Ben Harnden Climbs Midnight Way 5.15a in Squamish
With the second ascent of the Connor Herson line, Harnden becomes the first Squamish-based climber to break into the 5.15s
Ben Harnden recently made the second ascent of Midnight Way 5.15a in Squamish. Located on the Paradise Wall in Paradise Valley, the 35-metre route is a link-up first climbed by Connor Herson in summer 2024. Starting on Spirit Quest 5.14d, the line completes all the hardest climbing on that route before going through the ~V9 crux of Spectre del Norte 5.14c. Instead of taking the Queen Bee 5.13c finish of Spectre del Norte, Midnight Way instead finishes on the upper portion of Killer Queen 5.14b, moving through a sharp V9/10 boulder problem right before the chains.
In making the first ascent last summer, Herson climbed his first 5.15a while also establishing Squamish’s first of the grade. “The fifth bolt to the top is consistently hard crimping with not very many rests,” said Herson about the Midnight Way in an interview with Gripped last summer. “The rests that are there are not very good so it’s really an endurance test-piece.”
“It really is the path of most resistance but it’s the blankest, coolest climbing on the wall,” he continued. “What got me psyched about Midnight Way is that it’s on a beautiful wall and it’s kind of unique for granite in that it’s really sustained – no cruxy sections. There was no one section that stands out as ‘the’ crux. The other thing that makes it unique among other hard sport climbs is that it’s fully natural – it has no glue, no chipped holds, nothing comfortized. It’s just all natural.”
Midnight Way is Harnden’s first of the grade. He’s the first Squamish-based climber to achieve a 5.15 ascent, in Squamish or elsewhere. He joins a very small list of Canadians that have climbed 5.15. In 2020, Canadian Evan Hau sent Sacrifice 5.15a in the Bow Valley. Earlier this year, he climbed his second of the grade, Kai Lightner’s Death of Villains 5.15a in the Hurricave in Utah. In 2022, Canadian Miles Adamson made the first ascent of Semantics 5.15a (while on TR solo) in the Bow Valley.
Over the past 20 years, Harnden has slowly and quietly built up one of the most impressive climbing tick-lists of any Canadian climber. In Squamish, he’s achieved something no other climber has in the BC town, reaching 5.15a sport, 5.14c trad, and V14 boulder.
Harnden’s list of hard repeats and first ascents is legendary. He’s sent multiple V14s, including North-North Ridge in 2017 and Deadlift in 2023. He’s climbed most of Squamish’s hardest sport routes and established a few himself. Way back in 2006, he made the first post-break ascent of Sonnie Trotter’s Silent Menace, upping the grade to 5.14c and granting it the new name of Smell the Glove. Six years later, he made the third ascent of Chris Sharma’s Dreamcatcher 5.14d, Canada’s most famous sport climb. In 2021, he made the first ascent of Dark Matter, proposing a grade of 5.14d/15a. Other sport highlights include a repeat of Spirit Quest 5.14d in Paradise Valley and an FA of SX4 5.14c up at Watersprite Lake.
His list of trad accomplishments is far too long to list. He has repeats of iconic climbs like Cobra Crack 5.14b and the scare-show The Bull 5.14b X. He made first ascents of spicy test-pieces like The Gunslinger 5.13d/14a and The Loc-nar 5.13d. Harnden’s greatest trad achievement is likely the first ascent of Bladerunner 5.14b/c in 2022, a stunning three-pitch line high up on the Kashmir Wall on the Chief. Last season, he repeated Didier Berthod’s Crack of Destiny 5.14b.
“Another chapter in my climbing journey at Paradise valley has come to a pause,” said Harnden on Instagram. “Sending the second ascent of Midnight Way (5.15a), a really really good time — First climbed by climbing wizard [Connor Herson] (a strong inspiration!).
“This climb means a lot to me. I’ve got deep history with nearly every aspect of the wall — from early days fumbling through sequences to finally piecing together the puzzle of this route. Each section has its own character, full of unique moves that twist and rise through some of the most awe-inspiring stone I’ve ever touched. It’s 35 meters of pure, flowing magic.
“I started this season with [Alexander King] and [Sonnie Trotter] kicking off the process by unlocking and refining beta on Spirit Quest and Killer Queen. All the while, I was battling a nagging case of tennis elbow and bouncing between climbing and out-of-town work. The odds weren’t exactly in my favor, but the line kept pulling me back. This one’s for the books— an unforgettable link-up of power, patience, and perseverance. Grateful for the journey.”
