Royal Robbins (born 1935) was one of the early pioneers of American climbing. Learning his skill at Tahquitz he moved on to put up many of the early Yosemite routes. A prolific writer, Robbins wrote numerious influential magazine articles emphasizing a philosophy of minimal climbing equipment - maximum climbing skill. He authored Basic Rockcraft and Advanced Rockcraft, two very influential books, which passed on his skill and ethic, and inspired a whole new generation of climbers. A very early proponent of "clean climbing" (boltless, pitonless, use of natural features for protection) he, along with Yvon Chouinard, was instrumental in changing the climbing culture of the late 1960s and early 1970s to minimise overall human impact on the vertical wilderness. Later founded an eponymous outdoor apparel company. 1935 (MCMXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Climbers on Valkyrie at the Roaches. ... Tahquitz is a climbing area 2. ... Yosemite National Park (pron. ...

First Ascents

• 1952 Tahquitz Open Book, CA, USA. (First 5.9 in America)
• 1957 Northwest Face of Half Dome, Yosemite, CA, USA. (First grade VI climb in America)
• 1961-Sep Salathé Wall, El Capitan, Yosemite, CA, USA.(Hardest grade VI climb in world at time of 1st assent)
• 1967 Nutcracker, Yosemite, CA, USA. (An early all-nut protected route, now a Yosemite easy classic)

Biographies

• Royal Robbins: Spirit of the Age Pat Ament

See Also

• Warren_J_Harding
• Yvon_Chouinard