David Graham: Livin' Astro in '99.
Monday, Nov. 28, 1999

	Graham on Livin' Astro

In late October, Maine's David Graham established the eastern U.S.'s hardest route. On a cool New England fall day, Graham sent Livin' Astro at Rumney in New Hampshire. Graham describes the 65 foot arete route as "pretty sustained climbing on pinches and crimpers to a pretty bad rest on a sloper, then two bouldery cruxes" that complete the route.

Graham tentatively rates Livin' Astro 14b, but it may well be harder. "It's definitely the hardest route I've done," states Graham, "I put in a lot of tries over six days." In contrast, it only took him 7 attempts over a period of three days this summer to do Hasta la Vista (14b/c) at Mt. Charleston in Las Vegas. U.S. climbers Jason Campbell and Chris Sharma and top Europeans Christian Brenna and Francois Legrand have confirmed Hasta la Vista's rating.

"It's definitely the hardest route I've done. I put in a lot of tries over six days..."

This has been the breakout year for the 18 year old Graham, who only started climbing three and a half years ago. A slew of roadtrip redpoints combined with hard first ascents on his home turf of Rumney have confirmed his status as one of the U.S.'s best sport climbers.

Since autumn of '98, Graham has established 5 routes rated 14a or harder at Rumney. Last fall he established Super Nova and Jaws, and this June, he put up China Beach, all of which he rated 14a. However, many at Rumney think Jaws and China Beach may be harder. With characteristic modesty, Graham says of China Beach, "I still don't know what to make of the rating, really." This fall, in addition to Livin' Astro, he also established The Style That is Free, yet another 14a.

In a sport where sponsorship is very dependent on route ratings, Graham is quickly gaining a reputation for being low-key when it comes to ratings. Despite having risen to the top of U.S. sport climbing in only three years, he shies away from declarations of big numbers. "I really trust his opinions about stuff like that," says Jason Campbell. "He's not in it to try to get famous. He's out there having a good time and telling it like it is."

During a summer-long road trip, Graham tore through several of the hardest routes in the western U.S. He started off by sending Throwin' the Houlihan (14a) at Wild Iris, WY in a day. At American Fork outside Salt Lake City, UT, he nearly completed Boone Speed's Ice Cream (14c) "I'd like to go back and try it in reasonable temperatures, try it in the fall," says Graham, "I'd love to do that thing."

At Mt. Charleston, Graham swiftly dispatched Facile (14b), Legend of the Overfiend (14b) each with only two attempts, as well as Hasta la Vista. He also did the first ascent of an extension to Infectious Grooves (13b), calling it The Big Neg (14a). He finished off the trip at Rifle, where he flashed The Bride of Frankenstein (13d).

After such a great year, you'd think Graham might relax a little bit. Not so. At Rumney, he's already begun a new route, a short dynamic project called The Fly. "It's insanely difficult. I've never touched anything this hard," says Graham. "I can't even do all the moves at all. There's one move I haven't done and every single other move is incredibly hard."

Graham is already planning next summer's road trip. After he graduates from high school, he plans to tour around the country and hit the major cragging and bouldering areas in Colorado, Utah, California and British Columbia, Canada. His major goal is to repeat Tommy Caldwell's Kryptonite, possibly the hardest sport route in the U.S. at 14d. "Who knows how long that'll take me," says Graham. "I'll stay until I get sick of it or until I do it." With the way he's climbing, it'll probably be the latter.

— Matt Stanley, MountainZone.com Staff