Cobra Crack Sees Summer 2023 Sends
At least three climbers sent the famous Squamish pitch over the past few months
Cobra Crack is one of the world’s most famous pitches of 5.14 trad climbing. The striking line was aid climbed by Peter Croft in the 1980s and first freed in 2006 by Sonnie Trotter.
At least three climbers sent Cobra Crack in 2023: Nat Bailey, Connor Herson and Adrian Vanoni. After his send, Herson noted, “Growing up, this legendary route by Sonnie Trotter has always been a dream line of mine, and it was at the top of my list for this trip. Psyched to send it pretty quickly, and even more psyched that I didn’t have to use the mono.” The mono is a burly undercling – watch Mason Earle do the move at 6:18 in the film below.
“Cobra is 30 metres long, with the crux pulling over the lip around the two-thirds mark,” Trotter told Gripped in 2006. “It involves huge dynamic throws between one- and two-finger locks; pain is ever-present, and the mental crux is overlooking the pain, move after move. The redpoint crux comes over the lip on a slippery side pull; the feet are next to nothing, and it takes momentum and a huge throw to latch the final edge, at which point you’re about 15 to 20 feet about your last piece of gear, it’s really exciting.”
Known Cobra Crack Sends
2006 – Sonnie Trotter (Canada)
2008 – Nico Favresse (Belgium)
2008 – Ethan Pringle (USA)
2008 – Matt Segal (USA)
2009 – Will Stanhope (Canada)
2009 – Yuji Hirayama (Japan)
2011 – Alex Honnold (USA)
2013 – Pete Whittaker (UK)
2013 – Tom Randall (UK)
2016 – Ben Harnden (Canada)
2017 – Mason Earle (USA)
2017 – Logan Barber (Australia)
2017 – Said Belhaj (Sweden)
2019 – Tristan Baills (Canada)
2021 – Ryan Sklenica (Australia)
2021 – Stu Smith (Canada)
2023 – Nat Bailey (Canada)
2023 – Connor Herson (USA)
2023 – Adrian Vanoni (USA)
Cracking Cobra
Check out the latest buyer's guide:
