Paul Robinson (climber)
Encyclopedia
Paul David Robinson is a professional rock climber known for his national and World Cup
competition results and outdoor bouldering
ascents. He currently runs a personal blog and website and writes a pro blog for Dead Point Magazine. He has also been featured in several national and international magazine articles and his image has been used in advertising, climbing posters, and magazine galleries and covers.
In 2001 Robinson began to focus on bouldering and quickly found success with sends of three V8 boulder problems that year. In the company of his father, Robinson began traveling to climb, and the next year he visited Bishop, California
, and climbed his first V9, Cholos, in only two tries. He followed that with ten more V9 ascents that year, and in 2003 he jumped two grades with sends of multiple V10 and V11 boulder problems.
In 2004 he made another significant leap when he sent his first V12, The Mandala, in Bishop, California. He did three other V12s that year, and in 2005 he began climbing at the elite grade of V13 with a send of A Form Destroyer in Bishop and the first ascent of What Rhymes With Orange? in the Northeast. These difficult outdoor ascents, combined with his relatively young age and improving competition results, made Robinson into a quickly-rising star in the climbing world.
In 2006 Robinson graduated high school and began to attend College in the climbing mecca of Boulder, Colorado
. From Boulder he was able to take more trips to now-local areas like Joe's Valley, Utah, and Rocky Mountain National Park and Mount Evans in Colorado, where he continued to make ascents up to V13. On school breaks he met up with his father or drove with friends to climb in Hueco Tanks, Texas, and Bishop, California. On these trips Robinson did boulder problems up to V13, but it wasn't until a January 2007 trip to Hueco that his climbing really began to take off.
V14 - V14 is one of the most difficult grades in the bouldering world (the scale currently tops out at V16). On that winter trip to Hueco, Robinson finished Fred Nicole
's crimpy Terre De Sienne on the sixth day of January—his first V14. Only two months later Robinson managed to send his second V14, Echale in nearby Clear Creek Canyon, Colorado. Later that same month Robinson accomplished a never-before heard of feat when he climbed two V14 climbs in one day with The Mandala Assis and The Swarm, on March 24, 2007, during a week-long spring break trip to Bishop, California. Three days later he made the first ascent of The Mandala Direct Assis V14, a variation of The Mandala Assis. These three ascents in Bishop, combined with his send of Echale, made Robinson the first person in the world ever to climb four V14s in one month. (As of March 2011, Robinson has climbed 28 V14s).
V15 - Robinson has climbed 10 problems given V15 on the date of his ascents, though he has since suggested downgrades for a couple. The ascents are: Fred Nicole's Terremer on New Year's Day 2008 in Hueco Tanks
, Texas (second ascent); Daniel Woods' Jade in Rocky Mountain National Park
, Colorado (3rd ascent, now downrated to V14); Fred Nicole's Monkey Wedding in Rocklands, South Africa (2nd ascent) (and also Fred's Amandla in Rocklands, which is given the V14/15 slash grade); Ill Trill in Magic Wood, Switzerland (first ascent); Dave Graham's From Dirt Grows the Flowers and Big Paw (Paul suggested 8B+) in Chironico, Switzerland, The Story of Two Worlds in Cresciano, Switzerland; and Sebastien Frigault's Trip Hop, Dave Graham's Satan i Helvete assis (now suggested at 8B+), and Dai Koyomada's Angama, all in Fontainebleau.
V16 - On Tuesday, March 30, 2010, Paul Robinson finally completed the Rastaman Vibrations sit-start project, renamed the line Lucid Dreaming, and proposed the rare grade of V16. The ascent took place just days after Daniel Woods' first ascent of The Game in Boulder Canyon, which was the first proposed V16 in the United States. In March of 2011 The Game received it's first repeat using slightly different beta and a downgrade to V15 was suggested, leaving Lucid Dreaming as the potentially hardest boulder problem in the United States.
On December 27, 2007 Robinson flashed (climbed first try) Nagual, a V13/14 in Hueco Tanks, becoming the first American and one of only a few people in the world to have flashed a climb of that grade (others include Swiss master Fred Nicole, British prodigy James Pearson, and more recently Tyler Landman, also from the United Kingdom, and Czech wonderkid Adam Ondra
).
Over the course of 2007 Robinson climbed over 100 boulder problems rated V11 or harder, becoming the first person to climb that many hard problems in only a year's time. As of September 2009 he has climbed 273 problems V11 and harder.
Robinson recently returned to route climbing, and in the spring of 2009 he completed the second ascent of Dave Graham's Psychedelic (5.14d) in Utah. He has also climbed The Fly, in Rumney, New Hampshire
, and several 5.14b's.
For a full list of Robinson's ascents search for his scorecard on climbing ranking site 8a.nu.
2008 - Vail, CO - 3rd (top American male finisher)
2008 - Boulder, CO - 1st
2007 - Baltimore, MD - 2nd
2009 - New Jersey - 1st
2008 - Massachusetts - 1st
2007 - Salt Lake City, UT - 2nd
2009, 2008 & 2007 Spot Bouldering Series Finals - 1st
2007, 2006 & 2005 - Triple Crown Bouldering Series - 1st
2007 - Teva Mountain Games, Vail, CO - 2nd
2007 - Five Ten Cup, Japan - 1st
2009/2010 Cover - World Cup in Vail - photo by John Evans
2007 Summer Outdoor Idol Award
Nominated for 2007 Everest Award at the Teva Mountain Games
International Federation of Sport Climbing
The International Federation of Sport Climbing is the international governing body for the sport of competitive climbing, which consists of the disciplines lead climbing, speed climbing, and bouldering...
competition results and outdoor bouldering
Bouldering
Bouldering is a style of rock climbing undertaken without a rope and normally limited to very short climbs over a crash pad so that a fall will not result in serious injury. It is typically practiced on large natural boulders or artificial boulders in gyms and outdoor urban areas...
ascents. He currently runs a personal blog and website and writes a pro blog for Dead Point Magazine. He has also been featured in several national and international magazine articles and his image has been used in advertising, climbing posters, and magazine galleries and covers.
Bouldering
Robinson started climbing at the age of 11 at Vertical Reality, an indoor climbing gym near his home in New Jersey. By his own account, he wasn't very good at climbing, but he enjoyed it profusely so he continued to climb as much as possible and competed in local roped climbing competitions with little success.In 2001 Robinson began to focus on bouldering and quickly found success with sends of three V8 boulder problems that year. In the company of his father, Robinson began traveling to climb, and the next year he visited Bishop, California
Bishop, California
Bishop is a city in Inyo County, California, United States. Though Bishop is the only city and the largest populated place in Inyo County, the county seat is Independence. Bishop is located near the northern end of the Owens Valley, at an elevation of 4147 feet . The population was 3,879 at the...
, and climbed his first V9, Cholos, in only two tries. He followed that with ten more V9 ascents that year, and in 2003 he jumped two grades with sends of multiple V10 and V11 boulder problems.
In 2004 he made another significant leap when he sent his first V12, The Mandala, in Bishop, California. He did three other V12s that year, and in 2005 he began climbing at the elite grade of V13 with a send of A Form Destroyer in Bishop and the first ascent of What Rhymes With Orange? in the Northeast. These difficult outdoor ascents, combined with his relatively young age and improving competition results, made Robinson into a quickly-rising star in the climbing world.
In 2006 Robinson graduated high school and began to attend College in the climbing mecca of Boulder, Colorado
Boulder, Colorado
Boulder is the county seat and most populous city of Boulder County and the 11th most populous city in the U.S. state of Colorado. Boulder is located at the base of the foothills of the Rocky Mountains at an elevation of...
. From Boulder he was able to take more trips to now-local areas like Joe's Valley, Utah, and Rocky Mountain National Park and Mount Evans in Colorado, where he continued to make ascents up to V13. On school breaks he met up with his father or drove with friends to climb in Hueco Tanks, Texas, and Bishop, California. On these trips Robinson did boulder problems up to V13, but it wasn't until a January 2007 trip to Hueco that his climbing really began to take off.
V14 - V14 is one of the most difficult grades in the bouldering world (the scale currently tops out at V16). On that winter trip to Hueco, Robinson finished Fred Nicole
Fred Nicole
Fred Nicole is a Swiss rock climber, notable for his numerous cutting edge first ascents. Nicole was the first climber to open a problem with the bouldering grades 8B, 8B+ and 8C....
's crimpy Terre De Sienne on the sixth day of January—his first V14. Only two months later Robinson managed to send his second V14, Echale in nearby Clear Creek Canyon, Colorado. Later that same month Robinson accomplished a never-before heard of feat when he climbed two V14 climbs in one day with The Mandala Assis and The Swarm, on March 24, 2007, during a week-long spring break trip to Bishop, California. Three days later he made the first ascent of The Mandala Direct Assis V14, a variation of The Mandala Assis. These three ascents in Bishop, combined with his send of Echale, made Robinson the first person in the world ever to climb four V14s in one month. (As of March 2011, Robinson has climbed 28 V14s).
V15 - Robinson has climbed 10 problems given V15 on the date of his ascents, though he has since suggested downgrades for a couple. The ascents are: Fred Nicole's Terremer on New Year's Day 2008 in Hueco Tanks
Hueco Tanks
Hueco Tanks is an area of low mountains in El Paso County, Texas, USA. It is located in a high-altitude desert basin between the Franklin Mountains to the west and the Hueco Mountains to the east. Hueco is a Spanish word meaning hollows and refers to the many water-holding depressions in the...
, Texas (second ascent); Daniel Woods' Jade in Rocky Mountain National Park
Rocky Mountain National Park
Rocky Mountain National Park is a national park located in the north-central region of the U.S. state of Colorado.It features majestic mountain views, a variety of wildlife, varied climates and environments—from wooded forests to mountain tundra—and easy access to back-country trails...
, Colorado (3rd ascent, now downrated to V14); Fred Nicole's Monkey Wedding in Rocklands, South Africa (2nd ascent) (and also Fred's Amandla in Rocklands, which is given the V14/15 slash grade); Ill Trill in Magic Wood, Switzerland (first ascent); Dave Graham's From Dirt Grows the Flowers and Big Paw (Paul suggested 8B+) in Chironico, Switzerland, The Story of Two Worlds in Cresciano, Switzerland; and Sebastien Frigault's Trip Hop, Dave Graham's Satan i Helvete assis (now suggested at 8B+), and Dai Koyomada's Angama, all in Fontainebleau.
V16 - On Tuesday, March 30, 2010, Paul Robinson finally completed the Rastaman Vibrations sit-start project, renamed the line Lucid Dreaming, and proposed the rare grade of V16. The ascent took place just days after Daniel Woods' first ascent of The Game in Boulder Canyon, which was the first proposed V16 in the United States. In March of 2011 The Game received it's first repeat using slightly different beta and a downgrade to V15 was suggested, leaving Lucid Dreaming as the potentially hardest boulder problem in the United States.
On December 27, 2007 Robinson flashed (climbed first try) Nagual, a V13/14 in Hueco Tanks, becoming the first American and one of only a few people in the world to have flashed a climb of that grade (others include Swiss master Fred Nicole, British prodigy James Pearson, and more recently Tyler Landman, also from the United Kingdom, and Czech wonderkid Adam Ondra
Adam Ondra
Adam Ondra is a Czech rock climber. He also participates in lead climbing and bouldering competitions.-Biography:...
).
Over the course of 2007 Robinson climbed over 100 boulder problems rated V11 or harder, becoming the first person to climb that many hard problems in only a year's time. As of September 2009 he has climbed 273 problems V11 and harder.
Robinson recently returned to route climbing, and in the spring of 2009 he completed the second ascent of Dave Graham's Psychedelic (5.14d) in Utah. He has also climbed The Fly, in Rumney, New Hampshire
Rumney, New Hampshire
Rumney is a town in Grafton County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 1,480 at the 2010 census. The town is located at the southern edge of the White Mountain National Forest.-History:...
, and several 5.14b's.
For a full list of Robinson's ascents search for his scorecard on climbing ranking site 8a.nu.
IFSC World Cup Bouldering Competitions
2009 - Vail, CO - 4th2008 - Vail, CO - 3rd (top American male finisher)
USA Climbing American Bouldering Series National Championships
2009 - Boulder, CO - 2nd2008 - Boulder, CO - 1st
2007 - Baltimore, MD - 2nd
Mammut Bouldering Championships
2009 - Salt Lake City, UT - 3rd2009 - New Jersey - 1st
2008 - Massachusetts - 1st
2007 - Salt Lake City, UT - 2nd
Other Professional Competitions
2009 Hueco Tanks Rock Rodeo - 1st2009, 2008 & 2007 Spot Bouldering Series Finals - 1st
2007, 2006 & 2005 - Triple Crown Bouldering Series - 1st
2007 - Teva Mountain Games, Vail, CO - 2nd
2007 - Five Ten Cup, Japan - 1st
8a.nu (Online, Global)
Interview with Paul RobinsonDead Point Magazine (Print & Online, USA & Global)
The Cycle ContinuesUK Climbing (Online, United Kingdom)
End of the year 2008Urban Climber Magazine (Print & Online, USA)
UC #18 Silent Destroyer Interview and cover photoUSA Climbing Season Annual (Print, USA)
2007 Cover - Animation of a photograph2009/2010 Cover - World Cup in Vail - photo by John Evans
Video Appearances
- 2008 Dosage Vol. V - two segments: Colorado Alpine Blocs and Secrets of the East by Big Up Productions.
- 2009 Progression- "Rocklands" segment by Big Up Productions
- 2010 The Insiders Big Up Productions
- 2010 Reel Rock 2010
- 2011 The Schengen Files PRAK Media
Art
In 2010 Robinson earned a degree in studio art at the University of Colorado, Boulder (until his graduation he was the only elite American boulderer to be simultaneously attending college). His focus was on painting, and in September 2009 he had his first solo art show at the Prana retail store in Boulder. His art tends to focus on geometric shapes in various colors on multiple canvases, though recently he has been branching out into photography, video, and other digital media. Most recently he designed the posters for his first full-length video release, 2011's The Schengen Files.Awards
2008 Climbing Magazine Golden Piton for Achievements in Bouldering2007 Summer Outdoor Idol Award
Nominated for 2007 Everest Award at the Teva Mountain Games