David Ethan Graham (born November 10, 1981) is an American professional

rock climber Rock climbing is a climbing sports discipline that involves ascending routes consisting of natural rock in an outdoor environment, or on artificial resin climbing walls in a mostly indoor environment. Routes are documented in guidebooks, and ...

. Professing to enjoy bouldering the most, he is one of the elite sport climbers and boulderers of his generation. Graham repeats classic routes or boulder problems as well as performing cutting-edge

first ascent In mountaineering and climbing, a first ascent (abbreviated to FA in climbing guidebook, guide books), is the first successful documented climb to the top of a mountain or the top of a particular climbing route. Early 20th-century mountaineers a ...

s. He is known for climbing in 2005 an graded boulder problem called '' The Story of Two Worlds'', in

Cresciano Cresciano is a former municipality in the district of Riviera in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland. On 2 April 2017, the former municipalities of Iragna, Lodrino, and Osogna merged into the new municipality of Riviera. History Cresciano is ...

, Switzerland). He is also known for his stance against grade inflation and for his strong anti-chipping ethic. He writes an ongoing blog for the website of

Climbing Magazine ''Climbing'' is a major US-based rock climbing magazine first published in 1970. In 2007, it was bought by Skram Media, the publisher of ''Urban Climber Magazine''. The headquarters of the magazine is in Boulder, Colorado. It is published nine ti ...

Biography

Born in

Maine Maine ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the United States, and the northeasternmost state in the Contiguous United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Provinces and ...

, Graham was introduced to climbing in 1997 by one of his skiing teammates. Within a year, he climbed an route, ''The Present''. Quickly, he became one of the strongest climbers in the United States, before moving to Europe in 2005. In 2005, he climbed an boulder problem (''The Story Of Two Worlds'',

, Switzerland), and his first route (''Coup de Grace'', Val Bavona, Switzerland).

Rock climbing

As of November 2017, Graham climbed 455

routes Route or routes may refer to: * Air route, route structure or airway * GPS route, a series of one or more GPS waypoints * Route (gridiron football), a path run by a wide receiver * Route (command), a program used to configure the routing table * ...

between and , of which 143 were

onsight Glossary of climbing terms relates to rock climbing (including aid climbing, lead climbing, bouldering, and competition climbing), mountaineering, and to ice climbing. ebook: The terms used can vary between different English-speaking countries; ...

ed: * 5 9a+ * 13 9a * 41 8c+ * 66 8c * 82 8b+ (of which 3

ed) * 92 8b (of which 31

ed) * 91 8a+ (of which 61

ed) * 66 8a (of which 48

ed)

Redpointed routes

: :*''Ali Hulk Sit Start Extension Total'' –

Rodellar Rodellar is a locality located in the municipality of Bierge, in Huesca province, Aragon, Spain. As of 2020, it has a population of 54. Geography Rodellar is located 64km east-northeast of Huesca Huesca (; ) is a city in north-eastern Spain ...

(

SPA A spa is a location where mineral-rich spring water (sometimes seawater) is used to give medicinal baths. Spa health treatments are known as balneotherapy. The belief in the curative powers of mineral waters and hot springs goes back to pre ...

) – September 2020 – Fifth ascent. Originally considered 9b, but downgraded to 9a/9a+. :*'' La Rambla'' – Siurana (

) – March 2019 :*''Thor's Hammer'' –

Flatanger Flatanger is a municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. It is part of the Namdalen region. The administrative centre of the municipality is Lauvsnes. Other villages include Jøssund, Hasvåg, and Vik. The municipality is the 216th largest b ...

( NOR) – October 5, 2015 – Sixth ascent :*'' Realization'' –

Céüse Céüse () is a limestone mountain in the Hautes-Alpes ''département in France, département'' of France near Gap, Hautes-Alpes, Gap and Sigoyer, Hautes-Alpes, Sigoyer. The "Pic de Céüse" is at an elevation of , and the whole massif is include ...

(

FRA Fra is a title of a friar. Fra or FRA may also refer to: Codes * fra, the ISO 639-2 code for the French language * FRA, the ISO 3166-1 alpha-3 code for France * FRA, the IOC country code for France at the Olympics * Framingham station, Amtra ...

) – July 30, 2007 – Fourth ascent :*''Coup de Grace'' – Val Bavona ( SUI) – November 8, 2005 – First ascent : :* ''Chocholoco'' –

Carros Carros (; ) is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France. Carros is one of sixteen villages grouped together by the Métropole Nice Côte d'Azur tourist department as the ''Route des Villages Perchés'' (Route of Perc ...

(

)- October 14, 2009 :* ''Abyss'' – Gorges du Loup (

) – October 3, 2009 :* ''Kryptonite'' – Rifle (

Colorado Colorado is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States. It is one of the Mountain states, sharing the Four Corners region with Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. It is also bordered by Wyoming to the north, Nebraska to the northeast, Kansas ...

, USA) – September 14, 2008 :* ''

Bunda De Fora Bunda may refer to: * Bunda District, Tanzania ** Bunda Town, capital of Bunda District * Bunda Station, a cattle station in the Northern Territory, Australia * Robert Bunda (born 1947), American politician in the Hawaii Senate * Bunda, nickname fo ...

'' – Acephale (Canada) – September 6, 2007 :* ''Ali-Hulk (de pie)'' – Rodellar ( ESP) – June 27, 2007 :* ''Esclatamasters'' – Perles ( ESP) – March 8, 2007 – Second ascent. First ascent by

Ramón Julián Puigblanqué Ramón or Ramon may refer to: People Given name *Ramón (footballer, born 1950), Brazilian footballer * Ramón (footballer, born 1983), Brazilian footballer * Ramón (footballer, born 1988), Brazilian footballer * Ramón (footballer, born 1990), B ...

:* ''A Muerte'' – Siurana ( ESP) – December 7, 2006 – Third ascent :* ''Bain de Sang'' – Saint-Loup ( SUI) – April 13, 2005 :* ''Psychedelic'' – Gorilla Cliffs (USA) – November 18, 2001 – First ascent :* '' Action directe'' –

Frankenjura Franconian Switzerland (, ) is an upland in Upper Franconia, Bavaria, Germany and a popular tourist retreat. Located between the River Pegnitz in the east and the south, the River Regnitz in the west and the River Main in the north, its relie ...

( GER) – May 21, 2001 – fourth ascent

Boulder problems

As of June 2022, Graham had climbed about 700 boulder problems between and , of which 4 were

ed and 29 flashed: * 3 8C+ * 17 8C * 69 8B+ * 163 8B * 213 8A+ (of which 1 flashed and 2 onsighted) * 246 8A (of which 28 flashed and 2 onsighted) 8C+ (V16) :* ''Hypnotised Minds -'' Rocky Mountain National Park – October, 2019 – Third ascent. First ascent by Daniel Woods, 2010 :* ''Euclase -'' Valle Bovona, Switzerland – April, 2022 – First Ascent. Awaiting grade confirmation. :* ''F*ck the System -'' Fionnay, Switzerland – June, 2022 – First ascent by Shawn Raboutou, 2021 :* ''Celestite - '' Valle Bovona, Switzerland – June, 2023 - First Ascent. Awaiting grade confirmation. : :*''La Rustica'' – Valle Bovona, Switzerland – April, 2022 – First Ascent Jimmy Webb 2019 :*''4-low'' – Valle Bovona, Switzerland – February, 2022 – First Ascent Daniel Woods :*''Primitivo'' – Valle Bovona, Switzerland – February, 2022 – 3rd ascent, First Ascent Jimmy Webb 2019 :*''Roadkill'' – Valle Bovona, Switzerland – December, 2021 – First Ascent Shawn Raboutou :*''Trieste Assis'' – Red Rock, USA – April 2020 :*''Squoze'' – Red Rock, USA – December 2019 – First Ascent Jimmy Webb :*''Meadowlark Lemon'' – Gateway Canyon (USA) – January 8, 2013 – Second ascent. First ascent by Paul Robinson in 2012 :* ''

The Wheel of Life ''The Wheel of Life'' is a long sandstone bouldering route on the roof of the Hollow Mountain Cave in the Grampians of Australia. When first climbed, it was graded at , one of the world's first-ever boulder routes at that grade. With repeats, ...

'' – Hollow Mountain Cave ( AUS) – June 8, 2012 – Sixth ascent. First ascent by

Dai Koyamada Dai Koyamada (, born 23 August 1976) is a Japanese rock climber and known as one of the leading boulderers of his generation who established some of the first-ever boulder problems at . He has also established and repeated, some of the hardest ...

in 2004. Composed of 65 moves, it links four different boulder problems. Although it is climbed without rope, it is considered to be almost a

climbing route A climbing route () is a path by which a Climbing, climber reaches the top of a mountain, a rock face or an ice-covered obstacle. The details of a climbing route are recorded in a climbing guidebook and/or in an online climbing-route database. De ...

. It is commonly graded 8C as a boulder problem, and 9a as a route. Graham stated that it was "not possible to compare it to other boulder problems, due to its length", and that it was in a league above 9a routes he had climbed, possibly even a 9a+. :* ''Paint it Black'' –

Rocky Mountain National Park Rocky Mountain National Park is a List of national parks of the United States, national park of the United States located approximately northwest of Denver in north-central Colorado, within the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains. The park is s ...

(USA) – April 18, 2012 – Third ascent. First ascent by Daniel Woods in 2012 :* ''The Ice Knife'' – Guanella Pass (USA) – October 18, 2011 – First ascent :* ''Warrior Up'' – Mt Evans / Wolverine Land (USA) – September 4, 2010 – Second ascent. First ascent by Daniel Woods :* ''Big Paw'' –

Chironico Chironico is a former Municipalities of Switzerland, municipality located in the district of Leventina (district), Leventina in the Cantons of Switzerland, canton of Ticino in Switzerland. On 1 April 2012, it was incorporated into the municipali ...

( SUI) – November 27, 2008 – First ascent :* ''The Island'' –

Fontainebleau Fontainebleau ( , , ) is a Communes of France, commune in the Functional area (France), metropolitan area of Paris, France. It is located south-southeast of the Kilometre zero#France, centre of Paris. Fontainebleau is a Subprefectures in Franc ...

(

)- April 7, 2008 – First ascent :* ''From Dirt Grows The Flowers'' –

( SUI) – March 7, 2005 – First ascent :* '' The Story of Two Worlds'' –

( SUI) – January 9, 2005 – First ascent :*''Foundation's Edge -''

Fionnay Fionnay is a village in the Swiss Alps, located in the canton of Valais. The village is situated in the western part of the canton, in the Val de Bagnes, valley of Bagnes, south-east of Martigny. It is part of the municipality of Val de Bagnes. F ...

( SUI) – October 15, 2013 – First Ascent

References

External links