Calgarian Ewan McNalley, 15, Onsights 5.12 in Jasper
And is projecting a recently established 5.13d not far from Calgary
Ewan McNalley’s parents got him into climbing when he was only three years old. Now, at 15, he’s pushing grades at popular Rocky Mountain crags.
“I wasn’t that serious about climbing because I was a soccer player,” said McNalley. “However, when I stopped playing soccer at 11, I switched focus and just climbed full time.” The focus has paid off as he recently onsighted Shone 5.12b/c at Rock Garden in Jasper National Park. It was first climbed in 1995 by T. Hoover.
Like many young climbers, McNalley spent some time competing. “I was on the Calgary climbing team for two years,” he said, “but because my parents took me out to climb so much, my real joy became to compete with grades on rock rather than against others in an indoor competitive setting.”
His current project is Cobra Thunder 5.13d at Moose Mountain, first climbed by Ross Suchy in 2020. For a story on the history and future of Moose Mountain, be sure to pick up the Gripped August/September issue. We’ll be sure to stay in touch with McNalley to share news of his sends as he continues to push his limits on hard lines.
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