Peter Croft (climber)

Peter Croft (born May 18, 1958) is a Canadian rock climber and mountaineer.[1] He has concentrated much of his rock climbing career on big routes in Yosemite National Park, Squamish, British Columbia as well as the High Sierra. He received The American Alpine Club’s Robert & Miriam Underhill Award in 1991.[2]

Peter Croft
Peter Croft in Salt Lake City, circa 1990
Born (1958-05-18) May 18, 1958
Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada
Known forRock Climbing, Free solo climbing

Croft listed The Evolution Traverse (YDS class 5.9 grade VI) which links Mount Mendel, Mount Darwin, Mount Haeckel, Mount Fiske, Mount Warlow and Mount Huxley as one of his favorite climbs in Fifty Favorite Climbs: The Ultimate North American Tick List[3]

Royal Robbins, a leading climber of the previous generation, wrote about Croft and his climbing achievements in 2000: "Peter has been my hero for many years, ever since he came blazing out of nowhere with his stunning free solo ascent of Astroman on Washington Column in Yosemite. Tom Frost and I had made the second ascent of this route, mostly with direct aid in the early sixties. That one could climb this route without resorting to direct aid was impressive. To do it without a rope was astonishing. But such was Peter's level of mastery. That it was mastery, and not mere daring was proven by a string of free solos of similar stature, executed to perfection." [4]

Early life

Croft was born in Nanaimo, British Columbia on May 18, 1958. He grew up in Departure Bay, British Columbia where he was introduced to climbing.[5] Speaking with Peter in the early 2000s at Joshua Tree, he was asked what got him into free solo climbing. Peter said he was so drawn to climbing that at the end of the day when his other buddies were done and into campfire activities, he needed more. With no partner it evolved into free solo climbing.

Career highlights
Peter Croft in Eldorado Canyon in the 1990s

Croft has completed a large number of first ascents including a number of free solo ascents.[6]

  • First ascent of Blowhard, 5.12+, High Sierra, 2005
  • First ascent of Samurai Warrior, 5.12a, High Sierra, 2005
  • First ascent of Venturi Effect 5.12+, High Sierra, 2004
  • First ascent of Airstream 5.13, High Sierra, 2004
  • First ascent of the Evolution Traverse, High Sierra, 2000
  • First ascent of Sponsar Brakk via 8,000-ft. rock route 5.11, Pakistan, 1998
  • First solo and one-day Minaret Traverse, the Sierras, 1992
  • First one-day link-up of the Nose and Salathé Wall on El Capitan, Yosemite, 1992
  • First free ascent of Moonlight Buttress 5.12d/13a, 1991
  • First free ascent of the Shadow 5.13, onsight of crux pitch, 1988
  • First free solo link-up of Astroman and the Rostrum, 1987
  • First free solo of Astroman 5.11, 1987
  • First one-day link-up of the Nose of El Capitan and Half Dome, Yosemite, 1986
  • First traverse of the Waddington Range, 1985
  • First free solo of the Rostrum 5.11, Yosemite, 1985
  • First free ascent of University Wall 5.12, Squamish, 1982

Books authored by Croft
  • Croft, Peter (July 2002). The Good, the Great, and the Awesome: The Top 40 High Sierra Rock Climbs. Maximus Pr. ISBN 0-9676116-4-4.
  • Croft, Peter; Steve Boga (August 1996). Lightweight Alpine Climbing With Peter Croft (1st ed.). Stackpole Books. ISBN 0-8117-2841-2.
  • Croft, Peter; Wynne Benti (2005-09-01). Climbing Mt. Whitney (3rd ed.). Spotted Dog Press Inc. ISBN 1-893343-14-6.

References
  1. Croft, Peter (July 2002). The Good, the Great, and the Awesome: The Top 40 High Sierra Rock Climbs. Maximus Pr. ISBN 0-9676116-4-4.
  2. The American Alpine Club’s Underhill Award Archived 2009-07-14 at the Wayback Machine(retrieved September 1, 2009)
  3. Kroese, Mark (July 2001). Fifty Favorite Climbs: The Ultimate North American Tick List (1st ed.). Mountaineers Books. ISBN 0-89886-728-2.
  4. FROSTWORKS - Environmental Commentaries - Standing on the Shoulders: A Tribute to my Heroes By Royal Robbins (retrieved October 10, 2009)
  5. "Interview with the Legendary Climber Peter Croft". Squamish Climbing Magazine. July 13, 2016. Retrieved November 7, 2018.
  6. Peter Croft - The North Face Archived 2009-03-04 at the Wayback Machine (retrieved September 1st, 2009)
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