The first ascent was in the 1980s by peter croft who aid climbed it. Two climbers send switzerlands longstanding gondo crack. This year, ive got 3 main crack projects on the books, which is probably a. Logan barber makes 12th ascent of cobra crack gripped. Didier berthod is a swiss rock climber who has been featured in many climbing films, notably first ascent. Featuring dean potter, timmy oneill, sonnie trotter, and the amazing didier berthod on his quest for the first ascent of the cobra crack. This is a novice asking so sorry if this is kind of a dumb question. Canadian sonnie trotter completed the first ascent of the muchtried overhanging finger crack in the summer of 2006. James pearson and his wife, caroline ciavaldini have been travelling around many different parts of europe recently, sport climbing, bouldering and trad climbing. Rock climb cobra crack, british columbia mountain project. Dec 19, 2015 canadian sonnie trotter completed the first ascent of the muchtried overhanging finger crack in the summer of 2006. Renowned crack climber, author and wide boyz pete whittaker shares his new guide the definitive guide to crack climbing. To date cobra crack is one of the hardest crack routes in the world. Canadian sonnie trotter has made the first ascent of what he believes to be the hardest pure crack climb in the world, cobra crack 5.
Its the lure of always knowing that theres something just round the corner, thats a smidge out of reach. Favresse, who nabbed the second ascent of sonnie trotters cobra crack in squamish, calls it the hardest hes sent. It was a lot of fun, and not too different from filming friends at the boulders, except that everything is dialed up a notch. Jack fills you in on the details of the climb from tom and pete, as well as giving you a bit of a background as to who the guys are. After conquering north americas hardest offwidths in their film wide boyz, tom randall and pete whittaker set their sites on the notorious thin line. Crack climbing is a type of rock climbing in which the climber follows a crack in the rock and. Seems unlikely it is that exact move did it with ring finger. Croft would go on to make the first freesolo of the thin crack, a feat repeated many decades later by will stanhope. Oct 08, 20 wide boyz tom randall and pete whittaker slay the cobra, squamish epictv climbing daily, ep.
First ascent was done without the upside down mono jam. Hazel findlays first ascent of squamishs tainted love 5. Logan barber makes 12th ascent of cobra crack gripped magazine. First ascent is unlike any mountain climbing film youve ever seen.
I must also say that a few scenes in the film are a waste of time and are probably included in an attempt to add humour i. Then in 1982, peter croft and tami knight added a new start. That movie really gave it its legendary reputation for me. If you can climb the grade and enjoy cracks then the cobra is or at least should. My friend steve picked this climbing film up the other day and when i watched i must say i was impressed. Last year, babsi zangerl and jacopo larcher projected the thin crack, but came up short during their brief visit. Chad wiggle and jimmie dunn in front of dunns volkswagen bus the day before they climbed the first ascent of the cobra, fisher towers, utah. Zangerl was the first to redpoint the route using the bolts at the end of march. Is this the curse of the cobra striking into the heart of a european crack obsessive yet again. After spending years climbing the worlds hardest offwidth cracks and culminating in the first ascent of century crack, tom randall and pete whittaker have narrowed things down considerably and are now concentrating on hard thin finger cracks.
Whilst our chicken wings, pirate shuffles and arm bars had grown strong over 2 years, our fingers and forearms had withered away. Dec 19, 2015 in squamish, british columbia, meanwhile, the belgian allarounder nicolas favresse has made the second ascent of the cobra crack 5. Mason earle has climbed squamishs pride and joy, cobra crack 5. Hazel findlay made the first ascent 2017, and sean villanueva odriscoll made the second ascent this past july. Since mason earle first tried cobra crack in 2009, the route has called him back to squamish, bc again and again. The route, a pristine 30m fingercrack that neatly splits the smooth overhanging granite face, was in origin a peter croft aid route graded a2. The route, a pristine 30m finger crack that neatly splits the smooth overhanging granite face, was in origin a peter croft aid route graded a2. Join swiss climber didier berthod as he attempts the impossible to become the first man ever to climb the insanely treacherous cobra crack.
Hazel findlay made the first ascent 2017, and sean villanueva odriscoll made the second ascent. Whilst in turkey james made the first ascent of cobra crackinette, e8 7a, and caroline made the first ascent of. This 35 meter megaline in jossingfjord, norway, took favresse two trips, and definitely ranks as one of the hardest crack climbs in the world. Mason earle has made the 11th ascent of cobra crack 5. In 2005, swiss crackclimbing ace didier berthod, who had redpointed 5. Mason earle sends cobra crack in squamish gripped magazine. This section is one of the best on the dvd, capturing a rare hard first ascent on film. Pete whittaker made a successful ascent last week, and tom managed to pull an. It probably sounds horrible, but in fact the route is really fun and enjoyable to climb. First ascent is a film that shows a lot of great climbing. It is just that beta is famous from didiers attempts in first ascent. This route, which saw its first ascent in 2006 by sonnie trotter, is a stunning, 120. In squamish, british columbia, meanwhile, the belgian allarounder nicolas favresse has made the second ascent of the cobra crack 5. Trotter completed the first ascent of the muchtried crack in the summer of 2006.
Pete is widely regarded as one of the best crack climbers in the world, having made dozens of cuttingedge first ascents and hard repeats, including the first ascent of century crack 5. Wide boyz, have recently climbed the single pitch crack, the cobra. In 2005, swiss crack climbing ace didier berthod, who had redpointed 5. The recovery drink and the worlds hardest crack climbs.
Just recalling wideboyz i wonder if the gear was placed on the lead. First ascent was to be i hoped my biggest picture yet. Wide boyz tom randall and pete whittaker slay the cobra. Here is a picture of the infamous, and painful looking finger jam if thats even the right term on cobra crack. In more recent years, trotter has gained notoriety for his support of clean trad routes over bolted routes, and his first ascent of the cobra crack in squamish, british columbia. Much of this equipment was designed specifically for use in crack systems.
After coming back year after year, mason finally realized his. Cobra is a pure power or power endurance problem 14 hard moves in the crack. First ascent is the newest offering by the american company sender films, following a wide range of motivated climbers on their various quests to seek out, and conquer new lines from squamish to thailand. If he completes this maneuver, he will be the first to conquer the legendary cobra crack, a skinny, almost imperceptible seam on a whitish granite cirque in british.
The ascent was shown in the delightfully named sequel, wide boyz 2. For more stories of desert rat climbers at their best, read the illusion of control, by chris van leuven. The path and cobra crack repeated climbing magazine. More information and photos will be posted as they become available. Didier berthod tries to become the first man to climb treacherous cobra crack.
It was aided in 1960 by jim baldwin and ed cooper and repeated a number of times before crusher eric weinstein stepped up in 1976 to make the first free ascent. One of the things that keeps me really motivated, is having first ascent projects. One of the best rock climbs in the world without question. Canadian sonnie trotter completed the first ascent of the. British climbers tom randall and pete whittaker have both repeated cobra crack at squamish, canada. Battling the cobraking of the cracks black diamond.
Product description first ascent, from sender films and directorproducer peter mortimer, features todays top climbers as they lay siege to steep faces and soaring alpine walls in pursuit of climbings pinnacle achievement the first ascent. Tom randall and pete whittaker repeat cobra crack at squamish. Heres the video of the first ascent that was shown at the banff festival i. Ben harnden is the only climber to have sent cobra crack 5. The first free ascent was a project for a number of climbers until sonnie trotter sent it in 2006. Here, tom randall shows how he trained for the brutal. But earlier this month, on a visit to squamish, the couple, married since 2015, found themselves focusing on the same line. It also documents his climbs in europe and his frugal lifestyle such as working in a. Randall had climbed cobra crack and joined the ranks of other repeaters including nico favresse, yuji hirayama, and alex honnold, among others. The first ascent dvd by sender films and directorproducer peter mortimer, features some of todays top climbers as they go on their quest to be the first check out the first ascent dvd trailer below. We did a load of lockoffs, bachar laddering, crackar laddering and trained on a wooden 6ft finger crack. Since mason earle first tried cobra crack in 2009, the route has called. This quest has obviously also taken the two brits to. Cobra crack, located at the cirque of the unclimbables on the backside of the chief, squamish, was first climbed by sonnie trotter in 2006 who took.
Mason earle sends squamish testpiece cobra crack 5. First free ascent of ewbank route on tasmanias totem pole duration. Traditional climbing gear is still required for the other parts. I first made it up to squamish on canada day of 2009. He specializes in traditional crack climbing and has climbed many lines of this style. Located on the overhung north side of joshua trees iguana dome, the 90foot stingray starts up a leftfacing corner before traversing left and entering the routes principle feature. The himalayas is the setting for the next first ascent before the film returns to squamish, and the continued efforts of didier berthod on the cobra crack, after which attention shifts to the hardest crack climb in europe greenspit. Traditional or trad climbing, is a style of rock climbing in which a climber or group of climbers place all gear required to protect against falls, and remove it when a pitch is complete. Wide boyz ii slender men the cobra crack the rv project. Harnden began the year with the second ascent of family man 5.
If you can climb the grade and enjoy cracks then the cobra is or at least should be on your ticklist. The first free ascent was a project for a number of climbers until sonnie trotter sent it. Join a global quest with worldclass climbers in pursuit of the ultimate goal. Sachi amma spotted in squamish projecting cobra crack. The wide boyz became famous when in 2012 they made the first ascent of utahs century crack 5.
Top japanese climber sachi amma has been spotted in squamish sending hard cracks and projecting cobra crack, canadas famous 5. Trotter is widely known for his first ascent of cobra crack, perhaps the worlds most coveted finger crack climb, but he enjoys mixing up all styles of climbing as much as possible from bouldering and sport climbing to traditional routes, big walls and even the occasional alpine route. Five things to know about squamish trad climbing gripped. Wide boyz tom randall and pete whittaker slay the cobra, squamish epictv climbing daily, ep.
Despite onehanging squamishs famed cobra crack several years in a row, earle couldnt quite seal the deal. For better or for worse, the route has become a part of his history. I was extra psyched because didier, my personal climbing hero, had set out to make the fa of the cobra crack, a climb as elegant as it is improbable. Cracking cobra mason earle tackles squamishs cobra crack. In 2011, tom randall and pete whittaker completed the first free ascent of century crack 5. Cobra crack is an arching thinfinger crack splitting a steep wall at the cirque of the uncrackables on the chiefs backside. T he gondo crack is a 17meter finger crack in switzerland, just a few minutes away from the italian border, that was bolted by the italian climber allesandro manini 15 years ago and repelled all wouldbe first ascensionists until barbara zangerl austria and jacopo larcher italy succeeded in early april. It was also featured in the movie first ascent which covered didier berthod and sonnie trotters competition to get the first free ascent.
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