2]

Back in the US, Beth and then-husband Tommy Caldwell became well established as extremely capable trad and big wall climbers. Beth climbed many hard testpieces, including ascents of Sphinx Crack (E8), Grand Illusion (E8) and The Phoenix (E7), the latter of which she onsighted.

In 2005 she made a team free second ascent of The Nose (E9) on El Capitan, leading The Great Roof pitch and cleanly top-roping the Changing Corners.

In 2008, after much work, Beth redpointed Meltdown (E11) to give one of the hardest traditional pitches in the world at the time featuring super-technical 8c+ climbing with small, fiddly gear. Incredibly, the route waited 10 years for a repeat despite attention from many strong climbers.

In 2009 she divorced Tommy Caldwell and later married Randy Puro. In 2014 she had a son with Puro. In her book A Light Through the Cracks she discusses how she struggled in her relationship with Tommy, feeling a sense of obligation to be with him after the Kyrgyzstan incident, and how they had very different approaches to dealing with the trauma of the kidnapping.

More recently she has spoken openly about her struggles with disordered eating and self-image, and how this impacted her and her climbing. [3]

References

[1] https://web.archive.org/web/20171201042923/https://www.outsideonline.com/magazine/200011/200011hostages1.html

[2] Rodden, Beth. A Light Through the Cracks: A Climber's Story. United States: Amazon Publishing, 2024.

[3] https://www.outsideonline.com/health/training-performance/beth-rodden-climbing-body-image/

Pratt was one of the key players in the Yosemite golden age, felt by many to be the best crack climber of them all, with a particular strength in offwidths. He was notably shy and unwilling to publicise his exploits but one of the best writers of his time. His essay The View From Dead Horse Point highlights the importance discovery in climbing by not climbing.

Pratt, more than perhaps anyone I have known, has always climbed, first and foremost, and last and finally, for the climbing experience itself, for the rewards that come directly from the dance of man and rock. Climbing, for Chuck, is a life-giving elixir, and he has always wanted to keep it as pure as possible, uncorrupted and unalloyed by gain, fame, or ambition, or any sort of debasement. Chuck has kept his integrity [4].

References

[1] Roper, S ed. (2002). Ordeal by Piton. USA: Stanford University Library p121

[2] http://www.supertopo.com/a/Chuck-Pratt/a146n.html

[3] https://www.instagram.com/p/Cjs2sdWrB_6/

[4] https://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12200146000/Charles-Marshall-Pratt-1939-2000

Prolific yosemite resident in the 70s and 80s. Long, together with Jim Bridwell and Billy Westbay, made the first one day ascent of The Nose on El Capitan.

References

[1] Interview on The Nugget Climbing Podcast.

[2] https://www.facebook.com/climbing.in.the.80s/photos/a.270388289694020/1580183772047792

[3] https://www.facebook.com/climbing.in.the.80s/photos/a.270388289694020/1458572717542232

[4] https://www.facebook.com/climbing.in.the.80s/photos/a.270388289694020/282305001835682