Connor Herson does Crown Royale 9a (8c+)

Connor Herson repeated Pete Whittaker’s Crown Royale (9a) in Jøssingfjord last summer, keeping the ascent under wraps until the video release. The 22-year-old needed just four attempts to send the 100-meter crack, assigning it a personal grade of 8c+. With a tick list that includes a handful of other trad climbs from 8c to 9a+, the American boasts one of the most impressive trad résumé in the world. Herson first made headlines in 2018 by climbing an 8c+ on just his second attempt at age 14. That same year, he also repeated The Nose (8b+ MP) and placed 11th at the Youth World Championship.