First Ascent Completed at Smith Rock After 36 Years

A legendary sport climbing project at Smith Rock State Park in Oregon has finally been completed after 36 years. The route, now known as Tailbone, was originally bolted in 1989 by sport climbing pioneer Alan Watts, alongside Wolfgang Güllich and Ron Kauk, but eluded climbers for decades.

Early Sport Climbing at Smith Rock

In the 1980s, traditional climbing with mobile protection dominated the U.S. climbing scene. Watts was among the first to bolt routes at Smith Rock, helping establish sport climbing in America. In 1983, he opened Chain Reaction (5.12c) – one of the first American sport climbing routes, even appearing on the front of Cliff Bar packaging. At the time, bolted routes were daring and controversial, and Smith Rock quickly became a hub for the growing sport climbing community.

The Creation of “Tailbone”

In 1989, for an NBC television series, Watts, Güllich, and Kauk bolted a route on the freestanding 36-meter-high Monkey Face tower. Initially, they aimed for the well-known Just Do It (5.14c) line but realized it was too difficult to climb within three days. They then turned their attention to a new project, directly on the “Backbone” feature of Monkey Face. This line – later named Tailbone – remained unclimbed, representing one of Smith Rock’s boldest and most futuristic sport climbing lines.

Over the years, several local climbers attempted the route but none succeeded, leaving the project open for decades.

Kyle Higby Secures the First Ascent

The breakthrough came in July 2025 when Kyle Higby, 25, returned to Smith Rock after first visiting the area in college. Already familiar with challenging projects like Spank the Monkey (5.13d) and Notorious (5.14a), Higby learned about Tailbone directly from Alan Watts and committed to attempting the long-unclimbed line.

The redpoint was physically demanding. Higby described the climb:

“Tailbone isn’t the most pumpy route, but it’s very strenuous, as you have to maintain a lot of body tension for a very long time. I refused to fall there, threw the Beta overboard, and screamed myself hoarse to pull my feet up.”

On the final day of his stay at Smith Rock, Higby successfully completed the First Ascent, ending a project that had eluded climbers for 36 years.

A Historic Milestone

The completion of Tailbone underscores Smith Rock’s enduring significance in sport climbing history. From Alan Watts’ pioneering bolts to Kyle Higby’s modern mastery, the route connects generations of climbers, reminding the climbing world that some challenges take decades to achieve – and are worth the effort.