Tyler Thompson will not only flash your project, he’ll also tell you its history — who bolted it, who nabbed the first ascent, and all the footnotes between. The unassuming and humble physics major loves having a problem to solve and has quickly established himself by ticking desperately hard routes like Death to Villains (9a+) and La Rambla (9a+).

“I don't know if ‘student’ is the right word, but I think that no matter how hard a route is, it has something to teach me,” Tyler says. “I’ll pound my head against the wall and go to the absolute death to figure out the moves and climb a line that inspires me.”

Believing a good route resumé sets the standard for progression, Tyler trains predominantly outside on a variety of rock types and styles to build his foundation. “You can't really excel at everything, but you can't have any weaknesses either,” he laughs. “Climbing outside quickly exposes where I need to put in the work.”

Beyond big, inspiring lines, Tyler’s goal is to ultimately develop routes to leave something for the next generation of climbers.

Tyler’s favourite crag food: The humble PB&J

Achievements