Climbing has introduced many things into British climber James
Pearson’s life: world travel, fame, community, scrutiny, redemption,
his wife, French climber Caroline Ciavaldini, and in 2019, a child.
A skillful and charismatic climber with a passionate vision, James’
climbing career began in the Peak District of England near his home of
Derbyshire. At the age of 15, James took to climbing quite naturally,
moving on the rock with a fluid, elegant, yet powerful style. Less
than five years later, he was one of the UK’s brightest climbing
stars. Since then, James’s quest for challenging and aesthetic Trad
routes has taken him from his local gritstone outcrops to walls and
crags in exotic locations around the globe, from Chad to Tasmania.
A decade ago, James climbed what he believed was the hardest route
in the UK, grading Walk of Life an E12, the first of its kind. The
grading choice and his subsequent status within the UK climbing
community prompted the acclaimed 2014 film, “Redemption: The James
Pearson Story”, in which James gives his side of the controversial
story and goes on to climb the hardest route in the UK.
A decade ago, James climbed what he believed was the hardest route
in the UK, grading Walk of Life an E12, the first of its kind. Later
downgraded, James faced criticisms from the UK climbing community, who
questioned his motives and choices. He moved to Innsbruck in an
attempt to re-discover the meaning of life and climbing and put forth
the acclaimed 2014 film, “Redemption: The James Pearson Story”. The
film follows James on his journey to come to terms with his past and
his journey back to climb the UK’s hardest route.
In the last several years, the 32-year-old has re-established
himself as one of the world’s great trad climbers. In 2017, James made
the first ascent of Le Voyage, graded E10 7a, arguably the hardest
single pitch trad route in France. In 2018, he made the first free
ascent of Power Ranger, a bold and difficult 5.14R at Sunset Rocks in
Chattanooga, Tennessee.
Accomplishments:
- First ascent of the highest waterfall in Japan
- First
ascent of the highest sea cliff in Europe, Cape Enniberg, Faroe
Island
- Repetition of Rhapsody, E11
- First free
ascent Le Voyage, Annot, E10 7a
- Produced films like the
Bronx and Beyond the Mostest