Climbing Stories

While walking all done to Camp 4 , John Yablonski nicknamed 'Yabo' one of the early pioneers of Bouldering and the inventor of the sit start... He discovered a new line in the heart of the Columbia Boulder, a granite boulder 8 meters high in the center of Camp 4, Yosemite. Excited about the new discovery, he immediately notified Ron Kauk and John Bachar, two legendary climbers in the valley. Once you see the line They laughed at it, saying that it was IMPOSSIBLE , that lightning would more likely strike a rock at midnight, as the Jimi Hendrix song Midnight Lightning went. THIS IS HOW MIDNIGHT LIGHTNING WAS BORN!

Ron Kauk is one of Yosemite Valley's living legends. Pushing the limits of world climbing for over three decades, he is famous for his iconic first ascents, such as Astroman and Midnight Lightning. Focused and passionate, Kauk is also a committed ecologist, working to protect Yosemite through his nonprofit, Sacred Rok. His life took a spectacular turn when he began working with Hollywood, training actors like Sylvester Stallone and Tom Cruise for hit films like Cliffhanger and Mission Impossible.

Lynn Hill: The world's best climber. From 1986 to 1992, she won over thirty international titles. In 1990, she was the only woman to top the World Cup. Hill freed the legendary route The Nose in Yosemite, a feat thought impossible, completing it in 23 hours. Her motto: "The grade doesn't matter, the experience should be memorable."

The climbers at Yosemite all agreed on one thing, this project is and will remain impossible! Any attempt to free the route will be a fiasco, especially if it is a woman who attempts it. Lynn Hill saw something that the others didn't see, in fact not only did he manage to free climb the almost 900 meters of the Nose...

Climb without a rope, defying death to live. In the world of extreme climbing, few are willing to put everything on the line. Michael Reardon, free solo icon, shocked the climbing world by climbing over 280 routes free solo in less than 24 hours in Joshua Tree. He defied gravity and death, demonstrating unique dexterity and steadfastness. His story begins with a passion for climbing that led him to tackle the most daring climbs, without ropes and without fear. His ethics, based on purity of experience and mental balance, have made him an icon of free soloing. But his journey was not without risk. Unable to resist the temptation to climb higher and higher, he suffered a fall that forced him to confront the consequences of his lifestyle. However, his love for climbing and his dedication to the cause pushed him to overcome adversity. His end, as tragic as it was mocking, was a blow to the climbing community. But his legacy lives on through his deeds and his philosophy of life. For Reardon, climbing was more than a sport, it was a way of life, an expression of freedom and authenticity . If you want to find out more about his incredible story and his impact on climbing, don't miss our article. Some of his words: "Climbing onsight in free solo barefoot and naked is climbing, everything else is compromise."

1995 Calanques, France. Patrick Edlinger was climbing casually and elegantly on a 7b route, after missing a few bolts a hold exploded under his hands, causing him to fall eighteen metres. During the flight the heart stops, not metaphorically, he has a real cardiac arrest. He was urgently resuscitated by a doctor on site and managed to recover without serious consequences, returning to climbing at a very high level even in free solo.