Will Stanhope has been climbing for most of his life. Growing up on the North Shore and being a part of The Edge Youth Team, Will developed his technical climbing skills on the granite of Squamish, BC. With ascents of The Prophet (5.13d R, VI, El Capitan) and Cobra Crack (5.14-), Will established himself as a contender in the world of hard trad climbing, learning from the greats, such as Leo Holding and Sonnie Trotter.
This fall, Will pushed his potential even farther with the first free ascent of the Tom Egan Memorial Wall on Snowpatch Spire in the Bugaboos. Spending approximately 150 days on the route over four years, Will had to dig deeper than ever before, shedding himself of everything he knew.
Will will be sharing his experiences this Friday night at the 2015 VIMFF Fall Series and we thought it would be great to check in with him after reflecting on his experiences. Here is what he had to say.
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Will Stanhope on the crux pitch of the Tom Egan Memorial Route. Photo courtesy of Will Stanhope ©
