Royal Robbins

Royal Robbins (February 3, 1935 – March 14, 2017) was one of the pioneers of American rock climbing.

After learning to climb at Tahquitz Rock, Robbins went on to make first ascents of many big wall routes in Yosemite. As an early proponent of clean climbing, he, along with Yvon Chouinard, was instrumental in changing the climbing culture of the late 1960s and early 1970s by encouraging the use and preservation of the natural features of the rock. He was also a well-known kayaker.

Early life and early climbing career

Robbins was born in 1935 and grew up in trailer parks in Southern California. Robbins first began to climb in the early 1950s at the nearby Tahquitz Peak. At age 17 in 1952 he climbed the now famous Open Book route up Tahquitz. In 1957, he was among a trio of climbers who ascended the Regular Northwest Face of Half Dome at Yosemite National Park.

Dawn Wall In 1971, Robbins completed the second ascent, with Don Lauria, of the Dawn Wall on El Capitan, with the (controversial) intention of erasing the route as they climbed it.

Their ascent closely followed the 1970 first ascent by Warren Harding and Dean Caldwell, completed with protective bolts – a method that offended Robbins and other clean climbing advocates. Harding had left all his bolts in the rock; Robbins and Lauria used the bolts to repeat the climb; and Robbins then chopped the heads off the bolts behind them. After two pitches, Robbins stopped chopping the bolts because (according to Lauria) "the quality of the aid climbing was much higher than he had ever expected of Harding or Caldwell and, of course, it was also taking us an awful long time to chop all those goddam bolts."

Climbing philosophy in Advanced Rockcraft

Robbins authored two seminal books, Basic Rockcraft and Advanced Rockcraft, which emphasized free climbing skills and a clean-climbing ethic. In a section of Advanced Rockcraft called Values, he described his climbing philosophy. He believes that "a first ascent is a creation in the same sense as is a painting or a song", and that choosing a climbing line may well be "an act of brilliant creativity".

Death Robbins died on March 14, 2017, at the age of 82.

Royal Robbins Clothing Following his success as a climber, Robbins founded an eponymous outdoor apparel company with his wife Liz Robbins. Royal Robbins LLC is a San Francisco-based clothing company specializing in outdoor and travel focused attire. Following his death, in 2018 the company was bought by the Swedish company Fenix Outdoor International AG, which also owns brands Fjällräven, Tierra and Hanwag as well as the European outdoor retailers Globetrotter, Naturkompaniet, Friluftsland and Partioaitta. Liz Robbins rejoined the company in December 2015 as a senior advisor.

Notable ascents 1952 First free ascent (FFA) of Open Book (Tahquitz), the first route to be rated 5.9 in the Yosemite Decimal System. 1957 Northwest Face of Half Dome, Yosemite, CA. First grade VI climb in America. With Mike Sherrick and Jerry Gallwas. 1960 The Nose, El Capitan, Yosemite, CA. With Tom Frost, Chuck Pratt, and Joe Fitschen, Second Ascent (first continuous) completed in 7 days 1961 Salathé Wall, El Capitan, Yosemite, CA. Hardest big wall grade VI climb in world at time of first ascent. With Tom Frost and Chuck Pratt. 1964 North America Wall, El Capitan, Yosemite, CA. With Tom Frost, Chuck Pratt and Yvon Chouinard. 1965 American Direttissima, Aiguille du Dru, Mont Blanc Range, France. With John Harlin. 1965 Dihedral Wall, El Capitan, Yosemite National Park, United States. With Tom Frost. First Continuous Ascent. 1967 Nutcracker, Yosemite, CA. An early all-nut protected route, now a Yosemite classic. 1967 West Face, El Capitan, Yosemite Valley – First ascent with TM Herbert. 1967 North Face, VI 5.9 A3, Mount Geikie, Canadian Rockies, first ascent with John Hudson. 1967 North Face, Mount Edith Cavell, Canadian Rockies – First solo ascent. 1969 The Prow, Washington Column, Yosemite, CA. With Glen Denny. 1969 Tis-sa-ack, Half Dome, Yosemite, CA. With Don Peterson. 1970 Arcturus, Half Dome, Yosemite, CA. With Dick Dorworth.

Other climbing achievements 1960 The Nose, El Capitan, Yosemite, CA. Second ascent. 1963 West Face, Leaning Tower, Yosemite, CA. Second ascent and Yosemite's first wall done solo (Grade V). 1968 Muir Wall, El Capitan, Yosemite, CA. First Grade VI solo (and therefore the first solo of El Capitan).

Publications

Biographies

Peter Mortimer, Nick Rosen (2014) Valley Uprising

Gallery