Keyword: trad

Franco Cookson is one of the most experienced trad climbers in his native Great Britain. In northern Scotland, the 32-year-old has now established what is potentially the country's first E12/7a route. We spoke with him.

Connor Herson secured a rare ascent of James Pearson's mega-line "Bon Voyage" (9a) in Annot. Black Diamond filmed the event – ​​the short film is now online.

American trad climbing pro Connor Herson secured the first ascent of the route "Drifters Escape" in Squamish, British Columbia, Canada on July 14, 2025. The line is his most difficult first ascent to date and the culmination of two climbing seasons spent working on it.

Anyone who automatically thinks of Yosemite or Indian Creek when they hear the term "crack climbing" should take a closer look: The Valle dell'Orco in northern Italy is known as the "European Yosemite" for good reason. And that's exactly where the GOAT himself, Adam Ondra, has ended up. 

With his repeat ascent of the difficult trad route "Meltdown" (8c+) in Yosemite Valley, the Italian climber Pietro Vidi becomes part of an elite circle of only a few ascenders.

Climbing is international—but the rating of routes and boulders in different regions of the world is anything but uniform. We've examined the various systems to give you an overview.

With »Kolibri«, Dani Arnold, Alexander Huber and Simon Gietl achieved a first alpine ascent of the east face of Jirishanca (6094 m) in the Cordillera Huayhuash – one of the steepest and most impressive walls in the Peruvian Andes.

Jernej Kruder is the first climber ever to achieve what only Pete Whittaker has done before: the tough trad route Crown Royale (9a) in the Norwegian Jøssingfjord – one of the most difficult crack lines in the world.