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 climbing, hard boulder problems and long endurance sequences, and required Herson to free‑solo the final pitch due to severe rope drag. Herson’s ascent follows Jernej Kruder’s 5.14d‑soft second ascent and adds to Herson’s rapidly expanding résumé of groundbreaking trad climbs. The climb was documented in a video released alongside his Instagram commentary.
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...