Gripped Magazine
Cameron Hörst Makes 5.15a First Ascent in Utah
Cameron Hörst has sent his megaproject, Big Bone 5.15a (9a+), in Utah. The project was his longest and hardest one to date. While it is his second of the grade, he says it is “[definitely] higher-end [5.15a]” on his 8a.nu page.
“This route was the metaphorical north star of my life over the last few years,” said Hörst on Instagram. “My hardest and longest project. Never have I known a climb so intimately. I am far from the strongest or most physically gifted young climber in the game. But I’ll tell ya. Your boy knows how to work, sacrifice and never take no for a damn answer.
“As far as grade: Joe [Kinder] and I always thought this climb would be [5.15b]. Over the years, however, we optimized every possible move and sequence down to its easiest form. So maybe just high-end [5.15a] is where it should lie. Who knows, come try it.”
The route is located in Fynn Cave in Utah. The cave is roughly 150 feet deep and very steep. As Hörst describes it in his YouTube video (which you can view below), the cave is shaped like a wave. Big Bone begins with Bone Tomahawk 5.14d, a line put up by Joe Kinder in 2016, then continues to follow the steepest section of the cave. Hörst estimates it is about 100 moves through 120 feet of climbing.
Hörst, 25, is a pro climber, climbing trainer, and performance coach. Son of Eric Hörst, acclaimed climbing coach and author How to Climb 5.12 and Training for Climbing, Cameron was a climbing prodigy, sending 5.13 at age nine and 5.14 at age 11. He has climbed at least a dozen 5.14d’s, including One Hundred Proof in Mount Potosi, Nevada, and Zoolander in the Red River Gorge, Kentucky. In 2021, he sent Kinder’s Bone Tomahawk, a route he believed to be 5.15a at the time, though most others have since suggested it is closer to 5.14d. He made the first ascent of Martial Law 5.15a in Mount Charleston, Nevada, in 2023. Last year, he sent Lion’s Share 5.14d and Show Your Teeth 5.14d in Lander, Wyoming.
Cameron Hörst on Big Bone 5.15a
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