Daniel Woods

Daniel Woods (born August 1, 1989) is an American professional rock climber who specializes in bouldering, and who is considered one of the most important climbers in the history of bouldering. Woods has climbed over thirty boulder problems graded at or above . He has also won several competition bouldering events, such as the U.S. National Bouldering Championship and some international events. In March 2021, Woods achieved the first ascent of a low start to Sleepwalker which he named Return of the Sleepwalker and proposed the grade , only the second-ever route in history at that grade.
Early life
Woods was born in Richardson, Texas, and was introduced to climbing through the cub scouts. In 1997, when he was 8 years old, his family moved to Longmont, Colorado. Woods then began competing and was part of a junior climbing team coached by Justin Sjong and Jimmie Redo.
Climbing career
Rock climbing
In 2003, Woods climbed his first bouldering problem rated , Fuck You Finger. The following year, at the age of 15, he made the first ascent of Echale, grading it .
On June 19, 2007, while traveling in the Chaos Canyon area of Rocky Mountain National Park, Woods made the first ascent of Jade, formerly named The Green 45 Project, a project he had worked for several years with Dave Graham. He graded it , making it his hardest ascent at that point. The consensus for the rating of Jade is now .
In early 2008, at the age of 18, Woods moved to Innsbruck, Austria, and spent part of his time training with Kilian Fischhuber and David Lama. In May 2008, he made the first ascent of In Search of Time Lost at Magic Wood in Switzerland and graded it .
In November 2011, Woods began filming a climbing movie called Welcome to the Hood with Paul Robinson, Guntram Jörg, and Anthony Gullsten. The filming lasted five months, during which the group climbed at some of the most famous and difficult bouldering sites in the world. The first part of the film was set in Magic Wood, Switzerland, where Woods climbed Somewhere in Between .
Competition climbing
Despite primarily focusing on hard outdoor bouldering, Daniel Woods is one of the most accomplished American male competition climbers. He won the ABS National Championship 9 times, the SCS National Championship, and competed in many IFSC World Cup events, earning a gold medal in the Vail World Cup in 2010. Woods also has the most open wins at the Hueco Tanks Rock Rodeo, his most recent having been in 2017.
Woods won the American Bouldering Series national championship in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2012 and 2013 and the Teva Mountain Games in the bouldering category in 2006, 2007 and, 2010.
Notable ascents
Boulder problems
:
Return of the Sleepwalker - Black Velvet Canyon (Red Rocks, USA) - 30 March 2021 - First Ascent
:
Grand Illusion - Little Cottonwood Canyon (Utha) - June 2021 - Third ascent.
Off the Wagon Low - Val Bavona (Switzerland) - March 2020 - Third ascent.
Sleepwalker - Black Velvet Canyon (Red Rocks, USA) - 16 January 2019 - Second ascent
Box Therapy - Rocky Mountain National Park (USA) - 31 October 2018 - First ascent
Creature from the Black Lagoon - Rocky Mountain National Park (USA) - 27 September 2016 - First ascent
The Process - Bishop (USA) - 17 January 2015 - First ascent
Hypnotized Minds - Rocky Mountain National Park (USA) - 21 October 2010 - First ascent
Insomniac - Lincoln Lake (USA) - 15 September 2022 - Second ascent
:
Direct Hit - Ubatuba (BRA) - 13 December 2019 - First Ascent
Finnish Line - Rocklands (South Africa) - 30 June 2018 - Fifth Ascent
Topaz - Wild Basin (USA) - 12 October 2016 - Second ascent
Spray of Light - Rocklands (South Africa) - July 2015 - First ascent
Noise Vs Beauty - Rocklands (South Africa) - 14 June 2015 - First ascent, V14/V15
Lucid Dreaming - Bishop (USA) - 28 January 2014 - Second ascent of Paul Robinson's boulder (2010), downgraded from 8C+(V16)
El Diablo - Peñoles (MEX) - 19 January 2014 - First ascent
The Nest - Red Rock (USA) - 18 December 2013 - First ascent
Defying Gravity - South Platte (USA) - 16 November 2013 - First ascent
The Ice Knife SDS - Guanella Pass (USA) - 2 November 2013 - First ascent
Delirium - Mt. Blue Sky (USA) - 18 September 2013 - Second ascent
The Wheel of Wolvo - Mt. Blue Sky (USA) - 9 September 2013 - Second ascent
The Wheel of Life - Grampians (AUS) - 23 July 2013 - 9th ascent of Dai Koyamada's boulder (2004), downgraded from 8C+(V16)
Hydrangea - Shiobara (JPN) - 14 February 2013 - Second ascent of Dai Koyamada's boulder (2005), downgraded from 8C+(V16)
Witness The Fitness - Ozark Mountains (USA) - 5 January 2013 - Third ascent
White Noise - Wild Basin (USA) - 18 September 2012 - First ascent
Monkey Wedding - Rocklands (South Africa) - 13 August 2012 - Fourth ascent
Paint it Black - Rocky Mountain National Park (USA) - 29 February 2012 - First ascent
Big Paw - Chironico (SUI) - 24 November 2011 - Second ascent
La Force Tranquille - Magic Wood (SUI) - 15 October 2011 - First ascent
Ill Trill - Magic Wood (SUI) - 19 April 2011 - Third ascent
Practice of the Wild - Magic Wood (SUI) - 16 April 2011 - Third ascent
Warrior Up - Mt. Blue Sky (USA) - 4 September 2010 - Second ascent
Desperanza - Hueco Tanks (USA) - 27 February 2010 - First ascent
The Game - Boulder Canyon (USA) - 10 February 2010 - First ascent
Terremer - Hueco Tanks (USA) - 30 January 2010 - Third ascent
In Search of Time Lost - Magic Wood (SUI) - 9 September 2008 - First ascent
Redpointed sport routes
:
Thor's Hammer in the Hanshelleren Caves, Flatanger, Norway in 2019. Repeat
See also
List of grade milestones in rock climbing
References
External links
27 Crags profile
1989 births
Living people
American rock climbers
People from Richardson, Texas
Boulder climbers
Golden Piton winners