James Pearson (climber)

James Pearson
Personal information
Born (1985-12-15) December 15, 1985
Matlock, Derbyshire, England
OccupationRock climber
SpouseCaroline Ciavaldini
WebsiteJames Pearson
Climbing career
Highest grade
First ascents
  • Bon Voyage (E12 9a, 2023)
  • Le Voyage (E10, 2017)
  • The Walk of Life (E9 6c, 2008)
  • The Groove (E9 6c, 2008)
Known forFirst-ever person to climb an E12 graded traditional climbing route
Updated on 16 May 2026

James Pearson (born 15 December 1985) is an English rock climber who has redpointed of some of the hardest traditional climbing routes in the world, including Rhapsody at E11 8c+ (5.14c) and Tribe at E11 9a (5.14d). In 2023, he made the first ascent of Bon Voyage in Annot in France which became the world's first-ever traditional climbing route to have a consensus grade of E12 9a (5.14d).[1]

Climbing career

Pearson started climbing at only 16 but by 2005, aged 19, came to public prominence when he made the third ascent of Neil Bently's Equilibrium in South Yorkshire, which at the grade of E10 was one of the hardest traditional climbing routes in the world and the hardest in Britain at that time.[2] In 2008, Pearson freed The Groove in Derbyshire, which was considered one of the "last great problems" of English gritstone traditional climbing (and another potential E11/E10, although later downgraded).[1]

In September 2008, aged 22, Pearson made the first free ascent of The Walk of Life in Devon, a traditional climbing route he proposed at the grade of E12, which would make it the hardest traditional climbing route in the world, and a grade above Dave MacLeod's Rhapsody (E11 8c+).[3] Pearson's grading became hugely controversial, and was compounded when MacLeod repeated The Walk of Life in 2009 and downgraded it to E9 6c, while Pearson failed to ascend Rhapsody but still dismissed it as an easier route.[1] After the controversy, Pearson went into exile and relocated for France, where he met his wife, French climber Caroline Ciavaldini, who kept urging him to return to Rhapsody, where he made the fourth ascent in 2014.[4] After the ascent, Pearson commented: "I couldn't take it back, but perhaps I could do something to make up for it? A gesture of goodwill, or perhaps even a peace offering to the UK climbing community?".[5]

Pearson re-established himself as one of the world's leading traditional climbers.[1][6] In 2020, he made the first repeat of Jacopo Larcher's Tribe in Italy, considered to be the world's first traditional route with a 9a (5.14d) rating (although Pearson declined to grade it).[1] In 2022, he repeated Neil Gresham's Lexicon in England (also graded at E11), and in 2023 made the first free ascent of Bon Voyage in Annot in France. Pearson initially decided not to grade Bon Voyage,[1] but after repeats by climbers such as Adam Ondra, Jacopo Larcher and Connor Herson, it has come be accepted as the world's first-ever consensus E12 9a (5.14d) graded traditional climbing route.[7][8][9] After Bon Voyage, Pearson continued repeating famous traditional routes such as Parthian Shot (E10) in England,[10][11] and made the first repeat of Dave MacLeod's Echo Wall (calling it "hard E11") in Scotland.[12][13][14]

Published works

  • James Pearson; Caroline Ciavaldini (October 2017). Climbing Beyond: The World's Greatest Rock Climbing Adventures. Aurum.[15]
  • Paul Diffley (Director), Chris Prescott (Director) (May 2015). Redemption The James Pearson Story (DVD).[16]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Potter, Stephen (11 April 2024). "James Pearson's Fraught History With the World's Hardest Trad Grade". Climbing. Retrieved 16 May 2026.
  2. ↑ Geldard, Jack (29 October 2010). "Exclusive Interview: James Pearson". UKClimbing. Retrieved 16 May 2026.
  3. ↑ "James Pearson leads The Walk of Life E12 7a". 1 October 2008. Retrieved 17 May 2026.
  4. ↑ "James Pearson climbs Rhapsody E11". Gripped Magazine. 25 September 2014. Retrieved 28 May 2024. The world seems a lot bigger than when I was small and the important things back then now seem rather trivial. I had moved on a lot in mind, body and soul, and as far far as I was concerned I was happy. Caroline could see differently, she could see passed the smiles and knew there was still something stuck. To her the obvious answer was Rhapsody – a route that I had tried just before leaving the U.K., had failed on, and to make matters worse had openly criticized rather than accepting defeat. It was a chumps move, the act of an arrogant immature kid, but the past is the past and there is no way I can take that back.
  5. ↑ Berry, Nathalie (25 September 2014). "Rhapsody E11 7a repeat for James Pearson". UKClimbing. Retrieved 28 May 2024.
  6. ↑ Pardy, Aaron (27 March 2023). "JAMES PEARSON: One of Climbing's Best Comback Stories: In 15 years, James Pearson has become one of the world's best trad climbers". Gripped Magazine. Retrieved 16 May 2026.
  7. ↑ Clarke, Owen (21 February 2024). "Adam Ondra Repeats 'Bon Voyage', Confirms World's Hardest Trad Grade". Climbing. Retrieved 16 May 2026.
  8. ↑ "Connor Herson repeats Bon Voyage, E12 trad at Annot, James Pearson's trad masterpiece at Annot in France". PlanetMountain. 14 April 2026. Retrieved 15 May 2026.
  9. ↑ Pullan, Brandon (31 January 2026). "Esteban Daligault Sends Bon Voyage 5.14d, One of the World's Hardest Trad Climbs". Gripped Magazine. Retrieved 15 May 2026.
  10. ↑ "James Pearson Climbs Famous Parthian Shot". Gripped Magazine. 1 September 2023. Retrieved 16 May 2026.
  11. ↑ "James Pearson climbs Parthian Shot without side-runner". PlanetMountain. 30 August 2023. Retrieved 16 May 2026.
  12. ↑ "James Pearson talks in depth about the second ascent of Echo Wall". Climber. 4 August 2024. Retrieved 16 May 2026.
  13. ↑ Berry, Nathalie (26 August 2024). "James Pearson shares thoughts on Echo Wall, suggests 'hard E11'". UKClimbing. Retrieved 16 May 2026.
  14. ↑ "James Pearson Climbs Bold Trad Echo Wall". Gripped Magazine. 7 August 2024. Retrieved 16 May 2026.
  15. ↑ Berry, Nathalie (12 December 2017). "Christmas Books - Our Recommendations". UKClimbing Magazine. Retrieved 29 May 2026.
  16. ↑ Berry, Nathalie (6 November 2014). "The James Pearson Story - Film Teaser". UKClimbing Magazine. Retrieved 29 May 2026.
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