Team USA’s Jesse Grupper Flashes an Arizona 5.14a
He adds another hard sport climbing first-go send to his tick list
Jesse Grupper recently flashed Almost Famous 5.14a (8b+) in the Celebrity Cave in Dry Canyon, Arizona. Established by Luke Bertelsen in 2018, the steep route starts on The Spark 5.13+ before heading rightwards into tufa territory and a final crux on the upper headwall.
“The name says why you probably have never heard of this climb, but I think it’s a keeper,” said Grupper on Instagram after his send. “It might not be the most picturesque line, but it brings a long endurance style with some punchy moves that keeps you fighting till the end. Coming into this trip, after a prolonged bouldering kick, I wasn’t sure how my lead game would be. Felt good to will myself to the top of this one on the first go. All I can say is I missed the pump. As for the desert, my hands have never been dryer than down in Tucson. Was grateful for some Rhino Spit (as well as a bit of my own mid route) to keep me from those dreaded dry fires.”
Before sport climbing in Dry Canyon, Grupper spent time bouldering in Hueco Tanks where he topped Esperanza V14 and Full Throttle V13. He’s no stranger to hard sport climbing flashes. In 2021, he flashed Livin’ Astro 5.14c in Rumney and in 2023, he flashed the classic Pure Imagination 5.14c at the Red River Gorge. He hardest redpoint to date is Full Metal Brisket 5.15a, which he completed at the New River Gorge in late 2023.
Grupper is best known for his comp climbing accomplishments, particularly on the lead wall. In 2022, he had a breakout season on the Lead World Cup circuit, winning two golds, one silver, and one bronze. In 2023, he won silver at the Koper World Cup and gold at the Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile, earning his ticket to compete in the Paris Summer Olympics. He placed 18th overall in Paris.
Jack Hereford climbs Almost Famous 5.14a
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