Fred Rouhling, Akira and the Biggest Climbing Controversy of the 1990s

Fred Rouhling was a good climber, but 5.15b? At a time when 14d was the hardest grade, Fred suggested that his half boulder/half route hybrid, Akira, was much harder than any other climb on the planet. Not many people believed the quiet, usually reserved French climber. Many of the top pros at the time; Ben Moon, Jibe Tribout and Alex Huber, would speak out about the suggestion. 

Rumors about the ascent were rampant. Some said he never climbed it. Some said he filled in the holds after he did it. Some said he chipped it specifically to fit his freakish proportions. The media turned Fred Rouhling into a pariah. A warning about suggesting big grades. He was ostracized and disappeared. 

But Fred Rouhling might just have been ahead of his time.

ARTICLES:

• Athletes & Innovation: Flopping, Hot Dogs, and Granny Shots

• Dick Fosbury, the Fosbury Flop and four other techniques that revolutionised sport

• Alessandro Lamberti repeats Hugh at Eaux Claires

• Fred Rouhling, un équipeur devenu sculpteur

• The formative years of cutting edge rock climbing

BOOKS:

The 9th Grade: 150 Years of Free Climbing (Montagne-culture Collection) Buy on Amazon

VIDEOS:

Fred Rouhling on Akira

Fred Rouhling Interview

Fred Rouhling Interview

Seb Bouin climbing hard

---