Historic Joshua Tree 5.14c Now Gets 5.12d
If the original grade stood, it would've been one of the hardest climbs in the world along with Action Directe and Hubble
In the pantheon of hard Joshua Tree rock climbs controversy, big egos and slander go hand in hand. Behind every great route there’s a story, oftentimes larger than life and shrouded in mystery.
My Idea of Fun aka Borne to be Wild was established by the late Paul Borne in 1994 and is one such route that has it all. Big number claims, spicy downgrades, unknown repeats and even a story about the literal practice of letting go in Zen Buddhism. It ends with a 30-foot run-out to the anchor with a potential ground-fall.
Top local climber Steve Edwards, said, “The story I heard, from either Thaw or the Fish, was that Bourne called it 5.14c, making it arguably the hardest route in the world at the time (Hubble and AD had yet to be upgraded), and went on local TV to claim the world’s hardest route was in Josh. Myles onsighted the second ascent, confirming the c but slashing two numbers off the 14.” Anothewr great short film from Cole Gibson and Giant Rock.
My Idea of Fun
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