Hazel Findlay Climbs Big in America, Hard Pembroke Trad
Findlay made quick work of the old-school seaside classic
Top trad climber Hazel Findlay has repeated the classic Big in America, a 38-metre E6 6b at Bosherston Head in Pembroke. The route was first climbed by 1987 by Gary Gibson who’s made first ascents of over 4,000 routes.
About her recent onsight of Big in America, Findlay said, “I got horrifically pumped trying to work out one move in the steepest and least protected section of the route and then had to hold it together for the top.”
The route description reads: A big climb, with a big grade, up big grooves, on a big wall! There is some fixed gear which may be in a bad state. Start at a prominent flake 30m right of the corner ledges. Climb the flake to the possible belay. Gain a groove and make some bold moves up rightwards then climb over bulges into the base of a long slim groove which runs the full length of the wall above. Make some hard moves up the groove to the mid-height break and a rest. Move onto the worrying block above and reach good holds above and use these to move back left into the groove. Follow this with a hard move to reach the upper break. Finish easily.
Findlay recently repeated Muy Caliente! E9 6c, another hard trad route in Pembroke, Wales. The test-piece line was first climbed by Tim Emmett a decade ago, and has been repeated by a few climbers, including James Pearson and Babsi Zangerl.
Findlay was the first British woman to free El Cap, which she’s done four times: she made the first female ascent of Golden Gate in 2011, the first female ascent of Pre-Muir Wall in 2012, and an ascent of Freerider in only three days in 2013. In 2017, she free-climbed the Salathé Wall. In Yosemite, she also sent Magic Line 5.14cR trad.
And in Canada, she made the first free ascent of Adder Crack 5.13a trad and Tainted Love 5.13dR trad in Squamish. Sport climbing, Findlay’s ticked 5.14+ in a number of countries. She’s a climbing coach and podcast host, be sure to follow her on Instagram below.
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