Jason Kruk and Hayden Kennedy weigh on the recent Cerro Torre controversy
Kruk & Kennedy Weigh In On Cerro Torre Controversy
The Plot Thickens On Cerro Torre
The plot thickens on Cerro Torre as Kennedy & Kruk’s “fair means” ascent of the Compressor route is quickly followed by David Lama’s first free ascent.
Deep North: A Trip To The Arrigetch Peaks With Caldwell & Kennedy
Courtesy of Patagonia comes a short video of Tommy Caldwell & Hayden Kennedy exploring the Alaskan Bush

Kennedy & Kruk Climb Compressor Route By “Fair Means”
A lot of sites, including Alpinist, have picked up on the update Colin Haley posted on his Facebook wall indicating that American Hayden Kennedy and Canadian Jason Kruk pulled off the long-awaited “fair-means” ascent of the Compressor Route on Cerro Torre’s Southeast Ridge in Patagonia. The line was infamously bolted using a gas-powered compressor drill by Cesare Maestri during the line’s first ascent in 1970, and this is the first time someone has successfully climbed the line without the use of this bolt ladder. No word on how they managed to pull this off without a camera crew and a slew of extra bolts to aid said camera crew. Developing…
Watch Tommy Caldwell & Others Tonight On The Discovery Channel
Set your DVRs to catch Tommy Caldwell and a cast of others on The Discovery Channel tonight
Trotter Does First Repeat Of The Prophet (5.13d R)
Tommy Caldwell wasn’t the only person hard at work on the flanks of El Capitan this fall

Caldwell’s Dawn Wall Push Over…For Now
In an update on his Facebook page yesterday Tommy Caldwell indicated that he’s given up the hope of completing his Dawn Wall project in a single push, instead opting to go down to the ground to recuperate before returning to his current highpoint to forge higher. After over two weeks on the wall he was able to match his highpoint of pitch 12 from last year but was unable to send pitch 13 despite a prolonged battle.
Update: Caldwell returned for a brief attempt on Pitch 13 but decided to pack up and head home for the season:
In so many ways, free-climbing El Cap seems absurd and contrived. But it drives me in a way that I love, satisfying a deep-rooted curiosity. A need to explore not only what I see, but who I am. I choose to immerse myself in this project again and again because it stretches my imagination and reminds me that I am capable of much more that I am usually aware of. It would be empty without the allure of success. But it doesn’t always end that way. At least for now.
Caldwell Matches Previous Highpoint On Dawn Wall Project
Tommy Caldwell’s push to free a new route up El Capitan’s Dawn Wall is 10 days old now and the events over the weekend were really something.

Tommy Caldwell Explains His New Approach To Sharing Dawn Wall Updates
Tommy Caldwell has freed the first 11 pitches of his Dawn Wall project and is now working on pitch 12. Of course, you already knew this if you’ve been following the updates and pictures on his Facebook page. For someone who has normally been rather reserved when it comes to the online climbing world, this new level of sharing by Caldwell has caught many by surprise. In this post on The Cleanest Line he explains to friend Kelly Cordes some of the thoughts behind this change:
Although it felt a bit unnatural at first, I decided to embrace the circus on this project. There are many reasons for this. First of all, it becomes a circus whether I like it or not. The Ask a Climber Program here in Yosemite has put the climbers on El Cap on display. There are daily blog updates complete with photos of what is going on. If you can’t fight ‘em, might as well join ‘em.
Search
-
TheDanDan: I don't think you know what that word means....
-
chris: And youtube comes through for us. Daniel Woods, Pr...
-
Dustin: Great vid!! What's up with the bolts in the mess ...
-
Guest: Joe Kinder, professional sycophant...
-
Like__a__fish: Not to mention Life on Hold from these boys: htt...
-
Narc: I had the same thought when I watched it too....
-
chris: A nice video, but having been at the event, I feel...
-
Video Friday – 2/10/2012
February 10, 2012
-
Jimmy Webb’s Climbed 99 Problems And The Island (V14) Was One
February 9, 2012
-
Dean Potter On Nat Geo This Sunday
February 9, 2012
-
Golden Direct Repeated By Ben Spannuth
February 8, 2012
-
Great News From Red Rock
February 8, 2012
-
Alex Johnson Climbs Lethal Design (V12)
February 7, 2012
-
Low Gravity Week In Fontainebleau
February 6, 2012
News & Notes
Jimmy Webb’s Climbed 99 Problems And The Island (V14) Was One
Ok. Horrible title. Forgive me.
Anyway, Jimmy Webb is about a week into his first trip to Font. Last week he managed that one day ascent of Kheops Assis (V14), and according to his 8a scorecard this week he managed a relatively quick repeat of Dave Graham’s The Island a once V15 but now maybe V14 at Coquibus Rumont. This latest ascent puts him at 99 problems V10 or harder in the past 12 months which is notable for being 99 more V10s or harder than I’ve done in my entire life1.
Golden Direct Repeated By Ben Spannuth
Ben Spannuth, who recently started a blog at LT11, grabbed a rare repeat Golden Direct at the Cathedral in Southern Utah according to his 8a scorecard. Golden Direct was first done in 2008 by Joe Kinder at a suggested grade of 5.14d and was subsequently repeated by the likes of Chris Sharma and Jonathan Siegrist. Having climbed five other routes in the 5.14c/d range in the past 6 months, Spannuth felt Golden Direct warranted a grade of 5.14c.
1 CommentAlex Johnson Climbs Lethal Design (V12)
Alex Johnson gave the highballs in Bishop a break to check out the bouldering in Red Rock, Nevada where she repeated the V12 highball Lethal Design according to her 8a scorecard:
great support crew and tons of pads! long and crimpy. worked out all the moves quick and sent first burn.
Since the start of 2012 she has done some eight V10′s or harder across Yosemite, Bishop and Red Rock.
Update: Climbing.com caught up with Johnson to discuss the ascent
5 Comments




Recent Comments