Peter Croft

ROCK CLIMBER
PETER CROFT
BISHOP, CALIFORNIA

Prolific climber and guide Peter Croft broke onto the scene in the late 80’s when he free soloed two Yosemite test pieces, Astroman and the Rostrum, in a day. Royal Robbins called Peter’s feat “astonishing” and, when Peter followed it with a string of free solos of similar stature, Robbins called it “mastery, executed to perfection”.

Born and raised on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Peter first climbed on the basalt crags of Departure Bay in a basketball jersey and street shoes. As a teenager, he took his first trip to Squamish with a small group of friends and a funky guidebook. Soon after, he was living in a cave around Grand Wall boulders and crawling under a car (the one car owned among a dozen climbers) when it rained. After a year of close calls, Peter climbed his first 5.10 and was hooked on the sport for life. Free soloeing came naturally, as a way of continuing to climb after his friends tired out in the afternoon.

Tired of the rain and the grey, Peter left Canada for the Range of Light and found his place in Yosemite. A recipient of the American Alpine Club’s Robert & Miriam Underhill Award, Peter has a penchant for soloing massive ridgeline traverses, like the Evolution Traverse, the Minaret Traverse, and the enchainment of four Celestial Arêtes on Temple Crag. Linking the Nose of El Capitan and Half Dome in a day with his hero, John Bachar, remains one of his favorite days on rock.

Through his career, Peter has penned articles, essays and climbing guidebooks like “Fifty Favorite Climbs: The Ultimate North American Tick List”. At 58, he continues to establish 5.13 routes in the range, near his home in Bishop, California.

Accomplishments

  • First ascent of Wind Shear 5.12, High Sierra 2014
  • Link-up of four routes on the Incredible Hulk, 2012
  • First free ascent of University Wall - 1982
  • First one day link-up of El Cap and Half Dome - 1986
  • First Traverse of the Waddington Range - 1985
  • First solo of Astroman and the Rostrum - 1987
  • First free ascent of Moonlight Buttress - 1991
  • First one day link-up of the Nose and Salathe Wall - 1992 
  • First solo and one day ascent of the Minaret traverse - 1992
  • First ascent of Sponsar Brakk in Pakistan - 1998
  • First ascent of Airstream - 2004