10 Iconic Rock Climbs by Legend Peter Croft
From daring free-solos to iconic traverses, here are just a few of his many amazing climbs over the decades
Peter Croft is one of the most influential climbers of his generation, with several history-making first ascents and free-solos. Croft was born on Canada’s west coast and spent time climbing across the country throughout the 1980s. In Alberta, he made the first free ascent of Yellow Edge 5.11 on Yamnuska with Colin Zacharias, and in Ontario he made the first free ascent of The Monument 5.12d trad. He pushed the standards of free climbing in Squamish with several history ascents on and around The Chief.
In 2000, Yosemite climbing legend Royal Robbins said, “Peter has been my hero for many years, ever since he came blazing out of nowhere with his stunning free-solo ascent of Astroman on Washington Column in Yosemite. Tom Frost and I had made the second ascent of this route, mostly with direct aid in the early sixties. That one could climb this route without resorting to direct aid was impressive. To do it without a rope was astonishing. But such was Peter’s level of mastery. That it was mastery, and not mere daring was proven by a string of free-solos of similar stature, executed to perfection.”
In 2008, Croft and Conrad Anker made the first ascent of Solar Flare, a demanding 5.12 in the Sierras. About the route, he said, “Fresh from Everest, Conrad immediately showed that wallowing up snow hummocks is excellent training for fingery granite. After a couple of days of exploratory flailing Conrad and I climbed Solar Flare with storm clouds moving in, cameras rolling, and me climbing embarrassed in skin-tight long johns (the warmest pants I had).” Watch below.
In the book Fifty Favorite Climbs: The Ultimate North American Tick List, Croft listed The Evolution Traverse VI 5.9, a link-up of Mount Mendel, Mount Darwin, Mount Haeckel, Mount Fiske, Mount Warlow and Mount Huxley, as one of his favourite climbs. He once famously said, “You can always climb in the rain, just not as hard.” Here are just a handful of his many epic climbs over the decades.
10 Croft Climbing Highlights
First ascent of Solar Flare 5.12 on Incredible Hulk in 2008 with Conrad Anker
First ascent of Venturi Effect 5.12+ in High Sierra in 2004 with Dave Nettle
First ascent of the Evolution Traverse in the Sierras in 2000.
First one-day link-up of The Nose and Salathé Wall in Yosemite in 1992.
First free ascent of Moonlight Buttress 5.12d/13a in Zion in 1991.
First free ascent of The Shadow 5.13 in Squamish in 1988.
First free solo link-up of Astroman and the Rostrum in Yosemite in 1987.
First one-day link-up of The Nose and Half Dome in Yosemite in 1986.
First traverse of the Waddington Range in 1985 with Greg Foweraker and Don Serl.
First free ascent of University Wall 5.12 in Squamish in 1982 with Greg Foweraker and Hamish Fraser.
