Was ‘Hubble’ or ‘Action Directe’ the First 9a? Buster Martin Weighs In
Buster Martin just became the second person to clip the chains of the two routes in contention for being the world’s first 9a (5.14d).
Wolfgang Gullich
Free Solo Rock Climbing and the Climbers Who Have Defined the Sport
Free soloing means climbing with no rope, a genre that verged into American consciousness in the 1970s. In 2018 it blew up, with Alex Honnold's mind-bending solo of El Capitan and the award-winning film that chronicled it. Let's take a look back.
The Short, Exemplary Life of Kurt Albert
Kurt Albert defined free climbing and took it to the remote mountains of the world. Behind the stories of wild adventures and great deeds, there was something exemplary in the life cut short.
Mélissa Le Nevé Sends Action Directe (9a/5.14d)
The French climber becomes the first woman to send the classic route, which is generally considered to be the world’s first 5.14d.
Legendary Characters: Ben Ditto and Katie Lambert in Bavaria
Check out Climbing Staff's author page.