Colin Haley facts for kids
Colin Haley self portrait during the first solo ascent of the Infinite Spur, Mount Foraker, Alaska.
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| Personal information | |
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| Born | 2 September 1984 Seattle, Washington, US |
| Education | BSc. Geology University of Washington |
| Website | "colinhaley.com" |
| Climbing career | |
| Type of climber | Alpinist |
| Known for | Fast ascents of technical, alpine routes. |
| First ascents |
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Colin Haley (born September 2, 1984) is an American alpinist. An alpinist is a climber who specializes in climbing big, difficult mountains, often in cold and icy conditions. Colin is famous for climbing tough routes on mountains all over the world very quickly.
One of his most well-known achievements is the Torre Traverse. This involves climbing across four challenging mountain peaks: Cerro Torre, Torre Egger, Punta Herron, and Aguja Standhardt. He first did this amazing climb with Rolando Garibotti in 2008. Later, he completed the same traverse with Alex Honnold in less than 24 hours!
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About Colin Haley
Colin Haley grew up in Seattle, Washington, in the United States. He went to the University of Washington. There, he earned a degree in Geology, which is the study of Earth's rocks and how they are formed. He chose geology because it would give him more time for his climbing adventures.
Amazing First Climbs
Colin Haley has made many "first ascents." This means he was the first person ever to climb a certain route on a mountain. Here are some of his incredible first climbs:
New Routes in the Mountains
- In 2005, Colin and Dave Burdick created a new route called Intravenous on Chiwawa Mountain in Washington.
- In 2006, he and Jed Brown were the first to climb the Entropy Wall on Mount Moffit.
- In 2007, Colin and Kelly Cordes made the first full climb of Tiempos Perdidos on the south face of Cerro Torre.
- Also in 2007, Colin and Steve House climbed a new route on Mount Robson. They named it the Haley-House route.
- In 2008, Colin and Rolando Garibotti completed the first-ever Torre Traverse. This epic journey crossed the summits of Aguja Standhardt, Punta Herron, Torre Egger, and Cerro Torre.
- In 2010, Colin and Bjørn-Eivind Årtun opened a new route on Mount Foraker called Dracula.
- Later in 2010, Colin and Mikey Schaefer made the first Diablo Traverse. This route crossed five major peaks of Alaska’s Devil’s Thumb.
- In 2015, Colin and Marc-Andre Leclerc made the first "reverse" Torre Traverse. They climbed the peaks in the opposite order and named the route La Traversia del Oso Buda.
- Also in 2015, Colin and Marc-Andre Leclerc found a new way up the north face of Cerro Torre. They called it Directa de la Mentira.
Solo Adventures
Colin Haley is also known for his solo climbs. This means he climbs by himself, without a partner. He has been the first person to climb many difficult mountains alone.
Solo First Ascents
- In Patagonia, he made the first solo climbs of Aguja Standhardt, Punta Herron, and Torre Egger.
- In the British Columbia Coast Range, he was the first to solo climb Mount Waddington, Mount Combatant, and Mount Asperity.
- In the Central Alaska Range, he made the first solo climbs of the Infinite Spur on Mount Foraker and the North Buttress of Mount Hunter.
Record-Breaking Climbs
Colin Haley has set speed records on some of the world's toughest mountains. He climbs routes much faster than most people thought possible.
Speed Records in Alaska
- In 2016, Colin climbed the Infinite Spur on Mount Foraker solo in just 12 hours and 29 minutes. This was less than half the time of the previous fastest climb!
- In 2017, he climbed and descended the North Buttress of Mount Hunter in only 7 hours and 47 minutes.
- In June 2018, Colin set a new speed record for climbing the Cassin Ridge on Denali. He completed this challenging route in an amazing 8 hours and 7 minutes.
