June 2, 2022 |  By Sam Anderson

Closer to 40 than 30 years old, it looks like Jonathan Siegrist’s best climbing is still ahead of him.

Jonathan Siegrist is a rock climber, not a drink. But if he were a drink, he may well be fine wine. The way the 36-year-old makes it look, quality gets better with age.

So it makes sense that the crusher’s latest first ascent would be one of his “absolute hardest.”

“Event Horizon” (5.15b) at southern Nevada’s mega-hard 5G wall links three distinct cruxes and ends with a nailbiter: “an enduro technical part with no rest until the anchor,” Siegrist said via Instagram.

A post shared by Jonathan Siegrist (@jonathansiegrist)

Still one of the most psyched sport climbers in the United States, Siegrist’s career may be long, but it looks far from over. Ahead of a lengthy and productive recent trip to Spain, he resolved “Close Encounters,” a wildly burly 5.15a first ascent also near his Las Vegas home. Two weeks later, he ticked “The Day the Earth Stood Still,” 5.14c/d, also close to home.

Then, Siegrist hit the road and summarily crushed. “Seleccion Anal” (5.14d/9a) went down first, then “Open Your Mind Direct” (9a/+ or 5.15). The hits kept coming.

A post shared by Jonathan Siegrist (@jonathansiegrist)

In just over a month, he punched out five routes 5.14d or harder and flashed climbs up to 5.14b.

Understandably, he’s all smiles after a career-defining first ascent back in the U.S. True to form, he tapped the try-hard to make it happen.

“In reality, when the perfect try came, I was fighting to the death on the very last few quickdraws! Screaming and barely holding on for several of the final moves … feeling like there’s nothing to lose and every reason to try hard!” Siegrist wrote.

“[E]xperiences like this transcend it all. It’s truly what it’s all about, and I feel grateful for every minute of it.”

Sam has roamed the American continent to follow adventures, explore natural wonders, and find good stories. After going to college to be a writer, he got distracted (or saved) by rock climbing and spent most of the next decade on the road, supporting himself with trade work. He's had addresses in the Adirondack Mountains, Las Vegas, and somehow Kansas, but his heart belongs in the Texas hill country.

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