Climb Onsight

Weekly Climbing News

March 20, 2026

Hi all,

Big things are coming to Climb Onsight! We're adding new features to the site, with our rock climbing courses launching shortly. Until then, dive into the latest climbing news below — and test your skills with our new climbing quiz!

Major Ascents

Jorge Díaz-Rullo Sends Café Colombia — Possibly the World's Hardest Route

On March 13, Spanish climber Jorge Díaz-Rullo completed the first ascent of Café Colombia at the Racó de la Finestra crag in Margalef, Spain, after an astonishing 240 days of effort spread across more than four years. The 30-metre route extends his own Café Solo (5.15b) and involves 40 brutally sustained moves on small pockets and crimps, capped by a V13 boulder problem near the top. While Díaz-Rullo has yet to officially propose a grade, the consensus among elite climbers points to 5.15d, which would make it among the hardest sport routes ever established.

Read more at Gripped.com →

Mountaineering

Everest 2026: Icefall Doctors Open the Season

The 2026 spring Everest climbing season is officially underway, with the eight-person Icefall Doctors team having arrived at Everest Base Camp to begin installing ladders and fixing ropes through the Khumbu Icefall. This year's team includes Ang Sarki Sherpa, Dawa Jangbu Sherpa, and six colleagues who will set up and maintain a route through the Khumbu Icefall. Notably, the Tibet side of Everest remains closed to international mountaineers in 2026, with China Tibet Mountaineering Association also keeping Cho Oyu and Shishapangma off-limits to foreign expeditions. Last year nearly 800 people reached the summit, and demand for 2026 permits is expected to be similarly high.

Read more from Alan Arnette →

Film & Culture

Dean Potter Documentary "The Dark Wizard" Premieres at SXSW

"The Dark Wizard," a new HBO documentary about the late climber and BASE jumper Dean Potter, made its world premiere at the SXSW Film & TV Festival in Austin, Texas on March 15, 2026. Directed by Peter Mortimer and Nick Rosen (with credits between the pair including "The Alpinist" and "The Dawn Wall"), the 120-minute film charts Potter's achievements alongside an unflinching look at the inner demons that drove and haunted him. Potter died in a wingsuit accident in Yosemite in 2015.

Read more at Indie Wire →

New Routes

New Moab Guidebook Unlocks 100+ Unpublished Routes

A comprehensive new guidebook covering more than 350 climbing routes in the Moab, Utah area was published in early 2026, spotlighting over 100 routes that have never appeared in print before. Standout additions include Le Scorpion and Crème de la Crème, both excellent 5.11 sport climbs on the canyon's iconic sandstone.

Read more at the Moab Sun →

Gear & Industry

New Indoor Climbing Holds

The Climbing Business Journal's monthly Grip Report for March 2026 highlighted 15 brands releasing new holds and volumes, with the dominant aesthetic trend being shapes that appear simple at first glance but reveal unexpected texture and difficulty on the wall. Atomic even created a "limestone" holds. If they are polished enough, it may mimic the Glen!

Check them out at the CBJ →

Destinations

Yosemite Valley Welcomes Spring Climbing Season

The Yosemite Climbing Association's weekly newsletter (Edition 49, March 18) reported that spring conditions are arriving in the Valley, with temperatures expected to reach the mid-70s °F — prime weather for granite big walls and crack climbs. The newsletter also noted that Yosemite recorded over 4.2 million visitors in 2025, making it the fourth-busiest year on record and the fifth most-visited national park in the country.

Read more at Yosemite Climbing →

New This Week

Test Your Climbing Knowledge

Think you know your climbing history and beta? Take our new weekly trivia quiz and find out.

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