Climbers

References

[1] Interview with https://covergroundusa.com Jan 2025 https://covergroundusa.com/connorherson

[2] Interview with Sonnie Trotter, 2024 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1MdKRXzclE

Fred Rouhling was a controversial figure during the late 90s and early 2000s. With a string of hard ascents in a relatively off the beaten track location there were many people who doubted his ascents, not helped by the fact that many of his routes were unashamedly chipped (for example De L'Autre Côté du Ciel).

His route Akira was particularly contentious. When he made the first ascent he gave it the then unheard of grade of 9b at a time when 9a+ didn't exist.

A 2005 profile by Pete Ward [2] helped to dispel some of the more outlandish myths, and many of his routes have now received repeats which confirm their quality and difficulty. However, his route Akira did receive a notable downgrade to 9a after being repeated by Sébastien Bouin and Lucien Martinez.

References

[1] Interview with Relais Vertical Part 1 https://youtu.be/xqk0nQCNtpY

[2] Interview with Relais Vertical Part 2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=enFSnkF25eI

[3] The Other Side of Fred Rouhling by Pete Ward, 15th June 2012 https://www.climbing.com/people/fred-rouhling/

[4] Interview with camptocamp.org, October 2008 https://www.camptocamp.org/articles/143240/fr/interview-de-fred-rouhling-21-10-2008-

[5] https://open.spotify.com/episode/4T8j5taHKyu11HnWMKvxWT?

[6] Interview for On The Edge Issue 102, page 40

References

[1] Interview with Lucien Martinez on the 100 7A challenge in Fontainebleau, 2024 https://www.grimper.com/news-les-100-7a-aventure-xxl-facon-bleausarde

References

[1] https://www.climbing.com/people/allison-vest-poem-female-climbers/

Gritstone headpoint wad.

Nik Jennings:

First time I met Dan was bouldering at the Foundry. The next day he suggested we go climbing outside (I was a very green, led a couple is VS’s, climber). He had me belay him on Kaluza Klein... “If I fall off just jump off this ledge”

Errrr ok....

He then proceeded to fall of the top, repeatedly... [1]

References

[1] https://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,31049.msg626044.html#msg626044

Dave sadly took his own life in 2014.

I remember laughing like a drain hearing about him smearing Vaseline on the holds of a project at Kilnsey to stop a French superstar stealing it. [1]

Dave was a lovely guy. I first met him up in Newcastle when I was just starting my climbing career, and kept in touch when he moved to Sheffield. He had lots of time and patience for a shy kid. I was once coming down to sheffield for a competition and Dave offered for me to stay in his room for the weekend. He was going away but, with typical kindness, told me to help myself to anything in his food cupboard. After he left I went to the kitchen to make myself some dinner and opened the cupboard to find six bottles of fat burner pills and a mouldy potato. [2]

References

[1] https://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,25009.msg465272.html#msg465272

[2] https://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,25009.msg465387.html#msg465387

[3] Features in The Width of Life

[4] https://www.dailycamera.com/2014/11/18/chris-weidner-a-lost-goodbye-to-colorado-climber-dave-pegg/

[5] https://rockandice.com/lates-news/dave-pegg-king-of-rifle-has-died/

[6] https://rockandice.com/lates-news/living-with-a-very-serious-climber/

Elias is an Italian boulderer and arguably the worlds strongest.

In 2021/22 he made ascents of Gioia and Ganesh both at 8C+.

He was shot into the limelight in early 2024 with the fourth ascent of Burden of Dreams, using a unique beta. In 2025 Elias first ascented Italys hardest boulder in The Big Slamm giving it 9A/V17, taking him around 35 sessions.

In late 2025 Elias established Exodia, the first proposed 9A+/V18 in the world. He spent over 200 sessions on the boulder starting in 2021.

Isabelle Faus is an American boulderer with many hard ascents to her name. Alongside contemporaries like Alex Puccio she was one of the first women to become established at 8B+. She was also one of the first women to start opening new, hard boulders in the 8B and upwards range.

References

[1] Interview with 8a.nu, 2018 https://www.8a.nu/news/james-litz-9b-profile

References

[1] Ask Me Anything, 2016 https://www.reddit.com/r/climbing/comments/52l8e3/hi_there_im_jorg_verhoeven_ask_me_anything/