Connor Herson completes testpieces Crack of Destiny and Cobra Crack, plus a 9a for good measure!

Connor Herson, who last year did the bolted route Empath (9a+) on gear, has posted on Instagram that he has completed six very impressive, and three exceptional, ascents from his last month in Squamish, photo courtesy of Christian Adam.

Cobra Crack (8c) trad: Sonnie Trotter's classic, "always been a dream line of mine".
Crack of destiny (8c) trad: Didier Berthod, 41, did the FA in June.
"This thing is truly Cobra Crack 2.0."
Spirit Quest (9a): "[redpointed it] While waiting for my skin to heal in between sessions on the crack climbs."

Which climb was the most memorable for you?
I think my most memorable ascent was the Crack of destiny - there was such a good crew that day, the energy was great, and I just focused on enjoying the climb. It was certainly the most fun I’ve had on a send go. Plus, my friend got footage and we might release it soon.

It took me 4 sessions. Because it’s so steep (the photos don’t show it, but it’s about 30° overhung), it was easier to try on lead than toprope. Compared to Cobra, the moves were way easier but it was far more sustained and pumpy. The hardest part for me was finding a sequence - the crack is Indian creek style and has very few distinct features, so it was hard to remember a sequence. On my send, I still didn’t have a sequence for the bottom 60% of the crack! On my third session, I got through the crack and fell on the North Star crux at the very top, then I sent it on the first go of my fourth session!

What is coming up next?
As for my next plan, I’m not sure yet how I’ll spend the rest of the summer before school starts. I’ve got a few ideas, but it’ll definitely involve more hard trad!

Have you considered taking on a harder, more involved project?
The 9a took 6 sessions, but I was trying it off and on for the first few. It’s an amazing climb! Sustained, natural slightly overhung granite face climbing. It’s like 5.12- to the fifth bolt then sustained v8-v10 climbing with no good rests but no moves harder than v10 for about 8 more bolts. It has a potential direct finish where you’d do all the hard climbing, then launch with no rest into a v9 into a v7, and then a decent rest into a v10. I was going to spend a lot of time on that, but it was really hard on my skin and the temperatures warmed up too much, but I’d like to go back for that!

The Squamish trip was my first time climbing outside the United States, though, so I wanted to try a lot of climbs instead of focusing on one.

The 19-year-old first made headlines on 8a when he at age 14 did Southern Smoke (8c+) second go and a few months later sent The Nose (8b+) multi-pitch. Last year, we made an interview with the #1 multi-discipline teenage challenger in the world after he had been #12 in the Youth World Championship, where he was runner-up in the qualification. "I think I am just as excited about studying as I am about climbing."

What are you studying? Are you still as keen?
I am on summer break right now and I’ll be starting my second year soon. I’ve been loving it, and I’m excited to go back to school in the fall! I’m still undeclared for my major, but I’m leaning towards electrical engineering. I’ll know for certain by the end of this school year.

What does a normal training week look like when you are at school?
When I’m in school, I take the train to the gym a few times a week to climb. Last year, I was training a lot with Solomon Barth and Maya Madere, and having psyched people to train with makes a huge difference for me! Then on weekends, I try to make it to nearby climbing areas as long as I’m on top of my schoolwork.