This New 5.13 Trad Route Has a Potential 20-Metre Fall
Robbie Phillips, a leading all‑round climber, completed the first ascent of "Away With the Faeries" (E9 5.13b) on Carn Liath, Isle of Skye. The new trad route features a daunting 20‑metre runout section where a fall would result in significant air time. A film documenting the send has just been released, highlighting the climb’s technical and psychological challenges. Phillips adds the ascent to an already impressive résumé that includes the Alpine Trilogy and first hard climbs on multiple continents.
La Sportiva Climb World Tour Heads to Paris
After kicking off in Turin, La Sportiva’s Climb World Tour moves to Paris on April 13‑14 before visiting five more European cities. The tour showcases the new Skwama Lite shoe, emphasizing comfort, edging and hooking performance. Events include climbing challenges,...
Jana Švecová Climbs Her Second V15 with Latest First Ascent
On March 28 Jana Švecová completed the first ascent of Tokyo Drift, a V15 (8C) boulder at Holstejn in Czechia, marking her second V15 FA. She overcame finger injuries and climbed in near‑freezing, windy conditions to lock in the beta and send...
Jakob Schubert Tries Duality of Man 5.15d, America’s Hardest Rock Climb
Jakob Schubert recently attempted Duality of Man, a 5.15d sport climb at Dry Canyon, Colorado, the first American route of that grade. The line was first ascended by Sean Bailey in 2025 after four years of work and limited shade....
Artemis II Astronaut Christina Koch Is a Climber (and Other Rock Climbing Links to Outer Space)
NASA astronaut Christina Koch, a veteran rock climber, says the sport taught her how to manage fear and focus—skills directly applicable to training for the International Space Station. Recent observations show climbing equipment crossing into aerospace: Ocun Dominator crash pads...
Pepa Šindel Climbs an Adam Ondra 5.14d
Czech prodigy Pepa Šindel sent Adam Ondra’s iconic Biologico (5.14d/9a) in Arco, Italy, on April 2, marking his thirteenth climb at that grade. The 18‑year‑old achieved the ascent on his first attempt, recalling the route’s bouldery start and a signature double‑dyno crux. Šindel,...
Squamish’s Stawamus Chief Backside Trail Reopens Following Rock Slide
BC Parks has reopened the Stawamus Chief backside trail after completing rock scaling and reclamation work that began in late February. The trail, the most popular descent for routes like the Buttress, Butt Light, and Angel’s Crest, was closed in...
“One of My Hardest Flashes to Date” – Jorge Díaz-Rullo Flashes 5.14c
Jorge Díaz‑Rullo flashed the iconic La Novena Puerta (5.14c/8c+) in Santa Linya, marking the first ever flash of the route since its 2005 debut. The ascent follows his first‑ascent of Café Colombia (5.15d) completed after 240 projection sessions. Díaz‑Rullo’s flash adds...
Burden of Dreams V17 Gets Sixth Ascent on Livestream
Japanese climber Makoto Yamauchi achieved the sixth ascent of Nalle Hukkataival’s Burden of Dreams, a V17 bouldering problem in Lappnor, Finland, on April 4. After months of work on a replica and a failed attempt in October, Yamauchi succeeded on...
Sungsu Lee Tops Shawn Raboutou’s Alphane V17
South Korean climber Sungsu Lee sent Shawn Raboutou’s Alphane V17 in Chironico, Switzerland, marking his second V17 ascent and making him only the tenth climber worldwide to top two V17 boulders. Alphane, first climbed in April 2022 and graded V17,...
Charles Albert Sends His Megaproject in Fontainebleau – It’s Likely At Least V17
French climber Charles Albert finally sent his eight‑year‑old barefoot boulder "Charlatan" in Fontainebleau, a line he believes merits at least a V17 grade. The problem features only three hand moves before a technical mantle, and Albert completed it despite a...
Kimber Cross Is the First Female Adaptive Ice Climber to Send Bridal Veil Falls WI5/6
Kimber Cross, a kindergarten teacher and sponsored athlete, completed the first documented female adaptive ascent of Bridal Veil Falls, a 365‑foot WI5‑6 ice line in Telluride, on March 16. She achieved the climb using a custom upper‑limb prosthetic equipped with...
Success on Famed Patagonia Route After 13 Days and Snowy Weather
Belen Prados, Caro North, Amelie Kuhne and Julia Cassou completed the first all‑female ascent of the iconic South African route on the east face of Patagonia’s Central Tower of Paine. Over 13 days they battled rockfall, snow, and high winds,...
Ainhize Belar Climbs Two 5.14+ Routes in Less Than a Week
Spanish climber Ainhize Belar, 20, sent two of the country’s hardest sport routes—La Reina Mora (5.14c/d) and Victimes del Futur (now consensus 5.14d)—within a single week in March 2024. Both lines, established by Ramón Julián, are benchmark endurance climbs that...
Chaehyun Seo Fractures Skull, Wins National Championships Two Weeks Later
On March 5, elite climber Chaehyun Seo suffered a fractured skull and concussion during training. Remarkably, she returned to competition just over two weeks later at the South Korean National Championships (March 20‑22) and captured gold medals in both Lead and Boulder....
Connor Herson Climbs Recovery Drink 5.14c Trad on Norway’s Profile Wall
British climber Connor Herson added the fourth ascent of the notorious trad line Recovery Drink on Norway’s Profile Wall, confirming its grade at 5.14c. The route, first bolted by Nico Favresse in 2013, is known for three distinct sections with...
Interview: After Bombé Bleu (5.15b), Erwan Legrand Shows Us How to Climb Barefoot
Erwan Legrand, 17, sent the legendary 35‑year‑old Bombé Bleu route at a 5.15b (9b) grade by climbing barefoot, a feat that eluded elite climbers in shoes. He argues the route would be only a half‑grade harder with footwear, citing the...
The Historic First Continuous Ascent of Salathé Wall in Yosemite Valley
Royal Robbins and Tom Frost completed the first continuous ascent of Yosemite’s Salathé Wall in October 1962, taking four days to summit the 3,300‑foot, 36‑pitch big wall. After earlier failed attempts plagued by extreme heat, hail, and equipment challenges, the...
10 Must-Try 5.11 Trad Climbs at The Gunks in New York
The Gunks, a world‑renowned trad climbing area near New Paltz, New York, is famed for its quartz conglomerate, steep roofs, and notoriously stiff grading that often feels a grade harder than elsewhere. For climbers breaking into the 5.11 range, the...
Spanish Climber Sends First 5.15b with The Full Journey
Spanish climber Enrique Beltrán Blasco sent The Full Journey in Margalef, marking his first 5.15b (9b) ascent. The route, bolted by Tom Bolger and first climbed by Alex Megos in 2022, was later extended to 5.15b with repeats by Jorge...
Jana Švecová Makes First Ascent of Tokyo Drift V15
Jana Švecová completed the first ascent of Tokyo Drift, a V15 (8C) boulder at the Holstejn crag in Czechia, after a failed attempt in 2025 and a series of finger injuries. She sent the problem in 5 °C, windy conditions, adjusting holds and...
The ChalkBlaster Combines Climbing Brush with a Blower to Clean Your Projects
The ChalkBlaster, created by Kent Eskildsen and Paul Ménager of Sweep Climbing, is the world’s first electric jet‑powered climbing brush that fuses a brush, blower, and phone charger into a single handheld tool. After an initial Kickstarter fell short, the...
Sachi Amma Climbs Chris Sharma’s Sleeping Lion 5.15b
Japanese climber Sachi Amma redpointed Chris Sharma’s Sleeping Lion 5.15b (9b) at Siurana’s El Pati crag on March 15, marking the route’s fifth ascent. The line, opened in 2023, features stacked double‑digit boulder problems with minimal rest and was originally graded 5.15c...
A Look at the New Metolius Climber’s Edge Hangboard
Metolius has launched the Climber’s Edge Training Board, a complete redesign of its Wood Grips line that shifts emphasis from pockets to a comprehensive edge suite. The 23.6‑inch wide, 6.3‑inch tall board features six edge widths (7.5 mm‑20 mm), a 40 mm round...
A New 5.11c, 5.12d and 5.13b/c Developed Atop Squamish’s Iconic Cheakamus River
The Enterprise, a newly opened zone above Squamish’s Cheakamus River, introduces three high‑quality sport routes: Eugenics War (5.11c), Wrath of Khan (5.12d) and Kling On (5.13b/c). Developed by local guides Evan Beatty and Keenan Gibson between July 2024 and June...
Michaela Kiersch Climbs an Adam Ondra 5.14c
Michaela Kiersch successfully repeated the iconic Pungitopo (5.14c) in Arco, Italy, a route first ascended by Adam Ondra in 2022. The climb, praised for its aesthetic line and technical traverses, has attracted elite climbers such as Gio Placci and Eva Hammelmüller. Kiersch’s repeat...
New Technical Alpine Mixed Climb on Famous Alps Peak
Italian alpinists Matteo Della Bordella, Giacomo Mauri and Mirco Grasso completed the first ascent of Mutante, a 520‑metre mixed line on the south face of the Petites Jorasses in the French Alps. They graded the route M8 6c AI4+, noting...
Stefano Ghisolfi Climbs World’s First V15
Stefano Ghisolfi has become the latest elite climber to tick Dreamtime, the world’s first V15 boulder problem, in Ticino, Switzerland. The route, originally graded V15 in 2000, was later downgraded to V14 before a 2009 hold break restored its V15...
Sam Richard Climbing Chris Sharma’s Famous Deep Water Solo Es Pontas 5.15a
American climber Sam Richard completed the iconic deep‑water solo Es Pontas (5.15a) in Mallorca, replicating Chris Sharma’s 2006 first ascent. The 20‑meter limestone arch, known for its massive dyno crux, required 12 sessions and six successful jumps before Richard sent...
A Dog Used Her Claws Like Crampons in Ascent of Mount Robson in the 1970s
In August 1972, alpinist Warren Blesser and his Siberian husky Talkeetna tackled Mount Robson’s Kain Face. Talkeetna famously leapt across crevasses and used her claws as makeshift crampons, likely becoming the first dog to reach Canada’s highest summit. Blesser logged the...
Leo Cea Cruises Era Vella 5.14d at 11 Years Old
In November 2024, 11‑year‑old Chilean prodigy Leo Cea sent the iconic Era Vella (5.14d) in Margalef, marking his third ascent of that grade before his twelfth birthday. The repeat was captured on Alex Megos’ YouTube channel, adding another high‑profile video to...
The 31-Pitch 1970s Yosemite Route Opened by Canadians
In 1972 Canadian climbers Hugh Burton and Steve Sutton completed the first ascent of Magic Mushroom, a 31‑pitch, Grade VI 5.10 A4 route on El Capitan. After a storm‑forced retreat the previous year, they returned equipped with a pioneering nylon wall...
Connor Herson Climbs Pete Whittaker’s Crown Royale, Suggests 5.14c
In August 2025 Connor Herson completed the third ascent of Crown Royale, a 100‑meter trad line on Norway’s Jøssingfjord, and suggested a grade of 5.14c, lowering Pete Whittaker’s original 5.14d proposal. The route, carved in coarse norite, mixes technical crack...
Climbers Make History on Fitz Roy in Stormy Conditions
Sean Villanueva O’Driscoll and Tasio Martin completed the first free ascent of Fitz Roy’s East Pillar. They climbed the 1,200‑metre line in three days despite stormy weather, snow‑covered granite and icy cracks. The wall, first explored in the 1960s and previously...
Yosemite Rock Season Arrives with California Heat Wave
California is under an early spring heat wave, shattering daily and monthly temperature records as the state approaches the official start of spring. In Yosemite National Park, snow that once covered the valley has largely melted, leaving lower elevations warm...
One of America’s Most Famous Mountains Was Almost Called Fisherman’s Peak
In August 1873 three amateur anglers—Charles Begole, Al Johnson and Johnny Lucas—made the first documented ascent of Mount Whitney, the highest peak in the contiguous United States. Their spontaneous climb left a summit record and sparked a brief campaign to...
Climbers Celebrate as Famous Crag Becomes State Park
The Washington Climbers Coalition has transferred ownership of the iconic Lower Town Wall near Index to Washington State Parks, cementing over two decades of conservation and public‑access advocacy. The state will now manage the granite crag as a dedicated climbing...
Erwan Legrand Suggests Grade for Bombé Bleu
French prodigy Erwan Legrand achieved the first successful ascent of the legendary Buoux route Le Bombé Bleu in February, completing the climb barefoot. After nine attempts, he linked the infamous low‑percentage crux and the subsequent 5.14c/d section, finally clipping the...
Matterhorn Sees Winter Ascents, Including a Solo Climb
The Matterhorn saw two notable winter ascents in early March: a two‑day team climb of the historic Gogna‑Cerutti route and a solo ascent of the south face via the Furggen Ridge. Matteo Della Bordella and Giacomo Mauri emphasized learning and...
Olympic Gold Medallist Climbs His Hardest Route Ever
Alberto Ginéz López, the Tokyo Olympic gold medallist, completed Chris Sharma’s El Bon Combat in Spain, marking his hardest sport‑climbing ascent to date. After six sessions split between December and February, he joined Jakob Schubert as only the third climber to repeat...
Climber Rescued After 700-Foot Fall on California Peak
An injured Bay Area climber was rescued after a roughly 700‑foot fall on Mount Shasta, one of the first major search‑and‑rescue incidents on the peak this year. Two climbers, ages 19 and 20, reached the summit before a slip in...
Iran War Forces World Climbing (IFSC) to Cancel In-Person General Assembly in Saudi Arabia
World Climbing (IFSC) cancelled its 2026 in‑person general assembly in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, moving the meeting online on April 23 due to escalating conflict between Iran and Saudi Arabia. The decision follows intercepted Iranian drone activity near Riyadh, reported casualties, and...
Squamish Access Society Legend and Climbing Trail-Builder Brian Moorhead Retires
Brian Moorhead, the longest‑serving director of the Squamish Access Society, stepped down after 22 years on the board, transitioning to a non‑voting associate role. Over his decades‑long volunteer career he designed and maintained iconic trails such as the Murrin Park climber’s loop and...
Here’s Who’s Joining the USA National Team in 2026
The USA Climbing National Championships and Team Trials have finalized the 2026 National Team rosters across Boulder, Lead, and Speed for both men and women. Five athletes per gender were selected in each discipline, with pre‑selected climbers like Annie Sanders...
Nicolai Užnik Opens Full Gem V16 in Switzerland
In January 2026 Nicolai Užnik completed the first ascent of Full Gem, a new V16 (8C+) boulder in Ticino, Switzerland. The line adds a sit‑start to the previously established Forgotten Gem V15, making the problem significantly harder. This ascent marks Užnik’s third confirmed...
New 36-Pitch Patagonia Big Wall Climb Took 41 Days to Complete
Myles Moser, Trevor Anthes and Harry Kinnard completed a new 36‑pitch free climb on the 4,000‑foot east face of Torres del Paine’s Central Tower after a 41‑day capsule‑style effort. The route combines 29 original pitches with seven sections of the...
Excerpt From Reinhold Messner’s Book ‘Against the Wind’
Reinhold Messner, the legendary mountaineer, has published a new memoir titled *Against the Wind*, reflecting on eight decades of climbing, exploration, and personal controversy. The book revisits his historic first solo, oxygen‑free Everest ascent, completion of all fourteen eight‑thousanders, and...
Climber Solos 17-Pitch Cima Grande North Face in Winter
South‑Tyrolean guide Simon Gietl completed a two‑day winter solo of the 17‑pitch, 550‑metre Das Phantom der Zinne on Cima Grande’s north face. The route, established in 1995, demands climbing up to XI+ (5.13a) with mandatory 5.12 sections and is famed...
“One of the Biggest Fights I Ever Had” – Alex Megos Onsights 5.14c in France
Alex Megos announced an impressive onsight of Nadesjda, a 5.14c (8C+) route at Le Joncas in France, describing it as one of the toughest fights of his career. The ascent follows a storied history of groundbreaking first‑offs and flashes, including...