Translated by: MintinaIn the spring of 2025, Herson completed several classic routes in Yosemite Valley from the ground up, as well as climbing in a single day, all while managing his studies.
Connor Herson did not let his studies during the spring semester at Stanford University stop him from climbing outdoors. During his studies, he “made the most of his weekends” to climb in Yosemite Valley. His goal was to complete a one-day ascent from the ground up. He completed seven major routes and elevated the definition of a weekend warrior to a new level:• Wet Lycra Nightmare route, 5.13d level• Golden Gate route, 7c+/5.13a level• El Corazon route, 8a/5.13b level• Pre-Muir route, 8a+/8b (5.13c/d) level• Westie Face route, 5.13- level• Final Frontier route, 8a/5.13b level• Father Time route, 8a+/5.13b level“As a result, this was the best climbing season I’ve had while in school: three consecutive weekends of free climbing on El Capitan, plus four 5.13 multi-pitch routes over two consecutive weekends – all from the ground up,” Herson wrote on his Instagram account. “More importantly, I finally felt that my climbing on the granite faces in the valley was very fluid, which is a skill that I have always been able to showcase at my best.”At just 22 years old, Herson has completed some of the most iconic and difficult traditional routes in Canada and the United States. His achievements have garnered significant attention, with highlights including the repeat ascent of the 5.14 level Stranger Than Fiction route, 8c+/5.14c Meltdown, Magic Line, Blackbeard’s Tears, 8c Cobra Crack, and Crack of Destiny.
In November 2018, at the age of 15, Connor Herson reached the summit of El Capitan after free climbing The Nose route.Photo credit: Jim HersonLast summer, in the Squamish area, he made the first ascent of the stunning crack route, 8c/5.14b The Shark, as well as one of Canada’s hardest sport routes, 9a+/5.15a Midnight Way. In 2022, he completed Empath, which was the first full gear ascent of a route previously graded 9a/5.14d, established by Carlo Traversi.
In October 2024, Connor Herson completed the 8c+/5.14c difficulty Magic Line route on the Vernal Falls cliff in Yosemite Valley.Photo credit: © Connor HersonThis 22-year-old climber rose to fame in 2015 at the age of 15 when he completed the rare free ascent of The Nose route on El Capitan. Since then, his strength has gradually increased, and although often underestimated, he is widely regarded as an extraordinary talent. Connor Herson’s 22 Most Difficult Traditional Routes Only a handful of climbers in the world can complete such a long list of extremely difficult traditional routes in such a short time.
Over the past few years, Connor Herson has become one of the world’s top traditional climbers, also climbing 5.15 sport routes. He primarily focuses on routes in the western part of North America, from California to British Columbia, Canada.Here are the 22 hardest climbs Herson has completed, excluding sport routes, such as the first ascent of Midnight Way route. Magic Line route, 8c+/5.14c difficulty Meltdown route, 8c+/5.14c difficulty Blackbeard’s Tears route, 8c+/5.14c difficulty
Cobra Crack route, 5.14 difficulty Crack of Destiny route, 8c/5.14b difficulty (second ascent)
The Shark route, 5.14- difficulty (first ascent)
Prayer for a Friend route, 8b+/5.14a difficulty (public ascent) New Leaf route, 8b/5.13d difficulty (second ascent, second attempt)
Down in Albion route, 5.13 difficulty, PG13
Carbondale Shortbus route, 8b/5.13d difficulty
Kokanee Corner route, 5.13+ difficulty
Hairline route, 5.13+ difficulty (first ascent of 14 pitches, 600 meters/2,000 feet) Air Sweden route, 5.13 difficulty
Pirate’s Code route, 5.14+ difficulty (first ascent, mixed sport/traditional climbing)
Empath route, 5.14+ difficulty (traditional gear)
Salathe Wall route, 8a/5.13b difficulty The Nose route, 8b+/5.14a difficulty, 31 pitches (sixth free ascent)
Gunslinger route, 5.14a/8b+ R difficulty
Tainted Love route, 5.13d/8b R difficulty
Broken Arrow route, 8b/+ (5.13d/14a) difficulty mixed climbing
Top Gun route, 8b/5.13d difficulty mixed climbing Three Major Beastly Climbing Routes with a Total of 230 Pitches Head to the Gunks area, the Canadian Rockies, and Yosemite Valley to try your luck on these long traversing routes.
Traversing routes can be found in regions around the world, typically starting from one end of a cliff and extending to the other side. North America has dozens of such routes, with three of the longest and least repeated ascents. 75-pitch El Capitan Girdle Traverse (5.10 A4- difficulty): This is the longest continuous traverse route in the world, extending from the right base of El Capitan to the left upper end. The route is 4,267 meters/14,000 feet long, established by Chris McNamara and Mark Melvin in April 1998, and has never been repeated. On Moja Gear, McNamara said, “Establishing the El Capitan Girdle Traverse with one of my climbing and business mentors, Mark Melvin, is absolutely one of my favorite first ascents. It’s a 75-pitch route that I think covers 4 kilometers/2.5 miles of climbing, with traverses and swings.” 88-pitch It’s All McConnell’s Fault route (5.11 A0 difficulty): The Yamnuska traverse in the Canadian Rockies had two previous ascents, the most recent by Mark Bramble and several partners after multiple attempts in 2016. He divided the route into 88 pitches. In 2004, Allan Derbyshire and Choc Quinn made the first traverse. Yamnuska is one of the most popular cliffs in the Rockies, with around 100 pitches ranging from 5.4 to 5.14. In 2023, a video about the Yamnuska traverse was released.
Yamnuska traverse It’s All McConnell’s Fault route 67-pitch The Great Wall of China route (5.9R difficulty): In October 2021, Drew Herder and Ben Wilbur completed the first continuous ascent of the Great Wall of China route, a 2,743 meters/9,000 feet long route that traverses the Trapps cliff in the Gunks area. They completed this 3-kilometer route in a continuous push over 36 hours, making it a candidate for the longest technical climbing route completed in a single ascent. The route was first ascended by Gunks climbers Ken Nichols and Dave Rosenstein in May 1987. They completed part of it, from the lower section to the ground, then went home and returned to continue. The first ascent team visited the site multiple times over several weekends. They graded the route as 5.9R, although many believe this grade is too low. The only repeat ascent of the route was in 2011 when Doug Ferguson climbed it during the day and returned to the ground at night.Information source: Aaron Pardy, Planet Mountain, Brandon Pullan, Mintina T.