First Ascent

The extraordinary career of Puerto Rico's biggest route developer began with a vampire hunt in 1975.

Irish alpinist George Ponsonby shares the inside scoop on his and James Price’s new 3,000-meter route in remote Pakistan that they climbed in October. 

How two mentors in Helena, Montana are transforming their community of gym climbers into outdoor crushers

No topo, no guidebook, no fixed lines—just a drill, a handful of bolts, and a steep wall of knobby rock. My team and I learned the hard way what it takes to establish a big wall route on lead.

Oliver Tippett makes the first ascent of ‘Cardiac Arrest’ (VI 5.8 A3) up El Capitan in Yosemite.

Benjamin Védrines says his first ascent of Jannu East (24,501ft) with Nicolas Jean is more meaningful than any in his career.

Taylor Martin is proving that Yosemite is far from climbed out with her new, 1600-foot first ascent, ‘Hummingbird’ (5.9+ A4).

Sport climbing legend Alan Watts bolted the route 36 years ago—for a TV show. In June, an unknown dirtbag finally proved it was possible.

“It doesn’t ever abate. You have to keep given’ er all day every day.”

With mandatory, sky-hook protected free climbing up to 5.12, ‘Gringos Locos’ is an apt route name.

Flavie Cardinal and Jasper Pankratz established 'Todo lo que se Comparte', a 500-meter 5.11 A0 on Pirita Central, deep in the remote wilderness of Northern Patagonia’s Turbio valley.

Japanese climbers Hidesuke Taneishi and Hiroki Yamamoto made the first ascent of the unclimbed Himalayan peak on October 31.

Americans August Franzen, Dane Steadman, and Cody Winckler made the first ascent of Yashkuk Sar via the inspiring north buttress. They called their route 'Tiger Lily Buttress’ (AI 5+ M6 A0; 2,000m).

A four-person team battled heinous runouts, hard free moves, and thin hooking to complete the 3,300-foot route on Greenland's famed Mirror Wall.

The Wide Boy powered through 200 feet of hand-fist stacks on the underbelly of a German bridge, creating what is likely the world’s hardest offwidth.

After decades of friendship, a British duo just nabbed a first ascent of Yawash Sar, a stunning 6,000-meter peak in Pakistan.

To keep things sporting, the team kayaked 280 miles, fended off polar bears, dangerously large waves, and their own inexperience in such lightweight boats.

Quentin Roberts writes about one of the most badass first ascents in recent memory: His mind-bending—and Piolet-winning—trip up Jirishanca’s previously unclimbed Southeast Ridge, in 2022.

Establishing new routes is tons of work and takes a vision and drive (and lots of free time), but it's also a selfish pursuit, done to make the FAer happy.

The 34-year-old American gave us the lowdown on his “savage” new boulder, ‘Adrenaline’ (V16— his first hard FA since ‘Return of the Sleepwalker’ (V17)

Six climbers spent 65 days in Greenland, first kayaking hundreds of kilometers then climbing 'Sea Barge Circus' (VI 5.11+; 900m) over 20 days.

'The Dark Side' is a deceivingly simple-looking line located on the Thriller Boulder, in the woods adjacent to Camp 4.

Their 2,100-meter route was graded ED, a terse grade that feels appropriate for the duo’s proudly minimalist climbing style.

Two IFMGA guides became the first people to summit Yansa Tsenji (6,567m) in Nepal via a technical route.

Schubert hasn’t commented on the grade or the final name for the new climb—but by all accounts it’s at least 5.15c

Jerry Gallwas made history when he climbed the Northwest Face of Half Dome with Royal Robbins and Mike Sherrick in 1957. Then the army, raising a family, and a 150-foot fall changed his priorities.

The British crack guru hopes to link it into a massive single pitch this month.

Plus the two best climbing films of the week.

Prolific Alaskan pioneer David Roberts made a dangerous first ascent on Denali, but after the death of a friend he questioned whether alpinism was worth the risk. 50 years later he found his answer.

The crux of 'Magical Thinking' has an 80-plus-foot fall potential—with a leg-snapping slab lurking below.

After quitting climbing to join a Swiss monastery in the early 2000s, Berthod returned to Squamish with two goals.

"The Roach was nonplussed about snagging the route. He didn’t apologize, nor did he brag, and he obviously had designs on other new lines. We considered chopping the bolts."

The 22-year-old spoke with us about 'Law'—the hardest route of his career—and his desire to bolt hard new American lines.

THE WEEKLY ROUNDUP: Daniel Arnold links up 5,000 feet of Swiss granite in 9.5 hours; Rachel Pearce ticks two runout 5.13s in a week; a first-ascent spree in the Karakoram; Ontario's amazing limestone cragging is at risk of closure; Leo Bøe hangs on for a battle with 'Thor's Hammer' (5.14d).

THE WEEKLY NEWS ROUND UP: Italian alpinists establish 'Gold Rush' (5.12a A1+; 1,970ft) on their first trip to Alaska; Drew Ruana has his "best week ever"; Katie Lamb makes the probable first female ascent of 'Chocolate Jesus' (V13).

‘The Technicolour Superdream’ (A2 AI 5+ M6+; 4,200ft) required a steady head, a love of—or at least a tolerance for—sitting bivies, and many bird beak pitons.

Deciphering the cryptic lore of the Sierra Nevada's remote, seldom-visited Citadel.

Moss freed the A4 roof at a bold V11+.

Bouin had one of the greatest years of sport climbing on record last year, making the first ascent of DNA (5.15d), Nordic Marathon (5.15b/c), and Suprême Jumbo Love (5.15c), and repeating Change (5.15c), Jumbo Love (5.15b), and Iron Curtain (5.15a).

Jackson Marvell, Matt Cornell, and Alan Rousseau put up Aim for the Bushes (VI M6 X AI 6; 5,250ft) in a three-day push.

THE WEEKLY ROUNDUP: A historic V15 gets an upgrade; a 2,000-foot FA on Aguja Poincenot; and another hard-trad tick for Anna Hazelnutt.

We interviewed the 24-year-old Spanish phenom about his new 5.15c. Díaz-Rullo became the eighth climber (and first Spaniard) to climb the grade

Here are the coolest new routes (and repeats) of late.

'Qué mirás' follows a logical line of weakness—splitter cracks, friction dihedrals, and several punchy roofs—up the center of the East Face for 14 long pitches.

“This route took me longer than any other route or boulder I’ve ever tried,” he says, but he’s nonetheless hesitant to give it a grade.

By proposing V16 for his new problem, The Megg, Gabe Lawson propels Canadian bouldering to the next level—and brings a new spotlight on himself.  

Bouin FA’d the route, “Nordic Marathon,” earlier this year. It ascends through the steepest part of the Hanshelleren Cave and gives a new definition to the word long.

"Lucho shouldn’t be up here. Not because this particular situation is dangerous (it is), but because it’s a miracle that he isn’t in prison."

The roof crack has a V10 lip encounter, overcome with a double drop knee and crystalline crimps.

“One of my strengths, I think, is that I have good grace for myself. When I regress, or if I’m not climbing how I feel like I should be, I’m able to step back and look at it a little more objectively.”

The “Dodo’s Delight” crew is back for more sail-to-climb adventures, this time on the east coast of Greenland.

The route features hard slab, 5.13+ seams, and a 5.13c finger crack of such high quality that the climbers named the ropelength "As Good as It Gets."

Surprise, surprise, France has yet another barely-touched limestone mecca.

The seven-pitch route weaves a labyrinthian line, connecting corners with flaring cracks, seams, and pockets.

They were on one of the world's highest and most difficult faces. Then a storm rolled in and the climb went from merely desperate to living hell.

An eclectic crew made the first ascents of a 3,750-foot 5.11- X and a 1,500-foot 5.12c while collecting data to inform climate-change scientists.

He had big goals. The trip was going to be a veritable sendfest. It wasn't, but it taught him an invaluable lesson 40 years in the making that can change how we view success (and failure).

Josh Wharton and Vince Anderson have done the first integral ascent and first free ascent of the Italian route "Suerte" (5.13a, WI6, M7, 3,500 feet) on Jirishanca (20,100 feet) after turning around just four pitches from the summit in 2019.

The Ratstaman Vibrations project was made semi-famous by a 2012 Petzl video of Chris Sharma bolting the line and working the moves; it memorably includes a gigantic sideways dyno [insert Sharma scream] to a flat edge.

From July 11–16, Bru Brusom and Marc Toralles established “Ànima de corall” (5.12a A3 AI 5 M6; 3,600 feet) up the infamous “Touching the Void” mountain.

“If you knew nothing about the crag, you’d look at the line from the ground and be like ‘Wow. No. That’s totally crazy. I will never be able to do that.’ But when I knew the crag and the style and the kneebars and how to take down the rope, I was like ‘Yeah, it’s possible.’ ”

On July 21, Bouin made the first ascent of Nordic Marathon, in Flatanger, Norway. The route ascends through the steepest part of the Hanshelleren Cave and gives a new definition to the word long.

To spray or not to spray... News of Shawn Raboutou's immediately classic V16 on the Dreamtime boulder has dropped months after the send.

Teams have attempted the 5,800-meter peak for over thirty years. Will Sim and Fabi Buhl skipped the normally treacherous approach, paragliding to access the mountain.

In the first installment of his “Hidden Gems” series, the French rock star does hard first ascents at Thaurac. Never heard of it? It's home to something like 1,000 limestone sport routes.

In between trips to Spain and France, Jonathan Siegrist found time to finish off his local project, now called "Event Horizon." Rumors have called it the hardest route in the United States. We asked Siegrist about it.

“Full Moon Fever” has steep, splitter granite, aerated snow, corniced ridgelines, and a 3-mile summit traverse.

"The Nooks will be the next big destination for GTA climbers to get a taste of what being ‘disconnected’ and climbing in nature feels like. [Plus] the climbing is GOOD—really good.”

The Last Tepui, a Disney+ film, streams tomorrow on Earth Day.

The East Face of Golgotha brought avalanches, vertical snow climbing, tent-bound whippers, and more.

Climbing caught up with Jonathan Siegrist to talk about his sends, his training tips, and the importance of downgrading.

An international team and a spell of good weather yields two new big-wall routes in Chile, one of which led to a virgin summit.

We published close to thirty stories this week. Some were digitized versions of our latest print stories. Others were dusted off from Climbing's archives. Still more were original online content. Here are six stories that stood out.

Check out Alben Osaki's author page.

By sending the Marcus Garcia test piece, Foster brings a decade of mentorship full circle. 

Check out Anthony Walsh's author page.

McNeill devoted nearly 50 days to the climb before linking the six-move crux and taking it to the top.

Check out Anthony Walsh's author page.

Luka Stražar and Nejc Marčič made an alpine-style ascent of the unclimbed northwest face on the 6,686-meter Nepalese peak.

Charles Dubouloz and Benjamin Védrines completed the first ascent of In the Shadow of Lies (WI5+ M5+ 90° ED) on the Himalayan peak.