History of rock climbing
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Some historical benchmarks
- 400BC Chinese watercolors that depict men climbing rocks.
- 1300's The Anasazis in the southwest United States drilled holes for posts and carved steps up the steep rock cliffs in Chaco Canyon. There are cliff dwellings scattered throughout the southwest. Given the difficult approaches to some of these cliff dwellings it seems reasonable to accept that they had the skills necessary to climb what would now be considered technical climbing terrain.
- 1492Antoine de Ville’s ascent of Mont Inaccessible, Mont Aiguille a 300 meter rock tower south of Grenoble, France. Under order from his king, he used the techniques developed for sieging castles to attain an otherwise unreachable summit. The ascent is described by François Rabelais in his Quart Livre. [Bigwalls]
- The first ascent of Mont Blanc in 1786 is often referred to as the start of mountaineering’s “modern era” it took another century before history documents the use of devices similar to today’s fixed anchors: pitons, bolts and rappel slings.
- By the 1800's, climbing was developing as a recreational pastime. Early 1800's started with an Alpenstock (a large walking stick with a metal tip), a primitive form of an three point instep crampon, and woodcuters axe being the tools of the alpine shepard, who was shortly to change from guiding sheep to guiding men as it was much more lucrative. With time the alpenstock and the axe were combined into one tool. Add a large, thick, and weak rope, to help the client climb and they were off. [Bigwalls]
- 1869 : John Muir, Famed naturalist and climber, did Cathedral Peak in Tuolumne Meadows on sight, free solo, first ascent in hiking boots. He is also known for spending a night at the top of a 100+ foot tall pine tree during a lightning storm. Now known as the John Muir Tree. A History of Free Climbing in America, Wizards of Rock by Pat Ament Climbing in North America by Chris Jones
- 1875 : Half Dome in Yosemite National Park was first climbed by George Anderson. He used eye bolts in drilled holes as hand and toe holds. He used a fixed rope to return to his high point each day. [Sierra Club]
- 1880s : The sport of rock climbing began in the Lake District and Wales in Great Britain and Saxony near Dresden.
- 1893 : Devils Tower was first summited by ranchers William Rogers and Willard Ripley through the use of wooden spike pounded into a crack and then connected with a rope. After 6 weeks they summited on the Fourth of July. [nps.gov]
- 1910 Hans Fiechtl replaced the attached ring on pitons with an eye in the body of the piton which is a design used to this day. [Bigwalls]
- 1910 Otto Herzog was behind the first steel carabiner, specifically made for climbing. [Bigwalls]
- 1910 Hans Dülfer: Known to climbers to this day through the dulferitz technique of rappelling. [Bigwalls]
- First appearing around 1900, by 1910, German and Italian climbers had made significant strides in developing special pitons, carabiners, and rope-handling techniques, Circa 1910 was a busy time with the Austrian development of rappelling, Hans Fiechtl replaced the attached ring on pitons with an eye in the body of the piton. (A design used to this day) Otto Herzog was behind the first steel carabiner, specifically made for climbing, Hans Dülferm, known to climbers to this day through the dulferitz technique of rappelling,
- Paul Preuss: An advocate of Free climbing; coined the term "artificial aid" to describe the use of mechanical aids to progress up a rock. His rule number four (of six) stated: "The piton is an emergency aid and not the basis of a system of mountaineering." [Bigwalls]
- Two uses of pitons warrant special mention: as “fixed” anchors for a rappel and as “direct aid” (i.e. when the piton is used to assist in ascending a steep or overhanging slope rather then merely as protection in the event of a fall.) At one time or another there were "ethical" concerns over: the use of a rope as well, (it allowed people to rely on aid from the rope coming from above in order to climb) the use of crampons. (It will destroy step cutting.) Geoffrey Winthrop Young, author of the 1920 climbing manual, Mountain Craft, and a conservative on climbing ethics issues, felt pitons were acceptable in instances, such as “…the intentional descent of that which has not or cannot be ascended, the retreats in worse conditions, or over glazed rock, and the races against time.”
- 1910 Willo Welzenbach created the standard numerical rating system for the amount of time typically needed to complete a route (Grades I to VI), created the standard numerical rating system (Grades I to VI) [Bigwalls]
- 1906 : Oliver Perry-Smith, W. Huenig, Rudolf Fehrmann put up Teufelsturm in the Elbsandstein, rated c.5.9 on the Yosemite Decimal System (YDS).
- 1910 : Austrian development of rappelling. [Bigwalls]
- 1910 : The Grosser Falknerturm, W. Route in the Elbsandstein was put up by M. Matthaeus, Oliver Perry-Smith, H. Wagner (rated c. 5 10a YDS).
- 1919 saw the publication of Guido Rey’s book, Alpinisme Acrobatique, on the "artificial" techniques utilizing the latest, easily available pitons and carabiners
- Robert and Miriam Underhill - One of the early rock star climbing couples.
- Miriam E. O'Brien (1898-1976) : She climbed in the Swiss Alps and Italy, starting at the age of 22. After retiring from the Alps, they decided to climb all the peaks over 4,000 ft in their new home state of New Hampshire. Once a few other people had repeated this feat, they decided to do the same list of peaks again, this time in winter. Miriam was 63 when she ticked the last one. Robert is remembered for introducing European climbing techniques to the west coast through an article in the Bulletin of the Sierra Club.
- In 1925, Solleder and Gustl Lettenbauer climbed the northwest face of the Civetta in a day, a 3800 foot 5.9 route in the Dolomites, using only 15 pitons for protection and belays.
- 1925 : Albert Ellingwood and a party of three climbed the 2000 foot northeast buttress of Crestone Needle (5.7 YDS, 14,197 feet).
- 1927 : Laurent Grivel designed and sold the first rock drill and expansion bolt. [Bigwalls]
- 1927 : The Stettner brothers applied European techniques in the USA on their ascent of the Stettner Ledges on the East Face of Long's Peak.
- 1927 : Fred Pigott's experiments with slinging natural chockstones and later machine nuts, for protection at Clogwyn Du'r Arddu on Snowdon, directly led to the development of the modern Stopper. [Bigwalls]
- 1931 : Emilio Comici and the Dolomites. Comici was the inventor and proponent of using multi-step aid ladders, solid belays, the use of a trail/tag line, and hanging bivouacs. Pretty much the origin of big wall climbing and techniques. He used them to good purpose with an ascent of the 26 pitch, 4000 foot northwest face of the Civetta. [Bigwalls]
- 1934 : Dick Leonard, teamed up with Jules Eichorn and Bestor Robinson for the first ascent of the Eichorn Pinnacle of Cathedral Peak in the Sierra Nevada. He also created the concept and practice of the dynamic belay at Indian Rock.
- 1938 : Ricardo Cassin ascended the Walker Spur of the Grandes Jorasses "...perhaps the finest in existence" Gaston Rebuffat from The Mont Blanc Massif - The 100 Finest Routes.
- 1938 :North Face of the Eiger ascended by Heinrich Harrer, Fritz Kasparek, Andreas Heckmair and Wiggerl Vörg.
- 1939: David Brower and the rest of the Berkeley crew used four bolts in the process of ascending Ship Rock in New Mexico.
- 1940s : WWII led to the development of inexpensive army surplus pitons, carabiners and the newly- invented nylon rope. [Bidwalls]
- 1946 : At the age of 46, John Salathe attempted to rope-solo aid the first ascent of the Lost Arrow Spire, one of the most exposed features in Yosemite Valley. (The protection bolt he placed on that attempt was the first, or one of the first, in the valley.) He is also known for his forged pitons made from the axle of a Model A Ford.
- 1952 : Ascent of the Patagonian peak of Fitzroy by the powerful French climber Lionel Terray and his partner Guido Magnone.
- 1955 : Considered one of the greatest climbs of all time, Walter Bonatti's solo first ascent of a new route on the Southwest Pillar of the Dru took six days.
- 1959 : John Gill put up the Red Cross Overhang, Jenny Lake, Tetons, ~V9/~5.13d Stone Crusade A Historical Guide to Bouldering In America by John Sherman
- 1971 : Tom Frost and Yvon Chouinard designed Hexcentrics.
- 1977 : Phlogiston, Devil's Lake, Pete Cleveland 5.13a/b
- 1979 : Grand Illusion, Sugarloaf (CA), Tony Yaniro 13b/c
- 1980 : Cosmic Debris, Yosemite, Bill Price 13b
- 1985 : Punks in the Gym, Mt. Arapiles, Wolfgang Gullich (some say the first 5.14a/b some say 13d)
- 1986 : La Rage de Vivre, Buoux, Antoine Le Menestral (many credit this as the first 5.14a) [Hard rock climbs]
- 1987 Wallstreet, Frankenjura, Wolfgang Gullich5.14b
- 1990 Hubble, Raven Tor, Ben Moon 5.14c
- 1991 Action Directe, Frankenjura, Wolfgang Gullich 5.14d
- 1994 : Lynn Hill's First Free Ascent of El Capitan, by way of the 3,000 ft Nose Route. This was the most prestigious route in the world to free climb, and a woman made the first - and for a long time only - successful ascent.
- 1995 Akira, Charente, Fred Rouhling ~5.15
- 1998 Orujo, Malaga, Bernabe Fernandes ~5.15
- 2001 Realization, Ceuse, Chris Sharma ~5.15
List of notable climbers
- Fritz Wiessner (Saxony & the Alps, then the US - Gunks)
- Hans Kraus (Gunks pioneer)
- Jack Durance (the Grand Tetons and K2)
- Royal Robbins (hardest lead in the valley at 16 years old)
- Warren J. Harding (First ascent of the Nose of El Capitan)
- Bob Kamps (First ascent of the Diamond)
- Jim McCarthy Early Gunks climber
- John Gill Father of modern bouldering
- Layton Kor "Layton Kor was a unique phenomenon. It has been my pleasure to climb with many superbly talented rock climbers but never, I think, with any who possessed the qualities of Kor. To be sure, some may have been technically better but none had the animal energy that would come bursting out to see him through the worst situations." Royal Robbins
- Greg Lowe Crack of Doom, city of rocks
- Pete Cleveland (First ascent of Superpin in the Black Hills)
- John Stannard Early Gunks climber
- Tom Higgins: Piece de Resistance on Fairview Dome with Vern Clevenger
- Frank Sacherer Sacherer's Cracker, and Direct North Buttress of Middle Cathedral, and...
- Chuck Pratt Offwidth specialist, Big Wall, Guide
- Henry Barber (Known as Hot Henry)
- Roger Briggs The Diamond via the longs peak marathon
- Jim Bridwell Big Wall master and mentor of a generation
- John Long (Noted author & rock climbing ace)
- John Bachar (Initiated free solos of extreme difficulty)
- Patrick Edlinger One of the original French rock stars
- Joe Brown Cenotaph's Corner
- Don Whillans S face of Annapurna, also the 'Whillans Harness"
- Chris Bonnington Big mountains
- Jim Holloway (Early American bouldering star)
- Tony Yaniro Grand Illusion 13b/c ahead of its time in ways
- Peter Croft Free soloed Astroman
- Yuji Hirayama World Cup champ and big wall freeclimbing master
- Jean Babtiste Tribout "To bolt or not to be" First 5.14 in the US
- Billy Westbay First one day ascent of the nose on el capitan
- Dean Potter 2nd freesolo of Astroman
- Alan Watts originator of sport climbing in the US
- Johnny Woodward Put up many a grit style climb, mostly in the US
- Tommy Caldwell One of the best all around climbers in the US or world
- Fred Nicole One of the most prolific boulderer's in history
- Alan Hinkes (First British man to summit all Eight-thousanders)
- John Dunne (Gritstone master)
- Johnny Dawes Gritstone
- Leo Houlding "...In touch with the strings of the universe." Jose Pereyra
- Thomas Huber Big wall free climber
- Fred Beckey The climber's climber
Sources and notes
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