Chris Thomas

Discipline:
Rock, Ice, Mixed, Alpine

Favorite Mammut Gear:
Revelation Rope, Champ Pants, and Laser Jacket

Favorite climbing area:
Adirondacks, NY and Little Cottonwood, UT

About Chris Thomas
Chris started climbing as a teenager in the great mountain state of Maryland, and now lives in Little Cottonwood Canyon near SLC, UT.
In a climbing world largely comprised of specialization, Chris says he doesn’t like to sell himself short by focusing on just one discipline. In the past couple of years he’s free climbed El Cap, established .13c trad routes, made the first ascent of a peak in the Alaska Range, free soloed 5.12+, and established both WI 6++ and traditionally protected M10.  “Right now, my focus is on freeing some of the old aid lines here in Utah”, says Chris.  “My friends and I have freed quite a few of them up to about .13+, but there are still tons and tons of great looking lines waiting to be done.  I’m looking forward to a few alpine trips this year as well – Alaska and the Bugaboos are both in the works, and maybe back down to South America for a while as well.”

Notable Ascents:

Rock:
Free Rider, El Cap, Yosemite.  .12d/.13a, VI
First Free Ascent:  Free Me, Big Willow, Utah. .13c
First traditional ascent:  Monkey Lip, Little Cottonwood, Utah. .13a/b
First Ascent:  The Ace-Drizzle Memorial Route, .12c
Free solo:  Closing the Gap, Big Cottonwood, Utah. .12d

Ice/Mixed:
First Ascent:  Fecalator, Adirondacks, NY.  M10, WI6, Traditionally protected
First Ascent:  Gold Rush Direct, Adirondacks, NY.  WI6++ X.
First Ascent:  Pain The Forest, Adirondacks, NY.  M8+, Traditionally protected
Numerous solos to WI 5+ and M7

Alpine:
First Ascent:  Idiot Peak, Alaska.  4600 vertical ft., WI4+, 5.8 X
Single push attempt on the Harvard Route, Mt. Huntington, Alaska.
Ham and Eggs Couloir, Moose’s Tooth, Alaska at age 18.
Single push ascent of the Grand Traverse, Tetons, at age 17.
Various ascents to 6000 meters in Alaska and South America

Favorite Mammut gear:

• Revelation 9.2mm Single Rope
• Champ Pants

The person:

• Chris prides himself in being a passionate all-arounder
• Chris says he doesn’t like to sell himself short by focusing on just one discipline
• In 2005 alone he completed a free ascent of Free Rider (.12d/.13a) on El Cap, established ground-up trad mixed routes up to M8+, put up a new route on a previously unclimbed peak in Alaska, climbed numerous 5.13 traditional rock routes, free soloed 5.12, and even managed to hack his way down some steep chutes on skis.
• Although only 22 years of age, Chris has already been on three expeditions to Alaska and one to Peru, and has established some of the most difficult ice and mixed routes in the North East. 
• At age 19 he completed the first ascents of Gold Rush Direct (WI 6++) and the Fecalator (M10, traditionally protected).