12 April 2018
8c+ 2nd Go by Connor Herson (14) under the radar
"I do not share my ascents on social media partly because I do not own a smart phone or any social media. I am just not interested in it. I also feel like if I did get a social media account, I would feel pressured to get more ascents and do more climbs so I could post about them. It would just overall be more pressure. To me, climbing is very special in that it is an individual sport and I only want to climb for my enjoyment.
Climbing has many different perks to me. As stated above, I like the individual aspect, but I also like how it brings me closer to nature. I travel many amazing places for climbing trips where I wouldn't normally go. Another aspect of climbing I enjoy is how different it is every time. Each route is unique and different and brings me a new challenge."
Connor Herson grew up in a dedicated climbing family with a big wall interest. Being 13 years old, he French freed The Nose in 13 hours with his father Jim. "Seriously, you canโt make your kids like climbing. You can only make them not like climbing."
Family interview from 2014.
"I made a goal last year to climb 14 5.14's (8b+ and up) before I turn 15 (early July). I have done 11 so far, and I know a few more I think I can do. For competitions, I want to make U.S. Team for lead climbing and compete in the youth world championships this August. Iโm not interested in the results, Iโm more interested in making it to finals so I can try all the climbs.
I will spend much of the summer training indoors, but I still hope to get some trad climbing in at Yosemite or somewhere else in the Sierra. Basically, I want to keep a relatively even balance of outdoor sport and bouldering, outdoor trad, and indoor competition training."
The 8c+ second go, in the headline, was Southern Smoke in Red River Gorge and it was his friend Zander Waller who gave us the tip of the amazing multi-discipline climber "slightly off the radar".
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Jorge Diaz-Rullo reports on Instagram that he has made the first ascent of Cafe Colombia in Margalef. At 27, heโs already stacked four 9b+ sends and now heโs adโฆ
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Ondra flashes 3*8C in two weeks
โI stopped focusing on competition bouldering after last yearโs World Cup in Prague, partly because I can already feel it on my body, especially in my shoulders. The modern competition style, with a lot of jumping from one hold to another, is very demanding for the shoulders.
Outdoor bouldering isโฆ
26 January 2026
Sean Bailey FAโs Duality of Man (9c)
Sean Bailey reports on Instagram that he has done the first ascent of Duality of Man (9c) in Dry Canyon. โ After four total years and three seasons of climbing,โฆ
Favorites
Jorge Diaz-Rullo reports on Instagram that he has made the first ascent of Cafe Colombia in Margalef. At 27, heโs already stacked four 9b+ sends and now heโs adโฆ
16 March 2026
Ondra flashes 3*8C in two weeks
โI stopped focusing on competition bouldering after last yearโs World Cup in Prague, partly because I can already feel it on my body, especially in my shoulders. The modern competition style, with a lot of jumping from one hold to another, is very demanding for the shoulders.
Outdoor bouldering isโฆ
26 January 2026
Sean Bailey FAโs Duality of Man (9c)
Sean Bailey reports on Instagram that he has done the first ascent of Duality of Man (9c) in Dry Canyon. โ After four total years and three seasons of climbing,โฆ