UKC

Looking back at the start of the decade, the climbing world was a very different place. Adam Ondra was 17-years-old and catching up with Chris Sharma, highball bouldering was nearly a thing and nobody knew what a Wideboy was. The sport and all of its disciplines have changed dramatically in the space of ten years; from a huge push in the standards of sport climbing and bouldering, competitions emerging as a true discipline of the sport, fast alpine-style ascents in the greater ranges, and the emergence of some iconic men and women who have shaped our weird and wonderful pastime.

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In reply to UKC Articles:

Nice. I wonder if the free ascent of arch wall on the troll wall should have made this list? I'm surprised at how little it gets remembered given that it was absolutely heroic. I think the people who did it kept it low key and didn't go down the whole sponsorship/drones/netflix route (not a dig at those who did).

https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2010/08/big_wall_news_from_norway-57150

In reply to UKC Articles:

Not sure the change has been that dramatic. More incremental - more of the same and at a higher level. I think the decade which saw dramatic change was the 1980s, at least in rock climbing - emergence of ‘pro’ sponsored climbers (although they weren’t the first to embrace structured training - that was already a thing for some top climbers back in the 1970s), development of sport climbing, rapid increase in sport and trad standards, sticky rubber shoes and international comps.

1990s for the genesis of light and fast Alpine style ascents - for example Mark Twight.

Not sure when bouldering really took off in terms of number of boulderers and grades - probably 2000s?

The first modern style climbing walls were in the 1990s.

The main thing the 2010s brought us was social media, so we get to hear about stuff a lot more often and a lot quicker. That makes it sound like what’s happening is revolutionary. In fact it’s mostly just a continuation of the upward trajectory which got its first major boost in the 1980s. This is not to detract from today’s top climbers - just to say that they aren’t exactly revolutionary. 

In reply to Misha:

I was about to write something similar although would also have said there were also major changes in the 70s connected with better gear being widely available.

In reply to UKC Articles:

I sincerely hope that the part 2 (or 3 or whatever) includes the fact that Sav (aka Mountain Spirit) got out climbing before the decade was up....

In reply to UKC Articles:

Great effort pulling all that lot together,

Chris

In reply to UKC Articles:

+1

Great work.

Be good to have the year next to each one

In reply to AymanC:

date rather

In reply to UKC Articles:

It's a pretty great time to be apart of this community!

(minus the obvious obituaries)

In reply to UKC Articles:

What happend to the hard routes of Rich Simpson