Climber sets new ceiling in Garden of the Gods

The toughest rock climb in Garden of the Gods just got a lot tougher.

After countless tries and falls, local boulderer Nathanael Hansen successfully free climbed a 5.13a.

What is a 5.13a free climb? On the scale climbers use to grade difficulty, which ranges from 5.0 to 5.15, with additional letter grades (a,b,c,d) on 5.11-5.15 climbs, a 5.13 is one of the hardest climbs out there, and a full grade harder than any other climb in the park.

Free climbing means climbing it with a safety rope, but no other gear.

"Most people could never climb a 5.13, even with a lot of work," said climbing author Stewart Green.

For Hansen, 5.13a meant a prow on North Gateway Rock he called Ryan's Inferno, where an overhanging sheet of sandstone offered few hand and foot holds. A bare spot in the middle was so smooth that it forced the climber to fling himself five feet up, letting hands and feet leave the rock before grabbing a tiny ledge with four fingers.

"For a while I thought it was impossible. I've taken quite a few falls on it," Hansen, 29, who works for Northrop Grumman Corp., said Tuesday as he looked up at the red rock.

But he had motivation to keep trying. Hansen first attempted the climb in 1999 with his best friend, Ryan Sayers. Both graduated from Rampart High School.

"We could never do it," Hansen said.

In 2003, Sayers was killed by lightning while climbing in Wyoming. Hansen decided to conquer the climb as a tribute to his friend.

Other people had tried, but were turned back by the impossible leap.

Hansen started in October. He would get to the crux, leap, then fall. Each time he ended up dangling in midair on his rope. He climbed until his hands were almost numb, then came back to try again.

For four days he left with numb hands and no luck, but each helped him learn a new part of the climb.

"Doing a route this hard means working until your body memorizes every move, like a gymnast. You need perfection," said Green, who lives in Colorado Springs and photographed the climb.

Finally, on Nov. 18, Hansen found perfection. With a small crowd of climbers watching, he leapt past the crux, clutched the thin ledge above, and fought up the rest of the climb.

The naming rights for a route go to the first climber. The wall was already called Inferno, so Hansen added the name of his best friend.

"It means a lot to be able to memorialize him in a place that meant so much to us," Hansen said.