John Gill (climber) - Early Climbs

Early Climbs

In the Tetons, in 1958, John Gill climbed a short route on Baxter's Pinnacle that lies in the 5.10 realm, before that grade was formally recognized — one of the first to be done in America. By the end of the 1950s, Gill had reached what would now be considered V9 or V10 levels on a few eliminate boulder problems, but claims he probably never progressed beyond that. Two of his problems in the Tetons — a V8 in 1957 and a V9 in 1959 — set new standards of bouldering difficulty, and his 1961 route on the Thimble (Needles of South Dakota) — an unrehearsed and unroped 30-foot 5.12a free-solo climb (or V4 or V5 highball)— is considered one of the great classics of modern climbing, and — if considered a climb — may well be the first at the 5.12 grade. Gill climbed the route without the benefit of modern climbing shoes, significantly increasing the difficulty of the climb.

John Gill received the 2008 American Alpine Club's Robert & Miriam Underhill Award for outstanding climbing achievement.