Connor Herson has made just the fifth ascent of Ron Kauk's iconic Vernal Falls crack climb, Magic Line, 8c+.

The line was first established in December 1996, and was proposed at 8c. Ron Kauk climbed the line as a pinkpoint, meaning that he pre-placed gear along the route, which he then clipped into as he climbed.

More than twenty years later - in 2017 - Ron's son Lonnie made the second ascent of the route, and the first ascent whilst placing gear on lead. He proposed an upgrade, to 8c+.

The third ascent, and second free ascent, came in 2019, when Hazel Findlay - who had previously interviewed Lonnie for UKC - became the first, and to date the only, woman to climb the route. She said at the time that:

'I knew as soon as I tried it very briefly in November 2018 that if I was ever going to climb one very hard (for me) single pitch this would be it. Just because it was so beautiful to look at, so fun to move upwards on and in such a magical place'.

After committing an entire summer to training for the route, Findlay was able to climb the 35 metre route on the final day of her trip.

In 2022, the route's fourth ascent came at the hands of Carlo Traversi, who described the route as one which required 'finding peace in a near constant state of tension. Moving softly while maintaining that tension. Trusting the granite, testing its limits of friction. Accepting a new feeling of flow. Imagining my feet are like the roots of a tree, grounded in each position. Then ripping them up and pressing them down again. Over and over. Just keep moving. No thinking, just moving. Seeing it through. Demanding perfection'.

Herson tried the line on a number of occasions last season, but was unable to find the right mix of fitness and good conditions. This year, however, he was able to climb Magic Line on his second day on the route, and on his first lead go of the season.

Having first come into the spotlight for his free ascents of both The Nose and The Salathé Wall as a teenager, Herson has since been working his way through many of the hardest crack lines in the world.

In 2022, he climbed the 9a+ route Empath twice, first on bolts, and then later on trad gear, before last year having one of the most impressive trad seasons to date. 2023 saw him climb Hazel Findlay's Tainted Love, The Crack of Destiny 8c, Cobra Crack (5.14a), Blackbeard's Tears 8c+, and another of Yosemite's iconic single-pitch trad lines, Beth Rodden's Meltdown, 8c+.

As for this thoughts on Magic Line, Herson kept it simple, saying nothing more than:

'I sent Magic Line!'

To get more of a sense of what Magic Line is all about (dwindling trust in slippery footholds) check out the video below of Carlo Traversi making the fourth ascent.