News Link: Stevie Haston has made the fastest ascent to date of the granite roof crack Greenspit in northern Italy, first climbed by Didier Berthod and repeated a couple of times since. Before attempting the route, Haston climbed the relatively easy opening moves, placing a couple of cams, and then downclimbed and belayed his wife, Laurence Gouault, on an attempt. He then cruised the crack with no falls. The route had been rated 5.14a. Haston said that, although it’s difficult to rate a climb that one does first try, he believes it’s no harder than 8b (5.13d): “I’d say it’s like a 5.12 crack to a V8 move, a bit on the powerful side, but nothing really that tricky.” 

Haston, 52, has been enjoying a remarkable year of climbing, including his first 9a (5.14d) route: Descente Lolitta in the French Pyrenees. A superb all-around climber, the British climber (now living in France) is most famous in the U.S. for his first free ascents of several routes in Utah’s Fisher Towers, including the Sundevil Chimney (5.13a) on the Titan, as well as a number of extremely difficult ice and mixed climbs. 

Click here to read the full story and an interview with Haston, and to see a good photo of him on Greenspit.

Date of Ascent: November 2009 

Sources: Stevie Haston, UKClimbing.com