| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | 9 April 1997 Plymouth, United Kingdom |
| Occupation | Professional rock climber |
| Spouse | Claire Apuan |
| Climbing career | |
| Type of climber | Competition climbing, bouldering, crack climbing |
| Highest grade |
|
| Retired | 2023 |
| Updated on 11 November 2023 | |
Alex Waterhouse (born 9 April 1997) is a British rock climber, known for competition climbing and achieving ascents on difficult outdoor boulders and lead routes. He was a member of the GB climbing team.
Competition climbing career
Waterhouse began climbing in 2008 at age 11, with the climbing club at Devonport High School for Boys. A few months later he started competing, and by the age of 14 he joined the GB climbing team and entering European competitions.
He competed in three IFSC Climbing World Youth Championships, in Canada in 2013, and New Caledonia and Italy in 2015. In Italy he competed in the lead, boulder, and speed events, attaining 6th place in the overall world rankings. In the same year he become the UK junior bouldering champion, and captain of the GB junior bouldering team.
In 2015, Waterhouse began studying Computer Science at Dartmouth College in the US, during which he won the US collegiate national championship, and climbed 9a (5.14d) and V14 (8B+) for the first time. He returned to the UK in 2019 to join the GB senior climbing team and compete in the IFSC Climbing World Cup.
In 2023, Waterhouse announced his retirement from competition climbing.
Notable ascents
Boulder
- The Kraken V13 (8B), Hartland Quay, Devon, UK. May 2020. The hardest crack boulder problem in the world.
- Never Envding Story 8B+ (V14), Magic Wood, Switzerland. July 2020
Lead
- The Fly 9a (5.14d), Rumney, New Hampshire, US
- Belly Full of Bad Berries 5.13b (8a) (flash), Indian Creek, Utah, US. The third person to flash the route, after Pete Whittaker and Mari Salvesen.
- The Nose (El Capitan) 5.14 (8c/+), Yosemite National Park, California, US. Climbing with Billy Ridal, becoming the first British pair to free the route.
References
- ^ "Alex Waterhouse".
- ^ Waterhouse, Alex (25 February 2023). "This has been a hard post to write. 😢". Instagram.
- "Alex Waterhouse". Scarpa.
- Waterhouse, Alex (28 August 2023). "26.08.2023 💒". Instagram.
- ^ Best, Rosemary (17 October 2017). "Alex Waterhouse". Dartmoor Links.
- Adie, Rob (11 September 2015). "World Youth Championships - Junior Lead Team Report". British Mountaineering Council.
- ^ Brown, Nick (16 April 2019). "Alex Waterhouse climbs The Fly (9a) in Rumney". UKC.
- "Alex on Alex: our newest ambassador in his own words". The Climbing Hangar.
- "Introducing Alex Waterhouse | Interview". Scarpa. 2 November 2021.
- Berry, Natalie (25 May 2020). "Second Ascent of The Kraken V13 by Alex Waterhouse". UKC.
- Brown, Nick (23 July 2020). "The Never Ending Story (Font 8B+) for Alex Waterhouse". UKC.
- White, Xa (11 October 2023). "Alex Waterhouse flashes Belly Full of Bad Berries". UKC.
- "'Sleepwalker' Gets Downgraded; 5.13 Offwidth Flashed by Ex-Comp Climber; Garnbret Does 'New Baseline'". Climbing. 18 October 2023.
- "5.13b Trad Flash en Route to Yosemite". Gripped. 11 October 2023.
- Greenwood, Rob (11 November 2023). "Alex Waterhouse and Billy Ridal Free The Nose, El Capitan". UKC.