Climbers

Climber Name # Ascents Recorded Notes
Ian Vickers 23
Klem Loskot 23

Udo Neumann:

There are two factors which determine the quality of movement: Precision on one side, speed on the other. If you are very precise, like Marc le Menestrel, you tend to be rather slow. If you are fast you tend to be sloppy. It's always a trade-off. In my opinion, Klem is the climber at the moment who balances these factors best and potentially can climb the hardest things.

Of course there is more to hard climbing but this gives you an idea of Klem's style - very accurate and very speedy. A friend once described Klem as "digital", either 'on' or 'off'.

Spending time around him is like being surrounded by a nice, comforting but blurry cloud, whereas Klem himself seems to live in this ultrasharp, high contrast environment where things and thoughts happen very quickly. When tired or bored Klem falls asleep instantly, with little awareness of what's going on around him. [1]

References

[1] Klem Lostkot by Mike Robertson, On The Edge Issue 114, page 54
Anna Wild 22
Camille Coudert 22

Camille is a French boulderer whom resides in the infamous Fontainebleau. He is well known for his 70+ session siege on Soudain Seul 9A/V17 in which he repeated The Big Island 8C/V15, 43 times.

More recently Camille has picked up a number of 8C/V15 ascents and has had over 100 session s on Imothep Assis which is believed to be around 9A/V17.

References

[1] https://bleau.info/profiles/camille.coudert
Gary Gibson 22

Gary Gibson is a massively prolific first ascentionist. He started new routing in 1977 and continued to establish many new routes up until the first half of 2020, where ill-health significantly slowed his efforts. In 2021 he surpassed 5000 new routes, and at the time he had climbed approximately 17600 routes in total. [2]

In more recent years Gary has worked extensively to equip (and re-equip) many lower grade sport climbing venues which have subsequently become extremely popular. Crags such as Horseshoe Quarry and Masson Lees Quarry are prime examples of this, containing many of the most popular lower grade sport routes in their respective areas.

Gary's new routing activities have proved controversial at times with accusations of retro-claims, unsubstantiated ascents and poor quality routes being levelled at various times.

Alongside his new routing activities Gary also somehow found time to contribute extensively to many guidebooks to the UK.

Mark Pretty:

While the elite of British climbing have consistently ignored or dismissed his achievements … they cannot be so easily ignored. He is someone who, more than anybody else, has advanced easy to mid-grade sport climbing in this country — not to mention his trad routes. [3]

References

[1] https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/Blood_Sweat_and_Smears/Dvn7xAEACAAJ?hl=en

[2] https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2021/09/gary_gibson_climbs_his_5000th_first_ascent-72866

[3] https://footlesscrow.blogspot.com/2019/10/gary-gibsons-blood-sweat-and.html
Jon Fullwood 22

Jon Fullwood is a climber with a long history of access, conservation and development work in the UK. In particular in the Peak District where he has added many new routes and boulder problems.

References

[1] Access All Areas, an interview with Sam Pratt, April 2024. Summit Issue 113, page 35.
Karin Magog 22

Karen Magog is a strong British female sport and trad climber. She has onsighted or flashed over 100 E5s and over 20 E6s as well as headpointing up to E8 with her ascent of Bleed in Hell at Bowderstone Crags. On sport she has climbed up to 8b+ with her ascent of Mundo Feliz at Villanueva Del Rosario. [1]

References

[1] https://climbonline.co.uk/2020/05/02/climbing-is-my-passion-by-karin-magog/
Nathan Lee 22
Pat Littlejohn 22

References

[1] https://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/in_focus/culm_dancing_-_a_second_wave_1968-73-13381

[2] https://www.alpin-ism.com/knowledge-base/news/pat-littlejohn-interview-1
Shinichiro Nomura 22

References

[1] https://www.rockandice.com/climbing-news/interview-japanese-crusher-shinichiro-nomura/
Anak Verhoeven 21

References

[1] Becoming a Climbing Champion, EpicTV https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-zacvJbNiw
Erik Grandelius 21
Sachi Amma 21
Sean Bailey 21
Seb Grieve 21

Star of the film Hard Grit, scaring (and scarring) audiences with his bold ascents.

Jean-minh Trin-Thieu:

I know how weak he is and I can't understand how he is able to do these routes. [1]

References

[1] On The Edge Issue 73, page 31
Taylor McNeill 21
Tom Newman 21
Wolfgang Güllich 21

A man doesn't go to drink coffee after climbing, coffee is integral part of the climbing.

A sport climbing pioneer. Wolfgang established the first 8b with Kanal im Rücken, 8b+ with Punks in the Gym and 8c with Wallstreet as well as one of the first 8c+/9as with Action Directe.

References

[1] At Raven Tor in the 80s

[2] https://www.facebook.com/climbing.in.the.80s/photos/a.270388289694020/2698243753575116

[3] https://www.facebook.com/climbing.in.the.80s/photos/a.270388289694020/1465090346890469

[4] https://www.planetmountain.com/en/news/climbing/remembering-wolfgang-gullich-one-of-greatest-climbers-of-all-times.html

[5] A collection of articles from http://www.wolfgangguellich.com/

[6] Hepp, T., Güllich, W. (1994). Wolfgang Güllich: Life in the Vertical : a Biography. Germany: Boulder Edition.
Alex Huber 20

Brother of Thomas Huber.

References

[1] Features in Am Limit (German) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TgjwhkE67to

[2] Interview in On The Edge 118, page 40

[3] https://open.spotify.com/episode/5RyHgKL5QS3eThUoWPOrZ8?

[4] Interview with Magnus Midtbø 2018 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSepsUJKdHs
Clément Lechaptois 20

References

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTVFRm5kMeE

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