Daniel Woods

Daniel Woods (born August 1, 1989 in Richardson, Texas) is an American professional climber who specializes in bouldering. He has also established many bouldering problems in areas such as Magic Wood in Switzerland, Rocklands, South Africa, and in Rocky Mountain National Park in the United States.

Daniel Woods
Woods competing in Boulder, Colorado in 2010
Personal information
Born (1989-08-01) 1 August 1989
Richardson, Texas
OccupationProfessional rock climber
Height1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)
Weight61 kg (134 lb)
Websitewww.island.io/danielwoods
Climbing career
Type of climberBoulderer, sport climbing
Highest grade
First ascentsThe Process (V16)
Updated on October 31, 2017.

Woods has climbed more than twenty bouldering problems graded 8C (V15), making him one of the most prolific climbers of that grade.[1] He also won many competitions such as the U.S. National Bouldering Championship (American Bouldering Series), the Teva Mountain Games, and some international competitions.

Biography

Woods began climbing at the age of 5 in Dallas, Texas and immediately became fascinated by the sport.[2] In 1997, when he was 8 years old, his family moved to Longmont, Colorado. Woods then began competing and was part of a junior climbing team coached by Justin Sjong and Jimmie Redo.[2]

In 2003, he climbed his first bouldering problem rated 8A (V11), Fuck You Finger. Then in 2004 he made the first ascent of Echale, grading it 8B+ (V14) when he was 15. He won the American Bouldering Series national championship in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2012 and 2013[3] and the Teva Mountain Games in the bouldering category in 2006, 2007 and, 2010.

On 19 June 2007, when he was traveling in the Rocky Mountain National Park in the area of Chaos Canyon, he made the first ascent of Jade, formerly named Green Project 45, a project he worked for several years with Dave Graham.[4] He graded it 8C (V15), making it his hardest problem until then. However, it was later reassessed, and its grade lowered to 8B+ (V14).

In early 2008 at the age of 18, Woods moved to Innsbruck, Austria and spent part of his time training with Kilian Fischhuber and David Lama. In May 2008, he made the first ascent of In Search of Time Lost at Magic Wood in Switzerland and evaluated it 8C (V15).[5]

In November 2011, Woods began filming a climbing movie called Welcome to the Hood with Paul Robinson, Guntram Jörg, and Anthony Gullsten. The filming would last five months, during which they climbed at some of the most famous and difficult bouldering sites in the world. The first part of the film was the Magic Wood in Switzerland, where Woods climbed Somewhere in Between 8B+ (V14).[6]

Woods is the nephew of famous actor Kevin Bacon.

Competition

Despite primarily focusing on hard outdoor bouldering, Daniel Woods is the most accomplished American male competition climber. He has won the ABS National Championship 9 times,[7] the SCS National Championship,[8] and has competed in many IFSC World Cup events earning a gold medal in the Vail World Cup in 2010.[9] Woods also has the most open wins at the Hueco Tanks Rock Rodeo including another first place in 2017.[10]

Notable Ascents

8C+ (V16):

8C (V15):

  • Direct Hit - Ubatuba (BRA) - 13 December 2019 - First Ascent
  • Finnish Line - Rocklands (South Africa) - 30 June 2018 - Fifth Ascent
  • Topaz - Wild Basin (USA) - 12 October 2016 - Second ascent[12]
  • Spray of Light - Rocklands (South Africa) - July 2015 - First ascent[12]
  • Noise Vs Beauty - Rocklands (South Africa) - 14 June 2015 - First ascent, V14/V15[12]
  • Lucid Dreaming - Bishop (USA) - 28 January 2014 - Second ascent of Paul Robinson's boulder (2010) that was originally graded 8C+(V16)[12]
  • El Diablo - Peñoles (MEX) - 19 January 2014 - First ascent[12]
  • The Nest - Red Rock (USA) - 18 December 2013 - First ascent[12]
  • Defying Gravity - South Platte (USA) - 16 November 2013 - First ascent[12]
  • The Ice Knife SDS - Guanella Pass (USA) - 2 November 2013 - First ascent[12]
  • Delirium - Mt. Evans (USA) - 18 September 2013 - Second ascent[12]
  • The Wheel of Wolvo - Mt. Evans (USA) - 9 September 2013 - Second ascent[12]
  • The Wheel of Life (original) - Grampians (AUS) - 23 July 2013 - 9th ascentof Dai Koyamada's boulder (2004) that was originally graded 8C+(V16)[12]
  • Hydrangea - Shiobara (JPN) - 14 February 2013 - Second ascentof Dai Koyamada's boulder (2005) that was originally graded 8C+(V16)[12]
  • Witness The Fitness - Ozark Mountains (USA) - 5 January 2013 - Third ascent[12]
  • White Noise - Wild Basin (USA) - 18 September 2012 - First ascent[12]
  • Monkey Wedding - Rocklands (South Africa) - 13 August 2012 - Fourth ascent[12]
  • Paint it Black - Rocky Mountain National Park (USA) - 29 February 2012 - First ascent[12]
  • Big Paw - Chironico (SUI) - 24 November 2011 - Second ascent[12]
  • La Force Tranquille - Magic Wood (SUI) - 15 October 2011 - First ascent[12]
  • Ill Trill - Magic Wood (SUI) - 19 April 2011 - Third ascent[12]
  • Practice of the Wild - Magic Wood (SUI) - 16 April 2011 - Third ascent[12]
  • Warrior Up - Mt. Evans (USA) - 4 September 2010 - Second ascent[12]
  • Desperanza - Hueco Tanks (USA) - 27 February 2010 - First ascent[12]
  • The Game - Boulder Canyon (USA) - 10 February 2010 - First ascent[12]
  • Terremer - Hueco Tanks (USA) - 30 January 2010 - Third ascent[12]
  • In Search of Time Lost - Magic Wood (SUI) - 9 September 2008 - First ascent[12]

See also

References

  1. Beale, Alex. "The Hardest Boulder Problems in the World (2018 update)". www.8a.nu. 8a.nu. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
  2. "About Daniel Woods". climbing.com. 15 February 2008. Archived from the original on 7 October 2010. Retrieved 11 May 2013.
  3. Amanda Fox (22 February 2013). "Woods, Puccio Reigning Champions at ABS 14". climbing.org. Retrieved 22 May 2013.
  4. "Fine Jade: Woods Bags Rocky Mountain Super-Project". climbing.com. 21 June 2007. Archived from the original on 15 February 2009. Retrieved 11 May 2013.
  5. "New 8C in Magicwood". b3bouldering.com. 9 May 2008. Archived from the original on 9 February 2016. Retrieved 11 May 2013.
  6. Björn Pohl (14 November 2011). "Latest news from Swiss". ukclimbing.com. Retrieved 11 May 2013.
  7. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2014-12-19. Retrieved 2015-02-17.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  8. http://www.ifsc-climbing.org/index.php/world-competition#!comp=1247&cat=6
  9. "Sleepwalker: 8C+ for James Webb and Daniel Woods". 22 January 2019. Retrieved 23 January 2019.
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