Ethan Pringle

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Ethan Pringle
Ethan Pringle, 2021
Personal information
NicknamePiledriver[1]
NationalityAmerican
Born (1986-05-30) May 30, 1986 (age 37)
San Francisco, California
OccupationProfessional rock climber
Height5 ft 10 in (178 cm)
Weight150 lb (68 kg)
Websitedmmwales.com/climbers/ethan-pringle
Climbing career
Type of climber
Highest grade
Known forFirst repeat of Jumbo Love
First ascents
  • Spicy Dumpling:(9a, 2010)
  • Arrested Development (9a, 2012)
  • Blackbeard's Tears (5.14c, 2016)
  • Everything is Karate (9a, 2017)
Medal record
World Youth Championships
Silver medal – second place 2000 Lead
Updated on 28 July 2023.

Ethan Pringle (born May 30, 1986, in San Francisco, California) is an American rock climber with notable ascents in sport climbing (his 2015 repeat of Jumbo Love, the world's first 9b-graded route), in traditional climbing (his 2016 ascent of Blackbeard's Tears, one of the world's hardest traditional climbs), and in bouldering. He has also been active in competition climbing, winning the American national competition lead climbing championships in both youth and adult formats, and silver at the World Youth Championships.[2]

Early life[edit]

Pringle was born and raised in the Mission District, San Francisco, and started climbing when he was 8 years old and began competition climbing when he was 12.[3] By age 12 he had redpointed his first 5.13a (7c+), and by age 13, had redpointed his first 5.14a (8b+).[3]

Climbing career[edit]

Competition climbing[edit]

Pringle was the American youth national champion in lead climbing for four consecutive years from 1998 to 2002.[3] In 2000, he won silver in lead at the IFSC Climbing World Youth Championships in lead climbing.[3]

Pringle won the gold in the men's USA national championships in lead in 2005, silver in 2004, and bronze in 2009. He won the silver at the men's USA national championships bouldering in 2006 and 2012. He also won bronze in the men's USA national championships in speed in 2004.[3]

In 2009, Pringle suffered a severe tear of his labrum at the men's USA national championships in bouldering, which nearly ended his professional climbing career,[1] and from which he only recovered over a year later.[4]

Sport climbing[edit]

Pringle came to international attention with his September 2007 repeat of Chris Sharma's groundbreaking 2001 route, Realization/Biographie 9a+ (5.15a), in Ceuse, France. At the time, 9a+ was the highest recognized consensus grade for a sport climbing route in the world.[5] He followed his up with a short visit to Rodellar in Spain, where he onsighted several routes up to 8c (5.14b), including Iron Man (this was just before the Patxi Usobiaga made the first-ever onsight of an 8c+ (5.14c) graded route in December 2007).[4]

During 2007, Pringle and Sharma spent weeks trying to make the first free ascent (FFA) of Jumbo Love at Clark Mountain.[1] Injury caused Pringle to withdraw from the project, and in September 2008, Sharma freed the route, which is now regarded as the first-ever 9b (5.15b) graded sport climb in history.[6]

Recovering from his serious injury in 2009–2010, Pringle began to make FFAs of 9a (5.14d) routes including Spicy Dumpling (2010, China's hardest sport climbing route) and Arrested Development (2012).[7] In 2015, Pringle completed the first repeat of Jumbo Love,[1][8][9] and later that year visited the famous Hanshelleren Cave in Norway, repeating Adam Ondra's 2012 route Thor's Hammer 9a+ (5.15a), and making his own FFA of The Eye of Odin at 8c+ (5.14c).[10] The following year, Pringle made the FFA of Everything is Karate, one of America's hardest sport routes at the time at 9a (5.14d).[11]

Traditional climbing[edit]

Pringle is also known for traditional climbing.[1] In October 2008, Pringle made the second repeat of Cobra Crack, Sonnie Trotter's famous 8c (5.14b) graded traditional climbing route; considered one of the world's hardest at the time.[12][13] In 2016, Pringle made the FFA of Blackbeard's Tears on the Redwood Coast in California, which at 8c+ (5.14c), was regarded as one of the hardest – if not the hardest – traditional climbing routes at the time.[14][15]

Notable ascents[edit]

Sport climbing[edit]

Pringle on the FFA of Spicy Dumpling 5.14d (9a), White Mountain (China); which became China's hardest sport climbing route.[1][16]

9b (5.15b):

9a+ (5.15a):

9a (5.14d):

Onsight[edit]

8c (5.14b):

8b+ (5.14a):

  • Pequena Estrella – Rodellar (ESP) – October 2007. Repeat onsight.[3]
  • Philipe Cuisinere – Rodellar (ESP) – October 2007. Repeat onsight.[3]

Traditional climbing[edit]

8c+ (5.14c):

  • Blackbeard's Tears – Redwood Coast, California (USA) – September 2016. First free ascent,[14][20] and was considered to be probably the hardest traditional climbs in the world at the time; and still one of the most difficult.[15]

8c (5.14b):

Bouldering[edit]

V15 (8C):

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Roy, Adam (25 January 2011). "Climber Ethan Pringle on Injuries, Nicknames, and Jumbo Love". Outside. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
  2. ^ Pardy, Aaron (14 April 2020). "Stoked at Home: Crusher Ethan Pringle and 5.15b". Gripped Magazine. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i Climbing Desk (14 December 2006). "About Ethan Pringle". Climbing. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
  4. ^ a b Boland, Whitney (6 July 2018). "The Indestructibles: Ethan Pringle". Climbing. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
  5. ^ a b MacDonald, Dougald (6 September 2007). "Pringle Sends Realization". Climbing. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
  6. ^ Potter, Stephen (October 25, 2022). "Seb Bouin Claims 4th Ascent of Jumbo Love (5.15b)". Climbing. Retrieved November 18, 2022.
  7. ^ a b Bacon, Sean (25 June 2012). "Ethan Pringle Makes FA of 5.14d in Nevada". Climbing. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
  8. ^ a b Climbing Desk (18 May 2015). "Ethan Pringle Repeats Jumbo Love (5.15b)". Climbing. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
  9. ^ a b "Ethan Pringle repeats Jumbo Love 9b at Clark Mountain". PlanetMountain. May 20, 2015. Retrieved November 21, 2022.
  10. ^ a b "Dave Graham and Ethan Pringle climb Thor's Hammer at Flatanger". PlanetMountain. 6 October 2015. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
  11. ^ a b "Ethan Pringle Makes FA of Everything Is Karate (5.14+) in Bishop". Rock and Ice magazine. Retrieved 2017-09-07.
  12. ^ a b Ryan, Mick (17 August 2008). "Pringle Succeeds on Cobra Crack: 3rd ascent". UKClimbing. Retrieved 25 July 2023.
  13. ^ a b c "Ethan Pringle goes big for second ascent of Jumbo Love". Climbr. 23 May 2015. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
  14. ^ a b "Ethan Pringle Sends Blackbeard's Tears, World's Second 5.14c Crack". Gripped Magazine. 22 September 2016. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
  15. ^ a b c "The World's Hardest Trad Routes by Winter 2021". Gripped Magazine. 1 February 2021. Retrieved 18 July 2023.
  16. ^ a b Fox, Amanda (20 December 2010). "Pringle Claims 5.14d FA in China". Climbing. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
  17. ^ "Watch Ethan Pringle's Full 35-Minute Send of Jumbo Love (5.15b)". Climbing. May 30, 2017. Retrieved 2022-11-23.
  18. ^ "Hardest Trad Send Ever? Connor Herson Climbs Empath 5.14d/15a on Gear". Gripped Magazine. 16 June 2022. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
  19. ^ "Ethan Pringle and La Reina Mora – The Full Story". Rock and Ice magazine. 17 March 2016. Retrieved 2017-09-07.
  20. ^ "Ethan Pringle on Blackbeard's Tears, 5.14c". Touchstone Climbing. 2016-09-23. Retrieved 2016-09-27.
  21. ^ Climbing Desk (11 July 2018). "Ethan Pringle – The Nest V15". Rock & Ice. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
  22. ^ Climbing Desk (12 May 2021). "Watch Ethan Pringle Climb Kintsugi, V15". Outside. Retrieved 28 July 2023.

External links[edit]

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