Quick Facts
Biography
Daniel Woods (born August 1, 1989 in Richardson, Texas) is an American professional climber who specializes in bouldering. He has also established many bouldering problems in areas such as Magic Wood in Switzerland, Rocklands in South Africa, and in Rocky Mountain National Park in the United States.
Woods has climbed more than twenty bouldering problems graded 8C (V15). He also won many competitions such as the U.S. National Bouldering Championship (American Bouldering Series), the Teva Mountain Games, and some international competitions.
Biography
Woods began climbing at the age of 5 in Dallas, Texas and immediately became fascinated by the sport. In 1997, when he was 8 years old, his family moved to Longmont, Colorado. Woods then began competing and was part of a junior climbing team coached by Justin Sjong and Jimmie Redo.
In 2003, he climbed his first bouldering problem rated 8A (V11), Fuck You Finger. Then in 2004 he made the first ascent of Echale, grading it 8B+ (V14) when he was 15. He won the American Bouldering Series national championship in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2012 and 2013 and the Teva Mountain Games in the bouldering category in 2006, 2007 and, 2010.
On 19 June 2007, when he was traveling in the Rocky Mountain National Park in the area of Chaos Canyon, he made the first ascent of Jade, formerly named Green Project 45, a project he worked for several years with Dave Graham. He graded it 8C (V15), making it his hardest problem until then. However, it was later reassessed, and its grade lowered to 8B+ (V14).
In early 2008 at the age of 18, Woods moved to Innsbruck, Austria and spent part of his time training with Kilian Fischhuber and David Lama. In May 2008, he made the first ascent of In Search of Lost Time at Magic Wood in Switzerland and evaluated it 8C (V15).
In November 2011, Woods began filming a climbing movie called Welcome to the Hood with Paul Robinson, Guntram Jörg, and Anthony Gullsten. The filming would last five months, during which they climbed at some of the most famous and difficult bouldering sites in the world. The first part of the film was the Magic Wood in Switzerland, where Woods climbed Somewhere in Between 8B+ (V14).
Competition
Despite primarily focusing on hard outdoor bouldering, Daniel Woods is the most accomplished American male competition climber. He has won the ABS National Championship 9 times, the SCS National Championship, and has competed in many IFSC World Cup events earning a Gold Medal in the Vail World Cup in 2010. Woods also has the most open wins at the Hueco Tanks Rock Rodeo including another first place in 2017.
Notable Ascents
- 8C+/V16:
- Creature from the Black Lagoon - Rocky Mountain National Park (USA) - 27 September 2016 - First Ascent
- The Process - Bishop (USA) - 17 January 2015 - First ascent
- Hypnotized Minds - Rocky Mountain National Park (USA) - 21 October 2010 - First ascent
- 8C/V15:
- Topaz - Wild Basin (USA) - 12 October 2016 - Second ascent
- Spray of Light - Rocklands (ZAF) - July 2015 - First ascent
- Noise Vs Beauty - Rocklands (ZAF) - 14 June 2015 - First ascent, V14/V15
- Lucid Dreaming - Bishop (USA) - 28 January 2014 - Second ascent of Paul Robinson (climber)'s boulder (2010) that was originally graded 8C+(V16)
- El Diablo - Peñoles (MEX) - 19 January 2014 - First ascent
- The Nest - Red Rock (USA) - 18 December 2013 - First ascent
- Defying Gravity - South Platte (USA) - 16 November 2013 - First ascent
- The Ice Knife SDS - Guanella Pass (USA) - 2 November 2013 - First ascent
- Delirium - Mt. Evans (USA) - 18 September 2013 - Second ascent
- The Wheel of Wolvo - Mt. Evans (USA) - 9 September 2013 - Second ascent
- The Wheel of Life (original) - Grampians (AUS) - 23 July 2013 - 9th ascentof Dai Koyamada's boulder (2004) that was originally graded 8C+(V16)
- Hydrangea - Shiobara (JPN) - 14 February 2013 - Second ascentof Dai Koyamada's boulder (2005) that was originally graded 8C+(V16)
- Witness The Fitness - Ozark Mountains (USA) - 5 January 2013 - Third ascent
- White Noise - Wild Basin (USA) - 18 September 2012 - First ascent
- Monkey Wedding - Rocklands (ZAF) - 13 August 2012 - Fourth ascent
- Paint it Black - Rocky Mountain National Park (USA) - 29 February 2012 - First ascent
- Big Paw - Chironico (SUI) - 24 November 2011 - Second ascent
- La Force Tranquille - Magic Wood (SUI) - 15 October 2011 - First ascent
- Ill Trill - Magic Wood (SUI) - 19 April 2011 - Third ascent
- Practice of the Wild - Magic Wood (SUI) - 16 April 2011 - Third ascent
- Warrior Up - Mt. Evans (USA) - 4 September 2010 - Second ascent
- Desperanza - Hueco Tanks (USA) - 27 February 2010 - First ascent
- The Game - Boulder Canyon (USA) - 10 February 2010 - First ascent
- Terremer - Hueco Tanks (USA) - 30 January 2010 - Third ascent
- In Search of Time Lost - Magic Wood (SUI) - 9 September 2008 - First ascent