TdG

	Country	Contributions	Between	Climbers	Crags	Climbs	Ascents
1	United Kingdom	10135	22nd May 2025 – 27th June 2026	106	13	549	986
2	France	3310	22nd May 2025 – 25th June 2026	30	13	166	318
3	USA	1660	30th July 2025 – 26th June 2026	24	56	156	82
4	Japan	1433	19th July 2025 – 23rd June 2026	14	25	98	70
5	Spain	314	31st July 2025 – 25th June 2026	3	9	33	13
6	New Zealand	214	19th August 2025 – 26th June 2026	1	1	15	13
7	Switzerland	194	31st July 2025 – 26th June 2026	2	5	20	12
8	Canada	146	10th September 2025 – 10th June 2026	1	8	23	2
9	Italy	146	12th August 2025 – 17th May 2026	1	7	16	6
10	Norway	126	6th September 2025 – 16th June 2026	1	4	9	6

	Date	Time	User	Type	Name	Attribute
401	19th June 2026	22:11:18 UTC	TdG	climber	Janja Garnbret	notes_pretty
Before <p>The most successful competition climber of all time and first gold medalist in climbing in the Tokyo 2020 olympics.</p> <h3>References</h3> <p>[1] A profile of Janja from Reel Rock <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yu_W2hT-HDY" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yu_W2hT-HDY</a></p> <p>[2] Winning the olympic gold medal in Tokyo 2020 <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CSPRpH_l81i/" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.instagram.com/p/CSPRpH_l81i/</a></p> <p>[3] Interview with <a href="/climber/411/natalie-berry" rel="noopener noreferrer">Natalie Berry</a> for <a href="https://www.ukclimbing.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">UKClimbing.com</a>, 3rd May 2022 <a href="https://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/features/climb_for_gold_-_janja_garnbret_olympic_champion-14458" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/features/climb_for_gold_-_janja_garnbret_olympic_champion-14458</a></p> <p>[4] <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmlSSD7jDSI" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmlSSD7jDSI</a></p> <p>[5] Interview with John Bergman for climbing.com, August 2024 <a href="https://www.climbing.com/people/janja-garnbret-post-olympic-2024-interview/" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.climbing.com/people/janja-garnbret-post-olympic-2024-interview/</a></p> <p>[6] Video with <a href="/climber/505/magnus-midtbø" rel="noopener noreferrer">Magnus Midtbø</a>, July 2025 <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-EsdeUBBVNM" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-EsdeUBBVNM</a></p> After <p>The most successful competition climber of all time, the first gold medalist in climbing in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, a result repeated at Paris 2024. </p> <p>Primarily focused on competitions, Janja has also made very quick ascents of hard Swiss boulder testpieces, flashed 8c+, and redpointed 9b+ with her ascent of <a href="/climb/466/bibliographie" rel="noopener noreferrer">Bibliographie</a> (9b+). </p> <h3>References</h3> <p>[1] A profile of Janja from Reel Rock <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yu_W2hT-HDY" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yu_W2hT-HDY</a></p> <p>[2] Winning the olympic gold medal in Tokyo 2020 <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CSPRpH_l81i/" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.instagram.com/p/CSPRpH_l81i/</a></p> <p>[3] Interview with <a href="/climber/411/natalie-berry" rel="noopener noreferrer">Natalie Berry</a> for <a href="https://www.ukclimbing.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">UKClimbing.com</a>, 3rd May 2022 <a href="https://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/features/climb_for_gold_-_janja_garnbret_olympic_champion-14458" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/features/climb_for_gold_-_janja_garnbret_olympic_champion-14458</a></p> <p>[4] <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmlSSD7jDSI" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmlSSD7jDSI</a></p> <p>[5] Interview with John Bergman for climbing.com, August 2024 <a href="https://www.climbing.com/people/janja-garnbret-post-olympic-2024-interview/" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.climbing.com/people/janja-garnbret-post-olympic-2024-interview/</a></p> <p>[6] Video with <a href="/climber/505/magnus-midtbø" rel="noopener noreferrer">Magnus Midtbø</a>, July 2025 <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-EsdeUBBVNM" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-EsdeUBBVNM</a></p>
402	19th June 2026	22:05:33 UTC	TdG	climber	Alex Honnold	notes_pretty
Before <p>Alex Honnold is one of the most accomplished solo climbers of all time. His ascents throughout North America and the rest of the world have pushed the soloing standard to new heights.</p> <p>Most notably Alex was the first person to free solo a route on <a href="/crag/8023/el-capitan" rel="noopener noreferrer">El Capitan</a> in Yosemite with his ascent of <a href="/climb/804/freerider" rel="noopener noreferrer">Freerider</a> in 2017. The ascent was the product of years of preparation, on top of an already groundbreaking solo ticklist, that included <a href="/climb/2288/moonlight-buttress" rel="noopener noreferrer">Moonlight Buttress</a> (E6), <a href="/climb/2016/el-sendero-luminoso" rel="noopener noreferrer">El Sendero Luminoso</a> (7c) and the <a href="/climb/2895/regular-northwest-face" rel="noopener noreferrer">Regular Northwest Face</a> of Half Dome (E5). </p> <p>In January 2026 Alex soloed <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taipei_101" rel="noopener noreferrer">Taipei 101</a> in Taiwan in an event that was live-streamed on Netflix. [1]</p> <h3>Other Work</h3> <p>Alex co-presents the <a href="https://www.climbinggold.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Climbing Gold</a> podcast alongside <a href="/climber/1696/fitz-cahall" rel="noopener noreferrer">Fitz Cahall</a>.</p> <p>In 2012 Alex founded <a href="https://www.honnoldfoundation.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Honnold Foundation</a>. The foundation's aim is to improve access to solar electricity. </p> <h3>References</h3> <p>[1] <a href="https://www.netflix.com/watch/81987107" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.netflix.com/watch/81987107</a></p> <p>[2] <em>Honnold Foundation</em> <a href="https://www.honnoldfoundation.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.honnoldfoundation.org/</a></p> <p>[3] <em>Free Solar? Alex Honnold's Other Mission</em> by <a href="/climber/411/natalie-berry" rel="noopener noreferrer">Natalie Berry</a> (2023) <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/fdc13b02-43de-4fce-9068-0d613fa83760" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.ft.com/content/fdc13b02-43de-4fce-9068-0d613fa83760</a></p> <p>[4] <a href="https://archive.org/details/CLIMBTALK-Alex-Honnold-Chris-Weidner-Dave-McAllister-Dr-Susan-Nicholas-3-1-2019" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://archive.org/details/CLIMBTALK-Alex-Honnold-Chris-Weidner-Dave-McAllister-Dr-Susan-Nicholas-3-1-2019</a></p> After <p>Alex Honnold is one of the most accomplished solo climbers of all time. His ascents throughout North America and the rest of the world have pushed the soloing standard to new heights.</p> <p>Most notably, Alex was the first – and to date only – person to free solo a route on <a href="/crag/8023/el-capitan" rel="noopener noreferrer">El Capitan</a> in Yosemite with his ascent of <a href="/climb/804/freerider" rel="noopener noreferrer">Freerider</a> in 2017. The ascent was the product of years of preparation, on top of an already groundbreaking solo ticklist, that included <a href="/climb/2288/moonlight-buttress" rel="noopener noreferrer">Moonlight Buttress</a> (E6), <a href="/climb/2016/el-sendero-luminoso" rel="noopener noreferrer">El Sendero Luminoso</a> (7c) and the <a href="/climb/2895/regular-northwest-face" rel="noopener noreferrer">Regular Northwest Face</a> of Half Dome (E5). </p> <p>In January 2026 Alex soloed <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taipei_101" rel="noopener noreferrer">Taipei 101</a> in Taiwan in an event that was live-streamed on Netflix. [1]</p> <h3>Other Work</h3> <p>Alex co-presents the <a href="https://www.climbinggold.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Climbing Gold</a> podcast alongside <a href="/climber/1696/fitz-cahall" rel="noopener noreferrer">Fitz Cahall</a>.</p> <p>In 2012 Alex founded <a href="https://www.honnoldfoundation.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Honnold Foundation</a>. The foundation's aim is to improve access to solar electricity. </p> <h3>References</h3> <p>[1] <a href="https://www.netflix.com/watch/81987107" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.netflix.com/watch/81987107</a></p> <p>[2] <em>Honnold Foundation</em> <a href="https://www.honnoldfoundation.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.honnoldfoundation.org/</a></p> <p>[3] <em>Free Solar? Alex Honnold's Other Mission</em> by <a href="/climber/411/natalie-berry" rel="noopener noreferrer">Natalie Berry</a> (2023) <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/fdc13b02-43de-4fce-9068-0d613fa83760" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.ft.com/content/fdc13b02-43de-4fce-9068-0d613fa83760</a></p> <p>[4] <a href="https://archive.org/details/CLIMBTALK-Alex-Honnold-Chris-Weidner-Dave-McAllister-Dr-Susan-Nicholas-3-1-2019" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://archive.org/details/CLIMBTALK-Alex-Honnold-Chris-Weidner-Dave-McAllister-Dr-Susan-Nicholas-3-1-2019</a></p>
403	19th June 2026	22:05:33 UTC	TdG	climber	Alex Honnold	notes
Before Alex Honnold is one of the most accomplished solo climbers of all time. His ascents throughout North America and the rest of the world have pushed the soloing standard to new heights. Most notably Alex was the first person to free solo a route on [El Capitan](/crag/8023/el-capitan) in Yosemite with his ascent of [Freerider](/climb/804/freerider) in 2017. The ascent was the product of years of preparation, on top of an already groundbreaking solo ticklist, that included [Moonlight Buttress](/climb/2288/moonlight-buttress) (E6), [El Sendero Luminoso](/climb/2016/el-sendero-luminoso) (7c) and the [Regular Northwest Face](/climb/2895/regular-northwest-face) of Half Dome (E5). In January 2026 Alex soloed [Taipei 101](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taipei_101) in Taiwan in an event that was live-streamed on Netflix. [1] ### Other Work Alex co-presents the [Climbing Gold](https://www.climbinggold.com/) podcast alongside [Fitz Cahall](/climber/1696/fitz-cahall). In 2012 Alex founded [The Honnold Foundation](https://www.honnoldfoundation.org/). The foundation's aim is to improve access to solar electricity. ### References [1] [https://www.netflix.com/watch/81987107](https://www.netflix.com/watch/81987107) [2] Honnold Foundation [https://www.honnoldfoundation.org/](https://www.honnoldfoundation.org/) [3] Free Solar? Alex Honnold's Other Mission by [Natalie Berry](/climber/411/natalie-berry) (2023) [https://www.ft.com/content/fdc13b02-43de-4fce-9068-0d613fa83760](https://www.ft.com/content/fdc13b02-43de-4fce-9068-0d613fa83760) [4] [https://archive.org/details/CLIMBTALK-Alex-Honnold-Chris-Weidner-Dave-McAllister-Dr-Susan-Nicholas-3-1-2019](https://archive.org/details/CLIMBTALK-Alex-Honnold-Chris-Weidner-Dave-McAllister-Dr-Susan-Nicholas-3-1-2019) After Alex Honnold is one of the most accomplished solo climbers of all time. His ascents throughout North America and the rest of the world have pushed the soloing standard to new heights. Most notably, Alex was the first – and to date only – person to free solo a route on [El Capitan](/crag/8023/el-capitan) in Yosemite with his ascent of [Freerider](/climb/804/freerider) in 2017. The ascent was the product of years of preparation, on top of an already groundbreaking solo ticklist, that included [Moonlight Buttress](/climb/2288/moonlight-buttress) (E6), [El Sendero Luminoso](/climb/2016/el-sendero-luminoso) (7c) and the [Regular Northwest Face](/climb/2895/regular-northwest-face) of Half Dome (E5). In January 2026 Alex soloed [Taipei 101](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taipei_101) in Taiwan in an event that was live-streamed on Netflix. [1] ### Other Work Alex co-presents the [Climbing Gold](https://www.climbinggold.com/) podcast alongside [Fitz Cahall](/climber/1696/fitz-cahall). In 2012 Alex founded [The Honnold Foundation](https://www.honnoldfoundation.org/). The foundation's aim is to improve access to solar electricity. ### References [1] [https://www.netflix.com/watch/81987107](https://www.netflix.com/watch/81987107) [2] Honnold Foundation [https://www.honnoldfoundation.org/](https://www.honnoldfoundation.org/) [3] Free Solar? Alex Honnold's Other Mission by [Natalie Berry](/climber/411/natalie-berry) (2023) [https://www.ft.com/content/fdc13b02-43de-4fce-9068-0d613fa83760](https://www.ft.com/content/fdc13b02-43de-4fce-9068-0d613fa83760) [4] [https://archive.org/details/CLIMBTALK-Alex-Honnold-Chris-Weidner-Dave-McAllister-Dr-Susan-Nicholas-3-1-2019](https://archive.org/details/CLIMBTALK-Alex-Honnold-Chris-Weidner-Dave-McAllister-Dr-Susan-Nicholas-3-1-2019) Diff --- before +++ after @@ -1,6 +1,6 @@ Alex Honnold is one of the most accomplished solo climbers of all time. His ascents throughout North America and the rest of the world have pushed the soloing standard to new heights. -Most notably Alex was the first person to free solo a route on [El Capitan](/crag/8023/el-capitan) in Yosemite with his ascent of [Freerider](/climb/804/freerider) in 2017. The ascent was the product of years of preparation, on top of an already groundbreaking solo ticklist, that included [Moonlight Buttress](/climb/2288/moonlight-buttress) (E6), [El Sendero Luminoso](/climb/2016/el-sendero-luminoso) (7c) and the [Regular Northwest Face](/climb/2895/regular-northwest-face) of Half Dome (E5). +Most notably, Alex was the first – and to date only – person to free solo a route on [El Capitan](/crag/8023/el-capitan) in Yosemite with his ascent of [Freerider](/climb/804/freerider) in 2017. The ascent was the product of years of preparation, on top of an already groundbreaking solo ticklist, that included [Moonlight Buttress](/climb/2288/moonlight-buttress) (E6), [El Sendero Luminoso](/climb/2016/el-sendero-luminoso) (7c) and the [Regular Northwest Face](/climb/2895/regular-northwest-face) of Half Dome (E5). In January 2026 Alex soloed [Taipei 101](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taipei_101) in Taiwan in an event that was live-streamed on Netflix. [1]
404	19th June 2026	22:03:57 UTC	TdG	climber	Alex Honnold	notes_pretty
Before <p>Alex Honnold is one of the most accomplished solo climbers of all time. His ascents throughout North America and the rest of the world have pushed the soloing standard to new heights.</p> <p>Most notably Alex was the first person to free solo a route on <a href="/crag/8023/el-capitan" rel="noopener noreferrer">El Capitan</a> in Yosemite with his ascent of <a href="/climb/804/freerider" rel="noopener noreferrer">Freerider</a> in 2017.</p> <p>In January 2026 Alex soloed <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taipei_101" rel="noopener noreferrer">Taipei 101</a> in Taiwan in an event that was live streamed on Netflex. [1]</p> <h3>Other Work</h3> <p>Alex co-presents the <a href="https://www.climbinggold.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Climbing Gold</a> podcast alongside <a href="/climber/1696/fitz-cahall" rel="noopener noreferrer">Fitz Cahall</a>.</p> <p>In 2012 Alex founded <a href="https://www.honnoldfoundation.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Honnold Foundation</a>. The foundation's aim is to improve access to solar electricity. </p> <h3>References</h3> <p>[1] <a href="https://www.netflix.com/watch/81987107" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.netflix.com/watch/81987107</a></p> <p>[2] <em>Honnold Foundation</em> <a href="https://www.honnoldfoundation.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.honnoldfoundation.org/</a></p> <p>[3] <em>Free Solar? Alex Honnold's Other Mission</em> by <a href="/climber/411/natalie-berry" rel="noopener noreferrer">Natalie Berry</a> (2023) <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/fdc13b02-43de-4fce-9068-0d613fa83760" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.ft.com/content/fdc13b02-43de-4fce-9068-0d613fa83760</a></p> <p>[4] <a href="https://archive.org/details/CLIMBTALK-Alex-Honnold-Chris-Weidner-Dave-McAllister-Dr-Susan-Nicholas-3-1-2019" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://archive.org/details/CLIMBTALK-Alex-Honnold-Chris-Weidner-Dave-McAllister-Dr-Susan-Nicholas-3-1-2019</a></p> After <p>Alex Honnold is one of the most accomplished solo climbers of all time. His ascents throughout North America and the rest of the world have pushed the soloing standard to new heights.</p> <p>Most notably Alex was the first person to free solo a route on <a href="/crag/8023/el-capitan" rel="noopener noreferrer">El Capitan</a> in Yosemite with his ascent of <a href="/climb/804/freerider" rel="noopener noreferrer">Freerider</a> in 2017. The ascent was the product of years of preparation, on top of an already groundbreaking solo ticklist, that included <a href="/climb/2288/moonlight-buttress" rel="noopener noreferrer">Moonlight Buttress</a> (E6), <a href="/climb/2016/el-sendero-luminoso" rel="noopener noreferrer">El Sendero Luminoso</a> (7c) and the <a href="/climb/2895/regular-northwest-face" rel="noopener noreferrer">Regular Northwest Face</a> of Half Dome (E5). </p> <p>In January 2026 Alex soloed <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taipei_101" rel="noopener noreferrer">Taipei 101</a> in Taiwan in an event that was live-streamed on Netflix. [1]</p> <h3>Other Work</h3> <p>Alex co-presents the <a href="https://www.climbinggold.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Climbing Gold</a> podcast alongside <a href="/climber/1696/fitz-cahall" rel="noopener noreferrer">Fitz Cahall</a>.</p> <p>In 2012 Alex founded <a href="https://www.honnoldfoundation.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Honnold Foundation</a>. The foundation's aim is to improve access to solar electricity. </p> <h3>References</h3> <p>[1] <a href="https://www.netflix.com/watch/81987107" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.netflix.com/watch/81987107</a></p> <p>[2] <em>Honnold Foundation</em> <a href="https://www.honnoldfoundation.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.honnoldfoundation.org/</a></p> <p>[3] <em>Free Solar? Alex Honnold's Other Mission</em> by <a href="/climber/411/natalie-berry" rel="noopener noreferrer">Natalie Berry</a> (2023) <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/fdc13b02-43de-4fce-9068-0d613fa83760" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.ft.com/content/fdc13b02-43de-4fce-9068-0d613fa83760</a></p> <p>[4] <a href="https://archive.org/details/CLIMBTALK-Alex-Honnold-Chris-Weidner-Dave-McAllister-Dr-Susan-Nicholas-3-1-2019" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://archive.org/details/CLIMBTALK-Alex-Honnold-Chris-Weidner-Dave-McAllister-Dr-Susan-Nicholas-3-1-2019</a></p>
405	19th June 2026	22:03:57 UTC	TdG	climber	Alex Honnold	notes
Before Alex Honnold is one of the most accomplished solo climbers of all time. His ascents throughout North America and the rest of the world have pushed the soloing standard to new heights. Most notably Alex was the first person to free solo a route on [El Capitan](/crag/8023/el-capitan) in Yosemite with his ascent of [Freerider](/climb/804/freerider) in 2017. In January 2026 Alex soloed [Taipei 101](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taipei_101) in Taiwan in an event that was live streamed on Netflex. [1] ### Other Work Alex co-presents the [Climbing Gold](https://www.climbinggold.com/) podcast alongside [Fitz Cahall](/climber/1696/fitz-cahall). In 2012 Alex founded [The Honnold Foundation](https://www.honnoldfoundation.org/). The foundation's aim is to improve access to solar electricity. ### References [1] [https://www.netflix.com/watch/81987107](https://www.netflix.com/watch/81987107) [2] Honnold Foundation [https://www.honnoldfoundation.org/](https://www.honnoldfoundation.org/) [3] Free Solar? Alex Honnold's Other Mission by [Natalie Berry](/climber/411/natalie-berry) (2023) [https://www.ft.com/content/fdc13b02-43de-4fce-9068-0d613fa83760](https://www.ft.com/content/fdc13b02-43de-4fce-9068-0d613fa83760) [4] [https://archive.org/details/CLIMBTALK-Alex-Honnold-Chris-Weidner-Dave-McAllister-Dr-Susan-Nicholas-3-1-2019](https://archive.org/details/CLIMBTALK-Alex-Honnold-Chris-Weidner-Dave-McAllister-Dr-Susan-Nicholas-3-1-2019) After Alex Honnold is one of the most accomplished solo climbers of all time. His ascents throughout North America and the rest of the world have pushed the soloing standard to new heights. Most notably Alex was the first person to free solo a route on [El Capitan](/crag/8023/el-capitan) in Yosemite with his ascent of [Freerider](/climb/804/freerider) in 2017. The ascent was the product of years of preparation, on top of an already groundbreaking solo ticklist, that included [Moonlight Buttress](/climb/2288/moonlight-buttress) (E6), [El Sendero Luminoso](/climb/2016/el-sendero-luminoso) (7c) and the [Regular Northwest Face](/climb/2895/regular-northwest-face) of Half Dome (E5). In January 2026 Alex soloed [Taipei 101](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taipei_101) in Taiwan in an event that was live-streamed on Netflix. [1] ### Other Work Alex co-presents the [Climbing Gold](https://www.climbinggold.com/) podcast alongside [Fitz Cahall](/climber/1696/fitz-cahall). In 2012 Alex founded [The Honnold Foundation](https://www.honnoldfoundation.org/). The foundation's aim is to improve access to solar electricity. ### References [1] [https://www.netflix.com/watch/81987107](https://www.netflix.com/watch/81987107) [2] Honnold Foundation [https://www.honnoldfoundation.org/](https://www.honnoldfoundation.org/) [3] Free Solar? Alex Honnold's Other Mission by [Natalie Berry](/climber/411/natalie-berry) (2023) [https://www.ft.com/content/fdc13b02-43de-4fce-9068-0d613fa83760](https://www.ft.com/content/fdc13b02-43de-4fce-9068-0d613fa83760) [4] [https://archive.org/details/CLIMBTALK-Alex-Honnold-Chris-Weidner-Dave-McAllister-Dr-Susan-Nicholas-3-1-2019](https://archive.org/details/CLIMBTALK-Alex-Honnold-Chris-Weidner-Dave-McAllister-Dr-Susan-Nicholas-3-1-2019) Diff --- before +++ after @@ -1,8 +1,8 @@ Alex Honnold is one of the most accomplished solo climbers of all time. His ascents throughout North America and the rest of the world have pushed the soloing standard to new heights. -Most notably Alex was the first person to free solo a route on [El Capitan](/crag/8023/el-capitan) in Yosemite with his ascent of [Freerider](/climb/804/freerider) in 2017. +Most notably Alex was the first person to free solo a route on [El Capitan](/crag/8023/el-capitan) in Yosemite with his ascent of [Freerider](/climb/804/freerider) in 2017. The ascent was the product of years of preparation, on top of an already groundbreaking solo ticklist, that included [Moonlight Buttress](/climb/2288/moonlight-buttress) (E6), [El Sendero Luminoso](/climb/2016/el-sendero-luminoso) (7c) and the [Regular Northwest Face](/climb/2895/regular-northwest-face) of Half Dome (E5). -In January 2026 Alex soloed [Taipei 101](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taipei_101) in Taiwan in an event that was live streamed on Netflex. [1] +In January 2026 Alex soloed [Taipei 101](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taipei_101) in Taiwan in an event that was live-streamed on Netflix. [1] ### Other Work
406	19th June 2026	21:52:33 UTC	TdG	climber	Alex Honnold	featurable
Before `false` After `true`
407	19th June 2026	21:48:26 UTC	TdG	climber	Noah Wheeler	notes_pretty
Before <p>Noah Wheeler is a young and up and coming boulderer who currently resides in Colorado, USA. He is one half of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@Wheel_Rock">Wheel Rock</a> with his brother <a href="/climber/1945/benn-wheeler">Benn Wheeler</a>. </p> <p>Noah burst onto the scene in 2022 in which he repeated three 8C/V15 boulders with <a href="/climb/2648/g-master">G-Master</a>, <a href="/climb/846/paint-it-black">Paint it Black</a>, and <a href="/climb/1432/delirium">Delirium</a>. In 2024 Noah repeated <a href="/climb/825/sleepwalker">Sleepwalker</a> 8C+/V16 and <a href="/climb/1341/insomniac">Insomniac</a> 8C+/V16. In the dying days of 2024 Noah repeated the infamous <a href="/climb/1116/return-of-the-sleepwalker">Return of the Sleepwalker</a> 9A/V17 at only 22 years of age, this made him the youngest person to climb 9A/V17 at the time of his ascent. </p> <h3>References</h3> <p>[1] <a href="https://www.grimper.com/news-mais-jeune-americain-nomme-noah-wheeler">https://www.grimper.com/news-mais-jeune-americain-nomme-noah-wheeler</a></p> <p>[2] <a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/3O6FI1hbAKBsel83KUqvNS?">https://open.spotify.com/episode/3O6FI1hbAKBsel83KUqvNS?</a></p> After <p>Noah Wheeler is a young and up-and-coming boulderer who currently resides in Colorado, USA. He is one half of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@Wheel_Rock" rel="noopener noreferrer">Wheel Rock</a> with his brother <a href="/climber/1945/benn-wheeler" rel="noopener noreferrer">Benn Wheeler</a>. </p> <p>Noah burst onto the scene in 2022 when he repeated three 8C/V15 boulders with <a href="/climb/2648/g-master" rel="noopener noreferrer">G-Master</a>, <a href="/climb/846/paint-it-black" rel="noopener noreferrer">Paint it Black</a>, and <a href="/climb/1432/delirium" rel="noopener noreferrer">Delirium</a>. In 2024 Noah repeated <a href="/climb/825/sleepwalker" rel="noopener noreferrer">Sleepwalker</a> 8C+/V16 and <a href="/climb/1341/insomniac" rel="noopener noreferrer">Insomniac</a> 8C+/V16. In the dying days of 2024 Noah repeated the infamous <a href="/climb/1116/return-of-the-sleepwalker" rel="noopener noreferrer">Return of the Sleepwalker</a> 9A/V17 at only 22 years of age, this made him the youngest person to climb 9A/V17 at the time of his ascent. He made short work of <a href="/climb/826/burden-of-dreams" rel="noopener noreferrer">Burden of Dreams</a> (9A), finding it suited his board-honed style.</p> <h3>References</h3> <p>[1] <a href="https://www.grimper.com/news-mais-jeune-americain-nomme-noah-wheeler" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.grimper.com/news-mais-jeune-americain-nomme-noah-wheeler</a></p> <p>[2] <a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/3O6FI1hbAKBsel83KUqvNS?" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://open.spotify.com/episode/3O6FI1hbAKBsel83KUqvNS?</a></p>
408	19th June 2026	21:48:26 UTC	TdG	climber	Noah Wheeler	notes
Before Noah Wheeler is a young and up and coming boulderer who currently resides in Colorado, USA. He is one half of [Wheel Rock](https://www.youtube.com/@Wheel_Rock) with his brother [Benn Wheeler](/climber/1945/benn-wheeler). Noah burst onto the scene in 2022 in which he repeated three 8C/V15 boulders with [G-Master](/climb/2648/g-master), [Paint it Black](/climb/846/paint-it-black), and [Delirium](/climb/1432/delirium). In 2024 Noah repeated [Sleepwalker](/climb/825/sleepwalker) 8C+/V16 and [Insomniac](/climb/1341/insomniac) 8C+/V16. In the dying days of 2024 Noah repeated the infamous [Return of the Sleepwalker](/climb/1116/return-of-the-sleepwalker) 9A/V17 at only 22 years of age, this made him the youngest person to climb 9A/V17 at the time of his ascent. ### References [1] [https://www.grimper.com/news-mais-jeune-americain-nomme-noah-wheeler](https://www.grimper.com/news-mais-jeune-americain-nomme-noah-wheeler) [2] [https://open.spotify.com/episode/3O6FI1hbAKBsel83KUqvNS?](https://open.spotify.com/episode/3O6FI1hbAKBsel83KUqvNS?) After Noah Wheeler is a young and up-and-coming boulderer who currently resides in Colorado, USA. He is one half of [Wheel Rock](https://www.youtube.com/@Wheel_Rock) with his brother [Benn Wheeler](/climber/1945/benn-wheeler). Noah burst onto the scene in 2022 when he repeated three 8C/V15 boulders with [G-Master](/climb/2648/g-master), [Paint it Black](/climb/846/paint-it-black), and [Delirium](/climb/1432/delirium). In 2024 Noah repeated [Sleepwalker](/climb/825/sleepwalker) 8C+/V16 and [Insomniac](/climb/1341/insomniac) 8C+/V16. In the dying days of 2024 Noah repeated the infamous [Return of the Sleepwalker](/climb/1116/return-of-the-sleepwalker) 9A/V17 at only 22 years of age, this made him the youngest person to climb 9A/V17 at the time of his ascent. He made short work of [Burden of Dreams](/climb/826/burden-of-dreams) (9A), finding it suited his board-honed style. ### References [1] [https://www.grimper.com/news-mais-jeune-americain-nomme-noah-wheeler](https://www.grimper.com/news-mais-jeune-americain-nomme-noah-wheeler) [2] [https://open.spotify.com/episode/3O6FI1hbAKBsel83KUqvNS?](https://open.spotify.com/episode/3O6FI1hbAKBsel83KUqvNS?) Diff --- before +++ after @@ -1,6 +1,6 @@ -Noah Wheeler is a young and up and coming boulderer who currently resides in Colorado, USA. He is one half of [Wheel Rock](https://www.youtube.com/@Wheel_Rock) with his brother [Benn Wheeler](/climber/1945/benn-wheeler). +Noah Wheeler is a young and up-and-coming boulderer who currently resides in Colorado, USA. He is one half of [Wheel Rock](https://www.youtube.com/@Wheel_Rock) with his brother [Benn Wheeler](/climber/1945/benn-wheeler). -Noah burst onto the scene in 2022 in which he repeated three 8C/V15 boulders with [G-Master](/climb/2648/g-master), [Paint it Black](/climb/846/paint-it-black), and [Delirium](/climb/1432/delirium). In 2024 Noah repeated [Sleepwalker](/climb/825/sleepwalker) 8C+/V16 and [Insomniac](/climb/1341/insomniac) 8C+/V16. In the dying days of 2024 Noah repeated the infamous [Return of the Sleepwalker](/climb/1116/return-of-the-sleepwalker) 9A/V17 at only 22 years of age, this made him the youngest person to climb 9A/V17 at the time of his ascent. +Noah burst onto the scene in 2022 when he repeated three 8C/V15 boulders with [G-Master](/climb/2648/g-master), [Paint it Black](/climb/846/paint-it-black), and [Delirium](/climb/1432/delirium). In 2024 Noah repeated [Sleepwalker](/climb/825/sleepwalker) 8C+/V16 and [Insomniac](/climb/1341/insomniac) 8C+/V16. In the dying days of 2024 Noah repeated the infamous [Return of the Sleepwalker](/climb/1116/return-of-the-sleepwalker) 9A/V17 at only 22 years of age, this made him the youngest person to climb 9A/V17 at the time of his ascent. He made short work of [Burden of Dreams](/climb/826/burden-of-dreams) (9A), finding it suited his board-honed style. ### References
409	19th June 2026	20:12:27 UTC	TdG	climb	The Walk of Life	notes
Before A stunning coastal slab adventure whose immense proportions are perhaps only outdone by the size of the grading controversy that accompanied its first ascent. The route has a somewhat complicated history. An indirect line called [Dyer Straits](/climb/2925/dyer-straits) (E8) was originally climbed by [Ian Vickers](/climber/221) that used a lot of pegs (although the pegs were not placed by him) [2]. [James Pearson](/climber/153) then removed the pegs and added a direct start, suggesting the unprecedented grade of E12. The route was quickly repeated by [Dave MacLeod](/climber/146) (who was injured at the time) who suggested a downgrade to E9, commenting: >For James to come to this blank canvas of a wall and have the courage to see past all the uncertainties and unknowns to make a route is a brilliant achievement. But although trad climbs truly deserving of E9 and above are still very few and far between in the world, there are some, and they’ve been around for a while. The Walk of Life stands among these routes, not above them. [1] The harsh criticism which was levelled at James from the climbing community for overgrading this route (and supposedly others), led to him moving to Innsbruck to get away from the UK climbing scene. James has since reflected that, having grown up bouldering and climbing short, bold gritstone routes, The Walk of Life lay far outside his comfort zone. Lacking the experience to recognise his own weaknesses on that style of climb, he was led to propose the lofty grade of E12.[2] In 2023 [Tom Randall](/climber/322/tom-randall) commented: >My view, having climbed both WOL and [Once Upon](/climb/562/once-upon-a-time-in-the-southwest) is that James’s effort was most definitely E10 and the E9 downgrade was one of those things that was not quite right [...] >What I do think (and obvs it’s just my opinion) is that Once Upon has to be E8 if WOL E9 or we accept that maybe things got too compressed. I’d gladly lead one of the lines any day of the week, the other, deffo not 😅😅. My view after quite a bit of time on that wall is top end E8 for OUATITSW and bottom end E10 for WOL. >But…… it gets more complicated 😅. The WOL has gained & lost holds since James did it (easy to spot from the old video footage) and I’d say in current state it IS a solid E9. So I guess that’s the ever changing state of chossy sea cliffs? No ascent is quite the same? [4] Dave has stated that he doesn’t agree with this assessment, and the route was E9 according to his experience. [5] ### References [1] [https://davemacleod.blogspot.com/search/label/The%20Walk%20of%20Life](https://davemacleod.blogspot.com/search/label/The%20Walk%20of%20Life) [2] [https://open.spotify.com/episode/2HAuDaq2kSHM6L7vdDu6uu?](https://open.spotify.com/episode/2HAuDaq2kSHM6L7vdDu6uu?) [3] [https://www.planetmountain.com/en/news/climbing/james-pearson-interview-after-the-walk-of-life.html](https://www.planetmountain.com/en/news/climbing/james-pearson-interview-after-the-walk-of-life.html) [4] [https://www.instagram.com/p/CiAmEhvs68L/](https://www.instagram.com/p/CiAmEhvs68L/) [5] [https://youtu.be/gbbgYR_6B7I](https://youtu.be/gbbgYR_6B7I) After A stunning coastal slab adventure whose immense proportions are perhaps only exceeded by the size of the grading controversy that accompanied its first ascent. The route has a somewhat complicated history. An indirect line called [Dyer Straits](/climb/2925/dyer-straits) (E8) was originally climbed by [Ian Vickers](/climber/221) that used a lot of pegs (although the pegs were not placed by him) [2]. [James Pearson](/climber/153) then removed the pegs and added a direct start, suggesting the unprecedented grade of E12. The route was quickly repeated by [Dave MacLeod](/climber/146) (who was injured at the time) who suggested a downgrade to E9, commenting: >For James to come to this blank canvas of a wall and have the courage to see past all the uncertainties and unknowns to make a route is a brilliant achievement. But although trad climbs truly deserving of E9 and above are still very few and far between in the world, there are some, and they’ve been around for a while. The Walk of Life stands among these routes, not above them. [1] The harsh criticism which was levelled at James from the climbing community for overgrading this route (and supposedly others), led to him moving to Innsbruck to get away from the UK climbing scene. James has since reflected that, having grown up bouldering and climbing short, bold gritstone routes, The Walk of Life lay far outside his comfort zone. Lacking the experience to recognise his own weaknesses on that style of climb, he was led to propose the lofty grade of E12.[2] In 2023 [Tom Randall](/climber/322/tom-randall) commented: >My view, having climbed both WOL and [Once Upon](/climb/562/once-upon-a-time-in-the-southwest) is that James’s effort was most definitely E10 and the E9 downgrade was one of those things that was not quite right [...] >What I do think (and obvs it’s just my opinion) is that Once Upon has to be E8 if WOL E9 or we accept that maybe things got too compressed. I’d gladly lead one of the lines any day of the week, the other, deffo not 😅😅. My view after quite a bit of time on that wall is top end E8 for OUATITSW and bottom end E10 for WOL. >But…… it gets more complicated 😅. The WOL has gained & lost holds since James did it (easy to spot from the old video footage) and I’d say in current state it IS a solid E9. So I guess that’s the ever changing state of chossy sea cliffs? No ascent is quite the same? [4] Dave has stated that he doesn’t agree with this assessment, and the route was E9 according to his experience. [5] ### References [1] [https://davemacleod.blogspot.com/search/label/The%20Walk%20of%20Life](https://davemacleod.blogspot.com/search/label/The%20Walk%20of%20Life) [2] [https://open.spotify.com/episode/2HAuDaq2kSHM6L7vdDu6uu?](https://open.spotify.com/episode/2HAuDaq2kSHM6L7vdDu6uu?) [3] [https://www.planetmountain.com/en/news/climbing/james-pearson-interview-after-the-walk-of-life.html](https://www.planetmountain.com/en/news/climbing/james-pearson-interview-after-the-walk-of-life.html) [4] [https://www.instagram.com/p/CiAmEhvs68L/](https://www.instagram.com/p/CiAmEhvs68L/) [5] [https://youtu.be/gbbgYR_6B7I](https://youtu.be/gbbgYR_6B7I) Diff --- before +++ after @@ -1,4 +1,4 @@ -A stunning coastal slab adventure whose immense proportions are perhaps only outdone by the size of the grading controversy that accompanied its first ascent. +A stunning coastal slab adventure whose immense proportions are perhaps only exceeded by the size of the grading controversy that accompanied its first ascent. The route has a somewhat complicated history. An indirect line called [Dyer Straits](/climb/2925/dyer-straits) (E8) was originally climbed by [Ian Vickers](/climber/221) that used a lot of pegs (although the pegs were not placed by him) [2]. [James Pearson](/climber/153) then removed the pegs and added a direct start, suggesting the unprecedented grade of E12. The route was quickly repeated by [Dave MacLeod](/climber/146) (who was injured at the time) who suggested a downgrade to E9, commenting:
410	19th June 2026	20:12:27 UTC	TdG	climb	The Walk of Life	notes_pretty
Before <p>A stunning coastal slab adventure whose immense proportions are perhaps only outdone by the size of the grading controversy that accompanied its first ascent. </p> <p>The route has a somewhat complicated history. An indirect line called <a href="/climb/2925/dyer-straits" rel="noopener noreferrer">Dyer Straits</a> (E8) was originally climbed by <a href="/climber/221" rel="noopener noreferrer">Ian Vickers</a> that used a lot of pegs (although the pegs were not placed by him) [2]. <a href="/climber/153" rel="noopener noreferrer">James Pearson</a> then removed the pegs and added a direct start, suggesting the unprecedented grade of E12. The route was quickly repeated by <a href="/climber/146" rel="noopener noreferrer">Dave MacLeod</a> (who was injured at the time) who suggested a downgrade to E9, commenting:</p> <blockquote> <p>For James to come to this blank canvas of a wall and have the courage to see past all the uncertainties and unknowns to make a route is a brilliant achievement. But although trad climbs truly deserving of E9 and above are still very few and far between in the world, there are some, and they’ve been around for a while. The Walk of Life stands among these routes, not above them. [1]</p> </blockquote> <p>The harsh criticism which was levelled at James from the climbing community for overgrading this route (and supposedly others), led to him moving to Innsbruck to get away from the UK climbing scene.</p> <p>James has since reflected that, having grown up bouldering and climbing short, bold gritstone routes, The Walk of Life lay far outside his comfort zone. Lacking the experience to recognise his own weaknesses on that style of climb, he was led to propose the lofty grade of E12.[2]</p> <p>In 2023 <a href="/climber/322/tom-randall" rel="noopener noreferrer">Tom Randall</a> commented:</p> <blockquote> <p>My view, having climbed both WOL and <a href="/climb/562/once-upon-a-time-in-the-southwest" rel="noopener noreferrer">Once Upon</a> is that James’s effort was most definitely E10 and the E9 downgrade was one of those things that was not quite right [...]</p> <p>What I do think (and obvs it’s just my opinion) is that Once Upon has to be E8 if WOL E9 or we accept that maybe things got too compressed. I’d gladly lead one of the lines any day of the week, the other, deffo not 😅😅. My view after quite a bit of time on that wall is top end E8 for OUATITSW and bottom end E10 for WOL.</p> <p>But…… it gets more complicated 😅. The WOL has gained & lost holds since James did it (easy to spot from the old video footage) and I’d say in current state it IS a solid E9. So I guess that’s the ever changing state of chossy sea cliffs? No ascent is quite the same? [4]</p> </blockquote> <p>Dave has stated that he doesn’t agree with this assessment, and the route was E9 according to his experience. [5]</p> <h3>References</h3> <p>[1] <a href="https://davemacleod.blogspot.com/search/label/The%20Walk%20of%20Life" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://davemacleod.blogspot.com/search/label/The%20Walk%20of%20Life</a></p> <p>[2] <a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/2HAuDaq2kSHM6L7vdDu6uu?" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://open.spotify.com/episode/2HAuDaq2kSHM6L7vdDu6uu?</a></p> <p>[3] <a href="https://www.planetmountain.com/en/news/climbing/james-pearson-interview-after-the-walk-of-life.html" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.planetmountain.com/en/news/climbing/james-pearson-interview-after-the-walk-of-life.html</a></p> <p>[4] <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CiAmEhvs68L/" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.instagram.com/p/CiAmEhvs68L/</a></p> <p>[5] <a href="https://youtu.be/gbbgYR_6B7I" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://youtu.be/gbbgYR_6B7I</a></p> After <p>A stunning coastal slab adventure whose immense proportions are perhaps only exceeded by the size of the grading controversy that accompanied its first ascent. </p> <p>The route has a somewhat complicated history. An indirect line called <a href="/climb/2925/dyer-straits" rel="noopener noreferrer">Dyer Straits</a> (E8) was originally climbed by <a href="/climber/221" rel="noopener noreferrer">Ian Vickers</a> that used a lot of pegs (although the pegs were not placed by him) [2]. <a href="/climber/153" rel="noopener noreferrer">James Pearson</a> then removed the pegs and added a direct start, suggesting the unprecedented grade of E12. The route was quickly repeated by <a href="/climber/146" rel="noopener noreferrer">Dave MacLeod</a> (who was injured at the time) who suggested a downgrade to E9, commenting:</p> <blockquote> <p>For James to come to this blank canvas of a wall and have the courage to see past all the uncertainties and unknowns to make a route is a brilliant achievement. But although trad climbs truly deserving of E9 and above are still very few and far between in the world, there are some, and they’ve been around for a while. The Walk of Life stands among these routes, not above them. [1]</p> </blockquote> <p>The harsh criticism which was levelled at James from the climbing community for overgrading this route (and supposedly others), led to him moving to Innsbruck to get away from the UK climbing scene.</p> <p>James has since reflected that, having grown up bouldering and climbing short, bold gritstone routes, The Walk of Life lay far outside his comfort zone. Lacking the experience to recognise his own weaknesses on that style of climb, he was led to propose the lofty grade of E12.[2]</p> <p>In 2023 <a href="/climber/322/tom-randall" rel="noopener noreferrer">Tom Randall</a> commented:</p> <blockquote> <p>My view, having climbed both WOL and <a href="/climb/562/once-upon-a-time-in-the-southwest" rel="noopener noreferrer">Once Upon</a> is that James’s effort was most definitely E10 and the E9 downgrade was one of those things that was not quite right [...]</p> <p>What I do think (and obvs it’s just my opinion) is that Once Upon has to be E8 if WOL E9 or we accept that maybe things got too compressed. I’d gladly lead one of the lines any day of the week, the other, deffo not 😅😅. My view after quite a bit of time on that wall is top end E8 for OUATITSW and bottom end E10 for WOL.</p> <p>But…… it gets more complicated 😅. The WOL has gained & lost holds since James did it (easy to spot from the old video footage) and I’d say in current state it IS a solid E9. So I guess that’s the ever changing state of chossy sea cliffs? No ascent is quite the same? [4]</p> </blockquote> <p>Dave has stated that he doesn’t agree with this assessment, and the route was E9 according to his experience. [5]</p> <h3>References</h3> <p>[1] <a href="https://davemacleod.blogspot.com/search/label/The%20Walk%20of%20Life" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://davemacleod.blogspot.com/search/label/The%20Walk%20of%20Life</a></p> <p>[2] <a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/2HAuDaq2kSHM6L7vdDu6uu?" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://open.spotify.com/episode/2HAuDaq2kSHM6L7vdDu6uu?</a></p> <p>[3] <a href="https://www.planetmountain.com/en/news/climbing/james-pearson-interview-after-the-walk-of-life.html" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.planetmountain.com/en/news/climbing/james-pearson-interview-after-the-walk-of-life.html</a></p> <p>[4] <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CiAmEhvs68L/" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.instagram.com/p/CiAmEhvs68L/</a></p> <p>[5] <a href="https://youtu.be/gbbgYR_6B7I" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://youtu.be/gbbgYR_6B7I</a></p>
411	19th June 2026	20:12:11 UTC	TdG	climb	The Walk of Life	notes_pretty
Before <p>A route with a complicated history. An indirect line called <a href="/climb/2925/dyer-straits" rel="noopener noreferrer">Dyer Straits</a> (E8) was originally climbed by <a href="/climber/221" rel="noopener noreferrer">Ian Vickers</a> that used a lot of pegs (although the pegs were not placed by him) [2]. <a href="/climber/153" rel="noopener noreferrer">James Pearson</a> then removed the pegs and added a direct start, suggesting the unprecedented grade of E12. The route was quickly repeated by <a href="/climber/146" rel="noopener noreferrer">Dave MacLeod</a> (who was injured at the time) who suggested a downgrade to E9, commenting:</p> <blockquote> <p>For James to come to this blank canvas of a wall and have the courage to see past all the uncertainties and unknowns to make a route is a brilliant achievement. But although trad climbs truly deserving of E9 and above are still very few and far between in the world, there are some, and they’ve been around for a while. The Walk of Life stands among these routes, not above them. [1]</p> </blockquote> <p>The harsh criticism which was levelled at James from the climbing community for overgrading this route (and supposedly others), led to him moving to Innsbruck to get away from the UK climbing scene.</p> <p>James has since reflected that, having grown up bouldering and climbing short, bold gritstone routes, The Walk of Life lay far outside his comfort zone. Lacking the experience to recognise his own weaknesses on that style of climb, he was led to propose the lofty grade of E12.[2]</p> <p>In 2023 <a href="/climber/322/tom-randall" rel="noopener noreferrer">Tom Randall</a> commented:</p> <blockquote> <p>My view, having climbed both WOL and <a href="/climb/562/once-upon-a-time-in-the-southwest" rel="noopener noreferrer">Once Upon</a> is that James’s effort was most definitely E10 and the E9 downgrade was one of those things that was not quite right [...]</p> <p>What I do think (and obvs it’s just my opinion) is that Once Upon has to be E8 if WOL E9 or we accept that maybe things got too compressed. I’d gladly lead one of the lines any day of the week, the other, deffo not 😅😅. My view after quite a bit of time on that wall is top end E8 for OUATITSW and bottom end E10 for WOL.</p> <p>But…… it gets more complicated 😅. The WOL has gained & lost holds since James did it (easy to spot from the old video footage) and I’d say in current state it IS a solid E9. So I guess that’s the ever changing state of chossy sea cliffs? No ascent is quite the same? [4]</p> </blockquote> <p>Dave has stated that he doesn’t agree with this assessment, and was E9 according to his experience. [5]</p> <h3>References</h3> <p>[1] <a href="https://davemacleod.blogspot.com/search/label/The%20Walk%20of%20Life" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://davemacleod.blogspot.com/search/label/The%20Walk%20of%20Life</a></p> <p>[2] <a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/2HAuDaq2kSHM6L7vdDu6uu?" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://open.spotify.com/episode/2HAuDaq2kSHM6L7vdDu6uu?</a></p> <p>[3] <a href="https://www.planetmountain.com/en/news/climbing/james-pearson-interview-after-the-walk-of-life.html" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.planetmountain.com/en/news/climbing/james-pearson-interview-after-the-walk-of-life.html</a></p> <p>[4] <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CiAmEhvs68L/" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.instagram.com/p/CiAmEhvs68L/</a></p> <p>[5] <a href="https://youtu.be/gbbgYR_6B7I" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://youtu.be/gbbgYR_6B7I</a></p> After <p>A stunning coastal slab adventure whose immense proportions are perhaps only outdone by the size of the grading controversy that accompanied its first ascent. </p> <p>The route has a somewhat complicated history. An indirect line called <a href="/climb/2925/dyer-straits" rel="noopener noreferrer">Dyer Straits</a> (E8) was originally climbed by <a href="/climber/221" rel="noopener noreferrer">Ian Vickers</a> that used a lot of pegs (although the pegs were not placed by him) [2]. <a href="/climber/153" rel="noopener noreferrer">James Pearson</a> then removed the pegs and added a direct start, suggesting the unprecedented grade of E12. The route was quickly repeated by <a href="/climber/146" rel="noopener noreferrer">Dave MacLeod</a> (who was injured at the time) who suggested a downgrade to E9, commenting:</p> <blockquote> <p>For James to come to this blank canvas of a wall and have the courage to see past all the uncertainties and unknowns to make a route is a brilliant achievement. But although trad climbs truly deserving of E9 and above are still very few and far between in the world, there are some, and they’ve been around for a while. The Walk of Life stands among these routes, not above them. [1]</p> </blockquote> <p>The harsh criticism which was levelled at James from the climbing community for overgrading this route (and supposedly others), led to him moving to Innsbruck to get away from the UK climbing scene.</p> <p>James has since reflected that, having grown up bouldering and climbing short, bold gritstone routes, The Walk of Life lay far outside his comfort zone. Lacking the experience to recognise his own weaknesses on that style of climb, he was led to propose the lofty grade of E12.[2]</p> <p>In 2023 <a href="/climber/322/tom-randall" rel="noopener noreferrer">Tom Randall</a> commented:</p> <blockquote> <p>My view, having climbed both WOL and <a href="/climb/562/once-upon-a-time-in-the-southwest" rel="noopener noreferrer">Once Upon</a> is that James’s effort was most definitely E10 and the E9 downgrade was one of those things that was not quite right [...]</p> <p>What I do think (and obvs it’s just my opinion) is that Once Upon has to be E8 if WOL E9 or we accept that maybe things got too compressed. I’d gladly lead one of the lines any day of the week, the other, deffo not 😅😅. My view after quite a bit of time on that wall is top end E8 for OUATITSW and bottom end E10 for WOL.</p> <p>But…… it gets more complicated 😅. The WOL has gained & lost holds since James did it (easy to spot from the old video footage) and I’d say in current state it IS a solid E9. So I guess that’s the ever changing state of chossy sea cliffs? No ascent is quite the same? [4]</p> </blockquote> <p>Dave has stated that he doesn’t agree with this assessment, and the route was E9 according to his experience. [5]</p> <h3>References</h3> <p>[1] <a href="https://davemacleod.blogspot.com/search/label/The%20Walk%20of%20Life" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://davemacleod.blogspot.com/search/label/The%20Walk%20of%20Life</a></p> <p>[2] <a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/2HAuDaq2kSHM6L7vdDu6uu?" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://open.spotify.com/episode/2HAuDaq2kSHM6L7vdDu6uu?</a></p> <p>[3] <a href="https://www.planetmountain.com/en/news/climbing/james-pearson-interview-after-the-walk-of-life.html" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.planetmountain.com/en/news/climbing/james-pearson-interview-after-the-walk-of-life.html</a></p> <p>[4] <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CiAmEhvs68L/" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.instagram.com/p/CiAmEhvs68L/</a></p> <p>[5] <a href="https://youtu.be/gbbgYR_6B7I" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://youtu.be/gbbgYR_6B7I</a></p>
412	19th June 2026	20:12:11 UTC	TdG	climb	The Walk of Life	notes
Before A route with a complicated history. An indirect line called [Dyer Straits](/climb/2925/dyer-straits) (E8) was originally climbed by [Ian Vickers](/climber/221) that used a lot of pegs (although the pegs were not placed by him) [2]. [James Pearson](/climber/153) then removed the pegs and added a direct start, suggesting the unprecedented grade of E12. The route was quickly repeated by [Dave MacLeod](/climber/146) (who was injured at the time) who suggested a downgrade to E9, commenting: >For James to come to this blank canvas of a wall and have the courage to see past all the uncertainties and unknowns to make a route is a brilliant achievement. But although trad climbs truly deserving of E9 and above are still very few and far between in the world, there are some, and they’ve been around for a while. The Walk of Life stands among these routes, not above them. [1] The harsh criticism which was levelled at James from the climbing community for overgrading this route (and supposedly others), led to him moving to Innsbruck to get away from the UK climbing scene. James has since reflected that, having grown up bouldering and climbing short, bold gritstone routes, The Walk of Life lay far outside his comfort zone. Lacking the experience to recognise his own weaknesses on that style of climb, he was led to propose the lofty grade of E12.[2] In 2023 [Tom Randall](/climber/322/tom-randall) commented: >My view, having climbed both WOL and [Once Upon](/climb/562/once-upon-a-time-in-the-southwest) is that James’s effort was most definitely E10 and the E9 downgrade was one of those things that was not quite right [...] >What I do think (and obvs it’s just my opinion) is that Once Upon has to be E8 if WOL E9 or we accept that maybe things got too compressed. I’d gladly lead one of the lines any day of the week, the other, deffo not 😅😅. My view after quite a bit of time on that wall is top end E8 for OUATITSW and bottom end E10 for WOL. >But…… it gets more complicated 😅. The WOL has gained & lost holds since James did it (easy to spot from the old video footage) and I’d say in current state it IS a solid E9. So I guess that’s the ever changing state of chossy sea cliffs? No ascent is quite the same? [4] Dave has stated that he doesn’t agree with this assessment, and was E9 according to his experience. [5] ### References [1] [https://davemacleod.blogspot.com/search/label/The%20Walk%20of%20Life](https://davemacleod.blogspot.com/search/label/The%20Walk%20of%20Life) [2] [https://open.spotify.com/episode/2HAuDaq2kSHM6L7vdDu6uu?](https://open.spotify.com/episode/2HAuDaq2kSHM6L7vdDu6uu?) [3] [https://www.planetmountain.com/en/news/climbing/james-pearson-interview-after-the-walk-of-life.html](https://www.planetmountain.com/en/news/climbing/james-pearson-interview-after-the-walk-of-life.html) [4] [https://www.instagram.com/p/CiAmEhvs68L/](https://www.instagram.com/p/CiAmEhvs68L/) [5] [https://youtu.be/gbbgYR_6B7I](https://youtu.be/gbbgYR_6B7I) After A stunning coastal slab adventure whose immense proportions are perhaps only outdone by the size of the grading controversy that accompanied its first ascent. The route has a somewhat complicated history. An indirect line called [Dyer Straits](/climb/2925/dyer-straits) (E8) was originally climbed by [Ian Vickers](/climber/221) that used a lot of pegs (although the pegs were not placed by him) [2]. [James Pearson](/climber/153) then removed the pegs and added a direct start, suggesting the unprecedented grade of E12. The route was quickly repeated by [Dave MacLeod](/climber/146) (who was injured at the time) who suggested a downgrade to E9, commenting: >For James to come to this blank canvas of a wall and have the courage to see past all the uncertainties and unknowns to make a route is a brilliant achievement. But although trad climbs truly deserving of E9 and above are still very few and far between in the world, there are some, and they’ve been around for a while. The Walk of Life stands among these routes, not above them. [1] The harsh criticism which was levelled at James from the climbing community for overgrading this route (and supposedly others), led to him moving to Innsbruck to get away from the UK climbing scene. James has since reflected that, having grown up bouldering and climbing short, bold gritstone routes, The Walk of Life lay far outside his comfort zone. Lacking the experience to recognise his own weaknesses on that style of climb, he was led to propose the lofty grade of E12.[2] In 2023 [Tom Randall](/climber/322/tom-randall) commented: >My view, having climbed both WOL and [Once Upon](/climb/562/once-upon-a-time-in-the-southwest) is that James’s effort was most definitely E10 and the E9 downgrade was one of those things that was not quite right [...] >What I do think (and obvs it’s just my opinion) is that Once Upon has to be E8 if WOL E9 or we accept that maybe things got too compressed. I’d gladly lead one of the lines any day of the week, the other, deffo not 😅😅. My view after quite a bit of time on that wall is top end E8 for OUATITSW and bottom end E10 for WOL. >But…… it gets more complicated 😅. The WOL has gained & lost holds since James did it (easy to spot from the old video footage) and I’d say in current state it IS a solid E9. So I guess that’s the ever changing state of chossy sea cliffs? No ascent is quite the same? [4] Dave has stated that he doesn’t agree with this assessment, and the route was E9 according to his experience. [5] ### References [1] [https://davemacleod.blogspot.com/search/label/The%20Walk%20of%20Life](https://davemacleod.blogspot.com/search/label/The%20Walk%20of%20Life) [2] [https://open.spotify.com/episode/2HAuDaq2kSHM6L7vdDu6uu?](https://open.spotify.com/episode/2HAuDaq2kSHM6L7vdDu6uu?) [3] [https://www.planetmountain.com/en/news/climbing/james-pearson-interview-after-the-walk-of-life.html](https://www.planetmountain.com/en/news/climbing/james-pearson-interview-after-the-walk-of-life.html) [4] [https://www.instagram.com/p/CiAmEhvs68L/](https://www.instagram.com/p/CiAmEhvs68L/) [5] [https://youtu.be/gbbgYR_6B7I](https://youtu.be/gbbgYR_6B7I) Diff --- before +++ after @@ -1,4 +1,6 @@ -A route with a complicated history. An indirect line called [Dyer Straits](/climb/2925/dyer-straits) (E8) was originally climbed by [Ian Vickers](/climber/221) that used a lot of pegs (although the pegs were not placed by him) [2]. [James Pearson](/climber/153) then removed the pegs and added a direct start, suggesting the unprecedented grade of E12. The route was quickly repeated by [Dave MacLeod](/climber/146) (who was injured at the time) who suggested a downgrade to E9, commenting: +A stunning coastal slab adventure whose immense proportions are perhaps only outdone by the size of the grading controversy that accompanied its first ascent. + +The route has a somewhat complicated history. An indirect line called [Dyer Straits](/climb/2925/dyer-straits) (E8) was originally climbed by [Ian Vickers](/climber/221) that used a lot of pegs (although the pegs were not placed by him) [2]. [James Pearson](/climber/153) then removed the pegs and added a direct start, suggesting the unprecedented grade of E12. The route was quickly repeated by [Dave MacLeod](/climber/146) (who was injured at the time) who suggested a downgrade to E9, commenting: >For James to come to this blank canvas of a wall and have the courage to see past all the uncertainties and unknowns to make a route is a brilliant achievement. But although trad climbs truly deserving of E9 and above are still very few and far between in the world, there are some, and they’ve been around for a while. The Walk of Life stands among these routes, not above them. [1] @@ -14,7 +16,7 @@ >But…… it gets more complicated 😅. The WOL has gained & lost holds since James did it (easy to spot from the old video footage) and I’d say in current state it IS a solid E9. So I guess that’s the ever changing state of chossy sea cliffs? No ascent is quite the same? [4] -Dave has stated that he doesn’t agree with this assessment, and was E9 according to his experience. [5] +Dave has stated that he doesn’t agree with this assessment, and the route was E9 according to his experience. [5] ### References
413	19th June 2026	20:09:44 UTC	TdG	climb	The Walk of Life	notes
Before A route with a complicated history. An indirect line called [Dyer Straits](/climb/2925/dyer-straits) (E8) was originally climbed by [Ian Vickers](/climber/221) that used a lot of pegs (although the pegs were not placed by him) [2]. [James Pearson](/climber/153) then removed the pegs and added a direct start, suggesting the unprecedented grade of E12. The route was quickly repeated by [Dave MacLeod](/climber/146) (who was injured at the time) who suggested a downgrade to E9, commenting: >For James to come to this blank canvas of a wall and have the courage to see past all the uncertainties and unknowns to make a route is a brilliant achievement. But although trad climbs truly deserving of E9 and above are still very few and far between in the world, there are some, and they’ve been around for a while. The Walk of Life stands among these routes, not above them. [1] The harsh criticism which was levelled at James from the climbing community for overgrading this route (and supposedly others), led to him moving to Innsbruck to get away from the UK climbing scene. James has since reflected that, having grown up bouldering and climbing short, bold gritstone routes, The Walk of Life lay far outside his comfort zone. Lacking the experience to recognise his own weaknesses on that style of climb, he was led to propose the lofty grade of E12.[2] In 2023 [Tom Randall](/climber/322/tom-randall) commented: >My view, having climbed both WOL and [Once Upon](/climb/562/once-upon-a-time-in-the-southwest) is that James’s effort was most definitely E10 and the E9 downgrade was one of those things that was not quite right [...] >What I do think (and obvs it’s just my opinion) is that Once Upon has to be E8 if WOL E9 or we accept that maybe things got too compressed. I’d gladly lead one of the lines any day of the week, the other, deffo not 😅😅. My view after quite a bit of time on that wall is top end E8 for OUATITSW and bottom end E10 for WOL. >But…… it gets more complicated 😅. The WOL has gained & lost holds since James did it (easy to spot from the old video footage) and I’d say in current state it IS a solid E9. So I guess that’s the ever changing state of chossy sea cliffs? No ascent is quite the same? [4] ### References [1] [https://davemacleod.blogspot.com/search/label/The%20Walk%20of%20Life](https://davemacleod.blogspot.com/search/label/The%20Walk%20of%20Life) [2] [https://open.spotify.com/episode/2HAuDaq2kSHM6L7vdDu6uu?](https://open.spotify.com/episode/2HAuDaq2kSHM6L7vdDu6uu?) [3] [https://www.planetmountain.com/en/news/climbing/james-pearson-interview-after-the-walk-of-life.html](https://www.planetmountain.com/en/news/climbing/james-pearson-interview-after-the-walk-of-life.html) [4] [https://www.instagram.com/p/CiAmEhvs68L/](https://www.instagram.com/p/CiAmEhvs68L/) After A route with a complicated history. An indirect line called [Dyer Straits](/climb/2925/dyer-straits) (E8) was originally climbed by [Ian Vickers](/climber/221) that used a lot of pegs (although the pegs were not placed by him) [2]. [James Pearson](/climber/153) then removed the pegs and added a direct start, suggesting the unprecedented grade of E12. The route was quickly repeated by [Dave MacLeod](/climber/146) (who was injured at the time) who suggested a downgrade to E9, commenting: >For James to come to this blank canvas of a wall and have the courage to see past all the uncertainties and unknowns to make a route is a brilliant achievement. But although trad climbs truly deserving of E9 and above are still very few and far between in the world, there are some, and they’ve been around for a while. The Walk of Life stands among these routes, not above them. [1] The harsh criticism which was levelled at James from the climbing community for overgrading this route (and supposedly others), led to him moving to Innsbruck to get away from the UK climbing scene. James has since reflected that, having grown up bouldering and climbing short, bold gritstone routes, The Walk of Life lay far outside his comfort zone. Lacking the experience to recognise his own weaknesses on that style of climb, he was led to propose the lofty grade of E12.[2] In 2023 [Tom Randall](/climber/322/tom-randall) commented: >My view, having climbed both WOL and [Once Upon](/climb/562/once-upon-a-time-in-the-southwest) is that James’s effort was most definitely E10 and the E9 downgrade was one of those things that was not quite right [...] >What I do think (and obvs it’s just my opinion) is that Once Upon has to be E8 if WOL E9 or we accept that maybe things got too compressed. I’d gladly lead one of the lines any day of the week, the other, deffo not 😅😅. My view after quite a bit of time on that wall is top end E8 for OUATITSW and bottom end E10 for WOL. >But…… it gets more complicated 😅. The WOL has gained & lost holds since James did it (easy to spot from the old video footage) and I’d say in current state it IS a solid E9. So I guess that’s the ever changing state of chossy sea cliffs? No ascent is quite the same? [4] Dave has stated that he doesn’t agree with this assessment, and was E9 according to his experience. [5] ### References [1] [https://davemacleod.blogspot.com/search/label/The%20Walk%20of%20Life](https://davemacleod.blogspot.com/search/label/The%20Walk%20of%20Life) [2] [https://open.spotify.com/episode/2HAuDaq2kSHM6L7vdDu6uu?](https://open.spotify.com/episode/2HAuDaq2kSHM6L7vdDu6uu?) [3] [https://www.planetmountain.com/en/news/climbing/james-pearson-interview-after-the-walk-of-life.html](https://www.planetmountain.com/en/news/climbing/james-pearson-interview-after-the-walk-of-life.html) [4] [https://www.instagram.com/p/CiAmEhvs68L/](https://www.instagram.com/p/CiAmEhvs68L/) [5] [https://youtu.be/gbbgYR_6B7I](https://youtu.be/gbbgYR_6B7I) Diff --- before +++ after @@ -14,6 +14,8 @@ >But…… it gets more complicated 😅. The WOL has gained & lost holds since James did it (easy to spot from the old video footage) and I’d say in current state it IS a solid E9. So I guess that’s the ever changing state of chossy sea cliffs? No ascent is quite the same? [4] +Dave has stated that he doesn’t agree with this assessment, and was E9 according to his experience. [5] + ### References [1] [https://davemacleod.blogspot.com/search/label/The%20Walk%20of%20Life](https://davemacleod.blogspot.com/search/label/The%20Walk%20of%20Life) @@ -22,4 +24,6 @@ [3] [https://www.planetmountain.com/en/news/climbing/james-pearson-interview-after-the-walk-of-life.html](https://www.planetmountain.com/en/news/climbing/james-pearson-interview-after-the-walk-of-life.html) -[4] [https://www.instagram.com/p/CiAmEhvs68L/](https://www.instagram.com/p/CiAmEhvs68L/) +[4] [https://www.instagram.com/p/CiAmEhvs68L/](https://www.instagram.com/p/CiAmEhvs68L/) + +[5] [https://youtu.be/gbbgYR_6B7I](https://youtu.be/gbbgYR_6B7I)
414	19th June 2026	20:09:44 UTC	TdG	climb	The Walk of Life	notes_pretty
Before <p>A route with a complicated history. An indirect line called <a href="/climb/2925/dyer-straits" rel="noopener noreferrer">Dyer Straits</a> (E8) was originally climbed by <a href="/climber/221" rel="noopener noreferrer">Ian Vickers</a> that used a lot of pegs (although the pegs were not placed by him) [2]. <a href="/climber/153" rel="noopener noreferrer">James Pearson</a> then removed the pegs and added a direct start, suggesting the unprecedented grade of E12. The route was quickly repeated by <a href="/climber/146" rel="noopener noreferrer">Dave MacLeod</a> (who was injured at the time) who suggested a downgrade to E9, commenting:</p> <blockquote> <p>For James to come to this blank canvas of a wall and have the courage to see past all the uncertainties and unknowns to make a route is a brilliant achievement. But although trad climbs truly deserving of E9 and above are still very few and far between in the world, there are some, and they’ve been around for a while. The Walk of Life stands among these routes, not above them. [1]</p> </blockquote> <p>The harsh criticism which was levelled at James from the climbing community for overgrading this route (and supposedly others), led to him moving to Innsbruck to get away from the UK climbing scene.</p> <p>James has since reflected that, having grown up bouldering and climbing short, bold gritstone routes, The Walk of Life lay far outside his comfort zone. Lacking the experience to recognise his own weaknesses on that style of climb, he was led to propose the lofty grade of E12.[2]</p> <p>In 2023 <a href="/climber/322/tom-randall" rel="noopener noreferrer">Tom Randall</a> commented:</p> <blockquote> <p>My view, having climbed both WOL and <a href="/climb/562/once-upon-a-time-in-the-southwest" rel="noopener noreferrer">Once Upon</a> is that James’s effort was most definitely E10 and the E9 downgrade was one of those things that was not quite right [...]</p> <p>What I do think (and obvs it’s just my opinion) is that Once Upon has to be E8 if WOL E9 or we accept that maybe things got too compressed. I’d gladly lead one of the lines any day of the week, the other, deffo not 😅😅. My view after quite a bit of time on that wall is top end E8 for OUATITSW and bottom end E10 for WOL.</p> <p>But…… it gets more complicated 😅. The WOL has gained & lost holds since James did it (easy to spot from the old video footage) and I’d say in current state it IS a solid E9. So I guess that’s the ever changing state of chossy sea cliffs? No ascent is quite the same? [4]</p> </blockquote> <h3>References</h3> <p>[1] <a href="https://davemacleod.blogspot.com/search/label/The%20Walk%20of%20Life" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://davemacleod.blogspot.com/search/label/The%20Walk%20of%20Life</a></p> <p>[2] <a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/2HAuDaq2kSHM6L7vdDu6uu?" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://open.spotify.com/episode/2HAuDaq2kSHM6L7vdDu6uu?</a></p> <p>[3] <a href="https://www.planetmountain.com/en/news/climbing/james-pearson-interview-after-the-walk-of-life.html" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.planetmountain.com/en/news/climbing/james-pearson-interview-after-the-walk-of-life.html</a></p> <p>[4] <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CiAmEhvs68L/" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.instagram.com/p/CiAmEhvs68L/</a></p> After <p>A route with a complicated history. An indirect line called <a href="/climb/2925/dyer-straits" rel="noopener noreferrer">Dyer Straits</a> (E8) was originally climbed by <a href="/climber/221" rel="noopener noreferrer">Ian Vickers</a> that used a lot of pegs (although the pegs were not placed by him) [2]. <a href="/climber/153" rel="noopener noreferrer">James Pearson</a> then removed the pegs and added a direct start, suggesting the unprecedented grade of E12. The route was quickly repeated by <a href="/climber/146" rel="noopener noreferrer">Dave MacLeod</a> (who was injured at the time) who suggested a downgrade to E9, commenting:</p> <blockquote> <p>For James to come to this blank canvas of a wall and have the courage to see past all the uncertainties and unknowns to make a route is a brilliant achievement. But although trad climbs truly deserving of E9 and above are still very few and far between in the world, there are some, and they’ve been around for a while. The Walk of Life stands among these routes, not above them. [1]</p> </blockquote> <p>The harsh criticism which was levelled at James from the climbing community for overgrading this route (and supposedly others), led to him moving to Innsbruck to get away from the UK climbing scene.</p> <p>James has since reflected that, having grown up bouldering and climbing short, bold gritstone routes, The Walk of Life lay far outside his comfort zone. Lacking the experience to recognise his own weaknesses on that style of climb, he was led to propose the lofty grade of E12.[2]</p> <p>In 2023 <a href="/climber/322/tom-randall" rel="noopener noreferrer">Tom Randall</a> commented:</p> <blockquote> <p>My view, having climbed both WOL and <a href="/climb/562/once-upon-a-time-in-the-southwest" rel="noopener noreferrer">Once Upon</a> is that James’s effort was most definitely E10 and the E9 downgrade was one of those things that was not quite right [...]</p> <p>What I do think (and obvs it’s just my opinion) is that Once Upon has to be E8 if WOL E9 or we accept that maybe things got too compressed. I’d gladly lead one of the lines any day of the week, the other, deffo not 😅😅. My view after quite a bit of time on that wall is top end E8 for OUATITSW and bottom end E10 for WOL.</p> <p>But…… it gets more complicated 😅. The WOL has gained & lost holds since James did it (easy to spot from the old video footage) and I’d say in current state it IS a solid E9. So I guess that’s the ever changing state of chossy sea cliffs? No ascent is quite the same? [4]</p> </blockquote> <p>Dave has stated that he doesn’t agree with this assessment, and was E9 according to his experience. [5]</p> <h3>References</h3> <p>[1] <a href="https://davemacleod.blogspot.com/search/label/The%20Walk%20of%20Life" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://davemacleod.blogspot.com/search/label/The%20Walk%20of%20Life</a></p> <p>[2] <a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/2HAuDaq2kSHM6L7vdDu6uu?" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://open.spotify.com/episode/2HAuDaq2kSHM6L7vdDu6uu?</a></p> <p>[3] <a href="https://www.planetmountain.com/en/news/climbing/james-pearson-interview-after-the-walk-of-life.html" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.planetmountain.com/en/news/climbing/james-pearson-interview-after-the-walk-of-life.html</a></p> <p>[4] <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CiAmEhvs68L/" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.instagram.com/p/CiAmEhvs68L/</a></p> <p>[5] <a href="https://youtu.be/gbbgYR_6B7I" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://youtu.be/gbbgYR_6B7I</a></p>
415	19th June 2026	19:59:06 UTC	TdG	climber	Alain Ghersen	notes
Before Prolific Bleausard boulderer and alpinist, breaking new ground in both disciplines. In bouldering he established the first 7C+ in the forest with [Le Surplomb de la Mée (Pre-Break)](/climb/3392/le-surplomb-de-la-mée-(pre-break)) in 1983, and had a claim to the first 8A+ with [L'Aplat Du Gain](/climb/5559/l'aplat-du-gain) (now 8A) in 1988. In 1987, he succeeded in climbing all problems in Fontainebleau graded 7A or above. [2] However, his alpine achievements are even more mind-boggling: >Another champion of Bleau and beyond in the 1980s: Alain Ghersen. His personal obsession was to statically climb every move that others tackled dynamically. No more dynos — a technique commonly used in Bleau on boulders where bad falls are unlikely. Unlike Jérôme Jean-Charles, Alain Ghersen — now a mountain guide and instructor at ENSA — is a world-class alpinist. His solo ascents in the Mont Blanc massif, especially his link-ups in the late 1980s, left a lasting mark on the history of alpinism. >In an unpublished profile of Pierre Allain ('Pierre Allain, or the Prevalence of Pleasure, April 2015'), Alain Ghersen recounts a baroque link-up from the summer of 1987: a Paris–Bleau–Saussois–Chamonix journey starting from one of the most renowned routes in the forest, Le Carnage at Bas-Cuvier. Alain Ghersen: >“In just over 40 hours, I linked together ascents of Carnage (7B) in Bleau, Bidule (8a+) in Saussois, and the full Peuterey Ridge on Mont Blanc — all solo.” >In the summer of 1990, Alain Ghersen once again demonstrated the extraordinary technique and endurance he had developed in Bleau on its most extreme circuits. Solo, without any self-belaying, and in a single continuous push, Ghersen climbed the Directe Américaine on the Drus, the Walker Spur on the Grandes Jorasses, and the full Peuterey Ridge. Three historic, major alpine routes — it’s hard to top that. [1] ### References [1] Modica, Godoffe, 'Fontainebleau: 100 ans d'escalade', p.232, Les Editions Mont Blanc, 2017 [2] OTE Guide, 1997 [3] [https://www.instagram.com/p/DLzw88ZNrZ2/](https://www.instagram.com/p/DLzw88ZNrZ2/) After Prolific Bleausard boulderer and alpinist, breaking new ground in both disciplines. In bouldering he established the first 7C+ in the forest with [Le Surplomb de la Mée (Pre-Break)](/climb/3392/le-surplomb-de-la-mée-(pre-break)) in 1983, and had a claim to the first 8A+ with [L'Aplat Du Gain](/climb/5559/l'aplat-du-gain) (now 8A) in 1988. In 1987, he succeeded in climbing all problems in Fontainebleau graded 7A or above. [2] However, his alpine achievements are even more astounding: >Another champion of Bleau and beyond in the 1980s: Alain Ghersen. His personal obsession was to statically climb every move that others tackled dynamically. No more dynos — a technique commonly used in Bleau on boulders where bad falls are unlikely. Unlike Jérôme Jean-Charles, Alain Ghersen — now a mountain guide and instructor at ENSA — is a world-class alpinist. His solo ascents in the Mont Blanc massif, especially his link-ups in the late 1980s, left a lasting mark on the history of alpinism. >In an unpublished profile of Pierre Allain ('Pierre Allain, or the Prevalence of Pleasure, April 2015'), Alain Ghersen recounts a baroque link-up from the summer of 1987: a Paris–Bleau–Saussois–Chamonix journey starting from one of the most renowned routes in the forest, Le Carnage at Bas-Cuvier. Alain Ghersen: >“In just over 40 hours, I linked together ascents of Carnage (7B) in Bleau, Bidule (8a+) in Saussois, and the full Peuterey Ridge on Mont Blanc — all solo.” >In the summer of 1990, Alain Ghersen once again demonstrated the extraordinary technique and endurance he had developed in Bleau on its most extreme circuits. Solo, without any self-belaying, and in a single continuous push, Ghersen climbed the Directe Américaine on the Drus, the Walker Spur on the Grandes Jorasses, and the full Peuterey Ridge. Three historic, major alpine routes — it’s hard to top that. [1] ### References [1] Modica, Godoffe, 'Fontainebleau: 100 ans d'escalade', p.232, Les Editions Mont Blanc, 2017 [2] OTE Guide, 1997 [3] [https://www.instagram.com/p/DLzw88ZNrZ2/](https://www.instagram.com/p/DLzw88ZNrZ2/) Diff --- before +++ after @@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ In bouldering he established the first 7C+ in the forest with [Le Surplomb de la Mée (Pre-Break)](/climb/3392/le-surplomb-de-la-mée-(pre-break)) in 1983, and had a claim to the first 8A+ with [L'Aplat Du Gain](/climb/5559/l'aplat-du-gain) (now 8A) in 1988. In 1987, he succeeded in climbing all problems in Fontainebleau graded 7A or above. [2] -However, his alpine achievements are even more mind-boggling: +However, his alpine achievements are even more astounding: >Another champion of Bleau and beyond in the 1980s: Alain Ghersen. His personal obsession was to statically climb every move that others tackled dynamically. No more dynos — a technique commonly used in Bleau on boulders where bad falls are unlikely. Unlike Jérôme Jean-Charles, Alain Ghersen — now a mountain guide and instructor at ENSA — is a world-class alpinist. His solo ascents in the Mont Blanc massif, especially his link-ups in the late 1980s, left a lasting mark on the history of alpinism.
416	19th June 2026	19:59:06 UTC	TdG	climber	Alain Ghersen	notes_pretty
Before <p>Prolific Bleausard boulderer and alpinist, breaking new ground in both disciplines.</p> <p>In bouldering he established the first 7C+ in the forest with <a href="/climb/3392/le-surplomb-de-la-mée-(pre-break)" rel="noopener noreferrer">Le Surplomb de la Mée (Pre-Break)</a> in 1983, and had a claim to the first 8A+ with <a href="/climb/5559/l'aplat-du-gain" rel="noopener noreferrer">L'Aplat Du Gain</a> (now 8A) in 1988. In 1987, he succeeded in climbing all problems in Fontainebleau graded 7A or above. [2]</p> <p>However, his alpine achievements are even more mind-boggling:</p> <blockquote> <p>Another champion of Bleau and beyond in the 1980s: Alain Ghersen. His personal obsession was to statically climb every move that others tackled dynamically. No more dynos — a technique commonly used in Bleau on boulders where bad falls are unlikely. Unlike Jérôme Jean-Charles, Alain Ghersen — now a mountain guide and instructor at ENSA — is a world-class alpinist. His solo ascents in the Mont Blanc massif, especially his link-ups in the late 1980s, left a lasting mark on the history of alpinism.</p> <p>In an unpublished profile of Pierre Allain ('Pierre Allain, or the Prevalence of Pleasure, April 2015'), Alain Ghersen recounts a baroque link-up from the summer of 1987: a Paris–Bleau–Saussois–Chamonix journey starting from one of the most renowned routes in the forest, Le Carnage at Bas-Cuvier. Alain Ghersen: “In just over 40 hours, I linked together ascents of Carnage (7B) in Bleau, Bidule (8a+) in Saussois, and the full Peuterey Ridge on Mont Blanc — all solo.”</p> <p>In the summer of 1990, Alain Ghersen once again demonstrated the extraordinary technique and endurance he had developed in Bleau on its most extreme circuits. Solo, without any self-belaying, and in a single continuous push, Ghersen climbed the Directe Américaine on the Drus, the Walker Spur on the Grandes Jorasses, and the full Peuterey Ridge. Three historic, major alpine routes — it’s hard to top that. [1]</p> </blockquote> <h3>References</h3> <p>[1] Modica, Godoffe, 'Fontainebleau: 100 ans d'escalade', p.232, Les Editions Mont Blanc, 2017</p> <p>[2] OTE Guide, 1997</p> <p>[3] <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DLzw88ZNrZ2/" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.instagram.com/p/DLzw88ZNrZ2/</a></p> After <p>Prolific Bleausard boulderer and alpinist, breaking new ground in both disciplines.</p> <p>In bouldering he established the first 7C+ in the forest with <a href="/climb/3392/le-surplomb-de-la-mée-(pre-break)" rel="noopener noreferrer">Le Surplomb de la Mée (Pre-Break)</a> in 1983, and had a claim to the first 8A+ with <a href="/climb/5559/l'aplat-du-gain" rel="noopener noreferrer">L'Aplat Du Gain</a> (now 8A) in 1988. In 1987, he succeeded in climbing all problems in Fontainebleau graded 7A or above. [2]</p> <p>However, his alpine achievements are even more astounding:</p> <blockquote> <p>Another champion of Bleau and beyond in the 1980s: Alain Ghersen. His personal obsession was to statically climb every move that others tackled dynamically. No more dynos — a technique commonly used in Bleau on boulders where bad falls are unlikely. Unlike Jérôme Jean-Charles, Alain Ghersen — now a mountain guide and instructor at ENSA — is a world-class alpinist. His solo ascents in the Mont Blanc massif, especially his link-ups in the late 1980s, left a lasting mark on the history of alpinism.</p> <p>In an unpublished profile of Pierre Allain ('Pierre Allain, or the Prevalence of Pleasure, April 2015'), Alain Ghersen recounts a baroque link-up from the summer of 1987: a Paris–Bleau–Saussois–Chamonix journey starting from one of the most renowned routes in the forest, Le Carnage at Bas-Cuvier. Alain Ghersen: “In just over 40 hours, I linked together ascents of Carnage (7B) in Bleau, Bidule (8a+) in Saussois, and the full Peuterey Ridge on Mont Blanc — all solo.”</p> <p>In the summer of 1990, Alain Ghersen once again demonstrated the extraordinary technique and endurance he had developed in Bleau on its most extreme circuits. Solo, without any self-belaying, and in a single continuous push, Ghersen climbed the Directe Américaine on the Drus, the Walker Spur on the Grandes Jorasses, and the full Peuterey Ridge. Three historic, major alpine routes — it’s hard to top that. [1]</p> </blockquote> <h3>References</h3> <p>[1] Modica, Godoffe, 'Fontainebleau: 100 ans d'escalade', p.232, Les Editions Mont Blanc, 2017</p> <p>[2] OTE Guide, 1997</p> <p>[3] <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DLzw88ZNrZ2/" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.instagram.com/p/DLzw88ZNrZ2/</a></p>
417	19th June 2026	19:50:39 UTC	TdG	media	/file/1654417f-9835-fabf-c007-145b7c8eff45/IMG_6875.jpeg	src
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419	19th June 2026	19:50:39 UTC	TdG	media	/file/1654417f-9835-fabf-c007-145b7c8eff45/IMG_6875.jpeg	url
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420	19th June 2026	19:50:39 UTC	TdG	media	/file/1654417f-9835-fabf-c007-145b7c8eff45/IMG_6875.jpeg	missing_right_to_reproduce
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Before

<p>The most successful competition climber of all time and first gold medalist in climbing in the Tokyo 2020 olympics.</p>
<h3>References</h3>
<p>[1] A profile of Janja from Reel Rock <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yu_W2hT-HDY" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yu_W2hT-HDY</a></p>
<p>[2] Winning the olympic gold medal in Tokyo 2020 <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CSPRpH_l81i/" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.instagram.com/p/CSPRpH_l81i/</a></p>
<p>[3] Interview with <a href="/climber/411/natalie-berry" rel="noopener noreferrer">Natalie Berry</a>  for <a href="https://www.ukclimbing.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">UKClimbing.com</a>, 3rd May 2022 <a href="https://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/features/climb_for_gold_-_janja_garnbret_olympic_champion-14458" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/features/climb_for_gold_-_janja_garnbret_olympic_champion-14458</a></p>
<p>[4] <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmlSSD7jDSI" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmlSSD7jDSI</a></p>
<p>[5] Interview with John Bergman for climbing.com, August 2024 <a href="https://www.climbing.com/people/janja-garnbret-post-olympic-2024-interview/" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.climbing.com/people/janja-garnbret-post-olympic-2024-interview/</a></p>
<p>[6] Video with <a href="/climber/505/magnus-midtbø" rel="noopener noreferrer">Magnus Midtbø</a>, July 2025 <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-EsdeUBBVNM" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-EsdeUBBVNM</a></p>

After

<p>The most successful competition climber of all time, the first gold medalist in climbing in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, a result repeated at Paris 2024. </p>
<p>Primarily focused on competitions, Janja has also made very quick ascents of hard Swiss boulder testpieces, flashed 8c+, and redpointed 9b+ with her ascent of <a href="/climb/466/bibliographie" rel="noopener noreferrer">Bibliographie</a> (9b+). </p>
<h3>References</h3>
<p>[1] A profile of Janja from Reel Rock <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yu_W2hT-HDY" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yu_W2hT-HDY</a></p>
<p>[2] Winning the olympic gold medal in Tokyo 2020 <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CSPRpH_l81i/" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.instagram.com/p/CSPRpH_l81i/</a></p>
<p>[3] Interview with <a href="/climber/411/natalie-berry" rel="noopener noreferrer">Natalie Berry</a>  for <a href="https://www.ukclimbing.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">UKClimbing.com</a>, 3rd May 2022 <a href="https://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/features/climb_for_gold_-_janja_garnbret_olympic_champion-14458" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/features/climb_for_gold_-_janja_garnbret_olympic_champion-14458</a></p>
<p>[4] <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmlSSD7jDSI" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmlSSD7jDSI</a></p>
<p>[5] Interview with John Bergman for climbing.com, August 2024 <a href="https://www.climbing.com/people/janja-garnbret-post-olympic-2024-interview/" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.climbing.com/people/janja-garnbret-post-olympic-2024-interview/</a></p>
<p>[6] Video with <a href="/climber/505/magnus-midtbø" rel="noopener noreferrer">Magnus Midtbø</a>, July 2025 <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-EsdeUBBVNM" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-EsdeUBBVNM</a></p>

Before

<p>Alex Honnold is one of the most accomplished solo climbers of all time. His ascents throughout North America and the rest of the world have pushed the soloing standard to new heights.</p>
<p>Most notably Alex was the first person to free solo a route on <a href="/crag/8023/el-capitan" rel="noopener noreferrer">El Capitan</a> in Yosemite with his ascent of <a href="/climb/804/freerider" rel="noopener noreferrer">Freerider</a> in 2017. The ascent was the product of years of preparation, on top of an already groundbreaking solo ticklist, that included <a href="/climb/2288/moonlight-buttress" rel="noopener noreferrer">Moonlight Buttress</a> (E6), <a href="/climb/2016/el-sendero-luminoso" rel="noopener noreferrer">El Sendero Luminoso</a> (7c) and the <a href="/climb/2895/regular-northwest-face" rel="noopener noreferrer">Regular Northwest Face</a> of Half Dome (E5). </p>
<p>In January 2026 Alex soloed <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taipei_101" rel="noopener noreferrer">Taipei 101</a> in Taiwan in an event that was live-streamed on Netflix. [1]</p>
<h3>Other Work</h3>
<p>Alex co-presents the <a href="https://www.climbinggold.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Climbing Gold</a> podcast alongside <a href="/climber/1696/fitz-cahall" rel="noopener noreferrer">Fitz Cahall</a>.</p>
<p>In 2012 Alex founded <a href="https://www.honnoldfoundation.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Honnold Foundation</a>. The foundation's aim is to improve access to solar electricity. </p>
<h3>References</h3>
<p>[1] <a href="https://www.netflix.com/watch/81987107" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.netflix.com/watch/81987107</a></p>
<p>[2] <em>Honnold Foundation</em> <a href="https://www.honnoldfoundation.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.honnoldfoundation.org/</a></p>
<p>[3] <em>Free Solar? Alex Honnold's Other Mission</em> by <a href="/climber/411/natalie-berry" rel="noopener noreferrer">Natalie Berry</a> (2023) <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/fdc13b02-43de-4fce-9068-0d613fa83760" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.ft.com/content/fdc13b02-43de-4fce-9068-0d613fa83760</a></p>
<p>[4] <a href="https://archive.org/details/CLIMBTALK-Alex-Honnold-Chris-Weidner-Dave-McAllister-Dr-Susan-Nicholas-3-1-2019" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://archive.org/details/CLIMBTALK-Alex-Honnold-Chris-Weidner-Dave-McAllister-Dr-Susan-Nicholas-3-1-2019</a></p>

After

<p>Alex Honnold is one of the most accomplished solo climbers of all time. His ascents throughout North America and the rest of the world have pushed the soloing standard to new heights.</p>
<p>Most notably, Alex was the first – and to date only – person to free solo a route on <a href="/crag/8023/el-capitan" rel="noopener noreferrer">El Capitan</a> in Yosemite with his ascent of <a href="/climb/804/freerider" rel="noopener noreferrer">Freerider</a> in 2017. The ascent was the product of years of preparation, on top of an already groundbreaking solo ticklist, that included <a href="/climb/2288/moonlight-buttress" rel="noopener noreferrer">Moonlight Buttress</a> (E6), <a href="/climb/2016/el-sendero-luminoso" rel="noopener noreferrer">El Sendero Luminoso</a> (7c) and the <a href="/climb/2895/regular-northwest-face" rel="noopener noreferrer">Regular Northwest Face</a> of Half Dome (E5). </p>
<p>In January 2026 Alex soloed <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taipei_101" rel="noopener noreferrer">Taipei 101</a> in Taiwan in an event that was live-streamed on Netflix. [1]</p>
<h3>Other Work</h3>
<p>Alex co-presents the <a href="https://www.climbinggold.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Climbing Gold</a> podcast alongside <a href="/climber/1696/fitz-cahall" rel="noopener noreferrer">Fitz Cahall</a>.</p>
<p>In 2012 Alex founded <a href="https://www.honnoldfoundation.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Honnold Foundation</a>. The foundation's aim is to improve access to solar electricity. </p>
<h3>References</h3>
<p>[1] <a href="https://www.netflix.com/watch/81987107" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.netflix.com/watch/81987107</a></p>
<p>[2] <em>Honnold Foundation</em> <a href="https://www.honnoldfoundation.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.honnoldfoundation.org/</a></p>
<p>[3] <em>Free Solar? Alex Honnold's Other Mission</em> by <a href="/climber/411/natalie-berry" rel="noopener noreferrer">Natalie Berry</a> (2023) <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/fdc13b02-43de-4fce-9068-0d613fa83760" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.ft.com/content/fdc13b02-43de-4fce-9068-0d613fa83760</a></p>
<p>[4] <a href="https://archive.org/details/CLIMBTALK-Alex-Honnold-Chris-Weidner-Dave-McAllister-Dr-Susan-Nicholas-3-1-2019" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://archive.org/details/CLIMBTALK-Alex-Honnold-Chris-Weidner-Dave-McAllister-Dr-Susan-Nicholas-3-1-2019</a></p>

Before

Alex Honnold is one of the most accomplished solo climbers of all time. His ascents throughout North America and the rest of the world have pushed the soloing standard to new heights.

Most notably Alex was the first person to free solo a route on [El Capitan](/crag/8023/el-capitan) in Yosemite with his ascent of [Freerider](/climb/804/freerider) in 2017. The ascent was the product of years of preparation, on top of an already groundbreaking solo ticklist, that included [Moonlight Buttress](/climb/2288/moonlight-buttress) (E6), [El Sendero Luminoso](/climb/2016/el-sendero-luminoso) (7c) and the [Regular Northwest Face](/climb/2895/regular-northwest-face) of Half Dome (E5). 

In January 2026 Alex soloed [Taipei 101](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taipei_101) in Taiwan in an event that was live-streamed on Netflix. [1]

### Other Work

Alex co-presents the [Climbing Gold](https://www.climbinggold.com/) podcast alongside [Fitz Cahall](/climber/1696/fitz-cahall).

In 2012 Alex founded [The Honnold Foundation](https://www.honnoldfoundation.org/). The foundation's aim is to improve access to solar electricity. 

### References

[1] [https://www.netflix.com/watch/81987107](https://www.netflix.com/watch/81987107)

[2] *Honnold Foundation* [https://www.honnoldfoundation.org/](https://www.honnoldfoundation.org/)

[3] *Free Solar? Alex Honnold's Other Mission* by [Natalie Berry](/climber/411/natalie-berry) (2023) [https://www.ft.com/content/fdc13b02-43de-4fce-9068-0d613fa83760](https://www.ft.com/content/fdc13b02-43de-4fce-9068-0d613fa83760)

[4] [https://archive.org/details/CLIMBTALK-Alex-Honnold-Chris-Weidner-Dave-McAllister-Dr-Susan-Nicholas-3-1-2019](https://archive.org/details/CLIMBTALK-Alex-Honnold-Chris-Weidner-Dave-McAllister-Dr-Susan-Nicholas-3-1-2019)

After

Alex Honnold is one of the most accomplished solo climbers of all time. His ascents throughout North America and the rest of the world have pushed the soloing standard to new heights.

Most notably, Alex was the first – and to date only – person to free solo a route on [El Capitan](/crag/8023/el-capitan) in Yosemite with his ascent of [Freerider](/climb/804/freerider) in 2017. The ascent was the product of years of preparation, on top of an already groundbreaking solo ticklist, that included [Moonlight Buttress](/climb/2288/moonlight-buttress) (E6), [El Sendero Luminoso](/climb/2016/el-sendero-luminoso) (7c) and the [Regular Northwest Face](/climb/2895/regular-northwest-face) of Half Dome (E5). 

In January 2026 Alex soloed [Taipei 101](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taipei_101) in Taiwan in an event that was live-streamed on Netflix. [1]

### Other Work

Alex co-presents the [Climbing Gold](https://www.climbinggold.com/) podcast alongside [Fitz Cahall](/climber/1696/fitz-cahall).

In 2012 Alex founded [The Honnold Foundation](https://www.honnoldfoundation.org/). The foundation's aim is to improve access to solar electricity. 

### References

[1] [https://www.netflix.com/watch/81987107](https://www.netflix.com/watch/81987107)

[2] *Honnold Foundation* [https://www.honnoldfoundation.org/](https://www.honnoldfoundation.org/)

[3] *Free Solar? Alex Honnold's Other Mission* by [Natalie Berry](/climber/411/natalie-berry) (2023) [https://www.ft.com/content/fdc13b02-43de-4fce-9068-0d613fa83760](https://www.ft.com/content/fdc13b02-43de-4fce-9068-0d613fa83760)

[4] [https://archive.org/details/CLIMBTALK-Alex-Honnold-Chris-Weidner-Dave-McAllister-Dr-Susan-Nicholas-3-1-2019](https://archive.org/details/CLIMBTALK-Alex-Honnold-Chris-Weidner-Dave-McAllister-Dr-Susan-Nicholas-3-1-2019)

Diff

--- before

+++ after

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@

 Alex Honnold is one of the most accomplished solo climbers of all time. His ascents throughout North America and the rest of the world have pushed the soloing standard to new heights.

 

-Most notably Alex was the first person to free solo a route on [El Capitan](/crag/8023/el-capitan) in Yosemite with his ascent of [Freerider](/climb/804/freerider) in 2017. The ascent was the product of years of preparation, on top of an already groundbreaking solo ticklist, that included [Moonlight Buttress](/climb/2288/moonlight-buttress) (E6), [El Sendero Luminoso](/climb/2016/el-sendero-luminoso) (7c) and the [Regular Northwest Face](/climb/2895/regular-northwest-face) of Half Dome (E5). 

+Most notably, Alex was the first – and to date only – person to free solo a route on [El Capitan](/crag/8023/el-capitan) in Yosemite with his ascent of [Freerider](/climb/804/freerider) in 2017. The ascent was the product of years of preparation, on top of an already groundbreaking solo ticklist, that included [Moonlight Buttress](/climb/2288/moonlight-buttress) (E6), [El Sendero Luminoso](/climb/2016/el-sendero-luminoso) (7c) and the [Regular Northwest Face](/climb/2895/regular-northwest-face) of Half Dome (E5). 

 

 In January 2026 Alex soloed [Taipei 101](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taipei_101) in Taiwan in an event that was live-streamed on Netflix. [1]

Before

<p>Alex Honnold is one of the most accomplished solo climbers of all time. His ascents throughout North America and the rest of the world have pushed the soloing standard to new heights.</p>
<p>Most notably Alex was the first person to free solo a route on <a href="/crag/8023/el-capitan" rel="noopener noreferrer">El Capitan</a> in Yosemite with his ascent of <a href="/climb/804/freerider" rel="noopener noreferrer">Freerider</a> in 2017.</p>
<p>In January 2026 Alex soloed <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taipei_101" rel="noopener noreferrer">Taipei 101</a> in Taiwan in an event that was live streamed on Netflex. [1]</p>
<h3>Other Work</h3>
<p>Alex co-presents the <a href="https://www.climbinggold.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Climbing Gold</a> podcast alongside <a href="/climber/1696/fitz-cahall" rel="noopener noreferrer">Fitz Cahall</a>.</p>
<p>In 2012 Alex founded <a href="https://www.honnoldfoundation.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Honnold Foundation</a>. The foundation's aim is to improve access to solar electricity. </p>
<h3>References</h3>
<p>[1] <a href="https://www.netflix.com/watch/81987107" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.netflix.com/watch/81987107</a></p>
<p>[2] <em>Honnold Foundation</em> <a href="https://www.honnoldfoundation.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.honnoldfoundation.org/</a></p>
<p>[3] <em>Free Solar? Alex Honnold's Other Mission</em> by <a href="/climber/411/natalie-berry" rel="noopener noreferrer">Natalie Berry</a> (2023) <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/fdc13b02-43de-4fce-9068-0d613fa83760" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.ft.com/content/fdc13b02-43de-4fce-9068-0d613fa83760</a></p>
<p>[4] <a href="https://archive.org/details/CLIMBTALK-Alex-Honnold-Chris-Weidner-Dave-McAllister-Dr-Susan-Nicholas-3-1-2019" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://archive.org/details/CLIMBTALK-Alex-Honnold-Chris-Weidner-Dave-McAllister-Dr-Susan-Nicholas-3-1-2019</a></p>

After

<p>Alex Honnold is one of the most accomplished solo climbers of all time. His ascents throughout North America and the rest of the world have pushed the soloing standard to new heights.</p>
<p>Most notably Alex was the first person to free solo a route on <a href="/crag/8023/el-capitan" rel="noopener noreferrer">El Capitan</a> in Yosemite with his ascent of <a href="/climb/804/freerider" rel="noopener noreferrer">Freerider</a> in 2017. The ascent was the product of years of preparation, on top of an already groundbreaking solo ticklist, that included <a href="/climb/2288/moonlight-buttress" rel="noopener noreferrer">Moonlight Buttress</a> (E6), <a href="/climb/2016/el-sendero-luminoso" rel="noopener noreferrer">El Sendero Luminoso</a> (7c) and the <a href="/climb/2895/regular-northwest-face" rel="noopener noreferrer">Regular Northwest Face</a> of Half Dome (E5). </p>
<p>In January 2026 Alex soloed <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taipei_101" rel="noopener noreferrer">Taipei 101</a> in Taiwan in an event that was live-streamed on Netflix. [1]</p>
<h3>Other Work</h3>
<p>Alex co-presents the <a href="https://www.climbinggold.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Climbing Gold</a> podcast alongside <a href="/climber/1696/fitz-cahall" rel="noopener noreferrer">Fitz Cahall</a>.</p>
<p>In 2012 Alex founded <a href="https://www.honnoldfoundation.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Honnold Foundation</a>. The foundation's aim is to improve access to solar electricity. </p>
<h3>References</h3>
<p>[1] <a href="https://www.netflix.com/watch/81987107" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.netflix.com/watch/81987107</a></p>
<p>[2] <em>Honnold Foundation</em> <a href="https://www.honnoldfoundation.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.honnoldfoundation.org/</a></p>
<p>[3] <em>Free Solar? Alex Honnold's Other Mission</em> by <a href="/climber/411/natalie-berry" rel="noopener noreferrer">Natalie Berry</a> (2023) <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/fdc13b02-43de-4fce-9068-0d613fa83760" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.ft.com/content/fdc13b02-43de-4fce-9068-0d613fa83760</a></p>
<p>[4] <a href="https://archive.org/details/CLIMBTALK-Alex-Honnold-Chris-Weidner-Dave-McAllister-Dr-Susan-Nicholas-3-1-2019" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://archive.org/details/CLIMBTALK-Alex-Honnold-Chris-Weidner-Dave-McAllister-Dr-Susan-Nicholas-3-1-2019</a></p>

Before

Alex Honnold is one of the most accomplished solo climbers of all time. His ascents throughout North America and the rest of the world have pushed the soloing standard to new heights.

Most notably Alex was the first person to free solo a route on [El Capitan](/crag/8023/el-capitan) in Yosemite with his ascent of [Freerider](/climb/804/freerider) in 2017.

In January 2026 Alex soloed [Taipei 101](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taipei_101) in Taiwan in an event that was live streamed on Netflex. [1]

### Other Work

Alex co-presents the [Climbing Gold](https://www.climbinggold.com/) podcast alongside [Fitz Cahall](/climber/1696/fitz-cahall).

In 2012 Alex founded [The Honnold Foundation](https://www.honnoldfoundation.org/). The foundation's aim is to improve access to solar electricity. 

### References

[1] [https://www.netflix.com/watch/81987107](https://www.netflix.com/watch/81987107)

[2] *Honnold Foundation* [https://www.honnoldfoundation.org/](https://www.honnoldfoundation.org/)

[3] *Free Solar? Alex Honnold's Other Mission* by [Natalie Berry](/climber/411/natalie-berry) (2023) [https://www.ft.com/content/fdc13b02-43de-4fce-9068-0d613fa83760](https://www.ft.com/content/fdc13b02-43de-4fce-9068-0d613fa83760)

[4] [https://archive.org/details/CLIMBTALK-Alex-Honnold-Chris-Weidner-Dave-McAllister-Dr-Susan-Nicholas-3-1-2019](https://archive.org/details/CLIMBTALK-Alex-Honnold-Chris-Weidner-Dave-McAllister-Dr-Susan-Nicholas-3-1-2019)

After

Alex Honnold is one of the most accomplished solo climbers of all time. His ascents throughout North America and the rest of the world have pushed the soloing standard to new heights.

Most notably Alex was the first person to free solo a route on [El Capitan](/crag/8023/el-capitan) in Yosemite with his ascent of [Freerider](/climb/804/freerider) in 2017. The ascent was the product of years of preparation, on top of an already groundbreaking solo ticklist, that included [Moonlight Buttress](/climb/2288/moonlight-buttress) (E6), [El Sendero Luminoso](/climb/2016/el-sendero-luminoso) (7c) and the [Regular Northwest Face](/climb/2895/regular-northwest-face) of Half Dome (E5). 

In January 2026 Alex soloed [Taipei 101](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taipei_101) in Taiwan in an event that was live-streamed on Netflix. [1]

### Other Work

Alex co-presents the [Climbing Gold](https://www.climbinggold.com/) podcast alongside [Fitz Cahall](/climber/1696/fitz-cahall).

In 2012 Alex founded [The Honnold Foundation](https://www.honnoldfoundation.org/). The foundation's aim is to improve access to solar electricity. 

### References

[1] [https://www.netflix.com/watch/81987107](https://www.netflix.com/watch/81987107)

[2] *Honnold Foundation* [https://www.honnoldfoundation.org/](https://www.honnoldfoundation.org/)

[3] *Free Solar? Alex Honnold's Other Mission* by [Natalie Berry](/climber/411/natalie-berry) (2023) [https://www.ft.com/content/fdc13b02-43de-4fce-9068-0d613fa83760](https://www.ft.com/content/fdc13b02-43de-4fce-9068-0d613fa83760)

[4] [https://archive.org/details/CLIMBTALK-Alex-Honnold-Chris-Weidner-Dave-McAllister-Dr-Susan-Nicholas-3-1-2019](https://archive.org/details/CLIMBTALK-Alex-Honnold-Chris-Weidner-Dave-McAllister-Dr-Susan-Nicholas-3-1-2019)

Diff

--- before

+++ after

@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@

 Alex Honnold is one of the most accomplished solo climbers of all time. His ascents throughout North America and the rest of the world have pushed the soloing standard to new heights.

 

-Most notably Alex was the first person to free solo a route on [El Capitan](/crag/8023/el-capitan) in Yosemite with his ascent of [Freerider](/climb/804/freerider) in 2017.

+Most notably Alex was the first person to free solo a route on [El Capitan](/crag/8023/el-capitan) in Yosemite with his ascent of [Freerider](/climb/804/freerider) in 2017. The ascent was the product of years of preparation, on top of an already groundbreaking solo ticklist, that included [Moonlight Buttress](/climb/2288/moonlight-buttress) (E6), [El Sendero Luminoso](/climb/2016/el-sendero-luminoso) (7c) and the [Regular Northwest Face](/climb/2895/regular-northwest-face) of Half Dome (E5). 

 

-In January 2026 Alex soloed [Taipei 101](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taipei_101) in Taiwan in an event that was live streamed on Netflex. [1]

+In January 2026 Alex soloed [Taipei 101](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taipei_101) in Taiwan in an event that was live-streamed on Netflix. [1]

 

 ### Other Work

Before

false

After

true

Before

<p>Noah Wheeler is a young and up and coming boulderer who currently resides in Colorado, USA. He is one half of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@Wheel_Rock">Wheel Rock</a> with his brother <a href="/climber/1945/benn-wheeler">Benn Wheeler</a>. </p>
<p>Noah burst onto the scene in 2022 in which he repeated three 8C/V15 boulders with <a href="/climb/2648/g-master">G-Master</a>, <a href="/climb/846/paint-it-black">Paint it Black</a>, and <a href="/climb/1432/delirium">Delirium</a>. In 2024 Noah repeated <a href="/climb/825/sleepwalker">Sleepwalker</a> 8C+/V16 and <a href="/climb/1341/insomniac">Insomniac</a> 8C+/V16. In the dying days of 2024 Noah repeated the infamous <a href="/climb/1116/return-of-the-sleepwalker">Return of the Sleepwalker</a> 9A/V17 at only 22 years of age, this made him the youngest person to climb 9A/V17 at the time of his ascent. </p>
<h3>References</h3>
<p>[1] <a href="https://www.grimper.com/news-mais-jeune-americain-nomme-noah-wheeler">https://www.grimper.com/news-mais-jeune-americain-nomme-noah-wheeler</a></p>
<p>[2] <a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/3O6FI1hbAKBsel83KUqvNS?">https://open.spotify.com/episode/3O6FI1hbAKBsel83KUqvNS?</a></p>

After

<p>Noah Wheeler is a young and up-and-coming boulderer who currently resides in Colorado, USA. He is one half of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@Wheel_Rock" rel="noopener noreferrer">Wheel Rock</a> with his brother <a href="/climber/1945/benn-wheeler" rel="noopener noreferrer">Benn Wheeler</a>. </p>
<p>Noah burst onto the scene in 2022 when he repeated three 8C/V15 boulders with <a href="/climb/2648/g-master" rel="noopener noreferrer">G-Master</a>, <a href="/climb/846/paint-it-black" rel="noopener noreferrer">Paint it Black</a>, and <a href="/climb/1432/delirium" rel="noopener noreferrer">Delirium</a>. In 2024 Noah repeated <a href="/climb/825/sleepwalker" rel="noopener noreferrer">Sleepwalker</a> 8C+/V16 and <a href="/climb/1341/insomniac" rel="noopener noreferrer">Insomniac</a> 8C+/V16. In the dying days of 2024 Noah repeated the infamous <a href="/climb/1116/return-of-the-sleepwalker" rel="noopener noreferrer">Return of the Sleepwalker</a> 9A/V17 at only 22 years of age, this made him the youngest person to climb 9A/V17 at the time of his ascent. He made short work of <a href="/climb/826/burden-of-dreams" rel="noopener noreferrer">Burden of Dreams</a> (9A), finding it suited his board-honed style.</p>
<h3>References</h3>
<p>[1] <a href="https://www.grimper.com/news-mais-jeune-americain-nomme-noah-wheeler" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.grimper.com/news-mais-jeune-americain-nomme-noah-wheeler</a></p>
<p>[2] <a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/3O6FI1hbAKBsel83KUqvNS?" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://open.spotify.com/episode/3O6FI1hbAKBsel83KUqvNS?</a></p>

Before

Noah Wheeler is a young and up and coming boulderer who currently resides in Colorado, USA. He is one half of [Wheel Rock](https://www.youtube.com/@Wheel_Rock) with his brother [Benn Wheeler](/climber/1945/benn-wheeler). 

Noah burst onto the scene in 2022 in which he repeated three 8C/V15 boulders with [G-Master](/climb/2648/g-master), [Paint it Black](/climb/846/paint-it-black), and [Delirium](/climb/1432/delirium). In 2024 Noah repeated [Sleepwalker](/climb/825/sleepwalker) 8C+/V16 and [Insomniac](/climb/1341/insomniac) 8C+/V16. In the dying days of 2024 Noah repeated the infamous [Return of the Sleepwalker](/climb/1116/return-of-the-sleepwalker) 9A/V17 at only 22 years of age, this made him the youngest person to climb 9A/V17 at the time of his ascent. 

### References

[1] [https://www.grimper.com/news-mais-jeune-americain-nomme-noah-wheeler](https://www.grimper.com/news-mais-jeune-americain-nomme-noah-wheeler)

[2] [https://open.spotify.com/episode/3O6FI1hbAKBsel83KUqvNS?](https://open.spotify.com/episode/3O6FI1hbAKBsel83KUqvNS?)

After

Noah Wheeler is a young and up-and-coming boulderer who currently resides in Colorado, USA. He is one half of [Wheel Rock](https://www.youtube.com/@Wheel_Rock) with his brother [Benn Wheeler](/climber/1945/benn-wheeler). 

Noah burst onto the scene in 2022 when he repeated three 8C/V15 boulders with [G-Master](/climb/2648/g-master), [Paint it Black](/climb/846/paint-it-black), and [Delirium](/climb/1432/delirium). In 2024 Noah repeated [Sleepwalker](/climb/825/sleepwalker) 8C+/V16 and [Insomniac](/climb/1341/insomniac) 8C+/V16. In the dying days of 2024 Noah repeated the infamous [Return of the Sleepwalker](/climb/1116/return-of-the-sleepwalker) 9A/V17 at only 22 years of age, this made him the youngest person to climb 9A/V17 at the time of his ascent. He made short work of [Burden of Dreams](/climb/826/burden-of-dreams) (9A), finding it suited his board-honed style.

### References

[1] [https://www.grimper.com/news-mais-jeune-americain-nomme-noah-wheeler](https://www.grimper.com/news-mais-jeune-americain-nomme-noah-wheeler)

[2] [https://open.spotify.com/episode/3O6FI1hbAKBsel83KUqvNS?](https://open.spotify.com/episode/3O6FI1hbAKBsel83KUqvNS?)

Diff

--- before

+++ after

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@

-Noah Wheeler is a young and up and coming boulderer who currently resides in Colorado, USA. He is one half of [Wheel Rock](https://www.youtube.com/@Wheel_Rock) with his brother [Benn Wheeler](/climber/1945/benn-wheeler). 

+Noah Wheeler is a young and up-and-coming boulderer who currently resides in Colorado, USA. He is one half of [Wheel Rock](https://www.youtube.com/@Wheel_Rock) with his brother [Benn Wheeler](/climber/1945/benn-wheeler). 

 

-Noah burst onto the scene in 2022 in which he repeated three 8C/V15 boulders with [G-Master](/climb/2648/g-master), [Paint it Black](/climb/846/paint-it-black), and [Delirium](/climb/1432/delirium). In 2024 Noah repeated [Sleepwalker](/climb/825/sleepwalker) 8C+/V16 and [Insomniac](/climb/1341/insomniac) 8C+/V16. In the dying days of 2024 Noah repeated the infamous [Return of the Sleepwalker](/climb/1116/return-of-the-sleepwalker) 9A/V17 at only 22 years of age, this made him the youngest person to climb 9A/V17 at the time of his ascent. 

+Noah burst onto the scene in 2022 when he repeated three 8C/V15 boulders with [G-Master](/climb/2648/g-master), [Paint it Black](/climb/846/paint-it-black), and [Delirium](/climb/1432/delirium). In 2024 Noah repeated [Sleepwalker](/climb/825/sleepwalker) 8C+/V16 and [Insomniac](/climb/1341/insomniac) 8C+/V16. In the dying days of 2024 Noah repeated the infamous [Return of the Sleepwalker](/climb/1116/return-of-the-sleepwalker) 9A/V17 at only 22 years of age, this made him the youngest person to climb 9A/V17 at the time of his ascent. He made short work of [Burden of Dreams](/climb/826/burden-of-dreams) (9A), finding it suited his board-honed style.

 

 ### References

Before

A stunning coastal slab adventure whose immense proportions are perhaps only outdone by the size of the grading controversy that accompanied its first ascent. 

The route has a somewhat complicated history. An indirect line called [Dyer Straits](/climb/2925/dyer-straits) (E8) was originally climbed by [Ian Vickers](/climber/221) that used a lot of pegs (although the pegs were not placed by him) [2]. [James Pearson](/climber/153) then removed the pegs and added a direct start, suggesting the unprecedented grade of E12. The route was quickly repeated by [Dave MacLeod](/climber/146) (who was injured at the time) who suggested a downgrade to E9, commenting:

>For James to come to this blank canvas of a wall and have the courage to see past all the uncertainties and unknowns to make a route is a brilliant achievement. But although trad climbs truly deserving of E9 and above are still very few and far between in the world, there are some, and they’ve been around for a while. The Walk of Life stands among these routes, not above them. [1]

The harsh criticism which was levelled at James from the climbing community for overgrading this route (and supposedly others), led to him moving to Innsbruck to get away from the UK climbing scene.

James has since reflected that, having grown up bouldering and climbing short, bold gritstone routes, The Walk of Life lay far outside his comfort zone. Lacking the experience to recognise his own weaknesses on that style of climb, he was led to propose the lofty grade of E12.[2]

In 2023 [Tom Randall](/climber/322/tom-randall) commented:

>My view, having climbed both WOL and [Once Upon](/climb/562/once-upon-a-time-in-the-southwest) is that James’s effort was most definitely E10 and the E9 downgrade was one of those things that was not quite right [...]

>What I do think (and obvs it’s just my opinion) is that Once Upon has to be E8 if WOL E9 or we accept that maybe things got too compressed. I’d gladly lead one of the lines any day of the week, the other, deffo not 😅😅. My view after quite a bit of time on that wall is top end E8 for OUATITSW and bottom end E10 for WOL.

>But…… it gets more complicated 😅. The WOL has gained & lost holds since James did it (easy to spot from the old video footage) and I’d say in current state it IS a solid E9. So I guess that’s the ever changing state of chossy sea cliffs? No ascent is quite the same? [4]

Dave has stated that he doesn’t agree with this assessment, and the route was E9 according to his experience. [5]

### References

[1] [https://davemacleod.blogspot.com/search/label/The%20Walk%20of%20Life](https://davemacleod.blogspot.com/search/label/The%20Walk%20of%20Life)

[2] [https://open.spotify.com/episode/2HAuDaq2kSHM6L7vdDu6uu?](https://open.spotify.com/episode/2HAuDaq2kSHM6L7vdDu6uu?)

[3] [https://www.planetmountain.com/en/news/climbing/james-pearson-interview-after-the-walk-of-life.html](https://www.planetmountain.com/en/news/climbing/james-pearson-interview-after-the-walk-of-life.html)

[4] [https://www.instagram.com/p/CiAmEhvs68L/](https://www.instagram.com/p/CiAmEhvs68L/)

[5] [https://youtu.be/gbbgYR_6B7I](https://youtu.be/gbbgYR_6B7I)

After

A stunning coastal slab adventure whose immense proportions are perhaps only exceeded by the size of the grading controversy that accompanied its first ascent. 

The route has a somewhat complicated history. An indirect line called [Dyer Straits](/climb/2925/dyer-straits) (E8) was originally climbed by [Ian Vickers](/climber/221) that used a lot of pegs (although the pegs were not placed by him) [2]. [James Pearson](/climber/153) then removed the pegs and added a direct start, suggesting the unprecedented grade of E12. The route was quickly repeated by [Dave MacLeod](/climber/146) (who was injured at the time) who suggested a downgrade to E9, commenting:

>For James to come to this blank canvas of a wall and have the courage to see past all the uncertainties and unknowns to make a route is a brilliant achievement. But although trad climbs truly deserving of E9 and above are still very few and far between in the world, there are some, and they’ve been around for a while. The Walk of Life stands among these routes, not above them. [1]

The harsh criticism which was levelled at James from the climbing community for overgrading this route (and supposedly others), led to him moving to Innsbruck to get away from the UK climbing scene.

James has since reflected that, having grown up bouldering and climbing short, bold gritstone routes, The Walk of Life lay far outside his comfort zone. Lacking the experience to recognise his own weaknesses on that style of climb, he was led to propose the lofty grade of E12.[2]

In 2023 [Tom Randall](/climber/322/tom-randall) commented:

>My view, having climbed both WOL and [Once Upon](/climb/562/once-upon-a-time-in-the-southwest) is that James’s effort was most definitely E10 and the E9 downgrade was one of those things that was not quite right [...]

>What I do think (and obvs it’s just my opinion) is that Once Upon has to be E8 if WOL E9 or we accept that maybe things got too compressed. I’d gladly lead one of the lines any day of the week, the other, deffo not 😅😅. My view after quite a bit of time on that wall is top end E8 for OUATITSW and bottom end E10 for WOL.

>But…… it gets more complicated 😅. The WOL has gained & lost holds since James did it (easy to spot from the old video footage) and I’d say in current state it IS a solid E9. So I guess that’s the ever changing state of chossy sea cliffs? No ascent is quite the same? [4]

Dave has stated that he doesn’t agree with this assessment, and the route was E9 according to his experience. [5]

### References

[1] [https://davemacleod.blogspot.com/search/label/The%20Walk%20of%20Life](https://davemacleod.blogspot.com/search/label/The%20Walk%20of%20Life)

[2] [https://open.spotify.com/episode/2HAuDaq2kSHM6L7vdDu6uu?](https://open.spotify.com/episode/2HAuDaq2kSHM6L7vdDu6uu?)

[3] [https://www.planetmountain.com/en/news/climbing/james-pearson-interview-after-the-walk-of-life.html](https://www.planetmountain.com/en/news/climbing/james-pearson-interview-after-the-walk-of-life.html)

[4] [https://www.instagram.com/p/CiAmEhvs68L/](https://www.instagram.com/p/CiAmEhvs68L/)

[5] [https://youtu.be/gbbgYR_6B7I](https://youtu.be/gbbgYR_6B7I)

Diff

--- before

+++ after

@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@

-A stunning coastal slab adventure whose immense proportions are perhaps only outdone by the size of the grading controversy that accompanied its first ascent. 

+A stunning coastal slab adventure whose immense proportions are perhaps only exceeded by the size of the grading controversy that accompanied its first ascent. 

 

 The route has a somewhat complicated history. An indirect line called [Dyer Straits](/climb/2925/dyer-straits) (E8) was originally climbed by [Ian Vickers](/climber/221) that used a lot of pegs (although the pegs were not placed by him) [2]. [James Pearson](/climber/153) then removed the pegs and added a direct start, suggesting the unprecedented grade of E12. The route was quickly repeated by [Dave MacLeod](/climber/146) (who was injured at the time) who suggested a downgrade to E9, commenting:

Before

<p>A stunning coastal slab adventure whose immense proportions are perhaps only outdone by the size of the grading controversy that accompanied its first ascent. </p>
<p>The route has a somewhat complicated history. An indirect line called <a href="/climb/2925/dyer-straits" rel="noopener noreferrer">Dyer Straits</a> (E8) was originally climbed by <a href="/climber/221" rel="noopener noreferrer">Ian Vickers</a> that used a lot of pegs (although the pegs were not placed by him) [2]. <a href="/climber/153" rel="noopener noreferrer">James Pearson</a> then removed the pegs and added a direct start, suggesting the unprecedented grade of E12. The route was quickly repeated by <a href="/climber/146" rel="noopener noreferrer">Dave MacLeod</a> (who was injured at the time) who suggested a downgrade to E9, commenting:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>For James to come to this blank canvas of a wall and have the courage to see past all the uncertainties and unknowns to make a route is a brilliant achievement. But although trad climbs truly deserving of E9 and above are still very few and far between in the world, there are some, and they’ve been around for a while. The Walk of Life stands among these routes, not above them. [1]</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The harsh criticism which was levelled at James from the climbing community for overgrading this route (and supposedly others), led to him moving to Innsbruck to get away from the UK climbing scene.</p>
<p>James has since reflected that, having grown up bouldering and climbing short, bold gritstone routes, The Walk of Life lay far outside his comfort zone. Lacking the experience to recognise his own weaknesses on that style of climb, he was led to propose the lofty grade of E12.[2]</p>
<p>In 2023 <a href="/climber/322/tom-randall" rel="noopener noreferrer">Tom Randall</a> commented:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>My view, having climbed both WOL and <a href="/climb/562/once-upon-a-time-in-the-southwest" rel="noopener noreferrer">Once Upon</a> is that James’s effort was most definitely E10 and the E9 downgrade was one of those things that was not quite right [...]</p>
<p>What I do think (and obvs it’s just my opinion) is that Once Upon has to be E8 if WOL E9 or we accept that maybe things got too compressed. I’d gladly lead one of the lines any day of the week, the other, deffo not 😅😅. My view after quite a bit of time on that wall is top end E8 for OUATITSW and bottom end E10 for WOL.</p>
<p>But…… it gets more complicated 😅. The WOL has gained &amp; lost holds since James did it (easy to spot from the old video footage) and I’d say in current state it IS a solid E9. So I guess that’s the ever changing state of chossy sea cliffs? No ascent is quite the same? [4]</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Dave has stated that he doesn’t agree with this assessment, and the route was E9 according to his experience. [5]</p>
<h3>References</h3>
<p>[1] <a href="https://davemacleod.blogspot.com/search/label/The%20Walk%20of%20Life" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://davemacleod.blogspot.com/search/label/The%20Walk%20of%20Life</a></p>
<p>[2] <a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/2HAuDaq2kSHM6L7vdDu6uu?" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://open.spotify.com/episode/2HAuDaq2kSHM6L7vdDu6uu?</a></p>
<p>[3] <a href="https://www.planetmountain.com/en/news/climbing/james-pearson-interview-after-the-walk-of-life.html" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.planetmountain.com/en/news/climbing/james-pearson-interview-after-the-walk-of-life.html</a></p>
<p>[4] <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CiAmEhvs68L/" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.instagram.com/p/CiAmEhvs68L/</a></p>
<p>[5] <a href="https://youtu.be/gbbgYR_6B7I" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://youtu.be/gbbgYR_6B7I</a></p>

After

<p>A stunning coastal slab adventure whose immense proportions are perhaps only exceeded by the size of the grading controversy that accompanied its first ascent. </p>
<p>The route has a somewhat complicated history. An indirect line called <a href="/climb/2925/dyer-straits" rel="noopener noreferrer">Dyer Straits</a> (E8) was originally climbed by <a href="/climber/221" rel="noopener noreferrer">Ian Vickers</a> that used a lot of pegs (although the pegs were not placed by him) [2]. <a href="/climber/153" rel="noopener noreferrer">James Pearson</a> then removed the pegs and added a direct start, suggesting the unprecedented grade of E12. The route was quickly repeated by <a href="/climber/146" rel="noopener noreferrer">Dave MacLeod</a> (who was injured at the time) who suggested a downgrade to E9, commenting:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>For James to come to this blank canvas of a wall and have the courage to see past all the uncertainties and unknowns to make a route is a brilliant achievement. But although trad climbs truly deserving of E9 and above are still very few and far between in the world, there are some, and they’ve been around for a while. The Walk of Life stands among these routes, not above them. [1]</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The harsh criticism which was levelled at James from the climbing community for overgrading this route (and supposedly others), led to him moving to Innsbruck to get away from the UK climbing scene.</p>
<p>James has since reflected that, having grown up bouldering and climbing short, bold gritstone routes, The Walk of Life lay far outside his comfort zone. Lacking the experience to recognise his own weaknesses on that style of climb, he was led to propose the lofty grade of E12.[2]</p>
<p>In 2023 <a href="/climber/322/tom-randall" rel="noopener noreferrer">Tom Randall</a> commented:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>My view, having climbed both WOL and <a href="/climb/562/once-upon-a-time-in-the-southwest" rel="noopener noreferrer">Once Upon</a> is that James’s effort was most definitely E10 and the E9 downgrade was one of those things that was not quite right [...]</p>
<p>What I do think (and obvs it’s just my opinion) is that Once Upon has to be E8 if WOL E9 or we accept that maybe things got too compressed. I’d gladly lead one of the lines any day of the week, the other, deffo not 😅😅. My view after quite a bit of time on that wall is top end E8 for OUATITSW and bottom end E10 for WOL.</p>
<p>But…… it gets more complicated 😅. The WOL has gained &amp; lost holds since James did it (easy to spot from the old video footage) and I’d say in current state it IS a solid E9. So I guess that’s the ever changing state of chossy sea cliffs? No ascent is quite the same? [4]</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Dave has stated that he doesn’t agree with this assessment, and the route was E9 according to his experience. [5]</p>
<h3>References</h3>
<p>[1] <a href="https://davemacleod.blogspot.com/search/label/The%20Walk%20of%20Life" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://davemacleod.blogspot.com/search/label/The%20Walk%20of%20Life</a></p>
<p>[2] <a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/2HAuDaq2kSHM6L7vdDu6uu?" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://open.spotify.com/episode/2HAuDaq2kSHM6L7vdDu6uu?</a></p>
<p>[3] <a href="https://www.planetmountain.com/en/news/climbing/james-pearson-interview-after-the-walk-of-life.html" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.planetmountain.com/en/news/climbing/james-pearson-interview-after-the-walk-of-life.html</a></p>
<p>[4] <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CiAmEhvs68L/" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.instagram.com/p/CiAmEhvs68L/</a></p>
<p>[5] <a href="https://youtu.be/gbbgYR_6B7I" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://youtu.be/gbbgYR_6B7I</a></p>

Before

<p>A route with a complicated history. An indirect line called <a href="/climb/2925/dyer-straits" rel="noopener noreferrer">Dyer Straits</a> (E8) was originally climbed by <a href="/climber/221" rel="noopener noreferrer">Ian Vickers</a> that used a lot of pegs (although the pegs were not placed by him) [2]. <a href="/climber/153" rel="noopener noreferrer">James Pearson</a> then removed the pegs and added a direct start, suggesting the unprecedented grade of E12. The route was quickly repeated by <a href="/climber/146" rel="noopener noreferrer">Dave MacLeod</a> (who was injured at the time) who suggested a downgrade to E9, commenting:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>For James to come to this blank canvas of a wall and have the courage to see past all the uncertainties and unknowns to make a route is a brilliant achievement. But although trad climbs truly deserving of E9 and above are still very few and far between in the world, there are some, and they’ve been around for a while. The Walk of Life stands among these routes, not above them. [1]</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The harsh criticism which was levelled at James from the climbing community for overgrading this route (and supposedly others), led to him moving to Innsbruck to get away from the UK climbing scene.</p>
<p>James has since reflected that, having grown up bouldering and climbing short, bold gritstone routes, The Walk of Life lay far outside his comfort zone. Lacking the experience to recognise his own weaknesses on that style of climb, he was led to propose the lofty grade of E12.[2]</p>
<p>In 2023 <a href="/climber/322/tom-randall" rel="noopener noreferrer">Tom Randall</a> commented:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>My view, having climbed both WOL and <a href="/climb/562/once-upon-a-time-in-the-southwest" rel="noopener noreferrer">Once Upon</a> is that James’s effort was most definitely E10 and the E9 downgrade was one of those things that was not quite right [...]</p>
<p>What I do think (and obvs it’s just my opinion) is that Once Upon has to be E8 if WOL E9 or we accept that maybe things got too compressed. I’d gladly lead one of the lines any day of the week, the other, deffo not 😅😅. My view after quite a bit of time on that wall is top end E8 for OUATITSW and bottom end E10 for WOL.</p>
<p>But…… it gets more complicated 😅. The WOL has gained &amp; lost holds since James did it (easy to spot from the old video footage) and I’d say in current state it IS a solid E9. So I guess that’s the ever changing state of chossy sea cliffs? No ascent is quite the same? [4]</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Dave has stated that he doesn’t agree with this assessment, and was E9 according to his experience. [5]</p>
<h3>References</h3>
<p>[1] <a href="https://davemacleod.blogspot.com/search/label/The%20Walk%20of%20Life" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://davemacleod.blogspot.com/search/label/The%20Walk%20of%20Life</a></p>
<p>[2] <a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/2HAuDaq2kSHM6L7vdDu6uu?" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://open.spotify.com/episode/2HAuDaq2kSHM6L7vdDu6uu?</a></p>
<p>[3] <a href="https://www.planetmountain.com/en/news/climbing/james-pearson-interview-after-the-walk-of-life.html" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.planetmountain.com/en/news/climbing/james-pearson-interview-after-the-walk-of-life.html</a></p>
<p>[4] <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CiAmEhvs68L/" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.instagram.com/p/CiAmEhvs68L/</a></p>
<p>[5] <a href="https://youtu.be/gbbgYR_6B7I" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://youtu.be/gbbgYR_6B7I</a></p>

After

<p>A stunning coastal slab adventure whose immense proportions are perhaps only outdone by the size of the grading controversy that accompanied its first ascent. </p>
<p>The route has a somewhat complicated history. An indirect line called <a href="/climb/2925/dyer-straits" rel="noopener noreferrer">Dyer Straits</a> (E8) was originally climbed by <a href="/climber/221" rel="noopener noreferrer">Ian Vickers</a> that used a lot of pegs (although the pegs were not placed by him) [2]. <a href="/climber/153" rel="noopener noreferrer">James Pearson</a> then removed the pegs and added a direct start, suggesting the unprecedented grade of E12. The route was quickly repeated by <a href="/climber/146" rel="noopener noreferrer">Dave MacLeod</a> (who was injured at the time) who suggested a downgrade to E9, commenting:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>For James to come to this blank canvas of a wall and have the courage to see past all the uncertainties and unknowns to make a route is a brilliant achievement. But although trad climbs truly deserving of E9 and above are still very few and far between in the world, there are some, and they’ve been around for a while. The Walk of Life stands among these routes, not above them. [1]</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The harsh criticism which was levelled at James from the climbing community for overgrading this route (and supposedly others), led to him moving to Innsbruck to get away from the UK climbing scene.</p>
<p>James has since reflected that, having grown up bouldering and climbing short, bold gritstone routes, The Walk of Life lay far outside his comfort zone. Lacking the experience to recognise his own weaknesses on that style of climb, he was led to propose the lofty grade of E12.[2]</p>
<p>In 2023 <a href="/climber/322/tom-randall" rel="noopener noreferrer">Tom Randall</a> commented:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>My view, having climbed both WOL and <a href="/climb/562/once-upon-a-time-in-the-southwest" rel="noopener noreferrer">Once Upon</a> is that James’s effort was most definitely E10 and the E9 downgrade was one of those things that was not quite right [...]</p>
<p>What I do think (and obvs it’s just my opinion) is that Once Upon has to be E8 if WOL E9 or we accept that maybe things got too compressed. I’d gladly lead one of the lines any day of the week, the other, deffo not 😅😅. My view after quite a bit of time on that wall is top end E8 for OUATITSW and bottom end E10 for WOL.</p>
<p>But…… it gets more complicated 😅. The WOL has gained &amp; lost holds since James did it (easy to spot from the old video footage) and I’d say in current state it IS a solid E9. So I guess that’s the ever changing state of chossy sea cliffs? No ascent is quite the same? [4]</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Dave has stated that he doesn’t agree with this assessment, and the route was E9 according to his experience. [5]</p>
<h3>References</h3>
<p>[1] <a href="https://davemacleod.blogspot.com/search/label/The%20Walk%20of%20Life" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://davemacleod.blogspot.com/search/label/The%20Walk%20of%20Life</a></p>
<p>[2] <a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/2HAuDaq2kSHM6L7vdDu6uu?" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://open.spotify.com/episode/2HAuDaq2kSHM6L7vdDu6uu?</a></p>
<p>[3] <a href="https://www.planetmountain.com/en/news/climbing/james-pearson-interview-after-the-walk-of-life.html" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.planetmountain.com/en/news/climbing/james-pearson-interview-after-the-walk-of-life.html</a></p>
<p>[4] <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CiAmEhvs68L/" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.instagram.com/p/CiAmEhvs68L/</a></p>
<p>[5] <a href="https://youtu.be/gbbgYR_6B7I" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://youtu.be/gbbgYR_6B7I</a></p>

Before

A route with a complicated history. An indirect line called [Dyer Straits](/climb/2925/dyer-straits) (E8) was originally climbed by [Ian Vickers](/climber/221) that used a lot of pegs (although the pegs were not placed by him) [2]. [James Pearson](/climber/153) then removed the pegs and added a direct start, suggesting the unprecedented grade of E12. The route was quickly repeated by [Dave MacLeod](/climber/146) (who was injured at the time) who suggested a downgrade to E9, commenting:

>For James to come to this blank canvas of a wall and have the courage to see past all the uncertainties and unknowns to make a route is a brilliant achievement. But although trad climbs truly deserving of E9 and above are still very few and far between in the world, there are some, and they’ve been around for a while. The Walk of Life stands among these routes, not above them. [1]

The harsh criticism which was levelled at James from the climbing community for overgrading this route (and supposedly others), led to him moving to Innsbruck to get away from the UK climbing scene.

James has since reflected that, having grown up bouldering and climbing short, bold gritstone routes, The Walk of Life lay far outside his comfort zone. Lacking the experience to recognise his own weaknesses on that style of climb, he was led to propose the lofty grade of E12.[2]

In 2023 [Tom Randall](/climber/322/tom-randall) commented:

>My view, having climbed both WOL and [Once Upon](/climb/562/once-upon-a-time-in-the-southwest) is that James’s effort was most definitely E10 and the E9 downgrade was one of those things that was not quite right [...]

>What I do think (and obvs it’s just my opinion) is that Once Upon has to be E8 if WOL E9 or we accept that maybe things got too compressed. I’d gladly lead one of the lines any day of the week, the other, deffo not 😅😅. My view after quite a bit of time on that wall is top end E8 for OUATITSW and bottom end E10 for WOL.

>But…… it gets more complicated 😅. The WOL has gained & lost holds since James did it (easy to spot from the old video footage) and I’d say in current state it IS a solid E9. So I guess that’s the ever changing state of chossy sea cliffs? No ascent is quite the same? [4]

Dave has stated that he doesn’t agree with this assessment, and was E9 according to his experience. [5]

### References

[1] [https://davemacleod.blogspot.com/search/label/The%20Walk%20of%20Life](https://davemacleod.blogspot.com/search/label/The%20Walk%20of%20Life)

[2] [https://open.spotify.com/episode/2HAuDaq2kSHM6L7vdDu6uu?](https://open.spotify.com/episode/2HAuDaq2kSHM6L7vdDu6uu?)

[3] [https://www.planetmountain.com/en/news/climbing/james-pearson-interview-after-the-walk-of-life.html](https://www.planetmountain.com/en/news/climbing/james-pearson-interview-after-the-walk-of-life.html)

[4] [https://www.instagram.com/p/CiAmEhvs68L/](https://www.instagram.com/p/CiAmEhvs68L/)

[5] [https://youtu.be/gbbgYR_6B7I](https://youtu.be/gbbgYR_6B7I)

After

A stunning coastal slab adventure whose immense proportions are perhaps only outdone by the size of the grading controversy that accompanied its first ascent. 

The route has a somewhat complicated history. An indirect line called [Dyer Straits](/climb/2925/dyer-straits) (E8) was originally climbed by [Ian Vickers](/climber/221) that used a lot of pegs (although the pegs were not placed by him) [2]. [James Pearson](/climber/153) then removed the pegs and added a direct start, suggesting the unprecedented grade of E12. The route was quickly repeated by [Dave MacLeod](/climber/146) (who was injured at the time) who suggested a downgrade to E9, commenting:

>For James to come to this blank canvas of a wall and have the courage to see past all the uncertainties and unknowns to make a route is a brilliant achievement. But although trad climbs truly deserving of E9 and above are still very few and far between in the world, there are some, and they’ve been around for a while. The Walk of Life stands among these routes, not above them. [1]

The harsh criticism which was levelled at James from the climbing community for overgrading this route (and supposedly others), led to him moving to Innsbruck to get away from the UK climbing scene.

James has since reflected that, having grown up bouldering and climbing short, bold gritstone routes, The Walk of Life lay far outside his comfort zone. Lacking the experience to recognise his own weaknesses on that style of climb, he was led to propose the lofty grade of E12.[2]

In 2023 [Tom Randall](/climber/322/tom-randall) commented:

>My view, having climbed both WOL and [Once Upon](/climb/562/once-upon-a-time-in-the-southwest) is that James’s effort was most definitely E10 and the E9 downgrade was one of those things that was not quite right [...]

>What I do think (and obvs it’s just my opinion) is that Once Upon has to be E8 if WOL E9 or we accept that maybe things got too compressed. I’d gladly lead one of the lines any day of the week, the other, deffo not 😅😅. My view after quite a bit of time on that wall is top end E8 for OUATITSW and bottom end E10 for WOL.

>But…… it gets more complicated 😅. The WOL has gained & lost holds since James did it (easy to spot from the old video footage) and I’d say in current state it IS a solid E9. So I guess that’s the ever changing state of chossy sea cliffs? No ascent is quite the same? [4]

Dave has stated that he doesn’t agree with this assessment, and the route was E9 according to his experience. [5]

### References

[1] [https://davemacleod.blogspot.com/search/label/The%20Walk%20of%20Life](https://davemacleod.blogspot.com/search/label/The%20Walk%20of%20Life)

[2] [https://open.spotify.com/episode/2HAuDaq2kSHM6L7vdDu6uu?](https://open.spotify.com/episode/2HAuDaq2kSHM6L7vdDu6uu?)

[3] [https://www.planetmountain.com/en/news/climbing/james-pearson-interview-after-the-walk-of-life.html](https://www.planetmountain.com/en/news/climbing/james-pearson-interview-after-the-walk-of-life.html)

[4] [https://www.instagram.com/p/CiAmEhvs68L/](https://www.instagram.com/p/CiAmEhvs68L/)

[5] [https://youtu.be/gbbgYR_6B7I](https://youtu.be/gbbgYR_6B7I)

Diff

--- before

+++ after

@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@

-A route with a complicated history. An indirect line called [Dyer Straits](/climb/2925/dyer-straits) (E8) was originally climbed by [Ian Vickers](/climber/221) that used a lot of pegs (although the pegs were not placed by him) [2]. [James Pearson](/climber/153) then removed the pegs and added a direct start, suggesting the unprecedented grade of E12. The route was quickly repeated by [Dave MacLeod](/climber/146) (who was injured at the time) who suggested a downgrade to E9, commenting:

+A stunning coastal slab adventure whose immense proportions are perhaps only outdone by the size of the grading controversy that accompanied its first ascent. 

+

+The route has a somewhat complicated history. An indirect line called [Dyer Straits](/climb/2925/dyer-straits) (E8) was originally climbed by [Ian Vickers](/climber/221) that used a lot of pegs (although the pegs were not placed by him) [2]. [James Pearson](/climber/153) then removed the pegs and added a direct start, suggesting the unprecedented grade of E12. The route was quickly repeated by [Dave MacLeod](/climber/146) (who was injured at the time) who suggested a downgrade to E9, commenting:

 

 >For James to come to this blank canvas of a wall and have the courage to see past all the uncertainties and unknowns to make a route is a brilliant achievement. But although trad climbs truly deserving of E9 and above are still very few and far between in the world, there are some, and they’ve been around for a while. The Walk of Life stands among these routes, not above them. [1]

 

@@ -14,7 +16,7 @@

 

 >But…… it gets more complicated 😅. The WOL has gained & lost holds since James did it (easy to spot from the old video footage) and I’d say in current state it IS a solid E9. So I guess that’s the ever changing state of chossy sea cliffs? No ascent is quite the same? [4]

 

-Dave has stated that he doesn’t agree with this assessment, and was E9 according to his experience. [5]

+Dave has stated that he doesn’t agree with this assessment, and the route was E9 according to his experience. [5]

 

 ### References

Before

A route with a complicated history. An indirect line called [Dyer Straits](/climb/2925/dyer-straits) (E8) was originally climbed by [Ian Vickers](/climber/221) that used a lot of pegs (although the pegs were not placed by him) [2]. [James Pearson](/climber/153) then removed the pegs and added a direct start, suggesting the unprecedented grade of E12. The route was quickly repeated by [Dave MacLeod](/climber/146) (who was injured at the time) who suggested a downgrade to E9, commenting:

>For James to come to this blank canvas of a wall and have the courage to see past all the uncertainties and unknowns to make a route is a brilliant achievement. But although trad climbs truly deserving of E9 and above are still very few and far between in the world, there are some, and they’ve been around for a while. The Walk of Life stands among these routes, not above them. [1]

The harsh criticism which was levelled at James from the climbing community for overgrading this route (and supposedly others), led to him moving to Innsbruck to get away from the UK climbing scene.

James has since reflected that, having grown up bouldering and climbing short, bold gritstone routes, The Walk of Life lay far outside his comfort zone. Lacking the experience to recognise his own weaknesses on that style of climb, he was led to propose the lofty grade of E12.[2]

In 2023 [Tom Randall](/climber/322/tom-randall) commented:

>My view, having climbed both WOL and [Once Upon](/climb/562/once-upon-a-time-in-the-southwest) is that James’s effort was most definitely E10 and the E9 downgrade was one of those things that was not quite right [...]

>What I do think (and obvs it’s just my opinion) is that Once Upon has to be E8 if WOL E9 or we accept that maybe things got too compressed. I’d gladly lead one of the lines any day of the week, the other, deffo not 😅😅. My view after quite a bit of time on that wall is top end E8 for OUATITSW and bottom end E10 for WOL.

>But…… it gets more complicated 😅. The WOL has gained & lost holds since James did it (easy to spot from the old video footage) and I’d say in current state it IS a solid E9. So I guess that’s the ever changing state of chossy sea cliffs? No ascent is quite the same? [4]

### References

[1] [https://davemacleod.blogspot.com/search/label/The%20Walk%20of%20Life](https://davemacleod.blogspot.com/search/label/The%20Walk%20of%20Life)

[2] [https://open.spotify.com/episode/2HAuDaq2kSHM6L7vdDu6uu?](https://open.spotify.com/episode/2HAuDaq2kSHM6L7vdDu6uu?)

[3] [https://www.planetmountain.com/en/news/climbing/james-pearson-interview-after-the-walk-of-life.html](https://www.planetmountain.com/en/news/climbing/james-pearson-interview-after-the-walk-of-life.html)

[4] [https://www.instagram.com/p/CiAmEhvs68L/](https://www.instagram.com/p/CiAmEhvs68L/)

After

A route with a complicated history. An indirect line called [Dyer Straits](/climb/2925/dyer-straits) (E8) was originally climbed by [Ian Vickers](/climber/221) that used a lot of pegs (although the pegs were not placed by him) [2]. [James Pearson](/climber/153) then removed the pegs and added a direct start, suggesting the unprecedented grade of E12. The route was quickly repeated by [Dave MacLeod](/climber/146) (who was injured at the time) who suggested a downgrade to E9, commenting:

>For James to come to this blank canvas of a wall and have the courage to see past all the uncertainties and unknowns to make a route is a brilliant achievement. But although trad climbs truly deserving of E9 and above are still very few and far between in the world, there are some, and they’ve been around for a while. The Walk of Life stands among these routes, not above them. [1]

The harsh criticism which was levelled at James from the climbing community for overgrading this route (and supposedly others), led to him moving to Innsbruck to get away from the UK climbing scene.

James has since reflected that, having grown up bouldering and climbing short, bold gritstone routes, The Walk of Life lay far outside his comfort zone. Lacking the experience to recognise his own weaknesses on that style of climb, he was led to propose the lofty grade of E12.[2]

In 2023 [Tom Randall](/climber/322/tom-randall) commented:

>My view, having climbed both WOL and [Once Upon](/climb/562/once-upon-a-time-in-the-southwest) is that James’s effort was most definitely E10 and the E9 downgrade was one of those things that was not quite right [...]

>What I do think (and obvs it’s just my opinion) is that Once Upon has to be E8 if WOL E9 or we accept that maybe things got too compressed. I’d gladly lead one of the lines any day of the week, the other, deffo not 😅😅. My view after quite a bit of time on that wall is top end E8 for OUATITSW and bottom end E10 for WOL.

>But…… it gets more complicated 😅. The WOL has gained & lost holds since James did it (easy to spot from the old video footage) and I’d say in current state it IS a solid E9. So I guess that’s the ever changing state of chossy sea cliffs? No ascent is quite the same? [4]

Dave has stated that he doesn’t agree with this assessment, and was E9 according to his experience. [5]

### References

[1] [https://davemacleod.blogspot.com/search/label/The%20Walk%20of%20Life](https://davemacleod.blogspot.com/search/label/The%20Walk%20of%20Life)

[2] [https://open.spotify.com/episode/2HAuDaq2kSHM6L7vdDu6uu?](https://open.spotify.com/episode/2HAuDaq2kSHM6L7vdDu6uu?)

[3] [https://www.planetmountain.com/en/news/climbing/james-pearson-interview-after-the-walk-of-life.html](https://www.planetmountain.com/en/news/climbing/james-pearson-interview-after-the-walk-of-life.html)

[4] [https://www.instagram.com/p/CiAmEhvs68L/](https://www.instagram.com/p/CiAmEhvs68L/)

[5] [https://youtu.be/gbbgYR_6B7I](https://youtu.be/gbbgYR_6B7I)

Diff

--- before

+++ after

@@ -14,6 +14,8 @@

 

 >But…… it gets more complicated 😅. The WOL has gained & lost holds since James did it (easy to spot from the old video footage) and I’d say in current state it IS a solid E9. So I guess that’s the ever changing state of chossy sea cliffs? No ascent is quite the same? [4]

 

+Dave has stated that he doesn’t agree with this assessment, and was E9 according to his experience. [5]

+

 ### References

 

 [1] [https://davemacleod.blogspot.com/search/label/The%20Walk%20of%20Life](https://davemacleod.blogspot.com/search/label/The%20Walk%20of%20Life)

@@ -22,4 +24,6 @@

 

 [3] [https://www.planetmountain.com/en/news/climbing/james-pearson-interview-after-the-walk-of-life.html](https://www.planetmountain.com/en/news/climbing/james-pearson-interview-after-the-walk-of-life.html)

 

-[4] [https://www.instagram.com/p/CiAmEhvs68L/](https://www.instagram.com/p/CiAmEhvs68L/)
+[4] [https://www.instagram.com/p/CiAmEhvs68L/](https://www.instagram.com/p/CiAmEhvs68L/)

+

+[5] [https://youtu.be/gbbgYR_6B7I](https://youtu.be/gbbgYR_6B7I)

Before

<p>A route with a complicated history. An indirect line called <a href="/climb/2925/dyer-straits" rel="noopener noreferrer">Dyer Straits</a> (E8) was originally climbed by <a href="/climber/221" rel="noopener noreferrer">Ian Vickers</a> that used a lot of pegs (although the pegs were not placed by him) [2]. <a href="/climber/153" rel="noopener noreferrer">James Pearson</a> then removed the pegs and added a direct start, suggesting the unprecedented grade of E12. The route was quickly repeated by <a href="/climber/146" rel="noopener noreferrer">Dave MacLeod</a> (who was injured at the time) who suggested a downgrade to E9, commenting:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>For James to come to this blank canvas of a wall and have the courage to see past all the uncertainties and unknowns to make a route is a brilliant achievement. But although trad climbs truly deserving of E9 and above are still very few and far between in the world, there are some, and they’ve been around for a while. The Walk of Life stands among these routes, not above them. [1]</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The harsh criticism which was levelled at James from the climbing community for overgrading this route (and supposedly others), led to him moving to Innsbruck to get away from the UK climbing scene.</p>
<p>James has since reflected that, having grown up bouldering and climbing short, bold gritstone routes, The Walk of Life lay far outside his comfort zone. Lacking the experience to recognise his own weaknesses on that style of climb, he was led to propose the lofty grade of E12.[2]</p>
<p>In 2023 <a href="/climber/322/tom-randall" rel="noopener noreferrer">Tom Randall</a> commented:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>My view, having climbed both WOL and <a href="/climb/562/once-upon-a-time-in-the-southwest" rel="noopener noreferrer">Once Upon</a> is that James’s effort was most definitely E10 and the E9 downgrade was one of those things that was not quite right [...]</p>
<p>What I do think (and obvs it’s just my opinion) is that Once Upon has to be E8 if WOL E9 or we accept that maybe things got too compressed. I’d gladly lead one of the lines any day of the week, the other, deffo not 😅😅. My view after quite a bit of time on that wall is top end E8 for OUATITSW and bottom end E10 for WOL.</p>
<p>But…… it gets more complicated 😅. The WOL has gained &amp; lost holds since James did it (easy to spot from the old video footage) and I’d say in current state it IS a solid E9. So I guess that’s the ever changing state of chossy sea cliffs? No ascent is quite the same? [4]</p>
</blockquote>
<h3>References</h3>
<p>[1] <a href="https://davemacleod.blogspot.com/search/label/The%20Walk%20of%20Life" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://davemacleod.blogspot.com/search/label/The%20Walk%20of%20Life</a></p>
<p>[2] <a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/2HAuDaq2kSHM6L7vdDu6uu?" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://open.spotify.com/episode/2HAuDaq2kSHM6L7vdDu6uu?</a></p>
<p>[3] <a href="https://www.planetmountain.com/en/news/climbing/james-pearson-interview-after-the-walk-of-life.html" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.planetmountain.com/en/news/climbing/james-pearson-interview-after-the-walk-of-life.html</a></p>
<p>[4] <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CiAmEhvs68L/" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.instagram.com/p/CiAmEhvs68L/</a></p>

After

<p>A route with a complicated history. An indirect line called <a href="/climb/2925/dyer-straits" rel="noopener noreferrer">Dyer Straits</a> (E8) was originally climbed by <a href="/climber/221" rel="noopener noreferrer">Ian Vickers</a> that used a lot of pegs (although the pegs were not placed by him) [2]. <a href="/climber/153" rel="noopener noreferrer">James Pearson</a> then removed the pegs and added a direct start, suggesting the unprecedented grade of E12. The route was quickly repeated by <a href="/climber/146" rel="noopener noreferrer">Dave MacLeod</a> (who was injured at the time) who suggested a downgrade to E9, commenting:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>For James to come to this blank canvas of a wall and have the courage to see past all the uncertainties and unknowns to make a route is a brilliant achievement. But although trad climbs truly deserving of E9 and above are still very few and far between in the world, there are some, and they’ve been around for a while. The Walk of Life stands among these routes, not above them. [1]</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The harsh criticism which was levelled at James from the climbing community for overgrading this route (and supposedly others), led to him moving to Innsbruck to get away from the UK climbing scene.</p>
<p>James has since reflected that, having grown up bouldering and climbing short, bold gritstone routes, The Walk of Life lay far outside his comfort zone. Lacking the experience to recognise his own weaknesses on that style of climb, he was led to propose the lofty grade of E12.[2]</p>
<p>In 2023 <a href="/climber/322/tom-randall" rel="noopener noreferrer">Tom Randall</a> commented:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>My view, having climbed both WOL and <a href="/climb/562/once-upon-a-time-in-the-southwest" rel="noopener noreferrer">Once Upon</a> is that James’s effort was most definitely E10 and the E9 downgrade was one of those things that was not quite right [...]</p>
<p>What I do think (and obvs it’s just my opinion) is that Once Upon has to be E8 if WOL E9 or we accept that maybe things got too compressed. I’d gladly lead one of the lines any day of the week, the other, deffo not 😅😅. My view after quite a bit of time on that wall is top end E8 for OUATITSW and bottom end E10 for WOL.</p>
<p>But…… it gets more complicated 😅. The WOL has gained &amp; lost holds since James did it (easy to spot from the old video footage) and I’d say in current state it IS a solid E9. So I guess that’s the ever changing state of chossy sea cliffs? No ascent is quite the same? [4]</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Dave has stated that he doesn’t agree with this assessment, and was E9 according to his experience. [5]</p>
<h3>References</h3>
<p>[1] <a href="https://davemacleod.blogspot.com/search/label/The%20Walk%20of%20Life" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://davemacleod.blogspot.com/search/label/The%20Walk%20of%20Life</a></p>
<p>[2] <a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/2HAuDaq2kSHM6L7vdDu6uu?" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://open.spotify.com/episode/2HAuDaq2kSHM6L7vdDu6uu?</a></p>
<p>[3] <a href="https://www.planetmountain.com/en/news/climbing/james-pearson-interview-after-the-walk-of-life.html" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.planetmountain.com/en/news/climbing/james-pearson-interview-after-the-walk-of-life.html</a></p>
<p>[4] <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CiAmEhvs68L/" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.instagram.com/p/CiAmEhvs68L/</a></p>
<p>[5] <a href="https://youtu.be/gbbgYR_6B7I" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://youtu.be/gbbgYR_6B7I</a></p>

Before

Prolific Bleausard boulderer and alpinist, breaking new ground in both disciplines.

In bouldering he established the first 7C+ in the forest with [Le Surplomb de la Mée (Pre-Break)](/climb/3392/le-surplomb-de-la-mée-(pre-break)) in 1983, and had a claim to the first 8A+ with [L'Aplat Du Gain](/climb/5559/l'aplat-du-gain) (now 8A) in 1988. In 1987, he succeeded in climbing all problems in Fontainebleau graded 7A or above. [2]

However, his alpine achievements are even more mind-boggling:

>Another champion of Bleau and beyond in the 1980s: Alain Ghersen. His personal obsession was to statically climb every move that others tackled dynamically. No more dynos — a technique commonly used in Bleau on boulders where bad falls are unlikely. Unlike Jérôme Jean-Charles, Alain Ghersen — now a mountain guide and instructor at ENSA — is a world-class alpinist. His solo ascents in the Mont Blanc massif, especially his link-ups in the late 1980s, left a lasting mark on the history of alpinism.

>In an unpublished profile of Pierre Allain ('Pierre Allain, or the Prevalence of Pleasure, April 2015'), Alain Ghersen recounts a baroque link-up from the summer of 1987: a Paris–Bleau–Saussois–Chamonix journey starting from one of the most renowned routes in the forest, Le Carnage at Bas-Cuvier. Alain Ghersen:
>“In just over 40 hours, I linked together ascents of Carnage (7B) in Bleau, Bidule (8a+) in Saussois, and the full Peuterey Ridge on Mont Blanc — all solo.”

>In the summer of 1990, Alain Ghersen once again demonstrated the extraordinary technique and endurance he had developed in Bleau on its most extreme circuits. Solo, without any self-belaying, and in a single continuous push, Ghersen climbed the Directe Américaine on the Drus, the Walker Spur on the Grandes Jorasses, and the full Peuterey Ridge. Three historic, major alpine routes — it’s hard to top that. [1]

### References

[1] Modica, Godoffe, 'Fontainebleau: 100 ans d'escalade', p.232, Les Editions Mont Blanc, 2017

[2] OTE Guide, 1997

[3] [https://www.instagram.com/p/DLzw88ZNrZ2/](https://www.instagram.com/p/DLzw88ZNrZ2/)

After

Prolific Bleausard boulderer and alpinist, breaking new ground in both disciplines.

In bouldering he established the first 7C+ in the forest with [Le Surplomb de la Mée (Pre-Break)](/climb/3392/le-surplomb-de-la-mée-(pre-break)) in 1983, and had a claim to the first 8A+ with [L'Aplat Du Gain](/climb/5559/l'aplat-du-gain) (now 8A) in 1988. In 1987, he succeeded in climbing all problems in Fontainebleau graded 7A or above. [2]

However, his alpine achievements are even more astounding:

>Another champion of Bleau and beyond in the 1980s: Alain Ghersen. His personal obsession was to statically climb every move that others tackled dynamically. No more dynos — a technique commonly used in Bleau on boulders where bad falls are unlikely. Unlike Jérôme Jean-Charles, Alain Ghersen — now a mountain guide and instructor at ENSA — is a world-class alpinist. His solo ascents in the Mont Blanc massif, especially his link-ups in the late 1980s, left a lasting mark on the history of alpinism.

>In an unpublished profile of Pierre Allain ('Pierre Allain, or the Prevalence of Pleasure, April 2015'), Alain Ghersen recounts a baroque link-up from the summer of 1987: a Paris–Bleau–Saussois–Chamonix journey starting from one of the most renowned routes in the forest, Le Carnage at Bas-Cuvier. Alain Ghersen:
>“In just over 40 hours, I linked together ascents of Carnage (7B) in Bleau, Bidule (8a+) in Saussois, and the full Peuterey Ridge on Mont Blanc — all solo.”

>In the summer of 1990, Alain Ghersen once again demonstrated the extraordinary technique and endurance he had developed in Bleau on its most extreme circuits. Solo, without any self-belaying, and in a single continuous push, Ghersen climbed the Directe Américaine on the Drus, the Walker Spur on the Grandes Jorasses, and the full Peuterey Ridge. Three historic, major alpine routes — it’s hard to top that. [1]

### References

[1] Modica, Godoffe, 'Fontainebleau: 100 ans d'escalade', p.232, Les Editions Mont Blanc, 2017

[2] OTE Guide, 1997

[3] [https://www.instagram.com/p/DLzw88ZNrZ2/](https://www.instagram.com/p/DLzw88ZNrZ2/)

Diff

--- before

+++ after

@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@

 

 In bouldering he established the first 7C+ in the forest with [Le Surplomb de la Mée (Pre-Break)](/climb/3392/le-surplomb-de-la-mée-(pre-break)) in 1983, and had a claim to the first 8A+ with [L'Aplat Du Gain](/climb/5559/l'aplat-du-gain) (now 8A) in 1988. In 1987, he succeeded in climbing all problems in Fontainebleau graded 7A or above. [2]

 

-However, his alpine achievements are even more mind-boggling:

+However, his alpine achievements are even more astounding:

 

 >Another champion of Bleau and beyond in the 1980s: Alain Ghersen. His personal obsession was to statically climb every move that others tackled dynamically. No more dynos — a technique commonly used in Bleau on boulders where bad falls are unlikely. Unlike Jérôme Jean-Charles, Alain Ghersen — now a mountain guide and instructor at ENSA — is a world-class alpinist. His solo ascents in the Mont Blanc massif, especially his link-ups in the late 1980s, left a lasting mark on the history of alpinism.

Before

<p>Prolific Bleausard boulderer and alpinist, breaking new ground in both disciplines.</p>
<p>In bouldering he established the first 7C+ in the forest with <a href="/climb/3392/le-surplomb-de-la-mée-(pre-break)" rel="noopener noreferrer">Le Surplomb de la Mée (Pre-Break)</a> in 1983, and had a claim to the first 8A+ with <a href="/climb/5559/l'aplat-du-gain" rel="noopener noreferrer">L'Aplat Du Gain</a> (now 8A) in 1988. In 1987, he succeeded in climbing all problems in Fontainebleau graded 7A or above. [2]</p>
<p>However, his alpine achievements are even more mind-boggling:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Another champion of Bleau and beyond in the 1980s: Alain Ghersen. His personal obsession was to statically climb every move that others tackled dynamically. No more dynos — a technique commonly used in Bleau on boulders where bad falls are unlikely. Unlike Jérôme Jean-Charles, Alain Ghersen — now a mountain guide and instructor at ENSA — is a world-class alpinist. His solo ascents in the Mont Blanc massif, especially his link-ups in the late 1980s, left a lasting mark on the history of alpinism.</p>
<p>In an unpublished profile of Pierre Allain ('Pierre Allain, or the Prevalence of Pleasure, April 2015'), Alain Ghersen recounts a baroque link-up from the summer of 1987: a Paris–Bleau–Saussois–Chamonix journey starting from one of the most renowned routes in the forest, Le Carnage at Bas-Cuvier. Alain Ghersen:
“In just over 40 hours, I linked together ascents of Carnage (7B) in Bleau, Bidule (8a+) in Saussois, and the full Peuterey Ridge on Mont Blanc — all solo.”</p>
<p>In the summer of 1990, Alain Ghersen once again demonstrated the extraordinary technique and endurance he had developed in Bleau on its most extreme circuits. Solo, without any self-belaying, and in a single continuous push, Ghersen climbed the Directe Américaine on the Drus, the Walker Spur on the Grandes Jorasses, and the full Peuterey Ridge. Three historic, major alpine routes — it’s hard to top that. [1]</p>
</blockquote>
<h3>References</h3>
<p>[1] Modica, Godoffe, 'Fontainebleau: 100 ans d'escalade', p.232, Les Editions Mont Blanc, 2017</p>
<p>[2] OTE Guide, 1997</p>
<p>[3] <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DLzw88ZNrZ2/" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.instagram.com/p/DLzw88ZNrZ2/</a></p>

After

<p>Prolific Bleausard boulderer and alpinist, breaking new ground in both disciplines.</p>
<p>In bouldering he established the first 7C+ in the forest with <a href="/climb/3392/le-surplomb-de-la-mée-(pre-break)" rel="noopener noreferrer">Le Surplomb de la Mée (Pre-Break)</a> in 1983, and had a claim to the first 8A+ with <a href="/climb/5559/l'aplat-du-gain" rel="noopener noreferrer">L'Aplat Du Gain</a> (now 8A) in 1988. In 1987, he succeeded in climbing all problems in Fontainebleau graded 7A or above. [2]</p>
<p>However, his alpine achievements are even more astounding:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Another champion of Bleau and beyond in the 1980s: Alain Ghersen. His personal obsession was to statically climb every move that others tackled dynamically. No more dynos — a technique commonly used in Bleau on boulders where bad falls are unlikely. Unlike Jérôme Jean-Charles, Alain Ghersen — now a mountain guide and instructor at ENSA — is a world-class alpinist. His solo ascents in the Mont Blanc massif, especially his link-ups in the late 1980s, left a lasting mark on the history of alpinism.</p>
<p>In an unpublished profile of Pierre Allain ('Pierre Allain, or the Prevalence of Pleasure, April 2015'), Alain Ghersen recounts a baroque link-up from the summer of 1987: a Paris–Bleau–Saussois–Chamonix journey starting from one of the most renowned routes in the forest, Le Carnage at Bas-Cuvier. Alain Ghersen:
“In just over 40 hours, I linked together ascents of Carnage (7B) in Bleau, Bidule (8a+) in Saussois, and the full Peuterey Ridge on Mont Blanc — all solo.”</p>
<p>In the summer of 1990, Alain Ghersen once again demonstrated the extraordinary technique and endurance he had developed in Bleau on its most extreme circuits. Solo, without any self-belaying, and in a single continuous push, Ghersen climbed the Directe Américaine on the Drus, the Walker Spur on the Grandes Jorasses, and the full Peuterey Ridge. Three historic, major alpine routes — it’s hard to top that. [1]</p>
</blockquote>
<h3>References</h3>
<p>[1] Modica, Godoffe, 'Fontainebleau: 100 ans d'escalade', p.232, Les Editions Mont Blanc, 2017</p>
<p>[2] OTE Guide, 1997</p>
<p>[3] <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DLzw88ZNrZ2/" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.instagram.com/p/DLzw88ZNrZ2/</a></p>

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