| Country | Contributions | Between | Climbers | Crags | Summits | Climbs | Ascents | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United Kingdom | 10121 | 22nd May 2025 – 27th June 2026 | 106 | 13 | 0 | 548 | 986 |
| 2 | France | 3310 | 22nd May 2025 – 25th June 2026 | 30 | 13 | 0 | 166 | 318 |
| 3 | USA | 1660 | 30th July 2025 – 26th June 2026 | 24 | 56 | 0 | 156 | 82 |
| 4 | Japan | 1433 | 19th July 2025 – 23rd June 2026 | 14 | 25 | 0 | 98 | 70 |
| 5 | Spain | 314 | 31st July 2025 – 25th June 2026 | 3 | 9 | 0 | 33 | 13 |
| 6 | New Zealand | 214 | 19th August 2025 – 26th June 2026 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 15 | 13 |
| 7 | Switzerland | 194 | 31st July 2025 – 26th June 2026 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 20 | 12 |
| 8 | Canada | 146 | 10th September 2025 – 10th June 2026 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 23 | 2 |
| 9 | Italy | 146 | 12th August 2025 – 17th May 2026 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 16 | 6 |
| 10 | Norway | 126 | 6th September 2025 – 16th June 2026 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 9 | 6 |
| Date | Time | User | Type | Name | Attribute | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 201 | 24th June 2026 | 06:41:49 UTC | TdG | climber | Beth Rodden | notes_pretty | |
|
Before
<p>Beth Rodden is an American big wall and trad. climber. In 1998 she became the youngest woman to climb 8b+ with her ascent of <a href="/climb/1575/to-bolt-or-not-to-be" rel="noopener noreferrer">To Bolt or Not to Be</a> (8b+) at <a href="/crag/3025/smith-rock" rel="noopener noreferrer">Smith Rock</a> at age 18.</p>
<p>In August 2000, along with her then-boyfriend <a href="/climber/551/tommy-caldwell" rel="noopener noreferrer">Tommy Caldwell</a> 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 ineperience on big walls the trip took a dramatic twist when the team was kidnapped and held hostage by rebels from the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_Movement_of_Uzbekistan" rel="noopener noreferrer">Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan</a>. [1]</p>
<p>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 acting as a guard, and 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 person who had been pushed had died, but it later turned out that he had survived the fall.</p>
<p>Beth later spoke about how the event was a significant source of trauma for her, and how she struggled for a long time to process the events. [2]</p>
<p>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 <a href="/climb/3450/sphinx-crack" rel="noopener noreferrer">Sphinx Crack</a> (E8), <a href="/climb/1430/grand-illusion" rel="noopener noreferrer">Grand Illusion</a> (E8) and <a href="/climb/523/the-phoenix" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Phoenix</a> (E7), the latter of which she onsighted.</p>
<p>In 2005 she made a team free second ascent of <a href="/climb/6215/the-nose" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Nose</a> (E9) on <a href="/crag/8023/el-capitan" rel="noopener noreferrer">El Capitan</a>, leading The Great Roof pitch and cleanly top roping the Changing Corners.</p>
<p>In 2008, after much work, Beth redpointed <a href="/climb/1424/meltdown" rel="noopener noreferrer">Meltdown</a> (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.</p>
<p>In 2009 she divorced Tommy Caldwell and later married <a href="/climber/2159/randy-puro" rel="noopener noreferrer">Randy Puro</a>. In 2014 she had a son with Puro. In her book <em>A Light Through the Cracks</em> 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.</p>
<p>More recently she has spoken openly about her struggles with disordered and self-image, and how this impacted her and her climbing. [3]</p>
<h3>References</h3>
<p>[1] <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20171201042923/https://www.outsideonline.com/magazine/200011/200011hostages1.html" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://web.archive.org/web/20171201042923/https://www.outsideonline.com/magazine/200011/200011hostages1.html</a></p>
<p>[2] Rodden, Beth. A Light Through the Cracks: A Climber's Story. United States: Amazon Publishing, 2024.</p>
<p>[3] <a href="https://www.outsideonline.com/health/training-performance/beth-rodden-climbing-body-image/" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.outsideonline.com/health/training-performance/beth-rodden-climbing-body-image/</a></p>
After
<p>Beth Rodden is an American big wall and trad. climber. In 1998 she became the youngest woman to climb 8b+ with her ascent of <a href="/climb/1575/to-bolt-or-not-to-be" rel="noopener noreferrer">To Bolt or Not to Be</a> (8b+) at <a href="/crag/3025/smith-rock" rel="noopener noreferrer">Smith Rock</a> at age 18.</p>
<p>In August 2000, along with her then-boyfriend <a href="/climber/551/tommy-caldwell" rel="noopener noreferrer">Tommy Caldwell</a> 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 ineperience on big walls the trip took a dramatic twist when the team was kidnapped and held hostage by rebels from the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_Movement_of_Uzbekistan" rel="noopener noreferrer">Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan</a>. [1]</p>
<p>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 acting as a guard, and 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 person who had been pushed had died, but it later turned out that he had survived the fall.</p>
<p>Beth later spoke about how the event was a significant source of trauma for her, and how she struggled for a long time to process the events. [2]</p>
<p>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 <a href="/climb/3450/sphinx-crack" rel="noopener noreferrer">Sphinx Crack</a> (E8), <a href="/climb/1430/grand-illusion" rel="noopener noreferrer">Grand Illusion</a> (E8) and <a href="/climb/523/the-phoenix" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Phoenix</a> (E7), the latter of which she onsighted.</p>
<p>In 2005 she made a team free second ascent of <a href="/climb/6215/the-nose" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Nose</a> (E9) on <a href="/crag/8023/el-capitan" rel="noopener noreferrer">El Capitan</a>, leading The Great Roof pitch and cleanly top roping the Changing Corners.</p>
<p>In 2008, after much work, Beth redpointed <a href="/climb/1424/meltdown" rel="noopener noreferrer">Meltdown</a> (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.</p>
<p>In 2009 she divorced Tommy Caldwell and later married <a href="/climber/2159/randy-puro" rel="noopener noreferrer">Randy Puro</a>. In 2014 she had a son with Puro. In her book <em>A Light Through the Cracks</em> 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.</p>
<p>More recently she has spoken openly about her struggles with disordered eating and self-image, and how this impacted her and her climbing. [3]</p>
<h3>References</h3>
<p>[1] <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20171201042923/https://www.outsideonline.com/magazine/200011/200011hostages1.html" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://web.archive.org/web/20171201042923/https://www.outsideonline.com/magazine/200011/200011hostages1.html</a></p>
<p>[2] Rodden, Beth. A Light Through the Cracks: A Climber's Story. United States: Amazon Publishing, 2024.</p>
<p>[3] <a href="https://www.outsideonline.com/health/training-performance/beth-rodden-climbing-body-image/" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.outsideonline.com/health/training-performance/beth-rodden-climbing-body-image/</a></p>
|
|||||||
| 202 | 24th June 2026 | 06:41:49 UTC | TdG | climber | Beth Rodden | notes | |
|
Before
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](/climb/1575/to-bolt-or-not-to-be) (8b+) at [Smith Rock](/crag/3025/smith-rock) at age 18.
In August 2000, along with her then-boyfriend [Tommy Caldwell](/climber/551/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 ineperience 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](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/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 acting as a guard, and 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 person who had been pushed had died, but it later turned out that he had survived the fall.
Beth later spoke about how the event was a significant source of trauma for her, and how she struggled for a long time to process the events. [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](/climb/3450/sphinx-crack) (E8), [Grand Illusion](/climb/1430/grand-illusion) (E8) and [The Phoenix](/climb/523/the-phoenix) (E7), the latter of which she onsighted.
In 2005 she made a team free second ascent of [The Nose](/climb/6215/the-nose) (E9) on [El Capitan](/crag/8023/el-capitan), leading The Great Roof pitch and cleanly top roping the Changing Corners.
In 2008, after much work, Beth redpointed [Meltdown](/climb/1424/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](/climber/2159/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 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](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/](https://www.outsideonline.com/health/training-performance/beth-rodden-climbing-body-image/)
After
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](/climb/1575/to-bolt-or-not-to-be) (8b+) at [Smith Rock](/crag/3025/smith-rock) at age 18.
In August 2000, along with her then-boyfriend [Tommy Caldwell](/climber/551/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 ineperience 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](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/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 acting as a guard, and 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 person who had been pushed had died, but it later turned out that he had survived the fall.
Beth later spoke about how the event was a significant source of trauma for her, and how she struggled for a long time to process the events. [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](/climb/3450/sphinx-crack) (E8), [Grand Illusion](/climb/1430/grand-illusion) (E8) and [The Phoenix](/climb/523/the-phoenix) (E7), the latter of which she onsighted.
In 2005 she made a team free second ascent of [The Nose](/climb/6215/the-nose) (E9) on [El Capitan](/crag/8023/el-capitan), leading The Great Roof pitch and cleanly top roping the Changing Corners.
In 2008, after much work, Beth redpointed [Meltdown](/climb/1424/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](/climber/2159/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](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/](https://www.outsideonline.com/health/training-performance/beth-rodden-climbing-body-image/)
Diff
--- before
|
|||||||
| 203 | 23rd June 2026 | 22:30:07 UTC | TdG | climber | Johnny Dawes | notes_pretty | |
|
Before
<p>Johnny Dawes is a very influential climber in the British climbing scene, with many of his routes from the 1980s helping to define the era. Alongside contemporaries such as <a href="/climber/131/jerry-moffatt" rel="noopener noreferrer">Jerry Moffatt</a> and <a href="/climber/130/ben-moon" rel="noopener noreferrer">Ben Moon</a> he helped take over the mantle from the likes of <a href="/climber/532/ron-fawcett" rel="noopener noreferrer">Ron Fawcett</a> and pushed the standards in trad climbing to new levels, culminating in his ascent of <a href="/climb/601/indian-face" rel="noopener noreferrer">Indian Face</a> on <a href="/crag/457/clogwyn-du'r-arddu-(cloggy)) to give the UK it's first E" rel="noopener noreferrer">Clogwyn Du'r Arddu (Cloggy)</a>.</p>
<p>Whilst Johnny's trad climbing was cutting edge he did not embrace sport climbing in the way that many did in the early 90s, though he did still climb up to 8b+, a very respectable level for the time.</p>
<blockquote>
<p><a href="/climber/3087/jon-barton" rel="noopener noreferrer">Jon Barton</a>: Do you think you ever shocked anybody Johnny?</p>
<p>Well I'd been at this mad party over in Wales. I left in the early hours to drive over to Sheffield, I like driving at night when the roads are quiet. I could tell you about the Snake Pass first thing at dawn, but that's boring hippy stuff. I got to Sheffield, and broke into the back of <a href="/climber/1215/alan-rouse" rel="noopener noreferrer">Al Rouse's</a> house. I was in the kitchen making coffee, admiring Al's new decorating efforts, I went up stairs and jumped into his room and onto the bed, to be faced by two worried looking strangers hiding under the duvet. Al had moved out some weeks earlier.</p>
<p>JB: No Johnny, did you ever shock anybody with your climbing?</p>
</blockquote>
<h3>References</h3>
<p>[1] Interview with <a href="/climber/702/niall-grimes" rel="noopener noreferrer">Niall Grimes</a> and <a href="/climber/540/nick-dixon" rel="noopener noreferrer">Nick Dixon</a> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gfAxYENlmU" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gfAxYENlmU</a></p>
<p>[2] Features in <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jkj3Buhfi2k" rel="noopener noreferrer">80's Birth of Extreme</a></p>
<p>[3] Interview for the film <em>Stone Monkey</em>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdeaV_vfp5Q" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdeaV_vfp5Q</a></p>
<p>[4] <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D88mEgfHJ-I" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D88mEgfHJ-I</a></p>
<p>[5] Interview with <a href="/climber/3087/jon-barton" rel="noopener noreferrer">Jon Barton</a>, On The Edge 63 (1996) <a href="/library/11066/on-the-edge-63" rel="noopener noreferrer">/library/11066/on-the-edge-63</a></p>
<p>[6] <em>What Climbing Has Taught Me</em> (2025) <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5L_uSJH7-30" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5L_uSJH7-30</a></p>
After
<p>Johnny Dawes made an indelible contribution to British climbing in the 1980s and ‘90s.</p>
<p>Whilst contemporaries such as <a href="/climber/130/ben-moon" rel="noopener noreferrer">Ben Moon</a> and <a href="/climber/131/jerry-moffatt" rel="noopener noreferrer">Jerry Moffatt</a> pushed physical standards forwards, Johnny took a swerve sideways (probably getting the vehicle on two wheels in the process), bringing his restless innovation in movement to bear on some of the country’s most spectacular lines. </p>
<p>Dawes’s teenage years were spent honing his skills on the buildings around his school, but it wasn’t long before he made his presence known on the grit: the bold friction slab <a href="/climb/6009/jugged-hare" rel="noopener noreferrer">Jugged Hare</a> (E6), climbed in EBs in 1983 was an aperitif for what was to come. </p>
<p>Jerry Moffatt had climbed <a href="/climb/881/ulysses'-bow" rel="noopener noreferrer">Ulysses' Bow</a> (E6) in 1983 after extensive top rope practice. Just one year later Dawes soloed it onsight. He had made the route look easy, but as those who tried to follow him <a href="/climb/922/ulysses-or-bust" rel="noopener noreferrer">found out the hard way</a>, it was anything but. </p>
<p>A host of hard gritstone classics followed: <a href="/climb/3475/braille-trail" rel="noopener noreferrer">Braille Trail</a> (E7), <a href="/climb/5798/benign-lives" rel="noopener noreferrer">Benign Lives</a> (E7), <a href="/climb/1450/the-salmon" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Salmon</a> (E7); <a href="/climb/2973/sad-amongst-friends" rel="noopener noreferrer">Sad Amongst Friends</a> (E7) and <a href="/climb/5782/silk" rel="noopener noreferrer">Silk</a> (E5) were climbed ground up. </p>
<p>In 1985, the North Wales slate beckoned, where Dawes found an affinity with its slabby style and slightly unhinged sparse bolting ethic. <a href="/climb/1167/dawes-of-perception" rel="noopener noreferrer">Dawes of Perception</a> (E7) set a benchmark for difficulty and boldness that came to define the medium, whilst his best link on <a href="/climb/52/the-meltdown" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Meltdown</a> project was worth at least 8c. </p>
<p>But the best was yet to come. 1986 was Dawes’s <em>annus mirabilis</em>: <a href="/climb/585/gaia" rel="noopener noreferrer">Gaia</a> (E8), <a href="/climb/586/end-of-the-affair" rel="noopener noreferrer">End of the Affair</a> (E8), and <a href="/climb/622/slab-and-crack" rel="noopener noreferrer">Slab and Crack</a> (E8) on the grit; <a href="/climb/1187/conan-the-librarian" rel="noopener noreferrer">Conan the Librarian</a> (E7) and <a href="/climb/1003/come-to-mother" rel="noopener noreferrer">Come to Mother</a> (E7) on Gogarth; <a href="/climb/700/coeur-de-lion" rel="noopener noreferrer">Coeur de Lion</a> (E8) and the majestic <a href="/climb/699/the-quarryman" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Quarryman</a> (E8) on the slate. </p>
<p>But it was <a href="/climb/601/indian-face" rel="noopener noreferrer">Indian Face</a> (E9) that topped them all, a harrowing quest up the Great Wall of <a href="/crag/457/clogwyn-du'r-arddu" rel="noopener noreferrer">Clogwyn Du'r Arddu</a> and the country’s first E9. The route established a level of boldness that still may not have been surpassed, and has become a near-mythical part of British climbing lore.</p>
<p>The eighties was a time of conflicting styles as climbing evolved. The Indian Face was pre-inspected, but to a level that would be considered minimal by today’s standards. Although the more accessible classics such as <a href="/climb/586/end-of-the-affair" rel="noopener noreferrer">End of the Affair</a> (E8) and <a href="/climb/585/gaia" rel="noopener noreferrer">Gaia</a> (E8) are now regularly headpointed, few have matched the spirit and style of Dawes’s first ascents: End of the Affair was attempted ground-up with a terrifying fall, whilst the bold final moves on Gaia were climbed onsight. </p>
<p>The ground-up approach reached a new high watermark in 1988 when Dawes succeeded on the first ascent of <a href="/climb/1648/hardback-thesaurus" rel="noopener noreferrer">Hardback Thesaurus</a> (E8) on Gogarth, but not before taking gear-ripping falls that were enough to make you feel sea sick. It remains one of the hardest ground-up first ascents. </p>
<p>The eighties also saw trips to <a href="/crag/778/sròn-uladail" rel="noopener noreferrer">Sròn Uladail</a> to free climb <a href="/climb/3047/the-scoop" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Scoop</a> (E7) and <a href="/climb/7131/moskill-grooves" rel="noopener noreferrer">Moskill Grooves</a> (E6), multipitch monsters winding their way through the crag’s 50m overhanging girth. </p>
<p>The 1990s saw the bar for slab climbing raised further with <a href="/climb/797/the-very-big-and-the-very-small" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Very Big and the Very Small</a> (8b+) on the slate and <a href="/climb/4123/smoked-salmon" rel="noopener noreferrer">Smoked Salmon</a> (E8) and t<a href="/climb/900/the-angel's-share" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Angel's Share</a> (7C) on the grit, the latter taking a harder line, above a harder landing, than is usually climbed today. A one-handed solo of <a href="/climb/920/downhill-racer" rel="noopener noreferrer">Downhill Racer</a> was a typically Dawesian antic – he rated his effort E8. </p>
<p>In 1993, an attempt on Himalayan big wall <a href="/summit/52/meru-peak" rel="noopener noreferrer">Meru Shark’s Fin</a> was abandoned when Dawes dropped a boot at 6000m. </p>
<p>In 1995 he repeated his friend <a href="/climber/540/nick-dixon" rel="noopener noreferrer">Nick Dixon</a>’s masterpiece <a href="/climb/647/face-mecca" rel="noopener noreferrer">Face Mecca</a> (E9), taking a parallel line to Indian Face. This marked the end of the superbold era. </p>
<p>The following years were spent exploring futuristic projects such as <a href="/climb/5479/promontory-scoop" rel="noopener noreferrer">Promontory Scoop</a> and exploring inventive movement. In 2018 he pulled an ascent of an 8b+ slab in<a href="/crag/2660/la-pedriza" rel="noopener noreferrer">La Pedriza</a> out the bag. </p>
<p>Dawes was captured climbing at his best in the 1986 film <em>Stone Monkey</em> by Alun Hughes, a cult classic that was shown on terrestrial television several times. In 1996 Dawes made <em>Best Forgotten Art</em>, a film about gritstone crack climbing that was the easy listening antidote to Ben And Jerry’s techno-energised <em>The Real Thing</em>, released around the same time. The difference between the two films is a perhaps encapsulates Dawes’s place in his era: a climber who stood alongside the sport’s leading performers, yet always seemed to be playing a different game.</p>
<blockquote>
<p><a href="/climber/3087/jon-barton" rel="noopener noreferrer">Jon Barton</a>: Do you think you ever shocked anybody Johnny?</p>
<p>Well I'd been at this mad party over in Wales. I left in the early hours to drive over to Sheffield, I like driving at night when the roads are quiet. I could tell you about the Snake Pass first thing at dawn, but that's boring hippy stuff. I got to Sheffield, and broke into the back of <a href="/climber/1215/alan-rouse" rel="noopener noreferrer">Al Rouse's</a> house. I was in the kitchen making coffee, admiring Al's new decorating efforts, I went up stairs and jumped into his room and onto the bed, to be faced by two worried looking strangers hiding under the duvet. Al had moved out some weeks earlier.</p>
<p>JB: No Johnny, did you ever shock anybody with your climbing?</p>
</blockquote>
<h3>References</h3>
<p>[1] Interview with <a href="/climber/702/niall-grimes" rel="noopener noreferrer">Niall Grimes</a> and <a href="/climber/540/nick-dixon" rel="noopener noreferrer">Nick Dixon</a> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gfAxYENlmU" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gfAxYENlmU</a></p>
<p>[2] Features in <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jkj3Buhfi2k" rel="noopener noreferrer">80's Birth of Extreme</a></p>
<p>[3] Interview for the film <em>Stone Monkey</em>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdeaV_vfp5Q" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdeaV_vfp5Q</a></p>
<p>[4] <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D88mEgfHJ-I" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D88mEgfHJ-I</a></p>
<p>[5] Interview with <a href="/climber/3087/jon-barton" rel="noopener noreferrer">Jon Barton</a>, On The Edge 63 (1996) <a href="/library/11066/on-the-edge-63" rel="noopener noreferrer">/library/11066/on-the-edge-63</a></p>
<p>[6] <em>What Climbing Has Taught Me</em> (2025) <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5L_uSJH7-30" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5L_uSJH7-30</a></p>
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| 204 | 23rd June 2026 | 22:30:07 UTC | TdG | climber | Johnny Dawes | notes | |
|
Before
Johnny Dawes is a very influential climber in the British climbing scene, with many of his routes from the 1980s helping to define the era. Alongside contemporaries such as [Jerry Moffatt](/climber/131/jerry-moffatt) and [Ben Moon](/climber/130/ben-moon) he helped take over the mantle from the likes of [Ron Fawcett](/climber/532/ron-fawcett) and pushed the standards in trad climbing to new levels, culminating in his ascent of [Indian Face](/climb/601/indian-face) on [Clogwyn Du'r Arddu (Cloggy)](/crag/457/clogwyn-du'r-arddu-(cloggy)) to give the UK it's first E9.
Whilst Johnny's trad climbing was cutting edge he did not embrace sport climbing in the way that many did in the early 90s, though he did still climb up to 8b+, a very respectable level for the time.
> [Jon Barton](/climber/3087/jon-barton): Do you think you ever shocked anybody Johnny?
> Well I'd been at this mad party over in Wales. I left in the early hours to drive over to Sheffield, I like driving at night when the roads are quiet. I could tell you about the Snake Pass first thing at dawn, but that's boring hippy stuff. I got to Sheffield, and broke into the back of [Al Rouse's](/climber/1215/alan-rouse) house. I was in the kitchen making coffee, admiring Al's new decorating efforts, I went up stairs and jumped into his room and onto the bed, to be faced by two worried looking strangers hiding under the duvet. Al had moved out some weeks earlier.
> JB: No Johnny, did you ever shock anybody with your climbing?
### References
[1] Interview with [Niall Grimes](/climber/702/niall-grimes) and [Nick Dixon](/climber/540/nick-dixon) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gfAxYENlmU](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gfAxYENlmU)
[2] Features in [80's Birth of Extreme](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jkj3Buhfi2k)
[3] Interview for the film *Stone Monkey*, [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdeaV_vfp5Q](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdeaV_vfp5Q)
[4] [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D88mEgfHJ-I](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D88mEgfHJ-I)
[5] Interview with [Jon Barton](/climber/3087/jon-barton), On The Edge 63 (1996) [/library/11066/on-the-edge-63](/library/11066/on-the-edge-63)
[6] *What Climbing Has Taught Me* (2025) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5L_uSJH7-30](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5L_uSJH7-30)
After
Johnny Dawes made an indelible contribution to British climbing in the 1980s and ‘90s.
Whilst contemporaries such as [Ben Moon](/climber/130/ben-moon) and [Jerry Moffatt](/climber/131/jerry-moffatt) pushed physical standards forwards, Johnny took a swerve sideways (probably getting the vehicle on two wheels in the process), bringing his restless innovation in movement to bear on some of the country’s most spectacular lines.
Dawes’s teenage years were spent honing his skills on the buildings around his school, but it wasn’t long before he made his presence known on the grit: the bold friction slab [Jugged Hare](/climb/6009/jugged-hare) (E6), climbed in EBs in 1983 was an aperitif for what was to come.
Jerry Moffatt had climbed [Ulysses' Bow](/climb/881/ulysses'-bow) (E6) in 1983 after extensive top rope practice. Just one year later Dawes soloed it onsight. He had made the route look easy, but as those who tried to follow him [found out the hard way](/climb/922/ulysses-or-bust), it was anything but.
A host of hard gritstone classics followed: [Braille Trail](/climb/3475/braille-trail) (E7), [Benign Lives](/climb/5798/benign-lives) (E7), [The Salmon](/climb/1450/the-salmon) (E7); [Sad Amongst Friends](/climb/2973/sad-amongst-friends) (E7) and [Silk](/climb/5782/silk) (E5) were climbed ground up.
In 1985, the North Wales slate beckoned, where Dawes found an affinity with its slabby style and slightly unhinged sparse bolting ethic. [Dawes of Perception](/climb/1167/dawes-of-perception) (E7) set a benchmark for difficulty and boldness that came to define the medium, whilst his best link on [The Meltdown](/climb/52/the-meltdown) project was worth at least 8c.
But the best was yet to come. 1986 was Dawes’s *annus mirabilis*: [Gaia](/climb/585/gaia) (E8), [End of the Affair](/climb/586/end-of-the-affair) (E8), and [Slab and Crack](/climb/622/slab-and-crack) (E8) on the grit; [Conan the Librarian](/climb/1187/conan-the-librarian) (E7) and [Come to Mother](/climb/1003/come-to-mother) (E7) on Gogarth; [Coeur de Lion](/climb/700/coeur-de-lion) (E8) and the majestic [The Quarryman](/climb/699/the-quarryman) (E8) on the slate.
But it was [Indian Face](/climb/601/indian-face) (E9) that topped them all, a harrowing quest up the Great Wall of [Clogwyn Du'r Arddu](/crag/457/clogwyn-du'r-arddu) and the country’s first E9. The route established a level of boldness that still may not have been surpassed, and has become a near-mythical part of British climbing lore.
The eighties was a time of conflicting styles as climbing evolved. The Indian Face was pre-inspected, but to a level that would be considered minimal by today’s standards. Although the more accessible classics such as [End of the Affair](/climb/586/end-of-the-affair) (E8) and [Gaia](/climb/585/gaia) (E8) are now regularly headpointed, few have matched the spirit and style of Dawes’s first ascents: End of the Affair was attempted ground-up with a terrifying fall, whilst the bold final moves on Gaia were climbed onsight.
The ground-up approach reached a new high watermark in 1988 when Dawes succeeded on the first ascent of [Hardback Thesaurus](/climb/1648/hardback-thesaurus) (E8) on Gogarth, but not before taking gear-ripping falls that were enough to make you feel sea sick. It remains one of the hardest ground-up first ascents.
The eighties also saw trips to [Sròn Uladail](/crag/778/sròn-uladail) to free climb [The Scoop](/climb/3047/the-scoop) (E7) and [Moskill Grooves](/climb/7131/moskill-grooves) (E6), multipitch monsters winding their way through the crag’s 50m overhanging girth.
The 1990s saw the bar for slab climbing raised further with [The Very Big and the Very Small](/climb/797/the-very-big-and-the-very-small) (8b+) on the slate and [Smoked Salmon](/climb/4123/smoked-salmon) (E8) and t[The Angel's Share](/climb/900/the-angel's-share) (7C) on the grit, the latter taking a harder line, above a harder landing, than is usually climbed today. A one-handed solo of [Downhill Racer](/climb/920/downhill-racer) was a typically Dawesian antic – he rated his effort E8.
In 1993, an attempt on Himalayan big wall [Meru Shark’s Fin](/summit/52/meru-peak) was abandoned when Dawes dropped a boot at 6000m.
In 1995 he repeated his friend [Nick Dixon](/climber/540/nick-dixon)’s masterpiece [Face Mecca](/climb/647/face-mecca) (E9), taking a parallel line to Indian Face. This marked the end of the superbold era.
The following years were spent exploring futuristic projects such as [Promontory Scoop](/climb/5479/promontory-scoop) and exploring inventive movement. In 2018 he pulled an ascent of an 8b+ slab in[La Pedriza](/crag/2660/la-pedriza) out the bag.
Dawes was captured climbing at his best in the 1986 film *Stone Monkey* by Alun Hughes, a cult classic that was shown on terrestrial television several times. In 1996 Dawes made *Best Forgotten Art*, a film about gritstone crack climbing that was the easy listening antidote to Ben And Jerry’s techno-energised *The Real Thing*, released around the same time. The difference between the two films is a perhaps encapsulates Dawes’s place in his era: a climber who stood alongside the sport’s leading performers, yet always seemed to be playing a different game.
> [Jon Barton](/climber/3087/jon-barton): Do you think you ever shocked anybody Johnny?
> Well I'd been at this mad party over in Wales. I left in the early hours to drive over to Sheffield, I like driving at night when the roads are quiet. I could tell you about the Snake Pass first thing at dawn, but that's boring hippy stuff. I got to Sheffield, and broke into the back of [Al Rouse's](/climber/1215/alan-rouse) house. I was in the kitchen making coffee, admiring Al's new decorating efforts, I went up stairs and jumped into his room and onto the bed, to be faced by two worried looking strangers hiding under the duvet. Al had moved out some weeks earlier.
> JB: No Johnny, did you ever shock anybody with your climbing?
### References
[1] Interview with [Niall Grimes](/climber/702/niall-grimes) and [Nick Dixon](/climber/540/nick-dixon) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gfAxYENlmU](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gfAxYENlmU)
[2] Features in [80's Birth of Extreme](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jkj3Buhfi2k)
[3] Interview for the film *Stone Monkey*, [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdeaV_vfp5Q](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdeaV_vfp5Q)
[4] [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D88mEgfHJ-I](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D88mEgfHJ-I)
[5] Interview with [Jon Barton](/climber/3087/jon-barton), On The Edge 63 (1996) [/library/11066/on-the-edge-63](/library/11066/on-the-edge-63)
[6] *What Climbing Has Taught Me* (2025) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5L_uSJH7-30](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5L_uSJH7-30)
Diff
--- before
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| 205 | 23rd June 2026 | 17:32:55 UTC | TdG | climb | Walk On By | notes | |
|
Before
So far under the radar it's almost antipodean, Walk On By was likely one of the hardest problems in the world when it was first climbed in 1980. The climb is located at [Curbar Edge](/crag/21/curbar-edge) in the heart of the Peak District and features old-school crimping on tiny edges up a vertical quarried wall. In an instructive example of British trad grading, it was given E3 6c.
The climb was discovered and named by [Steve Foster](/climber/3228/steve-foster), who climbed it first with one point of aid: manteling a peg at the start. He was mercilessly ribbed for this behaviour, motivating first ascentionist [Rob Gawthorpe](/climber/736/rob-gawthorpe) to show him how to do it properly. Gawthorpe commented:
>Walk On By is suited to my climbing style – thin, very technical steep walls, but not crazily overhanging. I think Leeds Wall was a key – [Al Manson](/climber/1011/al-manson) and I just used to test each other on brick-edge problems on the Leeds Wall – hence how I got good at using very small edges and rock-overs.
>It was obviously hard, but I didn't think it was really any harder than some of the other problems we'd been playing on in Yorkshire, particularly with Al Manson at [Caley](/crag/540/caley-crags), [Almscliff](/crag/373/almscliff) and [Hetchell](/crag/34554/hetchell). At that time I thought there were a couple of really hard projects at Caley that seemed much harder.
It took two decades and the steely fingers of [Ben Moon](/climber/130/ben-moon) to finally give the climb a second ascent.
Walk On By: as the 1991 guidebook quipped 'Good advice!'
### References
[1] On Peak Rock, 2013
After
So far under the radar it's almost antipodean, Walk On By was likely one of the hardest problems in the world when it was first climbed in 1980. The climb is located at [Curbar Edge](/crag/21/curbar-edge) in the heart of the Peak District and features old-school crimping on tiny edges up a vertical quarried wall. In an instructive example of British grading, it was given E3 6c.
The climb was discovered and named by [Steve Foster](/climber/3228/steve-foster), who climbed it first with one point of aid: manteling a peg at the start. He was mercilessly ribbed for this behaviour, motivating first ascentionist [Rob Gawthorpe](/climber/736/rob-gawthorpe) to show him how to do it properly. Gawthorpe commented:
>Walk On By is suited to my climbing style – thin, very technical steep walls, but not crazily overhanging. I think Leeds Wall was a key – [Al Manson](/climber/1011/al-manson) and I just used to test each other on brick-edge problems on the Leeds Wall – hence how I got good at using very small edges and rock-overs.
>It was obviously hard, but I didn't think it was really any harder than some of the other problems we'd been playing on in Yorkshire, particularly with Al Manson at [Caley](/crag/540/caley-crags), [Almscliff](/crag/373/almscliff) and [Hetchell](/crag/34554/hetchell). At that time I thought there were a couple of really hard projects at Caley that seemed much harder.
It took two decades and the steely fingers of [Ben Moon](/climber/130/ben-moon) to finally give the climb a second ascent.
Walk On By: as the 1991 guidebook quipped, 'Good advice!'
### References
[1] On Peak Rock, 2013
Diff
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| 206 | 23rd June 2026 | 17:32:55 UTC | TdG | climb | Walk On By | notes_pretty | |
|
Before
<p>So far under the radar it's almost antipodean, Walk On By was likely one of the hardest problems in the world when it was first climbed in 1980. The climb is located at <a href="/crag/21/curbar-edge" rel="noopener noreferrer">Curbar Edge</a> in the heart of the Peak District and features old-school crimping on tiny edges up a vertical quarried wall. In an instructive example of British trad grading, it was given E3 6c.</p>
<p>The climb was discovered and named by <a href="/climber/3228/steve-foster" rel="noopener noreferrer">Steve Foster</a>, who climbed it first with one point of aid: manteling a peg at the start. He was mercilessly ribbed for this behaviour, motivating first ascentionist <a href="/climber/736/rob-gawthorpe" rel="noopener noreferrer">Rob Gawthorpe</a> to show him how to do it properly. Gawthorpe commented:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Walk On By is suited to my climbing style – thin, very technical steep walls, but not crazily overhanging. I think Leeds Wall was a key – <a href="/climber/1011/al-manson" rel="noopener noreferrer">Al Manson</a> and I just used to test each other on brick-edge problems on the Leeds Wall – hence how I got good at using very small edges and rock-overs.</p>
<p>It was obviously hard, but I didn't think it was really any harder than some of the other problems we'd been playing on in Yorkshire, particularly with Al Manson at <a href="/crag/540/caley-crags" rel="noopener noreferrer">Caley</a>, <a href="/crag/373/almscliff" rel="noopener noreferrer">Almscliff</a> and <a href="/crag/34554/hetchell" rel="noopener noreferrer">Hetchell</a>. At that time I thought there were a couple of really hard projects at Caley that seemed much harder.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>It took two decades and the steely fingers of <a href="/climber/130/ben-moon" rel="noopener noreferrer">Ben Moon</a> to finally give the climb a second ascent.</p>
<p>Walk On By: as the 1991 guidebook quipped 'Good advice!'</p>
<h3>References</h3>
<p>[1] On Peak Rock, 2013</p>
After
<p>So far under the radar it's almost antipodean, Walk On By was likely one of the hardest problems in the world when it was first climbed in 1980. The climb is located at <a href="/crag/21/curbar-edge" rel="noopener noreferrer">Curbar Edge</a> in the heart of the Peak District and features old-school crimping on tiny edges up a vertical quarried wall. In an instructive example of British grading, it was given E3 6c.</p>
<p>The climb was discovered and named by <a href="/climber/3228/steve-foster" rel="noopener noreferrer">Steve Foster</a>, who climbed it first with one point of aid: manteling a peg at the start. He was mercilessly ribbed for this behaviour, motivating first ascentionist <a href="/climber/736/rob-gawthorpe" rel="noopener noreferrer">Rob Gawthorpe</a> to show him how to do it properly. Gawthorpe commented:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Walk On By is suited to my climbing style – thin, very technical steep walls, but not crazily overhanging. I think Leeds Wall was a key – <a href="/climber/1011/al-manson" rel="noopener noreferrer">Al Manson</a> and I just used to test each other on brick-edge problems on the Leeds Wall – hence how I got good at using very small edges and rock-overs.</p>
<p>It was obviously hard, but I didn't think it was really any harder than some of the other problems we'd been playing on in Yorkshire, particularly with Al Manson at <a href="/crag/540/caley-crags" rel="noopener noreferrer">Caley</a>, <a href="/crag/373/almscliff" rel="noopener noreferrer">Almscliff</a> and <a href="/crag/34554/hetchell" rel="noopener noreferrer">Hetchell</a>. At that time I thought there were a couple of really hard projects at Caley that seemed much harder.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>It took two decades and the steely fingers of <a href="/climber/130/ben-moon" rel="noopener noreferrer">Ben Moon</a> to finally give the climb a second ascent.</p>
<p>Walk On By: as the 1991 guidebook quipped, 'Good advice!'</p>
<h3>References</h3>
<p>[1] On Peak Rock, 2013</p>
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| 207 | 23rd June 2026 | 16:13:31 UTC | TdG | climb | The Prophet | featurable | |
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Before
false
After
true
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| 208 | 23rd June 2026 | 16:13:12 UTC | TdG | climb | The Prophet | notes | |
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Before
[Will Stanhope](/climber/619/will-stanhope):
> Picture this: You’re halfway up the right side of El Capitan. Below you is a string of maybe-hold-bodyweight pieces plugged into the scaly grey stone. The footholds are crispy and slowly spitting gravel away at the sides, so you’re gently rocking your weight back and forth on each foot to avoid one snapping off altogether. The most feasible line heads left, around a bulge, maybe. It looks hard. There’s no way to tell if it leads to decent gear, or to better holds. All around you the rock is sharp, fractured and overhanging. Alarm bells are going off. This doesn’t feel right.
> What would you do? Forge on, running on faith, trusting in your own abilities, or back off? Nobody would blame you at this point for throwing in the towel. They’d likely just call it good judgement. It is the smart thing to do. If you go, you’re deeply committed.
> This isn’t a fictional story. [Leo Houlding](/climber/574/leo-houlding) actually went for it around the bulge, yanked the smallest of micro-wires into a bottoming seam, then promptly fell onto it, core-shotting one of his ropes. He eventually completed the pitch, dubbing it “The Screamer.” Having been there, I can’t imagine a bolder effort. Some would use the term “reckless”, and they might be right in that description. [1]
### References
[1] [https://gripped.com/news/the-prophet-el-capitan/](https://gripped.com/news/the-prophet-el-capitan/)
After
Leo Houlding's swansong on El Cap. The route takes in over 1000ft of sustained hard climbing including the notorious 'Devil's Dyno' and the crux 'A1 Beauty' seam.
Leo started trying the route ground-up in 2001. [Will Stanhope](/climber/619/will-stanhope) describes the climbing:
> Picture this: You’re halfway up the right side of El Capitan. Below you is a string of maybe-hold-bodyweight pieces plugged into the scaly grey stone. The footholds are crispy and slowly spitting gravel away at the sides, so you’re gently rocking your weight back and forth on each foot to avoid one snapping off altogether. The most feasible line heads left, around a bulge, maybe. It looks hard. There’s no way to tell if it leads to decent gear, or to better holds. All around you the rock is sharp, fractured and overhanging. Alarm bells are going off. This doesn’t feel right.
> What would you do? Forge on, running on faith, trusting in your own abilities, or back off? Nobody would blame you at this point for throwing in the towel. They’d likely just call it good judgement. It is the smart thing to do. If you go, you’re deeply committed.
> This isn’t a fictional story. [Leo Houlding](/climber/574/leo-houlding) actually went for it around the bulge, yanked the smallest of micro-wires into a bottoming seam, then promptly fell onto it, core-shotting one of his ropes. He eventually completed the pitch, dubbing it “The Screamer.” Having been there, I can’t imagine a bolder effort. Some would use the term “reckless”, and they might be right in that description. [1]
The ground-up attempts ended with Leo's partner [Jason Pickles](/climber/1488/jason-pickles) hospitalised.
They eventually completed the route in 2010. Determined to climb it in a single push, the pair were marooned in a severe storm high on El Cap for five days before Leo pulled it out the bag to finish the job.
### References
[1] [https://gripped.com/news/the-prophet-el-capitan/](https://gripped.com/news/the-prophet-el-capitan/)
Diff
--- before
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| 209 | 23rd June 2026 | 16:13:12 UTC | TdG | climb | The Prophet | notes_pretty | |
|
Before
<p><a href="/climber/619/will-stanhope" rel="noopener noreferrer">Will Stanhope</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Picture this: You’re halfway up the right side of El Capitan. Below you is a string of maybe-hold-bodyweight pieces plugged into the scaly grey stone. The footholds are crispy and slowly spitting gravel away at the sides, so you’re gently rocking your weight back and forth on each foot to avoid one snapping off altogether. The most feasible line heads left, around a bulge, maybe. It looks hard. There’s no way to tell if it leads to decent gear, or to better holds. All around you the rock is sharp, fractured and overhanging. Alarm bells are going off. This doesn’t feel right.</p>
<p>What would you do? Forge on, running on faith, trusting in your own abilities, or back off? Nobody would blame you at this point for throwing in the towel. They’d likely just call it good judgement. It is the smart thing to do. If you go, you’re deeply committed.</p>
<p>This isn’t a fictional story. <a href="/climber/574/leo-houlding" rel="noopener noreferrer">Leo Houlding</a> actually went for it around the bulge, yanked the smallest of micro-wires into a bottoming seam, then promptly fell onto it, core-shotting one of his ropes. He eventually completed the pitch, dubbing it “The Screamer.” Having been there, I can’t imagine a bolder effort. Some would use the term “reckless”, and they might be right in that description. [1]</p>
</blockquote>
<h3>References</h3>
<p>[1] <a href="https://gripped.com/news/the-prophet-el-capitan/" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://gripped.com/news/the-prophet-el-capitan/</a></p>
After
<p>Leo Houlding's swansong on El Cap. The route takes in over 1000ft of sustained hard climbing including the notorious 'Devil's Dyno' and the crux 'A1 Beauty' seam.</p>
<p>Leo started trying the route ground-up in 2001. <a href="/climber/619/will-stanhope" rel="noopener noreferrer">Will Stanhope</a> describes the climbing:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Picture this: You’re halfway up the right side of El Capitan. Below you is a string of maybe-hold-bodyweight pieces plugged into the scaly grey stone. The footholds are crispy and slowly spitting gravel away at the sides, so you’re gently rocking your weight back and forth on each foot to avoid one snapping off altogether. The most feasible line heads left, around a bulge, maybe. It looks hard. There’s no way to tell if it leads to decent gear, or to better holds. All around you the rock is sharp, fractured and overhanging. Alarm bells are going off. This doesn’t feel right.</p>
<p>What would you do? Forge on, running on faith, trusting in your own abilities, or back off? Nobody would blame you at this point for throwing in the towel. They’d likely just call it good judgement. It is the smart thing to do. If you go, you’re deeply committed.</p>
<p>This isn’t a fictional story. <a href="/climber/574/leo-houlding" rel="noopener noreferrer">Leo Houlding</a> actually went for it around the bulge, yanked the smallest of micro-wires into a bottoming seam, then promptly fell onto it, core-shotting one of his ropes. He eventually completed the pitch, dubbing it “The Screamer.” Having been there, I can’t imagine a bolder effort. Some would use the term “reckless”, and they might be right in that description. [1]</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The ground-up attempts ended with Leo's partner <a href="/climber/1488/jason-pickles" rel="noopener noreferrer">Jason Pickles</a> hospitalised.</p>
<p>They eventually completed the route in 2010. Determined to climb it in a single push, the pair were marooned in a severe storm high on El Cap for five days before Leo pulled it out the bag to finish the job.</p>
<h3>References</h3>
<p>[1] <a href="https://gripped.com/news/the-prophet-el-capitan/" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://gripped.com/news/the-prophet-el-capitan/</a></p>
|
|||||||
| 210 | 23rd June 2026 | 15:16:12 UTC | TdG | climb | Kakusei | notes | |
|
Before
Probably one of the hardest slab problems in the world.
The line was subject of some controversy in Japan c.2020 after repeats were claimed that drifted onto slightly easier ground to the left. It was later clarified by first ascensionist [Tokio Muroi](/climber/842/tokio-muroi) that a sloper on [Zutsu](/climb/5494/zutsu) was out. [1]
It’s not known if all the repeats before the clarification followed the strict line.
### References
[1] [https://note.com/rockandcode/n/n5510ab78f582](https://note.com/rockandcode/n/n5510ab78f582)
After
One of the hardest slab problems in the world. The impeccably smooth Fukano Slab ("impossible slab") was one of the last great problems in [Ogawayama](/crag/12418/ogawayama) bouldering, initially solved by [Toshimichi Kusano](/climber/3093/toshimichi-kusano)'s [Zutsu](/climb/5494/zutsu) (8B), which starts centrally and traverses off left.
After many seasons of effort, climbing ground up and without a pad, [Tokio Muroi](/climber/842/tokio-muroi) filled the remaining lines on the slab [Bansosha](/climb/2426/bansosha) (8B) and [Fuminsho](/climb/5495/fuminsho) (8B), before turning his attention to completing the obvious straight-up finish to Zutsu. He eventually succeeded in the wintery depths of December 2007, creating Kakusei – an achievement that went largely unnoticed outside Japan.
The problem came to wider attention in 2023 when other problems made claims to be the world's hardest slab and [Yuki Miyashita](/climber/1526/yuki-miyashita)'s 2021 [video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAAc2BZtz1E) of his extraordinary efforts to repeat the climb was discovered.
The line was subject of some controversy in Japan c.2020 after repeats were claimed where the climber drifted onto slightly easier ground to the left. It was later clarified by first ascensionist [Tokio Muroi](/climber/842/tokio-muroi) that a sloper on [Zutsu](/climb/5494/zutsu) was out. It’s not known if all the repeats before the clarification followed the strict line. [1]
### References
[1] [https://note.com/rockandcode/n/n5510ab78f582](https://note.com/rockandcode/n/n5510ab78f582)
Diff
--- before
|
|||||||
| 211 | 23rd June 2026 | 15:16:12 UTC | TdG | climb | Kakusei | notes_pretty | |
|
Before
<p>Probably one of the hardest slab problems in the world.</p>
<p>The line was subject of some controversy in Japan c.2020 after repeats were claimed that drifted onto slightly easier ground to the left. It was later clarified by first ascensionist <a href="/climber/842/tokio-muroi" rel="noopener noreferrer">Tokio Muroi</a> that a sloper on <a href="/climb/5494/zutsu" rel="noopener noreferrer">Zutsu</a> was out. [1]</p>
<p>It’s not known if all the repeats before the clarification followed the strict line. </p>
<h3>References</h3>
<p>[1] <a href="https://note.com/rockandcode/n/n5510ab78f582" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://note.com/rockandcode/n/n5510ab78f582</a></p>
After
<p>One of the hardest slab problems in the world. The impeccably smooth Fukano Slab ("impossible slab") was one of the last great problems in <a href="/crag/12418/ogawayama" rel="noopener noreferrer">Ogawayama</a> bouldering, initially solved by <a href="/climber/3093/toshimichi-kusano" rel="noopener noreferrer">Toshimichi Kusano</a>'s <a href="/climb/5494/zutsu" rel="noopener noreferrer">Zutsu</a> (8B), which starts centrally and traverses off left. </p>
<p>After many seasons of effort, climbing ground up and without a pad, <a href="/climber/842/tokio-muroi" rel="noopener noreferrer">Tokio Muroi</a> filled the remaining lines on the slab <a href="/climb/2426/bansosha" rel="noopener noreferrer">Bansosha</a> (8B) and <a href="/climb/5495/fuminsho" rel="noopener noreferrer">Fuminsho</a> (8B), before turning his attention to completing the obvious straight-up finish to Zutsu. He eventually succeeded in the wintery depths of December 2007, creating Kakusei – an achievement that went largely unnoticed outside Japan.</p>
<p>The problem came to wider attention in 2023 when other problems made claims to be the world's hardest slab and <a href="/climber/1526/yuki-miyashita" rel="noopener noreferrer">Yuki Miyashita</a>'s 2021 <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAAc2BZtz1E" rel="noopener noreferrer">video</a> of his extraordinary efforts to repeat the climb was discovered.</p>
<p>The line was subject of some controversy in Japan c.2020 after repeats were claimed where the climber drifted onto slightly easier ground to the left. It was later clarified by first ascensionist <a href="/climber/842/tokio-muroi" rel="noopener noreferrer">Tokio Muroi</a> that a sloper on <a href="/climb/5494/zutsu" rel="noopener noreferrer">Zutsu</a> was out. It’s not known if all the repeats before the clarification followed the strict line. [1]</p>
<h3>References</h3>
<p>[1] <a href="https://note.com/rockandcode/n/n5510ab78f582" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://note.com/rockandcode/n/n5510ab78f582</a></p>
|
|||||||
| 212 | 23rd June 2026 | 15:16:12 UTC | TdG | climb | Kakusei | featurable | |
|
Before
false
After
true
|
|||||||
| 213 | 23rd June 2026 | 15:05:12 UTC | TdG | climb | Zutsu | notes | |
|
Before
Slab left of [Bansosha](/climb/2426/bansosha), moving left to finish up that route. [Kakusei](/climb/2425/kakusei) is the direct finish.
8B in the guide, 8A+ on [Rocktopo.net](https://www.rocktopo.net/routes/6850), some people taking 8A, or even 7C+. Typical slab grades!
After
Slab right of [Bansosha](/climb/2426/bansosha), moving left to finish up that route. [Kakusei](/climb/2425/kakusei) is the direct finish.
8B in the guide, 8A+ on [Rocktopo.net](https://www.rocktopo.net/routes/6850), some people taking 8A, or even 7C+. Typical slab grades!
Diff
--- before
|
|||||||
| 214 | 23rd June 2026 | 15:05:12 UTC | TdG | climb | Zutsu | notes_pretty | |
|
Before
<p>Slab left of <a href="/climb/2426/bansosha" rel="noopener noreferrer">Bansosha</a>, moving left to finish up that route. <a href="/climb/2425/kakusei" rel="noopener noreferrer">Kakusei</a> is the direct finish.</p>
<p>8B in the guide, 8A+ on <a href="https://www.rocktopo.net/routes/6850" rel="noopener noreferrer">Rocktopo.net</a>, some people taking 8A, or even 7C+. Typical slab grades!</p>
After
<p>Slab right of <a href="/climb/2426/bansosha" rel="noopener noreferrer">Bansosha</a>, moving left to finish up that route. <a href="/climb/2425/kakusei" rel="noopener noreferrer">Kakusei</a> is the direct finish.</p>
<p>8B in the guide, 8A+ on <a href="https://www.rocktopo.net/routes/6850" rel="noopener noreferrer">Rocktopo.net</a>, some people taking 8A, or even 7C+. Typical slab grades!</p>
|
|||||||
| 215 | 23rd June 2026 | 15:02:34 UTC | TdG | climb | Mushi | featurable | |
|
Before
false
After
true
|
|||||||
| 216 | 23rd June 2026 | 15:02:21 UTC | TdG | climb | Mushi | notes_pretty | |
|
Before
<p>One of the most celebrated and oft-tried testpieces in Japan, Mushi is a rite of passage. An obvious line at Tokyo's popular <a href="/crag/18512/mitake" rel="noopener noreferrer">Mitake</a> bouldering area, it was apparently tried by <a href="/climber/131/jerry-moffatt" rel="noopener noreferrer">Jerry Moffatt</a> on a flying visit in 1984. It took the extended efforts of Japanese bouldering pioneer <a href="/climber/3093/toshimichi-kusano" rel="noopener noreferrer">Toshimichi Kusano</a> to unlock the problem's secrets, creating the second 3-Dan (7C+/8A) in Japan, after <a href="/climb/5544/kani" rel="noopener noreferrer">Kani</a>. </p>
<p><a href="/climber/3093/toshimichi-kusano" rel="noopener noreferrer">Toshimichi Kusano</a> recounts his process:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>After 'Kani', I already knew what I wanted to try next. The line started on Ninja Gaeshi, then reached out toward a seductive lip hold that seemed to beckon climbers closer — this would become Mushi (“Bug”). It was a legendary line, said to have been spotted and attempted by the British superstar <a href="/climber/131/jerry-moffatt" rel="noopener noreferrer">Jerry Moffatt</a> when he visited Japan in 1984. And yet no one had seriously tried it since.</p>
<p>It wasn’t hard to see why. The first left-hand vertical hold is slick and tiny — enough to make most people give up right there. Still, I kept going. After that hold, I’d try lunging across from a left-hand crimp in a kind of cross move. No good. It didn’t feel possible.</p>
<p>But I couldn’t stop thinking that maybe one day it would be. I started visiting Mitake more often. And really, at that point, that stunning and mysterious line felt like it belonged to me alone. There was no reason not to try.</p>
<p>Then winter — the season when holds stay dry — came to an end. As always, spring brought a mix of urgency and doubt. Around then, I went to Mitake with Takahashi, a tall friend. We were trying to work the upper section, and he pushed me from below so I could stick to the wall. There was this tiny dimple I’d always noticed from the ground — I finally touched it. “This could work.”</p>
<p>He pushed me up again, and this time I grabbed that dimple with my right hand and started the sequence. I launched my left hand for the lip — and stuck it. “It goes!”</p>
<p>I can’t even remember if I went back for one more session or not, but now that I’d found the move, I was so excited to try again.</p>
<p>It was a crisp, sunny day in May 1996. I felt good. I began my usual quiet warm-up. Every move on Mushi was big, but it wasn’t cold, so my body moved well. I matched my right hand to that little dimple. I still had strength. I popped to the lip. My hand stuck. From here, it was unknown territory. But the holds were clear, my body moved naturally — and I climbed it. I stood on top of the boulder.</p>
<p>In Japanese, when someone is obsessed with something, we call them a bug for it — like a “climbing bug.” I wanted climbers to become bugs for climbing, and of course, to move across the rock like insects, freely and playfully. That’s why I named the line Mushi.</p>
</blockquote>
<h3>References</h3>
<p>[1] Mitake Bouldering Guide</p>
After
<p>One of the most celebrated and oft-tried testpieces in Japan, Mushi is a rite of passage. An obvious line at Tokyo's popular <a href="/crag/18512/mitake" rel="noopener noreferrer">Mitake</a> bouldering area, it was apparently tried by <a href="/climber/131/jerry-moffatt" rel="noopener noreferrer">Jerry Moffatt</a> on a flying visit in 1984. It took the extended efforts of Japanese bouldering pioneer <a href="/climber/3093/toshimichi-kusano" rel="noopener noreferrer">Toshimichi Kusano</a> to unlock the problem's secrets, creating the second 3-Dan (7C+/8A) in Japan, after <a href="/climb/5544/kani" rel="noopener noreferrer">Kani</a>. </p>
<p><a href="/climber/3093/toshimichi-kusano" rel="noopener noreferrer">Toshimichi Kusano</a> recounts his process:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>After 'Kani', I already knew what I wanted to try next. The line started on Ninja Gaeshi, then reached out toward a seductive lip hold that seemed to beckon climbers closer — this would become Mushi (“Bug”). It was a legendary line, said to have been spotted and attempted by the British superstar <a href="/climber/131/jerry-moffatt" rel="noopener noreferrer">Jerry Moffatt</a> when he visited Japan in 1984. And yet no one had seriously tried it since.</p>
<p>It wasn’t hard to see why. The first left-hand vertical hold is slick and tiny — enough to make most people give up right there. Still, I kept going. After that hold, I’d try lunging across from a left-hand crimp in a kind of cross move. No good. It didn’t feel possible.</p>
<p>But I couldn’t stop thinking that maybe one day it would be. I started visiting Mitake more often. And really, at that point, that stunning and mysterious line felt like it belonged to me alone. There was no reason not to try.</p>
<p>Then winter — the season when holds stay dry — came to an end. As always, spring brought a mix of urgency and doubt. Around then, I went to Mitake with Takahashi, a tall friend. We were trying to work the upper section, and he pushed me from below so I could stick to the wall. There was this tiny dimple I’d always noticed from the ground — I finally touched it. “This could work.”</p>
<p>He pushed me up again, and this time I grabbed that dimple with my right hand and started the sequence. I launched my left hand for the lip — and stuck it. “It goes!”</p>
<p>I can’t even remember if I went back for one more session or not, but now that I’d found the move, I was so excited to try again.</p>
<p>It was a crisp, sunny day in May 1996. I felt good. I began my usual quiet warm-up. Every move on Mushi was big, but it wasn’t cold, so my body moved well. I matched my right hand to that little dimple. I still had strength. I popped to the lip. My hand stuck. From here, it was unknown territory. But the holds were clear, my body moved naturally — and I climbed it. I stood on top of the boulder.</p>
<p>In Japanese, when someone is obsessed with something, we call them a bug for it — like a “climbing bug.” I wanted climbers to become bugs for climbing, and of course, to move across the rock like insects, freely and playfully. That’s why I named the line Mushi.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>In 2001 <a href="/climber/680/dai-koyamada" rel="noopener noreferrer">Dai Koyamada</a> went one further, traversing <a href="/climb/5544/kani" rel="noopener noreferrer">Kani</a> (7C+) to finish up Mushi, creating the unrelenting power-endurance line <a href="/climb/5546/kani-mushi" rel="noopener noreferrer">Kani Mushi</a> (8A+). </p>
<h3>References</h3>
<p>[1] Mitake Bouldering Guide</p>
|
|||||||
| 217 | 23rd June 2026 | 15:02:21 UTC | TdG | climb | Mushi | notes | |
|
Before
One of the most celebrated and oft-tried testpieces in Japan, Mushi is a rite of passage. An obvious line at Tokyo's popular [Mitake](/crag/18512/mitake) bouldering area, it was apparently tried by [Jerry Moffatt](/climber/131/jerry-moffatt) on a flying visit in 1984. It took the extended efforts of Japanese bouldering pioneer [Toshimichi Kusano](/climber/3093/toshimichi-kusano) to unlock the problem's secrets, creating the second 3-Dan (7C+/8A) in Japan, after [Kani](/climb/5544/kani).
[Toshimichi Kusano](/climber/3093/toshimichi-kusano) recounts his process:
> After 'Kani', I already knew what I wanted to try next. The line started on Ninja Gaeshi, then reached out toward a seductive lip hold that seemed to beckon climbers closer — this would become Mushi (“Bug”). It was a legendary line, said to have been spotted and attempted by the British superstar [Jerry Moffatt](/climber/131/jerry-moffatt) when he visited Japan in 1984. And yet no one had seriously tried it since.
>It wasn’t hard to see why. The first left-hand vertical hold is slick and tiny — enough to make most people give up right there. Still, I kept going. After that hold, I’d try lunging across from a left-hand crimp in a kind of cross move. No good. It didn’t feel possible.
>But I couldn’t stop thinking that maybe one day it would be. I started visiting Mitake more often. And really, at that point, that stunning and mysterious line felt like it belonged to me alone. There was no reason not to try.
>Then winter — the season when holds stay dry — came to an end. As always, spring brought a mix of urgency and doubt. Around then, I went to Mitake with Takahashi, a tall friend. We were trying to work the upper section, and he pushed me from below so I could stick to the wall. There was this tiny dimple I’d always noticed from the ground — I finally touched it. “This could work.”
>He pushed me up again, and this time I grabbed that dimple with my right hand and started the sequence. I launched my left hand for the lip — and stuck it. “It goes!”
>I can’t even remember if I went back for one more session or not, but now that I’d found the move, I was so excited to try again.
>It was a crisp, sunny day in May 1996. I felt good. I began my usual quiet warm-up. Every move on Mushi was big, but it wasn’t cold, so my body moved well. I matched my right hand to that little dimple. I still had strength. I popped to the lip. My hand stuck. From here, it was unknown territory. But the holds were clear, my body moved naturally — and I climbed it. I stood on top of the boulder.
>In Japanese, when someone is obsessed with something, we call them a bug for it — like a “climbing bug.” I wanted climbers to become bugs for climbing, and of course, to move across the rock like insects, freely and playfully. That’s why I named the line Mushi.
### References
[1] Mitake Bouldering Guide
After
One of the most celebrated and oft-tried testpieces in Japan, Mushi is a rite of passage. An obvious line at Tokyo's popular [Mitake](/crag/18512/mitake) bouldering area, it was apparently tried by [Jerry Moffatt](/climber/131/jerry-moffatt) on a flying visit in 1984. It took the extended efforts of Japanese bouldering pioneer [Toshimichi Kusano](/climber/3093/toshimichi-kusano) to unlock the problem's secrets, creating the second 3-Dan (7C+/8A) in Japan, after [Kani](/climb/5544/kani).
[Toshimichi Kusano](/climber/3093/toshimichi-kusano) recounts his process:
> After 'Kani', I already knew what I wanted to try next. The line started on Ninja Gaeshi, then reached out toward a seductive lip hold that seemed to beckon climbers closer — this would become Mushi (“Bug”). It was a legendary line, said to have been spotted and attempted by the British superstar [Jerry Moffatt](/climber/131/jerry-moffatt) when he visited Japan in 1984. And yet no one had seriously tried it since.
>It wasn’t hard to see why. The first left-hand vertical hold is slick and tiny — enough to make most people give up right there. Still, I kept going. After that hold, I’d try lunging across from a left-hand crimp in a kind of cross move. No good. It didn’t feel possible.
>But I couldn’t stop thinking that maybe one day it would be. I started visiting Mitake more often. And really, at that point, that stunning and mysterious line felt like it belonged to me alone. There was no reason not to try.
>Then winter — the season when holds stay dry — came to an end. As always, spring brought a mix of urgency and doubt. Around then, I went to Mitake with Takahashi, a tall friend. We were trying to work the upper section, and he pushed me from below so I could stick to the wall. There was this tiny dimple I’d always noticed from the ground — I finally touched it. “This could work.”
>He pushed me up again, and this time I grabbed that dimple with my right hand and started the sequence. I launched my left hand for the lip — and stuck it. “It goes!”
>I can’t even remember if I went back for one more session or not, but now that I’d found the move, I was so excited to try again.
>It was a crisp, sunny day in May 1996. I felt good. I began my usual quiet warm-up. Every move on Mushi was big, but it wasn’t cold, so my body moved well. I matched my right hand to that little dimple. I still had strength. I popped to the lip. My hand stuck. From here, it was unknown territory. But the holds were clear, my body moved naturally — and I climbed it. I stood on top of the boulder.
>In Japanese, when someone is obsessed with something, we call them a bug for it — like a “climbing bug.” I wanted climbers to become bugs for climbing, and of course, to move across the rock like insects, freely and playfully. That’s why I named the line Mushi.
In 2001 [Dai Koyamada](/climber/680/dai-koyamada) went one further, traversing [Kani](/climb/5544/kani) (7C+) to finish up Mushi, creating the unrelenting power-endurance line [Kani Mushi](/climb/5546/kani-mushi) (8A+).
### References
[1] Mitake Bouldering Guide
Diff
--- before
|
|||||||
| 218 | 23rd June 2026 | 14:59:06 UTC | TdG | climb | Mushi | See Also | |
|
Before
None
After
5546
|
|||||||
| 219 | 23rd June 2026 | 14:58:42 UTC | TdG | climb | Mushi | notes_pretty | |
|
Before
<p>The second 3-Dan (7C+/8A) in Japan, after <a href="/climb/5544/kani" rel="noopener noreferrer">Kani</a>. </p>
<p>First ascensionist <a href="/climber/3093/toshimichi-kusano" rel="noopener noreferrer">Toshimichi Kusano</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>After 'Kani', I already knew what I wanted to try next. The line started on Ninja Gaeshi, then reached out toward a seductive lip hold that seemed to beckon climbers closer — this would become Mushi (“Bug”). It was a legendary line, said to have been spotted and attempted by the British superstar Jerry Moffatt when he visited Japan in 1984. And yet no one had seriously tried it since.</p>
<p>It wasn’t hard to see why. The first left-hand vertical hold is slick and tiny — enough to make most people give up right there. Still, I kept going. After that hold, I’d try lunging across from a left-hand crimp in a kind of cross move. No good. It didn’t feel possible.</p>
<p>But I couldn’t stop thinking that maybe one day it would be. I started visiting Mitake more often. And really, at that point, that stunning and mysterious line felt like it belonged to me alone. There was no reason not to try.</p>
<p>Then winter — the season when holds stay dry — came to an end. As always, spring brought a mix of urgency and doubt. Around then, I went to Mitake with Takahashi, a tall friend. We were trying to work the upper section, and he pushed me from below so I could stick to the wall. There was this tiny dimple I’d always noticed from the ground — I finally touched it. “This could work.”</p>
<p>He pushed me up again, and this time I grabbed that dimple with my right hand and started the sequence. I launched my left hand for the lip — and stuck it. “It goes!”</p>
<p>I can’t even remember if I went back for one more session or not, but now that I’d found the move, I was so excited to try again.</p>
<p>It was a crisp, sunny day in May 1996. I felt good. I began my usual quiet warm-up. Every move on Mushi was big, but it wasn’t cold, so my body moved well. I matched my right hand to that little dimple. I still had strength. I popped to the lip. My hand stuck. From here, it was unknown territory. But the holds were clear, my body moved naturally — and I climbed it. I stood on top of the boulder.</p>
<p>In Japanese, when someone is obsessed with something, we call them a bug for it — like a “climbing bug.” I wanted climbers to become bugs for climbing, and of course, to move across the rock like insects, freely and playfully. That’s why I named the line Mushi.</p>
</blockquote>
<h3>References</h3>
<p>[1] Mitake Bouldering Guide</p>
After
<p>One of the most celebrated and oft-tried testpieces in Japan, Mushi is a rite of passage. An obvious line at Tokyo's popular <a href="/crag/18512/mitake" rel="noopener noreferrer">Mitake</a> bouldering area, it was apparently tried by <a href="/climber/131/jerry-moffatt" rel="noopener noreferrer">Jerry Moffatt</a> on a flying visit in 1984. It took the extended efforts of Japanese bouldering pioneer <a href="/climber/3093/toshimichi-kusano" rel="noopener noreferrer">Toshimichi Kusano</a> to unlock the problem's secrets, creating the second 3-Dan (7C+/8A) in Japan, after <a href="/climb/5544/kani" rel="noopener noreferrer">Kani</a>. </p>
<p><a href="/climber/3093/toshimichi-kusano" rel="noopener noreferrer">Toshimichi Kusano</a> recounts his process:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>After 'Kani', I already knew what I wanted to try next. The line started on Ninja Gaeshi, then reached out toward a seductive lip hold that seemed to beckon climbers closer — this would become Mushi (“Bug”). It was a legendary line, said to have been spotted and attempted by the British superstar <a href="/climber/131/jerry-moffatt" rel="noopener noreferrer">Jerry Moffatt</a> when he visited Japan in 1984. And yet no one had seriously tried it since.</p>
<p>It wasn’t hard to see why. The first left-hand vertical hold is slick and tiny — enough to make most people give up right there. Still, I kept going. After that hold, I’d try lunging across from a left-hand crimp in a kind of cross move. No good. It didn’t feel possible.</p>
<p>But I couldn’t stop thinking that maybe one day it would be. I started visiting Mitake more often. And really, at that point, that stunning and mysterious line felt like it belonged to me alone. There was no reason not to try.</p>
<p>Then winter — the season when holds stay dry — came to an end. As always, spring brought a mix of urgency and doubt. Around then, I went to Mitake with Takahashi, a tall friend. We were trying to work the upper section, and he pushed me from below so I could stick to the wall. There was this tiny dimple I’d always noticed from the ground — I finally touched it. “This could work.”</p>
<p>He pushed me up again, and this time I grabbed that dimple with my right hand and started the sequence. I launched my left hand for the lip — and stuck it. “It goes!”</p>
<p>I can’t even remember if I went back for one more session or not, but now that I’d found the move, I was so excited to try again.</p>
<p>It was a crisp, sunny day in May 1996. I felt good. I began my usual quiet warm-up. Every move on Mushi was big, but it wasn’t cold, so my body moved well. I matched my right hand to that little dimple. I still had strength. I popped to the lip. My hand stuck. From here, it was unknown territory. But the holds were clear, my body moved naturally — and I climbed it. I stood on top of the boulder.</p>
<p>In Japanese, when someone is obsessed with something, we call them a bug for it — like a “climbing bug.” I wanted climbers to become bugs for climbing, and of course, to move across the rock like insects, freely and playfully. That’s why I named the line Mushi.</p>
</blockquote>
<h3>References</h3>
<p>[1] Mitake Bouldering Guide</p>
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| 220 | 23rd June 2026 | 14:58:42 UTC | TdG | climb | Mushi | notes | |
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Before
The second 3-Dan (7C+/8A) in Japan, after [Kani](/climb/5544/kani).
First ascensionist [Toshimichi Kusano](/climber/3093/toshimichi-kusano):
> After 'Kani', I already knew what I wanted to try next. The line started on Ninja Gaeshi, then reached out toward a seductive lip hold that seemed to beckon climbers closer — this would become Mushi (“Bug”). It was a legendary line, said to have been spotted and attempted by the British superstar Jerry Moffatt when he visited Japan in 1984. And yet no one had seriously tried it since.
>It wasn’t hard to see why. The first left-hand vertical hold is slick and tiny — enough to make most people give up right there. Still, I kept going. After that hold, I’d try lunging across from a left-hand crimp in a kind of cross move. No good. It didn’t feel possible.
>But I couldn’t stop thinking that maybe one day it would be. I started visiting Mitake more often. And really, at that point, that stunning and mysterious line felt like it belonged to me alone. There was no reason not to try.
>Then winter — the season when holds stay dry — came to an end. As always, spring brought a mix of urgency and doubt. Around then, I went to Mitake with Takahashi, a tall friend. We were trying to work the upper section, and he pushed me from below so I could stick to the wall. There was this tiny dimple I’d always noticed from the ground — I finally touched it. “This could work.”
>He pushed me up again, and this time I grabbed that dimple with my right hand and started the sequence. I launched my left hand for the lip — and stuck it. “It goes!”
>I can’t even remember if I went back for one more session or not, but now that I’d found the move, I was so excited to try again.
>It was a crisp, sunny day in May 1996. I felt good. I began my usual quiet warm-up. Every move on Mushi was big, but it wasn’t cold, so my body moved well. I matched my right hand to that little dimple. I still had strength. I popped to the lip. My hand stuck. From here, it was unknown territory. But the holds were clear, my body moved naturally — and I climbed it. I stood on top of the boulder.
>In Japanese, when someone is obsessed with something, we call them a bug for it — like a “climbing bug.” I wanted climbers to become bugs for climbing, and of course, to move across the rock like insects, freely and playfully. That’s why I named the line Mushi.
### References
[1] Mitake Bouldering Guide
After
One of the most celebrated and oft-tried testpieces in Japan, Mushi is a rite of passage. An obvious line at Tokyo's popular [Mitake](/crag/18512/mitake) bouldering area, it was apparently tried by [Jerry Moffatt](/climber/131/jerry-moffatt) on a flying visit in 1984. It took the extended efforts of Japanese bouldering pioneer [Toshimichi Kusano](/climber/3093/toshimichi-kusano) to unlock the problem's secrets, creating the second 3-Dan (7C+/8A) in Japan, after [Kani](/climb/5544/kani).
[Toshimichi Kusano](/climber/3093/toshimichi-kusano) recounts his process:
> After 'Kani', I already knew what I wanted to try next. The line started on Ninja Gaeshi, then reached out toward a seductive lip hold that seemed to beckon climbers closer — this would become Mushi (“Bug”). It was a legendary line, said to have been spotted and attempted by the British superstar [Jerry Moffatt](/climber/131/jerry-moffatt) when he visited Japan in 1984. And yet no one had seriously tried it since.
>It wasn’t hard to see why. The first left-hand vertical hold is slick and tiny — enough to make most people give up right there. Still, I kept going. After that hold, I’d try lunging across from a left-hand crimp in a kind of cross move. No good. It didn’t feel possible.
>But I couldn’t stop thinking that maybe one day it would be. I started visiting Mitake more often. And really, at that point, that stunning and mysterious line felt like it belonged to me alone. There was no reason not to try.
>Then winter — the season when holds stay dry — came to an end. As always, spring brought a mix of urgency and doubt. Around then, I went to Mitake with Takahashi, a tall friend. We were trying to work the upper section, and he pushed me from below so I could stick to the wall. There was this tiny dimple I’d always noticed from the ground — I finally touched it. “This could work.”
>He pushed me up again, and this time I grabbed that dimple with my right hand and started the sequence. I launched my left hand for the lip — and stuck it. “It goes!”
>I can’t even remember if I went back for one more session or not, but now that I’d found the move, I was so excited to try again.
>It was a crisp, sunny day in May 1996. I felt good. I began my usual quiet warm-up. Every move on Mushi was big, but it wasn’t cold, so my body moved well. I matched my right hand to that little dimple. I still had strength. I popped to the lip. My hand stuck. From here, it was unknown territory. But the holds were clear, my body moved naturally — and I climbed it. I stood on top of the boulder.
>In Japanese, when someone is obsessed with something, we call them a bug for it — like a “climbing bug.” I wanted climbers to become bugs for climbing, and of course, to move across the rock like insects, freely and playfully. That’s why I named the line Mushi.
### References
[1] Mitake Bouldering Guide
Diff
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