History of rock climbing

Although the practice of rock climbing was an important component of Victorian mountaineering in the Alps, it is generally thought that the sport of rock climbing began in the last quarter of the 19th century in at least three areas: Elbe Sandstone Mountains in Saxony near Dresden, the Lake District of England, and the Dolomites in Italy. Rock climbing evolved gradually from an alpine necessity to an athletic sport in its own right, making it imprudent to cite a primogenitor of the latter in each of these three locales. Nevertheless, there is some general agreement on the following:

• Heralded as a sport in England in the late 1880s after the (well publicised) solo first ascent of the Napes Needle by Walter Parry Haskett Smith, rock climbing attracted increasing numbers of participants. An early benchmark approaching modern levels of difficulty was the ascent, by O. G. Jones, of Kern Knotts Crack (VS) in 1897. Jones was attracted to the new sport by a photo of the Needle in a shop window in the early 1890s. By the end of the Victorian era as many as 60 enthusiasts at a time would gather at the Wastwater Hotel in the Lake District during vacation periods.
• Inspired by the efforts of late 19th century pioneers such as Oskar Schuster (Falkenstein, Schusterweg 1892), by 1903 there were approximately 500 climbers active in the Elbe Sandstone region, including the well-known team of Rudolf Fehrmann and the American, Oliver Perry-Smith; their 1906 ascent of Teufelsturm (at VIIb) set new standards of difficulty. By the 1930s there were over 200 small climbing clubs represented in the area.
• The solo first ascent of Die Vajolettürme in 1887 by the 17-year-old Munich high school student, Georg Winkler, encouraged the acceptance and development of the sport in the Dolomites.

As rock climbing matured, a variety of grading systems were created in order to more accurately compare relative difficulties of climbs. Over the years both climbing techniques and the equipment climbers use to advance the sport have evolved in a steady fashion.

Some historical benchmarks

• 400 BC: Chinese watercolors that depict men climbing rocks.
• 14th century AD: 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 assume that the natives had the skills necessary to ascend what would now be considered technical climbing terrain.
• 1492 : Antoine de Ville ascends Mont Inaccessible, Mont Aiguille, a 300-meter rock tower south of Grenoble, France. Under orders 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.
• 1695 : Martin Martin describes the traditional practice of fowling by climbing with the use of ropes in the Hebrides of Scotland, especially on St Kilda.
• 1786 : The first ascent of Mont Blanc 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.

19th century

Napes Needle, first climbed by W P Haskett Smith in 1886

• By the 19th century, climbing was developing as a recreational pastime. Equipment in the early 19th century began with an alpenstock (a large walking stick with a metal tip), a primitive form of three-point instep crampon, and a woodcutter's axe. These were the tools of the alpine shepherd, who was shortly to move from guiding sheep to guiding men, a much more lucrative enterprise. With time the alpenstock and the axe were combined into one tool: the ice-axe. Add a large, thick (and weak) rope, to help the client climb, and guide and novice were off to the mountains.
• 1869 : John Muir, famed naturalist and climber, wearing hiking boots, makes the first ascent of Cathedral Peak in Tuolumne Meadows as an on-sight, free solo.
• 1875 : Half Dome in Yosemite National Park was 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.
• 1880s : The Sport of Rock Climbing begins in the Lake District and Wales in Great Britain, Saxony near Dresden, and the Dolomites. W. P. Haskett Smith is frequently called the Father of Rock Climbing in the British Isles, and Oskar Schuster was an early climber in the Elbe Sandstone Mountains.
• 1886 : W. P. Haskett Smith makes the first ascent (in free solo style) of the 70 foot Napes Needle, in the Lake District of England. The resulting publicity introduces the general British public to the new sport of rock climbing.
• 1887 : Georg Winkler, at the age of 17, makes the first ascent - solo - of Die Vajolettürme in the Dolomites, initiating the sport of rock climbing in that area.
• 1892 : Oscar Eckenstein, a British climber and early bouldering advocate, conducts a bouldering competition, with cash prizes, among the natives while on an expedition to the Karakoram Mountains. ([1]).
• 1893 : Devils Tower is 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.
• 1897 : O. G. Jones leads Kern Knotts Crack VS 4b (ca 5.8) on the Great Gable in England

20th century

• 1900 (approximately) : Oscar Eckenstein demonstrates to British climbers the concept of modern balance climbing on his eponymous boulder in Wales. ([2])
• 1906 : Oliver Perry-Smith, W. Huenig, Rudolf Fehrmann climb Teufelsturm in the Elbe Sandstone Mountains. 5.10 (with original shoulder stand around 5.9).

1910s

• 1910 : Hans Fiechtl replaces the attached ring on pitons with an eye in the body of the piton - a design used to this day.
• 1910 : Otto Herzog designs the first steel carabiner, specifically made for climbing.
• 1910 : Austrian development of rappelling.
• 1910 : Oliver Perry-Smith, M. Matthaeus, H. Wagner ascend The Grosser Falknerturm, Matthäusriß in the Elbe Sandstone Mountains, 5.9.
• 1910 to 1914 : Hans Dülfer suggests using equipment to ascend otherwise unclimbable rock, devises dülfersitz rappelling technique.
• 1914 : Paul Preuss, an advocate of Free climbing, coins 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."

  Note: The two principal uses of pitons on an ascent are as protective safeguards (not used for actual hand or footholds - climbers refrained from putting weight on them except in the event of a fall) and as direct aid (used to physically assist in ascending a steep or overhanging slope rather than merely as protection). Climbers like Paul Preuss and Geoffrey Winthrop Young argued strongly against direct aid, but others of that era, including Hans Dülfer and Tita Piaz, advocated using such devices as artificial aids in order to climb otherwise unscalable walls. After World War I most European climbers chose to employ artificial aid when necessary. However, from the beginning days of rock climbing as a sport, through the 1940s, another form of artificial assistance was at times employed by teams of two or more climbers: the shoulder stand. From our current perspective it seems odd that many of those climbers who strenuously objected to hanging on a piton found the shoulder stand to be quite acceptable. Occasionally, historical climbing photos, (e.g., [3]) illustrate this strategy, which arose from the perception that ascending a route was a team effort, with two climbers constituting one natural climbing unit. Something to keep in mind when reading of very early climbs in the 5.8 to 5.10 range.

• 1914 : Siegfried Herford and companions climb the Flake Pitch on Central Buttress of Scafell (5.9), England's hardest climb at the time.
• 1916 : Ivar Berg climbs Cave Arête Indirect at Laddow Rocks, Derbyshire, England, the first E1.
• 1918 : Emanuel Strubich ascend The Wilder Kopf, Westkante in the Elbe Sandstone Mountains, 5.10c, the world's hardest climb at the time
• 1919 : Sees the publication of Guido Rey’s book, "Alpinisme Acrobatique", on the "artificial" techniques utilizing the latest, easily available pitons and carabiners

1920s

• 1920s - 1930s : Robert L. M. Underhill and Miriam Underhill (Miriam E. O'Brien) - One of the early rock star climbing couples. Robert is remembered for introducing European climbing techniques to the west coast of the US through an article in the 1931 Bulletin of the Sierra Club.
• 1922 : Hans Rost and party ascend the Rostkante on Hauptwiesenstein (5.10d), Elbe Sandstone Mountains, the world's hardest climb at the time
• 1922 : Paul Illmer and party ascend the Illmerweg on Falkenstein (5.10b), Elbe Sandstone Mountains
• 1923 : Willo Welzenbach creates the standard numerical rating system for the difficulty of a route (Grades I to VI)
• 1925 : Solleder and Gustl Lettenbauer climb 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 climb the 2000 foot Northeast Buttress of Crestone Needle (5.7, 14,197 feet).
• 1927 : Laurent Grivel designs and sells the first rock drill and expansion bolt.
• 1927 : Joe Stettner and brother, Paul, apply 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.

1930s

• 1930 : Jack Longland climbs Javelin Blade E1 5b (5.10), Hollytree Wall, Idwal
• 1931 : Emilio Comici and the Dolomites. Comici is 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 uses them to good purpose with an ascent of the 26 pitch, 4000 foot Northwest Face of the Civetta.
• 1934 : Pierre Allain champions bouldering at Fontainebleau; climbs L'Angle Allain (V2)
• 1934 : Dick Leonard, teams up with Jules Eichorn and Bestor Robinson for the first ascent of the Eichorn Pinnacle of Cathedral Peak in the Sierra Nevada. He also creates the concept and practice of the dynamic belay at Indian Rock.
• 1935 : Pierre Allain produces first soft-soled climbing shoe. Revised for extreme rock 1948
• 1938 : Riccardo Cassin ascends 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 his Berkeley crew use four bolts in the process of ascending Ship Rock in New Mexico.

1940s

• 1940s : World War II leads to the development of inexpensive army surplus pitons, carabiners and the newly invented nylon rope.
• 1945 : Chris Preston climbs Suicide Wall (E2 5c (5.10d)) Ogwen, Wales
• 1946 : Rene Ferlet climbs Marie-Rose (V3) Fontainebleau
• 1946 : John Salathe, at the age of 46, attempts 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 places 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.
• 1949 : Peter Harding climbs Demon Rib (E3 5c (5.11a)), Black Rocks, Derbyshire, UK

1950s

• 1952 : Lionel Terray ascends the Patagonian peak, Monte Fitz Roy, with Guido Magnone.
• 1952 : John Streetly makes the FA of Bloody Slab (E3 5b (5.11a)) Llanberis Pass, Wales
• 1953 : Robert Paragot climbs Le Joker (V5) Fontainebleau
• 1954 : Joe Brown and Don Whillans climb the West Face of Aiguille de Blaitiere, including the famous Fissure Brown (5.11), in the Alps.
• 1955 : Walter Bonatti Considered one of the greatest climbs of all time, his solo first ascent of a new route on the Southwest Pillar of the Dru takes six days.
• 1955 : John Gill introduces chalk & modern dynamics; first V8 (1957), V9 (1959) ; freesolos FA Thimble overhang [4] (5.12a, though with the shoes of the time and before chalk bags, it was undoubtedly harder) (1961)
• 1957 : Layton Kor appears in the climbing community of Colorado and gains recognition as a notable climber. Makes landmark ascents, including Redguard, The Bulge, T2, Naked Edge, X-M, and the Yellow Wall. Kor is noted as one of the key forces behind the progression of climbing in the west.
• 1958 : Warren Harding and team climb the 3,000 foot Nose of El Capitan using siege tactics, taking a total of 45 days over an extended period. Almost entirely aid climbing, with many bolts (125), the climb is given worldwide recognition.
• 1958 : Don Whillans climbs Goliath (E4 5c/6a (5.11b)), Burbage, (now South Yorkshire), UK

1960s

• 1961 : Royal Robbins, Chuck Pratt, and Tom Frost ascend the 3,000 foot Salathe Wall on El Capitan. Continuous ascent by Robbins & Frost in 1962,.
• 1964 : Robbins, Pratt, Frost, and Yvon Chouinard climb the North American Wall on El Capitan,
• 1964 : Fritz Eske climb the Konigshangel on Frienstein in the Elbe Sandstone Mountains, 5.11b
• 1965 : Europe's biggest vertical rock face, Norway's Troll Wall climbed by Norwegian and British teams
• 1967 : Pete Cleveland climbs Superpin in the Black Hills (5.11X)
• 1968 : Royal Robbins solos the Muir Wall on El Capitan,

1970s

• 1970 :Bernd Arnold climb the North face on the Schwager in the Elbe Sandstone Mountains, 5.11d
• 1971 : Al Rouse climbs Positron (E5 6a / 5.11d) Gogarth, Anglesey
• 1971 : Tom Frost and Yvon Chouinard design Hexcentrics.
• 1974 - 1977 : Jim Holloway establishes - in Colorado - the hardest bouldering problems in the world, at the time. These include Slapshot (V13) and Meathook (V11),
• 1976 : Mick Fowler climbs Linden, Curbar Edge, Derbyshire, UK. E6 6b (5.12c); Ron Fawcett climbs Slip 'n' Slide E6 6a (5.12b), Crookrise, Yorkshire, UK; Steve Bancroft climbs Narcissus E6 E6 6b (5.12c), Froggatt, Derbyshire, UK
• 1976 : John Bachar initiates an era of free soloing with his ascent of New Dimensions 5.11a
• 1977 : Ray Jardine climbs "Phoenix" in Yosemite Valley. 5.13a; Pete Cleveland climbs Phlogiston, at Devil's Lake, 5.13a/b or V9
• 1978 : Ray Jardine begins selling the first modern spring-loaded camming device (SLCD or cam), which he invented several years earlier.
• 1979 : Tony Yaniro climbs Grand Illusion, Sugarloaf (CA), 5.13b/c

1980s

• 1980 : Boreal introduces the first "sticky rubber" shoe, the Fire
• 1980 : John Redhead, climbs The Bells, The Bells Gogarth, Wales. E7 6b (5.13a)
• 1980 : Bill Price climbs Cosmic Debris, Yosemite, 5.13b
• 1981 : Maurizio Zanolla (Manolo) climbs Il mattino dei maghi, Totoga, Italy, 7c+ (5.13a) with 4 protection (only 2 spit) on 130 feet route.
• 1983 : Ron Fawcett climbs Master's Edge at Millstone Quarry in the Peak District, graded E7 6c.
• 1983 : Alan Watts introduces sport climbing to the US, with Watts Tots, 5.12b at Smith Rock, Oregon
• 1985 : Wolfgang Gullich climbs Punks in the Gym, Mt. Arapiles, (some say the first 5.14a/b some say 5.13d)
• 1986 : Johnny Dawes climbs Indian Face, Clogwyn Du'r Arddu, Wales. E9 6c (5.13d)
• 1986 : Antoine Le Menestrel climbs La Rage de Vivre, Buoux, (many credit this as the first 5.14a)
• 1987 : Wolfgang Gullich climbs Wallstreet, Frankenjura, 5.14b

1990s

• 1990 : Ben Moon climbs Hubble, Raven Tor, suggesting 8c+(5.14c).
• 1991 : Wolfgang Gullich climbs Action Directe, Frankenjura, then considered the first 5.14d / 9a / 11
• 1992 : John Middendorf and Xaver Bongard climb The Grande Voyage, in 18 days on the world's tallest sheer rock face, Great Trango Tower, Karakoram, considered the hardest big wall climb in the world. 5.10+,A4+,WI4
• 1993 : Lynn Hill makes the first free climbing ascent of the 3,000 foot Nose Route of El Capitan (5.14a/b). Although there had been many ascents of The Nose, none had been done entirely without artificial aid. For years this had been the most coveted goal in the world of rock climbing.
• 1995 : Fred Rouhling climbs Akira, Charente, 5.15b
• 1996 : Alexander Huber climbs Open Air (9a+) – Schleierwasserfall, 5.15a
• 1998 : Bernabe Fernandes climbs Orujo, Malaga, 5.15a

2000s

• 2000 : Neil Bentley climbs Equilibrium, Burbage South, Derbyshire. E10 (5.14a/b)
• 2008 : Chris Sharma climbs Jumbo Love, Clark Mountain, California. 5.15b

2010s

• 2012 : Adam Ondra climbs Change, Flatanger, Norway, 9b+
• 2015: Tommy Caldwell and Kevin Jorgeson free climb "Dawn Wall", Yosemite Valley, California. (5.14c?)

See also

• List of first ascents in the Sierra Nevada (U.S.)
• Fontainebleau rock climbing