American Ben Hanna Onsights 5.14a in Spain
He's climbed several sport climbs up to 5.15a so far in 2024
Ben Hanna has onsighted Humildes pa Casa 5.14a in Oliana one week after redpointing JoeDan por Fabelita 5.14c/d. Last month, Hanna repeated Ace of Spades 5.15a in Utah.
”Onsighting 5.14 had always been a dream of mine,” said Hanna. “I almost fell three times on the intro 5.12 and was pretty blasted by the time I got to where the route really starts, but to be perfectly honest, once I started into the tufa I forgot all about how pumped I was and what I was trying to do. I was completely lost in how epic this route is. Probably the most beautiful and enjoyable line I have ever climbed. I had an ear-to-ear, shit-eating-grin across my face the entire route.”
In 2017, Hanna became one of the youngest climbers to establish a new 5.14d when he opened Helsinki at Caballo Lake, New Mexico at age 18. In 2023, he repeated Bone Tomahawk 5.14d and The Day the Earth Stood Still 5.14c. Also in 2017, Hanna teamed up with the late Brad Gobright to climb the 10-pitch Dreefee 5.13d, one of the hardest long routes in Red Rocks – watch below.
“The next thing I knew I was pulling the last meter of tufa,” Hanna said about continuing up Humildes pa Casa. “It wasn’t until these last couple moves to the anchor that I realized sending was possible, and the fight was on. At this point I was able to get a no hands knee-bar at the last draw which did absolutely nothing I was so pumped. I managed to pull onto the head wall but because of all the rain the last few weeks non of the holds had chalk on them and so I was fully shooting in the dark. With a little bit of luck and power screaming I’m sure all of Spain could hear I was able to pull it off.”
DreeFree
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