Since the origins of rock climbing, Boulder has been at the forefront of American, if not global, standards of difficulty. While researching routes for a local climbing tick list for 2011, I became lost in the stories behind these five climbs, each of which was the hardest route of its day.
These are all free routes: routes that were climbed without resting on gear, but which were protected by ropes in case of a fall. At the time they were established -between 1948 and 1979 -these were the most difficult free climbs in America. That five of the most extreme ascents during these three decades occurred in Boulder is a testament to our local talent, our natural climbing resources, and the dedication and creativity of our predecessors.
Hard Free Climbing: The Beginnings, 1948
Hornsby`s Ledges 5.9. The Flatirons. First Free Ascent (FFA): Dave Hornsby, Harold Walton.
This route tackles the imposing north overhang of the Second Flatiron at two-thirds height. Hornsby and Walton scratched their way up this short, difficult route before the 5.9 grade existed anywhere else in America. According to Walton, "This was hard work, muscling up on those overhangs. More than once, one or the other of us fell and swung out. Ultimately, we made it free."
Later in 1948, Walton played a key role in forming the Rocky Mountain Rescue Group.
Competition and White Lies, 1959
Northcutt Start 5.10d, Eldorado Canyon. FFA: Ray Northcutt.
Northcutt was one of the best boulderers of his time, two decades before bouldering was considered anything but practice for real climbing.
One day in Eldo, Northcutt`s partner, Ron Foreman, pointed up at the 70-foot vertical crack and smooth face traverse saying, "Layton Kor free-climbed that the other day." Being friendly competitors, Northcutt thought, "If Kor can do it, so can I."
Northcutt headed up and hammered a solid piton before the traverse. Then, he committed to the difficult finishing moves, matching Kor`s effort. Immediately after the groundbreaking ascent, Foreman admitted that Kor had never actually freed the route.
The Granite Crucible, 1959
Athlete`s Feat 5.11a, Boulder Canyon. FFA: Royal Robbins, Pat Ament.
This four-pitch face and crack climb on Castle Rock was one of the boldest, most difficult leads in America. The peripatetic Royal Robbins free climbed the crux`s first pitch on his first try, surmounting the smooth, down-sloping shelf of polished granite with only fingertip holds and savvy. His only protection was a small piton below his feet (today there are two bolts). A fall at the crux was unthinkable: he would have hit a large, pointed flake of granite just above the ground 30 feet below.
A New Realm, 1966
Supremacy Crack 5.11c, Eldorado Canyon. FFA: Pat Ament.
This 40-foot, overhanging crack was perhaps the first route in America to receive a solid 5.11 rating. On its first ascent, Ament rested briefly on a piton after the 5.11 climbing, but this was enough for critics to contest the ascent. In response, Ament immediately returned to lead it again without a rest.
Ament said, "I had no idea such a little climb would amount to anything in the eyes of other climbers." In the latest edition of Climb!, historian Jeff Achey wrote, "Such relentlessly overhanging climbing was unprecedented, and the lead of Supremacy Crack opened the door on a new realm."
Obsession, 1979
Genesis 5.12d, Eldorado Canyon. FFA: Jim Collins.
A flawless, blank-looking shield of red sandstone lurks conspicuously above the trail to Redgarden Wall. Genesis demands 120 feet of sustained climbing with two 5.12d cruxes, and the possibility of a 30-foot fall from the last hard moves. Collins, a Boulder native, had worked his way through the area`s hardest climbs. By the time he started college at Stanford he was totally consumed by free climbing Genesis. While at Stanford, he utilized the rocky campus buildings as a training ground. On one particularly grueling building problem (which he named Genocide), he carried a needle in his pocket to drain blisters on his fingertips. This way he could continue climbing without getting off the wall! Collins eventually climbed Genesis after nearly 100 attempts over several seasons. For several months, Genesis reigned as possibly the hardest free climb in the world!
Chris Weidner/ Daily Camera
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