News Flash
Allison Vest on Fire
Canadian Allison Vest climbed three V13s in a month with Army of the Dead, Blackout V13 and Masterpiece V13 in Joe’s Valley. In 2020, she climbed Firestorm V13 in Ogden, and in 2019 she climbed her first V13 with Terminator in Squamish.
Bayes Wilder Crushed at 10
American 10-year-old climber Bayes Wilder sent Southern Smoke 5.14c at Red River Gorge in November. Found at Bob Marley Crag, it was Wilder’s hardest ascent to date. At one week shy of 10 ½ years old, he’s the youngest to climb the grade. Wilder sent on his third day on his fifth attempt.
Alex Honnold Sends Red Rock Test-piece
Alex Honnold has made the second ascent of one of the hardest multi-pitch routes at Red Rock with Synthetic Happiness on Rainbow Wall. Synthetic Happiness has one 5.13c pitch, two 5.13b, three 5.13a and four 5.12s. Honnold said it’s one of the hardest climbs in America.
Boardman Tasker 2021
Gripped editorial director David Smart received the Boardman Tasker Prize for Mountain Literature for his book Emilio Comici, Angel of the Dolomites.
New Everest Approach
Himalayan climbers Alan Batard and Yorick Vion established a climb a new route that avoids the Khumbu Icefall but access camp two on Everest. They climbed a previously unclimbed summit at 5,888 metres, which Batard has called Sundare, named after a mentor Sherpa to Batard.
Big Ama Dablam Repeat
Czech climbers Zdenek Hak and Kuba Káchaby repeated the 60-pitch American Direct on the west face of Ama Dablam (6,812 m).
Anak Verhoeven Climbs 5.14d
Belgian Anak Verhoeven is one of Europe’s top climbers with several hard routes to her name. At the end of December, she sent Joe Blau 5.14c and Joe Cita 5.14d in Spain. The 25-year-old has climbed at least a dozen routes that are 5.14+ or harder.
Yuji Hirayama Climbs New 5.14c
Yuji Hirayama, one of the world’s greatest all-time climbers, made the first ascent of Hanabi 5.14c at Futagoyama on Mount Futago in Japan. At 52 years old, he’s been pushing the sport of climbing for over 30 years. In 2004, he made the first-ever onsight of a 5.14b with White Zombie at Baltzola Cave in Spain.
Another History Maker for Tommy Caldwell
Tommy Caldwell’s Flex Luthor in Fortress of Solitude, Colo., which here first climbed in 2003, was repeated by Matty Hong and upgraded to 5.15b. It was then repeated by Carlo Traversi. The new grade makes it the first 5.15b ever climbed.
New 5.15b for Adam Ondra
At the end of 2021, Adam Ondra made the first ascent of Taurus 5.15b in Moravský kras, Czech Republic. He said that the opening moves are V16 and it ends with a 5.13d.
New V16 in Japan
Kazuma Ise made the first ascent of Hallucination V16 in Hourai at the end of 2021. It’s one of Japan’s hardest problems.—gripped