Geoff Weigand

Geoff Weigand (born 1964 in Sydney, Australia) is an Australian rock climber and road cyclist.[1][2]

Geoff Weigand
Portrait Geoff Weigand, 2001
Born1964 (age 58–59)
Sydney, Australia
Occupation(s)Rock climber, free solo climbing, coach

Career

By the age of 16 (1981), he was one of the leading climbers in Australia with the onsight ascent of Toyland, 25, considered by most to be the hardest climb in New South Wales (NSW) at the time,[3]

He added numerous of 1st ascents (F.A.). Some are at Bombo Quarry, NSW, he redpointed Hangman (27).,[1][3][4] Krondorf Theft (25), and Abstractions (25). At Cosmic County, with Aesthetic Images (25), Crosswords (24), Highlights (24), Fading Light (24),[5][6] Blackboard (24)[6] and Letters to the Editor (25)[5] - all developed in December 1981. He also repeated the best and hardest of his contemporaries' routes (at the time) including ascent of Hollow Men (26).[1] While at Mt. Piddington, he established the first of its difficulty, Social Climbing (26)[5]

He also "free solo" climbed The Janicepts (22) at Mt. Victoria, and Exhibition Wall (21) at Mt. York.[1]

He was the subject of a "60 Minutes" (Australia) climbing story on soloing filmed at Cosmic County and Blue Mountains.[1] In this story the anchorman posits "Is this Sport or Madness?" Weigand is quoted as saying "It's both and neither. It's madness to the everyday person. I'm not the everyday person."[1]

At Mt. Arapiles in Australia he climbed No Exit (26) while still in high school. In February 1986 he established Shimmering - the first grade 28 in New South Wales.[1]

At Joshua Tree, he onsight soloed each of the Ski Tracks (5.10/5.11) then the crack route Acid Crack (5.13a).[3] In Yosemite Valley, with fellow Aussie Kim Carrigan, they did the first continuous no falls, free ascent of the Rostrum (5.12).[3] At the Cookie Cliffs they climbed Americas Cup (5.12c) so named to commemorate the winning of the yacht race series by Australia over the U.S.A. for the first time[7][8][9]

At Smith Rock, Oregon, he arrived in early summer '85 with Johnny Woodward and Kim Carrigan with the local core of Alan Watts, Chris Grover, and Brooke Sandhal.[10]

He made the first 1-day ascent of Chain Reaction (5.12c)[3] and Latest Rage (5.12). He and Woodward also teamed up for the 2nd ascent of the classic Heinous Cling (5.12c) and a no falls ascent of Split images (5.12d).[3] Weigand did the 1st repeat of Darkness at Noon (5.13a) - all are Watts creations-this confirmed the work of Alan Watts as having developed the leading American sport climbing area and help put Smith Rock on the map as the first premier sport climbing area.[11]

Weigand was profiled in Rock magazine's Jan-Jun 1989 issue noted as "currently at the top of the Australian rockclimbing hit parade" (Chris Baxter, Managing Editor)

He participated in the 1992 Masters competition in Chambery, France as a pre-Olympic climbing challenge held one-week prior to the games in France's bid to get rock climbing entered as an Olympic sport for the 1998 Seoul, Korean summer games.[12][13] He placed 19th in difficulty and 5th in speed.[14]

Also in 1992 at the China Wall in Logan Canyon, UT he completed Blackout (5.14b/8c) named by Boone Speed "The grade of the route is irrelevant, insignificant compared to the pure intensity of the performance. What matters is that Geoff punched it past his personal limits, and, in the process, inspired us to do the same. I wish everyone luck in the search for their own 'Black Out'."[15]

Career Highlights

1st Ascents
  • Hangman (27) 1st Ascent Bombo Quarry (1982), NSW[3]
  • Slinkin Leopard (28) - (potentially equal to any route at the time), First Ascent[4]
  • Power Corruption and Lies (27), Mt. Arapiles[4]
  • Cherry Boys (27), Grampians, First Ascent[4]
  • Model Phantom (27), First Ascent, Mt. Arapiles[4]
  • Security Jerks (27), First Ascent (1984)[16]
  • Yesterday Direct (28), First Ascent[1]
  • Microcosm (27), Wolgan Valley NSW, first free ascent[17][18]
  • Jet Lag (29) 1st Ascent – Arapiles (1984)[19]
  • Straight Outta Compton (29) 1st Ascent – Arapiles (1985)[20]
  • Slit Your Wrists (5.13b/29) 1st Ascent Smith Rock[1][3]
  • Villain (5.14a) 1st Ascent {1990} - Smith Rock[3][21]
  • Hurrikan (5.13b/c) 1st Ascent {1985} - Frankenjura, Germany (1985)[22]
  • Time's Up (5.13a/28), 1st Ascent - Smith Rock[1][3]
  • The Ashes (7c+), Kilnsey Crag, First Ascent described in High magazine, August issue 1989[3][23]
  • Churning in the Ozone (5.13b) 1st Ascent – Smith Rock[24]
  • Body Count (5.13+) 1st Ascent (1991) - AF Canyon[3]
  • Cop Killer (5.13d) 1st Ascent - AF Canyon[3]
  • Blackout (5.14a) 1st Ascent {1992} - Logan Canyon[15]
  • Trench Warfare (5.13c) 1st Ascent {1992}- Logan Canyon[3]
  • The Love Boat (5.13d) 1st Ascent - AF Canyon[25]
  • You're Terminated (31), Mt. Arapiles, First Ascent[3][17][26]
  • Aesthetic Images (25) 1st Ascent - Cosmic County[5]
  • Letters To the Editor (25) 1st Ascent - Cosmic County[5]
  • Shimmering (28) 1st Ascent - Cosmic County[5]
  • Trilobite (26) 1st Ascent - Cosmic County[5]
  • Dog Logic (25),First Ascent, Dog Wall, Red Rocks, NV,[1]
  • No Dogs Allowed (5.12b/26), First Ascent, Dog Wall, Red Rocks, NV,[1]
  • The Deep West (27), First Ascent, Dog Wall, Red Rocks, NV,[1]
  • The Boschton Marathon (27), First Ascent, Dog Wall, Red Rocks, NV,[1]
  • Next to Nothing (26) 1st Ascent – Mt York[5]
  • Crosswords (24) 1st Ascent – Cosmic County[5]
  • Fading Light (24),1st Ascent – Cosmic County,[5][6]
  • Paralyzed (24) 1st Ascent – Cosmic County[5]
  • Kid Dynamo (22) 1st Ascent - Cosmic County[5]
  • Americas Cup (5.12c)1st Ascent Cookie Cliff - Yosemite (w/ K. Carrigan)(1985)[7]
  • White Wedding (5.14a), 1989, Smith Rock, one of only 3 climbs of that grade in U.S.A. at time of establishing route, first time an Australian has broken the 5.14 barrier. Weigand rates as 32/33 in Australian grading[23][27]

1st Ascent, Solo & Onsight
  • Short and Sharp (25), Arapiles, solo onsight, First Ascent[1][28]
  • Herbs and Spices (24 -now 23), Arapiles, onsight, First Ascent (solo)[29]

1st Solo Ascent
  • The Janicepts (22) 1st solo, Onsight - Mt Piddington Blue Mountains – John Ewbank’s, original Hardest Route in Australia[1]

"Big Walls" - 1st Ascent/ 1st Free/ Free
  • The Rostrum (V 5.12) 1st Free Ascent – Yosemite (1985)(w/K. Carrigan)
  • The Shadow (V 5.13b) 1st Ascent – Squamish Chief (1988) (w/Peter Croft)

Other Ascents
  • India (29), 4th Ascent[1]
  • 1st onsight ascent of Grace (26), Mitchells Ridge[26]
  • White Trash (25), solo[1]
  • Serpentine (31), Mt. Stapylton, second ascent[26]
  • Superdirectissima (31, 32), Malham Cove, Second ascent[23]

Cited Competitions
  • 1988: Snowbird International, UT, the first climber in the 1st International climbing event in the U.S., 8th Place
  • 1989: Snowbird World Cup, UT, 9th place[30]
  • 1991: Phoenix 9th Annual Bouldering (the first bouldering contest to receive ASCF sanctioning), 3rd place[31]
  • 1991: Hueco Tanks Rock Rodeo, TX - 1st place, tied with Dale Goddard[31]
  • 1992: Chambery Rockmaster, FRA, 19th difficulty, 5th speed - France's attempt to have climbing be an Olympic sport for 1998 Seoul games[13][32]

References
  1. Gockley, Catherine (1989). "Rock Profile: Geoff Weigand, The enfant terrible of Oz rock". Rock (Jan–June): 14–15.
  2. Morgan, Lisa (1994). "The world according to Geoff Weigand". Climbing (1 November - 15 December): 140.
  3. Wagner, Tim (1993). "Resident Alien, a conversation with Geoff Weigand". Rock & Ice (58): 38.
  4. Carrigan, Kim (1986). "Extreme Rock". Rock: 14.
  5. Pircher, Martin (2002). Blue Mountains Climbing. Onsight Photography. pp. 146, 201, 261, 262, 265, 267, 269, 270, 272. ISBN 0958079013.
  6. Carrigan, Kim (1982). "Out there, down there: 50ft roof free climbed". Mountain (85): 18.
  7. "America's Cup". The Crag.
  8. Reid, Don (1998). Rock climbing Yosemite free climbs (2nd ed.). Helena, Mont.: Falcon. p. 351. ISBN 0934641595.
  9. Reid, Don. "North America, United States, California–Yosemite, Yosemite Valley, 1985 - AAC Publications - Search The American Alpine Journal and Accidents In North American Climbing". publications.americanalpineclub.org. Retrieved 7 November 2016.
  10. Watts, Alan (1992). Climber's Guide to Smith Rock. Evergreen, Colo.: Chockstone Press. p. 20. ISBN 0934641188.
  11. Hobley, Nicholas (2009). "Alan Watts climbing interview". Planetmountain.com.
  12. Gaillard, Christophe. "Going for the Gold (Chambery, FRA)". Sport of Today.
  13. Schneid, Tim. "Climbing in the 98 winter games? Going for the Gold". Sport of Today.
  14. "Masters Chambery 1992". Digital Rock.
  15. Speed, Boone (1992). "Black Out". Climbing Magazine (133): 50.
  16. "Security Jerks (27)". The Crag. Retrieved 28 September 2016.
  17. "Geoff Weigand". Australian Rockclimber (4): cover, 16. March 1989.
  18. "Table of Contents Photo". Rock (Jan–Jun): 1. 1989.
  19. "Jet Lag (29)". The Crag.
  20. "Straight Outta Compton (30)". The Crag.
  21. Benge, Michael. "Hot Flashes". Climbing: 36.
  22. "Hurrikan (9+)". frankenjura.com.
  23. "Rock News: Mt Stapylton, Mega-routes fall like plums". Rock (Jul–Dec): 5. 1989.
  24. Cummins, Clint. "Smith Rock Guide". Stanford.edu, Smith Rock Guide, rev 11/1/89.
  25. Ruckman, Stuart (1995). Climbers Guide to American Fork/Rock Canyon. ISBN 0934641889.
  26. "Rock News: Geoff Weigand". Rock (Jan–Jun): 5. 1989.
  27. "Stop the Press". Rock (Jan–Jun): 15. 1989.
  28. "Short and Sharp (25x)". The Crag.
  29. "Herbs and Spices (23)". The Crag. Retrieved 28 September 2016.
  30. Carter, H. Adams (1989). American alpine journal, 1989. [S.l.]: Amer Alpine Club. p. 126. ISBN 0930410394.
  31. Hiller, Susan (1991). "Hueco Tanks Rock Rodeo". The Connection. 3 (June, July, August): 50, 51.
  32. Ralf Becker. "Result: MEN lead". digitalrock.de. Retrieved 7 November 2016.
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