China Doll 5.14a R

China Doll is a hard traditional route in Upper Dream Canyon, Colorado, about 25 minutes from Boulder. It combines a technical crux with an R runout rating, meaning protection is sparse through key sections, so the climb demands both upper-end trad technique and a tolerance for exposure that few 5.14 sport climbers ever have to face. At 5.14a R it is one of only a handful of gear routes ever confirmed at that grade.

History

Kyle Copeland and Marc Hirt established the original line as a five-pitch aid route graded 5.9 A3+ decades before it was freed. Individual sections were later freed by different climbers, and Mike Patz eventually linked the crux pitch entirely on gear at 5.14aR. On June 15, 2016, Heather Weidner became the first woman to send China Doll, capping a roughly year-long effort, and became only the fourth woman in the world to climb 5.14 on traditional gear. At the time, the route had reportedly seen fewer than ten ascents total despite sitting close to one of the busiest climbing cities in the country.

On film

FIRST FEMALE ASCENT of 'China Doll' (5.14a R) | ft. Heather Weidner (2017) follows Weidner's send of the route, covering the year-long process and the mental demands of climbing a runout 5.14 pitch on gear. Chris Weidner also appears in the film. Louder Than Eleven's edit centers on the route itself rather than the broader canyon, using the ascent to frame a wider point about the small number of women who have climbed hard traditional routes at this level.