Kryptonite 5.14d (9a)

Kryptonite climbs a steep, gold and white streaked limestone cave at the Fortress of Solitude, a crag in western Colorado near Rifle. Graded 5.14d (9a), it was the first route at that grade established in the United States, climbing entirely on natural holds with no chipping or glue, on compact, powerful terrain that ends partway up the wall's central cave feature.

History

Tommy Caldwell made the first ascent in 1999 after about 20 days of effort, establishing both the route and the crag's reputation as one of the hardest sport climbing venues in the country. Repeats have come slowly and from a short list of elite climbers, including Yuji Hirayama, Dave Graham, Joe Kinder, Carlo Traversi and Jonathan Siegrist. Caldwell later added further, harder terrain above Kryptonite's anchor with an unnamed-grade extension called Flex Luthor, and in more recent years Olivia Ogier climbed her own 5.14d extension to Kryptonite, called Yellow Sun.

On film

Matt Segal vs America's FIRST 9a/5.14d 'Kryptonite' (2023), from Louder Than Eleven, follows Segal's push on the route during winter conditions, when cold temperatures change the friction and rest positions on the holds. The film treats the climb as both a personal project and a rare look at one of the country's longest-standing hard sport testpieces, more than two decades after Caldwell's first ascent.