| Country | Contributions | Between | Climbers | Crags | Summits | Climbs | Ascents | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United Kingdom | 11179 | 22nd May 2025 – 30th October 2026 | 117 | 13 | 0 | 586 | 1084 |
| 2 | France | 3482 | 22nd May 2025 – 2nd November 2026 | 32 | 13 | 0 | 175 | 330 |
| 3 | USA | 1774 | 30th July 2025 – 20th September 2026 | 26 | 56 | 0 | 167 | 88 |
| 4 | Japan | 1478 | 19th July 2025 – 14th August 2026 | 14 | 25 | 0 | 107 | 73 |
| 5 | Spain | 319 | 31st July 2025 – 14th August 2026 | 3 | 9 | 0 | 35 | 13 |
| 6 | Switzerland | 229 | 31st July 2025 – 9th August 2026 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 21 | 15 |
| 7 | New Zealand | 216 | 19th August 2025 – 14th August 2026 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 17 | 13 |
| 8 | Canada | 170 | 10th September 2025 – 14th August 2026 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 25 | 3 |
| 9 | Italy | 166 | 12th August 2025 – 16th August 2026 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 19 | 7 |
| 10 | Germany | 151 | 8th November 2025 – 6th August 2026 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 10 | 5 |
| Date | Time | User | Type | Name | Attribute | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1861 | 26th June 2026 | 13:20:27 UTC | Mono | climb | Cenotaph Corner | featurable | |
|
Before
false
After
true
|
|||||||
| 1862 | 26th June 2026 | 13:15:52 UTC | Mono | climb | Cenotaph Corner | notes_pretty | |
|
Before
<p>Perhaps the most famous and celebrated trad route in Britain, taking on the obvious challenge of the open-book corner of <a href="/crag/4/dinas-cromlech" rel="noopener noreferrer">Dinas Cromlech</a>.</p>
<p>The route was named by <a href="/climber/1072/john-menlove-edwards" rel="noopener noreferrer">John Menlove Edwards</a>, prior to the first ascent. Around 1948 <a href="/climber/1356/peter-harding" rel="noopener noreferrer">Peter Harding</a>, one of the most talented and bold climbers of the day, was repelled by its initial hard section at 20ft. </p>
<p>Next up was <a href="/climber/612/joe-brown" rel="noopener noreferrer">Joe Brown</a>. Joe was operating at a different level, and he made it most of the way up, before retreating from the niche before the crux, having dropped his peg hammer on his unfortunate belayer <a href="/climber/3588/wilf-white" rel="noopener noreferrer">Wilf White</a>. He was back in 1952 to complete the route with two points of aid, and it is his name that remains most associated with the route today.</p>
<p>He recounts the first ascent struggle in <em>The Hard Years</em>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>In August 1952, Doug Belshaw and I left the hut and went to Cenotaph Corner for another attempt. Compared with the first attempt I now had superlative equipment and a keener eye for running belays on which to protect myself. I avoided using pegs up to the point I had reached before, but pulled on a sling to overcome the first hard move at 20 feet. I found the climbing just as difficult as ever and tore my trousers from knee to ankle in the crack at 70 feet. Getting into the niche at 100 feet was absolutely gripping - very much harder than I remembered it from the previous occasion. The exit crack jutted out above. I tried an assortment of pegs; none seemed the right size for the crack. I buckled half of them and thought, Oh, damn it, you’ll have to bridge up across the bulge to gain a little height and bang one in higher up, where the crack appeared to be more regular. To make this move I stuck a peg loosely into the crack and pulled sideways on it. This movement was as hard as any I had done in my life. The last thing I expected was to be able to stay suspended in so fantastic a position and hammer in a big wrought-iron peg above the impending rock. The peg remained there for eight years. I leaned away on the crack and pressed my feet against the left wall to raise myself. I pivoted up almost horizontally. In this shattering position I knew that I would be down in seconds. I was climbing in socks and vainly tried to hook my feet on to rugosities below a large patch of moss, oozing with water. Until then I had forgotten that the conditions on the cliff were bad and the corner was very damp. There was a large jug-handle hold above. If I used it, releasing a hand from the crack would swing me off. But I had to use it or fall off in any event. Grabbing the jug-handle I swung back into a vertical position. the wrench drained the strength from my overworked arm. I got another hand on the jug and pulled with all the strength I could muster. I shot up like a missile from a catapult and thrust a foot firmly on the big hold. The exclamation “Phew” was never more appropriate at that moment.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>It is not recorded who made the first free ascent. </p>
<p>By the 1960s, the character of the route had changed significantly, with good cracks appearing which had once been blocked by debris:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>For those who did the route in the following years what they experienced was nothing like climb that it had been in its first 10 plus years. The route is the natural drainage line from the grassy bay above and soil and mud had been washed down into the crack. This over the ages had become solid like mortar. The crack that Joe climbed was shallow, only allowing the first inch of the finger’s entry, and the easy protection was not available in the same way - and was not the manufactured nuts until well into the 60's and certainly not the camming devices that followed in the 70's. I think it was after this ascent that Chris talked with Joe Brown who had just made his second ascent of the Corner. Joe said even at this time (1963) the route had changed drastically from when he first did it. [7]</p>
</blockquote>
<p>It is not recorded who made the first free ascent. By 1961 it was regarded as a trade route.</p>
<p>A piton above the niche, possibly Brown's, survived until July 2024.</p>
<h3>References</h3>
<p>[1] <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BdWj3qmu5M" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BdWj3qmu5M</a></p>
<p>[2] Harding, PJR (1950). Llanberis Pass. UK: Climber’s Club</p>
<p>[3] <a href="https://climbing-history.org/library/7288/llanberis-pass" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://climbing-history.org/library/7288/llanberis-pass</a></p>
<p>[4] <a href="https://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/rock_talk/ron_moseley_and_left_wall-127598" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/rock_talk/ron_moseley_and_left_wall-127598</a></p>
<p>[5] <a href="https://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/crags/dinas_cromlech-4/cenotaph_corner-3195" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/crags/dinas_cromlech-4/cenotaph_corner-3195</a></p>
<p>[6] <a href="https://www.climbing.com/culture-climbing/cleaning-up-climbing-history/" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.climbing.com/culture-climbing/cleaning-up-climbing-history/</a></p>
<p>[7] <a href="https://theclimbersshopjoebrownblog.co.uk/blog/cenotaph-corner-70th-anniversary-of-the-first-ascent" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://theclimbersshopjoebrownblog.co.uk/blog/cenotaph-corner-70th-anniversary-of-the-first-ascent</a></p>
<p>[8] <a href="https://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/destinations/the_wishlist_cenotaph_corner_e1_5c_dinas_cromlech-16579" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/destinations/the_wishlist_cenotaph_corner_e1_5c_dinas_cromlech-16579</a></p>
After
<p>Perhaps the most famous and celebrated trad route in Britain, taking on the obvious challenge of the open-book corner of <a href="/crag/4/dinas-cromlech" rel="noopener noreferrer">Dinas Cromlech</a>.</p>
<p>The route was named by <a href="/climber/1072/john-menlove-edwards" rel="noopener noreferrer">John Menlove Edwards</a>, prior to the first ascent. Around 1948 <a href="/climber/1356/peter-harding" rel="noopener noreferrer">Peter Harding</a>, one of the most talented and bold climbers of the day, was repelled by its initial hard section at 20ft. </p>
<p>Next up was <a href="/climber/612/joe-brown" rel="noopener noreferrer">Joe Brown</a>. Joe was operating at a different level, and he made it most of the way up, before retreating from the niche before the crux, having dropped his peg hammer on his unfortunate belayer <a href="/climber/3588/wilf-white" rel="noopener noreferrer">Wilf White</a>. He was back in 1952 to complete the route with two points of aid, and it is his name that remains most associated with the route today.</p>
<p>He recounts the first ascent struggle in <em>The Hard Years</em>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>In August 1952, Doug Belshaw and I left the hut and went to Cenotaph Corner for another attempt. Compared with the first attempt I now had superlative equipment and a keener eye for running belays on which to protect myself. I avoided using pegs up to the point I had reached before, but pulled on a sling to overcome the first hard move at 20 feet. I found the climbing just as difficult as ever and tore my trousers from knee to ankle in the crack at 70 feet. Getting into the niche at 100 feet was absolutely gripping - very much harder than I remembered it from the previous occasion. The exit crack jutted out above. I tried an assortment of pegs; none seemed the right size for the crack. I buckled half of them and thought, Oh, damn it, you’ll have to bridge up across the bulge to gain a little height and bang one in higher up, where the crack appeared to be more regular. To make this move I stuck a peg loosely into the crack and pulled sideways on it. This movement was as hard as any I had done in my life. The last thing I expected was to be able to stay suspended in so fantastic a position and hammer in a big wrought-iron peg above the impending rock. The peg remained there for eight years. I leaned away on the crack and pressed my feet against the left wall to raise myself. I pivoted up almost horizontally. In this shattering position I knew that I would be down in seconds. I was climbing in socks and vainly tried to hook my feet on to rugosities below a large patch of moss, oozing with water. Until then I had forgotten that the conditions on the cliff were bad and the corner was very damp. There was a large jug-handle hold above. If I used it, releasing a hand from the crack would swing me off. But I had to use it or fall off in any event. Grabbing the jug-handle I swung back into a vertical position. the wrench drained the strength from my overworked arm. I got another hand on the jug and pulled with all the strength I could muster. I shot up like a missile from a catapult and thrust a foot firmly on the big hold. The exclamation “Phew” was never more appropriate at that moment.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>It is not recorded who made the first free ascent. </p>
<p>By the 1960s, the character of the route had changed significantly, with good cracks appearing which had once been blocked by debris:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>For those who did the route in the following years what they experienced was nothing like climb that it had been in its first 10 plus years. The route is the natural drainage line from the grassy bay above and soil and mud had been washed down into the crack. This over the ages had become solid like mortar. The crack that Joe climbed was shallow, only allowing the first inch of the finger’s entry, and the easy protection was not available in the same way - and was not the manufactured nuts until well into the 60's and certainly not the camming devices that followed in the 70's. I think it was after this ascent that Chris talked with Joe Brown who had just made his second ascent of the Corner. Joe said even at this time (1963) the route had changed drastically from when he first did it. [7]</p>
</blockquote>
<p>A piton above the niche, possibly Brown's, survived until July 2024.</p>
<h3>References</h3>
<p>[1] <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BdWj3qmu5M" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BdWj3qmu5M</a></p>
<p>[2] Harding, PJR (1950). Llanberis Pass. UK: Climber’s Club</p>
<p>[3] <a href="https://climbing-history.org/library/7288/llanberis-pass" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://climbing-history.org/library/7288/llanberis-pass</a></p>
<p>[4] <a href="https://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/rock_talk/ron_moseley_and_left_wall-127598" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/rock_talk/ron_moseley_and_left_wall-127598</a></p>
<p>[5] <a href="https://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/crags/dinas_cromlech-4/cenotaph_corner-3195" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/crags/dinas_cromlech-4/cenotaph_corner-3195</a></p>
<p>[6] <a href="https://www.climbing.com/culture-climbing/cleaning-up-climbing-history/" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.climbing.com/culture-climbing/cleaning-up-climbing-history/</a></p>
<p>[7] <a href="https://theclimbersshopjoebrownblog.co.uk/blog/cenotaph-corner-70th-anniversary-of-the-first-ascent" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://theclimbersshopjoebrownblog.co.uk/blog/cenotaph-corner-70th-anniversary-of-the-first-ascent</a></p>
<p>[8] <a href="https://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/destinations/the_wishlist_cenotaph_corner_e1_5c_dinas_cromlech-16579" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/destinations/the_wishlist_cenotaph_corner_e1_5c_dinas_cromlech-16579</a></p>
|
|||||||
| 1863 | 26th June 2026 | 13:15:52 UTC | Mono | climb | Cenotaph Corner | notes | |
|
Before
Perhaps the most famous and celebrated trad route in Britain, taking on the obvious challenge of the open-book corner of [Dinas Cromlech](/crag/4/dinas-cromlech).
The route was named by [John Menlove Edwards](/climber/1072/john-menlove-edwards), prior to the first ascent. Around 1948 [Peter Harding](/climber/1356/peter-harding), one of the most talented and bold climbers of the day, was repelled by its initial hard section at 20ft.
Next up was [Joe Brown](/climber/612/joe-brown). Joe was operating at a different level, and he made it most of the way up, before retreating from the niche before the crux, having dropped his peg hammer on his unfortunate belayer [Wilf White](/climber/3588/wilf-white). He was back in 1952 to complete the route with two points of aid, and it is his name that remains most associated with the route today.
He recounts the first ascent struggle in *The Hard Years*:
>In August 1952, Doug Belshaw and I left the hut and went to Cenotaph Corner for another attempt. Compared with the first attempt I now had superlative equipment and a keener eye for running belays on which to protect myself. I avoided using pegs up to the point I had reached before, but pulled on a sling to overcome the first hard move at 20 feet. I found the climbing just as difficult as ever and tore my trousers from knee to ankle in the crack at 70 feet. Getting into the niche at 100 feet was absolutely gripping - very much harder than I remembered it from the previous occasion. The exit crack jutted out above. I tried an assortment of pegs; none seemed the right size for the crack. I buckled half of them and thought, Oh, damn it, you’ll have to bridge up across the bulge to gain a little height and bang one in higher up, where the crack appeared to be more regular. To make this move I stuck a peg loosely into the crack and pulled sideways on it. This movement was as hard as any I had done in my life. The last thing I expected was to be able to stay suspended in so fantastic a position and hammer in a big wrought-iron peg above the impending rock. The peg remained there for eight years. I leaned away on the crack and pressed my feet against the left wall to raise myself. I pivoted up almost horizontally. In this shattering position I knew that I would be down in seconds. I was climbing in socks and vainly tried to hook my feet on to rugosities below a large patch of moss, oozing with water. Until then I had forgotten that the conditions on the cliff were bad and the corner was very damp. There was a large jug-handle hold above. If I used it, releasing a hand from the crack would swing me off. But I had to use it or fall off in any event. Grabbing the jug-handle I swung back into a vertical position. the wrench drained the strength from my overworked arm. I got another hand on the jug and pulled with all the strength I could muster. I shot up like a missile from a catapult and thrust a foot firmly on the big hold. The exclamation “Phew” was never more appropriate at that moment.
It is not recorded who made the first free ascent.
By the 1960s, the character of the route had changed significantly, with good cracks appearing which had once been blocked by debris:
>For those who did the route in the following years what they experienced was nothing like climb that it had been in its first 10 plus years. The route is the natural drainage line from the grassy bay above and soil and mud had been washed down into the crack. This over the ages had become solid like mortar. The crack that Joe climbed was shallow, only allowing the first inch of the finger’s entry, and the easy protection was not available in the same way - and was not the manufactured nuts until well into the 60's and certainly not the camming devices that followed in the 70's. I think it was after this ascent that Chris talked with Joe Brown who had just made his second ascent of the Corner. Joe said even at this time (1963) the route had changed drastically from when he first did it. [7]
It is not recorded who made the first free ascent. By 1961 it was regarded as a trade route.
A piton above the niche, possibly Brown's, survived until July 2024.
### References
[1] [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BdWj3qmu5M](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BdWj3qmu5M)
[2] Harding, PJR (1950). Llanberis Pass. UK: Climber’s Club
[3] [https://climbing-history.org/library/7288/llanberis-pass](https://climbing-history.org/library/7288/llanberis-pass)
[4] [https://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/rock_talk/ron_moseley_and_left_wall-127598](https://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/rock_talk/ron_moseley_and_left_wall-127598)
[5] [https://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/crags/dinas_cromlech-4/cenotaph_corner-3195](https://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/crags/dinas_cromlech-4/cenotaph_corner-3195)
[6] [https://www.climbing.com/culture-climbing/cleaning-up-climbing-history/](https://www.climbing.com/culture-climbing/cleaning-up-climbing-history/)
[7] [https://theclimbersshopjoebrownblog.co.uk/blog/cenotaph-corner-70th-anniversary-of-the-first-ascent](https://theclimbersshopjoebrownblog.co.uk/blog/cenotaph-corner-70th-anniversary-of-the-first-ascent)
[8] [https://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/destinations/the_wishlist_cenotaph_corner_e1_5c_dinas_cromlech-16579](https://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/destinations/the_wishlist_cenotaph_corner_e1_5c_dinas_cromlech-16579)
After
Perhaps the most famous and celebrated trad route in Britain, taking on the obvious challenge of the open-book corner of [Dinas Cromlech](/crag/4/dinas-cromlech).
The route was named by [John Menlove Edwards](/climber/1072/john-menlove-edwards), prior to the first ascent. Around 1948 [Peter Harding](/climber/1356/peter-harding), one of the most talented and bold climbers of the day, was repelled by its initial hard section at 20ft.
Next up was [Joe Brown](/climber/612/joe-brown). Joe was operating at a different level, and he made it most of the way up, before retreating from the niche before the crux, having dropped his peg hammer on his unfortunate belayer [Wilf White](/climber/3588/wilf-white). He was back in 1952 to complete the route with two points of aid, and it is his name that remains most associated with the route today.
He recounts the first ascent struggle in *The Hard Years*:
>In August 1952, Doug Belshaw and I left the hut and went to Cenotaph Corner for another attempt. Compared with the first attempt I now had superlative equipment and a keener eye for running belays on which to protect myself. I avoided using pegs up to the point I had reached before, but pulled on a sling to overcome the first hard move at 20 feet. I found the climbing just as difficult as ever and tore my trousers from knee to ankle in the crack at 70 feet. Getting into the niche at 100 feet was absolutely gripping - very much harder than I remembered it from the previous occasion. The exit crack jutted out above. I tried an assortment of pegs; none seemed the right size for the crack. I buckled half of them and thought, Oh, damn it, you’ll have to bridge up across the bulge to gain a little height and bang one in higher up, where the crack appeared to be more regular. To make this move I stuck a peg loosely into the crack and pulled sideways on it. This movement was as hard as any I had done in my life. The last thing I expected was to be able to stay suspended in so fantastic a position and hammer in a big wrought-iron peg above the impending rock. The peg remained there for eight years. I leaned away on the crack and pressed my feet against the left wall to raise myself. I pivoted up almost horizontally. In this shattering position I knew that I would be down in seconds. I was climbing in socks and vainly tried to hook my feet on to rugosities below a large patch of moss, oozing with water. Until then I had forgotten that the conditions on the cliff were bad and the corner was very damp. There was a large jug-handle hold above. If I used it, releasing a hand from the crack would swing me off. But I had to use it or fall off in any event. Grabbing the jug-handle I swung back into a vertical position. the wrench drained the strength from my overworked arm. I got another hand on the jug and pulled with all the strength I could muster. I shot up like a missile from a catapult and thrust a foot firmly on the big hold. The exclamation “Phew” was never more appropriate at that moment.
It is not recorded who made the first free ascent.
By the 1960s, the character of the route had changed significantly, with good cracks appearing which had once been blocked by debris:
>For those who did the route in the following years what they experienced was nothing like climb that it had been in its first 10 plus years. The route is the natural drainage line from the grassy bay above and soil and mud had been washed down into the crack. This over the ages had become solid like mortar. The crack that Joe climbed was shallow, only allowing the first inch of the finger’s entry, and the easy protection was not available in the same way - and was not the manufactured nuts until well into the 60's and certainly not the camming devices that followed in the 70's. I think it was after this ascent that Chris talked with Joe Brown who had just made his second ascent of the Corner. Joe said even at this time (1963) the route had changed drastically from when he first did it. [7]
A piton above the niche, possibly Brown's, survived until July 2024.
### References
[1] [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BdWj3qmu5M](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BdWj3qmu5M)
[2] Harding, PJR (1950). Llanberis Pass. UK: Climber’s Club
[3] [https://climbing-history.org/library/7288/llanberis-pass](https://climbing-history.org/library/7288/llanberis-pass)
[4] [https://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/rock_talk/ron_moseley_and_left_wall-127598](https://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/rock_talk/ron_moseley_and_left_wall-127598)
[5] [https://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/crags/dinas_cromlech-4/cenotaph_corner-3195](https://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/crags/dinas_cromlech-4/cenotaph_corner-3195)
[6] [https://www.climbing.com/culture-climbing/cleaning-up-climbing-history/](https://www.climbing.com/culture-climbing/cleaning-up-climbing-history/)
[7] [https://theclimbersshopjoebrownblog.co.uk/blog/cenotaph-corner-70th-anniversary-of-the-first-ascent](https://theclimbersshopjoebrownblog.co.uk/blog/cenotaph-corner-70th-anniversary-of-the-first-ascent)
[8] [https://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/destinations/the_wishlist_cenotaph_corner_e1_5c_dinas_cromlech-16579](https://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/destinations/the_wishlist_cenotaph_corner_e1_5c_dinas_cromlech-16579)
Diff
--- before
|
|||||||
| 1864 | 26th June 2026 | 13:15:33 UTC | Mono | climb | Cenotaph Corner | notes_pretty | |
|
Before
<blockquote>
<p>The Cenotaph Corner is still an unclimbed gap, throwing out its challenge. </p>
</blockquote>
<p>(Peter Harding, 1950)</p>
<p>The obvious 'last great problem' of North Wales at the time of the first ascent, it had already been named by <a href="/climber/1072/john-menlove-edwards" rel="noopener noreferrer">John Menlove Edwards</a>. By 1961 it was regarded as a trade route. Climbed free before 1968, FFA by persons unknown. A piton above the niche, possibly Brown's, survived until July 2024.</p>
<h3>References</h3>
<p>[1] <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BdWj3qmu5M" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BdWj3qmu5M</a></p>
<p>[2] Harding, PJR (1950). Llanberis Pass. UK: Climber’s Club</p>
<p>[3] <a href="https://climbing-history.org/library/7288/llanberis-pass" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://climbing-history.org/library/7288/llanberis-pass</a></p>
<p>[4] <a href="https://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/rock_talk/ron_moseley_and_left_wall-127598" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/rock_talk/ron_moseley_and_left_wall-127598</a></p>
<p>[5] <a href="https://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/crags/dinas_cromlech-4/cenotaph_corner-3195" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/crags/dinas_cromlech-4/cenotaph_corner-3195</a></p>
<p>[6] <a href="https://www.climbing.com/culture-climbing/cleaning-up-climbing-history/" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.climbing.com/culture-climbing/cleaning-up-climbing-history/</a></p>
After
<p>Perhaps the most famous and celebrated trad route in Britain, taking on the obvious challenge of the open-book corner of <a href="/crag/4/dinas-cromlech" rel="noopener noreferrer">Dinas Cromlech</a>.</p>
<p>The route was named by <a href="/climber/1072/john-menlove-edwards" rel="noopener noreferrer">John Menlove Edwards</a>, prior to the first ascent. Around 1948 <a href="/climber/1356/peter-harding" rel="noopener noreferrer">Peter Harding</a>, one of the most talented and bold climbers of the day, was repelled by its initial hard section at 20ft. </p>
<p>Next up was <a href="/climber/612/joe-brown" rel="noopener noreferrer">Joe Brown</a>. Joe was operating at a different level, and he made it most of the way up, before retreating from the niche before the crux, having dropped his peg hammer on his unfortunate belayer <a href="/climber/3588/wilf-white" rel="noopener noreferrer">Wilf White</a>. He was back in 1952 to complete the route with two points of aid, and it is his name that remains most associated with the route today.</p>
<p>He recounts the first ascent struggle in <em>The Hard Years</em>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>In August 1952, Doug Belshaw and I left the hut and went to Cenotaph Corner for another attempt. Compared with the first attempt I now had superlative equipment and a keener eye for running belays on which to protect myself. I avoided using pegs up to the point I had reached before, but pulled on a sling to overcome the first hard move at 20 feet. I found the climbing just as difficult as ever and tore my trousers from knee to ankle in the crack at 70 feet. Getting into the niche at 100 feet was absolutely gripping - very much harder than I remembered it from the previous occasion. The exit crack jutted out above. I tried an assortment of pegs; none seemed the right size for the crack. I buckled half of them and thought, Oh, damn it, you’ll have to bridge up across the bulge to gain a little height and bang one in higher up, where the crack appeared to be more regular. To make this move I stuck a peg loosely into the crack and pulled sideways on it. This movement was as hard as any I had done in my life. The last thing I expected was to be able to stay suspended in so fantastic a position and hammer in a big wrought-iron peg above the impending rock. The peg remained there for eight years. I leaned away on the crack and pressed my feet against the left wall to raise myself. I pivoted up almost horizontally. In this shattering position I knew that I would be down in seconds. I was climbing in socks and vainly tried to hook my feet on to rugosities below a large patch of moss, oozing with water. Until then I had forgotten that the conditions on the cliff were bad and the corner was very damp. There was a large jug-handle hold above. If I used it, releasing a hand from the crack would swing me off. But I had to use it or fall off in any event. Grabbing the jug-handle I swung back into a vertical position. the wrench drained the strength from my overworked arm. I got another hand on the jug and pulled with all the strength I could muster. I shot up like a missile from a catapult and thrust a foot firmly on the big hold. The exclamation “Phew” was never more appropriate at that moment.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>It is not recorded who made the first free ascent. </p>
<p>By the 1960s, the character of the route had changed significantly, with good cracks appearing which had once been blocked by debris:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>For those who did the route in the following years what they experienced was nothing like climb that it had been in its first 10 plus years. The route is the natural drainage line from the grassy bay above and soil and mud had been washed down into the crack. This over the ages had become solid like mortar. The crack that Joe climbed was shallow, only allowing the first inch of the finger’s entry, and the easy protection was not available in the same way - and was not the manufactured nuts until well into the 60's and certainly not the camming devices that followed in the 70's. I think it was after this ascent that Chris talked with Joe Brown who had just made his second ascent of the Corner. Joe said even at this time (1963) the route had changed drastically from when he first did it. [7]</p>
</blockquote>
<p>It is not recorded who made the first free ascent. By 1961 it was regarded as a trade route.</p>
<p>A piton above the niche, possibly Brown's, survived until July 2024.</p>
<h3>References</h3>
<p>[1] <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BdWj3qmu5M" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BdWj3qmu5M</a></p>
<p>[2] Harding, PJR (1950). Llanberis Pass. UK: Climber’s Club</p>
<p>[3] <a href="https://climbing-history.org/library/7288/llanberis-pass" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://climbing-history.org/library/7288/llanberis-pass</a></p>
<p>[4] <a href="https://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/rock_talk/ron_moseley_and_left_wall-127598" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/rock_talk/ron_moseley_and_left_wall-127598</a></p>
<p>[5] <a href="https://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/crags/dinas_cromlech-4/cenotaph_corner-3195" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/crags/dinas_cromlech-4/cenotaph_corner-3195</a></p>
<p>[6] <a href="https://www.climbing.com/culture-climbing/cleaning-up-climbing-history/" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.climbing.com/culture-climbing/cleaning-up-climbing-history/</a></p>
<p>[7] <a href="https://theclimbersshopjoebrownblog.co.uk/blog/cenotaph-corner-70th-anniversary-of-the-first-ascent" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://theclimbersshopjoebrownblog.co.uk/blog/cenotaph-corner-70th-anniversary-of-the-first-ascent</a></p>
<p>[8] <a href="https://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/destinations/the_wishlist_cenotaph_corner_e1_5c_dinas_cromlech-16579" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/destinations/the_wishlist_cenotaph_corner_e1_5c_dinas_cromlech-16579</a></p>
|
|||||||
| 1865 | 26th June 2026 | 13:15:33 UTC | Mono | climb | Cenotaph Corner | notes | |
|
Before
> The Cenotaph Corner is still an unclimbed gap, throwing out its challenge.
(Peter Harding, 1950)
The obvious 'last great problem' of North Wales at the time of the first ascent, it had already been named by [John Menlove Edwards](/climber/1072/john-menlove-edwards). By 1961 it was regarded as a trade route. Climbed free before 1968, FFA by persons unknown. A piton above the niche, possibly Brown's, survived until July 2024.
### References
[1] [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BdWj3qmu5M](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BdWj3qmu5M)
[2] Harding, PJR (1950). Llanberis Pass. UK: Climber’s Club
[3] [https://climbing-history.org/library/7288/llanberis-pass](https://climbing-history.org/library/7288/llanberis-pass)
[4] [https://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/rock_talk/ron_moseley_and_left_wall-127598](https://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/rock_talk/ron_moseley_and_left_wall-127598)
[5] [https://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/crags/dinas_cromlech-4/cenotaph_corner-3195](https://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/crags/dinas_cromlech-4/cenotaph_corner-3195)
[6] [https://www.climbing.com/culture-climbing/cleaning-up-climbing-history/](https://www.climbing.com/culture-climbing/cleaning-up-climbing-history/)
After
Perhaps the most famous and celebrated trad route in Britain, taking on the obvious challenge of the open-book corner of [Dinas Cromlech](/crag/4/dinas-cromlech).
The route was named by [John Menlove Edwards](/climber/1072/john-menlove-edwards), prior to the first ascent. Around 1948 [Peter Harding](/climber/1356/peter-harding), one of the most talented and bold climbers of the day, was repelled by its initial hard section at 20ft.
Next up was [Joe Brown](/climber/612/joe-brown). Joe was operating at a different level, and he made it most of the way up, before retreating from the niche before the crux, having dropped his peg hammer on his unfortunate belayer [Wilf White](/climber/3588/wilf-white). He was back in 1952 to complete the route with two points of aid, and it is his name that remains most associated with the route today.
He recounts the first ascent struggle in *The Hard Years*:
>In August 1952, Doug Belshaw and I left the hut and went to Cenotaph Corner for another attempt. Compared with the first attempt I now had superlative equipment and a keener eye for running belays on which to protect myself. I avoided using pegs up to the point I had reached before, but pulled on a sling to overcome the first hard move at 20 feet. I found the climbing just as difficult as ever and tore my trousers from knee to ankle in the crack at 70 feet. Getting into the niche at 100 feet was absolutely gripping - very much harder than I remembered it from the previous occasion. The exit crack jutted out above. I tried an assortment of pegs; none seemed the right size for the crack. I buckled half of them and thought, Oh, damn it, you’ll have to bridge up across the bulge to gain a little height and bang one in higher up, where the crack appeared to be more regular. To make this move I stuck a peg loosely into the crack and pulled sideways on it. This movement was as hard as any I had done in my life. The last thing I expected was to be able to stay suspended in so fantastic a position and hammer in a big wrought-iron peg above the impending rock. The peg remained there for eight years. I leaned away on the crack and pressed my feet against the left wall to raise myself. I pivoted up almost horizontally. In this shattering position I knew that I would be down in seconds. I was climbing in socks and vainly tried to hook my feet on to rugosities below a large patch of moss, oozing with water. Until then I had forgotten that the conditions on the cliff were bad and the corner was very damp. There was a large jug-handle hold above. If I used it, releasing a hand from the crack would swing me off. But I had to use it or fall off in any event. Grabbing the jug-handle I swung back into a vertical position. the wrench drained the strength from my overworked arm. I got another hand on the jug and pulled with all the strength I could muster. I shot up like a missile from a catapult and thrust a foot firmly on the big hold. The exclamation “Phew” was never more appropriate at that moment.
It is not recorded who made the first free ascent.
By the 1960s, the character of the route had changed significantly, with good cracks appearing which had once been blocked by debris:
>For those who did the route in the following years what they experienced was nothing like climb that it had been in its first 10 plus years. The route is the natural drainage line from the grassy bay above and soil and mud had been washed down into the crack. This over the ages had become solid like mortar. The crack that Joe climbed was shallow, only allowing the first inch of the finger’s entry, and the easy protection was not available in the same way - and was not the manufactured nuts until well into the 60's and certainly not the camming devices that followed in the 70's. I think it was after this ascent that Chris talked with Joe Brown who had just made his second ascent of the Corner. Joe said even at this time (1963) the route had changed drastically from when he first did it. [7]
It is not recorded who made the first free ascent. By 1961 it was regarded as a trade route.
A piton above the niche, possibly Brown's, survived until July 2024.
### References
[1] [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BdWj3qmu5M](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BdWj3qmu5M)
[2] Harding, PJR (1950). Llanberis Pass. UK: Climber’s Club
[3] [https://climbing-history.org/library/7288/llanberis-pass](https://climbing-history.org/library/7288/llanberis-pass)
[4] [https://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/rock_talk/ron_moseley_and_left_wall-127598](https://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/rock_talk/ron_moseley_and_left_wall-127598)
[5] [https://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/crags/dinas_cromlech-4/cenotaph_corner-3195](https://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/crags/dinas_cromlech-4/cenotaph_corner-3195)
[6] [https://www.climbing.com/culture-climbing/cleaning-up-climbing-history/](https://www.climbing.com/culture-climbing/cleaning-up-climbing-history/)
[7] [https://theclimbersshopjoebrownblog.co.uk/blog/cenotaph-corner-70th-anniversary-of-the-first-ascent](https://theclimbersshopjoebrownblog.co.uk/blog/cenotaph-corner-70th-anniversary-of-the-first-ascent)
[8] [https://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/destinations/the_wishlist_cenotaph_corner_e1_5c_dinas_cromlech-16579](https://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/destinations/the_wishlist_cenotaph_corner_e1_5c_dinas_cromlech-16579)
Diff
--- before
|
|||||||
| 1866 | 26th June 2026 | 12:09:48 UTC | Mono | ascent | Simon Boes's ascent of Deep Fake | exclude_reason_pretty | |
|
Before
<p>After releasing a video of the ascent [3] the YouTube channel <em>Some Climbing News</em> analysed the footage. [2] The channel alleged that the video had been edited to create the impression of a complete ascent, rather than presenting an uncut recording of the climb. When asked to provide the unedited footage Boes declined to do so, explaining that it had been filmed by a cameraman who was no longer contactable, a claim the channel regarded as unconvincing. In support of it's allegation that Boes had not completed the problem, the channel cited scepticism from other members of the Dutch climbing community. At the time of writing, the only uncut footage available online of Boes climbing hard is <a href="/climb/162/riders-on-the-storm" rel="noopener noreferrer">Riders on the Storm</a> (8B).</p>
<p>Boes disputes the allegations and has said he intends to repeat the problem. [4]</p>
<h3>References</h3>
<p>[1] <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DWbqvT-jN7h/" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.instagram.com/p/DWbqvT-jN7h/</a></p>
<p>[2] <em>Climbing News'</em> analysis of the ascent footage (June 2026) <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ENT1FkcA_Y" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ENT1FkcA_Y</a></p>
<p>[3] <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_b6yGJsTWw" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_b6yGJsTWw</a></p>
<p>[4] <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DaCru9QNAdP/" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.instagram.com/p/DaCru9QNAdP/</a></p>
After
<p>After releasing a video of the ascent [3] the YouTube channel <em>Some Climbing News</em> analysed the footage. [2] The channel alleged that the video had been edited to create the impression of a complete ascent, rather than presenting an uncut recording of the climb. When asked to provide the unedited footage Boes declined to do so, explaining that it had been filmed by a cameraman who was no longer contactable, a claim the channel regarded as unconvincing. In support of it's allegation that Boes had not completed the problem, the channel cited scepticism from other members of the Dutch climbing community. At the time of writing, the only uncut footage available online of Boes climbing hard is <a href="/climb/162/riders-on-the-storm" rel="noopener noreferrer">Riders on the Storm</a> (8B).</p>
<p>Boes disputes the allegations and has said he intends to repeat the problem. [4]</p>
<h3>References</h3>
<p>[1] <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DWbqvT-jN7h/" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.instagram.com/p/DWbqvT-jN7h/</a></p>
<p>[2] <em>Climbing News'</em> analysis of the ascent footage (June 2026) <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ENT1FkcA_Y" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ENT1FkcA_Y</a></p>
<p>[3] <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_b6yGJsTWw" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_b6yGJsTWw</a></p>
<p>[4] <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DaCru9QNAdP/" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.instagram.com/p/DaCru9QNAdP/</a></p>
<p>[5] <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DaCru9QNAdP/" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.instagram.com/p/DaCru9QNAdP/</a></p>
|
|||||||
| 1867 | 26th June 2026 | 12:09:48 UTC | Mono | ascent | Simon Boes's ascent of Deep Fake | exclude_reason | |
|
Before
After releasing a video of the ascent [3] the YouTube channel *Some Climbing News* analysed the footage. [2] The channel alleged that the video had been edited to create the impression of a complete ascent, rather than presenting an uncut recording of the climb. When asked to provide the unedited footage Boes declined to do so, explaining that it had been filmed by a cameraman who was no longer contactable, a claim the channel regarded as unconvincing. In support of it's allegation that Boes had not completed the problem, the channel cited scepticism from other members of the Dutch climbing community. At the time of writing, the only uncut footage available online of Boes climbing hard is [Riders on the Storm](/climb/162/riders-on-the-storm) (8B).
Boes disputes the allegations and has said he intends to repeat the problem. [4]
### References
[1] [https://www.instagram.com/p/DWbqvT-jN7h/](https://www.instagram.com/p/DWbqvT-jN7h/)
[2] *Climbing News'* analysis of the ascent footage (June 2026) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ENT1FkcA_Y](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ENT1FkcA_Y)
[3] [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_b6yGJsTWw](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_b6yGJsTWw)
[4] [https://www.instagram.com/p/DaCru9QNAdP/](https://www.instagram.com/p/DaCru9QNAdP/)
After
After releasing a video of the ascent [3] the YouTube channel *Some Climbing News* analysed the footage. [2] The channel alleged that the video had been edited to create the impression of a complete ascent, rather than presenting an uncut recording of the climb. When asked to provide the unedited footage Boes declined to do so, explaining that it had been filmed by a cameraman who was no longer contactable, a claim the channel regarded as unconvincing. In support of it's allegation that Boes had not completed the problem, the channel cited scepticism from other members of the Dutch climbing community. At the time of writing, the only uncut footage available online of Boes climbing hard is [Riders on the Storm](/climb/162/riders-on-the-storm) (8B).
Boes disputes the allegations and has said he intends to repeat the problem. [4]
### References
[1] [https://www.instagram.com/p/DWbqvT-jN7h/](https://www.instagram.com/p/DWbqvT-jN7h/)
[2] *Climbing News'* analysis of the ascent footage (June 2026) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ENT1FkcA_Y](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ENT1FkcA_Y)
[3] [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_b6yGJsTWw](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_b6yGJsTWw)
[4] [https://www.instagram.com/p/DaCru9QNAdP/](https://www.instagram.com/p/DaCru9QNAdP/)
[5] [https://www.instagram.com/p/DaCru9QNAdP/](https://www.instagram.com/p/DaCru9QNAdP/)
Diff
--- before
|
|||||||
| 1868 | 26th June 2026 | 12:09:48 UTC | Mono | ascent | Simon Boes's ascent of Deep Fake | notes_pretty | |
|
Before
<h3>References</h3>
<p>[1] <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DaCru9QNAdP/" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.instagram.com/p/DaCru9QNAdP/</a></p>
After
None
|
|||||||
| 1869 | 26th June 2026 | 12:09:48 UTC | Mono | ascent | Simon Boes's ascent of Deep Fake | notes | |
|
Before
### References
[1] [https://www.instagram.com/p/DaCru9QNAdP/](https://www.instagram.com/p/DaCru9QNAdP/)
After
None
Diff
--- before
|
|||||||
| 1870 | 26th June 2026 | 12:09:12 UTC | Mono | ascent | Simon Boes's ascent of Deep Fake | notes_pretty | |
|
Before
None
After
<h3>References</h3>
<p>[1] <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DaCru9QNAdP/" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.instagram.com/p/DaCru9QNAdP/</a></p>
|
|||||||
| 1871 | 26th June 2026 | 12:09:12 UTC | Mono | ascent | Simon Boes's ascent of Deep Fake | notes | |
|
Before
None
After
### References
[1] [https://www.instagram.com/p/DaCru9QNAdP/](https://www.instagram.com/p/DaCru9QNAdP/)
Diff
--- before
|
|||||||
| 1872 | 26th June 2026 | 12:07:46 UTC | Mono | climber | Simon Boes | exclude_reason_pretty | |
|
Before
<p>Widespread doubts over ascents</p>
After
<p>In July 2026, doubts over Boes' ascents emerged, specifically of <a href="/climb/4374/deep-fake" rel="noopener noreferrer">Deep Fake</a> (8C+). It transpired that the only uncut footage online of any hard ascent was a single 8B. Boes has denied the allegations.</p>
|
|||||||
| 1873 | 26th June 2026 | 12:07:46 UTC | Mono | climber | Simon Boes | exclude_reason | |
|
Before
Widespread doubts over ascents
After
In July 2026, doubts over Boes' ascents emerged, specifically of [Deep Fake](/climb/4374/deep-fake) (8C+). It transpired that the only uncut footage online of any hard ascent was a single 8B. Boes has denied the allegations.
Diff
--- before
|
|||||||
| 1874 | 26th June 2026 | 12:04:20 UTC | Mono | climber | Simon Boes | exclude_reason_pretty | |
|
Before
None
After
<p>Widespread doubts over ascents</p>
|
|||||||
| 1875 | 26th June 2026 | 12:04:20 UTC | Mono | climber | Simon Boes | exclude_reason | |
|
Before
None
After
Widespread doubts over ascents
Diff
--- before
|
|||||||
| 1876 | 26th June 2026 | 11:11:33 UTC | Mono | climb | Moonlight Buttress | notes_pretty | |
|
Before
<p>Originally 5.13b, currently 5.12c.</p>
<p><a href="/climber/1557/andy-moles" rel="noopener noreferrer">Andy Moles</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>The 'theft' of the climb's first free ascent in the early 90s and attendant bolting controversies reputedly set free climbing in Zion back a decade. Through many subsequent ascents, both free and 'clean aid', the route has become easier than it was when <a href="/climber/825/peter-croft" rel="noopener noreferrer">Peter Croft</a> and <a href="/climber/536/jonny-woodward" rel="noopener noreferrer">Jonny Woodward</a> first freed it. The placing and removal and weighting of hundreds of cams has eroded the sandstone, widening the cracks. What was once a fingertip layback in the dihedral is now studded with apertures that accept at least a knuckle. The walls are scratched and whitened by the hauling of bags. We did our best, depositing our supplies by abseil rather than hauling, but our ascent still made a contribution to the wear. The route is compromised, and so are we; it is only the easing of difficulty that brought it close to our ability in the first place. [1]</p>
</blockquote>
<h3>References</h3>
<p>[1] <a href="https://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/features/moonlight_buttress-12928" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/features/moonlight_buttress-12928</a></p>
After
<p>Originally graded 5.13b, the route is currently 5.12b; the route continues to be a popular aid route, which has enlarged cracks and holds in the soft sandstone. </p>
<p><a href="/climber/1557/andy-moles" rel="noopener noreferrer">Andy Moles</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>The 'theft' of the climb's first free ascent in the early 90s and attendant bolting controversies reputedly set free climbing in Zion back a decade. Through many subsequent ascents, both free and 'clean aid', the route has become easier than it was when <a href="/climber/825/peter-croft" rel="noopener noreferrer">Peter Croft</a> and <a href="/climber/536/jonny-woodward" rel="noopener noreferrer">Jonny Woodward</a> first freed it. The placing and removal and weighting of hundreds of cams has eroded the sandstone, widening the cracks. What was once a fingertip layback in the dihedral is now studded with apertures that accept at least a knuckle. The walls are scratched and whitened by the hauling of bags. We did our best, depositing our supplies by abseil rather than hauling, but our ascent still made a contribution to the wear. The route is compromised, and so are we; it is only the easing of difficulty that brought it close to our ability in the first place. [1]</p>
</blockquote>
<h3>References</h3>
<p>[1] <a href="https://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/features/moonlight_buttress-12928" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/features/moonlight_buttress-12928</a></p>
|
|||||||
| 1877 | 26th June 2026 | 11:11:33 UTC | Mono | climb | Moonlight Buttress | notes | |
|
Before
Originally 5.13b, currently 5.12c.
[Andy Moles](/climber/1557/andy-moles):
>The 'theft' of the climb's first free ascent in the early 90s and attendant bolting controversies reputedly set free climbing in Zion back a decade. Through many subsequent ascents, both free and 'clean aid', the route has become easier than it was when [Peter Croft](/climber/825/peter-croft) and [Jonny Woodward](/climber/536/jonny-woodward) first freed it. The placing and removal and weighting of hundreds of cams has eroded the sandstone, widening the cracks. What was once a fingertip layback in the dihedral is now studded with apertures that accept at least a knuckle. The walls are scratched and whitened by the hauling of bags. We did our best, depositing our supplies by abseil rather than hauling, but our ascent still made a contribution to the wear. The route is compromised, and so are we; it is only the easing of difficulty that brought it close to our ability in the first place. [1]
### References
[1] [https://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/features/moonlight_buttress-12928](https://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/features/moonlight_buttress-12928)
After
Originally graded 5.13b, the route is currently 5.12b; the route continues to be a popular aid route, which has enlarged cracks and holds in the soft sandstone.
[Andy Moles](/climber/1557/andy-moles):
>The 'theft' of the climb's first free ascent in the early 90s and attendant bolting controversies reputedly set free climbing in Zion back a decade. Through many subsequent ascents, both free and 'clean aid', the route has become easier than it was when [Peter Croft](/climber/825/peter-croft) and [Jonny Woodward](/climber/536/jonny-woodward) first freed it. The placing and removal and weighting of hundreds of cams has eroded the sandstone, widening the cracks. What was once a fingertip layback in the dihedral is now studded with apertures that accept at least a knuckle. The walls are scratched and whitened by the hauling of bags. We did our best, depositing our supplies by abseil rather than hauling, but our ascent still made a contribution to the wear. The route is compromised, and so are we; it is only the easing of difficulty that brought it close to our ability in the first place. [1]
### References
[1] [https://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/features/moonlight_buttress-12928](https://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/features/moonlight_buttress-12928)
Diff
--- before
|
|||||||
| 1878 | 26th June 2026 | 10:21:26 UTC | Mono | climb | Hall of Mirrors | notes_pretty | |
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Before
<p>16 pitches of granite slab climbing joy/misery, questing up some of the glassiest, glacier-polished granite out there. Despite a relatively modest grade of 5.12c R, the route has seen only a handful of ascents in its near-50 year history.</p>
<p>The route has a complex history, with Mark Wilford, Dave Austin, <a href="/climber/3174/chris-cantwell" rel="noopener noreferrer">Chris Cantwell</a> pioneering up the wall in phases, with varying amounts of aid, between 1976 and 1980. </p>
<p><a href="/climber/536/jonny-woodward" rel="noopener noreferrer">Jonny Woodward</a> made the second ascent and first in-a-day ascent in 1992. Notably he chose to wear old-school non-sticky rubber, finding the modern shoes rolled too easily off the route's micro-smedges.</p>
<p><a href="/climber/622/alex-honnold" rel="noopener noreferrer">Alex Honnold</a> made the third ascent in 2011.</p>
<p><a href="/climber/3173/bruce-morris" rel="noopener noreferrer">Bruce Morris</a> narrates the history:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>The history of the Hall of Mirrors is now fairly well known. Between 1976 and September 1980, the route grew by a process of accretion, countless attempts by different teams involving various and often enough conflicting personalities. However, for the sake of convenience, the growth of the route may be divided into three distinct stages, dominated, in succession, by the skills and philosophies of three different prime motivators, Mark Wilford, Dave Austin, and Chris Cantwell. Every advance up the wall was likewise preceded by some major change in equipment, technique, or strategy. These include siege climbing from portaledges, the provisional use of aid chains, and the appearance of the Galibier “Contact” shoe, with its softer, more malleable, and adhesive rubber.</p>
<p>During the drought of 1976-77, Mark Wilford of Colorado Springs established the route’s first two pitches, titling his effort The Opening of Misty Beethoven, after a highly overrated, though somewhat programmatic, pornographic film. After such an ambitious beginning, it is not clear why he stopped so soon. But the route is highly tempermental at best, and its conditions were undoubtedly at their greasiest after a scorching, bone- dry summer. By self-admission, Wilford had never friction climbed before either. He had no way of knowing in advance that using chalk would increase the rating of the second pitch several additional grades. So, the hypothetical third pitch must have appeared impossible, although it was to be rated finally only 5.10a.</p>
<p>It was at this point that Dave Austin decided to administer a salutory dose of technical hygiene. Backed by experience he had gained on A Mother’s Lament, Austin realized the use of chalk was anathema to advanced foonting* because the particles that fell down from his hands destroyed adhesion between shoe rubber and the smooth rock surface. After recruiting Chris Cantwell and me from the Lodge parking lot, Austin now added pitches three through eight to a route renamed the Hall of Mirrors. Even with the aid of fixed ropes and siege tactics, however, we were unable to complete the Unfinished Ninth, a pitch that was eventually to be rated 5.12b.</p>
<p>Accompanied at one time or another by either Scott Cole or Scott Burk, Cantwell took over the lead. In the fall of 1979 he had obtained a prototype pair of “Contacts,” a new softer rubber shoe by Galibier that permitted better friction on higher-angle stone. He finished the Ninth and, over the next year, undaunted by storms and earthquakes, pushed the route up to the base of the 13th pitch. Here he decided, after drilling a few miraculous bolts up a nearly vertical prow, that a bolt ladder was finally necessary.</p>
<p>However, when Austin accompanied Cantwell up the fixed lines to this new high point, there was disagreement. Austin believed that following a ramp a few feet to the right would have eliminated the need for a ladder. Drilling could have been accomplished from all-natural stances, Austin argued. But in order to make the line harder for the sake of difficulty as an end in itself, Cantwell had refused to compromise with the natural rock environment and, instead, had deliberately chosen to construct a pre-placed “free ladder” up what he referred to as the “line of strength.” Feeling such tactics were unconscionable, Austin elected to drop out. Still, Cantwell persevered. After freeing the 13th, at a tentative 5.13 standard, he went on to add two more hard pitches before intercepting the Coonyard to Rim route. On this final push, in September 1980, Scott Burke was his partner.</p>
<p>Before they were freed, Half Dome and the west face of El Capitan had been conventional aid routes for over twenty years. The rationale behind freeing the northwest face of Half Dome was based on the fact that it was America’s first grade six. But Hall of Mirrors was the first time a Yosemite grade six had been conceived of as a free climb from its inception. However, it is especially significant that the Cantwell-Austin break underscores the conflicting face-climbing traditions that were introduced at the start of this article. Cantwell wished to maximize difficulty by constructing a well-protected free line, while Austin wished to preserve boldness by following the natural line of greatest weakness.</p>
<ul>
<li>Foonting is a technical Yosemite term used in friction climbing. It involves “smearing” on high-angle slabs while rapidly “padding” upward; moving up, in essence, faster than moving back down.</li>
</ul>
</blockquote>
<h3>References</h3>
<p>[1] <a href="https://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12198204100/Method-and-Madness-Evolution-of-Yosemite-Face-Climbing-Standards" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12198204100/Method-and-Madness-Evolution-of-Yosemite-Face-Climbing-Standards</a></p>
After
<p>16 pitches of slab climbing joy/misery, questing up some of the glassiest, most glacier-polished granite out there. By modern standards the grade of 5.12c R might seem modest, but the route has seen only a handful of ascents in its near-50 year history.</p>
<p>The origins of the route are complex, with Mark Wilford, Dave Austin, <a href="/climber/3174/chris-cantwell" rel="noopener noreferrer">Chris Cantwell</a> pioneering up the wall in phases, with varying amounts of aid, between 1976 and 1980. </p>
<p><a href="/climber/536/jonny-woodward" rel="noopener noreferrer">Jonny Woodward</a> made the second ascent and first in-a-day ascent in 1992. Notably he chose to wear old-school non-sticky rubber, finding that modern shoes rolled too easily off the route's micro-smedges.</p>
<p><a href="/climber/622/alex-honnold" rel="noopener noreferrer">Alex Honnold</a> made the third ascent in 2011.</p>
<p><a href="/climber/3173/bruce-morris" rel="noopener noreferrer">Bruce Morris</a> narrates the history:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>The history of the Hall of Mirrors is now fairly well known. Between 1976 and September 1980, the route grew by a process of accretion, countless attempts by different teams involving various and often enough conflicting personalities. However, for the sake of convenience, the growth of the route may be divided into three distinct stages, dominated, in succession, by the skills and philosophies of three different prime motivators, Mark Wilford, Dave Austin, and Chris Cantwell. Every advance up the wall was likewise preceded by some major change in equipment, technique, or strategy. These include siege climbing from portaledges, the provisional use of aid chains, and the appearance of the Galibier “Contact” shoe, with its softer, more malleable, and adhesive rubber.</p>
<p>During the drought of 1976-77, Mark Wilford of Colorado Springs established the route’s first two pitches, titling his effort The Opening of Misty Beethoven, after a highly overrated, though somewhat programmatic, pornographic film. After such an ambitious beginning, it is not clear why he stopped so soon. But the route is highly tempermental at best, and its conditions were undoubtedly at their greasiest after a scorching, bone- dry summer. By self-admission, Wilford had never friction climbed before either. He had no way of knowing in advance that using chalk would increase the rating of the second pitch several additional grades. So, the hypothetical third pitch must have appeared impossible, although it was to be rated finally only 5.10a.</p>
<p>It was at this point that Dave Austin decided to administer a salutory dose of technical hygiene. Backed by experience he had gained on A Mother’s Lament, Austin realized the use of chalk was anathema to advanced foonting* because the particles that fell down from his hands destroyed adhesion between shoe rubber and the smooth rock surface. After recruiting Chris Cantwell and me from the Lodge parking lot, Austin now added pitches three through eight to a route renamed the Hall of Mirrors. Even with the aid of fixed ropes and siege tactics, however, we were unable to complete the Unfinished Ninth, a pitch that was eventually to be rated 5.12b.</p>
<p>Accompanied at one time or another by either Scott Cole or Scott Burk, Cantwell took over the lead. In the fall of 1979 he had obtained a prototype pair of “Contacts,” a new softer rubber shoe by Galibier that permitted better friction on higher-angle stone. He finished the Ninth and, over the next year, undaunted by storms and earthquakes, pushed the route up to the base of the 13th pitch. Here he decided, after drilling a few miraculous bolts up a nearly vertical prow, that a bolt ladder was finally necessary.</p>
<p>However, when Austin accompanied Cantwell up the fixed lines to this new high point, there was disagreement. Austin believed that following a ramp a few feet to the right would have eliminated the need for a ladder. Drilling could have been accomplished from all-natural stances, Austin argued. But in order to make the line harder for the sake of difficulty as an end in itself, Cantwell had refused to compromise with the natural rock environment and, instead, had deliberately chosen to construct a pre-placed “free ladder” up what he referred to as the “line of strength.” Feeling such tactics were unconscionable, Austin elected to drop out. Still, Cantwell persevered. After freeing the 13th, at a tentative 5.13 standard, he went on to add two more hard pitches before intercepting the Coonyard to Rim route. On this final push, in September 1980, Scott Burke was his partner.</p>
<p>Before they were freed, Half Dome and the west face of El Capitan had been conventional aid routes for over twenty years. The rationale behind freeing the northwest face of Half Dome was based on the fact that it was America’s first grade six. But Hall of Mirrors was the first time a Yosemite grade six had been conceived of as a free climb from its inception. However, it is especially significant that the Cantwell-Austin break underscores the conflicting face-climbing traditions that were introduced at the start of this article. Cantwell wished to maximize difficulty by constructing a well-protected free line, while Austin wished to preserve boldness by following the natural line of greatest weakness.</p>
<ul>
<li>Foonting is a technical Yosemite term used in friction climbing. It involves “smearing” on high-angle slabs while rapidly “padding” upward; moving up, in essence, faster than moving back down.</li>
</ul>
</blockquote>
<h3>References</h3>
<p>[1] <a href="https://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12198204100/Method-and-Madness-Evolution-of-Yosemite-Face-Climbing-Standards" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12198204100/Method-and-Madness-Evolution-of-Yosemite-Face-Climbing-Standards</a></p>
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| 1879 | 26th June 2026 | 10:21:26 UTC | Mono | climb | Hall of Mirrors | notes | |
|
Before
16 pitches of granite slab climbing joy/misery, questing up some of the glassiest, glacier-polished granite out there. Despite a relatively modest grade of 5.12c R, the route has seen only a handful of ascents in its near-50 year history.
The route has a complex history, with Mark Wilford, Dave Austin, [Chris Cantwell](/climber/3174/chris-cantwell) pioneering up the wall in phases, with varying amounts of aid, between 1976 and 1980.
[Jonny Woodward](/climber/536/jonny-woodward) made the second ascent and first in-a-day ascent in 1992. Notably he chose to wear old-school non-sticky rubber, finding the modern shoes rolled too easily off the route's micro-smedges.
[Alex Honnold](/climber/622/alex-honnold) made the third ascent in 2011.
[Bruce Morris](/climber/3173/bruce-morris) narrates the history:
>The history of the Hall of Mirrors is now fairly well known. Between 1976 and September 1980, the route grew by a process of accretion, countless attempts by different teams involving various and often enough conflicting personalities. However, for the sake of convenience, the growth of the route may be divided into three distinct stages, dominated, in succession, by the skills and philosophies of three different prime motivators, Mark Wilford, Dave Austin, and Chris Cantwell. Every advance up the wall was likewise preceded by some major change in equipment, technique, or strategy. These include siege climbing from portaledges, the provisional use of aid chains, and the appearance of the Galibier “Contact” shoe, with its softer, more malleable, and adhesive rubber.
>During the drought of 1976-77, Mark Wilford of Colorado Springs established the route’s first two pitches, titling his effort The Opening of Misty Beethoven, after a highly overrated, though somewhat programmatic, pornographic film. After such an ambitious beginning, it is not clear why he stopped so soon. But the route is highly tempermental at best, and its conditions were undoubtedly at their greasiest after a scorching, bone- dry summer. By self-admission, Wilford had never friction climbed before either. He had no way of knowing in advance that using chalk would increase the rating of the second pitch several additional grades. So, the hypothetical third pitch must have appeared impossible, although it was to be rated finally only 5.10a.
>It was at this point that Dave Austin decided to administer a salutory dose of technical hygiene. Backed by experience he had gained on A Mother’s Lament, Austin realized the use of chalk was anathema to advanced foonting* because the particles that fell down from his hands destroyed adhesion between shoe rubber and the smooth rock surface. After recruiting Chris Cantwell and me from the Lodge parking lot, Austin now added pitches three through eight to a route renamed the Hall of Mirrors. Even with the aid of fixed ropes and siege tactics, however, we were unable to complete the Unfinished Ninth, a pitch that was eventually to be rated 5.12b.
>Accompanied at one time or another by either Scott Cole or Scott Burk, Cantwell took over the lead. In the fall of 1979 he had obtained a prototype pair of “Contacts,” a new softer rubber shoe by Galibier that permitted better friction on higher-angle stone. He finished the Ninth and, over the next year, undaunted by storms and earthquakes, pushed the route up to the base of the 13th pitch. Here he decided, after drilling a few miraculous bolts up a nearly vertical prow, that a bolt ladder was finally necessary.
>However, when Austin accompanied Cantwell up the fixed lines to this new high point, there was disagreement. Austin believed that following a ramp a few feet to the right would have eliminated the need for a ladder. Drilling could have been accomplished from all-natural stances, Austin argued. But in order to make the line harder for the sake of difficulty as an end in itself, Cantwell had refused to compromise with the natural rock environment and, instead, had deliberately chosen to construct a pre-placed “free ladder” up what he referred to as the “line of strength.” Feeling such tactics were unconscionable, Austin elected to drop out. Still, Cantwell persevered. After freeing the 13th, at a tentative 5.13 standard, he went on to add two more hard pitches before intercepting the Coonyard to Rim route. On this final push, in September 1980, Scott Burke was his partner.
>Before they were freed, Half Dome and the west face of El Capitan had been conventional aid routes for over twenty years. The rationale behind freeing the northwest face of Half Dome was based on the fact that it was America’s first grade six. But Hall of Mirrors was the first time a Yosemite grade six had been conceived of as a free climb from its inception. However, it is especially significant that the Cantwell-Austin break underscores the conflicting face-climbing traditions that were introduced at the start of this article. Cantwell wished to maximize difficulty by constructing a well-protected free line, while Austin wished to preserve boldness by following the natural line of greatest weakness.
>* Foonting is a technical Yosemite term used in friction climbing. It involves “smearing” on high-angle slabs while rapidly “padding” upward; moving up, in essence, faster than moving back down.
### References
[1] [https://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12198204100/Method-and-Madness-Evolution-of-Yosemite-Face-Climbing-Standards](https://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12198204100/Method-and-Madness-Evolution-of-Yosemite-Face-Climbing-Standards)
After
16 pitches of slab climbing joy/misery, questing up some of the glassiest, most glacier-polished granite out there. By modern standards the grade of 5.12c R might seem modest, but the route has seen only a handful of ascents in its near-50 year history.
The origins of the route are complex, with Mark Wilford, Dave Austin, [Chris Cantwell](/climber/3174/chris-cantwell) pioneering up the wall in phases, with varying amounts of aid, between 1976 and 1980.
[Jonny Woodward](/climber/536/jonny-woodward) made the second ascent and first in-a-day ascent in 1992. Notably he chose to wear old-school non-sticky rubber, finding that modern shoes rolled too easily off the route's micro-smedges.
[Alex Honnold](/climber/622/alex-honnold) made the third ascent in 2011.
[Bruce Morris](/climber/3173/bruce-morris) narrates the history:
>The history of the Hall of Mirrors is now fairly well known. Between 1976 and September 1980, the route grew by a process of accretion, countless attempts by different teams involving various and often enough conflicting personalities. However, for the sake of convenience, the growth of the route may be divided into three distinct stages, dominated, in succession, by the skills and philosophies of three different prime motivators, Mark Wilford, Dave Austin, and Chris Cantwell. Every advance up the wall was likewise preceded by some major change in equipment, technique, or strategy. These include siege climbing from portaledges, the provisional use of aid chains, and the appearance of the Galibier “Contact” shoe, with its softer, more malleable, and adhesive rubber.
>During the drought of 1976-77, Mark Wilford of Colorado Springs established the route’s first two pitches, titling his effort The Opening of Misty Beethoven, after a highly overrated, though somewhat programmatic, pornographic film. After such an ambitious beginning, it is not clear why he stopped so soon. But the route is highly tempermental at best, and its conditions were undoubtedly at their greasiest after a scorching, bone- dry summer. By self-admission, Wilford had never friction climbed before either. He had no way of knowing in advance that using chalk would increase the rating of the second pitch several additional grades. So, the hypothetical third pitch must have appeared impossible, although it was to be rated finally only 5.10a.
>It was at this point that Dave Austin decided to administer a salutory dose of technical hygiene. Backed by experience he had gained on A Mother’s Lament, Austin realized the use of chalk was anathema to advanced foonting* because the particles that fell down from his hands destroyed adhesion between shoe rubber and the smooth rock surface. After recruiting Chris Cantwell and me from the Lodge parking lot, Austin now added pitches three through eight to a route renamed the Hall of Mirrors. Even with the aid of fixed ropes and siege tactics, however, we were unable to complete the Unfinished Ninth, a pitch that was eventually to be rated 5.12b.
>Accompanied at one time or another by either Scott Cole or Scott Burk, Cantwell took over the lead. In the fall of 1979 he had obtained a prototype pair of “Contacts,” a new softer rubber shoe by Galibier that permitted better friction on higher-angle stone. He finished the Ninth and, over the next year, undaunted by storms and earthquakes, pushed the route up to the base of the 13th pitch. Here he decided, after drilling a few miraculous bolts up a nearly vertical prow, that a bolt ladder was finally necessary.
>However, when Austin accompanied Cantwell up the fixed lines to this new high point, there was disagreement. Austin believed that following a ramp a few feet to the right would have eliminated the need for a ladder. Drilling could have been accomplished from all-natural stances, Austin argued. But in order to make the line harder for the sake of difficulty as an end in itself, Cantwell had refused to compromise with the natural rock environment and, instead, had deliberately chosen to construct a pre-placed “free ladder” up what he referred to as the “line of strength.” Feeling such tactics were unconscionable, Austin elected to drop out. Still, Cantwell persevered. After freeing the 13th, at a tentative 5.13 standard, he went on to add two more hard pitches before intercepting the Coonyard to Rim route. On this final push, in September 1980, Scott Burke was his partner.
>Before they were freed, Half Dome and the west face of El Capitan had been conventional aid routes for over twenty years. The rationale behind freeing the northwest face of Half Dome was based on the fact that it was America’s first grade six. But Hall of Mirrors was the first time a Yosemite grade six had been conceived of as a free climb from its inception. However, it is especially significant that the Cantwell-Austin break underscores the conflicting face-climbing traditions that were introduced at the start of this article. Cantwell wished to maximize difficulty by constructing a well-protected free line, while Austin wished to preserve boldness by following the natural line of greatest weakness.
>* Foonting is a technical Yosemite term used in friction climbing. It involves “smearing” on high-angle slabs while rapidly “padding” upward; moving up, in essence, faster than moving back down.
### References
[1] [https://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12198204100/Method-and-Madness-Evolution-of-Yosemite-Face-Climbing-Standards](https://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12198204100/Method-and-Madness-Evolution-of-Yosemite-Face-Climbing-Standards)
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| 1880 | 26th June 2026 | 10:18:30 UTC | Mono | climb | Hall of Mirrors | featurable | |
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