Anna Hazelnutt Climbs America’s First 5.14a
To Bolt or Not to Be in Smith Rock was first climbed back in the mid-1980s
Anna Hazelnutt has climbed what she called her “most intimidating goal yet” with a repeat of the classic To Bolt or Not to Be 5.14a in Smith Rock.
To Bolt Or Not To Be was America’s first 5.14a, it was bolted by Alan Watts and freed by French climber Jean-Baptiste Tribout in 1986. The list of legendary climbers who redpointed it is a who’s who that includes, Jerrry Moffat, Ron Kauk, Alan Watts, Lynn Hill, Chris Sharma, Dave Graham, Tommy Caldwell, Beth Rodden, Sonny Trotter, Steve McClure, Adam Ondra, Nina Caprez and more.
Hazelnutt is no stranger to technical, spicy routes, and this isn’t her first visit to Smith Rock. In October 2022, she sent Spank the Monkey 5.13dR in Smith. And earlier this year, she repeated the famous Austrian route Prinzip Huffnug 5.13d/14a trad in Austria. Some of her other bold climbs include, Once Upon a Time in the Southwest E9 6c and Walk of Life E9 6c, both in the U.K.
During her time in Smith Rock, Hazelnutt also took part in the Smith Rock Redpoint Comp 2023, where she and Becca Vincent teamed up to climb 15 routes in eight hours up to 5.12. Watch the highlights below. Hazelnutt also sells fun climbing stickers on Etsy here.
