The Joy of the First Ascent
Reaping the Benefits of Hard Work
Sport Climbing
Climbers love to jump on the crag, sling up some gear, and get to the top. Getting as many climbs in as possible in any given trip is often the ultimate goal. Efficiency breeds long tick lists.
However, sometimes it’s more gratifying to get on a project. Wedge into the shoes, hook in the gear piece by piece. Smile at the belayer—you both know she’ll be standing there craning her neck for hours and hours. Surrender to the climb: work at the project continuously throughout the day, and finally get that send, as the sun starts bidding adieu.
So what if only one climb bowed in recognition of true skill and work ethic? The day was not a waste—chalk it up as a success.
New Lines
But sometimes, the greatest achievement in climbing begins long before hands are chalked and feet are stuffed into torture-chamber shoes. Before the figure-8 is tied in. Even before there’s a belayer anywhere nearby.
Approaching a fresh, un-climbed cliff and spotting natural lines all over the place is like walking into a bar seeing all sorts of potential playmates. Sometimes it’s overwhelming.
How to narrow the choices? Just pick one at random and head on over. Hike to the top and sling a fixed line. Then spend hours scrubbing at each future foothold, scraping lichen from each crimper. As the sun passes its zenith and begins thinking about heading home, finish sweeping the last bit of dirt from the crack.
All day at the crag and not a single ascent to show for it? So what? The future lies open: a new route is born.
On Belay?
Finally, a friend stops by, wondering where you’ve been all day. Reel him in and hook him on belay. Tighten the shoes. Chalk up. This particular crack has never been climbed before. Never. That’s a long time.
Slowly start up the wall. By now, every nook and cranny is familiar—after all, whose hands have brushed off every speck of dirt? Yanked out every iron-thick root? Felt every tiny foot placement?
Like butter in a hot frying pan, slide on up, placing proper protection along the way. Like raising children. Aware of the difficult spots, they still seem slightly surprising. But not impossible.
Down below, the belayer watches in awe. So smooth. So graceful. As if it were meant to be, this connection between human and stone. Inch by inch, foot by foot, hand by hand, climber and cliff become one.
First Ascent
One more move. And here are the anchors. Exactly where you fixed them. Take! First Ascent. Your Name Here. And, like raising a child, you get to pick the name. Think of something witty. A pun. Something that will go down in history alongside the name of the first person to ascend the route. Something to be remembered by.
All that hard work, all that dirty discomfort, hanging there on a fixed line for hours on end, digging dirt, scraping stone, pulling plants. All this for one climb. One climb that didn’t even stretch skill limits. But one climb, raised from the ground up. Like a child. A mark made in stone. Forever.
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